The Hong Kong International Airport is the only other International Airport which in my view gives close competition to Changi Airport of Singapore. It is a very beautiful as well as efficient airport. You can get to the airport by Metro or by Taxi (about 40 mins drive from the heart of the city) both of which are equally efficient.
There are 4 departure terminals and as you approach the airport you will see huge billboards stating which airline departs from which terminal. Even if you make a mistake no worries, you can easily walk it up from one terminal to the other and there are signboards indicating the direction. Due to the design of the departure terminal the sheer number of counters allotted to each airline there is no crowding in a ay particular area which adds to the visual experience and the relaxed atmosphere (unlike Mumbai airport which is a case study on creating chaos at airports J). Everybody seems to be going about their work with ease which is reassuring and calming.
There are huge screens which show the status of all the departures from the airport and these screens are there every 30 metres, so all you need to do is check these screens for departure times and gates. There is a may I Help You desk in every terminal where you can seek help if you have any special requirements. Everybody I came across on this airport spoke in English – so the problem you face in Hong Kong city with the cab drivers you will not face in the Airport.
There are duty free shops for books, apparel, food and foreign exchange kiosks before the check in counters which you may want to visit if your wait in the check-in queue is going to be long. After check in you can approach the boarding gates which are common for all terminals (some of them are in a different area which are mainly for domestic departures to China so if you are not taking these flights you need not worry). To reach the boarding gates you may need to take the monorail trains from some terminals.
When you arrive at main boarding gates area, there are variety of things to do while you wait for your flight. If you have a long wait, I suggest you check into the main lounge near Boarding Gate 35. You can pay HKD 500 for 6 hour package which includes a shower, a back massage, unlimited food and non alcoholic drinks, free Internet access, complimentary access to a variety of books and magazines. It is definitely worth the cost (even though Rs.3000 for 6 hours may be a bit difficult on your wallet) and if you are the high flyer types who would like to open your laptop, get some peace and quiet and start working then this is the place to be. Other lounges on the airport do not compare to this one. There are huge boards in different parts of the airport advertising this so you cannot miss the location of this lounge.
If you do not enter this lounge then you can complete all the shopping that you may have missed out in the city, the chocolates on the airport are only marginally cheaper than the ones that you get in the city. You may land some good combo deals if you are lucky. I found the alcohol (especially Bailey’s Irish Cream) much more expensive compared to the Duty Free Rates in India – so do not waste your money on this. The apparel is very expensive and unless you are desperate or really like something a lot I would refrain you from entering these shops.
Between alternate gates there are about 3 plug points where you can recharge your laptop. I think this is the most important tip in this review as if you do not enter the lounges, there is absolutely no other place where you can charge your laptop, mobile phones, so please carry a suitable adaptor and try to get to these points as soon as possible, these charge points are in high demand. This was the only irritant in an otherwise extremely efficient airport. There are some good restaurants towards some of the gates one near ate 54 where I boarded (I forgot the name). The deal was that if you buy anything more than HKD 5 you get free Internet access for half hour. I found this very useful and a great marketing technique – especially if you have a laptop with restrictions (I do as I work in a Bank) and cannot connect to WiFi.
Overall I would rate this Airport second best in the world after Changi in Singapore, at least out of the ones I have visited.
There are 4 departure terminals and as you approach the airport you will see huge billboards stating which airline departs from which terminal. Even if you make a mistake no worries, you can easily walk it up from one terminal to the other and there are signboards indicating the direction. Due to the design of the departure terminal the sheer number of counters allotted to each airline there is no crowding in a ay particular area which adds to the visual experience and the relaxed atmosphere (unlike Mumbai airport which is a case study on creating chaos at airports J). Everybody seems to be going about their work with ease which is reassuring and calming.
There are huge screens which show the status of all the departures from the airport and these screens are there every 30 metres, so all you need to do is check these screens for departure times and gates. There is a may I Help You desk in every terminal where you can seek help if you have any special requirements. Everybody I came across on this airport spoke in English – so the problem you face in Hong Kong city with the cab drivers you will not face in the Airport.
There are duty free shops for books, apparel, food and foreign exchange kiosks before the check in counters which you may want to visit if your wait in the check-in queue is going to be long. After check in you can approach the boarding gates which are common for all terminals (some of them are in a different area which are mainly for domestic departures to China so if you are not taking these flights you need not worry). To reach the boarding gates you may need to take the monorail trains from some terminals.
When you arrive at main boarding gates area, there are variety of things to do while you wait for your flight. If you have a long wait, I suggest you check into the main lounge near Boarding Gate 35. You can pay HKD 500 for 6 hour package which includes a shower, a back massage, unlimited food and non alcoholic drinks, free Internet access, complimentary access to a variety of books and magazines. It is definitely worth the cost (even though Rs.3000 for 6 hours may be a bit difficult on your wallet) and if you are the high flyer types who would like to open your laptop, get some peace and quiet and start working then this is the place to be. Other lounges on the airport do not compare to this one. There are huge boards in different parts of the airport advertising this so you cannot miss the location of this lounge.
If you do not enter this lounge then you can complete all the shopping that you may have missed out in the city, the chocolates on the airport are only marginally cheaper than the ones that you get in the city. You may land some good combo deals if you are lucky. I found the alcohol (especially Bailey’s Irish Cream) much more expensive compared to the Duty Free Rates in India – so do not waste your money on this. The apparel is very expensive and unless you are desperate or really like something a lot I would refrain you from entering these shops.
Between alternate gates there are about 3 plug points where you can recharge your laptop. I think this is the most important tip in this review as if you do not enter the lounges, there is absolutely no other place where you can charge your laptop, mobile phones, so please carry a suitable adaptor and try to get to these points as soon as possible, these charge points are in high demand. This was the only irritant in an otherwise extremely efficient airport. There are some good restaurants towards some of the gates one near ate 54 where I boarded (I forgot the name). The deal was that if you buy anything more than HKD 5 you get free Internet access for half hour. I found this very useful and a great marketing technique – especially if you have a laptop with restrictions (I do as I work in a Bank) and cannot connect to WiFi.
Overall I would rate this Airport second best in the world after Changi in Singapore, at least out of the ones I have visited.
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