Confirmed! The Arrivals Lounge

Old Sep 10, 2008, 7:58 pm
  #1  
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Confirmed! The Arrivals Lounge

I was just reading the Sept version of CX World, and the Arrivals Lounge is now confirmed.

Highlights form the article
- Called "The Arrival"
- Located in T2
- Open 1 Oct
- Open to CX Gold and above, First Class, and OW Emerald (not Sapphire as previously had rumored)
- 8 Shower Suites
- 29 seats
- 6 computer stations
- TV area, buffet area
- Buffet area in the morning, due to expected peak time
- A la carte in the evening
- Opening hours from 5am to midnight

This is GREAT news! I am totally looking forward to this! Now I can visit the arrivals lounge every time I get off a CX flight! I do have a concern about there is only 29 seats, and I wonder if KA flights count as well.
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Old Sep 10, 2008, 8:10 pm
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Wow, great news, although the lounge sounds a bit small!^ I assume this will be landside, right? I'm taking YYZ-HKG in F, and it gets in at 4AM, which means I'll have to wait a while before using the lounge, unfortunately.

Nonetheless, this is a service every world class airline should have, IMO. Heck, even UA has it!
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Old Sep 10, 2008, 8:18 pm
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Flights on KA are not allowed to use the lounge unless they have CX Gold or oneWorld Emerald.
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Old Sep 10, 2008, 8:25 pm
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pacificboot, thanks for the update! ^

Good on CX for taking care of its Golds. ^ ^ ^
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Old Sep 10, 2008, 8:44 pm
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Can we have access to this CX World issue?
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Old Sep 10, 2008, 9:27 pm
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Does the 1 guest policy still apply to this lounge?

Weird, i got this info from another website..

CX will open an arrival lounge in Hong Kong for all First Class passenger, Marco Polo Club gold card and above members, oneWorld Emerald and Sapphire members travelling on CX/KA arrival flights to Hong Kong.
The arrival lounge has 8 showers, 3 workstations and 30 seats. It will be decorated in the same way as "The Pier" (a current CX lounge in HKIA). The new lounge is located opposite the central Airport Express platform at Terminal 2.
"The Arrival" is targeted to open in mid-September.
Source: Cathay Pacific
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Old Sep 10, 2008, 11:56 pm
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I still find it weird that they would open the lounge to CX Gold members, and Emerald members, but not to J class passengers. And I thought the lounge was going to be to help with those very early flights from SYD and YYZ, but opening at 5am isn't going to help much.
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Old Sep 11, 2008, 12:37 am
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If they open up the lounge to J class customers, it will completely overwhelm the lounge, since it can only seat 27 people.

I find it surprising that CX would open this for customers on short haul flights, like TPE/MNL/PVG for example. Also, I feel that they should not grant access to Emerald members. To be fair, when flying on BA, DM members can't book a spa treatment at BA lounge, and don't get Fast Track at LHR transfer. For AA, GD members can't even get a free cocktail at the lounge...
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Old Sep 11, 2008, 2:16 am
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Originally Posted by pacificboot
If they open up the lounge to J class customers, it will completely overwhelm the lounge, since it can only seat 27 people.

I find it surprising that CX would open this for customers on short haul flights, like TPE/MNL/PVG for example. Also, I feel that they should not grant access to Emerald members. To be fair, when flying on BA, DM members can't book a spa treatment at BA lounge, and don't get Fast Track at LHR transfer. For AA, GD members can't even get a free cocktail at the lounge...
I agree with you. That will be too much to open to J passengers. Short-haul passengers do not need that, and I suppose most will not use the arrival lounge. Most DMs and GOs are HK-based, and many will just head home. Only those who are not heading home and need a shower before going to work may use it. On EMs, my feeling is that CX can get potentially overwhelmed. I saw from the AA forum that many seem to like arrival lounges.

BTW, in regards to AA lounges, DMs can ask the lounge attendants in Admirals Club for drink coupons. Do you mean they do not give drink coupons to GOs?
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Old Sep 11, 2008, 2:26 am
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Golds get drinks coupons in Admirals Clubs, but AA arrivals lounges are different I think - you can't access them on the basis of OW status.
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Old Sep 11, 2008, 2:45 am
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Originally Posted by christep
Golds get drinks coupons in Admirals Clubs, but AA arrivals lounges are different I think - you can't access them on the basis of OW status.

Really? Well, I have been in both the LAX and JFK Club two times each, and each time I did not get a drink coupon. Is there something I can print out so that I can show to the AA lounge attendants? Thinking about it.. I spent $8 on a screwdriver in the JFK Club, and there was literally no vodka!
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Old Sep 11, 2008, 3:00 am
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Originally Posted by pacificboot
Really? Well, I have been in both the LAX and JFK Club two times each, and each time I did not get a drink coupon. Is there something I can print out so that I can show to the AA lounge attendants? Thinking about it.. I spent $8 on a screwdriver in the JFK Club, and there was literally no vodka!
Most Admirals Club lounge attendants do not volunteer to give you coupons. You have to ask, and they should give you a drink coupon or two for you and your guest.
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Old Sep 11, 2008, 3:31 am
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Originally Posted by pacificboot
If they open up the lounge to J class customers, it will completely overwhelm the lounge, since it can only seat 27 people.

I find it surprising that CX would open this for customers on short haul flights, like TPE/MNL/PVG for example. Also, I feel that they should not grant access to Emerald members. To be fair, when flying on BA, DM members can't book a spa treatment at BA lounge, and don't get Fast Track at LHR transfer. For AA, GD members can't even get a free cocktail at the lounge...
I agree too. Despite my being OW (non-CX) Emerald, I would prefer that CX made this more exclusive to its MPC GOs and DMs. Do they have the option of turning away non-MPC emeralds 'because of space limitations'?
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Old Sep 11, 2008, 3:33 am
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Generous of CX to include OW Emerald, given that neither AA or BA do.
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Old Sep 11, 2008, 3:36 am
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sxc
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Originally Posted by christep
Golds get drinks coupons in Admirals Clubs, but AA arrivals lounges are different I think - you can't access them on the basis of OW status.
I have read here that the LHR AA Arrivals lounge is available to CX travellers on the basis of being a GO/DM member.

I agree that opening the lounge to J travellers generally will overwhelm the lounge which only has 27 seats, but there are enough EM and GO/DM members to already overwhelm the lounge. It's just strange that they would allow an OW EM member travelling in Y to enter the lounge, and not a full fare paying J passenger.

Maybe there will be certain flight restrictions as well.
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