Cathay Pacific to offer paid lounge access for a four month trial

Cathay Pacific have some of the nicest airline lounges in the industry. With great design, noodle bars and oodles of comfort, they are truly lovely places to spend time before a flight.

Seven lounges will be opened up to those who wish to splash some cash for access and this may give people the chance to try the facilities for the first time. The trial will run from 4 March to 30 June 2019.

Paid Lounge Access Details

A variety of locations around the world are participating in the trial. These include Cathay Pacific lounges in Malaysia (Penang), Taiwan (Kaohsuing), Australia (Melbourne), and Philippines (Manila).

Cathay Pacific’s home base of Hong Kong is also on the list, with The Pier Business Class lounge being part of the trial. As one of the flagship lounges in the network, this should be popular.

People will also be able to use the lounge in Paris, which I thought had a great food selection when I visited. In fact, I’ve never had bad food at any Cathay Pacific lounge.

Eligibility and How Much?

Before you go running up to the a Cathay Pacific lounge brandishing your credit card, there is one caveat. You must be a member of Cathay Pacific’s Marco Polo Club to be eligible to pay in at the lounge entrance. In Hong Kong, you need to pay at check-in or the transfer desk.

The price will be HKD$600 which is CAD$100, AUD$105, €67, 310 Malaysian Ringgit, TWD$2,350 and 3,950 Philippine Piso. People with Asia Miles can redeem 9,000 of them for access. You may also bring any number of guests along with you.

Overall Thoughts

I guess the big question is, “Is it worth it?”. My answer to that would be, “It depends!”, as each person is unique. For a short stay of an hour, I wouldn’t think it great value, however from two hours and up I believe it would be worthwhile. Clearly if you have guests with you, it becomes better value.

While the usual capacity restrictions will apply, meaning you may not be allowed to purchase access at busy periods, it should be good for those wishing for a bit of a treat. What will be interesting is whether this will become permanent or not.

Have you visited a Cathay Pacific lounge before? What do you think of this trial for paid access? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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With thanks to Australian Business Traveller.