HKG = FAB (Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok International Airport HKG)

Member Name: avacarrdo

Product:	Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok International Airport HKG
Date:	27/12/08 (230 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to find your way around, free wifi, just all around brilliant

Disadvantages: The aircon is ferocious in summer...yeah, that's all I got.

Some people get jewellery for their 40th birthday, other people receive trips away, special nights out, fancy wine or nice clothes. My mum got a new airport.

Hong Kong's fabulous Chek Lap Kok Airport was opened on the 6th July 1998, only 12 hours after operations had ceased at the old airport, Kai Tak. It sits on top of the remains of a tiny Island located near the larger Lantau Island off the coast of Hong Kong. Much land was reclaimed in order to provide the huge amount of land needed for a 570,000 m2 (And that's the just the floor space of the passenger areas) airport, and this lead to an increase of 1% to Hong Kong's surface area. Whilst pouring tons of dirt into the sea in order to build an airport on top of it seems like a bit of a crazy idea, the airport, after a few teething problems, has grown into one of Asia's top passenger and cargo airline hubs.


DEPARTING FROM CHEP LAP KOK:

Arriving at the airport, you'll see numerous screens directing you to the check-in areas for each airline. There are 10 'aisles' labeled A-J. Cathay Pacific takes up A, B, and C and other airlines are located in aisles D onwards. Arriving at your airline's check-in desk, you'll usually find dedicated desks for First, Business and Economy class passengers, groups, and other specialist concerns. There are always plenty of staff on hand, acting as queue marshals, and answering queries. Check in is usually quick and friendly, with bilingual (English and Cantonese) and often Tri-lingual staff. Once you've checked in, there are numerous TV screens showing the status of departing flights which alternate between English and Chinese.

Once you've checked in, and wandered through some of the shops selling the usual airport paraphernalia (Food & drink, toiletries, magazines etc.) going through security and immigration is fairly easy. As security restrictions are constantly in flux, and the airport is currently renovating the immigration hall (As of October 2008), I won't say too much about it, suffice to say that the restrictions are what you'd find in most major airports these days. Visitors have to fill out a short departure card which they hand to the immigration man/woman along with passport and boarding card. There are separate lines for HK residents and visitors, which makes things run very smoothly.

From there, you step Airside, where there are lots of shops and restaurants, as well as passenger lounges and all the other facilities you'd expect in a top airport. There are duty free shops, but BE WARNED: Hong Kong doesn't charge duty on many items anyway, so waiting until the airport to buy things in the hope that they'll be cheaper is false economy. The shops there jack up their prices a considerable amount.

Because the airport is so large, and there are so many departure gates, you might find yourself having to jump on the automatic train/people mover to take you to your gate. From memory, if you are departing from gates with higher numbers (I think it's from 30 up to 70), then there will be signs directing you to the people mover. It comes every 2 minutes and will whisk you along so you'll emerge much closer to your gate. Useful if you're in a rush, or just want to ride on the train. You can of course just walk to your gate through the terminal. Many people jump on the train but I prefer to walk, as I'm going to spend the next 13 hours sitting down. If you do walk, just make sure you've got enough time to get to your gate. Maps around the terminal will show how long it takes to walk, and there are airport 'amabassadors' to guide you. Airline lounges can also be found in various locations, Cathy Pacific's lounges being among the more prominently displayed.


ARRIVING AT CHEP LAP KOK:

Arriving into Hong Kong is easy and straightforward. If you're flying on Cathay, the inflight airshow will show you what carousel your bags will be arriving on. Staff greet the flight, holding up messages for people who need to transit, and will also answer any questions you have (And run back and get things for you that you've left on the plane, as tends to happen to me because I'm not at my best mentally after 13 hours of flying)

A short walk, or the people mover brings you to immigration and the heat sensors that you walk past (A remnant from the days of panicking about SARS, where a high body temperature was a worrying symptom.) Again, there are lines for visitors and HK residents, all clearly marked. In the arrivals hall, grab yourself a trolley and position yourself at the far end of the carousel from where you enter the hall. This is where the bags first come out, and so you can grab yours straightaway. Try and see where the pilots and Cabin Crew are standing, and place yourself next to them. No long waiting times for you!

You'll then pass through immigration men, who sometimes flag suspicious people and go through their suitcases, although I've never been asked to. If you know you've exceeded duty-free limits, or have dodgy stuff with you, go through the red channel, otherwise take the green. Walking out into the greeters section is sometimes loud and noisy (Depending on the time of day) but it's easy enough to figure out where you're going. There are also a few shops and restaurants this side, as well as hotel stands and information about transport links, such as ferries to China and Macau.


TRANSPORT LINKS:

The airport is really well served by transport links. The fastest and most convenient is the Airport Express, a train which takes you to Tsing Yi, Kowloon and Hong Kong Island within 24 minutes. It runs from early morning until late at night, seven days a week. It's a bit expensive (11 pounds for a return ticket valid for up to a month) but certainly convenient. If you're leaving HK and taking the Airport Express to the airport, you can actually check in at the Airport Express Stations in town, from 2 days up to 2 hours before the flight. Then, you can jump on the train with just your hand luggage and boarding pass and go straight through immigration when you arrive at the airport. Taxis run from all Airport Express stations, as does a shuttle bus that takes you to some of the more major hotels for free.

If you've got a bit of time on your hands once you've arrived, you could always take a bus. Head down a ramp from the arrivals hall to the bus terminus. Busses go to most major places (Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Mong Kok and the New Territories). Maps are printed on each bus stand, so it's worthwhile having a look to see if they will be going where you need to go. There are hundreds of busses going throughout the day, and some that run throughout the night. It takes about 40 minutes to get to Tsim Sha Tsui on an airconditioned bus, but at 2 pounds, it's cheap and comfortable. When you're leaving HK you can ask your hotel where the nearest Airport bus stop is, there's never one too far away, but remember to consider traveling time, especially if it's going to be peak hour.

Taxis can cost up to $200 HK to take you to the airport (Most drivers won't switch on the meter and will instead give you a quote, and you can sometimes bargain a bit off it) but unless you're seriously pushed for time, can't get to an Airport Express Station easily, or have more money than sense, avoid using a Taxi.


OVERALL:

Overall, Hong Kong Airport does what so many major airports attempt to do but seldom achieve: make you trip start and end as smoothly as possible. It's clean, big, efficient, the staff are really helpful, it wins Skytrax awards left, right and centre, and it's a perfectly nice place to hang out in for a couple of hours waiting for your flight. The best bit? Upon arrival, I've made it off the plane and onto the Airport Express in under 20 minutes numerous times. How's that for an endorsement??

Oh, and my mum was very happy with her Birthday present. It was a bugger to giftwrap, though.

Summary: A great transport hub