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After a very pleasant flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong on Hong Kong Airlines business class, we had a couple hours to kill and I wanted to check out Hong Kong Airlines newest lounge called Club Autus. We arrived into the Midfield terminal, and you’ll find the lounge smack in the center above the main shopping options on “level 7”. Midfield has the “200” gates which can be confusing if you’re not aware of the terminology, and if you’re already in the terminal, on the shopping level, you’re on level 6. I’ve been to HKG many times, and it’s still confusing what level I’m on as there are so many, and most inter-terminal transfers are done via train.
First Impressions
The Hong Kong airport is most famous for the ridiculous lounges that Cathay operates. Personally, I believe these to be some of the best in the world, and if you’re expecting anything on that level you’ll be disappointed. However, Club Autus feels upscale, modern, and I like that it’s open air which makes the 13000 sq ft lounge feel larger. It has a nice flow to it, but isn’t someplace I’d choose to arrive early and spend several hours enjoying the amenities; however, it was great for a couple hour layover. There are two showers, but they do offer a nice, serene quiet zone with a great massage chair.
The Food
Buffet style. We visited the lounge going and coming from Thailand and encountered varying options. On our flight back to the States, in the late morning between breakfast and lunch, there wasn’t really anything desirable to eat – especially if you eat meat free. However, on the layover we had around dinner time there were several options that not only looked good, but tasted good as well. I’d definitely suggest trying their various noodle/soup options.
The Shower
There are two showers, and I was able to sneak in between passengers who actually wanted to use it to snap a quick pic. It’s handsome with plenty of space.
There are multiple seating areas that continue to snake on around the lounge
These range from dining areas, entertainment areas to the quiet zone which features lounge style chairs that accommodate passengers with longer layovers, or just those looking for a nice reprieve to read or nap. No cell phones.
My favorite part of the quiet zone was this INSANE massage chair. I could have lived in it. Forever. You need to give them your boarding pass and each passenger is limited to 15 minutes – it even has these sleeve things you put your arms in.
Overall:
This is a very solid layover lounge that offers seating for up to 225 passengers, wifi, hot/cold beverages, and a standard booze selection. As I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t schedule your trip to spend hours at the lounge, it serves a great purpose for those that need an hour or two, but much more than that and I’d probably hop on the train and check out the Amex lounge, or Plaza Premium, but that’s just me. Comparing this to the LA lounge that serves outbound LA passengers…it’s not even in the same convo – this is leagues better.
Want to read more of our #weekendwarrior trip to Bangkok and Back for 600 Bucks?
- Los Angeles International Lounge
- Hong Kong Airlines Business Class A350 Los Angeles to Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Airlines business class lounge – Club Autus
- American Express Centurion Lounge – Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Airlines A330 Business Class Hong Kong to Bangkok
- Waldorf Astoria Bangkok during its soft opening
- What it’s like eating in Asia’s #1 Restaurant – Gaggan
- Bangkok’s floating markets – Dumnoen
- Diora Spa – Thai massage and Ayurvedic treatments
- Peninsula Bangkok – Grand Deluxe Suite with River View
- Smalls Bar – the hidden Sathorn IT bar
- Miracle Lounge Bangkok BKK
- Sky City Marriott Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Airlines Business Class A350 Hong Kong to Los Angeles
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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