Hong Kong Airlines is ramping up its presence in Australia, now offering direct flights between Sydney and Hong Kong. These will be joined by a new Melbourne-Hong Kong service launching in December. As a partner airline of Virgin Australia, Velocity members can earn and spend Velocity Points on these flights. But what’s the lounge experience like in Hong Kong, the airline’s home hub? Step inside the carrier’s flagship Club Autus lounge – it’s quite a treat.
Opened in 2017, Club Autus resides in Hong Kong International Airport’s Midfield Concourse. This gives it an enviable location for views across the airport, and towards mountains in the distance. While the airline previously had two lounges – Club Bauhinia was the other – that second location has been closed. In a way, that closure is a win for travellers, as Club Bauhinia was rather small and dated. Now, all eligible flyers have access to this new, nicer space. Let’s take a look.
American Express Velocity Platinum
Location, layout and seating
Once you’re through airport security and passport control, follow the signs for ‘gates 201-230’. This will take you onto the airside train, where you’ll exit at the first stop. Once you’ve made it to the main departure concourse, take the escalator upstairs again – you’ll find Club Autus here.
Midfield Concourse is home to high ceilings, paired with floor-to-ceiling windows. This affords some terrific views, strong flows of natural light, and a real sense that you’re in an airport – and a nice one at that. Immediately past reception, some seats are roped off and reserved exclusively for Business Class and Fortune Wings Club Platinum members. But you know what? Skip this space, and keep on walking.
I’m told this zone is designed to create a more exclusive section for the lounge’s highest-tiered guests. But unless the lounge is full, it’s admittedly one of the least attractive places to sit. There are no direct airside views, there’s no difference to the service provided or amenities offered… it’s just a roped off area. After a few minutes here, I quickly migrate to a seat with a view, and take in the sunset. Much more enjoyable.
I really like the design style of this lounge. It’s not just a sea of furniture or a copy-paste of another space. It’s now Hong Kong Airlines’ only lounge, and it feels distinct. There are seats by the wall with aircraft windows incorporated into the design (see if you can spot the Hong Kong airlines winglet). The cushions are travel themed. There’s a cheeky ‘arrivals’ sign near the printer, where you’d collect your documents. It’s unashamedly fun.
My top pick is the sunroom at the back of the lounge. It extends beyond the normal boundary of the terminal wall to unlock northwest views towards the mountains. Later in the evening, subdued light also makes this a great place to relax as you watch the world fly by.
Food and beverage in Hong Kong Airlines’ Club Autus Lounge
On the food front, Club Autus offers a reasonable buffet spread, together with a made-to-order dish. Today’s meal is a prawn wonton noodle soup. I place at my request at the counter and it’s prepared promptly – and it’s delicious. It goes down well with a Tsingtao.
The comprehensive self-serve options span chicken curry, pork mince and curry fish balls to roasted mushrooms with vegetables, vegetarian soup and coconut chicken soup. There’s also carved ham with gravy, fresh salad ingredients with sliced chicken breast, and a selection of cheese and charcuterie. Coconut tarts are a nice way to finish.
The food options are strong, although the beverage selections are more modest. Coffee is available, but it’s machine-made rather than barista brewed. There’s red wine, but the choices are relatively similar in style with a straight cabernet sauvignon, and a merlot-cabernet sauvignon. The are three white wines – two chardonnays, and a sauvignon blanc. Sparkling wine of any kind is unfortunately absent.
Standard spirits such as vodka (Tito’s), gin (Plymouth), bourbon (Jim Beam) and Irish cream (Baileys) are on-hand. There’s also vermouth (Martini Bianco), for something mixed. Soft drinks, juices, teas and other non-alcoholic drinks are available too. Overall, it’s not quite the selection of other major Business Class lounges in Hong Kong. But then again, Hong Kong Airlines’ Business Class fares tend to be lower than other airlines – so its Club Autus beverage list aligns with that.
Amenities in Hong Kong Airlines’ Club Autus Lounge
The far corner of Club Autus isn’t just home to a sun room. There’s also a business centre if you need to use a computer or do any printing. One of the computer terminals here shares the best view from the lounge.
Elsewhere, there are nap chairs in individually curtained areas. But if you’re not trying to doze, you’ll find a small selection of reading material near the front entrance.
Restrooms and showers are on-site, and Wi-Fi blankets the lounge. On this visit, I measure average download speeds of 59Mbps, and average uploads just shy of 7Mbps. That’s fast enough for a video call or to download movies to your own device before the flight. Backups to cloud drives – or uploading photos and video to social media – will be slower to move, though.
Accessing the Club Autus Lounge in Hong Kong
If you’re keen to explore Club Autus for yourself, here’s how you can get into Hong Kong Airlines’ flagship lounge.
- Ticketed Business Class passengers of Hong Kong Airlines. This includes Hong Kong Airlines reward flights booked using Velocity Points.
- Fortune Wings Club Silver, Gold and Platinum prior to Hong Kong Airlines flights.
- Holders of a Hong Kong Airlines lounge pass or invitation. You may be able to purchase access via the ‘manage my booking’ section of the airline’s website, if you wouldn’t otherwise quality.
- As a special offer, passengers connecting to or from Sydney, Melbourne or Vancouver in Hong Kong Airlines Economy Class, until 31 March 2026. You’ll need to present your boarding pass for both flights on the same day for access – and one of those flights must be arriving from or departing to these three destinations. Travel purely between Hong Kong and these cities doesn’t qualify for this access in Economy.
That final point is quite an unusual offer, but it’s a welcome amenity for passengers taking long journeys. For instance, if you’re flying from Sydney to Hong Kong and then onwards to somewhere else on the same day, such as Mainland China, Club Autus is available to you in Hong Kong. For transit Economy travellers, lounge access isn’t provided at the departing airport when the day’s journey begins – only in Hong Kong in between your two flights.
To clarify, a standalone Economy Class ticket from Hong Kong to Sydney, Melbourne or Vancouver won’t get you in the door. You’ll need to have arrived on a same-day connecting flight, or qualify for access through another avenue.
Previously, access through Dragonpass was available, but at the time of writing, Dragonpass lists this lounge as ‘temporarily unavailable’. Pre-COVID, access was also available to Velocity Gold and Platinum members travelling with Hong Kong Airlines. While flight redemptions have recently been restored on Hong Kong Airlines, lounge access for Velocity members based on Velocity status has not been restored.
The verdict
Club Autus is a beautiful space, and I’m glad it’s still here. Hong Kong’s shutdown of international travel during COVID was more impactful than most other destinations, and Hong Kong Airlines itself wasn’t immune from other hurdles – like the bankruptcy of its former parent company HNA Group in 2021.
After its COVID closure, the lounge didn’t return until 2023. Initially, with a limited service offering, but now, restored to full service. I visited this lounge a number of times between 2017 and 2019, and being back in 2025 makes me smile. Staff are friendly, the food is delicious, and the design of the lounge is just as I remember it – with a few seating upgrades mixed in. It clearly took a few years, but normality has returned.
That normality has allowed Hong Kong Airlines to fly to Sydney for the first time – and to expand its service to Melbourne from December 2025. Prior to the pandemic, the airline’s sole Australian service was a triangle route from Hong Kong to the Gold Coast, continuing onwards to Cairns and back to Hong Kong. But being able to fly directly to Australia’s two most populous cities is a great step forward, and with a lounge to match its ambitions to attract the big city travellers.
One small tip. Okay, two tips. If you plan to arrive early, use Hong Kong’s In Town Check In service to drop your bags in the city and receive your boarding pass before you even get to the airport. Hong Kong Airlines has service desks at both Hong Kong and Kowloon stations. Then, at Hong Kong International Airport, register for the e-Channel to breeze across the border like a local. That’ll get you to the lounge before the sun sets, as you settle in and relax before your journey home.
Also reviewed: Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A330 Business Class (Sydney – Hong Kong)
All photography by Chris Chamberlin, who travelled as a guest of Hong Kong Airlines.
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