Hong Kong Transfer Experiences
 

Your (recent) experiences requested please ladies and gents;

Looking at travelling from the UK with Cathay to Saigon via Hong Kong - has anyone done a similar journey recently and if so what is the transfer process like at HKG? I believe the airport is modern and well sign posted within, but I'm just curious about realistic lay over times for an unhurried transit(I have options of 1hr 30 mins, which I consider too short, or alternatively something closer to 4hrs).

Any advice welcome.

1:30 should be OK - I was sold 1:00 or even 0:55 recently LGW HKG MNL and made it. Transfer staff meet those on tight connex and rush you through (although that only seemed to add to stress rather than take it away - apart from anything else if there are 20 of you, the agent waits for the person in row 77 so you can be hanging around for 10 minutes, which you could have used to good effect yourself!). My view has been "I am in your hands now so if it goes wrong its your fault so I will hang on".
Effectively they just get you thru the staff channel at the security check points. The transit train (sort of T5 LHR or T4 MAD) has become very busy since additional gates opened.
Twice recently I have had the "meet and greet" and rushed through at Warp Factor 4 only to find the aircraft was still in the hangar!!!! I am not sure these transfer agents are totally cued into the ETD of the next service.
I have seen much worse but it could be further improved. I am seeing some Cathay folks on Saturday so will get their views.

HKG is great, when I emigrated from UK with Cathay routing LHR/HKG/CEB I had a one hour connection during which I even found time for half a large cup of coffee.

Since then I need to exit Philippines once each three years, my most recent trip to Hong Kong was two years ago, with a two hour connection to fly straight back to Philippines, full arrival thru immigration etc. then upstairs to departures, check-in, thru security and a significant walk etc. and made it to the departure gate with time to spare ... I'm going to Singapore for four hours next year :)

But I made a Cathay to Cathay connection in one hour with time for a coffee so have no fears.

Transferred through HKG last week it was extremely easy.
So long as your inbound flight is on schedule 1.30 is comfortable.

I arrived in HK on a Sydney- LHR flight that necessitated an airline change, (Cathay to V Atlantic) easy as with a two hour wait time.
Flight landed 1 hour 15 minutes late, outgoing connection already boarding. All folk at airport had their skates on mission accomplished really professionally.

Thank you everyone, feeling much more comfortable about it now.

No problems provided you have an onward boarding pass - printed card/home print/on your phone. Can be tedious if you have to go to the transfer desks though, especially if there is a Chinese tour group in front of you.

As already mentioned, if flight is late, CX/KA staff escort you from the arrival gate, through the staff lane at security lane, and to the next gate. These young ladies are certainly fit as they move at a fast pace and expect you to follow!

Never had a problem even when late-arriving flight resulted in 20 minute connecting time. Also very impressed that they almost always manage to get your bags across onto the connecting flight even on such a short connection.

very straightforward and far easier than most European hubs

I was on a 55 minute connection in HKG a year ago, 2 seperate airlines, 2 tickets, no bags checked in. From disembarking in 1 terminal, travelling to the other one, through security and getting to the gate for the next flight took all of 15 minutes!! I was able to sit there and watch my next aircraft land and taxi in :)

Did CX to CX MAN/HKG/KUL a few months ago, easy peasy 90 minutes is way more than enough, probably double the time you need,providing the inbound is on time.

That's me convinced - I'll chance the short stop (first leg departure time suits me better). Thank you for taking the time to respond all.

Enjoy the coffee :)