BUILT FOR PASSENGERS: CHEK LAP INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, HONG KONG
Written: May 04 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Well laid out and organised.
Cons: None I noticed
The Bottom Line: This should be the benchmark for all airport terminals.
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| JAMES23's Full Review: Hong Kong International Airport |
Finally someone has built an airport for travellers. That is a terminal that is well laid out, easy to get around in and that everything seems to work in. The problem is I'm now spoiled and don't want to fly again unless it's into, out of and/or through Hong Kong, which kind of limits where I can to.
During my trip to Asia in February 2004, I found myself transiting through Hong Kong no less than five times in a space of three weeks, before we actually exited the airport to spend a couple of days in Hong Kong at the end of our trip. Most of these stopovers were of a couple of hour’s duration or more so I had ample opportunity to explore the terminal and it's facilities.
Hong Kong's new airport is officially called Chek Lap International Airport and is located on Lantau Island some distance from the city. It is a marked improvement on its predecessor. The old airport was located in downtown in Kowloon with the single runway jutting into Victoria Harbour. Incoming planes had to weave their way through the maze of high-rises that are a fixture of the Hong Kong skyline.
The first thing you notice is that it's huge, almost a kilometre in length. The terminal building is shaped like a gigantic letter Y with the check in counters, Passport control, immigration, customs, baggage areas and assorted administrative sections located in the base. The gates and there are almost fifty are located on the main branch and the two arms of the "Y" The distance between the base of the Y and the branches is 750 metres.
According to the signs it can take up to 30 minutes to walk from one end of the terminal to the other. There are however automated moving sidewalks on both levels to speed up the process. Both levels also have an abundance of free small handcarts for carry on baggage and/or duty free purchases.
All signs in are in both English and Chinese characters and announcements are made in English and Cantonese/Mandarin
There are actually eight levels to the building, however most passengers with only two, the arrivals and departures levels. As in many airports there are two levels one for each, but here there is relatively easy access between the two.
At several strategic locations throughout the terminal there are special transfer points with escalators and elevators that allow passengers with connecting flights to ascend from the Level 5 arrivals level to the Level 6 departures one. Each one does have a security and SARS checkpoint you have to go through and these sometimes create bottlenecks.
The terminal even has it's own subway system. The Automated People Mover (APM) an electric train is located at basement level of the passenger terminal. It travels the length of the terminal at a speed of 62 km per hour. Each APM carries 152 passengers in two cars. It operates from 0600 to 2400 hours. Normally the APM operates every 3 minutes and frequency increases to every 1.5 minutes during peak hours. The APM transports passengers whose flights are located at the West Hall, Southwest and Northwest concourses.
I was advised that Immigration and Passport Control on average take only a few minutes to clear. This is optimistic thinking at best. We arrived at a peak period and it took us quite a while to clear Immigration. There were the standard separate line ups/counters for visitor and residents. The immigration Staff however were flexible and open new counters, or change resident lines to visitors as several flights arrived at same time. The trick appears to be if there is a line up to hang back and watch for the new counters to open up.
Once past Immigration you enter the immense baggage claim area. There are several carousals all clearly marked with flight details and the delay in waiting for you luggage is minimal. There were a large supply of free baggage carts available and you can take them as far as the Airport Express light rail station. Customs check is usually quick and perfunctory.
Prior to the Immigration and Passport control there was a SARS screening barrier you have to pass through. They use thermal imaging devices and anyone registers as having a higher than normal temperature is taken aside for further examination. It should be noted that departing passengers and as noted above those in transit also go through a SARS screening too.
In the arrivals hall past customs are a variety of services. There are of course visitor information and car rental booths. There are also currency exchanges and a left luggage counter where one can store excess baggage at a nominal cost.
There are also the transportation options to get into Hong Kong itself. There are counters for buses, both his airport express and local transportation and for taxis and limo services. The best option though is to use the Airport Express (AER).
The Airport Express is a high-speed light rail line that connects the Airport with Kowloon and Hong Kong Island (Central). There is also a fourth stop at Tsing Yi Island in the new territories. A trip from the airport to Hong Kong Island takes just over twenty minutes and service is almost every twelve minutes. One-way fares run $90-$100 HK, and tickets can be purchased from automated machines in the arrival hall and at other stations.
However if you are travelling in a group of two or more do not buy a ticket from the machines. Check at the info desk that often has special group rates/ and passes available. We were able to get a special pass good for two one way trips for only $130 HK. Credit cards accepted.
The airport also has a new Sky Pier ferry terminal located in the main terminal building. From here passengers can book passage on high-speed ferries to Macau and other Pearl River Delta destinations. Checked luggage can be transferred directly from your incoming flight in the same manner as a connecting flight without it having to clear customs. Passengers also can board without having to clear Immigration and Passport control, and do so at their final destination instead.
One has a choice regarding departures. You can drag your luggage to the airport and check in as you would at any other airport in the world, or you can do it the easy way. There are full checking counters at both the Central (Hong Kong) and Kowloon stations of the Airport Express train. Depending on the airline and flight one can check in all their luggage hear and receive their seat assignments and boarding pass from the day prior to up 100 minutes prior to the departure time. Then it's a simple matter of heading out to the terminal leaving enough time to go through Passport control and security.
Passport control and security are standard affairs and usually there is little line up. As noted there is another SARS screening here although not as intensive as the arrivals one.
Most of the duty free shops, restaurants and other amenities in the departures area are located at the base of the "Y" including several restaurants and lounges on the upper levels. There are however a few shops and snack bars located throughout the concourse especially so those in transit don't have to cross the entire terminal.
There is the normal collection of duty free shops. I did notice some good bargains in liquor and tobacco products but that was about it. The prices for jewellery, electronics, and souvenirs were rather outrageous when compared to what was available in the shops of Nathan Road in Kowloon and elsewhere. There was also a currency exchange booth however the rates were not favourable, and I found the service slow.
One feature that I found really useful for passengers in transit was the free high speed Internet access. There are two sets of kiosks with computers that passengers may use. The first was near Gate 21 at the base of the "Y." Here there were 5-6 PCs grouped together like phone booths. They all used Windows. The second groping was at the far end of the terminal near Gate 40. There were actually two groups here, 6-8 PCs in a coffee shop and another 4-5 stand alone booths them. All of these machines used Mac operating systems.
All the machines were on a first come first use service and no real posted time limit. They Internet connection is fast and by that I mean fast by Hong Kong standards which compared to North America is really quick. These are perfect for catching up on e-mails etc. while waiting fro your connecting flight.
The terminal really caters to passengers in transit. For those with a couple of hours to kill there are massage services and small rooms to relax and freshen up and/or shower in available for a fee. Information on this is located on the Airport's web site.
Passengers with lengthy stops can even leave the terminal and visit a nearby shopping mall and hotel complex if wish. One has to clear Customs and Immigration but the normal Hong Kong departure tax is waived for in transit passengers departing within 24 hours or arriving.
If time permits, quick tours of the City and other nearby attractions are available. Again information, and suggested itineraries based on the length of the stop over are available on the web site.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
JAMES23
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Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
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