16 MAR 2026 lounges
Cathay Pacific The Pier First Class Lounge at Hong Kong: The Definitive 2026 Review
Eight years after Studio Ilse handed the keys back to Cathay, The Pier First remains the single most considered first-class lounge in commercial aviation — a quiet, residential, almost stubbornly low-key counterpoint to the marble theatre of Emirates, Lufthansa, and Air France First. After six visits between February and April 2026 — three pre-flight, two transit, one extended layover with a 12-month-old in tow — here is the long-form editorial treatment the lounge has long deserved.