Hong Kong Airlines Review - Flight Ratings

Our personal Hong Kong Airlines review

Travelling soon and wondering what this airline is like? Here is our own Hong Kong Airlines review so you know what to expect. Hong Kong Airlines was established in 2006. For its first decade it operated only within Asia and was unknown in the West, but in 2017 it launched routes between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver. Its low fares reshaped pricing between the US and Hong Kong, forcing rivals to compete. Skytrax awarded it a four-star international rating in 2011, and it continues to expand, now covering nearly 40 destinations across North America and the Asia Pacific.

Despite going global, the airline is still reliable at home in Hong Kong. You can check in online or in a fast-moving queue, and the agents are efficient, checking passports and bags while answering questions. The fleet is modern and well maintained, with most aircraft under 10 years old. Cabins are comfortable, with spacious exit rows; every seat has bulkheads, a touchscreen, USB and headphone outlets. A350 economy is genuinely pleasant, with plenty of films (including series like Friends and Breaking Bad), Chinese movies, Mandarin and Cantonese shows, and live TV channels such as BBC, CNN and Sport24.

Pros of flying Hong Kong Airlines

• Offers a touch of luxury at an affordable fare, the planes are in good condition and the interiors are excellent.
• You can book through the airline’s app, which is easy to navigate and gives flight updates.
• Cabin crew are fast and attentive, responding quickly and clearing rubbish promptly.
• Passengers get amenity kits with socks, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a sleeping mask and earplugs, plus complimentary earphones.
• Travellers with medium-sized bags can stow them overhead and skip long baggage-claim queues.
• Strong entertainment throughout the flight, with an easy seat-back touchscreen and a USB port to charge your phone.
• The crew are extremely friendly.
• Seats are comfortable and spacious compared with other Asian carriers, with good neck and head support.
• Free WiFi is available on board.

What are the cons

• The seats don’t recline, so you sit in the same position for the whole trip, and legroom is tight, taller passengers will struggle.
• The food isn’t great and there are no cold drinks.
• You must print your boarding pass; SFO security won’t accept the version on your phone.

Conclusion

Delays are rare with Hong Kong Airlines except in bad weather, the only one we hit was caused by a typhoon. We would fly with them any time they serve our destination. The fares are affordable and the service is decent, which is most of what we want. Hopefully this review helps you decide before you book.

Flying into Hong Kong or onward to the mainland to do business? Line up a Chinese interpreter before you land so meetings and factory visits go as smoothly as the flight.