The recent reopening of Cathay Pacific’s The Wing First Class lounge in Hong Kong might look like a simple refurbishment story, but it’s the latest salvo in a global airline-lounge race.
The details in The Wing renovation are telling. The headline change – the removal of its signature cabanas – is part of a trend running through lounge development and redevelopment.
At the end of last century, when The Wing first opened, and well into the 2010s, dramatic architecture – spectacle, even – drove how the best airline lounges looked.
Now it’s all about home-style comfort and a sense of calm, which makes sense when you consider how busy today’s airports are, often verging on overcrowded.
A 2025 survey by airport lounge experts Airport Dimensions found that travellers, faced with busy terminals, were increasingly turning to lounge access as a form of escape – and were willing to pay for it.
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Director Stephen Hay says the data shows that “enhancing the airport journey is no longer a luxury – it’s becoming a core expectation. We’re seeing strong interest in premium amenities across a broad range of markets … This signals a real shift in traveller mindset, and growing demand for premium experiences globally.
“As travel continues to grow, and passenger expectations evolve, airports that anticipate and adapt to these changing needs will not only improve satisfaction, but also carve out a stronger competitive edge in a crowded marketplace.”
It’s no wonder Cathay Pacific – a premium airline rebuilding momentum after several subdued years – has entered that fray.
Located on the east side of Terminal 1, The Wing has been a cornerstone of Cathay Pacific’s ground experience since Hong Kong International Airport opened in 1998.
Developed (once again) in partnership with London-based StudioIlse, the new lounge builds on a design that Cathay has been refining across recent projects, including The Pier.
The redesigned lounge introduces what Cathay describes as a more “holistic” approach, with a stronger focus on how passengers move through the space, the balance between dining and relaxation, and the need for privacy.
Cathay Group chief executive Ronald Lam says the lounge has long held a special place for customers, and its reopening is part of a wider commitment to improving the journey “at every touchpoint”, backed by about $20 billion in investment across fleet, cabins, lounges and digital innovation.
But Cathay is just one player in a much broader push.
Across 2025 and 2026, major airlines are pouring money into high-end lounges. Delta has rolled out its new Delta One lounges in New York (JFK), Los Angeles and Boston, with Seattle to follow. These are effectively “lounges within lounges”, reserved for its highest-paying passengers, with white-glove service, restaurant-style dining and spa-like spaces.
British Airways is taking a similar approach, embedding ultra-premium zones such as the Concorde Dining Room within its latest lounges in Dubai and Miami.
United Airlines, meanwhile, is going big on scale. Its new 3065-square-metre Denver club – spread across two levels with multiple bars and buffets – is one of the largest in its network, designed to handle growing passenger volumes without sacrificing comfort.
Qatar Airways is continuing its push into flagship international ports, with a new 1400-square-metre lounge planned for New York’s JFK, while Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are expanding their own footprints, including a new lounge in San Diego and a planned Admirals Club in Nashville designed to reflect the local character of the city.
Qantas is in the middle of its own network overhaul. In Brisbane, the airline is replacing its separate international Business and First Class lounges with a single, larger premium space due to open in late 2026.
Sydney is also undergoing a major reset, with the international Business Lounge closed for a long-term rebuild through to 2027.
In Auckland, a new lounge offers a glimpse of what’s coming, with expanded capacity, stronger local design cues and an increased focus on food and space.
These are big, expensive changes, but as traveller needs evolve, it makes economic sense. The best lounges are no longer just somewhere to wait. Increasingly, they are part of why we choose an airline.
See cathay.com
Julietta Jameson is a freelance travel writer who would rather be in Rome, but her hometown Melbourne is a happy compromise.Connect via email.
