CATHAY PACIFIC OPENS "THE PIER" - 2ND PREMIUM LOUNGE IN HONG KONG

Cathay Pacific Airways today opened the doors to The Pier, its new lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. The Pier offers a number of new features including a Juice Bar, exclusive Day-Break Rooms, three bars and two restaurants, 60 broadband-connected computers and a wireless LAN for connecting with laptop computers. It is located between gates 62 and 66 and so is ideal for passengers transiting or departing from gates near the Northwest concourse of Hong Kong's vast modern airport.

The Pier covers 3,900 square metres and is the airline's second lounge at the airport. Its first - The Wing - was opened in 1998 and was last month named first in a Forbes magazine list of The World's Ten Best Airport Lounges.

After presenting a commemorative gift to the very first passenger to visit The Pier, Cathay Pacific Director Service Delivery Robert Cutler said: "The Pier is a fantastic new facility for our passengers in Hong Kong, and is evidence that even though this is a tough time for the airline industry Cathay Pacific is still delivering premium products."

Separated into First and Business Class areas The Pier can comfortably seat over 500 passengers. The First Class area is distinguished by the dark polished granite floor tiles, stylish imported European furniture in pale colours, and white Italian marble walls. In Business Class the scheme is reversed with pale flooring and dark-toned furniture.

The Day-Break Rooms are an exclusive new feature for First Class passengers at The Pier, offering them undisturbed privacy to relax in their own luxuriously furnished private suite. Inside they can enjoy a great selection of audio and video from a state-of-the-art entertainment system, and waiter service is available at the touch of a button.

Personal Living Space (PLS) cubicles are available in both First and Business Class areas offering travellers individual phone and power points, ample desk space and powerful Net-connected computers to catch up on any last-minute work. Sizeable private shower suites offer guests somewhere to freshen up before a flight. In First Class the shower walls are a stylish black marble while in Business Class they are constructed from slabs of resin embedded with eye-catching white marble pebbles.

The Noodle Bar over in The Wing lounge already serves up more than 600 bowls of hot noodles each day, and The Noodle Bar in The Pier is expected to be equally popular with its delicious menu of fresh noodles, snacks and drinks. The Long Bar - 55 feet of highly polished stainless steel and white marble with a commanding view across the airport towards Mainland China - has also added two trendy new features for The Pier: a juice bar and a specialist coffee bar.