Airport Guide: From CIP Lounges and Feasts to Sleeping on Floors and Chairs, There's Always an Airport That Leaves a Mark

When traveling abroad, you often spend more time at airports than in the air. Understanding the VIP lounges of airports, airlines, and banks, and using the various cards you hold, you can hop into a CIP lounge, take a nap, have a hearty meal, or even take a shower. For travelers, staying comfortable at boring airports is essential. Delays of a day or two, or even flight cancellations—if you fly often, you'll inevitably encounter a few such frustrations. International airports also involve immigration and customs, inspections of carried items and currency, and passport checks, causing quite a bit of trouble. Unfair treatment is inevitable, and making a fuss or throwing a tantrum does no good. Even if you're in the right, you can easily get yourself into trouble abroad; the only solution is to stay calm. Nothing at an airport is trivial—make good use of it.

My favorite airport was the old Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok), which was ranked the world's best airport eight times in 12 years. It was my first choice for international flights since Shenzhen is convenient to reach, and Hong Kong Airport had good service, lower taxes, and cheaper tickets. If you take a ferry from Shekou Cruise Home Port directly to the airport, you can even get a departure tax refund without entering Hong Kong. The two CIP lounges I often visited at Hong Kong Airport are both in Terminal 1, yet they have completely different styles. One is the American Express Centurion Lounge, open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Some banks' American Express Centurion Platinum cards grant access, with one free guest. It serves Western-style food, along with fried rice, vegetables, pan-fried fish, and braised beef. It's quiet, uncrowded, and no queuing required. There's freshly brewed coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and fine spirits. It has free shower facilities—perfect for a red-eye flight, letting you shower first to avoid being smelly all night.

The other lounge I frequented is the Plaza Premium Lounge, open from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Priority Pass, Dragon Pass, and certain bank Platinum cards grant access. There are three Plaza Premium Lounges in the departure hall of Terminal 1. The busiest one is near Gate 1; long queues form when it's crowded. The food is all Cantonese and Hong Kong specialties: fish ball noodles, wonton noodles, molten egg custard buns, egg tarts, spring rolls, meatballs, braised eggs, fried rice, and more—hot and local. There are also juices, red wine, beer, and coffee. Even foreigners in the know love to go in for a meal. When I'm hungry or facing a long flight, I'd rather queue than miss the chance for a good meal.

Delays are every traveler's nightmare. My most memorable delay was from Hong Kong to Honolulu—one of the very few delays at Hong Kong Airport. It was a U.S. airline flight. We were about to take off at midnight, but a mechanical problem occurred during taxiing. The plane couldn't be repaired, so all passengers were sent back to the terminal, with the next flight not until 3 p.m. the next day. My connecting flights, accommodation, and car rental seemed doomed. After most people had loudly sorted out their rebooking, I went to the staff alone, explained my itinerary, showed my onward tickets, car rental, and hotel bookings, and found the fastest solution: rebooked to Tokyo Narita the next morning, then caught the flight to Honolulu. I only lost one night's hotel stay in Honolulu, and the airline agreed to compensate. They offered a free hotel in downtown Hong Kong for the night, but I didn't want the hassle, so I slept on airport chairs for a few hours.

I caught the flight to Hawaii in Japan. Arriving at Honolulu International Airport, there's the IASS Hawaii Lounge at the overseas terminal. But I had to catch a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Maui, so I rushed to the inter-island terminal. There was also a Plaza Premium Lounge there, but time was too tight—I ran straight to the gate and boarded. It felt like takeoff and landing; 40 minutes later I was at Kahului Airport on Maui. This airport, opened for civilian use in 1952, is not large but packed with tourists from all over the world. Its best service is a bus that takes you to the car rental parking lots near the airport. There are signs for many shuttle routes. I hopped on a free bus to my rental company's lot, picked up my car, and started my island road trip.

Among foreign airports, Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan, is the best. Ranked among the top ten globally, it has won global gold and silver awards. At immigration, there are Chinese-speaking staff to guide you through procedures—the only port of entry where I never worried about being harassed. There are also Chinese-speaking volunteers. The attitude of the staff absolutely deserves the awards of a world-class airport. Once, I was flying back to China on a domestic airline. We experienced two delays. When the boarding time was announced after the first delay, we were then told of another delay. When the second delay notice came, I thought I had plenty of time, so I went to the duty-free shop to buy gifts for my parents. But this time, they boarded earlier than the notified time. Amid the noise, I heard my name being called over the PA. I ran out of the shop and immediately found a nearby airport staff member. She radioed the gate, and afraid I might get lost, she ran with me all the way in her high heels. I was grateful but worried about her heels. When I boarded, the flight attendant told me that if not for the Kansai Airport staff insisting on waiting, the plane would have left me—even though I hadn't exceeded the notified boarding time.

On my return trip from Alaska via Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Hong Kong, I encountered a heavy rainstorm just after arriving at the airport. The night flight was canceled; the next available flight was at least a day later. Going back to downtown Seattle at midnight to find accommodation was troublesome and expensive. I figured I could try a connecting flight. I first found a Chinese female staff member of the Hong Kong airline. I clearly heard her speaking Cantonese with a colleague, but she only spoke English to me, and very impatiently. A nearby male staff who spoke Mandarin was kind, but he wasn't handling rebooking. So I approached a staff member who looked like a local American. Though she spoke English, she patiently listened to my needs. Knowing I had a valid Canadian visa, she rebooked me from Seattle to Vancouver, then onward to Hong Kong.

By the time the rebooking was done, it was past 1 a.m. I had planned to go to The Centurion Lounge in the departure hall for dinner, but after all the hassle, the lounge was closed. And since I hadn't cleared U.S. departure procedures yet, I couldn't enter the departure area. The restaurants in the main hall were all shut. I hadn't eaten for eight hours. A janitor told me the only small shop in the hall was still open. I rushed over and bought a large bottle of water, a burger, and two bananas. I sat on an airport chair, legs dangling over my suitcase, closed my eyes for a couple of hours. At 4:30 a.m., I started the departure process and finally entered the departure hall. I found the Centurion Lounge opened at 5 a.m., so I waited outside the door. As soon as it opened, I went in with my American Express Centurion Platinum card. I sat at a table by the window, watching planes from all over the world at Seattle Airport, but I started feeling drowsy. I had a huge glass of orange juice, a big bowl of yogurt with granola, a plate of pastries, eggs, and fruit. I filled myself with high-calorie food, then had two large espressos to fight off the sleepiness.

After a 50-minute flight, I arrived at Vancouver International Airport, spacious and bright, with clear signs—no wonder it's the best airport in North America. I searched on my phone and found the SkyTeam Lounge in the departure hall, which had good reviews and accepted Priority Pass. I took the elevator up, and the space grew larger. To my surprise, the SkyTeam Lounge had a Noodle Bar serving noodles, fish balls, wontons, fish balls, siu mai, smoked salmon, and other Chinese snacks. For convenience, they gave me a bilingual menu, and I just checked what I wanted. I also had two cups of coffee and a glass of liquor. After a hearty meal, I saw there were showers. Since I hadn't washed up all night in Seattle, I booked a shower with my passport. They gave me a full set of toiletries and a towel. After I finished, they returned my passport. The attendant was an older Chinese lady; her English was as 'Chinglish' as mine, but she was very amiable. When I left, I offered her a $5 tip, but she refused.

There are many airports with good food, but some are distinctive. The candy and chocolate at the lounge in Warsaw Chopin International Airport were excellent. I chose one near my gate—I forget whether it was the Preludium Lounge or Executive Lounge. There were many food choices, and a huge selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, stocked in a wall of refrigerators. Fruits were abundant, and the desserts, coffee, candy, and chocolate were particularly good. I had several espressos. Word has it their candy is great; I broke my rule and ate one, plus a few pieces of chocolate. They were delicious, rich in milky flavor. If I weren't embarrassed, I would have grabbed a few candies to take on the plane.

I often see beautiful flight attendants at foreign airports, but I rarely take photos for fear of being looked down upon. During a 15-day trip to Sri Lanka, I was photographing the hall at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo when a beautiful woman in a flowing skirt walked into the frame. Then another appeared in the same skirt—I realized it was their uniform. Unlike the high-end, professional uniforms of Saudi Arabian Airlines flight attendants, SriLankan Airlines flight attendants wear blue skirts printed with peacock feather patterns, flowing like fairies as they walk. Colombo Airport has the Lotus First Lounge and Palm Strip Lounge, but unfortunately, I didn't know how to get in at the time and had no card, so I just sat in the main hall. I also took photos of flight attendants up close once. On an AirAsia flight to the Philippines, at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, an AirAsia flight attendant was holding a sign to welcome passengers. She was all smiles, with flowing hair, a straight nose, and especially a mouthful of snow-white teeth, radiating natural health. Her red uniform made her look like a perfect brand ambassador for the airline.

I've traveled to Malaysia seven times, and every time I pass through Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Terminal 2 (K2) is one of the busiest international airports in the world, with self-service baggage drop, Chinese announcements, and Chinese signage. It has won awards like 'World's Best Airport'. Although the environment can't compare to Hong Kong, many lounges are open 24 hours. Several times I took budget airlines to Kuala Lumpur for connecting flights, arriving almost always at midnight or early morning. Having food and drink at that hour was all I wanted. K2 also has a capsule hotel with hourly rates (minimum 3 hours), for those who want to avoid staying up all night. I love the Plaza Premium Lounge; I've visited several different ones at KLIA, all small but with decent service. When I entered, I saw a bilingual menu with my favorite Malaysian street food—laksa. I had to have a glass of rich Carlsberg draft beer. And of course, for someone burning the midnight oil, a couple of cups of freshly brewed Malaysian coffee were a must.

At Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco, both Terminal 1 and 2 have Pearl Lounge, which accepts Priority Pass. I had heard that the desserts there were excellent because Moroccans love sweets and make them well. Unfortunately, I had no time to visit upon arrival. When I left Morocco, I departed from Menara Airport in Marrakech, which also has a Pearl Lounge, but there were four of us and they didn't allow free guests, so I gave up. Casablanca Airport left a deep impression—local SIM cards in Morocco are very cheap. I remember there were free SIM cards at the arrival hall; you just needed to register with your passport. Even without top-up, you could make a few calls. Later, I topped up twice, and the rates were not expensive. But a friend of mine entered Morocco with a drone, likely without declaring it, and it was confiscated. He had to either come back to retrieve it or mail it home. He ended up returning from Marrakech, and mailing it home was very costly.

The most troublesome part of international airports is immigration and customs, always filled with anxiety, and you might encounter scams. At an airport in Southeast Asia, an immigration officer flipped through my passport while casually asking questions, seemingly making small talk—about my job, how much local currency I carried. Luckily, I usually keep a few coins as souvenirs and spend all foreign cash before departure. I said I only had a little money for a meal at the airport. He kept holding my passport, called over another staff member, and pretended to check me. Seeing that I wasn't panicking and wouldn't give a bribe, he reluctantly tossed my passport back. Later I learned that if you exceed the currency limit, someone might take the opportunity to ask for a bribe, and your money could be confiscated or you could be penalized. Another time, at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, a friend had stapled the visa-on-arrival letter onto a page of her passport. They didn't recognize our passport with the national border design, and the immigration officer ripped it off roughly, nearly tearing the passport. If it had been torn, the passport might have become invalid.

The most thrilling experience was last Chinese New Year, after finishing a road trip in a campervan around New Zealand's South Island. It happened to be the most severe period of travel restrictions at many airports. Several friends had their China-bound flights canceled or delayed for days. Fortunately, I had booked a foreign airline: from Christchurch to Melbourne, then onward to Hong Kong. At Christchurch International Airport, I easily got my boarding pass for Melbourne, and even a boarding pass for Melbourne to Hong Kong was issued. Christchurch Airport has a Manaia Lounge where travelers can stay for three hours. The food was simple, all Western cold dishes. There was a huge coffee machine that could froth milk, and a hot water faucet. The lounge had many sofas and plenty of chargers, with signs in various languages saying 'Relax'. At that time, masks were mandatory in all public places in China, so I had masks in my pocket, but no one required them here. Sitting on the sofa drinking coffee was already satisfying.

On the flight to Australia, all Chinese passengers wore masks, but the foreign passengers and flight attendants did not. Upon arrival at Melbourne International Airport, I was worried they wouldn't let me fly to Hong Kong. After a security check, I found an entrance to the international transit area, so I didn't need to enter Australia, but I had to spend the night at the airport. The sun was shining on Melbourne Airport; apart from me, the departure hall was empty. I sat on the carpet lazily, thinking that even if I had to sleep on the floor, it was worth it to get home before the lockdown. It was rare for me to shop at an airport mall. I had a bowl of noodles at a restaurant. Later, someone told me that I could have gone to a lounge that night to eat, and still entered the next day, but I didn't try. There weren't many people staying overnight at the airport. I had initially wanted to lie on the carpet, but felt it was unsightly, so I found a row of chairs. At Melbourne Airport, some rows of chairs don't have armrests separating them, so you can stretch out across three or four chairs. For transit passengers without enough time to leave the airport, this is quite friendly.

Melbourne has various VIP lounges: Plaza Premium, American Express Centurion, Marhaba Lounge, REX Lounge, etc. Last time at Melbourne Airport, when I went to Plaza Premium, a foreign traveler told me the American Express lounge was better, so this time I decided to try that one. I slept on a row of chairs at night, using my backpack as a pillow. In a half-asleep state, I heard cleaners working. I endured until 6 a.m., when the American Express Lounge opened. There was a slightly larger variety of food than at Plaza Premium, still mostly cold dishes, with various sauces, all labeled in Chinese and English. The only hot items were bacon, Western-style cakes, and pancakes. The area was larger, and the sofas and facilities were slightly better than Plaza Premium's. The décor was in pink tones, designed with a gay theme. I guess because of the cold food, Chinese tourists weren't used to it—I only saw foreign tourists. Regardless of whether the food was hot or cold, I ate a hearty meal, even trying a piece of stinky cheese. They say the stinkier the cheese, the higher the protein—a good way to compensate for the sleepless night.

I can't forget the time I left my passport and boarding pass in the security tray at the airport, and the frantic search at the gate. I also remember being deliberately harassed by a police officer when I forgot to remove my belt during departure. And I'll never forget the cold face of the immigration officer who asked for a bribe and got nothing. The stories about airports could go on for days and nights. My only regret is that I took too few photos at airports, and I never dared to take pictures of lounges. But no matter what trouble you encounter during a trip, there's always a solution. Don't worry too much; enjoy the exotic moments at the airport. While I was sitting alone at Melbourne Airport in a daze, a foreign traveler walked to the piano in the center of the hall and passionately played a piece, soothing my lonely heart and sending me on my way home.