Airport Guide: From CIP Lounges and Great Meals to Sleeping on the Floor or Chairs, There's Always an Airport You'll Never Forget

When traveling abroad, time spent at the airport often exceeds flight time. Understanding airport, airline, and bank lounges, and using the various cards you hold to access CIP lounges, take a nap, have a full meal, or even take a shower, is essential for travelers to stay comfortable in a boring airport. Flight delays, delays of a day or two, or even cancellations—fly enough and you'll inevitably encounter a few frustrating incidents. International airports also involve entry and exit procedures, checks on luggage and currency, and document inspections, which can be quite troublesome. Unfair treatment is sometimes unavoidable; making a scene or shouting does no good. Even if you are in the right, abroad you can easily get yourself into trouble, so you have to stay calm and resolve things. Nothing at an airport is trivial; only by using it wisely can you benefit.

My favorite airport is the former Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok International Airport, which was named the world's best airport eight times in 12 years. It was my first choice for international flights, convenient from Shenzhen, with great service, lower taxes, and cheaper tickets. If you take a direct ferry from Shekou Cruise Terminal to the airport without entering Hong Kong, you can even get a refund on the departure tax. At Hong Kong Airport, I often visited two CIP lounges, both in Terminal 1 but with completely different styles. One is the American Express Centurion Lounge, open from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Certain bank-issued American Express Centurion Platinum cards grant access, plus one complimentary guest. It serves Western food, including fried rice, greens, pan-fried fish, and braised beef. It's quiet, with no queues, and offers freshly brewed coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a fine selection of spirits. There are free shower facilities here—perfect for a red-eye flight, so you can freshen up before boarding and avoid being stuffy all night.

The other lounge I frequented is the Plaza Premium Lounge, open from 6:00 AM to 12:30 AM. Priority Pass, Dragon Pass, and certain bank platinum cards grant entry. In the departure hall of Terminal 1, there are three Plaza Premium Lounges. The busiest one is near Gate 1, where you might have to queue during peak times. The food is all Cantonese and Hong Kong specialties: fish ball noodles, wonton noodles, custard buns, egg tarts, spring rolls, meatballs, soy-marinated eggs, and fried rice—all hot and local. Juice, red wine, beer, and coffee are also available. Even foreigners in the know love to go there to eat. When I'm hungry or about to take a very long flight, I'd rather queue and go in for a hearty meal.

Delays are every traveler's nightmare. The most memorable delay I experienced was on a flight from Hong Kong to Hawaii, one of the very few delays at Hong Kong Airport. I was flying with a US airline. We were about to take off at midnight but encountered a mechanical issue during taxiing. The plane couldn't be fixed, so all passengers were sent back to the terminal, with the flight rescheduled to 3:00 PM the next day. It looked like my connecting flights, accommodation, and car rental would all be ruined. After most people had made a fuss and got their rebookings done, I approached a staff member separately, explained my itinerary, and showed them my connecting ticket, car rental, and hotel bookings. In the end, I found the fastest solution: rebooked to the next morning's flight to Tokyo Narita International Airport, then caught a flight to Honolulu, losing only one night's hotel cost in Honolulu. The airline also promised compensation. They offered me a free hotel room in downtown Hong Kong for the night, but I couldn't be bothered and just slept on the airport chairs for a few hours.

In Japan, I made my flight to Hawaii. Upon arriving at Honolulu International Airport, there was the IASS Hawaii Lounge in the overseas terminal. But I had to catch an inter-island flight to Maui on Hawaiian Airlines, so I rushed to the inter-island terminal, where there was also a Plaza Premium Lounge. Unfortunately, time was too tight; I ran straight to the gate and boarded. It felt like we took off and landed almost immediately—40 minutes later, we arrived at Kahului Airport on Maui. This airport, converted to 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 nearby rental car parking lots. There are clear signs for shuttle routes, so I hopped on a free bus to my rental car company's lot, then drove off for a tour around the island.

Among foreign airports, I think Osaka's Kansai International Airport in Japan is the best. It ranks in the global top ten and has won both gold and silver global airport awards. At immigration, there are Chinese-speaking staff to guide you through the procedures—the only entry point where I never worried about being harassed. The airport also has Chinese-speaking volunteers, and the staff's service attitude truly lives up to the awards given to a world-class airport. Once, I was flying back to China on a domestic airline and encountered two delays. The boarding time after the first delay came, but then they announced another delay. When they again announced a new boarding time, I saw I had plenty of time and went to the duty-free shops to buy gifts for my parents. However, this time they boarded earlier than the announced time. Amid the noise, I heard my name being called over the PA. I ran out of the duty-free shop and immediately found a nearby airport staff member. She used her radio to contact the gate while, afraid I might get lost, she ran with me in her high heels. I was grateful but also worried about her heels. Once I boarded, the flight attendant told me that if the Kansai Airport staff hadn't insisted on waiting, the plane would have left without me—and I hadn't even exceeded the announced boarding time.

On my return trip from Alaska, I flew from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the US to Hong Kong. When I arrived at the airport, a heavy rainstorm hit, and my night flight was canceled. The next available flight was only a day later. I could have gone back to downtown Seattle in the middle of the night and struggled to find accommodation, but that would have been very expensive. I decided to try to fly via a transfer. I first approached a Chinese-American 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 she was very impatient. There was a male colleague who spoke Mandarin and had a good attitude, but he wasn't handling rebookings. So I instead found a staff member who looked local American. Although she spoke English, she patiently listened to my requests. When she learned I had a valid Canadian visa, she rebooked me on a flight from Seattle to Vancouver, then from Vancouver to Hong Kong.

After rebooking, it was already past 1:00 AM. I had planned to go to The Centurion Lounge in the concourse to eat, but the rebooking process had taken so long that the lounge had closed. Also, I couldn't clear US departure procedures at that hour, so I couldn't enter the concourse. The restaurants in the public area were all closed. I hadn't eaten for eight hours. A janitor told me that the only small shop in the hall was still open. I rushed over and bought a large bottle of water, a hamburger, and two bananas. I sat on the airport chairs, my legs dangling over my suitcase, closed my eyes, and dozed for a couple of hours. At 4:30 AM, I finally went through departure procedures and entered the concourse. I found the Centurion Lounge, which opened at 5:00 AM, and sat waiting outside its door. As soon as it opened, I went in with my American Express Centurion Platinum card. I sat at a table by the window, where I could see planes from various countries on the tarmac, but I started feeling sleepy. I had a super-sized orange juice, a large bowl of yogurt with granola, and a plate of Western pastries, eggs, and mixed fruit. First, I filled myself with high-calorie food, then had two large cups of espresso to fight off the strong drowsiness.

After about 50 minutes, I landed at Vancouver International Airport in Canada. It was spacious and bright, with clear signage—truly the best airport in North America. I searched on my phone and found that the SkyTeam Lounge in the concourse had good reviews and accepted Priority Pass. I took the elevator up, and the space opened up even more. To my surprise, the SkyTeam Lounge had a Noodle Bar serving noodles, fish balls, wontons, fish cakes, siu mai, smoked salmon, and other Chinese-style snacks. To make ordering easy, they gave me a bilingual menu in Chinese and English. I just checked what I wanted. I also had two cups of coffee and a glass of spirit. After a full meal, I noticed there were shower facilities inside. Since I hadn't washed up in Seattle, I used my passport to reserve a shower. They provided a full set of toiletries and a towel, and returned my passport only after I finished. The attendant was an older Chinese lady who spoke English as broken as mine but was very kind. When I left, I tried to give her a $5 tip, but she refused.

There are many airports with good food, but some are unique. At Warsaw Chopin International Airport, the lounge had excellent candies and chocolates. I chose one near my gate—I forget whether it was the Preludium Lounge or the Executive Lounge. There was a wide variety of food, many alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (a whole wall of refrigerators), abundant fruit, and especially great desserts, coffee, candy, and chocolate. I had several espressos. I had heard online that their candy was good, so for the first time, I had one, plus a few pieces of chocolate. They tasted excellent, rich and creamy. If I hadn't been too shy, I would have grabbed some candies to take on the plane.

At foreign airports, I often see beautiful flight attendants, but I rarely take pictures 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 lady in a long flowing skirt walked into the frame, then another came, wearing the same skirt. I realized it was a uniform. Unlike the high-end, professional uniforms of Saudi Arabian Airlines flight attendants, the blue long skirts of SriLankan Airlines flight attendants, printed with peacock feather patterns, made them look ethereal as they walked by. Colombo International Airport has the Lotus First Lounge and Palm Strip Lounge, but I didn't know how to get in back then, and I didn't have any cards, so I just sat in the main hall. I did get a close-up photo of one flight attendant once. On an AirAsia flight to the Philippines, when I was about to enter immigration at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, an AirAsia flight attendant was holding an AirAsia sign and welcoming passengers. She had a bright smile, long hair, a straight nose, and especially white teeth, radiating natural, healthy beauty. Her red uniform made her look good enough to be the airline's brand ambassador.

I have visited Malaysia seven times, and each time I passed through Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Terminal 2 (K2) is one of the busiest international airports in the world, with self-service bag drops, Chinese announcements, and Chinese signage. It has won awards like Best Airport. Although the environment is not as good as Hong Kong's, many lounges are open 24 hours. Several times I took low-cost carriers to Kuala Lumpur for layovers, almost always at midnight or early morning. Having food and drink at midnight was all I needed. K2 also has a capsule hotel that charges by the hour (minimum 3 hours). If you don't want to stay up all night, you can try it. I really like the Plaza Premium Lounge. I visited several different ones at Kuala Lumpur Airport—they are all small, but the service is good. Inside, 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 those staying up late, a couple of cups of Malaysian freshly brewed coffee were a must.

At Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco, both Terminals 1 and 2 have Pearl Lounges that can be accessed with Priority Pass. I had heard that the desserts in this lounge are excellent because Moroccans love sweets and are good at making them. Unfortunately, I didn't have time on arrival, and when I left Morocco, I departed from Marrakesh Menara Airport, which also has a Pearl Lounge, but I was with three other people, and I couldn't bring them in for free, so we gave up. Casablanca Airport left a deep impression on me. Local SIM cards in Morocco are very cheap. I remember that in the arrival hall, you can even get a free SIM card by registering with your passport. Even without topping up, you can make a few calls. Later, I topped up twice, and the rates were not expensive. But a friend of mine, when entering Morocco with a drone, didn't declare it in advance and it was confiscated. He had to either come back to pick it up or mail it back. In the end, he returned via Marrakesh Airport like me, and mailing it back was very expensive.

The most troublesome thing at international airports is always entry and exit procedures. It's always stressful, and you might encounter tricks. At a certain Southeast Asian international airport, an immigration officer was flipping through my passport while casually asking questions, like chatting. He asked about my job and how much local currency I had. Luckily, I usually bring a few coins as souvenirs and spend all foreign cash before leaving. I said I only had a little money for eating at the airport. He kept holding my passport, called another worker, and pretended to check me. Seeing that I was neither panicked nor offering a bribe, he reluctantly handed back my passport. Later, I learned that if you exceed the currency limit, some people might seize the chance to demand a bribe, and your money could be confiscated, or you could even be fined. Another time, when arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, a friend had stapled a separate visa paper to a passport page. At the time, they didn't recognize our passport with the border design, and the immigration officer roughly tore it off, almost damaging the passport. If it had been torn, the passport might have been invalidated.

The most nerve-wracking experience was last Spring Festival. I was returning from a self-drive campervan trip around New Zealand's South Island just when the strictest travel restrictions were being imposed at airports worldwide. Several friends saw their China-bound flights canceled or delayed for days. Fortunately, I had booked foreign airlines: Christchurch to Melbourne, then Melbourne to Hong Kong. When I arrived at Christchurch International Airport, I smoothly checked in for the Melbourne flight and even got a boarding pass for the Melbourne-Hong Kong leg. Christchurch Airport has a Manaia Lounge, where passengers can stay for three hours. The food is simple, all Western cold dishes. There is a large coffee machine that can froth milk, and a hot water tap. The lounge has plenty of sofas and many charging ports, 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 there was no such requirement here. Sitting on the sofa drinking coffee was already satisfying.

Flying to Australia, almost all Chinese passengers were wearing masks, but foreigners and flight attendants were not. When I arrived at Melbourne International Airport, I was worried they wouldn't let me fly to Hong Kong. After one security check, I found an entrance directly to the international transit area, so I didn't need to enter Australia, but I had to spend the night in the airport. Sunlight streamed into the terminal, and apart from me, the waiting area was empty. I sat on the carpet, feeling relaxed, thinking that even sleeping on the floor was worth it if I could return before the lockdown. I rarely had a chance to shop in the airport. I ate a bowl of noodles at a restaurant. Later, someone said I could have gone to a lounge that night and then again the next day, but I didn't try. There weren't many people staying overnight. I initially thought about lying on the carpet, but it felt indecent, so I looked for long benches. At Melbourne Airport, some long benches don't have armrest separators, so you can stretch out across three or four seats. That's quite friendly for transit passengers who don't have time to leave the airport for a hotel.

Melbourne has various VIP lounges and waiting areas: Plaza Premium, American Express Centurion, Marhaba Lounge, REX Lounge, etc. Last time at Melbourne Airport, when I went to the Plaza Premium Lounge, a foreign traveler told me the American Express Lounge was better, so this time I planned to go there. In the evening, I lay on the long bench, using my backpack as a pillow. Between dozing and waking, I heard the cleaners working. I waited until 6:00 AM when the American Express Lounge opened. The food selection was a bit larger than Plaza Premium's, but still mostly cold dishes with various sauces, all labeled in Chinese and English. Hot items were only bacon, Western cakes, and pancakes. The area was larger, the sofas and facilities slightly better than Plaza Premium's, with pink-toned decor designed with a gay theme. Probably because there were so many cold dishes, Chinese tourists weren't used to it; I saw mostly foreign travelers. I didn't care whether it was cold or hot; I just ate a full meal, including a piece of stinky cheese. I've heard the stinkier, the higher the protein—good for recovering from a night of missed sleep.

I'll never forget that time at the airport when I left my passport and ticket in the security tray and was frantically searching for them at the gate. I also remember being forced to stand like a punishment when I forgot to take off my belt during outbound security check, with officers deliberately making things difficult. And I can't forget the cold faces at immigration when they demanded a bribe and I refused. I could talk about airport stories for days and nights. The only regret is that I took too few photos at airports, especially afraid to shoot inside lounges. However, no matter what troubles you encounter during your journey, there is always a way to solve them. Don't worry too much; just enjoy the brief exotic moments at the airport. While I was sitting alone in Melbourne Airport, lost in thought, a foreign traveler walked up to a piano in the center of the concourse and played passionately, soothing my loneliness and accompanying me on my journey home.