Technical failure
I have an evening flight to Auckland today. With the time difference back in India, I woke up early and had a snack before killing time and packing.
Mid-morning, I went out to grab brunch but my preferred meal (cha siew rice) to finish all my HKD wasn’t yet available. So, I settled for a pork and century egg congee instead.
Checking out at 1100, I headed for the airport bus. This was when things went pear-shaped. Contactless credit card didn’t work as it was meant to, unlike on the MTR or Star Ferry.
I waited for a second bus but it was just the same. The driver was more patient and I tried Wechat Pay and also Alipay. All to no avail.
I think the driver was about to take me for free but I didn’t want to risk getting caught, so I went to the ATM to withdraw some cash before successfully getting on the way, third time lucky. Fortunately, the ATMs here don’t seem to charge a local fee.
Exploring Hong Kong Airport
Arriving at the airport at 1230 (having lost about 30 mins due to the bus payment problem), I still had about 5h30 till my 1750 flight to Auckland.
I killed some time exploring the landside area to discover that the former Terminal 2 area is no longer in existence.
With no baggage and holding a confirmed staff ticket, I was able to head airside with a mobile boarding pass. It had been years since I had flown through this airport and a Sky Bridge now connects the Satellite Terminal which was previously served by bus.
With plenty of time still, I explored the high overhead bridge before settling into the Chase Sapphire lounge for under three hours.
Flying home
At the boarding gate, I thought I heard an announcement in Cantonese (which I don’t understand) paging for me. I went to the counter and was pleasantly surprised that my paid upgrade to Premium Economy had been successful, despite that class and Business having been full in the days ahead.
On board, the pleasant surprise continued with a spare seat between me and my neighbour. He was an awfully pleasant guy and we had nice chats.
It’s funny (not in a haha way) how personal some conversations can get with a stranger. He said that his wife is Catholic and refused a pregnancy termination despite the advice of three doctors, and gave birth to a stillborn which then troubled her for years. And despite that, she does not regret the decision because of her religious belief.