Morning view from my room at the InterContinental Hong Kong.

Hong Kong was the first of two destinations we took for our honeymoon, which began two days after Christmas and actually coincided with our one-year anniversary. We selected an early morning flight from Reagan National in Washington, D.C. to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) so we would have time to experience the American Airlines (AA) Flagship Lounge. (Flying business class on Cathay Pacific (CP) gives you access to the lounge.) I can never afford to fly business class, especially on international trips, so I was excited to have the opportunity to finally experience this lounge. The Flagship Lounge at ORD shares the same check-in with the AA Admirals Club (AC) and I’ve always been jealous of seeing passengers go into it while I always get ushered to the AC every time I connect through ORD. (I’m assuming it’s the same kind of curiosity and feeling others in the terminal, who never experienced any sort of lounge, have when seeing passengers like myself go into one.

There are countless reviews of ORD’s AA Flagship Lounge so I won’t include a review. Let’s just say I’m the Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when it comes to free things in airport lounges, especially when it comes to free alcohol and food. For some reason, stale yogurt covered pretzels taste much better in a lounge than eating a store bought bag in the terminal. Unlike the AC where bar tenders pour you drinks, this lounge had self pouring options. Continue reading →