Author Bio: About Nige
Nige is one of the co-founders of The Billingham Blog and works as a freelance management consultant. He loves to fly in his spare time!
By Nige
on January 26, 2026
at 11:21 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026
Category: Travel
Tags: Hong Kong | Skycity
Having made up most of the time lost after our late departure from Auckland, and being seated towards the back of the forward Business Class cabin, I had a fair few passengers to overtake once I entered the terminal.
It was a decent walk through Terminal 1 before I reached the train that would take me to the main arrivals area. A queue of around ten people had already formed for the platform, and the train itself was packed. Fortunately, I deployed my well-honed queue-bypassing skills and managed to squeeze onto the first train that arrived.
The journey only lasted a couple of minutes, but it was standing-room-only, with a full-blown sardine effect. I even managed to grab a quick selfie to document it.
Disembarking was a challenge in itself, as everyone funnelled towards a set of narrow escalators leading up to the next phase of the Hong Kong arrival experience.
Once I finally reached the Immigration Hall, I had no choice but to join the queue with everyone else. I waited for around ten minutes before reaching a Border Control officer, who asked no questions at all. He printed out a small square slip containing my details and tucked it loosely into my passport.
What he didn’t do was explain what I was supposed to do with it.
In the end, no one asked for it, so that particular mystery may never be solved.
Through baggage reclaim and out into Arrivals, I started looking for the Airport Express Line. There was a free hotel shuttle bus available, but I wasn’t entirely sure where to pick it up, and I generally prefer to be in control of my own transport.
As it turned out, that decision led to a slightly more convoluted journey.
The hotel was accessible by travelling one stop on the Airport Express Line to AsiaWorld-Expo — a vast exhibition centre — and then walking across via a covered walkway. Simple enough in theory.
I found the Airport Express station without difficulty, but locating somewhere to tap and go proved less straightforward. With a train due in under a minute, I rushed to an information booth and asked how to buy a ticket.
The advice was refreshingly blunt: “Just get on the train and pay at the other end.”
So that’s exactly what I did.
The train ride took barely two minutes. On arrival, I took a lift up into the middle of an extremely long corridor, with exits at both ends. I knew I needed Exit B, so that was the direction I set off in.
At the end of the corridor was a Customer Service booth — empty — with a sign directing passengers back to the Customer Service desk at Exit A.
So back I went, walking what felt like at least a quarter of a mile along the corridor to Exit A. There, I paid the grand sum of 67p for my ticket, then retraced my steps all the way back to Exit B.
Any excuse to get the steps in.
Once through the turnstile, it was another long walk along a very plush corridor before I finally reached the entrance to the Regal Skycity Hotel. It was seriously impressive.
I checked in and was assigned room 6166. The hotel itself was enormous.
I settled into the relatively compact but modern room, caught up with Vick, took a shower, and finally laid my head on the very comfortable pillows.
Time for some much-needed sleep.
Next up: A gallery of photos from Day 9 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.
Author Bio: About Nige
Nige is one of the co-founders of The Billingham Blog and works as a freelance management consultant. He loves to fly in his spare time!
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