Port Moresby to Hong Kong Airport

17th October 2018 (Wednesday)

My original flight on 17th October 2018 was from Port Moresby, POM to Tokyo. However, two months before the departure date, I received news that Air Niugini would only be flying on Saturday, cancelling the Wednesday flight to Narita Airport. I had already bought my ticket and my flight was moved to 20th October.

However, this would disrupt my plans in Japan. Hence, I decided to find an alternative route to Japan, i.e. via Hong Kong. Instead of landing in Tokyo Narita Airport, I would be landing in Osaka Airport, KIX.

The flight from POM to KIX was uneventful, landing at about 7:35 p.m. My connecting flight to KIX would be on HK Express flight UO850 the next morning at 7:05 a.m. My plan was to look for HK Express transfer counters E1 or M1. In fact, I was not sure whether I needed to go to the transfer counters since I had printed my boarding pass online from HK Express website, when it opened 48 hours earlier. Maybe, I would be going to the transfer counters just to re-confirm that my check-in on HK Express to KIX was in order and that there was no document check required. There should also be Airport Ambassadors, supposedly dressed in red coats to provide assistance.

There were no red-coat Airport Ambassadors but there was Customer Service near the transfer desks and the officer reconfirmed that I could just proceed to the boarding gates. After passing through security, which was opposite the W1 transfer desk signage, I went one level up to L6 to the boarding gates. 

I haven't had dinner yet. I was walking randomly when I spotted Travelex and went to change MYR100 to Hong Kong Dollars. The exchange rate was very unfavourable. The officer gave me HKD167.20. It should be enough for a meal with change left for some other minor purchases.

I saw East to West Street Market. There were quite a number of food stalls. Prices of the food were expensive and there was nothing that attracted me. In the end, I settled for Roast Pork Belly and Tofu in Hot Pot for HKD84.00. The HKD balance was not enough to buy another dish.

I would be spending the night at the airport. According to HKG Airport website, there were Relaxation Corner near Gate 23 and Resting Lounge near Gate 43, with pictures of nice chairs. Unfortunately, this information was inaccurate. Both locations have only the normal chairs, nothing like what were seen on the website. How disappointing!

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Since there were only ordinary chairs at all the gates, I went to Gate 36 near the intersection of the airport three wings/ escalator/ lift to take a rest since it has a Flight Departure display there, making it easier for me to check my flight gate number. The gate number for Flight UO850 was not announced until past midnight.