Hong Kong (HKG) is one of Asia’s premier financial hubs and a very popular destination with good connections from London. There are a number of airlines flying London to Hong Kong (6,000 miles) non-stop with a flight time of around 12 hours.

In the past, an economy class airfare under £400 was seen as value for this route – however 2010 has seen slightly firmer prices and from November we will get the higher UK Air Passenger Duty.

Good value business sale class fares have been in the £1,400-£2,000 band – but the £2k-£3k level is standard. In this article we will review all airlines flying London to Hong Kong – but first here are a few factors to consider:

Flight Times – Our preference is to leave London in the late evening and arrive in Hong Kong late afternoon – giving time to get to your accommodation, have an evening meal and then an early night.

Non-stop vs Connections – Obviously it is preferable to fly non-stop but you may find lower fares with a connecting airline. When flying via a hub airport watch out for long connection times.

Alliances - If you have  frequent flyer membership(s), you may want to earn miles/points with your preferred alliance. Oneworld dominates this route with British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas all flying non-stop.

Peak Season – Avoid flying to HKG around Christmas holiday period and also Chinese new year (next dates: Feb 3rd 2011, Jan 23rd 2012).

Exchange Rate – The Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) is pegged to the US dollar. The current rate to pound sterling is £1 to HKD12.25 – during the last year it has ranged between HKD11 – 13. The best time to visit Hong Kong is during weakness in the US dollar.

Airlines flying non-stop LON to HKG:

Cathay Pacific – 4x daily flights from London Heathrow, 3 using Boeing 747s and 1 with B777-300. New economy seats (32″ pitch) are in their own shell – which do not recline into your space. Excellent business class product with full flat seats. New, improved lounges have recently opened at Heathrow T3.

British Airways – 2x daily flights using B747s and a popular option for UK travellers and BA Executive Club members. Economy seat pitch quite tight at 31″ – alternatively you can pay extra for an exit row (£50 fee booked between 14 and 4 days before flying, subject to availability) or choose to fly premium economy with 38″ pitch. BA’s business class Club World, in our experience, is a a very decent all-round product – try to choose a seat on the upper deck (with 2-2 config) as the main deck has a more cramped feel at 2-4-2. Watch for BA sale fares.

Qantas - Daily flight out of London (QF30 using B747). Seat pitch in economy similar to BA – you can also purchase the exit row up to 7 days in advance for AUD80. Qantas has a very good premium economy offering, currently superior to BA’s. Note, Qantas’ business class seat on the 747 is angled lie flat.

Air New Zealand – Non-stop option for Star Alliance members with 5x weekly LHR-HKG flights using B777-200ER. Good economy seats with up to 33″ pitch. Note the Skycouch “economy bed” is being rolled out (in 2011) only on the London-Los Angeles route rather than HKG flights. Pacific Premium Economy has 41″ pitch on the 777 while the impressive business class is a flat seat 1-1-1 herringbone arrangement. Watch for regular fare sales.

Virgin Atlantic – Daily flight to HKG using Airbus A340-600. Standard 31″ pitch in economy – the A340s 2-4-2 config means plenty of availability for couples wanting to sit together in a 2-seater window row. Upper class is 1-1-1 in original herringbone arrangement; on the ground there are the excellent Clubhouse lounges. Prices similar to BA.

Connecting Airlines:

Finnair – This is a viable Oneworld option as Finnair is able to take the shorter northern routes to Asia. Daily flight from Helsinki to Hong Kong using an Airbus A340 taking just under 10 hours. 3 hour hop from London (A320s) with departures spread throughout the day. Good product and service and some competitive prices on offer.

Jet Airways – Flies LHR to HKG via Mumbai or Delhi. Flight from London on a B777 takes around 9 hours; onward flights to HKG on A330s. Offers some good economy and business fares but watch for connection waiting times.

Emirates – Flies from London to Hong Kong via its Dubai hub. London Gatwick to Dubai flown with B777-300ER with 10 across economy seating (3-4-3 instead of the standard 3-3-3). Dubai-Hong Kong operated by both 777-200 and Airbus A380, but note the A380 makes a stop in Bangkok.

Qatar Airways – Operates London (Gatwick and Heathrow) to Doha flights with a variety of aircraft (A340s, A330s, B777s) and then Doha-Hong Kong on A330s. When choosing flights watch for long connection times – total journey times range from 17 hours to 38 hours. If flying business choose the lie flat seats on the 777 (rather than the angled seats on the A330/A340s).

Other European carriers serving Hong Kong are Air France-KLM (via Paris or Amsterdam), Lufthansa (via Frankfurt or Munich) and Swiss (via Zurich). Other main Asian carriers that can get you from London to Hong Kong are Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines.

Some more “offbeat” options from London to Hong Kong:

Turkish Airlines – Occasional competitive fares in economy and business via its Istanbul hub.

China Airlines - Flies London to Taipei (A340) and then the short hop to HKG. Business fares can be on the lower side.

Royal Jordanian – Another Oneworld carrier with flights via its Amman hub using Airbus A330s. Note the Amman-Hong Kong flight makes a stop in Bangkok.

China Eastern Airlines – Flies London-Shanghai-Hong Kong and offers some low business fares. Be aware of long total journey times of circa 30 hours.

Aeroflot – Skyteam’s Russian carrier flies London Heathrow to Hong Kong via Moscow using Airbus aircraft. Can offer reasonable business class fares but watch for some overnight connections.

Air Asia X – Discount airline flying from London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur using an Airbus A340. Special promo fares can occasionally be quite cheap. From KL, parent Air Asia flies 3x daily to Hong Kong airport using A320s. You need separate bookings for both legs so always allow ample time for connections and any delays.