Hong Kong Airport Questions
 

I have two questions:

If one purchases airport express tickets at the airport can this be done with a Visa card? I know it can be if they are purchased online. (Note.At the moment I am not thinking about the 3 day Octopus card as we won't have time to really get the value from the unlimited MTR service).

Can the airport departure fee be paid by credit card or does one need cash?

I was there last month. After you pick up your bags from the luggage carousel, you'll exit to this small area that has a few automated kiosks which sell the airport express tickets. They do take cash, not sure about visa cards. But if you want to get the better deals (like group purchase discount, etc), then exit to the common area and in the middle area just before the train, you should see their main desk (should be pretty easy to find). That's where you can purchase everything with the visa card.

I don't recall paying a HK airport departure fee, and I left the airport on 3 separate trips. Can anyone else confirm this?

I believe the airport departure fee is now part of your flight ticket and does not need to be paid separately.

Thanks for the responses. I had found the reference on their website to the departure fee so assumed it was not part of the ticket. If it is that is great.

You should understand that you can (and almost surely should) purchase an Octopus card that is for any monetary value that you choose and that has no specific expiration date. Any time you take virtually any transportation in HK (except taxis), you just pass your octopus card over the reader, and the fare is deducted from the remaining value on the card. At the end of your trip, you can turn in the Octopus card and get a refund for any remaining value (or, you can keep the card for your next trip). If you're planning to doi any travel on the subway, Star Ferry, KCR, Trams, or buses, having an Octopus card is enormously easier than buying tickets or having the change to pay the correct fare.

Hi, I was in HK last month. Your departure fee is included in your ticket price.

Hi John. Most likely your departure tax fee is included in your air fare. Best to check with the airline or issuing agancy to be sure. It's been a long time since I paid a separate departure tax anywhere.
Sorry can't help with the Octupus card info.
sam

You can buy Airport Express tickets (not Octopus) online via www.mtr.com.hk with credit cards, so I believe you can also buy them in person with credit card as well. They are probably non-refundable. But I have never tried getting tickets with credit cards, so I can't that I am 100% sure.

[That online store website is down right now.]

Octopus is a cash-card, and can be bought only by cash.