BRITISH knights are being dropped from the list of dignitaries allowed to use the controversial and plush VIP lounge at Chek Lap Kok airport.
They face having to carry their own luggage through the terminal, losing the perks allowed at the less luxurious suite in Kai Tak under Chinese rule.
Chek Lap Kok's VIP lounge opened its doors yesterday.
From the fountains rising from the floor in the reception area and its soft armchairs to the ornate glass wash basins in private bathrooms, the $66 million Bauhinia Suite is pure luxury.
Officials denied speculation that the 25,000-square-foot lounge was doubled in size and a special wheelchair lift installed mainly to cater for elderly Communist Party cadres arriving from the mainland.
'The lift is for disabled people,' said Leonia Tai Shuk-yiu, assistant director for administration.
