I remember the “in-town check-in” that opened in Hong Kong in 1997—the first time such a novel concept had been implemented anywhere. The architect, Norman Foster, who saw the construction of the Airport Express cost more than the new Hong Kong Airport itself, had the foresight to realize that it was better to bring the “airport” into the town instead of trying to transport the “town” to the airport.

Hong Kong was pioneering such a revolutionary new concept, that in the early years, I had to explain to the new visitors that it is perfectly safe to hand over your luggage to someone in the IFC Shopping Mall on Hong Kong Island, and that at the end of your flight, your luggage will be waiting for you at the baggage reclaim on the other side of the world! People using such an innovative service, unknown in different parts of the world, even in forward-looking places such as Singapore, were understandably skeptical at first about using “in-town check-in”.

But once they got used to the convenience of checking out of their hotel, checking in their luggage up to seven hours before the flight, and then doing some more shopping before taking the fast Airport Express, they started wondering how they managed to live without it.

I became a part-time volunteer evangelist for the in-town check-in services because I was so enamored with them that I introduced them to many visitors, who quickly became converts. Pretty much every airline in the world uses the in-town services now, and almost all passengers flying out of the Hong Kong airport want to “lighten” their burden in the city center instead of having to struggle with luggage in and out of taxis.

Some other cities tried to copy it but without much success. I remember that Singapore Airlines attempted to introduce an in-town service for some time on Orchard Road, but it was discontinued after a period, perhaps because it was not designed from the ground up and posed some problems in handling the volume of luggage. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, built an in-town check-in service in its KL Sentral station, but it was confined to only a few airlines and, therefore, never quite became a “volume” service.

Of course, during the COVID-19 pandemic and much-reduced aviation, all such fancy services were suspended worldwide, including in Hong Kong. I was under the impression that now that the COVID-19 restrictions are over, the in-town check-in services at IFC must be back to normal, and I could drop off my luggage at Central and take the train to the airport.

When I arrived at the in-town check-in counter with my luggage, someone ran toward me and asked, “You go Cathay Pacific?” I said, “No.” I was then told that only passengers who flew either Cathay Pacific or Hong Kong Airlines could check in their luggage in town, and others like me must go to the airport to check in. No explanation was given either by the person or the small notice announcing the restriction.

I am sure there must be many “reasons” why the other airlines are not using or were not allowed to use this service. But they cannot be compelling reasons. Starting from 1997, for about two decades or more, most airlines that flew to Hong Kong were using the facility. It is not a case of starting anew but restarting a service that was working. In the past, Hong Kong used to be a “free market” where “foreign” companies could have a level playing field with the “local” players.

I was traveling to Malaysia, which, for reasons not known to me, used to restrict in-town check-ins for local Malaysian airlines. Of course, Malaysia is well-known for its monopolies and restrictive business practices. Ironically, I noticed Cathay Pacific passengers can do the in-town check-in at Kuala Lumpur Central (KL Sentral). Still, Malaysian Airlines passengers cannot do the in-town check-in in Hong Kong!

The facilities at Hong Kong International Airport used to be a seamless experience from the Airport Express train, but now, they seem much more complicated. To cite one instance, to reach Gate 14 after Gate 13, one must go up many steep escalators and then down again! Elevators are nowhere to be seen.

Hong Kong remains the only major city in the world where you need to fumble for hard currency rather than digital payments for taxis. If things are not changed for the better soon, Hong Kong will lag behind other leading airports.

The author is a former foreign correspondent and has lived in Hong Kong for decades. He is now an investment consultant and entrepreneur focusing on Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.