TEX277

Hong Kong – Shanghai
Dragonair
KA876
A330-300
B-HYQ
First Class
Seat 1A

I rang BA Hong Kong the day before departure to ensure that I was all set for this flight after the cancellation and subsequent change of flight. The agent said that he needed to check with Cathay, took my contact details and rang back a few minutes later to confirm that all was taken care of.

I arrived at the Dragonair check-in desk around two hours before departure. The agent manning the First counter welcomed me and set about calling up my reservation. After several minutes of tapping away at her keyboard, she eventually became satisfied that all was in order and asked if I preferred a window or aisle seat. I asked for an window. The BP was spat out and she handed it to me. I saw the seat allocation and asked whether 2D was really a window seat. She said it wasn’t and reissued the BP but with 1A showing this time. That’s more like it!

I endured a relatively lengthy queue for security and then immigration (I am surprised that there is not a priority queue at HKG), bought some duty free and then headed back up the escalators to The Wing. It was a lot more busy than on my only previous visit to this Cathay/Dragonair First Class lounge so much so that I headed straight through to The Long Bar. Once I had seen the sign stating that the bar did not open until 11:30am, I thought I’d try to get a table at the restaurant.

I only had to wait about a minute before I was seated. I indulged in both Chinese and Western breakfast items before trying my luck at the cabanas. I was led straight in and given a quick tour of the facility. It was only my intention to have a shower but after seeing the bath and the relaxation area I changed my plans.


I soaked and relaxed but all too soon it was time to board. I headed for the gate and was amazed at just how few passengers there were in the gate area considering that boarding was imminent. At a guess I would say that they could not have been more than 50 in and around that gate area. It certainly made me understand the reasoning for the cancellation of my original flight!


First Class on this Dragonair A330-300 consisted of 12 seats (two rows in a 2-2-2 configuration) and was well presented. I opted for a pre-departure glass of champagne. The only other passenger in First on this flight was a female who seemed to be a Cathay/Dragonair employee that was known by both pilots, as they both popped over to chat with her before we pushed back.


The night before departure, it had been windy and raining quite heavily - T1 apparently. T1 signs were still showing as I arrived at the airport and, although the weather was not too bad when we boarded, it began to close in again as we approached the runway for take-off.


I was handed a menu that basically had two meal options; Chinese or Western. Call me boring if you like, but I went for the latter.



I had been asked whether I’d mind completing an onboard survey and put up no resistance (it did get me a free Dragonair pen!). The flight and service was pleasant enough. I barely touched my main course and when the FA came around and saw my plate, she immediately asked if I would like the vegetarian option instead.

We arrived at Shanghai on schedule. 1L was opened first and both of us First passengers were allowed to disembark before the curtain separating First from Business was pulled back and the handful of Business Class passengers were set loose.

The health checkpoint as well as Customs and Immigration were both easily navigated and, having no bags to collect (I had left them in Hong Kong), I was quickly in the arrivals hall and following the signs for the Maglev train.