Noticed this trip report hasn’t written itself since I stepped away from it. However, I’m now committed to getting this thing knocked out. We left off in Hong Kong after a great stay at the Conrad. Getting to the airport from Hong Kong is simple - we booked a ticket on the Airport Express, which was less than $13 per person. Since we had a decent amount of luggage and the humidity in Hong Kong is ridiculous, we opted to grab a cab from our hotel to Hong Kong Central Station.
IGNORANT TOURIST INTERLUDE: Our cab ride took about 5 minutes and we were quickly at the station. Upon arrival, our cab driver added four $5HKD charges for our pieces of luggage - a cost I hadn’t contemplated when we left the hotel. We had used all but about $20HKD, which I thought would be more than enough for our trip. The driver was obviously unsympathetic to our lack of money, but he was more than happy to accept a $20USD bill from me in lieu of the HKD fare. After presenting this, he leapt out of the cab and unloaded our suitcases for us.
TL;DR: Carrying American dollars never hurts when you’re abroad.
Now what everyone reads for: Our trip to the airport was efficient and we arrived with plenty of time for our quick hop to Bangkok. I’d booked our flights using British Airways Avios, and award availability was wide open. Our cost per person was 15,000 Avios and $16.46. We benefited from an equipment change that would let us fly one of Cathay Pacific’s brand-new A350s on the short 2 hour and some change flight.
CX 751
HKG -> BKK
Miles: 1,051 miles
Duration: 2 hours, 41 minutes
Seat: 14K
A350-900
Once again, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Beautiful view from The Wing, one of the business class lounges available to Oneworld elites and passengers traveling in business class. Our transport to Bangkok was parked right outside the window.
I'd never seen an A350 before, so I was borderline giddy at the opportunity to see one up close. The main competitor for the A350 is Boeing's 787, but I haven't flown on that, so I can't comment on the difference between the two. However, I can tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing such a new machine.
Curve of the wing is absolutely beautiful.
Cathay Pacific uses an updated version of their popular Zodiac Cirrus on the A350. Having spent 16 hours in the old version on our flight from Chicago to Hong Kong, I was glad to have an opportunity to fly on the new version. Some cabin shots below:
Yes, the bathroom has a window in it.
Traffic at Hong Kong's airport is incredible to watch if you're an aviation fan.
Ethiopian 787
South African A340
Singapore Airlines A380
And obviously tons of Cathay Pacific traffic.
The Asia's World City livery 773.
Upon boarding, Billecart-Salmon Brut was being poured, and I was more than happy to accept a glass. Our flight to Bangkok was just over two hours, but there was still a full meal service on the flight. After champagne, I made the switch to a gin and tonics. Food service started pretty quickly, due to the short nature of the flight. Appetizer was a mixed salad with tuna, which was good. For the main, I selected the Thai red chicken curry with mixed vegetables and steamed jasmine rice. Finished the meal with some raspberry ice cream and another gin and tonic. Food pictures...
There was no shortage of entertainment on the flight for me, as noted by my excitement traveling on the A350. IFE was stellar and the cameras on the tail and undercarriage provided great views throughout our trip. The controller was touchscreen and made it easy to navigate through the screens.
My first trip on an A350 was amazing. Great opportunity to try a new aircraft and fly in business class. Service was top-notch and the flight was uneventful. I'll be curious to see if Cathay Pacific ever replaces any 777 routes on US to Asia flights with an A350 - I'd love to fly it again!
Thanks for reading!