Trip Reports - A Trip of Firsts (FCO-LHR-SIN-HKG-BKK-FCO | BA C, QF F, CX C, TG F)

Introduction

I recently got into the points game, and ended up with about 80k points on UA and AA, each. I've always wanted to go to Asia, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do it, and to do it in style. Because of different reasons, I decided to hire Ben, a.k.a. Lucky (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/), from Points Pros (http://pointspros.com/) to help me with the booking, and his first proposal, visiting Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok, was approved with some minor tweaks. This would be a Trip of Firsts, and not necessarily because it would feature different F products, but because I would get to do some things for the first time.

Just to mention some:

First time to Asia (And not the last one, because I already have a trip to Japan planned for later this year (http://flightdiary.net/desquiliano))
First valuable redemption (I had already redeemed miles with MX for domestic flights, but paying for taxes that almost equated the price of the ticket)
First time flying QF, CX, and TG
First time flying in long-haul premium cabins (I have previously flown on CO's F domestic product and C EWR-MEX)
First time flying solo (I usually travel with at least a friend, or to meet someone at the destination, but this was not the case)
First time on an A380, or even on a B747
First time flying intra-European C (And probably the last one, since I didn't find it worth paying for)
First time using my new Canon S100 camera
and some other firsts which I don't remember right now.


So, the route ended up being this:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7194400206_b8a6eaeba1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7194400206/)
Map FCO - LHR - SIN - HKG - BKK - FCO (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7194400206/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

And the flights, these:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7194401552_8050890845.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7194401552/)
FCO - LHR - SIN -HKG (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7194401552/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7194400868_0cc51cb36e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7194400868/)
HKG - BKK - FCO (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7194400868/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I ended up taking about 2k pictures, so this will be a mainly graphical report. And also because I have forgotten some details. But don't worry, I won't publish every single picture. Although, if you want to see them, you are welcome to visit these sets on Flickr.


Easter Break - Set 1 (Singapore) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/sets/72157629473555458/)
Easter Break - Set 2 (Hong Kong) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/sets/72157629473978914/)
Easter Break - Set 3 (Macao) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/sets/72157629474478574/)
Easter Break - Set 4 (Hong Kong) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/sets/72157629474773284/)
Easter Break - Set 5 (Bangkok) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/sets/72157629475391322/)

My First Flight in Intra-European C

I book my flights in December. By April the wait had been quite long and I was really excited. I usually wait till the last minute to pack, but this time I had already packed before I went to bed the night before.

I left for the airport about three and a half hours before my flight. I usually don't go to the airport this early, and I didn't do it this time because of the excitement, but because I was able to get a free ride with a group going to France. These group of friends had an earlier flight, and instead of paying €40 for a cab on my own, I thought it would be wiser to get a free ride and just wait for my flight at the lounge.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7087081803_4b6f05da10.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087081803/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087081803/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I went to the Club Europe checkin counter right away, but I was told I needed to wait about 20 minutes before I could checkin. I just went for a shoert walk and came back a little later, but this time I tried a different counter, and I was able to check in. Well, I had already done it online, but I needed to drop my luggage. But there was a problem, or at least that's what it looked like. Apparently she wasn't able to check my luggage, since I had not specified that when I checked-in online the night before. A quick call to a supervisor, and my luggage was on its way to Singapore via London.

I went through security using the premium lane, and in a few minutes I was already enjoying my first glass of coke in the lounge and enjoying the view.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5240/7087082965_15f9f3763c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087082965/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 005 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087082965/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6941012572_96b22cc8f8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941012572/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 002 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941012572/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I'll be flying on one of these when I go the Japan in a few months (SU)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/7087083219_fc03bb3b44.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087083219/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 006 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087083219/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I even saw a twin brother of the b747 that would bring me back to Rome a week later
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/7087083491_e603941ca7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087083491/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 007 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087083491/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

At the indicated time on our boarding pass, we were told that check in was about to start, and I left for the gate. The boarding process was nothing special. The only difference is that I didn't have to walk all the way to the back

Flight Info
British Airways 547
FCO - LHR
April 8, 2012 15:20
Airbus A320-200 (G-TTOE)
Seat 2F

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/6941015020_ca394ed3a7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941015020/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941015020/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5449/6941015244_ec02c9895b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941015244/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941015244/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

The meal offered was tea service, with a couple open-faced sandwiches. At this time I was really hungry, because all I had eaten were a couple of mini sandwiches from the lounge, so I really enjoyed the meal.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/7087085801_158b880049.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087085801/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 015 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087085801/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

My faithful IFE, my iPhone, sharing space with an article about one of my destinations on this trip.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7044/6941016572_a82ba81135.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941016572/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 016 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941016572/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5324/6941017978_0462450cd5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941017978/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 021 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941017978/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After an uneventful flight, we landed in time. I took the shuttle to T3, and went straight to the transfer counters to retrieve the boarding pass for my next flight. I was then directed to the Galleries First Lounge, where I had a relaxing time.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6941018562_c5177a3043.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941018562/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 023 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941018562/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I had been looking forward to this visit, so I could try the famous BA Burger, but unfortunately I felt I needed to eat something lighter and ended up eating the Club Salad. So, if anyone here is going to be in LHR T5 on the morning on June 16 and would like to help me try the burger by guesting me into the lounge, just PM me.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/6941018822_68d55c98a0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941018822/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 024 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941018822/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Looking forward to the rest of the TR.

My First Time on the Big Bird (QF's A380 F)

I don't know how guys who travel all the time by themselves can handle it, but after a couple hours in the Galleries First Lounge I was already bored. As soon as the gate for our flight appeared on the screen I headed there.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/7087088645_028882311c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087088645/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 025 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087088645/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I had already seen the A380, but I've never been this close. Whether you like this plane or nor, you can't deny that there is some excitement before you board a plane for the first time.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/7087089765_8ba2b05ea9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087089765/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 029 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087089765/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Flight Info
Qantas 2
LHR - SIN
April 8, 2012 21:30
Airbus A380-800 (VH-OQF)
Seat 2A

At the appointed time we were called for boarding. I was one of the first people to make it to the plane. In fact, I believe I was the first person on the F cabin.

I was greeted at the gate, escorted to my seat, and immediately asked what I wanted to drink. This will be disappointing for most of you, but I went with water. I was given an amenity kit, although one for the wrong gender, and pajamas. I later asked the FA to change the amenity kit for the right one, which he kindly did. In no time I was already wearing my pajamas and enjoying my comfortable seat.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6941020470_dd6cec0ae7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941020470/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 030 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941020470/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7232/7087090961_29d7de08a7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087090961/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 033 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087090961/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

This flight was on Easter Sunday, so all passengers were given an Easter Bunny. Unfortunately I left mine on the plane.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7051/6941021084_5d667f4e46.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941021084/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 032 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941021084/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Our departure was slightly delayed because they couldn't move one of the jet bridges, but waiting in such a comfortable seat was not a problem.

At some point the purser came to introduce herself, and ask if there was anything she could do for me. I told her I wanted to visit the cockpit, and she told me she would let me know with the FA if that was going to be possible.

Something worth mentioning is that every time I interacted with the FA or the purser they would call me by name, which I appreciate specially because I have an uncommon and hard to pronounce last name.

Once we were on the air the meal service started.

This was the menu.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7179/6941027904_26320da6fb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941027904/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 054 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941027904/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7131/7087097993_b25bb3c3b6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087097993/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 055 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087097993/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I started with the salmon. Then I chose the lasagna. I tried the cheese afterwards, and concluded with the millefeuille.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/6941022234_110f736d54.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941022234/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 036 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941022234/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/7087092111_af6c0e0e20.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087092111/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 037 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087092111/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6941022934_4d8da0173d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941022934/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 038 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941022934/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/6941023232_69c139037a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941023232/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 039 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941023232/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

My meal seemed to be synchronized with the movie I was watching, and so, after they both were over I decided to go to bed. I slept for about 4 hours. Then I woke up and waited for breakfast while watching another movie.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5321/6941024640_a3189f30c0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941024640/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 043 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941024640/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Woohoo! I'm already in Asia!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6941025322_a169eaa1f9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941025322/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 045 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941025322/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

This was the menu for breakfast. I chose the pancakes.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5333/6941028492_9641084a42.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941028492/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 056 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941028492/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/6941026520_aefee01dbe.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941026520/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 049 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941026520/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5198/7087096477_91ff1ef3fc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087096477/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 050 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087096477/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After breakfast I got ready for landing, and watched a couple episodes of Futurama.

I'm a Mac guy, so I had to take a picture of this.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7043/6941029000_0faccf9837.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941029000/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 058 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941029000/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

What a beautiful view as we land

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/7087099899_de99e5e01c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087099899/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 062 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087099899/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Just as promised, as I was leaving the plane, the FA asked me if I was still interested in visiting the cockpit. I said yes, and here is the picture.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6941031160_3f976688f5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941031160/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 066 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941031160/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

It was time to say goodbye to the A380. I will hopefully fly it again when I go to Australia. Not that I'm already planning a trip, though, but who knows, it might just happen.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5156/7087101569_3b14383f5b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087101569/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 068 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087101569/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Very nice that you got a chance to sit in the cockpit. Never hurts to ask, and I will be sure to ask next time I'm traveling.

Very nice that you got a chance to sit in the cockpit. Never hurts to ask, and I will be sure to ask next time I'm traveling.

Yes, it was awesome. I regret not having done it on the B747 as well.

Nice job. Looking forward to the remaining parts of this report.

Great TR thus far!

WOW, great report so far, thanks for sharing!! great pictures!

My First Time in Asia

I can't believe it! I'm in Asia! A childhood dream had finally come true. Well, at this state, several dreams had come true, but this is one that I thought very distant.

When all the flights had been booked, I needed to find a hotel for my overnight layover in Singapore. I had accrued 50k hhonors points, so I was going to stay at one of their two properties, the Hilton or the Conrad. They were bot 40k for a night, so I decided to go with the Conrad, mainly because of its location.

So, after I went through all the immigration formalities at SIN, I headed out and looked for the ground transportation stand. I had already read that one of the easiest and cheapest options to head to the city was to take a shared shuttle, so that's what I did.

Because of my recently gains Gold status, I got upgraded to a business room with a great view of the city. I also received the traditional rubber duck and teddy bear, along with some chocolates and fruit.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/6941034786_9be6e1606f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941034786/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 078 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941034786/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7087103855_81a07632c7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087103855/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 076 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087103855/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/7087103313_f9ff180913.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087103313/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 074 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087103313/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6941033898_7154687b4f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941033898/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 075 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941033898/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7128/6941034468_a23f34498d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941034468/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 077 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941034468/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After settling in in my room I decided to go out for a walk and to get something to eat. I had read about different hawker centers, and decided to try Makansutra's Gluttons Bay. I was a little tired, and I didn't feel like having a heavy meal, even though I had already planned to try the famous chill crab and satay, so I just ate a lemon chicken, which was delicious.

After my light dinner I went towards the Merlion to take some pictures. I even took a bay/river cruise to appreciate the beauty of this city from a different angle.

After a while I headed back to the hotel where I had a good night sleep. I guess that even though I had a ben on board, it is still not the same as sleeping on a real one.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6941038138_60ae3538b5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941038138/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 088 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941038138/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/6941039164_0f16eea0b4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941039164/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 091 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941039164/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6941039776_c266cfb975.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941039776/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 093 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941039776/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7099/7087110183_4a5a87e683.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087110183/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 095 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087110183/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7087112735_057864dd09.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087112735/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 103 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087112735/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7179/7087118699_e432945db7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087118699/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 120 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087118699/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

The next morning I decided to stop by Oscar's, one of the restaurants at the hotel, for breakfast. After a delicious meal I headed out for a walk into town. It is not a secret that I'm studying to be a Catholic priest, and whenever I travel I like visiting Catholic churches, so that's what I did that morning. I only had a few hours, though, because I needed to head to the airport to catch my flight to HKG.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/6941077640_0c74519e26.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941077640/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 191 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941077640/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/7087148155_0297ea752d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087148155/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 193 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087148155/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5346/6941078984_a60f2f0ecc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941078984/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 195 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941078984/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5347/6941086342_0b01a42685.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941086342/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 214 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941086342/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5347/6941101530_76027aeb89.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941101530/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 246 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941101530/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5450/7087173593_80ea9f602d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087173593/)
Easter Break 2012 (Singapore) - 251 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087173593/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Looking forward to the rest of the TR.

Nice job. Looking forward to the remaining parts of this report.

Great TR thus far!

WOW, great report so far, thanks for sharing!! great pictures!

Thank you all for your comments.

Heading to HKG, Macau and Singapore in September so have enjoyed this so far. Keep it coming.

Heading to HKG, Macau and Singapore in September so have enjoyed this so far. Keep it coming.

Thanks for your comment. I don't claim to be an expert in those places, but if there's anything I can help you with, just PM me.

My First Flight on CX

Shortly after noon I checked out of the hotel and took a cab to the airport. My flight was not till 4pm, but I wanted to visit the lounge, and hopefully even visit the Hard Rock Cafe at the airport. Unfortunately I found out that it was in a different terminal after I had already cleared exit immigration.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/6941128984_89e5f15891.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941128984/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941128984/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7250/7087199249_ccbf2e755e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087199249/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 002 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087199249/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Check in was easy, immigration formalities were a breeze, and just a few minutes after my arrival I was airside.

I headed to the lounge and had lunch there. In fair honesty, that lounge was rather disappointing. The food options were limited, and the view partially blocked. I did use their internet, though, to call my family.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7246/6941130130_4f0f613d33.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941130130/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 003 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941130130/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After a while, and before that made the boarding announcement I decided to walk towards the gate. I saw they had already allowed people into the secure area, so just went in, so I could do some plane spotting.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/6941130978_633728132e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941130978/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 005 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941130978/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/6941134182_58068efa1a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941134182/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 013 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941134182/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Flight Info
Cathay Pacific 734
SIN - HKG
April 10, 2012 16:05
Boeing 777-200 (B-HND)
Seat 14K

A few minutes later and the gate area was packed. It looked like this was going to be a full flight. A few minutes before boarding time there were already two long lines, one for Y, and one for C, and they were both long. It was confirmed, this flight was definitely full.

The boarding call was made after a short delay. There seemed to be a race towards the plane, and there was no pre boarding for C or elite members. Well, it was announced, but nobody cared.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5322/7087204365_111df4f4d0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087204365/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 014 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087204365/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Once we were on board we had to wait for a while because there was a storm above us.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5239/6941135584_697bb1e8f4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941135584/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 016 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941135584/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7219/6941136678_2ac1d09bbb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941136678/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 019 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941136678/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

By the time we took off we had been delayed for about an hour. Menus were handed out, and drink orders were taken.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7087209251_6fff56ba59.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087209251/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 026 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087209251/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7099/6941139778_9c8ac5fc3d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941139778/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 027 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941139778/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I generally don't order sweet drinks, but since I don't know when I'll be able to fly CX on a premium cabin I decided to try one of their signature cocktails, the Pacific Sunrise.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7087209955_ea61e62e4d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087209955/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 028 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087209955/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

As for the meal, I was tempted to order the beef tenderloin, but I thought this would be my last chance to try some Singaporean cuisine on this trip, and ordered the laksa instead. All I can say is that it was delicious.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7084/7087211109_f7e323c735.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087211109/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 031 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087211109/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5198/6941142634_ac242df112.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941142634/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 034 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941142634/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5337/7087212729_5aba4cccc2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087212729/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 035 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087212729/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After the meal I just finished watching the movie I had started earlier, and then just followed our route on the map. Shortly after we were getting ready for landing.

And I was in Hong Kong!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7266/7087215839_f3e6ce48a2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087215839/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 041 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087215839/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Enjoying the report

"Flight Info
Cathay Pacific 734
SIN - HKG
April 10, 2012 16:05
Airbus A380-800 (VH-OQF)
Seat 14 K"

Shouldn't that be A330-300?

Enjoying the report

"Flight Info
Cathay Pacific 734
SIN - HKG
April 10, 2012 16:05
Airbus A380-800 (VH-OQF)
Seat 14 K"

Shouldn't that be A330-300?

Haha... That's the problem with copy+paste... I forgot to change that part... Thanks.

Thanks for your comment. I don't claim to be an expert in those places, but if there's anything I can help you with, just PM me.

Thanks. I bookmarked all your pictures as well. Great job.

Trip is not til September but can't wait.

My First View of the South Sea of China

During my stay in Hong Kong I didn't book a room in any fancy hotel, well, I didn't even stay at a hotel. First, because I didn't have any more miles/points. Second, because I had a free alternative. I stayed at a religious house where friends had stayed in the past.

While not a fancy accommodation, and not in the main part of the island, the place where I stayed offered a beautiful view of the South Sea of China every morning.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5271/7087216907_14912959b7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087216907/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 044 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087216907/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/6941150112_131cb072d6.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941150112/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 049 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941150112/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr
Well, I won't write a detailed account of all that I did in Hong Kong. Instead I will share some pictures of the highlights.

Eating authentic Chinese food

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/7087232503_a34203ebca.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087232503/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 077 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087232503/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7087232861_fb1c95ed81.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087232861/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 078 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087232861/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6941164138_2a67f06bae.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941164138/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 081 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941164138/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/7087235095_f1a149fc40.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087235095/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 083 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087235095/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/6941593524_f45755b82b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941593524/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 2) - 146 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941593524/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5332/7087665997_14eeec53b8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087665997/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 2) - 147 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087665997/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Victoria Peak

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/7087257811_9a37aab16d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087257811/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 132 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087257811/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6941199136_4c4eba2288.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941199136/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 156 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941199136/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Star Ferry

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7087536233_c5d4304a9c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087536233/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 305 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087536233/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

The Bay

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/7087321409_6d89d9795e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087321409/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 264 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087321409/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7087545131_55b0b4d671.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087545131/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 321 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087545131/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5193/6941487720_ff64d248d8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941487720/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 346 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941487720/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Walking in the City

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/7087230301_4f20fe5b17.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087230301/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 1) - 071 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087230301/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6941463692_b17ae75fd9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941463692/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 303 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941463692/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5031/7087622011_2e8dedb2a5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087622011/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 2) - 065 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087622011/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7280/6941604666_47e19a3ce4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941604666/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 2) - 167 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941604666/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Hard Rock Cafe

As I've mentioned in previous TRs, I collect HArd Rock Cafe guitar pins, and although I already had one from Hong Kong, I decided to stop by for a beer.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7220/7087679203_d6a6ba6a4d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087679203/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 2) - 172 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087679203/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5332/6941611120_134f79a448.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941611120/)
Easter Break 2012 (Hong Kong 2) - 180 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941611120/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Great itinary and gret TR - thanks for posting - very jealous!!

Great itinary and gret TR - thanks for posting - very jealous!!

Thank you. I think I know how you're feeling, because I had been reading TRs before I was able to afford this trip.

My First Walk Around the Outer Rim of a Tower 233m Above Ground

I know some people here are trying to visit every single country in this world. I'm not that ambitious, at least for now, but I still enjoy getting new stamps on my passport. That's why I decided to take a day trip to Macao.

I bought my boat tickets ahead of time. I would have wanted to go by helicopter, but that was way out of my reach. So I went with the second best option, buying tickets on TurboJet Premier Grand class.

Turbojet, the ferry company between Hong Kong and Macao, offers three classes of service. These are Economy, Super Class, and Premier Grand. Super Class and Premier Grand seem pretty much the same, although the ticket for the latter is more flexible. I think that originally Premier Grand was operated on a different ship, but now they have all ships with the same three classes. If I'm wrong and someone from HK knows better, please correct me.

I decided to do this trip on my second day in Hong Kong. I bought my tickets for the 8:00 ship out of Hong Kong, and for the 18:00 out of Macao. That meant an early rising that day, since I was supposed to retrieve my tickets no later than 1.5 hours before my trip.

I made it to the pier well ahead of time, and after having picked up my tickets I decided to have breakfast. I saw a McDonald's, and decided to eat there. In Rome McDonald's doesn't serve breakfast, so whenever I travel and find a McD's with breakfast menu, I stop by to get a muffin with sausage and egg.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7131/6941296018_777d6cac9e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941296018/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 007 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941296018/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After my quick breakfast, I headed to the boarding area. Unfortunately I was stopped at the check point. I didn't understand what was going on, I was just told that there wasn't going to be a Premier Grand boat, so I didn't know if that meant that I had to wait for the next one or that I would be downgraded. It was the latter, but one of the men pictured ran to the ticket counter to get money and refund me the difference in price. What a great service!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6941296404_ddab109346.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941296404/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 008 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941296404/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Well, I still had access to the lounge, at least to the Super Class lounge. Although it was nothing else than a walled waiting room with sofas and some reading material.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/6941297424_2eb4f7452b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941297424/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941297424/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Slightly before our departure time we were invited to board.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5320/7087368743_13bdc1367b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087368743/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087368743/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

As soon as we got on board we were offered breakfast. I had already eaten enough, so I just ask for a bottle of water. I did take a picture of the breakfast, though, for this report.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6941299966_f66da33971.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941299966/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 014 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941299966/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Shortly after I fell asleep, and didn't wake up till we were arriving in Macao. After we disembarked, I went to the passport control area, and I wasn't prepared for the long lines and chaos. It looked like many boats had arrived at the same time from mainland China. It took me over half an hour to make it to the end of the line.

Following the advice of some friends I took one of the free shuttles to the casinos. I don't like gambling, but I had been told so much about the casino area that I wanted to see it. Well, it was a disappointment. I have never been to Las Vegas, but I imagine it is pretty much like it, just big casinos all over.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7272/7087386183_628650d4e4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087386183/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 044 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087386183/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After visiting a couple resorts I was already bored, so I decided to head back to the ferry terminal. From there I took a double-decker bus tour.

One of the stops, and the one I was looking forward to the most, was the famous Macao Tower. It offers different recreational activities. One of them is a walk on the outer rim of the tower 233m above the ground. I'm not into extreme sports, but I thought this was something I could do, and I did it.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/6941338812_19e5b46e55.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941338812/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 089 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941338812/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7124/7087423721_9bb293578e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087423721/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 115 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087423721/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

There are more pictures on my Flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/) if you want to see them all. This is the link to the specific album (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/sets/72157629474478574/with/6941456396/).

After this exciting adventure I just took the double-decker again and went to downtown Macao, where I wanted to see the famous ruins of Saint Paul's Church.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7087437681_9b83d349e0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087437681/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 136 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087437681/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/6941376518_339a3ee13d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941376518/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 151 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941376518/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5325/7087461001_b08c7ebffb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087461001/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 173 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087461001/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5334/6941394206_1ccf22b9a7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941394206/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 178 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941394206/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After walking around for a while and having lunch I took the double-decker again. We drove by the airport and snapped a couple pictures. Then we finished the circuit at the ferry terminal.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5469/6941420258_8774b9b3bf.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941420258/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 221 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941420258/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/6941437026_e9511cea5d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941437026/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 250 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941437026/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6941443466_7df99be650.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941443466/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 263 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941443466/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

The experience was very similar to the one in Hong Kong, although this time they did have the Premier Grand Class service.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5322/6941455244_5df153df45.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941455244/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 286 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941455244/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5340/6941456396_76f85d03e3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941456396/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 288 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941456396/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

This time I accepted the meal. It was rice with some sort of meat(?) that I couldn't eat because it was very hard. If you had any idea of what it is. please let me know.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5079/6941457816_00c7e3b259.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941457816/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 291 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941457816/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

The rest of the ride was quite enjoyable, and in about an hour we were back in Hong Kong.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5326/6941458326_1ed5b8cced.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941458326/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 292 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941458326/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

This time I accepted the meal. It was rice with some sort of meat(?) that I couldn't eat because it was very hard. If you had any idea of what it is. please let me know.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5079/6941457816_00c7e3b259.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941457816/)
Easter Break 2012 (Macau) - 291 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941457816/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Based on the picture, it is Abalone (I can't believe that TurboJet serves this...:D:D:D).

Good stuff with the report!

Hope you enjoyed asia, and make your way to Australia one day

Thanks for this! Looks like you had a fab trip.

Macau Tower reminds me of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas...what an incredible experience, added to my list of "must-dos"!

Great TR, I prefer pictoral to those with huge descriptions so I'm a fan.

Looking forward the next installment!

Good stuff with the report!

Hope you enjoyed asia, and make your way to Australia one day

I did enjoy Asia, and in fact I'm going back in August. This time I'm going to Japan, but I'll be in the back of the bus, so no fancy service.

Australia is on my list. I have friends from Sydney, Wagga Wagga, and Perth. They're in Europe with me, but I'll most likely go visit them in 2 years, when they go back to Australia. By then I'll hopefully have enough miles to pay for another trip in F. I wouldn't mind flying QF's A380 again.

Thanks for this! Looks like you had a fab trip.

Thanks for your comment. I really enjoyed this trip.

Macau Tower reminds me of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas...what an incredible experience, added to my list of "must-dos"!

Great TR, I prefer pictoral to those with huge descriptions so I'm a fan.

Looking forward the next installment!

Yes, the Macao Tower is something you have to experience if you are in the neighborhood. If I ever go back I'll probably do the SkyWalk X again.

Thanks for your comments. I hope I'll be able to publish the next installment later tonight.

My First Flight on a Boeing 747 (TG F)

The trip had to come to an end. After having visited Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macao, it was time to head back to Rome. This was my last day in Asia, and it was planned to be a long day.

When I booked the flights I was excited. I was going to fly on the 747 for the first time. The 747 was, along with the Concorde, one of those planes that I had been wanting to fly since had my first contact with aviation. And I was going to do it in F, in a cabin that I have seen in many photographs here on FT.

Shortly after booking, I was TG'ed. I would still fly on a 747, but with the oldest F product that TG offers. I know, it's still F, but if I was spending all my miles, I wanted something more memorable. The though of changing the route crossed my mind. In fact, I kept checking almost every day, hoping that something interesting would open up. My wish at the time was that LH would release some F space.

As time went by, and no other alternative opened, I decided to make plans for Bangkok. It was going to be a short layover, but I would have enough time to go into town and visit a couple sites before heading back to the airport. Since I travel with a Mexican passport, I had to get a visa, but that was easily done.

Once I had my visa, I wondered why not spend a few more hours in Bangkok. I only had to take an earlier flight out of HKG, so I looked for alternatives. There was nothing in F, so I would have to fly C from HKG to BKK. It was a short flight, and I was already looking into flying on an old F product, so I decided to change my reservation. So, a week before the trip, I changed my flight from HGK to this one.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/7257339622_d6fef51f26.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7257339622/)
TG603 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7257339622/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

A 7:45 departure meant an early trip to the airport, well, to the train station in the case of HKG. I got there shortly before the check-in counters opened, so I just waited.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7087686945_f51667db36.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087686945/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 001 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087686945/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/6941615126_8413fc3723.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941615126/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 002 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941615126/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I was the first person in line for the TG counter. I thought it was going to be an easy thing, but then I was informed that I was never ticketed for TG603, and that I needed to talk to someone from UA, but since they hadn't opened their counter, I needed to do it by phone. I told them I didn't have a cell phone, so they tried to call, with no success.

After a while, they told me that my options where, either buying a ticket on TG603, or wait and take TG601. Regardless of the decision, I still had time, and they suggested I took the train to the airport, and deal with the agents there. So that's what I did.

At HKG I was given the same options. They told me that I had already payed for an F ticket, but TG603 didn't offer this class, so they didn't want me to take an inferior service. Anyhow, they would try to call UA again and see what happened.

After a while, I decided to fly on my original flight, although that meant spending 5 hours at HKG, instead of touring Bangkok. At least I had access to F lounges. So, I spent 5 hours in between TG F lounge and UA F lounge.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7051/6941622728_b599a557c9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941622728/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 009 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941622728/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/7087695909_5b67c53778.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087695909/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087695909/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6941632352_f6d0901f3c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941632352/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 027 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941632352/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Most of the time I was by myself at the F lounge. About an hour before the flight a group came into the lounge, and while I'm not sure of this, I think he was a member of the royal family, or at least someone important. I say this because of the size of the entourage.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5112/7087711085_9822b1abd9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087711085/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 039 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087711085/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Anyhow, shortly before the flight I went to the gate area. I didn't get to close to the gate, since I knew I was going to have priority boarding. But then they brought in people with special needs, and after they boarded I got closer to the gate. At the time, there was a long flight for C, and a longer line for Y, so I just stood on a side. One of the people on the C line turned to me after a while and said 'Hey, you know there is a line, right?'. I couldn't believe it. I wasn't even trying to get on the plane yet, and this person wanted to make sure I didn't board before him. So I just calmly said 'I know, but I believe F goes first', to what he couldn't say anything. Just as a side not, soon after we boarded this man was loudly complaining to the FAs because one of his friends had been assigned a seat on the upper cabin, while he was still in the main C cabin.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/7087712493_491326ae59.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087712493/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 042 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087712493/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

So, going back to the flight. Just as I finished answering to the gentleman that had asked me to go to the back of the line, passengers and F were called, and since I was the only one there I boarded right away. When I made it to the cabin, the gentleman who I believe was a member of the royal family was already in his seat in F, with 2 members of his entourage. He had boarded earlier, because he needed to do it on a wheelchair.

Flight Info
Thai Airways 601
HKG - BKK
April 14, 2012 12:45
Boeing 747-400 (HS-TGA)
Seat 2A

Not too long after having boarded we were offered a drink, and champagne was my choice.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/6941640750_cf1f4a1c7c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941640750/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 043 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941640750/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/7087713661_5a580036f8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087713661/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 044 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087713661/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Once we were airborne I made a visit to the lavatory. When I came out I was welcomed by an interesting scene. The whole group that came with the man in F was around him, along with a FA preparing an oxygen tank. I honestly thought I was going to witness a first death on board. Fortunately it was only for him to breath normally.

Well, right after that, meal service started. And these are the pictures.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5466/7087718377_b0e5482a45.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087718377/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 052 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087718377/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5234/7087718729_e6cf64b184.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087718729/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 053 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087718729/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/6941646570_3e5baaf075.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941646570/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 054 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941646570/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5076/7087719611_6946d47b3b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087719611/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 055 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087719611/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/6941648830_0707f06fcb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941648830/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 059 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941648830/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5240/7087722389_cc7fc10a68.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087722389/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 061 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087722389/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After the meal I took the time to take a picture of the cabin. I would have wanted to do it from the front as well, but I didn't do it out of respect for the other people in the cabin.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/7087722873_24a00a74f1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087722873/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 062 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087722873/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

This was a short flight, and in no time we were getting ready for landing.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7196/7087723841_88559778af.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087723841/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 064 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087723841/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I couldn't believe my eyes. I had seen this airport on several TRs, and I was finally here.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/6941652290_69672fb05d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941652290/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 066 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941652290/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/7087727727_b7deb4bcd4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087727727/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 071 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087727727/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I was the first person the get off the plane, and a girl was waiting for me at the door. She escorted me to the diplomatic line for passport control, scheduled my massage for later that evening, and then took me to the tourist board counter. That is great service!

Anyhow, shortly before the flight I went to the gate area. I didn't get to close to the gate, since I knew I was going to have priority boarding. But then they brought in people with special needs, and after they boarded I got closer to the gate. At the time, there was a long flight for C, and a longer line for Y, so I just stood on a side. One of the people on the C line turned to me after a while and said 'Hey, you know there is a line, right?'. I couldn't believe it. I wasn't even trying to get on the plane yet, and this person wanted to make sure I didn't board before him. So I just calmly said 'I know, but I believe F goes first', to what he couldn't say anything. Just as a side not, soon after we boarded this man was loudly complaining to the FAs because one of his friends had been assigned a seat on the upper cabin, while he was still in the main C cabin.

Haha, I'm just about to post another part of my TR that has this flight (the nighttime HKG-BKK flight in F) and I had almost the exact same thing happen to me. Seems to be a common occurrence at HKG.

Haha, I'm just about to post another part of my TR that has this flight (the nighttime HKG-BKK flight in F) and I had almost the exact same thing happen to me. Seems to be a common occurrence at HKG.

Haha... And it seems that the timing couldn't have been better in both cases...

My First Songkran (Thai New Year)

With such a short time in Bangkok and lots of places to see, I needed to maximize my time there. Knowing that some airports offer transit tours, I asked my TG F escort if she knew if such tours were offered in BKK. She didn't know anything about them, but took me to the Tourism Board desk.

The people at the desk told me that they did offer them, but then asked me for how long I wanted it, and what I wanted to see. So, in the end, it turned out that they don't offer organized transit tours. Instead, I payed for a car with an English-speaking driver, or at least that's what they said, for a certain number of hours. While this was not exactly what I had in mind, and at times it was quite annoying (specially when he tried to take me to massage houses), it ended up not being that bad.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/6941658484_f0804db20b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941658484/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 077 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941658484/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

As the title of this installment says, I was there right in the middle of the three-day celebration of the Thai New Year. For those who don't know what this means, it could easily be described as the largest water festival on earth. For three days people throw water at each other, which is considered a blessing. One of the advantages of having a driver, is that at times he also worked as a bodyguard, talking to people before I got off the car and not letting them throw large amounts of water at me.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/7087857287_851e650d63.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087857287/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 298 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087857287/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Well, since there is no flight on this installment, I'll go straight to some of the pictures I took in Bangkok. Once again, if you want to see the whole album (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/sets/72157629475391322/), just visit my Flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/).

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5465/7087732701_5f3abc6526.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087732701/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 080 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087732701/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5080/6941666364_a9eb4dbef8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941666364/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 091 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941666364/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6941678028_3a22ba67d1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941678028/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 113 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941678028/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5120/6941685224_dc385573cb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941685224/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 126 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941685224/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/6941694386_fd8706aa2d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941694386/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 142 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941694386/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6941700638_c9575313f3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941700638/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 153 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941700638/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5323/6941715598_b6a86a6af0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941715598/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 178 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941715598/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7191/6941719766_ea87884c53.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941719766/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 185 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941719766/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7191/6941729914_11b1d3a877.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941729914/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 204 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941729914/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/6941754634_29bb421a9d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941754634/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 247 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941754634/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6941761752_9e1c12cb6f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941761752/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 260 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941761752/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/7087837149_553e6f748b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087837149/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 266 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087837149/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/6941777642_32039f7906.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941777642/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 288 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941777642/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/7087860345_4e99e0df81.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087860345/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 303 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087860345/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5334/6941801556_2fc4dbd0aa.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941801556/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 323 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941801556/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/6941803242_abd472643d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941803242/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 326 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941803242/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5240/7087880445_29046286ee.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087880445/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 334 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087880445/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

My First Long-Haul on a Boeing 747

After mi quick tour of Bangkok I headed back to the airport. While I could have spent more time in the city, I wanted to enjoy the famous TG F lounge, have dinner there, and be on time for my massage. I even had time to walk around the airport looking for the post office.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5118/7087894281_b894d16688.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087894281/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 356 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087894281/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I headed to the F check-in counter, although I had already checked-in in HKG. I was quickly escorted through fast track security and passport control. Hey, I could get used to this kind of service! And then I was driven to the F lounge.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5280/7087894973_823fa85ecb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087894973/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 357 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087894973/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

I don't think I have to say much about the lounge, since it has been reviewed several times. I will just tell you that the service is amazing. I'd definitely like to have another layover here.

For dinner I had a beer and the Pad Thai Goong. I didn't want to eat to much, otherwise I could have had another serving of the Pad Thai, because it was great.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5032/6941822976_865c1681d0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941822976/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 358 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941822976/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/7087896087_ba86b9abe1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087896087/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 359 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087896087/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After dinner I went for a walk of the terminal. At the appointed time I headed back to the F lounge, where someone was already waiting for me to escort me to the spa. The massage was great and relaxing. It was so relaxing that I fell asleep during the last minutes. Well, in my defense, I was very tired due to the early start of the day.

After the massage I went back to the F lounge. I don't remember how long I was there, but it felt like we were one of the last Europe-bound flights to be called to board. Anyhow, someone came to escort myself and the other 3 passengers that were on the same flight. We arrive to the gate after boarding had already started.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/7087903935_24b178cae2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087903935/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 371 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087903935/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Flight Info
Thai Airways 944
BKK - FCO
April 15, 2012 00:20
Boeing 747-400 (HS-TGK)
Seat 2A

Once we were on board, we were offered newspapers and magazines, menus, drinks, and pajamas. At all time they addressed my by name, or rather, they tried to address me by name. As I mention on an earlier post, I have a difficult last name, and the poor FA was never able to pronounce it, not even close. Well, not her fault.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7087904681_ce4760a5b7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087904681/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 372 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087904681/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5320/7087905213_495c1822ce.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087905213/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 373 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087905213/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/6941833296_5598db5a17.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941833296/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 374 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941833296/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Once we were in the air, food service began. As others have experience on TG F, champagne never stopped flowing.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/6941835034_dafbe999da.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941835034/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 377 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941835034/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7208/7087908535_2c6f6e879e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087908535/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 379 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087908535/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7087909691_e7a9987f72.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087909691/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 381 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087909691/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

For my main dish I had pre-ordered Lobster Thermidor, which I really enjoyed.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7125/7087910409_bdcba01439.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087910409/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 382 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087910409/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/7087910873_057bcc3ca0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087910873/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 383 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087910873/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After diner, I went to the lavatory to change into pajamas. When I came back to my seat, the bed had already been made. In no time I was completely gone, and I think I slept for about 4 or 5 hours.

Unlike QF's A380 suites, I felt like I was disturbing the other passengers when I woke up and started watching a movie. Anyhow, it wasn't too long before breakfast service started.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7137/6941838940_878befd1bd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941838940/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 384 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941838940/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5115/7087911697_609febbe3c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087911697/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 385 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087911697/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7186/7087912807_138e0d2f2d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087912807/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 387 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087912807/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

After breakfast I changed back into my normal clothes, and enjoyed the rest of the flight.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5316/7087914953_3332a74b27.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087914953/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 391 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087914953/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/6941845200_57a0389d85.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941845200/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 396 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/6941845200/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Once we landed in FCO, I took a picture of the cabin, which I hadn't been able to do earlier. You might have seen this cabin in several reports, but here we go.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/7087923029_65e2044967.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087923029/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 405 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087923029/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

We were only the second international arrival of the day, just after an Ethiopian flight, and clearing immigration didn't take too long. Unfortunately, FCO's luggage handlers were slow as usual. With an almost empty airport, it still took a while before we got our luggage back.

And this was the end of the trip. The only part left was taking the train back home, and start preparing for the next trip.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7087923513_84c7ec6141.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087923513/)
Easter Break 2012 (Bangkok) - 406 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/7087923513/) by desquiliano (http://www.flickr.com/people/desquiliano/), on Flickr

Award Booking Services

Shortly after I published the first installment of this TR, I got a PM asking about my thoughts on using an award booking service. I know some people might disagree with me, but these are my thoughts.

For me it was absolutely worth it. I considered I paid primarily for three things, time, knowledge, and first-hand experience.

It is my understanding that booking awards with UA is quite easy to do online, and if I had traveled only with *A, I probably would have not paid for the service. AA is a program that I'm still learning, and at the time I decided to take this trip I didn't know how their partner awards worked. And even if I did, I probably wouldn't have come up with the route that Ben suggested. I also trusted Ben's suggestions, knowing that he had experienced almost, if not all, these products himself.

Unfortunately I don't have long periods of time that I can set apart to call the airline and deal with this. To book this trip all I needed to do is reply to emails during my short breaks.

So, all that considered, I think hiring an award booking service was a good idea. Would I do it again? I probably would, specially if don't have the time to do it myself, or if I want to make sure I'm maximizing the value of my miles. I'll probably reach the point where I can do it myself, but as of now I'd rather leave it to those who know better.

If someone is interested, I would highly recommend Ben (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/)'s service, Points Pros (http://pointspros.com/).


The Airlines

Choosing a favorite airline would be tough, because I would have two compare QF and TG in a different category, since I flew on their F service. BA and CX would have to be considered on a second category. So instead, I'll just write some general comments about each one.

BA C was perhaps the most disappointing product, but we all know that intra-European service is nothing to write home about. I don't think I would ever want to pay for the service, not that I can afford it though, even with miles. I did enjoy having access to a lounge in FCO, though, since this is not one of my favorite airports.

QF F was my favorite flight. Regardless of what you think of the A380, having all that space for myself was great. I also enjoyed the privacy offered by the suites. I wished I had tried more dishes and drinks, but I'm overall pleased with what I ate and drank. I would definitely like to fly on this plane again, and I'd consider doing it when I visit Australia.

CX C was my favorite service in C. White the experience at SIN wasn't the greatest, mainly because of the disappointing lounge and the chaos at boarding, I enjoyed the inflight experience. The meal was very good as well. I would like to experience their long-haul F or C service, but that will have to wait.

TG F offered the best overall service, or at least that's my opinion. While my first encounter with them was not as I expected, after I couldn't take the earlier flight that I thought I was book in, their ground service, both in HKG and BKK, was awesome. Bangkok itself is not a city that I find appealing, but I would fly TG again, just to spend some more time in BKK's F lounge. The in-flight service on the flight to FCO was also very enjoyable.

So, these are my opinions. I wouldn't mind flying on any of these airlines again, but I'll probably choose different ones next time I redeem an award, just to expand my horizons.


What's next?

Well, my next flight is in about two weeks. It will be to the Americas on BA, but in the back of the bus, so I'm not sure you guys would want a report. Anyhow, I'll try to take pictures in case I decide to write it.

I'll also have a couple flights with 4O (Interjet). I'll try to write a TR for these flights, just because they don't appear very often on FT.

After that, my next flights won't be till three months down the road, when I go back to Asia. This time it will be in the back of the bus with SU, and I will most likely write a TR.

Thanks for reading this one, and please feel free to post any comments you may have. I also remind you of my invitation to visit my Flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/desquiliano/) if you want to see all the pictures of this and previous trips.