Trip Reports - AC/NH/SQ/UA to Asia in Biz, plus Conrad Hong Kong, IC GS HKG, IC Bali, etc. (w/PICS)

Just got back from a great trip to Asia with ajthegreat, and am in the process of writing a trip report. I'll update the OP with links as I write the report, so enjoy. Feel free to post any comments/questions.

TPA-ORD-NRT-HKG on UA/NH in C (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/07/30/trip-report-tpa-ord-nrt-hkg-on-uanh-in-c/)
InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/07/30/trip-report-intercontinental-grand-stanford-hong-kong/)
Holiday Inn Macau (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/07/31/trip-report-holiday-inn-macau/)
Conrad Hong Kong (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/07/31/trip-report-conrad-hong-kong/)
HKG-SIN-DPS on SQ, T3 @ SIN, new T3 SKL (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/07/31/trip-report-hkg-sin-dps-on-sq-t3-sin-new-t3-skl/)
InterContinental Bali (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/08/01/trip-report-intercontinental-bali/)
DPS-SIN-PVG on SQ, PVG-YYZ-ORD on AC, Renaissance Suites O’Hare (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/08/01/trip-report-dps-sin-pvg-on-sq-pvg-yyz-ord-on-ac/)
Hong Kong and Macau (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/08/01/trip-report-hong-kong-and-macau/)

Just got back from a great trip to Asia with ajthegreat, and am in the process of writing a trip report. I'll update the OP with links as I write the report, so enjoy. Feel free to post any comments/questions.

TPA-ORD-NRT-HKG on UA/NH in C (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemileatatime/2008/07/30/trip-report-tpa-ord-nrt-hkg-on-uanh-in-c/)

^

"AJ and I both went with the beef as the main course, and this was disappointing. Either it wasn’t cooked well or totally fat, because I would have needed a butcher knife to pray on this slab of meat. Basically inedible, but ultimately I was fine with that since my goal when flying is to not die of eating too much, which can be a challenge at times in premium cabins."

Haven't you flown enough to know never to order beef on airplanes? ;)

Haven't you flown enough to know never to order beef on airplanes? ;)

The picture makes the beef look very good. Too bad it didn't turn out.

Great trip report so far, Lucky! ^

we want more pictures! we want more pictures! :D

Thanks guys, heh. I've actually had pretty good luck with beef on planes, but not this time. Two more updates are up, and the Conrad Hong Kong and IC Bali will be posted shortly.:) Don't worry BlissWorld, plenty more pics.;)

Ben, the Conrad hotel review was a fantastic preview of what I get to look forward to next month.

I've now posted HKG-SIN-DPS flights as well as T3 pics. I've been working on the IC Bali review most of the day, as it's a big one with about 80 pictures. Expect that to be posted sometime tomorrow morning.:)

Just finished up the review of the IC Bali, which has 70ish pictures. That wasn't a bad hotel at all...;)

A fantastic trip report Lucky9876Coins ! I am very pleased that you had another great experience in Business Class on board Singapore Airlines !

This is probably the BEST trip report I have read and it was absolutely FANTASTIC!

The content was superb well written and brought memories back on a similar trip I did to SE Asia about 4 months back. I am on my way back their in about a month and after reading this report, can't wait to board my flight.

Great Job lucky9876coins

Cheers! ^ :)

While I’m happy to have seen Macau, I don’t really need to return. When I read up on it before the trip it seemed like it had some European influence as well, which I saw a little bit of, but not nearly enough. If I want to go to a place like this I’ll choose Vegas next time. Maybe we just missed out on the good stuff….

Unfortunately, you must have missed the "good" stuff. I, too, can do without Macau's casinos, but love the place for its old Portuguese feel, which does still exist in some places. Next time, head down to the sleepy little fishing village of Coloane. It's just 90 minutes or so from Hong Kong (ferry + taxi), but it has a completely different feeling.

And for the European influence, poke around the square area with the ruins of St Pauls and all the side streets around there.

Great trip report!

Thanks for a nice report! Well Done!

Great report, especially since my wife and I will be flying NH to and from Hong Kong and Bangkok early next year, and may stay in the Conrad in HKG. Thanks for all of the info and photos!

Nice report!

I'm surprised you were shocked to find a family of 4 flying International Business class. In the expat community, that is not uncommon... all of our friends (with family) fly C or F on their travels no matter where they go (we are based out of Singapore). In fact, one particular friend flies with her 4 children and maid in C to FRA twice a year.

Thanks guys!:)

UA882, I know that's pretty common outside of the US and among expats, but it seemed to me like they were American and coming from the US. It's quite a bit more uncommon on the US (at least for Americans), IME.

Great report!

Have you seen what is being done to the villa next to the Club pool?

Thanks!

MD

Would have loved to have joined you guys on this one, maybe next year :)

Have you seen what is being done to the villa next to the Club pool?

MD, I saw what kind of looked like construction (or just finishing something up), but I didn't realize that that's where the villa is, or else I would have paid more attention. Sorry!

MD, I saw what kind of looked like construction (or just finishing something up), but I didn't realize that that's where the villa is, or else I would have paid more attention. Sorry!


Lucky9876coins, thanks!

great report, as all of urs, and pics. ive never been on AC, i gotta try it out soon!

...... In the expat community, that is not uncommon... all of our friends (with family) fly C or F on their travels no matter where they go (we are based out of Singapore). In fact, one particular friend flies with her 4 children and maid in C to FRA twice a year.

When my dad was based in Riyadh when I was in college the bank flew all four of us kids twice a year in F from the states to the Kingdom. That usually meant flying to JFK and then on the Pan Am non-stop to Dhahran. That was always fun flying the 747SP.

Usually, though, we would cash in the F ticket (which was always the direct routing) for a C ticket and we'd go all over the place. One year I did JFK-CDG-CPH-CDG-CAI-RUH-CAI-LHR-JFK in C/F. Fun times.

Really nice to hear such a glowing review of AC. I have tried to avoid my home airline as much as possible in the last few years...and have never even considered them an option for trans pacific flights...always opting for NH, SQ, or OZ. I'm going to give them some serious thought on my next Asian adventure.

Great report!

Thanks for the comments!:)

Really nice to hear such a glowing review of AC. I have tried to avoid my home airline as much as possible in the last few years...and have never even considered them an option for trans pacific flights...always opting for NH, SQ, or OZ. I'm going to give them some serious thought on my next Asian adventure.

Great report!

I definitely would! It's funny, when I go to the AC forum I read reviews where people talk about AC J as if it's awful. It reminds me a lot about the reviews of UA C in the UA forum, except they really are bad. Maybe it was just the novelty for me or maybe it's that many in the AC forum have just flown AC J to often, but I really thought it was top notch.

Perhaps I missed it in the great report, but why Bali? and why so short? Seems like an awesome trip report. Do you know if Four Seasons has the same service in Bali as the Inter-Continental???

Thanks for your wonderful reports,

Phil

but why Bali?
I've heard nothing but raving about Bali and since I hadn't visited it before, I thought it would be a good destination.
and why so short?
I'm not one to slouch around a beach destination for more than a couple of days, and it was quite expensive so anything more than a weekend with a free night would have been pretty $$$$.
Do you know if Four Seasons has the same service in Bali as the Inter-Continental???
Not sure, but just checked their website and can't find anything about free transfers to the airports, but maybe they still have them. BTW, their rates seem to be about three to four times as much as the IC.:eek:

Thanks for reading my report!:)

Thanks for the great report Lucky. I wish I had travelled as much when I was your age; I feel like I missed out on a lot. In either case because of your report I am going to spend a lot of time in HKG and DPS, but skip Macau.

Thanks again for a wonderful report,

Phil