LHR/MEL/Europe FF
Jan 22, 09, 3:47 am
Hi all
Just came back yesterday from a quick round trip Australia to Shanghai via Hong Kong.
Being so close to Chinese New Year seats in economy were pretty much non-existent, but award seats in business class were available, so that's what I did.
Flew CX Australia-HKG return (new coffin configuration in business class) - which was ok... the beds were the most comfortable I've ever been in - better even than the SQ suites, but the service was sooooooooo slooooooow.
Molasses is faster.
Three hours before landing they turned on the cabin lights to serve dinner which was only finished about 45 mins prior to arrival. There were 40 of us for four crew serving + one galley slave. Service was slower than Qantas, which is really saying something.
Anyways - the most remarkable thing about the whole trip was Shanghai Airlines!
I flew business class with them and the outbound HKG-PVG was on a 767-300. This had five rows of J class at a 62 inch pitch with a 70 degree recline. (Actually was 70 degrees - you were almost lying flat.) Only problem was that the leg-rest comes up only 20 degrees! No biggie as was solved by using carry-on baggage as a foot rest.
Service was genuine, warm and friendly, and conducted mostly with smiles and gestures given the total number of english words between the crew was 6. Food was inedible (mystery meats), alcohol consisted of jonnie walker red or budweiser ice, no headphones, no entertainment.
But! Fell asleep for about 10 mins and woke to find I had been tucked in with a blanket! Awww.
On landing the two of us in biz class were sent to a waiting mini bus complete with heavy white seat covers and thick lace curtains. Straight out of what i image to be 60's China. Delivered straight to the door of the terminal and up an escalator to immigration. The two biz class bags were already on the carousel. Y class bags nowhere to be seen. In fact the Y class passengers were no where to be seen :D
Coming back the flight was on a 738, two rows of biz class (which, like the 767, is designated First class on some routes). Nice wide seats with a 45 inch pitch, but a recline of only about 3 inches (what's going on??!!). Just two pax again in biz class (economy packed to the rafters) and a crew member coming along for the ride. He slept most of the flight and managed to get his seat to recline about three times further, but I wasn't quick enough to see how he managed to release the seat to do this.
Food - again - what was it?? More mystery meats. Dessert was a dry sponge cake with that fake cream on top (like in a twinkie bar) and topped with a piece of white chocolate. Or so i thought - turned out to be a piece of soft cheese.
Otherwise service was very friendly again with the limited product that was available to the crew. Arrival into HK was amazing - flew directly over HK Island and central which at night looked fantastic. At gate on time and then straight through immigration (about 5 mins) and again biz class bags were on the carousel. Y class bags nowhere to be seen. The two biz class pax were the only pax from the flight to make the first train into HK.
Oh, on lounges... in HK Shanghai Airlines, being a member of Star, of course uses the... Cathay Pacific lounge! (go figure given their gate leaves just near the TG and UA star lounges).
So overall Shanghai airlines was pretty amazing for an experience where biz class is treated like first class of days gone by! Well, at least in terms of the seats and service! (truly, the minivan with the thick lace curtains was worth it on its own!)
Regards
lme etc etc
Just came back yesterday from a quick round trip Australia to Shanghai via Hong Kong.
Being so close to Chinese New Year seats in economy were pretty much non-existent, but award seats in business class were available, so that's what I did.
Flew CX Australia-HKG return (new coffin configuration in business class) - which was ok... the beds were the most comfortable I've ever been in - better even than the SQ suites, but the service was sooooooooo slooooooow.
Molasses is faster.
Three hours before landing they turned on the cabin lights to serve dinner which was only finished about 45 mins prior to arrival. There were 40 of us for four crew serving + one galley slave. Service was slower than Qantas, which is really saying something.
Anyways - the most remarkable thing about the whole trip was Shanghai Airlines!
I flew business class with them and the outbound HKG-PVG was on a 767-300. This had five rows of J class at a 62 inch pitch with a 70 degree recline. (Actually was 70 degrees - you were almost lying flat.) Only problem was that the leg-rest comes up only 20 degrees! No biggie as was solved by using carry-on baggage as a foot rest.
Service was genuine, warm and friendly, and conducted mostly with smiles and gestures given the total number of english words between the crew was 6. Food was inedible (mystery meats), alcohol consisted of jonnie walker red or budweiser ice, no headphones, no entertainment.
But! Fell asleep for about 10 mins and woke to find I had been tucked in with a blanket! Awww.
On landing the two of us in biz class were sent to a waiting mini bus complete with heavy white seat covers and thick lace curtains. Straight out of what i image to be 60's China. Delivered straight to the door of the terminal and up an escalator to immigration. The two biz class bags were already on the carousel. Y class bags nowhere to be seen. In fact the Y class passengers were no where to be seen :D
Coming back the flight was on a 738, two rows of biz class (which, like the 767, is designated First class on some routes). Nice wide seats with a 45 inch pitch, but a recline of only about 3 inches (what's going on??!!). Just two pax again in biz class (economy packed to the rafters) and a crew member coming along for the ride. He slept most of the flight and managed to get his seat to recline about three times further, but I wasn't quick enough to see how he managed to release the seat to do this.
Food - again - what was it?? More mystery meats. Dessert was a dry sponge cake with that fake cream on top (like in a twinkie bar) and topped with a piece of white chocolate. Or so i thought - turned out to be a piece of soft cheese.
Otherwise service was very friendly again with the limited product that was available to the crew. Arrival into HK was amazing - flew directly over HK Island and central which at night looked fantastic. At gate on time and then straight through immigration (about 5 mins) and again biz class bags were on the carousel. Y class bags nowhere to be seen. The two biz class pax were the only pax from the flight to make the first train into HK.
Oh, on lounges... in HK Shanghai Airlines, being a member of Star, of course uses the... Cathay Pacific lounge! (go figure given their gate leaves just near the TG and UA star lounges).
So overall Shanghai airlines was pretty amazing for an experience where biz class is treated like first class of days gone by! Well, at least in terms of the seats and service! (truly, the minivan with the thick lace curtains was worth it on its own!)
Regards
lme etc etc