avm2806

Noticed myself dozing at home, so I decided to head out a little earlier than planned for my 0320hrs departure from MAA (why do flights from India always have to depart at some godforsaken hour?!?) From the time I got to the turn off for the airport to time I reached my seat, all I did was wait in queues – car to kerb, kerb to baggage scan, check-in counter, immigration and security. It was the second week of January, and departures was full of expat Indians traveling back to their various home cities. It had been 7 months since I flew CX, and like many, I am a diehard fan. I think their FA’s beat SQ’s in terms of confidence and conversation skills hands down (maybe because unlike SQ that has a habit of “grounding” the older FA’s that no longer fit the “Singapore Girl” image, while CX promotes based on experience). Either way I was looking forward to what would be more than 24hours in the lap of Cathay luxury. It helps having an Emerald card on any oneworld airline, especially when flying Business (ISM greets you by name, cabin crew no your status on the manifest throughout the flight, ensuring a subtle but marked level of service). What I love of about them is the manner in which the FA’S deliver that little extra to their / oneworld Elite FF’s without making other premium passengers feel or seem less important.
Needless to say I was exhausted and wanted to sleep as much as possible on this flight, for no other reason but to be able to enjoy my 13 hour Lunch Dinner flight on CX 253 with Cathay’s new first suite that afternoon to London. I knew I would be gorging on Krug & Caviar across the two continents, and so I needed my rest. Unfortunately, the flight ended up being quite full thanks to massive overbooking in Economy. In spite of being only booked in J at around 60% full, there ended up being only two empty seats in Business. Unfortunately, the less than experienced ground staff at Chennai did not manage to ensure my courtesy block held valid and an op-up came at sat in the window next to me at 16C. (For those of you who didn’t know CX usually blocks the seat next to their high level MP members and oneworld Emerald card holders so as to give you extra space and ensure that even on a somewhat full flight, the seat next to you is kept vacant). Since I was quite confident the seat next to me would be free, I had already put some of my items on the adjacent window. I moved these out of the way as quickly as possible, and the ISM noticed the look of disappointment on my face. She hurried and whispered some words to the ground staff manager (I later learned I was the only Emerald on board and she was telling the ground staff off for giving the seat next to me away).

I was already in my Qantas Designer PJ T-shirt (which I sometimes do on night flights) with Jeans and a Jacket, and before doors where shut I managed to change my pants into PJ’S. BA F eye shades and EK F Slippers properly adorned, I prepared to recline upon ascent and sleep throughout. I packed my menu away (knowing that it might get collected from my seat pocket prior to landing) and got comfortable. After the safety briefing, the ISM came up to me and introduced herself, saying that she didn’t want to miss the opportunity of welcoming her highest level Frequent flier on that flight, since she could see I was ready for bed. She asked if she could get me any thing, and I requested for a bottle of water (something one of the Junior Cabin Crew told me a few minutes ago were not available). She said she would get back to me. Within a few seconds I heard those words that give every addicted flyer goosebumps – “cabin crew to your seats for take off.”
As a regional aircraft, I am a fan of the A330, which is what I was on. The take off was smooth and a few minutes later the double ding was heard – another feature I love about CX. The captain has an indication very soon after take off where he/she turns off the fasten seat belt and right back on again as an indication to the cabin crew that its time to get to work – and they spring into action. The senior purser, who was a middle-aged Chinese gentleman, came through distributing menus and adding his welcome. After the ISM made her announcements and started the welcome video – she was at my seat with two options – a 1.5 litre bottle of Evian and a small bottle of Watson’s Hong Kong water and she insisted I keep both. The junior cabin crew noticed this and instead of walking sheepishly away as she may have done if this was another airline, came right up to my seat and apologized for not checking. I accepted and told her it was not an issue – but to please check the next time.
Just as I started to recline and try and maximize on sleep, the service started and the op-up next to me was going to have every bit of it – darn it! Didn’t she know I had 2K waiting for me and I needed all the energy to part take in the sins of a 13 hour flight on Cathay First. After a few peeks from under my eye mask and groans of discontentment at being disturbed, I went to use the washroom. At this point the ISM who was in the Galley asked me if I had trouble sleeping, to which I politely replied a little. She asked me to give her a minute, and went into the cabin with her manifest and said something to her crew. Within a couple of minutes, I was being offered chamomile tea with honey, and my items were shifted from my seat pocket to the window seat next to a passenger who was already asleep – all without waking him up. The ISM came back and told me I’d me more comfortable in the new seat she had prepared for me and she also said the she new I needed my rest for my long journey ahead. It’s this kind of behavior that makes even the regional flights on Cathay business on par with any first class service and makes one overlook the slightly less comfortable recliner seats. As I was walking back the senior purser who was in the galley until now serving asked if I wanted to be woken for the second meal service (snacks prior to arrival in Hong Kong), to which I replied “please don’t, just give me an espresso and wake me as close to arrival as possible – I promise to put my seat back upright instantly! 4 and a half hours later I was woken to the smell of freshly brewed espresso, a glass of water and a hot towel. As I looked around I noticed coats had already been distributed and the entire cabin was prepared for landing. I had slept through all announcements. I quickly had my espresso and water and the cabin crew came with seconds to collect the items. The SP came by to thank me and say that he woke me as late as possible, and just as he was finishing his sentence the captain came on the horn to ask Cabin crew to take their seats.
Ah! Back at CLK at last – memories of long baths in the cabana’s, fresh noodles from the noodle bar and oodles of cathay delight came flooding back – I couldn’t wait to get to The Wing and indulge once again.
I snagged the menu and winelist in spite of not part taking – here it is:
(FYI - I have recently been informed that they switched back to a snack prior to take off and breakfast on arrival service for this flight - not sure if its correct or not, this was the menu in Jan of 09)

CX 632 J Menu – MAA-HKG
Supper
Starter
Grilled masala vegetable salad
served with roasted garlic vinaigrette

Main Courses
Murg Chettinad
lemon pulao, palak tadka
Chettinad chicken curry
lemon basmati rice and stir-fried spinach
served with Indian style yoghurt & pickles

Vegetable Korma
plain pulao, palak masala
basmati rice and spinach masala
served with Indian style yoghurt & pickles

Stir-fried noodles with vegetables, bekti fish, mushroom and pak choy

Cheese and Dessert
Cheese selection

Fresh seasonal fruit

Chocolate gateau

Tea and Coffee

Pralines

Refreshment
Chicken tikka in kathi roll
Or
Chettinad vegetable on long bridge roll

Winelist:
Champagne
Billecart-Salmon Brut Champagne

White Wines
Grand Ecnlos du Chateau de Cerons 2006

Moon Mountain Chardonnay 2007

Weinguter Wegeler Rudesheimer Berg Rottland
Reisling Spatlese 2002

Red Wines
Peter Lehmann Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Vieux Chateau Landon Cru Bourgeois

Port
Dow's Late Bottled Vintage Port 2003

Apertifs and Cocktails
Gin Rum Vodka Martini Rosso Martini Extra Dry Campari Sweet and Dry Sherry Bloody Mary Screwdriver

Whiskies
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old Johnnie Walker Gold Lable Jack Daniel's Canadian Club

Cognac
Hine 'Rare and Delicate' Fine Champagne

Liquers
Drambuie Cointreau Baileys Irish Cream

Beer
International Selection

CX Signature drinks
Oriental Breeze
A Sour-plum tea and cranberry based non-alcholic drink with honey and fresh lemon juice and a hint of rosewater.

Cloud Nine
A refreshing combination of Vodka, Cointreau and Sprite with a refreshing touch of lemon flavour

DANG IT - NO CATHAY DELIGHT THIS MONTH!

avm2806

So I made my way through transfer security at the far end of the terminal (I think we got off at gate 65). The gate for my flight wasn’t up yet and I was scheduled to meet a colleague at the one of the CX lounges for a brief meeting (my justification for not flying India – LHR on BA and taking the round about route via Hong Kong). Texted him to say meet me at the Wing, even though knowing my luck I would have to trek back to the gates in the 60’s for my HKG-LHR flight a few hours later. Decided I would walk instead of taking the train – the main concourse at HKIA is a great place to plane spot, so ipod in pocket I went for my wake up brisk stroll through the terminal. I was at the first class entrance to the Wing in 10 minutes or so. I presented my boarding pass and received the usual “Welcome to the first class lounge Mr. avm2806”. I enquired with the agent as to whether my colleague and checked in yet and she said she could page for him, which wasn’t necessary as he walked in just behind me. She also informed me that she would let me know which gate I would be departing from once she knew and stamped by boarding pass in case I wanted to go the pier later since I had 3 hours to go till boarding time.
We finished up work and my colleague headed to his gate within 20 minutes. I decided that I still needed some shut eye, so asked for a cabana, and blanket and two pillows. The Peninsula staff can be hit or miss, especially if they see an economy boarding pass in the First Lounge (FFP status entry). So I made it a point to have my first class wallet discretely popping out, once the maitre’d at the restaurant saw this he sprang into action and got me settled right away. I offered the housekeeper a small tip which was much appreciated and requested a wake up at 14:00hrs for my 14:55 departure. The tip was to ensure that she would make sure I woke up as I was still quite drowsy. Noticing that we were in an odd month, I knew I wouldn’t be getting any of my favorite non-alcoholic flight beverage – Cathay Delight, so I hydrated with water and went to sleep (still in my stylish QF Jammies). At 13:45, I woke up on my on, shut my cell phone alarm so as to not unnecessarily disturb anyone else who might be asleep next door and filled my tub ready for a long hot soak. Brushed teeth, shaved and stepped in, just as I was about to get in the staff I tipped was banging on my door. I was in the bathrobe provided to I peeked out to let her know I was awake and fine and thanked her, soaked for ten minutes, quick shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes and was ready for the noodle bar by 14:05.

As I stepped out of the lounge I noticed there was CX staff member at the desk opposite the entry to the Haven (CX’s buffet restaurant for F Cls lounge). I approached and asked my gate number – oh great, as I expected it was gate 63. Now I had to chow down my noodles, and get to the gate in 20 minutes. I needed to be efficient. I went to the noodle bar, ordered my Dan Dan spicy noodles, got some diet coke from the dispenser and waited and watched my watch. Noodles were out in a few minutes – fortunately wasn’t too crowded. I could have waited in the first class lounge and ordered the noodles from there and had them brought to me, but I knew that would take much longer. Just about managed to finish half my bowl and then decided it was time to head towards the gate.

I sometimes wonder whether given the slow moving escalators and the depths one has to descend to whether the train or the travelators are faster at HKIA. Given that it was 14:20, I decided it’d be best to book it and I needed the brisk walk. I kept watching the monitors on my there and noticed that later flights were boarding, closing etc. but CX 253 hadn’t been called yet. As I approached gate 61, deftly maneuvering through hoards of strollers and tourists figuring out which duty free they’d hit up next – I noticed we still hadn’t been called. Not a problem a quick left turn and a brief escalator ride down with trolley bag and I was at the check-in desk for the pier. I enquired as to the status of my flight and the staff told me there was nothing updated on the system but they hadn’t started boarding and that she would announce the flight shortly. Ah! Another attack at the noodle bar now became a possibility. Walking through the first class section, into business and finally at the noodle bar. I don’t know if its bias but I still find the noodle bar at the wing much better, as do I find the cabanas over the day break rooms (At least there is a flat surface to sleep on, rather than an armchair as in the day rooms). Anyway, can’t complain, I was getting a chance to devour more at the noodle bar. This time the bar was empty so I asked the staff to prepare a special for me – the hand tossed dan dan noodles in the wonton soup – since I didn’t want the spice but wanted the simple flavor. Just as I was sitting down with my bowl, the announcement came. I managed a couple of bites of the fresh hot wonderful meal and decided that a taste is all I had time for – not to worry I had 13 hours of gorging remaining – which would be followed by 24 hours of nothing but the occasional salad and two sessions at the gym to burn off the sin.
I exited the business lounge and the gate was within a minutes walk out. Before I knew it, I was well rested, and ready for my much awaited second time on the Cathay Suite….

avm2806

I enquired at the boarding gate as to how full the flight was in First, and much to my disappointment I was told that 8/9 suites would be occupied. With the reduction in crew from 3 to 2, commensurate with the reduction in seat cap from 12 to 8, I noticed crew do struggle to deliver the same level of service, especially at meal times, but that was on one full flight on the second fitted aircraft from FRA-HKG, very early on in the days of the new product – I was sure Cathay would have it covered by now.
I also felt a bit of a cold / flu coming on. Oh dear – how was I going to enjoy this flight, I had to be at peak. I arrived at L1 and the crew were standing by to receive First class pax. At this point the cabin was half full. I settled in and put my briefcase under the ottoman and manage to shove my overnighter into the closet (one down side of no overhead bins, even though the cabin is much more spacious as a result). I was greeted by the Malaysian SP on this flight and given a hot towel and asked for my drink order. I requested from something hot to soothe my sore throat, and she suggested some lemon, honey and hot water. This came within a couple of minutes and already started to make me feel better. The SP came for the first of many chats to enquire on my health and offer the Victorinox amenity kit and Shanghai Tang sleep suit, slipper and eye shade set. I accepted both and proceeded to settle in to my seat and glance at my IFE guide. Just then the captain came on the horn to tell us that it would be a longish 13hours and 25 minutes to London, plus any potential air traffic delays at the infamous Heathrow – a place that we all have that love hate relationship with. He apologized for the delay and said that a small part needed replacement and that they will still working on it. The ISM came by to introduce herself and hand out landing cards and Fast track invites and also to welcome us on board. She told me that her colleague had informed her that I had a cold and asked if there was anything she could to help and also suggested I get some rest – little did she know I had no intention of that, but my throat was getting worse. Shortly after that the SP came back to distribute menus and formally introduce herself and her colleague the Purser. One thing I love about CX and SQ is how clearly visible the fact is by uniform itself that only the most experienced of crew are let into serve the First Class cabin. The SP also enquired on my health and asked if I’d be willing to try a special Hong Kong remedy. I asked what it was, and she replied with a grin “boiled coke”. At first I though my ears were blocked, and then she explained how in old Hong Kong coffee shops, they boil coke with lemon and ginger and how all the Hong Kong girls have it when they feel fluish on flight and she assured me it worked like a charm. I was a bit skeptical, but also keen on trying anything to get back in shape to enjoy the flight I had so longed for and so I agreed to experiment after take off.
The captain came back on to say that it was taking a little longer than normal as it was a Sunday as I began to study the menu and the IFE guide to plan my flight. My customary request for a large bottle of water was met quickly, along with a glass which the purser said she would clear before take off. I requested for a blanket and this was also brought very quickly. Soon push back began and the ISM’s announcements followed by the safety briefing.
A short taxi and a wait for two take-offs and those wonderful words were uttered again “Cabin crew to your seats for take off”. This time however, the roar of the four 747 engines was invigorating. For all the new technology, I am still a sucker for the forward cabin of the 747-400. Sitting in the nose, with service coming from the galley behind you and the cockpit above you – I just love it. I hope the 747-8 comes into service soon, given the pace at which the 744 seems to be exiting service with so many airlines. Fortunately, not so with CX on key routes, at least yet.
The usual double ding and the crew sprung to service, delivering drinks and nuts. I saw the bottle of Krug passed by and sighed with sadness – I hoped desperately that this boiled coke thing worked. Around 10 minutes later my mug arrived. The crew explained that she had to hunt each galley for ginger, till she found some as a garnish in BC. The stuff looked rancid, but tasted much better than it looked. It was like hot and sugary cough syrup. I finished my mug as I started to watch a few episodes of the usual sitcoms. I kid you not, within 20 minutes of my finishing the drink, I was energized and my throat completely clear – like nothing had happened. I was relieved, but decided to wait before experimenting with chilled champagne – plus I didn’t want to over do it yet, so I could stay awake to enjoy the most of this flight which would now involve at least 14hrs and 20 minutes on this wonderful suite.
The Pursuer came by to take her meal orders. I should probably mention, although one takes it for granted in CX first, that I was referred to by name at every instance, right from boarding till disembarking – a very nice CX touch.
The Lunch Menu:

It is our pleasure to welcome you on board Cathay Pacific

Your First Class menu today offers a carefully selected variety of fresh, seasonal dishes, together with an award-winning selection of fine wines and beverages. We are pleased to offer you a choice of authentic Chinese favourites or contemporary international cuisine – please feel free to discuss your preferences with the cabin crew. They are more than happy to serve your meal at any time.

We hope you enjoy your flight, and should you need anything at all to make your flight more comfortable, our cabin crew will be delighted to assist.

Lunch

Caviar, Balik & Champange
Caviar and Balik salmon “Tsar Nicolaj” with Krug grand cuvee

Starters
Mushroom cream soup

Grilled vegetable salad with slice bagel
Served with balsamic vinegar dressing


Main Courses
Grilled lamb chops with kipfler potatoes, asparagus, baby carrots and French beans

Spinach and ricotta agnolotti with basil tomato concasse

Chinese Favourites
Doubled boiled pork soup with carrot and soaked dried vegetables

Cold plate – beef shank with cucumber

Stir-fried mandarin fish with Szechuan sauce
Or
Steam chicken with ginseng

Served with
Steamed jasmine rise and pak choy


Cheese and Desert
Stilton, Gruyere, Saint Paulin, Camembert

Fresh seasonal berries with ginger syrup

Panna Cotta with red currant

Warm caramel fig cake served with vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce

Sweet red bean soup

Tea and Coffee

Pralines and cookies

I wasn’t too hungry, after my visits to the noodle bar, so I decided to dine later. When the purser came by to take the orders, I told her what I’d be having – Caviar and Salmon of course, with some champagne – (I was well on my road to recovery thanks to a desperate experiment with a Hong Kong remedy gone right – I have never beaten a sore throat this quickly before). The cream of mushroom soup, followed by the Chinese started and the mandarin fish. I told her I’d like to dine later, but would have the caviar and champagne right away, which she was happy to oblige. I noticed that if you wait to late to enjoy the caviar, there is usually very little of it left, as much of the cabin has already had their go. I joked about this, and she told me not to worry, there was plenty of it available for me. Oh dear, there goes my cholesterol.

A few minutes later my table was dressed, and a bread basket offered, which I declined, saying I would have break with my meal later. I began to enjoy what would be the first of three movies on this flight. The SP came by to check on me, and was already expecting my reply. She then placed a champagne flute and said she was glad I was feeling better so than now she could do her job properly and spoil me with all the goodies. The Krug Grand cuvee bottle was presented, perfectly chilled and I could barely contain the glee on my face. Like ft veteran moomba (of whom I am a huge fan), I am a sucker for the bubbles – however with Krug, it’s a different story – I have a love affair with this outstanding bottle of nectar from the gods of France.

I was offered water and in a ceremonious manner, my plate of Caviar was passed from Purser to Senior Purser and then finally on my table. They could tell I was a caviar junkie from the minute the words were uttered. The SP told me not to worry she had plenty of it in store for me and to enjoy.
Many have commented on how they don’t like the farmed caviar in comparison to what CX used to serve earlier – personally I prefer it. I find the flavor more subtle and the quality more consistent.
Over the next half hour I had two platefuls and three glasses of bubbly. I was a happy camper. I decided to give myself a break from the eating and sip on water and watch my movie….

Dear ft’ers – I must to bed now as a work week begins tomorrow. I promise to have this completed tomorrow and many more tr’s in the future. Also have a MAA-DXB-MAA on the new Jet services planned for this week, where I promise to deliver pictures as well.

flyinsikh

WoW!, just amazing detail, excellent T/R...if you have pics can you pls upload them as well?

Look forward to the return...

Regards

RTW4

Love your writing style.. Must try that hot coke with ginger remedy.. It really sounds excellent...

avm2806

sorry no pics - will be posting a few retro-active tr's as I have now finally transitioned from reader to contributor. However, promise pics for future TR's starting with a MAA-DXB-MAA on 9W this week. Post should be up by May 30, if not sooner.

avm2806

Ok, so I can tell that talking about flying is almost as fun as the real thing itself, well not quite, but during a drought even the mention of water can parch a thirsty soul. So here I am at work, avoiding the dreaded e-mails and mundane cr*p and continuing with my exciting journey, reliving every moment:

One movie down and I decided it was time for a stroll and some lunch, with 11 hours to go. As I went to use the restroom, I noticed both cabin crew had just finished clearing up most meals, baring one person who chose to sleep. On my way out, the cabin crew asked if I was ready for lunch. I remarked that I felt bad putting them to work right after they had just done the rounds, and was happy to eat in the next half hour in case they needed a bit of a break. I was thanked for my kindness and said that my lunch would be out as soon as it was heated. I sat down and a few minutes later, my table was being dressed and out came the champagne flute and lo and behold a double helping of caviar and salmon. As I dug in to my fine fish delights, the SP came by since she noticed I wasn’t watching anything on the IFE (yet) and requested me to fill in the survey. I joked about how I knew I wouldn’t win a free ticket, but would happy to do so as a thank you for how well they were taking care of me (subtext: I am going to give you a glowing review, please keep the caviar coming )
Two glasses of champagne later, my soup arrived. Unfortunately it was a mix up and I was given the oriental soup. It tasted good so I didn’t bother to say anything, plus the clear broth was great on my recovering throat. The purser who took my order walked by and noticed that I was given the wrong soup and without saying anything rushed to the galley and brought out a wonderful bowl of cream of Mushroom and suggested I had both since I had cold. After the two bowls of soup I decided to skip the Chinese cold plate and head to the Mandarin fish. CX serves their Chinese favorites traditionally with a rice bowl, chop sticks, and two crescent shaped plates, one with the main course and one with veggies (wish I had known about ft then, would have taken a pic)
All of these eating meant I needed some of my favourite CX Ti Guan Yin Chinese tea, which is a great digestive and melts the calories away. I was watching bits of a movie and chatting with crew throughout the relaxed service. They had me figured out pretty well from the get go and knew that I was there to indulge and they were more than happy to oblige.
The senior purser excused herself saying she was going on her break but leaving me in capable hands. At this point I enquired on the Business Class load as I wanted to try the new seat, but was told that it was at 100%, in fact they had two op-ups to first. Shame, as on my FRA-HKG flight last year this was also the case and I was keen on trying the new seat given all the mixed reviews.
The purser came by half an hour later and offered me desert and cheese, since I had said I would have some later. I indulged in the wonderful Caramel and fig cake with ice cream and some espresso after that. I continued to finish my second movie and create a playlist from CX’s excellent music selection. The new IFE which is almost all aircraft that have the new longhaul product is outstanding – not as much quantity as EK or QR but by far the best quality I’ve seen and very user friendly. The hand set lets you know how much more of the flight remains so you can pace yourself and check without needing to keep switching back to the flight map. The screen isn’t as good as 9W, SQ or EK in First, but still given the distance to the screen, it is a very good viewing experience.
So 4 and a half hours into the flight, two movies, a tv episode, a bottle of Krug and a few thousand calories down, I was starting to need some rest. I went to the galley to refill my water and the Purser who was there reading a magazine said that I should have called and she would have come – I told her that I need to stretch my legs in any case. She offered to take me on a walk through the cabins at the back, since I had mentioned wanting to try a business seat and I accepted. We took a brief stroll and looked around, and came back. She offered to make up my bed and while I had aimed to stay awake throughout the flight, the near antibiotic requiring cold took its toll and I consented. Five minutes later I was tucked in water and Chinese tea in hand, with some of the finest bedding I have slept on in the sky. The mattress is perfectly fitted to the suite with openings for the seat belt in the perfect locations. The duvet is soft and fluffy – not too heavy but enough to keep you warm – just perfect. I put on my headsets, listened to the playlist I had created and drifted off for a short nap, hoping that I would awake in time to part take in more indulgence rather than sleep through the entire flight. However, given that I was at the start of a two week trip into the depths of the Midwestern winter, I knew it best not to request for a wake up and let my body get the sleep it needed.
I awoke gently and anxiously reached for any device that would tell me how long more we had to go. Fortunately, my trusty headset with the new IFE gave me comforting news. I had slept for a good three hours and we still had 5:40 to go. I went to the restroom to freshen up and came back to my seat to find that the 5:40 had changed thanks to the dynamic flight computers and strong winds to a juicy 6:10 (don’t you love flying in winter in the right direction). The half an hour extra was enough justification for me to succumb to the snack menu as it meant I wouldn’t be having dinner for another 4 hours (I know, I know – it doesn’t make a difference, but still – any excuse is good enough for a bowl of noodle soup).

Snacks

Shrimp wonton in noodle soup

Braised sliced pork with preserved snow vegetables and choy sum in noodle soup

Plain congee with garnish

Asparagus and artichoke quiche with salad served with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Haagen-Dazs Ice cream

Before I could even ask, the purser came by and asked what I would like to snack on. A coke zero and some noodle soup with shrimp wontons and Guilin chilli sauce on the side was my request. Five minutes later a bowl of piping hot noodles and my beverage of choice was brought to my table.
She offered to lay the cloth, but there was ample room for my snack tray on the side of the suite and I placed it there and snuggled into to my duvet as I proceeded to begin my third movie of the flight.
Shortly thereafter the ISM came by to check up on how I was doing, and I told her much better thanks to the boiled coke.
The Senior purser then came by to offer another boiled coke before dinner and I accepted, finished watching my movie and proceeded into the galley to watch her brew these magical potion. I spent the next hour chatting with the crew about the new product, how much I loved CX service and how I thought they were better than SQ (this thrilled them, since they are used to hearing quite the opposite).
The purser came back from her break and the two started taking orders for dinner.

Dinner

Starter
Seasonal fresh fruit

Main Courses
Pan-fried sea bass with tomato concasse
mashed potatoes, green beans, baby carrots and asparagus

Saffron Fettuccine with Italian XO sauce, peppers, zucchini and olives

Chinese Favourites
Shanghainese braised pork meat ball with
steamed jasmine rice
pak choy and baby cabbage

Cheese and Dester
True Blue, Red Leicester, St. Paulin, Somerset Brie

Baked pear tart with mixed berries

Tea and Coffee

Pralines and Cookies

I said I would just have the Chinese pork meat ball and some coke zero. The purser said she would arrange a special appetizer for me (give you one guess what this was). I said I would like to dine as late as possible since I was still full from the snack and we agreed 90 minutes prior to arrival would be appropriate so I would have enough time to change back into civvies and freshen up. I filled in the survey and made sure to hand it back to the SP with the relevant page open and remarked that she could seal it for me after knowing how I had rated the service.
I caught up on some reading and flight reviews on Business Traveller magazine both Asia and UK edition which I managed to snag from the business class magazine rack during my tour of the new product.
It was dinner time now and my table was prepared and the two lovely ladies came to thank me for the nice things I had said and placed in front me of a plate of caviar (in a heart shape) on the plate. I was delighted. Then came the obligatory fresh bottle of Krug which the SP insisted I have since coke zero didn’t go well with caviar even though the colors match. My meat balls were great – even better than the fish I had out of Hong Kong which may have dried a little due to my eating it later. I was then offered desert, which was served warm with a small tub of Haagen dazs vanilla on the side – something they offered every passenger and a nice way to go above the menu listing (given that they would probably junk the stuff after the flight in any case).
A few cups of Chinese tea and the captain announced that we would only be 15 minutes in hold as LHR wasn’t as bad as usual this Sunday evening. Somehow I always manage to get stuck for up to an hour of circling when on BA club Europe in a glorified over priced economy seat, but not when in the lap of Cathay Luxury – oh well, at least I made the most of this wonderful experience.
After obligatory announcements, a pit stop at the loo and a hot towel later I was ready to arrive in London. We taxied a while and parked pretty close to the immigration area. Iris worked without making me do the usual dance and I was let in, in a jiffy. Bags were waiting at the carousel, with First class bags being offloaded by loaders in an area marked priority baggage. I grabbed my overnighter and proceeded to left luggage, where my bag would spend the night. Did a little repacking and armed with fresh clothes, toiletries too big for hand luggage and some gym shoes headed for the HEX and my one night stay at the Hilton Paddington.
After a bit of a squabble regarding my Gold upgrade to a club room with lounge access (which ended me up in a suite since they check-in staff clearly realized they were in the wrong when I came armed with a print out of the benefits from the HHonor website), I was checking my e-mail and getting ready for bed within an hour and a half from touch down – not bad for LHR.

Meetings the next day (that thing we do between flights) and an LHR-JFK evening departure on American in the flagship suite – my first.

b-kpf

i usually prefer reading trip reports with pics, as it gives me an idea of what it's like in the cabin. however, i love your reports because with the all the detail that you put into the report, i don't even need pics! excellent, a great read! thanks for all the effort!

camsean

Thanks for trip report.

Weird all the requests for photos. What do you guys do when you read novels?

roadwarriorafrica

Love the detailed report. I prefer the words to photo's (easier to download in Africa), and it also give a real personal insight into the trip. Keep it up

jetfan

excellent report, many thanks!!! ^

avm2806

hi guys - the next one is up on the American Flagship suite from LHR to JFK
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...l#post11802173

baggageinhall

Well written and insightful.

UALboy

^ Boiled coke... Good times! I now drink a warm diet pepsi whenever I feel under the weather. It works like a charm!

Moomba

Another great report avm2806. ^

I completely agree with you about the CX crew vs. the SQ crew. CX crew seem to have mastered the art of being able to banter with the pax whilst still providing a top class service. I too am very fond of this airline and the people who work for it.