wtjulianchan

Welcome to my first flight report on flyertalk! Firstly let me apologise for the quality of the photos because I wasn't expecting to do a flight report at all. Now this should have been a normal Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to London, but because of the series of events and happenings I fished out my point-and-shoot digital to do a report, and here it is. Hope you'll enjoy it!

I'm sure all of you still remembered the terrible volcanic ash cloud which caused a historic impact of disruptions on European air traffic last month. It hit at the wrong time really, just as Easter holidays ended and many students from HK would have been rushing to get back to their schools in the UK in order to prepare for their mock exams, GCSEs, A-levels etc etc. Well, you've guessed it, I was one of them.

When the first cancelled flight (15 Apr) was announced, I kept a close eye on the Hong Kong International Airport & the CX websites, to see whether my flight would be cancelled or not, which was going to be on the 18th. I decided to ring up the Marco Polo Club hotline to see what I could do. So here's a rough timeline of what happened:

15 Apr:
First CX HKG-LHR flight "delayed" indefinitely, and these two flights (CX 251 on 15/4 and CX 255 on 16/4) got pushed back and back and back in the next few days but never got cancelled!


16 Apr:
People started to despair, lots of discussion going on here about how long things would be delayed. I was beginning to get worried as well.

Everyone started to ring me up, asking "what are you going to do?" until I got fed up as they clearly knew I couldn't do anything!!! One suggested "go via the US! Via New York would be good" the other said "why not try Rome! Then catch a train or ferry across the channel!" - Some people make it sound so easy don't they?

But OBVIOUSLY, all the EUROSTAR services were full and so were the ferry services - and would I rather be stuck at home or in a foreign airport? The answer's obvious.

17 Apr:
Flights continued to be cancelled, thousands stranded in the HK airport. CX advised people not to travel to HKG at all if they're continuing to Europe.


18 Apr:
My flight (CX 255) cancelled. I knew calling the CX hotline was pointless as I wouldn't be able to get through in a million years. So I tried MPC many times, and was lucky enough to get through in 45 minutes. The conversation went as follows:

"When will my flight be rescheduled until?"
"The earliest I can book you for is 7 May."
(I nearly had a heart attack when I heard this! My first exam was going to be the 5th of May!)
"Well I understand there're a lot of students like me desperate to get back, but I'm in a real hurry because I have an exam very soon!"
"Hmmm I'm afraid what I know is limited because I have absolutely no idea when the flights will resume."
"Well does being an MPC Silver member get me prioritised in any way?"
"Not really..."

Well it went on for a bit, but as you can probably figure out I was getting nowhere. Although the guy was quite helpful, he didn't know much nor did anyone, so I thanked him and hung up knowing I wouldn't be flying in the near future. After more research on this site it seems that CX is giving everyone whose flight was cancelled to the 7 May by default. The booking system also showed seats were beginning to be free on 7 May - did a fake booking and found out the price of a Y ticket was HKD 22700. I chuckled to myself.


19 Apr:
Doesn't look very hopeful. Somehow or the other though Air France managed to begin to fly while all other airlines were still not flying! Wonder why...

I was thinking whether CX would have fair arrangements when they flights resume? Will they put those who were supposed to fly on those days as priority passengers, or those who had their flights cancelled as priority passengers? Seemed that no one could answer. But I've been told that it may be the former i.e. those who have booked their flight on the days after the flights resume could first fly.


20 Apr:
Finally there seemed to be a silver lining in the cloud! As airspace began to be re-opened, CX opened a hotline to prioritise passengers who need to get back as soon as possible, i.e. students! The line 27478888 opened at 6 pm, but when I started ringing I knew it would once again take ages to get through. So I rang 27478999 instead (the English line) and surprisingly got through in 20 minutes!

The phone call didn't last too long, but they asked me for my school, exam centre number, when my exam is and I told them I NEED to get back asap!!! They asked me when I need to fly and I (idiotically) said before 1/5!!!

I should have asked for much earlier, but still, I thought it wouldn't make much of a difference...

21 Apr:
CX announced that they would be resuming flight. You know, I wasn't expecting anything at all. I wasn't expecting to fly until early May. And would you believe it, suddenly at 10 am CX rang me at home, and asked "would you be able to make our first flight back? It will depart at 4 pm today!"

At that moment, I literally froze. I didn't know: Shall I? Shall I not? I haven't even packed nor contemplated flying so early! The trouble was, if the flight departs at 4 pm, it'll arrive at LHR at 10 pm at the very earliest, and my destination is 4 hours out of London, there are no train/coach services to my destination after 8 pm from Heathrow! It meant I'll have to spend my entire evening at LHR! Oh no!

After some hesitation, they called me back and I said "yes", and started packing. Fortunately HK is small enough that you can reach the airport within an hour!

Having arrived at the airport at 1 pm as CX has asked, THIS IS WHERE THE FUN BEGINS...

So, getting to the airport (obviously I couldn't do online check-in) so for the first time in about 5 years, I had to join the great big queue of manual check-in!!! Fortunately HKIA has handelled it very well; they partitioned check-in areas off so not everyone can get in there and make a fuss unless they were told to do so by their airlines/ have a valid ticket. So I was firstly asked to get a number card from new extra desks near the Airport Express Station, and queued up for about 20 minutes in Aisle E, knowing at long last I can fly!

Well, the airport was still, quite chaotic. CX personnel weren't in uniform, and took them about 5 minutes before they found out which flight I should be on, while normally it would take about 3 seconds. I told them "251D" and suddenly there was an "ah!" There were a few television interviews at the same time and I actually ended up as one of those being interviewed! It was quite a funny experience. I asked the check-in agent whether they had any window seats left, and they said, 35K, so I took it. Never did I DREAM of what was going to happen next! I was already thanking my lucky stars for being able to get onto the first flight, and couldn't believe what luck I was going to have!

The lounge:
With my boarding pass, lounge invitation printed, I said farewell to my parents, and headed off to the Pier which I've never visited before. As it was gate 44, I had to act quite quickly - sat down, had some snacks and a bowl of wonton noodles, and went straight out again to the gate. Couldn't afford to miss this flight!

Impressions of the lounge was really good though. I much prefer it to the Wing which seems a bit more crowded. And I like the close views of aircrafts around gate 60s.

By the way my boarding pass had BN (Boarding number) 405 so I must have been the 405th pax to check-in! (obviously some pulled out) - normally I'm BN1 or 2

So, well done for making it this far, and at long last here's the flight!

Flight details:

Date: 21 April 2010
Airline: Cathay Pacific
Flight Number: CX 251D (supposed to have departed on 15 Apr; this was the very first flight back!)
Aircraft: Boeing 747-412
Registration: B-HKV
Distance: 5983 miles
Scheduled departure: 1600
Actual departure: Around 1800
Scheduled arrival: 2200
Actual arrival: 2315
Flight time: 12h15m
Departure Gate at HKG: 44
Gate at LHR: 313

Well I'm afraid you're still not at the pictures yet! Having queued up, boarded and settled in seat 35K, something miraculous happened. Just as I was making myself comfortable and chatting with one of the F/As who seemed very cheery, suddenly some random guy came up and said he's got 35K too! What? Double seating???

I was first reluctant to move - am I going to lose my window seat? Oh no! I asked the F/A what to do, and she told me to take all my stuff with me and go to the entrance of the aircraft for further arrangements! I was actually quite worried as I thought I could be bumped off this flight!

Thank god, when I got to the entrance once again, I suddenly realised there was still a huge queue - clearly Y class was far overbooked as I saw it was completely full. A moment later, the purser took my boarding pass, crossed out my 35K and re-wrote 88K!!! I gasped, OH MY GOD! I never guessed this could happen! Never had I been in J class OR the upper deck of a 747, so I was in for a real real treat! The F/A who accompanied me up to the purser said "congratulations!" and gave me a smile - I'll be in heaven for the next 13 hours! MPC Silver worked for the first time!

I must say it was boiling in Y class, but up in J class, it was suddenly so cool and comfortable... how enjoyable!


My first impression of this much disputed J class seat, which was very good.


Now, clever readers would have realised this is not 88K. Someone asked me whether I could swap for 92A; normally in Y class I would refuse to swap seats, but I was in such a happy mood to be in J class that I said yes immediately! And besides, this is the largest seat number I'm going to get on a 744 - no row 92 on a 737!

Seat map of Cathay's 74A:
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Cat..._747-400_B.php


Well, J class was not full. Even when we departed, there were 2 seats empty (one was next to me) on the upper deck, and apparently there were about 60 people who didn't turn up to this flight for whatever reason, which was a real shame as many people were so desperate to get back!!!


There were a few other upgrades as well and all of them were as delighted as I was! The captain welcomed us on board, saying "Well done for making it onto the first flight back to Heathrow in 6 days!" Indeed - that's how long it has been.

Well you may ask: were there mostly students? The answer was no, not at all! Actually most passengers were British/European; I assume they were desperate to get back as well, having missed days from work. Not many HK/Chinese on this flight.

A really good layout - all the controls are reacheable easily without any fuss. ^ I never knew how the table worked though until the meal!


I must say I actually really like the design! Yes it strains your neck to look outside, but a fully flat bed, and the width is not too bad at all (probably I'm quite small width-wise) and the seat itself is very very comfortable. Good job CX!

The cockpit door's open - whilst waiting for passengers to board. The F/A is going through the cabin with hot towel - which I think Y class also needs!


One thing I noticed was that the overhead bins are significantly smaller; my normal rucksack would just fit!

My empty neighbouring seat - no sign of this plane once owned by SQ!


The duvet was much bigger and heavier than I thought. Can't imagine having to wash so many of those! Lots of space between the back of the seat and the windows.


Testing out lights - I like these two - quite elegant. Table layout just before the cocktail welcome. I had a Cathay Delight which was nice!

wtjulianchan

Another look towards the rest of the cabin. I find the place where they store the magazines a bit awkward though - the space is very narrow.


A brief glance at the instruments inside the cockpit - all's very calm and serene, but I was thoroughly enjoying myself discovering the functions of the seats!


As we waited, the inflight entertainment programme started, which was a first for me! I thought CX never starts the IFE until about 15 minutes after take-off. I had never used a noise-cancelling head set at all, and it was brilliant! The screen size is also superb - 15"!


Something I've nearly forgotten - amenity kits! They were given out. A really nice design! The new one's a bit cheaper I think. This was followed by the F/A giving out Evian water bottles.


And look what's inside! Apparently there should be mouth wash as well according to some people, but I think toothpaste and toothbrush are good enough. You can also see ear plugs, shoe-horn, eye-shades, socks, anti-skin dryness stuff and some lotion. You know, I think Y class amenity kits used to be like this 50 years ago!


Finally we made a move and couldn't wait for all the passengers. As I hardly do day departures, esp. from 25L, I decided to catch a few shots of the planes outside.


KLM & Lufthansa, parked on Remote, also stranded in HKG for days.


Nice, long A346 heading to Munich at some point soon, hopefully?


Qatar Airways - one of my favourite schemes. Not a very nice day at HKIA.


The usual suspects - China Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Jet Airways...


And who else but CX and KA occupying Gates 1-4 as usual!


Wonder where this KA A333's heading to?


Looking towards MTR Siu Ho Wan Depot. Preparing for take-off!


What are they trying to build?


A nearly full view of Tung Chung. Imagine what this place was like 20 years ago!


No explanation needed here! Hope they've done a decent job on my meals later on!


CX Headquarters and air-mail centre?


Quite a powerful take-off roll. Yat Tung Estate in the background.


HACTL


Not much action going on here - CX 744F and Airbridge Cargo 744ERF

wtjulianchan

Kalitta Air 742F, Fedex MD11F and another CX 744F


Asia Airfreight Terminal - World Airways MD11F and Fedex 77F!


Deccan Air A310F, Air Hong Kong A300F, CX 744F and another unrecognisable plane? Nei Lak Shan Cable Car station in the background.


DHL Terminal


HKBAC and Private jet terminal. Quite a few parked there!


Sha Lo Wan. Must be a great place to spot!


I think it's Tai O but I'm not entirely sure.


Why can't HK weather be nice?


Sorry to keep you waiting, but finally here is the service bit. Orange juice, nothing out of the ordinary, and warm almonds.


Just another shot. Talking of which I had a little difficulty trying to find the shoulder belt! Not sure if it's really useful, but hey...


Not long after, table linen laid for the meal service. Watching "Nine" which is an OK film.


Quite a nice sunset but nowhere near as magical as the winter sunrise/sunsets over Russia & Northern Europe on CX 250


Because of the timing of the service, no menus were provided but I've gathered info from the internet and have figured out what the menu roughly is:

SUPPER

Starters

Prawns with dill potato salad, beans and capsicums

Mesclun Salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumber and balsamic vinegar dressing


Main Courses

Roasted lamb shoulder with ratatouille, mashed parsnip with garlic and thyme, French beans


Cheese and Dessert

Cheese selection

Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Fruit gateau with passion fruit cream and passion fruit sauce

Tea and Coffee

Raspberry Macaroon

Sorry couldn't quite remember the other options for main course except:
Steamed cod fillet in golden bean sauce, steamed jasmine rice and Chinese mixed vegetables

Starter: Prawns with dill potato salad, beans and capsicums. Quite refreshing! Can't go without the signature Garlic Bread of course The salad was a bit strange though without any dressing


This time with tomato juice. Everything was done really well - the cutlery was ice cold too! Some people really mind not being called by their names, but I didn't really care as such and I was op-uped anyway, so as long as there are smiles (which there were) I'm happy.


The main course: Roasted lamb shoulder with ratatouille, mashed parsnip with garlic and thyme, French beans - really fantastic. Have to give credit to CX catering for doing such a great job! Presentation not necessarily the best, but the lamb was tender, the ratatouille was delicious and the mash was just right. 10/10!


Fruit and cheese course - I asked to try a bit of everything and they were really generous as you can see! The fig jam went really well with the crumbly cheese on the left.


By this point I was completely stuffed! In fact I shouldn't have been greedy and went for the cake - it was very, very disappointing. The only downside of the meal, which was otherwise perfect. You should have thought the name "Fruit gateau with passion fruit cream and passion fruit sauce" sounds nice, but unfortunately the cake completely clashes with the sauce which was a real shame.


CX used to call it "Pralines" I think, in the form of a chocolate, but I'm equally happy with this Raspberry Macaroon.


The contents inside. Quite interesting and tasted nice.


After a full meal service, it's time for bed! As aforesaid, a lot of space between your head and the windows, and I like the two trays which are really handy for putting stuff there. Good design.

matthandy

Congrats on the upgrade, looking forward to the rest!

wtjulianchan

View after lying down - it's not too claustrophobic at all in my view as it feels quite spacious. Yes it's a bit difficult to turn your body and sleep in different positions, but it's still comfortable.


The full length of the bed. Funnily enough, I didn't like it 100% flat; I found it more comfortable when it's about 90% reclined. The head feels a bit low when it's completely flat.


More than half way through the flight! Such a great way to fly...


Woke up and watched a bit of Taipei Museum. Great documentary, and I highly recommend the documentary by CCTV called "The Forbidden City" earlier on (I think it was 2005?) Simply fantastic and anyone interested in Chinese culture/history should definitely see it.


Really superb quality of the screen. What brand is it?


... and a J class trip won't do without a midnight snack!

I assume the menu was as follows (according to the F/A):





I must say it was delicious. Somehow it was even better than the one in the Pier!


Then I had a nice chat to an F/A from Indonesia. Really nice lady who's been working for CX for 15 years! I'm glad CX doesn't just fire people after 5 years or something. She wasn't meant to be on this flight (the whole crew were assigned CX 253 but were suddenly called for duty)! I asked what she thinks about CX these days and (not sure if it's a standard response, but it sounded pretty sincere) she still thought CX is the best in the world.

Afterwards, I dozed off again until "refreshment" service. I had (still have) no idea whether it's meant to be a breakfast or a light meal, but I assume Y class have breakfast stuff. So here is another meal, and I'm not even hungry! (never happened to me before as the portions in Y are minimal). The icy cold fruit was really refreshing!




Braised prawns and bean curd with asparagus, steamed Jasmine rice and Chinese mixed vegetables. Really filling and piping hot - another good meal!


Coffee cake with raspberry sauce - I was brave and decided to try the cake again, and fortunately this time it worked out really well. Actually it was really tasty!


Not long later, the captain announced we've starte descending. Can't even feel that it's already been 12 hours! Some of you may be wondering would it be dangerous with some ash cloud threat? Actually it had all disappeared and the captain said the skies were clear. He was quite right too!

Beginning of descent - some not-so-impressive mood lighting!


And finally, some nice colours which are comforting.


In the end, we touched down at 2315, and I got my baggage not long after, and for the first time ever I felt refreshed (or at least, not tired) after a long-haul flight!

Well of course I had to stay and sleep on a chair in the terminal until the first Underground train departed at 0515, and eventually got back to my destination at noon-time, but nevertheless, it was a nice experience!

Conclusion:
Hmm where shall I start? Well without any bias I think CX has done a great job and has provided a top notch service. Everything has a sense which makes you feel you're treated well, and you're on a 5 star carrier. Although they have not won (m)any awards for being the best J class or anything of that sort, I think their product is really good and very presentable. Will I pay 4 or 5 times an Economy class fare to enjoy a Business service, the answer, to be honest, is probably no, as I don't think it's worth that much extra, but for business people and people who want comfort and being looked after, CX J class is definitely a great choice.

Shame Cathay Pacific seemed to have got rid of this slogan, but as they say "NOW YOU'RE REALLY FLYING"!

DLATL777

Nice report; although I have to say from experience "Heaven" is a little bit further up front in the 744

LongingForORD

Very nice report, thanks for posting.

I have to agree with you about the "lie flat" not being comfortable, I can not fall asleep lying completely flat. I find about 80% flat puts me right out. (I am short, so maybe that has something to do with it).

avm2806

Have to agree, especially on the CX 74A - probably as close to heaven as we'll get as mortals.... got an upcoming HKG-LHR-HKG on CX in July... can't wait.

Turnus127

Very nicely done. Am I ever jealous you got that upgrade That shrimp wonton noodle soup looks really tasty. Was it? Not that the rest of the meals looked bad, I'm just craving Asian food it seems.

dabears1020

Great trip report! That's definitely one heck of a last minute upgrade.

travelsavant

Wonderful photos & great trip report; thanks & in just in case you haven't received it yet "Welcome to FlyerTalk!".

sobore

Really great report! Very nice!^

mkjr

nice report.

Yannyammy

Very good report ! Being a student myself, I can understand the relieve when they got you a flight so early !

Yahtzee

Thanks for doing the report. Makes me regret not having done one for my first CX business class flight last fall.