LH F FRA-HKG, Chinese Border Chaos, Regal Airport Hotel HKG
Mar 8, 2003, 6:50 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
LH F FRA-HKG, Chinese Border Chaos, Regal Airport Hotel HKG
Flight LH 738
Date March 08, 2003, about 5:50p
Aircraft B 747-400
As announced in my report about LH 652 FRA-CAI-FRA in LH`s F class from yesterday I am now writing about the continuing flight to HKG. Last night, my only sleep was on the CAI-FRA leg, and this was not really enough to be prepared for a hard day in the office. So I was looking forward to the flight to HKG, as it promised to be long enough to get some beauty sleep.
I boarded LH 738´s seat 83A, my favourite F seat on the upperdeck, emergency exit. More legroom than any leg can be long, and a flight attendant seat across the aisle occupied by a beautiful FA during take-off and landing. Pre-takeoff champaign was served, LH slippers, personal movie guide and the new LH amenity kit. Since yesterday, there are pictures of it in the web provided by fellow flyertalker Gaucho on www.jarltech.com/flyertalk
Take-off was on time, warm nuts served quickly, then came the downturn: the dinner menu was precisely the same as the lunch menu of my flight to Cairo yesterday (see: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003567.html ). The purser came by and asked me for my menu selection. He was really astonished as I could place my order without a look at the menu card. He said he was sursprised that the frequent flyers already memorize the only eight days old menu word by word. I of course did not tell him that I memorized it because I typed it up letter-by-letter for flyertalk.com some hours ago
After the questioning of my opinion about Australian wines on FT.COM I decided to try the Australien wine today, a 1998 McLaren Vale Shiraz Show Reserve (Arrowfield) and have to say it was quite good. I thought McLaren only built Formula-One racing cars, but their wine performs great as well
OK, let me try now to win the Freddie Award for the biggest snob in the frequent flyer community and complain about LH´s butter catering on this flight: as mentioned on the trip report about my previous flight, I was quite happy that LH introduced "tomato butter" aside the normal butter. This is quite a tasty addition and something unique, like in a good restaurant. Now, being on a “full-house” F class with 16 passengers, they only offered “regular OR tomato” butter. After I enjoyed my tomato butter on some laugen rolls I asked for another serving and they had really run out of tomato butter. What a shame. I will request a refund of my F ticket or at least a 1000000 miles good-will credit on my M&M account.
LH 738 is a night flight; after the movie “Serving Sara” (nice!) on the personal video screen I slept peacefully dreaming of tomato butter for about eight hours. I can only say seat 83A is my favourite sleeping place in the sky. Also it must look cute seeing 16 managers sleeping covered by LHs sun-moon-and-star children-style blankets
On a good flight I never take breakfast because this would mean I did not drink enough for dinner. Anyway, for the menu lovers, here is the selction:
Buffet
Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
Fresh Fruit
Mango, Papaya, Kiwi, Star Fruit and Cantaloupe
Yogurt, Cereal, Whole Grain and Gourmet Muesli
And fresh Milk
(they always carry a cow on board to make sure fresh milk is available)
Bread, Rolls, Toast, Croissants, Muffins and Danish Pastries
With Butter, Diet Margarine, Preserves and Honey
A variety of cold Breakfast specialities
Inlcuding Turkey Pastrami, Bresaola,
Edam and Bresso Cream Cheese
Entrees
Scrambled Eggs will be freshly prepared upon your request
(Since January, LHs F kitchen is equipped with egg-frying pans which is unique in the sky. So they are really making this from fresh eggs, not from some prepared egg-paste)
Crepes filled with Quark and Nuts
Offered with dried fruit
Or
Coffee and Tea
Freshly squeezed orange juice
Croissants
(“Last Minute Breakfast”)
I am flying to HKG every month to visit our office in Shen Zhen / China, and I am doing this for just one day and returning at the next morning (if LH re-introduces their HKG-FRA evening flight on A 340 again, I will go back the same day). Besides being a snob, this is the main reason for me to fly international first class: being able to freshly jump out of the plane and start working right away. This means, I have to re-arrange myself in the airplane bathroom, including changing my clothes, shaving, and so on. This takes time. The big disadvantage of the 747 F class on LH is that they only offer two bathrooms for 16 people, while on the Airbus 340 they have two for eight passengers. Leaving the bathroom, there was a waiting line outside, with their smiles saying “have never seen anyone taking so long in there”. I always feel guilty because it implies I did something illegal in there but I say to myself hey, why did those guys only start thinking about personal hygiene after the captain already announced “crew take your seats for landing”. Anyway, for 16 F seats I please want at least 16 bathrooms so nobody can complain. BTW they could give up the jumpseat section behind the cockpit for at least on more bathroom, but then the captain cannot take his wife and kids anymore for free.
Before landing, we had to fly a 30 minute turn over the water for spacing due to heavy traffic in foggy conditions.
Immigration in HKG was again a mess, about 30 minutes waiting in line. In the last 10 years, this never happened to me …only since about six months either they have reduced their staff by 50% or airtraffic to HKG had doubled.
--- Regal Airport Hotel HKG
Right after this I went straight to the executive club on the 11th floor of the Regal Airport hotel (direct link; HKG airport is part of the Regal Hotel complex). Nice hotel, only problem today was the complete 11th floor stunk like they had a sewage problem. Also, nobody was staffing the executive lounge and I did not have enough knowledge of their computer system to do the check-in myself. Here was I again, Mr. Important Snob skipped all the long check-in lines on the ground floor and directly approached the skyline lounge but nobody noticed After 15 minutes somebody showed up and checked me in. I am in this hotel quite frequently and always amused about the perks they offer to their frequent visitiors: “personal stationary”, some letterheads with your name printed on in golden letters, and a free express railway ticket to the city. As if someone who has time to go to the city would stay in the airport hotel. Also, free baggage unpacking and repacking is included in the HKD 900 rate. This is a feature you can offer in an airport hotel without risk. People will have nearly no luggage, and, if, they will have no time to wait for 30 minutes until the unpacker arrives.
Regal Airport hotel, which was awarded the best Airport Hotel in Asia in 2002 (voted by the Regal Airport hotel Hong Kong management) made me happy this stay as they offer broadband in-room internet now. I missed this feature before. Besides, the rooms are OK-sized, enough TV programmes, usual amenities, free canapees delivered to the room on the executive floor, free shoe-shine, coffee-maker, well-equipped minibar, and everyone is friend. Also they offer the best tenderloin steak I have eaten in Asia in the "China Coast" restaurant. The executive club is open until 11:30, offers two free internet PCs, a nice food selection chaning depending on the daytime, free drinks, newspapers and magazine and a smoking place for those smokers who always book non-smoking rooms because they hate smoking. All in all, really a good airport hotel. Only problem is I cannot see any way to get useful points for any of the frequent flier programs I am taking part in. I am member of the "Regal Merit" Club but it does not seem really useful to me as it does not fit in the bigger picture ... so the only thing I can accumulate here are some Amex MR points.
--- Chinese border
I can only say I need direct flight from Europe to Shen Zhen because the immigration to China is a mess. It is nice to receive up to five stamps in your passport on just one day but the time-efficiency is totally lost. Checking into H.K. takes some time nowadays, then leaving H.K. took 45 minutes today. Entering China was about 20 minutes. Leaving China in the evening took me about 40 minutes standing in line, re-entering H.K. about 30 minutes. I have never seen ANY custom officer asking a question to ANY traveller, they are just quietly reading the passports and arrival/departure cards and putting their stamps in the passports. I understand China and H.K. might be two different systems, but as they are "somehow" one country they could at least combine their custom officers under one roof so checking-out and check-in can be done at the same booth.
If you want to visit Shen Zhen for a day trip from Hong Kong then you have a big problem because it is hard to plan how much time you need at the border. I am travelling individually in a car (I hate busses and trains), so I dont need to wait for the rest of a tourgroup, and if one of the four border controls is empty it just takes seconds. But this rarely happens. Especially at weekends, most people seem to travel from HKG to China for golfing, and they do this in big masses with lots of busses. There should be a way to serve business travellers faster, something like an "elite check-in line" or similiar. If a fellow flyertalker has an idea how this waiting at the border can be avoided please let me know.
There are no flights from Europe to Shen Zhen now, only possible way for a day trip seems to be going via HKG. Our cargo that we buy in Shenzhen flies with a direct Asiana flight from Shenzhen airport to Frankfurt, but they dont take passengers. There seems to be no way to get from HKG to Shenzhen as a transfer passenger without entering HKG, as far as I know. This would at least save waiting at HKG borders four times a day. Maybe someone here knows better ... ?
I will be leaving the hotel now to enjoy some time in the beautiful UA or TG lounge in HKG airport (I always just take the one that is emptier) and will try to buy some magazines to kill the time on the long daytime trip back home.
Date March 08, 2003, about 5:50p
Aircraft B 747-400
As announced in my report about LH 652 FRA-CAI-FRA in LH`s F class from yesterday I am now writing about the continuing flight to HKG. Last night, my only sleep was on the CAI-FRA leg, and this was not really enough to be prepared for a hard day in the office. So I was looking forward to the flight to HKG, as it promised to be long enough to get some beauty sleep.
I boarded LH 738´s seat 83A, my favourite F seat on the upperdeck, emergency exit. More legroom than any leg can be long, and a flight attendant seat across the aisle occupied by a beautiful FA during take-off and landing. Pre-takeoff champaign was served, LH slippers, personal movie guide and the new LH amenity kit. Since yesterday, there are pictures of it in the web provided by fellow flyertalker Gaucho on www.jarltech.com/flyertalk
Take-off was on time, warm nuts served quickly, then came the downturn: the dinner menu was precisely the same as the lunch menu of my flight to Cairo yesterday (see: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003567.html ). The purser came by and asked me for my menu selection. He was really astonished as I could place my order without a look at the menu card. He said he was sursprised that the frequent flyers already memorize the only eight days old menu word by word. I of course did not tell him that I memorized it because I typed it up letter-by-letter for flyertalk.com some hours ago
After the questioning of my opinion about Australian wines on FT.COM I decided to try the Australien wine today, a 1998 McLaren Vale Shiraz Show Reserve (Arrowfield) and have to say it was quite good. I thought McLaren only built Formula-One racing cars, but their wine performs great as well
OK, let me try now to win the Freddie Award for the biggest snob in the frequent flyer community and complain about LH´s butter catering on this flight: as mentioned on the trip report about my previous flight, I was quite happy that LH introduced "tomato butter" aside the normal butter. This is quite a tasty addition and something unique, like in a good restaurant. Now, being on a “full-house” F class with 16 passengers, they only offered “regular OR tomato” butter. After I enjoyed my tomato butter on some laugen rolls I asked for another serving and they had really run out of tomato butter. What a shame. I will request a refund of my F ticket or at least a 1000000 miles good-will credit on my M&M account.
LH 738 is a night flight; after the movie “Serving Sara” (nice!) on the personal video screen I slept peacefully dreaming of tomato butter for about eight hours. I can only say seat 83A is my favourite sleeping place in the sky. Also it must look cute seeing 16 managers sleeping covered by LHs sun-moon-and-star children-style blankets
On a good flight I never take breakfast because this would mean I did not drink enough for dinner. Anyway, for the menu lovers, here is the selction:
Buffet
Freshly squeezed Orange Juice
Fresh Fruit
Mango, Papaya, Kiwi, Star Fruit and Cantaloupe
Yogurt, Cereal, Whole Grain and Gourmet Muesli
And fresh Milk
(they always carry a cow on board to make sure fresh milk is available)
Bread, Rolls, Toast, Croissants, Muffins and Danish Pastries
With Butter, Diet Margarine, Preserves and Honey
A variety of cold Breakfast specialities
Inlcuding Turkey Pastrami, Bresaola,
Edam and Bresso Cream Cheese
Entrees
Scrambled Eggs will be freshly prepared upon your request
(Since January, LHs F kitchen is equipped with egg-frying pans which is unique in the sky. So they are really making this from fresh eggs, not from some prepared egg-paste)
Crepes filled with Quark and Nuts
Offered with dried fruit
Or
Coffee and Tea
Freshly squeezed orange juice
Croissants
(“Last Minute Breakfast”)
I am flying to HKG every month to visit our office in Shen Zhen / China, and I am doing this for just one day and returning at the next morning (if LH re-introduces their HKG-FRA evening flight on A 340 again, I will go back the same day). Besides being a snob, this is the main reason for me to fly international first class: being able to freshly jump out of the plane and start working right away. This means, I have to re-arrange myself in the airplane bathroom, including changing my clothes, shaving, and so on. This takes time. The big disadvantage of the 747 F class on LH is that they only offer two bathrooms for 16 people, while on the Airbus 340 they have two for eight passengers. Leaving the bathroom, there was a waiting line outside, with their smiles saying “have never seen anyone taking so long in there”. I always feel guilty because it implies I did something illegal in there but I say to myself hey, why did those guys only start thinking about personal hygiene after the captain already announced “crew take your seats for landing”. Anyway, for 16 F seats I please want at least 16 bathrooms so nobody can complain. BTW they could give up the jumpseat section behind the cockpit for at least on more bathroom, but then the captain cannot take his wife and kids anymore for free.
Before landing, we had to fly a 30 minute turn over the water for spacing due to heavy traffic in foggy conditions.
Immigration in HKG was again a mess, about 30 minutes waiting in line. In the last 10 years, this never happened to me …only since about six months either they have reduced their staff by 50% or airtraffic to HKG had doubled.
--- Regal Airport Hotel HKG
Right after this I went straight to the executive club on the 11th floor of the Regal Airport hotel (direct link; HKG airport is part of the Regal Hotel complex). Nice hotel, only problem today was the complete 11th floor stunk like they had a sewage problem. Also, nobody was staffing the executive lounge and I did not have enough knowledge of their computer system to do the check-in myself. Here was I again, Mr. Important Snob skipped all the long check-in lines on the ground floor and directly approached the skyline lounge but nobody noticed
After 15 minutes somebody showed up and checked me in. I am in this hotel quite frequently and always amused about the perks they offer to their frequent visitiors: “personal stationary”, some letterheads with your name printed on in golden letters, and a free express railway ticket to the city. As if someone who has time to go to the city would stay in the airport hotel. Also, free baggage unpacking and repacking is included in the HKD 900 rate. This is a feature you can offer in an airport hotel without risk. People will have nearly no luggage, and, if, they will have no time to wait for 30 minutes until the unpacker arrives. Regal Airport hotel, which was awarded the best Airport Hotel in Asia in 2002 (voted by the Regal Airport hotel Hong Kong management) made me happy this stay as they offer broadband in-room internet now. I missed this feature before. Besides, the rooms are OK-sized, enough TV programmes, usual amenities, free canapees delivered to the room on the executive floor, free shoe-shine, coffee-maker, well-equipped minibar, and everyone is friend. Also they offer the best tenderloin steak I have eaten in Asia in the "China Coast" restaurant. The executive club is open until 11:30, offers two free internet PCs, a nice food selection chaning depending on the daytime, free drinks, newspapers and magazine and a smoking place for those smokers who always book non-smoking rooms because they hate smoking. All in all, really a good airport hotel. Only problem is I cannot see any way to get useful points for any of the frequent flier programs I am taking part in. I am member of the "Regal Merit" Club but it does not seem really useful to me as it does not fit in the bigger picture ... so the only thing I can accumulate here are some Amex MR points.
--- Chinese border
I can only say I need direct flight from Europe to Shen Zhen because the immigration to China is a mess. It is nice to receive up to five stamps in your passport on just one day but the time-efficiency is totally lost. Checking into H.K. takes some time nowadays, then leaving H.K. took 45 minutes today. Entering China was about 20 minutes. Leaving China in the evening took me about 40 minutes standing in line, re-entering H.K. about 30 minutes. I have never seen ANY custom officer asking a question to ANY traveller, they are just quietly reading the passports and arrival/departure cards and putting their stamps in the passports. I understand China and H.K. might be two different systems, but as they are "somehow" one country they could at least combine their custom officers under one roof so checking-out and check-in can be done at the same booth.
If you want to visit Shen Zhen for a day trip from Hong Kong then you have a big problem because it is hard to plan how much time you need at the border. I am travelling individually in a car (I hate busses and trains), so I dont need to wait for the rest of a tourgroup, and if one of the four border controls is empty it just takes seconds. But this rarely happens. Especially at weekends, most people seem to travel from HKG to China for golfing, and they do this in big masses with lots of busses. There should be a way to serve business travellers faster, something like an "elite check-in line" or similiar. If a fellow flyertalker has an idea how this waiting at the border can be avoided please let me know.
There are no flights from Europe to Shen Zhen now, only possible way for a day trip seems to be going via HKG. Our cargo that we buy in Shenzhen flies with a direct Asiana flight from Shenzhen airport to Frankfurt, but they dont take passengers. There seems to be no way to get from HKG to Shenzhen as a transfer passenger without entering HKG, as far as I know. This would at least save waiting at HKG borders four times a day. Maybe someone here knows better ... ?
I will be leaving the hotel now to enjoy some time in the beautiful UA or TG lounge in HKG airport (I always just take the one that is emptier) and will try to buy some magazines to kill the time on the long daytime trip back home.
Mar 8, 2003, 8:21 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Another great report - keep them coming!
No wood, spiders or frogs I hope! McLaren Vale is a famous wine producing area in South Australia 
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Uli:
After the questioning of my opinion about Australian wines on FT.COM I decided to try the Australien wine today, a 1998 McLaren Vale Shiraz Show Reserve (Arrowfield) and have to say it was quite good. I thought McLaren only built Formula-One racing cars, but their wine performs great as well
</font>
After the questioning of my opinion about Australian wines on FT.COM I decided to try the Australien wine today, a 1998 McLaren Vale Shiraz Show Reserve (Arrowfield) and have to say it was quite good. I thought McLaren only built Formula-One racing cars, but their wine performs great as well
</font>
Mar 8, 2003, 8:58 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: SEATTLE, WA USA
Programs: UAL, AA, AS, CX
Posts: 1,973
Fun report I appreciate your Mr. Snob jokes...I too have tried the Shiraz...not a fan of it but it was good. However I am no wine critique. Glad to hear about the Regal because they offer some great internet specials from time to time.
Mar 8, 2003, 9:22 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
Regal / Rates:
Yes, the price for the room on the exec floor was 900 HKD (web) and includes breakfast and a lot of rebates at restaurants and room service. My bill shows around 300 HKD were decucted for various rebates.
Yes, the price for the room on the exec floor was 900 HKD (web) and includes breakfast and a lot of rebates at restaurants and room service. My bill shows around 300 HKD were decucted for various rebates.
Mar 8, 2003, 9:25 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
Regal / Miles
i asked them on checkout again about miles: they credit miles on asiamiles accounts, Japan Airlines, China Airlines, Asiana and somebody else I forgot.
i have accounts with DL, BA, AA, KL, LH, QF, LX so nothing for me
i asked them on checkout again about miles: they credit miles on asiamiles accounts, Japan Airlines, China Airlines, Asiana and somebody else I forgot.
i have accounts with DL, BA, AA, KL, LH, QF, LX so nothing for me
Mar 8, 2003, 9:29 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
HKG / Lounges
I am currently at the TG lounge, still only one computer in F section. Same for UA -- better food but their only one computer is occupied. Learn from the Wing !!!
What I saw the first time is that the UA lounge reception desk is now staffed with one lady that wears a Lufthansa uniform. Looks funny with her yellow necktie between all the UA people. I find it is quite a good idea for LH to show some more presence in HKG.
So far changed my seat from 83C to 84C as 84A is still empty ... Just hoping ... .)
I am currently at the TG lounge, still only one computer in F section. Same for UA -- better food but their only one computer is occupied. Learn from the Wing !!!
What I saw the first time is that the UA lounge reception desk is now staffed with one lady that wears a Lufthansa uniform. Looks funny with her yellow necktie between all the UA people. I find it is quite a good idea for LH to show some more presence in HKG.
So far changed my seat from 83C to 84C as 84A is still empty ... Just hoping ... .)
Mar 9, 2003, 11:58 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
Still in the air, I just like to complete the report with some information about the return flight, LH 739, B747-400, seat 81A.
Before boarding, I changed my seat assignment about three times hoping for an empty seat next to me. I was quite lucky and can consider myself the owner of the left side of row 81 now. Another lucky thing is that my computer is still working: I was stupid enough to try to install a made-in-China PCMCIA w-lan card in the TG lounge that nearly destroyed my Windows installation
Despite the low altitude of 27500 feet (to avoid the strong headwinds) the flight is very smooth. Service upstairs is perfect, conducted by an experienced all female crew.
Good news is LH has finally decided to load blankets and sweaters on those long day flights as well. For years the ladies always had to excuse that they cold not offer the beloved sun-moon-and-star blankets "because of company policy" on day flights. I dont how long the flight has to be: on the four hours FRA-CAI flight no such stuff is loaded.
Bad news and running gag: no tomato butter Have to accept they only cater it for flights originating in FRA, same situation for the garlic bread. Most likely LH does not want the garlic smells at their home airport.
Here is the lunch menu:
Hors D`ouvre
Caviar
Gravlax offered with Dill Mustard Sauce
Barbecue Cha Siew Duck served
with Plum Coulis and Vietnamese-style salad
Roasted Vegetable Terrine
(ate two, excellent)
Salad
Seasonal Greens with Bell Peppers and Olives
presented with Pepper Cream Fraiche
or Olive Oil Lemon Herb Dressing
Bread, Rolls, Toast and Butter
Entrees
Fish Medley offered with Fennel, Carrots
and Garlic Bread
(oooops: I see that now: no garlic bread from the bread basket,
and as I did not order fish I did not find it ...)
Roasted Breast of Duck
with Parsnip Puree and Snow Peas
Grilled Tenderloin of Beef
presented with Green Peppercorn Sauce
and Potatoes au Gratain
(superb !!! FA also agreed to save me one steak for dinner,
she just offered it to me right now but I cannot eat anymore)
Buddha-style stir-fried Vegetables
and braised E-Fu Noodles
Cheese and Dessert
International Cheese
Emmental, Brie, Danish Blue and Chaumes Cheese
(I recommend never to order cheese catered in Asia, always tastes
like dead supermarket industrial cheese)
Marble Cheesecake
Pine Nut Tart with Figs
Fine Chocolates
After dinner, I just continued drinking the wine and ate the desserts while watching the movies, one each after one hour pause. They also offer you some sandwiches and pastries, and of course the left-over chocolates.
I always hate pressing the FA call button if I need something more to drink or to eat, so I either wait or go to the galley instead. Today, the FA actively suggested to use the call button, because "it is more convenient". Yes, it is, I will do this much more in future
By the way, after the four F flights in the past three days I am more and more convinced of the "Motzenbäcker Riesling". Also, for red wines, LH finally adapted me to their "house" Bordeaux from Chateau Belgrave which they offer since years alternating with the Lynch-Bages.
After six hours of relaxing LH requires you to eat the following dinner menu:
Hors d`Ouvre
Roasted Pork offered with Guacamole
Smoked Salmon
served with Cucumber and Onion Salad
and Horseradish Sauce
Bread, Rolls and Butter
Entrees
Walnut crusted Breast of Chicken au Jus
accompanied by mashed dried Tomatoes
and sauteed Spinach
Steamed Sole enhanced by Hot Plum Coulis,
Buddha-Style Vegetables and steamed Rice
German-style Stew
Dessert
Fresh Fruit Salad
Crepes Suzette accented by Orange Sauce
Only thing missing now is a nice cigar ... dont think they will allow me to smoke one now I remember having done that after dinner about ten years ago in an otherwise empty F class in the upperdeck of a 747-200 with a fellow traveller: we just bought them from the duty free selection, it was my first cigar (and the first upgraded F flight), en route to New York. Still, they always announced "Please refrain from smoking pipes and cigars" but who cares if the upperdeck is all yours. Today, after being used to smoke-free cabins I would complain about everybody who would just smoke a cigarette five rows back ...
Before landing, I decided to allow myself another glass of good-bye Riesling (I will write my thanks to Mr Del Monego for selecting this wine). There was no more diet coke available on the entire plane, this is something that, by the way, frequently happens at LH -- so the FA suggested to drink the wine instead, good replacement.
Bye now to my dear readers, I have to switch the PC off for landing now and then hurry to my office (nice at a Sunday night), because unfortunately I have to finance my snob life all by myself and that sometimes requires night working.
The crew offered me to take a bottle of Chateau Belgrave home, thank-you LH, I will be back soon.
Before boarding, I changed my seat assignment about three times hoping for an empty seat next to me. I was quite lucky and can consider myself the owner of the left side of row 81 now. Another lucky thing is that my computer is still working: I was stupid enough to try to install a made-in-China PCMCIA w-lan card in the TG lounge that nearly destroyed my Windows installation
Despite the low altitude of 27500 feet (to avoid the strong headwinds) the flight is very smooth. Service upstairs is perfect, conducted by an experienced all female crew.
Good news is LH has finally decided to load blankets and sweaters on those long day flights as well. For years the ladies always had to excuse that they cold not offer the beloved sun-moon-and-star blankets "because of company policy" on day flights. I dont how long the flight has to be: on the four hours FRA-CAI flight no such stuff is loaded.
Bad news and running gag: no tomato butter
Have to accept they only cater it for flights originating in FRA, same situation for the garlic bread. Most likely LH does not want the garlic smells at their home airport. Here is the lunch menu:
Hors D`ouvre
Caviar
Gravlax offered with Dill Mustard Sauce
Barbecue Cha Siew Duck served
with Plum Coulis and Vietnamese-style salad
Roasted Vegetable Terrine
(ate two, excellent)
Salad
Seasonal Greens with Bell Peppers and Olives
presented with Pepper Cream Fraiche
or Olive Oil Lemon Herb Dressing
Bread, Rolls, Toast and Butter
Entrees
Fish Medley offered with Fennel, Carrots
and Garlic Bread
(oooops: I see that now: no garlic bread from the bread basket,
and as I did not order fish I did not find it ...)
Roasted Breast of Duck
with Parsnip Puree and Snow Peas
Grilled Tenderloin of Beef
presented with Green Peppercorn Sauce
and Potatoes au Gratain
(superb !!! FA also agreed to save me one steak for dinner,
she just offered it to me right now but I cannot eat anymore)
Buddha-style stir-fried Vegetables
and braised E-Fu Noodles
Cheese and Dessert
International Cheese
Emmental, Brie, Danish Blue and Chaumes Cheese
(I recommend never to order cheese catered in Asia, always tastes
like dead supermarket industrial cheese)
Marble Cheesecake
Pine Nut Tart with Figs
Fine Chocolates
After dinner, I just continued drinking the wine and ate the desserts while watching the movies, one each after one hour pause. They also offer you some sandwiches and pastries, and of course the left-over chocolates.
I always hate pressing the FA call button if I need something more to drink or to eat, so I either wait or go to the galley instead. Today, the FA actively suggested to use the call button, because "it is more convenient". Yes, it is, I will do this much more in future
By the way, after the four F flights in the past three days I am more and more convinced of the "Motzenbäcker Riesling". Also, for red wines, LH finally adapted me to their "house" Bordeaux from Chateau Belgrave which they offer since years alternating with the Lynch-Bages.
After six hours of relaxing LH requires you to eat the following dinner menu:
Hors d`Ouvre
Roasted Pork offered with Guacamole
Smoked Salmon
served with Cucumber and Onion Salad
and Horseradish Sauce
Bread, Rolls and Butter
Entrees
Walnut crusted Breast of Chicken au Jus
accompanied by mashed dried Tomatoes
and sauteed Spinach
Steamed Sole enhanced by Hot Plum Coulis,
Buddha-Style Vegetables and steamed Rice
German-style Stew
Dessert
Fresh Fruit Salad
Crepes Suzette accented by Orange Sauce
Only thing missing now is a nice cigar ... dont think they will allow me to smoke one now
I remember having done that after dinner about ten years ago in an otherwise empty F class in the upperdeck of a 747-200 with a fellow traveller: we just bought them from the duty free selection, it was my first cigar (and the first upgraded F flight), en route to New York. Still, they always announced "Please refrain from smoking pipes and cigars" but who cares if the upperdeck is all yours. Today, after being used to smoke-free cabins I would complain about everybody who would just smoke a cigarette five rows back ... Before landing, I decided to allow myself another glass of good-bye Riesling (I will write my thanks to Mr Del Monego for selecting this wine). There was no more diet coke available on the entire plane, this is something that, by the way, frequently happens at LH -- so the FA suggested to drink the wine instead, good replacement.
Bye now to my dear readers, I have to switch the PC off for landing now and then hurry to my office (nice at a Sunday night), because unfortunately I have to finance my snob life all by myself and that sometimes requires night working.
The crew offered me to take a bottle of Chateau Belgrave home, thank-you LH, I will be back soon.
Mar 9, 2003, 12:06 pm
#11
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
You could be drinking Lynch-Bages (CX still serves it). LH does have fine service in F (sometimes very fine, depending on the crew and the luck in provisioning), but still I would pick CX for the extra comfort. LH has a lot of improving to do to match the standard that CX sets.
Mar 9, 2003, 1:23 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
number_6, i have done the same trip on CX twice, and i admit they are great, but both airlines habe their advantages and their disadvantages. i would not say they are better, but, if they are, then only slightly. but i think this is the wrong place for a long comparison.
i just do not have the choice because if you live in FRA then star alliance is your logical choice, really.
regarding the chateau belgrave, yes, i know it is not "the" grand cru, we are selling the 98 in our own online store for 24,50 euro. but it is nice to drink ...
i just do not have the choice because if you live in FRA then star alliance is your logical choice, really.
regarding the chateau belgrave, yes, i know it is not "the" grand cru, we are selling the 98 in our own online store for 24,50 euro. but it is nice to drink ...
Mar 9, 2003, 1:55 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Hong Kong, SAR
Programs: CX MPO GO, HH GO, SPG, GO
Posts: 113
Great report, Thanks!
We normally book our clients who come to visit our Shenzhen offices (who don't want to travel through Hong Kong) on the SQ to Guangzhou, then a Limo from the airport to Shenzhen. Other airlines also fly to GZ.
The immigration procedure in GZ is much better than the border between HK and China, which can really depend on the time of day, season, weather etc.
We normally book our clients who come to visit our Shenzhen offices (who don't want to travel through Hong Kong) on the SQ to Guangzhou, then a Limo from the airport to Shenzhen. Other airlines also fly to GZ.
The immigration procedure in GZ is much better than the border between HK and China, which can really depend on the time of day, season, weather etc.
Mar 9, 2003, 1:59 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
chinacom,
this is very interesting!
i cannot go directly to GZ from Germany, but can connect in SIN. just dont know it this is good enough for just a daytip, i must check the schedules. how long does the limo take from GZ to shenzhen downtown?
this is very interesting!
i cannot go directly to GZ from Germany, but can connect in SIN. just dont know it this is good enough for just a daytip, i must check the schedules. how long does the limo take from GZ to shenzhen downtown?