Parts 3&5: CX 385/384 (HKG-DPS) in J with Pictures
Sep 4, 2003, 5:26 pm
#1
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Parts 3&5: CX 385/384 (HKG-DPS) in J with Pictures
This is the third and fifth of several trip reports that I will post regarding my trip to BALI from Toronto . I am going to write this in installments. Each installments will represent a segment of the trip excluding the AC segment which was short and uneventful.
My Itinerary is as follows:
YYZ-LGA-JFK-ICN-HKG-DPS on AC (J), OZ (F), CX (J)
Return:
DPS-HKG-ORD-LGA-YYZ on CX (J), UA (F), AC (J)
Part 1: New York-Seoul on Asiana - First Class
Part 2t: Seoul-Hong Kong - Aisiana Airlines - First Class
Part 3: Hong Kong- Bali - Cathay Pacific - Business Class
Part 4t: BALI highlights
Part 5: Hong KONG Highlights
Part 6: Hong Kong-Chicago - United - First Class
The 1st and 2nd segments can be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003972.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003977.html
Review of Third Segment:
Flight: CX flight 785
Route: HKG-DPS
Aircraft Type: 777
Class: Business Class
Departure: September 1, 2003 (Monday) 10:05
Arrival: September 1, 2003 (Monday) 14:25
This is my first time flying Cathay Pacific. Pictures of the lounge and the food served are located here:
http://public.fotki.com/ACfly/air_tr..._hkg-dps_in_j/
Checked in at 0730 at the Business class section, which was rather empty. The check in agent didn’t smile and no greetings were given. It was nonetheless quick and efficient. Was given the lounge pass to either the Wing or the Pier. The Pier was closer to the gate 63. However, I chose to use the Wing, the larger of the two and was quite impressed by the staff and the layout of the lounge.
The Wing Lounge: (See pictures)
At 0730, the lounge was rather empty. There were, however, lots of staff on hand. Having had very little to eat the evening before, I was hungry. I immediately went to the noodle bar for breakfast.. I had the croissant, rice porridge and the steamed pork buns All were excellent!!
Turned on my laptop and immediately my Mac picked up the wireless network, and away I went writing my report.
At 0915h, I left the lounge for boarding at gate 63.. It was quite a long walk from the Wing. When I got to the gate, the flight was already boarding… There was a separate door for Business class passenger for entrance to the business class section…
This flight was the 777 and did not have the New Business Class seats.
Once on board, the usual pre-departure drinks, newspapers, headsets and hot towels were handed out.
I had the Cathay Delight (a drink made of coconut and mint). It was very refreshing, although a bit filling.
Lunch menu was handed out.
The wine list was as follows:
The food was OK, nothing fantastic this round!…Appetizers and Salad were served pre-plated. The FA brought a tray containing the three entrée selections so I could see what my meal looked like before deciding. I had the Duck. It was a bit overcooked and tough.
The china ware used by CX is one of the best that I have seen. I especially liked the color water tumbler glasses which came in Blue, Red and Brown.
Service was excellent! There were 4 FA’s serving the J cabin. The cabin was about 20% full on this particular flight. The FA’s constantly patrolled the cabin to fill drinks. All the female FA’s had smiles… I found it rather amazing that they were able to smile for that long… must involve a lot of practice.
IFE excellent - While the IFE was not AVOD, it had a lot of selections (latest movies, tv shows, and music)…
RATING
LOUNGE: 5/5 Excellent lounge. One o the best in the world!
BOARDING: 5/5 Had a separate door to the Business class section so no waiting was required.
FOOD: 4/5 OK, nothing fantastic.
SERVICE: 5/5 Excellent.. always checking on passenger’s needs.
SEAT: 4/5 Weren’t the new business class seats, but comfortable nonetheless.
IFE: 5/5 not AVOD, but had tones of selections.
OVERALL: 5/5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Review of Fifth Segment:
Flight: [b]CX flight 784/b]
Route: DPS-HKG
Aircraft Type: 330
Class: Business Class
Departure: September 4, 2003 (Thurs) 16:30
Arrival: September 4, 2003 (Thurs) 21:30
The return trip was very much similar to the first segment.
Checked in at 1400h at the Business class section of the airport. Check in was efficient and friendly. There were not a lot of people checking in the Business class line. I was given the lounge pass to the Premier Lounge located on the Third Floor.
The Premier Lounge:
CX along with virtually every other airlines use the Premier Lounge (See pictures). I was very impressed with the lounge! It was quite large and very nicely decorated. It also had a nice selection and display of food in a buffet format (both hot and cold). There was also a large terrace outside the lounge to watch the planes land and take-off. I checked the washroom and there was one very clean shower for those travelers wanting to wash up. The only thing I did not like about the lounge was that there was only one VERY SLOW computer that had dialed up internet access at 26,00kps… VERY SLOW!!! I gave up checking my mail because it took forever to load.
There were not a lot of folks in the lounge (I guess because there weren’t a lot of flights leaving at 1600h). What I really liked about the lounge was that they announced when flight(s) were boarding so that travelers were always informed.
This flight was the 330 and it did not have the New Business Class seats. The seats this time was older than the 777 plane that I was on in the previous segment.
The business class section was about 30% full. There were four FA’s to attend to our needs, which meant superb service.
The usual hot towels, pre-departure drinks, and assortment of newspapers were handed out.
Right after take-off, dinner service began.
The only thing different between this dinner and the lunch served in the previous segment was that it included an extra appetizer.
The wine list was exactly the same as the previous segment above.
The Food on this segment was outstanding. The Satay was amazing… the peanut sauce that it came with as to die for.. I asked for and was given seconds J
I had the curry seafood selection and it was absolutely delicious.
Although I only had half a slice of the banana cheesecake, it was very good.
RATING
LOUNGE: 4/5 Excellent selection of food and a nice view of the airport with the outdoor terrace. The only downer was the internet, which was SLOW.
BOARDING: 4/5 Was a zoo.
FOOD: 5/5 Very good.
SERVICE: 5/5 Excellent as expected.
SEAT: 4/5 Weren’t the new business class seats, but comfortable nonetheless.
IFE: 5/5 not AVOD, but had tones of selections.
OVERALL: 5/5
Next Segment review: BALI and the Four Season Jimbaran Bay
My Itinerary is as follows:
YYZ-LGA-JFK-ICN-HKG-DPS on AC (J), OZ (F), CX (J)
Return:
DPS-HKG-ORD-LGA-YYZ on CX (J), UA (F), AC (J)
Part 1: New York-Seoul on Asiana - First Class
Part 2t: Seoul-Hong Kong - Aisiana Airlines - First Class
Part 3: Hong Kong- Bali - Cathay Pacific - Business Class
Part 4t: BALI highlights
Part 5: Hong KONG Highlights
Part 6: Hong Kong-Chicago - United - First Class
The 1st and 2nd segments can be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003972.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003977.html
Review of Third Segment:
Flight: CX flight 785
Route: HKG-DPS
Aircraft Type: 777
Class: Business Class
Departure: September 1, 2003 (Monday) 10:05
Arrival: September 1, 2003 (Monday) 14:25
This is my first time flying Cathay Pacific. Pictures of the lounge and the food served are located here:
http://public.fotki.com/ACfly/air_tr..._hkg-dps_in_j/
Checked in at 0730 at the Business class section, which was rather empty. The check in agent didn’t smile and no greetings were given. It was nonetheless quick and efficient. Was given the lounge pass to either the Wing or the Pier. The Pier was closer to the gate 63. However, I chose to use the Wing, the larger of the two and was quite impressed by the staff and the layout of the lounge.
The Wing Lounge: (See pictures)
At 0730, the lounge was rather empty. There were, however, lots of staff on hand. Having had very little to eat the evening before, I was hungry. I immediately went to the noodle bar for breakfast.. I had the croissant, rice porridge and the steamed pork buns All were excellent!!
Turned on my laptop and immediately my Mac picked up the wireless network, and away I went writing my report.
At 0915h, I left the lounge for boarding at gate 63.. It was quite a long walk from the Wing. When I got to the gate, the flight was already boarding… There was a separate door for Business class passenger for entrance to the business class section…
This flight was the 777 and did not have the New Business Class seats.
Once on board, the usual pre-departure drinks, newspapers, headsets and hot towels were handed out.
I had the Cathay Delight (a drink made of coconut and mint). It was very refreshing, although a bit filling.
Lunch menu was handed out.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">LUNCH Menu
- Seasonal Salad served with Creamy Italian Dressing
- Duck Liver and Apple Terrine with Smoked Duck Breast and Berries
- Entree: Choice of
(a) Grilled Salmon with Tomato, Olive and Pepper Confit, Boiled New Potato Wedges with Parsley, and Fresh Seasonal Vegetables
or
(b) Braised Duck with Mushroom and Bamboo Shoots, Steamed Rice and Choy Sum
or
(c) Penne Pasta with Plum Tomato Sauce, Marijoram, Buffalo Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese - Cheese Board
- Fresh Seasonal Fruits
- Orange Chocolate Mousse Cake served with Raspberry Sauce
- Assorted Bread and Rolls
- Tea and Coffee
- Pralines
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">WINE LIST
- Champagne: Billecart-Salmon Brut
- White Wine: Louis Max Pouilly Vinzelles 2000
- White Wine: Jacob’s Creek Reserve Chardonnay 2001
- White Wine: McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2000
- Red Wine: Louis Max Mercurey Domaine La Marche 1999
- Red Wine: Chateau Haul-Vignoble Seguin, Saint-Estephe 2000
- Red Wine: Chateau Yon Saint Martin, Saint Emillion Grand Cru 1999
The china ware used by CX is one of the best that I have seen. I especially liked the color water tumbler glasses which came in Blue, Red and Brown.
Service was excellent! There were 4 FA’s serving the J cabin. The cabin was about 20% full on this particular flight. The FA’s constantly patrolled the cabin to fill drinks. All the female FA’s had smiles… I found it rather amazing that they were able to smile for that long… must involve a lot of practice.
IFE excellent - While the IFE was not AVOD, it had a lot of selections (latest movies, tv shows, and music)…
RATING
LOUNGE: 5/5 Excellent lounge. One o the best in the world!
BOARDING: 5/5 Had a separate door to the Business class section so no waiting was required.
FOOD: 4/5 OK, nothing fantastic.
SERVICE: 5/5 Excellent.. always checking on passenger’s needs.
SEAT: 4/5 Weren’t the new business class seats, but comfortable nonetheless.
IFE: 5/5 not AVOD, but had tones of selections.
OVERALL: 5/5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Review of Fifth Segment:
Flight: [b]CX flight 784/b]
Route: DPS-HKG
Aircraft Type: 330
Class: Business Class
Departure: September 4, 2003 (Thurs) 16:30
Arrival: September 4, 2003 (Thurs) 21:30
The return trip was very much similar to the first segment.
Checked in at 1400h at the Business class section of the airport. Check in was efficient and friendly. There were not a lot of people checking in the Business class line. I was given the lounge pass to the Premier Lounge located on the Third Floor.
The Premier Lounge:
CX along with virtually every other airlines use the Premier Lounge (See pictures). I was very impressed with the lounge! It was quite large and very nicely decorated. It also had a nice selection and display of food in a buffet format (both hot and cold). There was also a large terrace outside the lounge to watch the planes land and take-off. I checked the washroom and there was one very clean shower for those travelers wanting to wash up. The only thing I did not like about the lounge was that there was only one VERY SLOW computer that had dialed up internet access at 26,00kps… VERY SLOW!!! I gave up checking my mail because it took forever to load.
There were not a lot of folks in the lounge (I guess because there weren’t a lot of flights leaving at 1600h). What I really liked about the lounge was that they announced when flight(s) were boarding so that travelers were always informed.
This flight was the 330 and it did not have the New Business Class seats. The seats this time was older than the 777 plane that I was on in the previous segment.
The business class section was about 30% full. There were four FA’s to attend to our needs, which meant superb service.
The usual hot towels, pre-departure drinks, and assortment of newspapers were handed out.
Right after take-off, dinner service began.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">DINNER Menu
- Indonesian Style Chicken Skewer and Shrimp Cake
- Seasonal Salad served with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
- Smoked Salmon Pastrami and Grilled Zucchini, Cheese and Tomato
- Entree: Choice of
(a) Grilled Beef Fillet and Onion and Mustard Sauce, New Potato Wedges, Seasonal Mixed Vegetables
or
(b) Rich Seafood Curry, Steamed Rice and Shallots and Kaffir Leaves, Stir Fried Kailan
or
(c) Braised Chicken and Black Fungus, Steamed Rice, Choy Sum - Cheese Board
- Fresh Seasonal Fruits
- Banana Cheesecake
- Assorted Bread and Rolls
- Tea and Coffee
- Pralines
The wine list was exactly the same as the previous segment above.
The Food on this segment was outstanding. The Satay was amazing… the peanut sauce that it came with as to die for.. I asked for and was given seconds J
I had the curry seafood selection and it was absolutely delicious.
Although I only had half a slice of the banana cheesecake, it was very good.
RATING
LOUNGE: 4/5 Excellent selection of food and a nice view of the airport with the outdoor terrace. The only downer was the internet, which was SLOW.
BOARDING: 4/5 Was a zoo.
FOOD: 5/5 Very good.
SERVICE: 5/5 Excellent as expected.
SEAT: 4/5 Weren’t the new business class seats, but comfortable nonetheless.
IFE: 5/5 not AVOD, but had tones of selections.
OVERALL: 5/5
Next Segment review: BALI and the Four Season Jimbaran Bay
Last edited by ACfly; Jun 4, 2006 at 2:50 am
Sep 5, 2003, 10:43 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,562
Glad you enjoyed these flights. I knew that you were going to like the Premier Lounge in DPS.
These are great reports. Thanks for posting them.
[This message has been edited by PresRDC (edited 09-05-2003).]
These are great reports. Thanks for posting them.
[This message has been edited by PresRDC (edited 09-05-2003).]
These have been great reports - really fun to read! Thanks!
Sep 5, 2003, 2:45 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,348
Thanks for the excellent report on CX!
CX J class is pretty nice, and I like the additional appetizer service on the DPS to HKG flight.
I personally like the A330 (2-2-2 J seating) better than Boeing 777-300 (2-3-2), but some of the older A330s need some updates on the cabin.
Thanks for the wonderful pictures!
Carfield
CX J class is pretty nice, and I like the additional appetizer service on the DPS to HKG flight.
I personally like the A330 (2-2-2 J seating) better than Boeing 777-300 (2-3-2), but some of the older A330s need some updates on the cabin.
Thanks for the wonderful pictures!
Carfield
Sep 6, 2003, 11:50 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: The World! Home Base = DCA/IAD
Programs: HHonors, Hyatt GP, Marriott, Varying Levels w/ UA /AF /DL /SQ /AA
Posts: 2,666
These reports are simply terrific.
I especially loved the pics. of the Bali lounge - I used it for the first time in May 2001, and was effusive in my praise to the staff there. It had opened only recently, and they seemed very proud of it. It was a great replacement for the old lounge used by many carriers that was downstairs (dungeonlike, really).
Will
I especially loved the pics. of the Bali lounge - I used it for the first time in May 2001, and was effusive in my praise to the staff there. It had opened only recently, and they seemed very proud of it. It was a great replacement for the old lounge used by many carriers that was downstairs (dungeonlike, really).
Will