Swanhunter

Following the trend of reality television, I thought I would try and post an as-it-happens trip report of my OneWorld Explorer antics over the next 2 weeks. Hopefully it will get good ratings – and all feedback/questions are welcome!

I travel out to Asia from the UK every 6 weeks of so, and I use the OW explorer tickets when the itinerary is fairly involved as they are invariably better value than our corporate fares with CX and BA. The benefit I normally fail to mention is the opportunity to indulge in a little RTW abuse on the way. The itinerary is:

LHR – HEL – FRA - SIN – HKG – ICN – HKG – BKK – HKG – LAX – DFW – SJU – MIA – ORD – LAX – MIA –MAD and on to a nested MAD – LHR ticket.

I will then finish off MAD – CAI – LHR early in the New Year! With that in mind, here is the health warning: Some of the following trip report may not be suitable for children, small animals and anyone of a nervous disposition.

19 October 2003

The alarm sounds at 7.15. For a weekend this is VERY early. There are many clean living people who would be up enjoying an early morning jog at this time on a Sunday. Me? I prefer staying in bed until at least 11. The pain of the early start is compounded by an epic hangover induced by a dinner party/card school that saw me get home at 3am having drunk my own body weight in red wine and port. Thankfully I had packed before going out, avoiding the horrible shock of arriving in Singapore to find I had no shirts and only left footed shoes.

The minicab turned up on time at 7.45. I only live 10 minutes from Paddington so I didn’t have to endure too much gibbering from the cab driver, fortunate as I was feeling really rather rough. I arrived at Paddington in plenty of time for the 8.10 Heathrow Express and collapsed into the nearest First class carriage, thanking God once again for the free upgrade my BAA Visa card grants me. It may only be 15 minutes but the peace and quiet was great for nursing my sore head.

BA6032 (codeshare with AY832)
10:20 LHR – HEL
A321-200
Seat 2A

Both the HEX and Terminal 1 were fairly busy this morning. The bmi queues were short, but the BA Y class queues were chunky. Courtesy of a J class ticket and my BA Gold card I could skip all this and roll my case down the corridor to BA’s brand new Premium check in area – in Zone R. This opened only 2 weeks ago and is dedicated to First, Club and Gold/Silver cardholders. Being BA, there is virtually no mention of other OW cardholders, save for an emerald and sapphire sticker on the board outside. The facility is very smart, with 2 wardens keeping the proles out and directing the special people (i.e. me) to the right desk. As the only options were Club Europe or Gold/Silver this wasn’t difficult, but at least they cracked a smile and a good morning.. The First class section is still being finished off but the walnut burr walls look promising! There is also a separate ticket desk, a Travelex branch and premium toilets too!

The agent was a bit bemused by my itinerary and really couldn’t get her head around why I was going to SIN via Finland and Germany. Perhaps she had been out last night too? Thankfully, she managed to get my bags through checked but could only issue BP’s for the first 2 segments. I’d have to go to the FRA transfer desk for the FRA – SIN segment.

There is also a separate Premium security line, which most unusually for T 1 does not feature a queue. Hopefully this will take a bit of pressure off central search, as the queues get quite nasty there. A big plus of this arrangement is that you can use the Premium line if you have status but are travelling Y – an improvement over the old Fastrack arrangement.

Non British readers may not be aware, but BAA (British Airports Authority) seem to review their primary mission to be the World’s Best operator of shopping centres, hence why the line ejects you into the main Duty Free shop. I was easily able to resist the allure of the perfume stalls and staggered into the building site that passes for a BA Terraces lounge in T1. The new facility here seems to be coming on (slowly) though no new sections have opened yet. The lounge was really busy (connecting pax from the US and Asia I imagine) and the standard Terraces fare was on offer. I do wish BA would offer a little more food – apples and olives are not what I want at 9am (especially with a hangover). I can’t wait for the F lounge to open – and the bacon baguettes that come with it!

That completes the first instalment – the next will come from the Schengen lounge at HEL!

Uli

wish you a good flight!

Swanhunter

Thanks Uli!

Now in the quite lovely Finnair longhaul business class lounge at Helsinki after a very competent flight.

We boarded through Gate 25 at Heathrow - a bit of walk from the lounge but far preferable to the Europier! BAA have introduced a new secondary security check point just before Gate 25, and I was the lucky receipient of the full pat down, hand search and swab procedure. This took about 5 minutes, by which time boarding had started. I quietly joined the line which took forever.

On board there was a polite greeting from the purser before I threw my stuff in the overhead and settled down. I had my seat chaged to 3F so I had no-one next to me (anti-social I know). Out came the newspapers as I tried to re-create a normal Sunday at home. We pushed back on time and took a long tour of Heathrow all the way to 9R, passing the usual galaxy of planes along the way. After a longish hold we were off - given it's size the A321 is pretty sprightly off the runway.

The load was about 3/4 in Business, 5 rows of 2-3 convertible seating. The seats are reasonably comfortable with that little bit ofd extra width. The seat covers are a soothing blue colour and are NOT leather, making them far more comfortable than BA's Club Europe seats.


Aperitifs were offered (water for me) along with a rather dubious packet of crackers. Lunch came along about 20 minutes later. It was served on one tray, rather cool transparent cutlery but sadly no linens. For the menu aficoniados, here it is

Salmon, Prawn and Dill Salad (small, but very tasty(
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Beef Steak with Potatoes and Red Cabbage (good steak ,soggy potatoes.....and cabbage...uggghhh)
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Chocolate Cake (was tiny, wouldn't have been enough for a 2 year old. Tasted good though(
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Plastic Cheese (I passed)

The usual bar selection was on offer along with Joseph Perrier Champagne and a red and white wine. A nice selection of bread also did the rounds. The service was cordial, efficient and polite - not disimilar to Finland. Nothing was a problem but there was no over the top service either.

I managed to finish ploughing through the Sunday Times just before ToD. The outside camera was swtiched on for us to watch the landing at Helsinki Vantaa - and a fine landing it was too! We disembarked through 4L onto a bus to take us to the non-Schengen area of the terminal to clear immigration. An MD-11 from Shanghai had arrived before us so the queues were huge. I went to hide in the lounge instead.

Time to fly to FRA - more later!

Alinlondon

Hows your hangover?

RTW4

Great report. I also have done a trip report as it "evolves." Please keep us informed as you progress.

pallensf

I enjoy reading these reports in sections...yeah!

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Patrick A. Inouye, LMT
volunteer trip reports moderator

Swanhunter

I've now arrived in Singapore, with quite a lot of catching up to do. As the QF lounge at FRA lacked any sort of Internet connection, I'll need to type everything up over the next couple of days. Thankfully, my hangover has gone (thanks for asking!).

AY825
17:00 HEL - FRA 19/10/03
J Class, Seat 1A

Boarding was a painless process. The gate lounge was no more than half full and as we started on time everything was set for an on time departure. The crew on this leg seemed a bit more smilely and relaxed - the rather lovely lady serving the J class cabin was charm personified.

The load was very light - 5 pax out of 4 rows so I had all of row 1 to myself. Like all bulkhead seatsw it benefits from not having anyone recline in to you, but is a little restricted when it comes to leg room.

Papers were brought round before take off - i still had the Independent to read so I was happy to pass on the German and Finnish offerings! Service took the same form as a before with aperitifs and then dinner. Here is the offering:

Cold Venison and Cranberry Salad (fab - though not to everyones taste)

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Pike with a white wine sauce and shredded vegetables (tasty, meaty fish with a good sauce. Veggies were VERY soggy though)

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A slice of dubious looking cake and aerosol cream (I passed on this)

The lovely ldy then kept passing through the cabin topping up the drinks - and I felt brave enough to get get stuck in to the champagne, whcih was not bad at all. The rest of the flight passed without event, save for a spectacular pass over Frankfurt and the airport on the base leg before turning to land. A long taxi past a variety of exotica and we pitched up at Terminal 2.

JohnG

Great reading,Cheers Swanhunter ! Highly enjoyable !!

One thing I havent figured out though, is this a holiday? biz. trip ? mileage run ?

iwareboy

Could you tell us how much you paid for the whole thing? I'm thinking of doing a similar trip myself.

Swanhunter

In response to the questions:

JohnG - this is business in Asia and Cairo, the US sectors are pure RTW abuse/mileage running.

iwareboy - total cost including 1 extra sector in Asia plus taxes is just under GBP4000 - about USD6200. RTW prices are expensive in the UK (but I have to buy them there to comply with corporate policy), Cairo is much cheaper. The OneWorld board on FT has loads of information and helpful people.

On with the trip.

In summary, Finnair are a good solid airline. There are few flourishes, but they deliver a quality product, consistently and without fuss. I have flown them around 10 times and haven't been disappointed yet. Also, their hub airport at Helsinki is one of the nicest and most user friendly in the world, and proves that Scandinavian design extends beyond Ikea!

Arriving in FRA soon dispelled any sense of contentment. After wandering up and down T2, I found out that there is NO airside transfer facility! You have to go landside and check in again. As the QF check in desk doesn't open until 8am, I had over an hour to fritter away - rather than quality time with my laptop in the lounge I was stuck in the foodcourt listening to kids screaming in the play area. Frustrating.

Amazingly, at 8pm a huge queue had built up in the concourse for the QF desks. All bags have to be x-rayed before you can checkin, hence the queue. I played rough and queue jumped, on the basis that I had no bags to be x-rayed. This caused some annoyed tutting but what the hell. I find it bizarre that airlines provide a multitude of check desks by class and status, but force everyone to wait in the same line to get access to them! Check in was rapid and I was issued wth an invitation to the Delta Crown Room Club – I suppose the BA lounge is not large enough to hold 70+ J class pax plus sundry other status holders.

QF006 19/19/03
23:55 FRA - SIN
747-400
J Class Seat 17J

After the central search, there is a second secutiry area for the BA/QF/DL flights. I passed through this, nly to find out that I would to be screened again after visiting the lounge. So, what of the lounge? This is my first time inside anything branded Delta as I was midly impressed. It’s a bright airy space, plus a great quiet zone tucked away in a corner. The spirits selection was acceptable, plus German beer availble and small range of soft drinks. Snacks were bit lacking – only peanuts and snack mix. These were bolstered later on with some sausages and pastries.

Boarding time ticked around and I joined a large crowd in the gate area. The agent commented that they were almost full – and I could believe it. There must have been nigh on 400 people milling around – leaving pleny of scope for an interesting 15 minutes people watching. Business class and OW elites were called and I scarpered down the stairs, along the airbridge and up the stairs to 17J. I had opted for an aisle seat on this sector as while the QF Dreamtime seat is comfortable, the seat ptich is only 48”, making the window seat quite cramped. The seat fabric is quite dull, but teamed with red or blue matching anti-macassars, cushions and pillows the cabin looked quite smart.

The upper deck filled up quickly and the crew were engaged in preflight flights drinks (champagne, water, OJ), dealing with coats and the usual preposterous roll on luggage that people seem obsessed with bringing on board. The atmosphere on board was much like a charter flights – lots of couples on holiday for whom business calss was a novelty, juding by the amount of playing with seats that was going on. Once we were all on and the doors seecured, amenity kits and menus were distributed. The amenity kits are quite smart, with the usual stuff plus a brumatiseur - one of my favourite toys! I was still playing with this as we rumbled down the runway and took to the air for our 12 hour flight to Singapore.

Drinks were served after take off and the supper service commenced – here is the transcript:

Green Leaf Salad with Feta and Cucumber (came with a rosemary and olive oil dressing – the salad looked a bit sad)

Main Courses

Lamb loin with Polenta and Tomato, Eggplant and Olive Sauce

Caper Crusted Sea Bass with Potato Gratin and Aspargus

Chicken, Leek and Pasta Soup with Lemon (not bad but needed a little extra zing)

Dessert

Selection of Cheese

Strawberry and Vanilla Ice Cream with Raspberry Sauce

Silved Fresh Fruit

Chocolates

QF don’t give out a wine list, (and I didn’t try any), but suffice to say there was a red and white and they were Australian! The Champage was Charles Heidseick Mis En Cave 1997 which was heavy on the citrus – a bit too young.

Dinner was served by the Customer Services Manager and one of the Upper Deck FA’s – the other was sent below to help out in Economy. By the point the service had finished I was exhausted, and sleep soon followed. I was able to get fairly comfortable, but the lack of seat pitch meant I could feel the seat in front pressing in to me when it reclined.

Swanhunter

7.5 hours sleep later it was almost time for breakfast. I was surprised that most people were up and about – on a LHR – SIN flight pax normally have to be woken up for brekkers. So, what’s on the menu?

Orange Juice, Apple Juice or Mango Energiser Drink (love these – though the rest of the world calls them smoothies)

Fruit Salad with Yogurt (or without as I prefer – still nice and fresh if a bit small

Warm Bakery Items (including toast which actually tasted O.K!)

Bircher Museli

Charcuterie and Cheese served with Rye Bread

Scrambled Eggs with Sauteed Mushrooms and Bacon (only one rasher of decent bacon and too much egg, nice though it was. Could have done with a sausage too)

FWIW, refreshment were also available during the flight – a design your own toasted sandwich along with fruit, chocolate, cheese and biscuits.

All the meals were plated up on pure white china before serving, giving a really attractive bistro style feel to the service. Combined with blue linens, a good look. I always find it disappointing to get casserole dish service on a long haul business class flight.

I had a little play around the comprehensive IFE system. While not offering AVOD (Audii Visual on Demand), there is a good range of movies and shorts plus games too. The system seems very similar to that offered by ANA and can be viewed on a huge 10 inch screen located in the arm of the seat.

Amazingly we were 30 minutes early into SIN – very welcome. All in all a competent performance from QF – let down by the seats. With the new J class seat on its way, it will be thoroughly professional performance. Changi was as efficient as usual and I was in the baggage hall in a few minutes. There I waited as bags came on the belt, more bags, more bags….and the end of the flight! Eeek, my first lost bag in over 2 years. With a sinking heart I headed off to the SATS baggage desk. Handing over my tag to the agent she tapped away and then looked up with smile on her face. ‘No problem Mr Swanhunter, your bag has just arrived on AY097 on Belt 23. Not daring to believe this, I sprinted from the office. As I arrived at the bel, I could have sworn the sun broke through and shone on my trusty Samonsite, with angels playing in the background as it swung round the corner right in front of me! Saved! It was all plane sailing after this to my hotel.

Sheraton Towers Singapore

As part of the trip I was ue to accumulate enough stays to qualify for SPG Platinum – this would be 22 out of the necessary 25. I’ve stayed here about 8 times this year and was gratified to be welcomed with a cheery ‘good to see you again Mr Swanhunter’ as I stepped out of the taxi. Nice touch – I have no idea how the bellboy does it, but I am impressed. Check in was swift and it is nice to see the hotel full again after the travials of the earlier part of the year.

My room was the standard fare at the this hotel – well put together with lovely Frette bed linin, though sadly the Molton Brown toiletries are gone. For the first time ever my room looked out over Scott Road rather than the pool, but other than that it was identical to every other room in the hotel I have ever stayed in. A thoughtful touch was a bowl of fruit and a note from the GM welcoming me back. After a couple of hours work and some satay at Lau Pa Sat, it was time for bed and an bust day.

Inspite of the hotel being full, I was able to get a 4pm checkout without any fuss – enabling me to get changed before heading off to Changi again. Another fast taxi and it was time for….

CX716 20/10/03
17:20 SIN – HKG
747-400
J Class Seat 82K

Irritatingly, we had to have our bags screened before check in, though thakfully the queue was not too long despite several tour groups milling around. There was only one agent working the F/J desks so it took a few minutes to get checked in. She was very apologetic when I got there. BP issued swift and my bags tagged up as First Class for the hop to Hong Kong. I was also issued an invite for the CX lounge, but I was happy to pass on this for the delights of the BA/QF F lounge instead! The CX lounge is fine if you like green, plus the snacks are pretty good. However, it is a design free zone and lacks any form of Internet connectivity – the F lounge both looks pretty and has PC’s!

Having said that, the champagne seemed to have done a runner from the F lounge, encouraging me to do some work rather than boozing it up. Ploughing through spreadsheets ensured the time went quickly, so it was off to gate D41 for boarding.

I love Changi airport – it is stunningly efficient with one huge exception – the absence of any form of central search. As a result, almost any widebody flight generates a vast queue outside the gate lounge as everyone is screened there, and there is no queue jumping for those of us with delusions of grandeur. Boarding had long since kicked off by the time I got through, so I wandered straight on and up the stairs. The usual CX welcome perked me up and I settled down in 82K on this New Business Class equipped 747-400. My seatmat was already there, stressing on the phone about his HK I.D card. While trying not to listen, I settled down to read the South China Morning Post.. I wasn’t terrible successful, as preflight drinks were distributed (the usual champers, OJ, water plus carrot juice!), alond with menus, post take off drink orders, blankets etc. CX service really is quite special! After pushback we sat through the no-nonsense safety video (none of that SQ corniness) and then rumbled off into the sky.

Swanhunter

After post take drinks – I had champagne (spot an trand yet?) – dinner was served. Here is the menu:

Seasonal Salad served with French Dressing (it was a salad –fine, but a salad)

Shaved Smoked Duck Breast with Duck Liver Mousse and Berries

Poached Chicken Hainese Style with Rice, Pak Choy and Chilli Sauce ( good chicken and sauce, chilli sauce provided a welcome kick to the bland pak choy)

Or

Braised Beef in red Wine Sauce, Creamy Polenta and Oven Roasted Vegetables

Or

Penne Pasta with Prawns in Garlic anf Tomato Sauce

Cheese Board

Seasonal Fruits (all fresh and juicy – very nice)

Missippi Mud Pie (surprisingly good, I enjoyed that!)

Bread (including garlic bread – great!)

And the wine list

Billecart Salmon Brut Champagne (very light and fresh – also still very good in the air where over NV champagnes get too fizzy and sharp)

Louis Max Pouilly Vincelles 2000

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Chardonnay 2001

Louis Max Mercurey Domaine La Marche 1999 (I am quite fond of this – a very simple Burgundy with bags of flavour)

Chateau Haut-Vignoble Seguin, Saint Estephe 2000

All served with the usual Cathay pananche – the crew seem to work extra hard to get the meal service done. What’s most gratifying is that any request is pleasure for them to fulfill rather than just another chore from a pain in the arse customer – and that is an airline wide attitude. Great to have all metal cutlery to play with too.

As I mentioned before, this aircraft is fitted with NBC. While the new seats have had some -deserved - criticsm for sleeping on, they offer a great deal of flexibility and comfort for lounging on. The ambience is enhanced by the funky mood lights on the bulkhead that gradually change colour – very groovy! Perhaps CX could consider lava lamps in the lavs as the next step? Talking of the lavs, 2 were out of order in the main deck cabin, causing a bit of a queue to form. Rather than just leave you waiting (as most airlines would do), the crew checked with the F class team and sent me down to use the front cabin lavs by door 1L. A nice thoughtful touch. And they didn’t even search me to ensure I hadn’t nicked anything after….!

I treated myself to a movie (Terminator I think) from the comprehensive selection on Studi CX. It’s a great IFE system, with the exception of the games which could really do with bolstering –I suggest Backgammon and Tetris as a starting point. As the movie finished we were on our descent into HK. A nice straight in approach without any ATC delays saw us arrive at Gate 1 right on time, and very close by for immigration. It was good to be back with CX again – another excellent flight re-inforcing their position in my mind as Number 1.

The happy vibe soon floated away when I saw the size of the queue at immigration. Somehow, HK seem incapable of manning their checkpoints to prevent queues building up. Now I know 10 minutes is nothing by the standards of LAX or MIA, but HKG is a proper airport and really could do better. If they really want to be better than SIN – this is a big area for focus. Once through my bag was already doing circles in the reclaim area – it’s liberal covering with stickers and tags attracting attention from the HK tour group gathered around the carousel.

The Airport Express is a great deal at HKD160 return to Kowloon , and gets you there in under 20 minutes – super efficient. Another 10 minutes in a cab with a totally lunatic driver saw me dropped off at my hotel, the…

Hong Kong Sheraton Hotel & Towers

Arriving here is a little odd as I always expect to walk into reception, briefly forgetting it’s up one floor. The lobby was pretty busy – from the tone of the conversation it seems one of the endless stream of trade fairs was on in town. Check in was brisk and I was pleasantly surprised to receive an upgrade to a one bedroom suite! I guess the fact I was paying nearly double my normal rate had a lot to do with that.

The suite looked out over the courtyard, and was decorated in the new colour scheme, lots of browns and beiges with plenty of wood, leather and suede. It looks very smart now, but I fear it will date quite quickly. The living room had a huge Sony T.V, sofa and armchair to complement the desk and chair. The bedroom was a decent size with a king size bed, another TV and plenty of wardrobe space. The bathrooms are kitted out with the fun dual head shower and funky see through basins. A nice room and a nice surprise – just a pity that the business centre was busy all night to my frustration.

After a breakfast meeting and an hour pounding the keys at the hotel, it was time to check out and take flight 5 of the trip, onwards to Seoul.

CX 418 22/10/03
14:20 HKG – ICN
A330-200
J class Seat 14K

I always enjoy the Aiport Express ride to Chep Lap Kok in daytime. You get to see such a diverse view of HK in the space of 20 minutes – my personal favourite being the chance to see the world’s largest indistrial building, which is part of the port complex. For a change, and as I had a fair bit of time I thought I would use the airport check in rather than the excellent in town facility. If the truth be told, it’s because I enjoy walking over to the exclusive little F class enclave! What a snob!

The airport was very quiet and I was the only passenger checking in at this point. I asked politely about having the seat next door blocked out – and was informed this had alreadybeen done. A very nice touch from CX. Having filled in another heath declaration I joined another immigration queue. Really frustrating, though you can speed things up by playing ‘avoid the mainland Chinese traveller’ game. Their paperwork seems to take 3 times as long to complete, slowing the queue right down. The 418 was operating from Gate 61, so I headed straight for the Pier, passing by the delights of the Wing. No great loss as the Pier is pretty wonderful too. It just means using that blasted shuttle train and winding up and down multiple escalators. I noticed that the shopping area seems to be expanding in by Gate 1 – quite a major piece of engineering going on.

The F class side of the Pier was totally empty when I got there, always a nice experience. Sadly, the internet connection was really creaky.I ordered some OJ from the waiter, and a cold towel came with my order – a nice touch. I got wound up after half an hour of my email crashing repeatedly and sat and read the paper until the buffet opened. The usual spread of Peninsula chef created delights were on display and the dim sum was good and fresh (and accompanied by a cold towel). A bit odd to have the chef fussing over you every time I went up for more. A relaxing glass of champagne made for a very enjoyable digestif (with another towel), and by the time I left the lounge the occupancy was up to 4 people.

Boarding had already started at gate 61. There was a short queue for Y class, but I went straight through the separate J class gate. I really like the split gate arrangement – very usefriendly. The Inflight Service Manager greeted me at Door 1L and I was ushered to my seat. The A330 is laid out 2-2-2 in regional Business Class layout with a 45” ptich. The seats used are identical (more or less) to the old long haul business class – very comfortable for a 3 hour hop, even more so with only a 30% load. Y was a little more full – but only a bit.

This flight hit the usual CX standard -nothing remarkable in any way – just the usual competent performance with an on time arrival and departure and polished service in between. Here is the menu:

Seasonal Salad served with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing (wow, another salad)

Marinated Prawn Salad with Antipasti Vegetable (juicy, fresh garlickky prawns, but a little greasy)

Pan Fried Beef Fillet with Tomato and Onion Sauce, Egg Fried Rice and Choy Sum

Or

Roasted Seabass with Bulgogi Sauce, Steamed Rice and Chinese Cabbage and Hot Bean Sauce (a fantastic piece of fish – very fresh and succulent. The hot bean sauce was pretty nice too)

Or

Garganelli with Olive, Caper and Tomato Sauce

Cheese Board

Fresh Fruits

Ice Cream (cookes and cream only….no chocolate L)

Assorted Bread and Rolls

For a change I spent a happy hour listening to Annie Nighingales Dancescape audio programme, which took me back a few years to when I went clubbing on a regular basis! After a little more reading (and some champagne), we witnessed a glorious sunet over the White Sea as we started our descent into the glittering palace that is Incheon airport.

mad_atta

This is a great report - keep it coming!

I couldn't agree more about Billecart-Salmon champagne - my all-round favourite NV champagne, and fantastic value compared to other vastly inferior brands like Moet.

Swanhunter

Arriving at Incheon quickly brings home the geo-political knife-edge Korea exists on. Rather than a standard perimeter track, the construction more closely resembles that late Berlin Wall – and well it might with the 38th parallel less than 100 km away and North Korea a real threat. The atmosphere inside the terminal was distinctly less hostile, and immigration was a breeze, with another pretty coloured stamp added to my 2 year old and very full 48 page passport. Another one of those bag-on-the-belt-right-as-I-walk-up moments meant I was out in about 10 minutes. I paused to pick up a rental mobile phone (a bargain 3000won per day) due to Korea using some dubious non-GSM technology. I had arranged a car to pick me up from the airport through the Westin Chosun. Over and above the transfer, they also offer an express in car check in. Basically, your folio, key card and registration document are all pre-prepared for you when you get in the car. You just have to sign and go straight to your room on arrival. As I has reserved through spg.com, the hotel already had all my details. The journey took a shade under an hour from the airport to the Westin, in a very comfortable Hyundai limo.

Westin Chosun, Seoul

With no hanging around at reception, I went straight up to the 10th floor to check out the room. I had a reservation for the Executive Floor and was upgraded to an Executive Office room – a bonus as it has an in-room desktop P.C and printer. No business center fuss – great! The rooms are reasonably generously sized with full-length windows and a décor scheme of elm and beige. Very soothing and restful, and less overtly modern that the HK Sheraton rooms. Add in a well-stocked bathroom with funky sink and a Heavenly Bed and you have a very pleasing living, working and sleeping environment. A pity about the room service prices though – some USD12 for a sandwich!

I had 2 very productive days work, coupled with some fantastic Korean food (I love kimchi and galbi – my hosts paid me the great compliment of saying I must be half Korean). On Friday night I settled down to finish off my notes and watch the Concorde farewell coverage. There is not much I can say that hasn’t been said already, but it was very strange to watch the celebration at my home airport.

Up early the following morning to catch the 7.35 limo bus back to Incheon. I had decided the travel budget has taken too much of a pounding with the limo transfer to the airport so I thought I would try the alternative. At a tenth of the price, and the same journey time, it was a good call. The seating is 2+1, with a 40” pitch and closely resembles US domestic First class seats. A very civilized trip to the airport indeed. Just one word of warning – it does seem to get very busy. I was the only passenger who could get on at the Westin, amazing for early Saturday morning.

So, here we are at ICN, ready for the….

CX417 25/10/03
10:30 ICN – HKG
777-300
J class 14K
After getting rid of my hired mobile, I sauntered over to the CX check in desk. A very friendly CX agent issued me with BP’s to HKG and then on to BKK and both sets of lounge invitations. The passenger at the next desk seemed to be having some issues with his seat assignment and had totally lost his temper. Never a good idea anywhere, especially not in Asia!

Having said that, getting through security and immigration almost saw me loose my rag. It took almost 45 minutes – the queues were horrible with people being pulled out for both SQ and the earlier CX flight. Nasty.

I tucked in to a refreshing glass of water in the lounge – well 9.30 is too early for booze, even by my louche standards. The CX lounge is fitted out in mini-Pier style, with the very similar materials used and a similar ambience created. As well as the usual drinks and snacks selection, it also has no less than 8P.C’s. Sadly, 3 weren’t working, and neither was the printer. Something very odd had been done to the Internet browser set up too. I was trying to type up this section and paste into Flyertalk, but it wouldn’t let me. Hotmail wasn’t working and there was no floppy disk drive – so I ended up loosing all my work. B@stards. I also had the weirdest page to the front desk. Security wanted the combination to my suitcase, as there was ‘an aerosol’ in it. I unhappily handed the number over, as I was told I could NOT go any watch the search process. I don’t like people playing with bags without me being there. Given that I’ve taken over 80 flights this year and have had no problems until now, I was a bit shocked. I just hope my Samsonite shows up in BKK!

Uli

disagree !! -- depends on the situation!

but i agree with your opinion about T2 in FRA. the architecture is great, but the functionality is sub-standard. take a flight to AMS on KL or LHR on BA in the morning and try to find a coffee place after the security screening. "bar opens after 11:30 am".