Cathay Pacific First Class, SYD-HKG, A340-600
Jan 30, 2004, 6:14 am
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Join Date: Jan 2003
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Cathay Pacific First Class, SYD-HKG, A340-600
Flight: CX100
Sector: SYD-HKG
Aircraft: A340-600, B-HQA
Departure gate: 24
The departure time for CX100 is 4:10pm, so I figured I’d play it safe and have lunch at the airport after checking in. I arrived just shy of one o’clock and walked what seemed like and probably was three-quarters of the check-in hall to reach the CX check-in zone which seems to be as far away from the departures entrance as the airport authorities could make it without actually putting it in Botany Bay. Unfortunately, the sight that greeted me at zone A was a row of empty desks, blank screens and a group of CX signage clustered all alone by the service desk. Muffling a growl of frustration and undoubtedly failing miserably judging by the strange looks I got from a set of travellers perched patiently near A for check-in to open, I decided to cut my losses and headed back to try and find a decent place to eat.
Thus fortified, I began the long trek back down to check-in, which had now opened but was almost as deserted as it was on my first visit. The queue for First Class was non-existent but there was a little wait as the agent at the desk finished processing her current set. Check-in was easy and efficient; a simple printing of boarding pass, lounge invite and baggage tag plus the usual “have you packed any sharp items, bombs, long-range missiles or leaking radioactive waste in your bags” questions. Documents in hand, I was sent on my merry way by the agent who checked to make sure I did know where the Qantas Club lounge was.
Passport control was the next nightmare to be endured. Previously Qantas and Cathay Pacific premium passengers had access to the fast track counter by way of a sign. That sign having been now removed, I presumed that the counter was no longer operational. Along with the air-conditioning in the immigration hall and the brain of whoever was in charge of rostering Customs officers for Sydney departures that day, it seemed. Three counters were open to process passengers stacked up right back to where the sterile passage leads into the hall, all manned by officials who seemed incapable of moving faster than a sloth on crutches.
Suffice it to say that at that point in time I was far from being impressed with Australian efficiency.
45 agonising and suffocating minutes later, I finally managed to gain approval from the gum-smacking official employed on behalf of the Australian government to leave their country. Next stop – dealing with the ‘people’ manning the security checkpoint.
I’m sure there’s a logical reason behind asking passengers to remove their laptops from their cases to be screened separately, although whatever that could be is beyond my comprehension. This requirement is not evident at Heathrow, Hong Kong, Beijing, Auckland and probably most other international airports as well. That strange requirement not withstanding, the personnel at the checkpoint were unacceptably rude to those who didn’t take their laptops out because they didn’t see the sign tucked away in a corner after immigration. Quite frankly, the attitude of both the Customs and Security officers that day left a lot to be desired and was the worst I’ve ever encountered at any exit port.
Leaving – thankfully – all that behind me, I took the escalator up to the Qantas First lounge where my lounge invitation was taken by the agent on duty. I nabbed a window seat overlooking gates 8-10 and 23-25 (including a nice view of the long A340-600 being serviced at 24).
Pickings on offer were adequate but nothing to get excited over – bread rolls, cold cuts, biscuits and some slices. Beverage selection was quite wide-ranging though, with bottles of water, juices, soft and alcoholic drinks available.
Having rather a lot of time to kill, and with the lounge not being terribly full I decided to try out the showers. At first glance it seemed a bit like a copy of The Wing’s smaller shower rooms – a long cubicle with a ceiling-suspended showerhead at one end and a half-wall stopping the water from spraying outside, and a toilet and sink. There were Molten Brown bottles of shower gel and something else in a rack bolted to the wall, with a towel and floor mat in a plastic-wrapped package next to the sink.
The inset hairdryer, however, was a miserable affair: the stream of hot air it produced was about the same as it would have emitted had it been unplugged.
So with hair damp, I returned to the lounge to find that it had filled up during my excursion to the shower. Most of the new arrivals were passengers outbound on the two BA’s, the QF to Los Angeles and of course my fellow travelling companions on the CX. Despite the crowds, I still managed to snag a four-seater by the window along with some of the culinary snacks on offer to watch VH-OGR push back from gate 23 right in front of us, on its way to Hong Kong.
Sitting still with nothing to do has been something I’ve never been quite able to master, so once OGR had departed I was left rather bored. The only thing happening out on the apron was some engineers fiddling with the engines on OEF at 10 (the LAX service had just announced a delay due to technical requirements) which wasn’t quite enough to keep me interested for beyond two minutes. I went in search of an Internet terminal.
There were three Compaqs secreted away in the Business Centre, which after taking a few wrong turns and ending up back in the shower section I eventually managed to find. The Centre looked nice and new, but the Internet connection was horrible. It was slower than the Customs officers on duty downstairs, if that was possible. Staring at the screen, I tried to will it to move faster but only succeeded in pulling in two other passengers who started using the other terminals, which consequently tied up the connection even more and reduced the already slow speed to something dangerously close to zero.
CX100 was announced as now boarding over the lounge PA system not a moment too soon and grabbing my wheel-on and travel documents, zipped out of the Qantas lounge down to gate 24 only to find boarding had in fact actually not started. Another 5-minute wait while the agents sorted out the final bits and pieces and highlighting the dangers of believing lounge announcements. On the upside, there were two separate lines for premium and economy class passengers.
Two agents manned each boarding station, one to check passports and one to feed the boarding pass through the machine which undoubtedly helped speed up the boarding process and soon I was being welcomed aboard B-HQA by ISM Christina and a bevy of pursers.
After stowing my carry-on and settling into my seat 2A, I took a moment to glance around the cabin and observe the improvements CX had made to their First Class product on the A346. Most notably, the hard black plastic cover along the window side armrest had been replaced with a softer grey leather, as had the push-down armrest on the other side. A U-shaped bolster is curves round the back shell of the seat so that it becomes a sort of cushioning wrapped around the head when in a bed position. Most of the changes are minor cosmetic ones, but the cabin interior of the A346, particularly the ceiling, is a lot sleeker than that of its predecessor the A343.
The flight purser came round with an offer of a pre-takeoff drink and returned soon afterwards with my half-glass of water, a silver coaster, a napkin, a small fork and a cold appetiser. I had no idea what it was when it was brought to me, but the purser filled in the gap by telling me it was roast duck mixed with some shredded vegetables inside a pastry bundle (think something along the lines of Peking roast duck in thin pancake but fancied up) with a dollop of hoisin sauce on the side. Incidentally it was delicious and was also nice to see that some cuts made in First Class due to SARS have been reinstated. A round of newspapers and magazines were offered.
Boarding was through 1L today which was a little disruptive as it meant everyone seated behind me (i.e. everyone on board except three people) had to file past to get to their seats. From what I saw most people seated in the back were families with young children. The ISM later told me that a lot of Y pax were connecting to London.
In between greeting people at the door and helping elderly people down the aisle, the pursers whisked away my finished appetiser, topped up my water glass and came round with hot towels while I leafed through Discovery and the Entertainment Guide, which has now also reverted to monthly.
Loads were extremely light, with 4 (out of 8) in First Class, 12 (out of 60!) in Business Class and not quite 100 (out of 220) in Economy. The ISM came on to give her usual spiel about welcoming us aboard and then the Captain did his little bit to reassure us that he was in fact awake and present to command the flight. The door closed, the airbridge withdrew, HQA began moving back from its parking position and the safety video kicked in.
Once the demonstration had ended, the Senior Purser came by to introduce herself and pass out the menu and separate wine list along with the obligatory Health Declarations for arrival into Hong Kong. This was followed by the purser who presented us with our Shanghai Tang pyjama set and the Decleor amenity kit.
After HQA had lifted off into a brilliantly sunny Sydney sky and the Captain had cycled the seatbelt sign indicating passage through 10,000 feet, the crew leapt into action, securing the curtains and coming round to take orders for dinner and a post-takeoff drink.
The other passengers, a family of three seated in 1ADG, asked if they could defer the dinner service until six o’clock Sydney time, a request to which the Purser was agreeable. Not being particularly hungry just yet and thinking that the family’s request sounded like a pretty good idea worth copying, I requested the same. The purser, crouching down by our seats so we were at eye-level – as is standard practice on CX – took all of our orders anyway, and said that if I changed my mind, I was welcome to ask them to prepare dinner earlier.
The ISM gave her after-takeoff speech and started StudioCX. Unfortunately passengers are forced to endure this horrible Health and Safety video at the beginning of each and every flight involving the filming of some guy rotating his foot in a park, followed by a plug for UNICEF, before the actual entertainment system kicks in. While it only wastes about 15 minutes of my time, it still manages to get on my nerves each time I fly.
Thankfully, the Purser returned when the guy was leaning against a tree and clutching his knee to his chest as if it had just been seared with a red-hot poker (I can only wish) bearing distractions in the form of my apple juice and a small bowl of warm cashew nuts, complete with the obligatory coaster and napkin. Even more thankfully, the ISM, perhaps noticing my bored and vacant expression, came by to welcome me aboard and in the process mercifully blocked my view of the aforementioned demonstrator bouncing on the balls of his feet.
With the torturous presentation over, the StudioCX navigation page popped up and I scrolled through some of the choices before settling on a litany of comedies on the aptly-named Comedy channel. Adjusting the PTV, extracting the inset headphones, and pulling out the in-seat remote control in anticipation of fast-forwarding through the commercials that precede each feature, I was ready for whatever episodes of laughter CX had loaded were going to throw at me.
During the time I was laughing my way through an episode of ‘Yes Prime Minister’ the purser appeared to top up my apple juice, replenish my bowl of nuts and used her tray to pull down the window shades; all of which was done so discreetly that I hardly even noticed them being done. Demonstrating yet another example of why CX First Class is consistently ranked at the top, the pursers had, prior to the passengers boarding, removed all the duvets from the left-hand side stowage lockers to the overhead compartments on the right, where there was nobody seated. The result – my duvet presented to me without first having the purser apologising for having to lean over me to access the side-lockers.
Six o’clock soon rolled around, and the pursers began preparations for the meal service with the laying of napkins and cutlery. Depending on the crew, this can either be done on the A340 by trolley or by individual tray service. Perhaps due to the light loads, the crew opted for the latter and came round with all the necessary implements on one of their dark red trays. Today’s crew had also written and signed Bon Appetit cards and even decorated them with a coloured flower. One disappointing note was the plastic knives that they were still using in First – from a FT post I had been expecting a return to proper cutlery.
The salmon and caviar service was done on a trolley, with the purser preparing the plate in front of you (and also attempting to tempt you into having more caviar)
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No doubt due to the light load in Business Class (20%) one of the pursers moved up to help the First Class crew during the meal service.
Even with only four passengers CX had overcatered on the mains and there were easily enough meals loaded for each passenger in the cabin to have two main courses if they so desired. Although I did observe Mr 1G request it, the rest of the service left me too full to consider it. The menu…
(Numbers in brackets indicate how many of that particular meal was loaded, as I saw on the purser’s menu when she came round to take the orders)
DINNER
Caviar and Fine Fish Delight
Oscietra Caviar
and
Fine Smoked Salmon
Served with Warm New Potatoes and Crčme Fraiche
Soup
Wild Mushroom Soup
Served with Herb and Garlic Croutons
Salad
Caesar Salad
Served with Caesar Dressing
Main Courses
Grilled Lamb Cutlet with Lamb Jus and Caramelized Leek (4)
served with Roasted Potatoes and Sauteed Mixed Vegetables
Steamed Lobster and Prawns with Lobster Sauce (4)
served with Rosti Potatoes and Medley of Vegetables
Braised Spatchcock Emperor with Stir-fried Vegetables (3)
served with Steamed Rice
Penne Pasta with Semi-dried Tomato and Mustard Cream Sauce (2)
Cheese Board
Dessert Selection
Apple Tart
Bread and Butter Pudding
Vanilla Ice Cream with Mixed Berries
Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls
Tea and Coffee
Pralines and Cookies
My empty caviar plate was taken away, to be replaced by the ding of the seatbelt sign being switched on. The obligatory announcement to ‘please return to your seats’ was made by the ISM followed by the purser coming up to my seat to inform me slightly anxiously that they couldn’t serve the soup due to the possibility of heavy turbulence. Not really in the mood to wait goodness-knows-how-long for the next bit of my meal (I’ve noted that CX keep their seatbelt signs on for fairly long periods of time at one go), I suggested that they serve the main first and the soup when the sign was switched off.
There was a little wait as the rice was cooked and the dish heated, but in the interim the bread basket appeared. Again demonstrating the slight ever-changing service styles of different pursers that give – in my opinion, anyway – CX First Class that magic touch, each passenger received their own little mini-basket of three different warm rolls, rather than having to choose from one big basket offered by the flight attendant. The basket was lined with a linen napkin which was large enough that it could be folded over the remaining pieces of bread in the basket to keep warm.
The purser returned ten or fifteen minutes later with a pair of wooden chopsticks and a ceramic spoon, which turned out to be the precursor to the arrival of the main dish, two pieces of chicken, and a bowl of rice. The now-empty bread basket was removed and I set into the chicken and the rice. I was a bit surprised when the purser returned with my bread basket again, which she had replenished with two (different!) bread rolls.
The seat belt sign having shown no inclination that it would stop glowing anytime soon, the pursers decided to chance serving the soup. It was quite good, nice and hot, and it was also nice that I didn’t have to wait until HQA was overflying Manila before I got a chance to sample it.
The purser came by to clear the dirty dishes and also enquired if I’d like dessert. Being rather full up but tempted by the apple tart on the menu, I asked if it would be ok if I had it a little later. She said “yes, certainly” and promptly enquired if I’d prefer to give them a time or just contact them when I was ready. Being lazy, I opted for the former and pulled a number – “20 minutes?” – out of thin air.
I utilised the push-down armrest to slide out of my seat and use the bathroom, which on the A346 is situated diagonally opposite the galley on the left hand side of the aircraft. The first thing I noticed was that it was considerably brighter and more well-lit than those on the 744 or A343, mainly due to the imbedded lights along the side of the mirror. The vase fixed to the mirror, desolately empty during SARS as CX trimmed costs, was now filled with a flower again although on closer inspection it was in fact plastic. Nevertheless, it looked much nicer than having an empty vase. Towels were also back in the storage racks, also having vanished during the SARS crisis and its immediate aftermath.
Twenty minutes later brought the return of the purser to my seat to take my dessert order and I managed to find enough room to squeeze in the apple tart, which was, unsurprisingly, delicious. The wedge of tart was accompanied with some mixed berries, a dusting of icing sugar and a chocolate wafer roll stuck into a blob of whipped cream. When the purser, returning to clear up my table, had no luck in tempting me to try some of the other desserts, she settled instead on delivering samples of all three to the nine or ten-year-old boy in 1A who seemed to enjoy them thoroughly.
Continuing with the more personal theme of the service that night, the pralines were not offered round the cabin by one of the pursers with the box, but instead three chocolates were selected, placed on a small tray and brought to us with our post-dinner hot towel.
The crew then proceeded to dim the cabin lights and passed out bottles of Evian which I promptly tossed into the inset crevice between the side-lockers and the windows alongside the rest of the bits and pieces I’d accumulated since boarding at Sydney. The purser also came round to take orders for the refreshment service, and asked me when I’d like it to be served. I’ve always struggled with decisions of minor consequence but to her credit the purser waited quietly with no hint of impatience as I tried to pick a good time and having told her what it was, promptly changing it to half-an-hour later. The Refreshments part of the menu:
REFRESHMENT
Noodle Soup and Savouries Buffet
Noodles in Soup with Chicken and Chinese Mushrooms
Selected Sandwiches
(Smoked Chicken with Tabouli, Artichoke with Chevre Cheese or Smoked Salmon with Spinach Pinwheel)
Prawn and Fish Cake with Thai Style Sweet and Chilli Sauce
Dessert
Apple Tart
Bread and Butter Pudding
Vanilla Ice Cream with Mixed Berries
Tea and Coffee
Pralines and Cookies
Amusing myself for the next hour or so with the delights of StudioCX’s Audio Video On Demand feature was fairly easy but eventually I decided it might be time to try and catch a quick nap. After going through the motions of reclining the seat, pushing the armrest down for more sleeping space, pulling the privacy divider out, adjusting my pillow and duvet and popping my eyeglasses into the handy storage space next to me, I was all ready to enjoy some slumber.
I was awoken by the purser gently touching my arm and informing me that it was now 8:30pm Hong Kong time and would I like my meal and a drink now? I requested an apple juice and she disappeared back into the galley before re-emerging with a hot towel and the drink while I slowly brought my seat back upright.
She put the hot towel down on the flat bit of the armrest and was just beginning to set the apple juice down when she realised she had forgotten the coaster. I could see her visibly hesitate as an internal struggle took place between all her CX training and serving the drink promptly. For a moment it looked like the promptness was going to win out as the bottom of the glass tumbler was bare centimetres from making contact with the top of the armrest when her training got the better of her and with a murmured apology withdrew the drink. She was pretty quick to return with a coaster, but it was quite amusing to watch at the time.
I’d ordered the noodles but I was told by the Purser that they were taking a rather long time to be heated and would I like to try the fishcakes in the meantime? Being rather nibbly and not having any particular hatred of either fish or crab I decided ‘why not’ and agreed. The whole ritual of tablecloth and cutlery-laying took place again and the purser even transferred my apple juice from the armrest to the tray table, taking care to place the tumbler so that the words ‘Cathay Pacific’ on the glass were facing me. I love attention to detail
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The crabcake was quite tasty, the two fishcakes less so but that might have been because by that time I was considerably full, the effects of dinner having not worn off yet. Not wanting to have to crawl off the plane, I left the better part of one of the two fishcakes on the plate and also asked the purser if she could cancel my noodles.
The First Officer shortly came on to advise of our descent into Hong Kong and the arrivals-transit information flashed up on our PTV screens. Given the low passenger numbers there were only two connecting flights – Heathrow and Paris, both of which were departing from the closer preferred gates. HQA was allocated gate 33 for arrival for a turnaround back to Sydney as CX101.
The Hong Kong arrivals video was started by the ISM and the entertainment programme wound up, as the flight pursers did one last round of hot towels and collection of any loose objects that had escaped previous culls.
Once HQA had powered down at the gate two flight attendants from the Business Class cabin moved to close the curtain between F and J, enabling the four of us to disembark first. I chatted briefly with the purser and ISM about my upcoming trip to Beijing as we waited for 1L to attach. The ISM discovered that she’d be crewing my return flight, and after exchanging mutual goodbyes, thank-yous and “see you again” I was off my first A340-600 flight and back in Hong Kong.
The new health procedures at HKIA are rather ill-conceived, with passengers passing through the thermal camera check before Immigration, and then having to hand over the Health Declaration after passing through the checkpoint to officers stationed in between the booths and the automatic doors to the baggage hall. It really would be much simpler for the Immigration officers to collect the form at the booth. That having said, it wasn’t terribly inconvenient – merely a little confusing – and Hong Kong and Cathay being their usual efficient selves, I emerged into the reclaim hall to find my bag already doing loops on the belt. Total time from plane exit to arrivals hall: 14 minutes.
Summary judgment
Sydney Airport – Awful staff, adequate facilities to handle passenger flow.
Qantas First Class lounge – Nice seating area, lacking attention to detail (like broadband internet and proper hairdryers in the showers) which define the better lounges out there
A340-600 – From a passenger viewpoint, I thought it had a sleeker and more elegant cabin interior, and overall a better ride than the A343.
Cathay Pacific First Class – This was most definitely one of the best flights I’ve ever had with CX. While the light load probably helped, the two pursers crewing the cabin were fabulous and I can honestly say that it’s hard to imagine how it could get any better (well, apart from CX keeping F on the AKL route but that’s another gripe…)
Hong Kong International Airport – Where else can you get from plane to exit in under 15 minutes?
Sector: SYD-HKG
Aircraft: A340-600, B-HQA
Departure gate: 24
The departure time for CX100 is 4:10pm, so I figured I’d play it safe and have lunch at the airport after checking in. I arrived just shy of one o’clock and walked what seemed like and probably was three-quarters of the check-in hall to reach the CX check-in zone which seems to be as far away from the departures entrance as the airport authorities could make it without actually putting it in Botany Bay. Unfortunately, the sight that greeted me at zone A was a row of empty desks, blank screens and a group of CX signage clustered all alone by the service desk. Muffling a growl of frustration and undoubtedly failing miserably judging by the strange looks I got from a set of travellers perched patiently near A for check-in to open, I decided to cut my losses and headed back to try and find a decent place to eat.
Thus fortified, I began the long trek back down to check-in, which had now opened but was almost as deserted as it was on my first visit. The queue for First Class was non-existent but there was a little wait as the agent at the desk finished processing her current set. Check-in was easy and efficient; a simple printing of boarding pass, lounge invite and baggage tag plus the usual “have you packed any sharp items, bombs, long-range missiles or leaking radioactive waste in your bags” questions. Documents in hand, I was sent on my merry way by the agent who checked to make sure I did know where the Qantas Club lounge was.
Passport control was the next nightmare to be endured. Previously Qantas and Cathay Pacific premium passengers had access to the fast track counter by way of a sign. That sign having been now removed, I presumed that the counter was no longer operational. Along with the air-conditioning in the immigration hall and the brain of whoever was in charge of rostering Customs officers for Sydney departures that day, it seemed. Three counters were open to process passengers stacked up right back to where the sterile passage leads into the hall, all manned by officials who seemed incapable of moving faster than a sloth on crutches.
Suffice it to say that at that point in time I was far from being impressed with Australian efficiency.
45 agonising and suffocating minutes later, I finally managed to gain approval from the gum-smacking official employed on behalf of the Australian government to leave their country. Next stop – dealing with the ‘people’ manning the security checkpoint.
I’m sure there’s a logical reason behind asking passengers to remove their laptops from their cases to be screened separately, although whatever that could be is beyond my comprehension. This requirement is not evident at Heathrow, Hong Kong, Beijing, Auckland and probably most other international airports as well. That strange requirement not withstanding, the personnel at the checkpoint were unacceptably rude to those who didn’t take their laptops out because they didn’t see the sign tucked away in a corner after immigration. Quite frankly, the attitude of both the Customs and Security officers that day left a lot to be desired and was the worst I’ve ever encountered at any exit port.
Leaving – thankfully – all that behind me, I took the escalator up to the Qantas First lounge where my lounge invitation was taken by the agent on duty. I nabbed a window seat overlooking gates 8-10 and 23-25 (including a nice view of the long A340-600 being serviced at 24).
Pickings on offer were adequate but nothing to get excited over – bread rolls, cold cuts, biscuits and some slices. Beverage selection was quite wide-ranging though, with bottles of water, juices, soft and alcoholic drinks available.
Having rather a lot of time to kill, and with the lounge not being terribly full I decided to try out the showers. At first glance it seemed a bit like a copy of The Wing’s smaller shower rooms – a long cubicle with a ceiling-suspended showerhead at one end and a half-wall stopping the water from spraying outside, and a toilet and sink. There were Molten Brown bottles of shower gel and something else in a rack bolted to the wall, with a towel and floor mat in a plastic-wrapped package next to the sink.
The inset hairdryer, however, was a miserable affair: the stream of hot air it produced was about the same as it would have emitted had it been unplugged.
So with hair damp, I returned to the lounge to find that it had filled up during my excursion to the shower. Most of the new arrivals were passengers outbound on the two BA’s, the QF to Los Angeles and of course my fellow travelling companions on the CX. Despite the crowds, I still managed to snag a four-seater by the window along with some of the culinary snacks on offer to watch VH-OGR push back from gate 23 right in front of us, on its way to Hong Kong.
Sitting still with nothing to do has been something I’ve never been quite able to master, so once OGR had departed I was left rather bored. The only thing happening out on the apron was some engineers fiddling with the engines on OEF at 10 (the LAX service had just announced a delay due to technical requirements) which wasn’t quite enough to keep me interested for beyond two minutes. I went in search of an Internet terminal.
There were three Compaqs secreted away in the Business Centre, which after taking a few wrong turns and ending up back in the shower section I eventually managed to find. The Centre looked nice and new, but the Internet connection was horrible. It was slower than the Customs officers on duty downstairs, if that was possible. Staring at the screen, I tried to will it to move faster but only succeeded in pulling in two other passengers who started using the other terminals, which consequently tied up the connection even more and reduced the already slow speed to something dangerously close to zero.
CX100 was announced as now boarding over the lounge PA system not a moment too soon and grabbing my wheel-on and travel documents, zipped out of the Qantas lounge down to gate 24 only to find boarding had in fact actually not started. Another 5-minute wait while the agents sorted out the final bits and pieces and highlighting the dangers of believing lounge announcements. On the upside, there were two separate lines for premium and economy class passengers.
Two agents manned each boarding station, one to check passports and one to feed the boarding pass through the machine which undoubtedly helped speed up the boarding process and soon I was being welcomed aboard B-HQA by ISM Christina and a bevy of pursers.
After stowing my carry-on and settling into my seat 2A, I took a moment to glance around the cabin and observe the improvements CX had made to their First Class product on the A346. Most notably, the hard black plastic cover along the window side armrest had been replaced with a softer grey leather, as had the push-down armrest on the other side. A U-shaped bolster is curves round the back shell of the seat so that it becomes a sort of cushioning wrapped around the head when in a bed position. Most of the changes are minor cosmetic ones, but the cabin interior of the A346, particularly the ceiling, is a lot sleeker than that of its predecessor the A343.
The flight purser came round with an offer of a pre-takeoff drink and returned soon afterwards with my half-glass of water, a silver coaster, a napkin, a small fork and a cold appetiser. I had no idea what it was when it was brought to me, but the purser filled in the gap by telling me it was roast duck mixed with some shredded vegetables inside a pastry bundle (think something along the lines of Peking roast duck in thin pancake but fancied up) with a dollop of hoisin sauce on the side. Incidentally it was delicious and was also nice to see that some cuts made in First Class due to SARS have been reinstated. A round of newspapers and magazines were offered.
Boarding was through 1L today which was a little disruptive as it meant everyone seated behind me (i.e. everyone on board except three people) had to file past to get to their seats. From what I saw most people seated in the back were families with young children. The ISM later told me that a lot of Y pax were connecting to London.
In between greeting people at the door and helping elderly people down the aisle, the pursers whisked away my finished appetiser, topped up my water glass and came round with hot towels while I leafed through Discovery and the Entertainment Guide, which has now also reverted to monthly.
Loads were extremely light, with 4 (out of 8) in First Class, 12 (out of 60!) in Business Class and not quite 100 (out of 220) in Economy. The ISM came on to give her usual spiel about welcoming us aboard and then the Captain did his little bit to reassure us that he was in fact awake and present to command the flight. The door closed, the airbridge withdrew, HQA began moving back from its parking position and the safety video kicked in.
Once the demonstration had ended, the Senior Purser came by to introduce herself and pass out the menu and separate wine list along with the obligatory Health Declarations for arrival into Hong Kong. This was followed by the purser who presented us with our Shanghai Tang pyjama set and the Decleor amenity kit.
After HQA had lifted off into a brilliantly sunny Sydney sky and the Captain had cycled the seatbelt sign indicating passage through 10,000 feet, the crew leapt into action, securing the curtains and coming round to take orders for dinner and a post-takeoff drink.
The other passengers, a family of three seated in 1ADG, asked if they could defer the dinner service until six o’clock Sydney time, a request to which the Purser was agreeable. Not being particularly hungry just yet and thinking that the family’s request sounded like a pretty good idea worth copying, I requested the same. The purser, crouching down by our seats so we were at eye-level – as is standard practice on CX – took all of our orders anyway, and said that if I changed my mind, I was welcome to ask them to prepare dinner earlier.
The ISM gave her after-takeoff speech and started StudioCX. Unfortunately passengers are forced to endure this horrible Health and Safety video at the beginning of each and every flight involving the filming of some guy rotating his foot in a park, followed by a plug for UNICEF, before the actual entertainment system kicks in. While it only wastes about 15 minutes of my time, it still manages to get on my nerves each time I fly.
Thankfully, the Purser returned when the guy was leaning against a tree and clutching his knee to his chest as if it had just been seared with a red-hot poker (I can only wish) bearing distractions in the form of my apple juice and a small bowl of warm cashew nuts, complete with the obligatory coaster and napkin. Even more thankfully, the ISM, perhaps noticing my bored and vacant expression, came by to welcome me aboard and in the process mercifully blocked my view of the aforementioned demonstrator bouncing on the balls of his feet.
With the torturous presentation over, the StudioCX navigation page popped up and I scrolled through some of the choices before settling on a litany of comedies on the aptly-named Comedy channel. Adjusting the PTV, extracting the inset headphones, and pulling out the in-seat remote control in anticipation of fast-forwarding through the commercials that precede each feature, I was ready for whatever episodes of laughter CX had loaded were going to throw at me.
During the time I was laughing my way through an episode of ‘Yes Prime Minister’ the purser appeared to top up my apple juice, replenish my bowl of nuts and used her tray to pull down the window shades; all of which was done so discreetly that I hardly even noticed them being done. Demonstrating yet another example of why CX First Class is consistently ranked at the top, the pursers had, prior to the passengers boarding, removed all the duvets from the left-hand side stowage lockers to the overhead compartments on the right, where there was nobody seated. The result – my duvet presented to me without first having the purser apologising for having to lean over me to access the side-lockers.
Six o’clock soon rolled around, and the pursers began preparations for the meal service with the laying of napkins and cutlery. Depending on the crew, this can either be done on the A340 by trolley or by individual tray service. Perhaps due to the light loads, the crew opted for the latter and came round with all the necessary implements on one of their dark red trays. Today’s crew had also written and signed Bon Appetit cards and even decorated them with a coloured flower. One disappointing note was the plastic knives that they were still using in First – from a FT post I had been expecting a return to proper cutlery.
The salmon and caviar service was done on a trolley, with the purser preparing the plate in front of you (and also attempting to tempt you into having more caviar)
.No doubt due to the light load in Business Class (20%) one of the pursers moved up to help the First Class crew during the meal service.
Even with only four passengers CX had overcatered on the mains and there were easily enough meals loaded for each passenger in the cabin to have two main courses if they so desired. Although I did observe Mr 1G request it, the rest of the service left me too full to consider it. The menu…
(Numbers in brackets indicate how many of that particular meal was loaded, as I saw on the purser’s menu when she came round to take the orders)
DINNER
Caviar and Fine Fish Delight
Oscietra Caviar
and
Fine Smoked Salmon
Served with Warm New Potatoes and Crčme Fraiche
Soup
Wild Mushroom Soup
Served with Herb and Garlic Croutons
Salad
Caesar Salad
Served with Caesar Dressing
Main Courses
Grilled Lamb Cutlet with Lamb Jus and Caramelized Leek (4)
served with Roasted Potatoes and Sauteed Mixed Vegetables
Steamed Lobster and Prawns with Lobster Sauce (4)
served with Rosti Potatoes and Medley of Vegetables
Braised Spatchcock Emperor with Stir-fried Vegetables (3)
served with Steamed Rice
Penne Pasta with Semi-dried Tomato and Mustard Cream Sauce (2)
Cheese Board
Dessert Selection
Apple Tart
Bread and Butter Pudding
Vanilla Ice Cream with Mixed Berries
Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls
Tea and Coffee
Pralines and Cookies
My empty caviar plate was taken away, to be replaced by the ding of the seatbelt sign being switched on. The obligatory announcement to ‘please return to your seats’ was made by the ISM followed by the purser coming up to my seat to inform me slightly anxiously that they couldn’t serve the soup due to the possibility of heavy turbulence. Not really in the mood to wait goodness-knows-how-long for the next bit of my meal (I’ve noted that CX keep their seatbelt signs on for fairly long periods of time at one go), I suggested that they serve the main first and the soup when the sign was switched off.
There was a little wait as the rice was cooked and the dish heated, but in the interim the bread basket appeared. Again demonstrating the slight ever-changing service styles of different pursers that give – in my opinion, anyway – CX First Class that magic touch, each passenger received their own little mini-basket of three different warm rolls, rather than having to choose from one big basket offered by the flight attendant. The basket was lined with a linen napkin which was large enough that it could be folded over the remaining pieces of bread in the basket to keep warm.
The purser returned ten or fifteen minutes later with a pair of wooden chopsticks and a ceramic spoon, which turned out to be the precursor to the arrival of the main dish, two pieces of chicken, and a bowl of rice. The now-empty bread basket was removed and I set into the chicken and the rice. I was a bit surprised when the purser returned with my bread basket again, which she had replenished with two (different!) bread rolls.
The seat belt sign having shown no inclination that it would stop glowing anytime soon, the pursers decided to chance serving the soup. It was quite good, nice and hot, and it was also nice that I didn’t have to wait until HQA was overflying Manila before I got a chance to sample it.
The purser came by to clear the dirty dishes and also enquired if I’d like dessert. Being rather full up but tempted by the apple tart on the menu, I asked if it would be ok if I had it a little later. She said “yes, certainly” and promptly enquired if I’d prefer to give them a time or just contact them when I was ready. Being lazy, I opted for the former and pulled a number – “20 minutes?” – out of thin air.
I utilised the push-down armrest to slide out of my seat and use the bathroom, which on the A346 is situated diagonally opposite the galley on the left hand side of the aircraft. The first thing I noticed was that it was considerably brighter and more well-lit than those on the 744 or A343, mainly due to the imbedded lights along the side of the mirror. The vase fixed to the mirror, desolately empty during SARS as CX trimmed costs, was now filled with a flower again although on closer inspection it was in fact plastic. Nevertheless, it looked much nicer than having an empty vase. Towels were also back in the storage racks, also having vanished during the SARS crisis and its immediate aftermath.
Twenty minutes later brought the return of the purser to my seat to take my dessert order and I managed to find enough room to squeeze in the apple tart, which was, unsurprisingly, delicious. The wedge of tart was accompanied with some mixed berries, a dusting of icing sugar and a chocolate wafer roll stuck into a blob of whipped cream. When the purser, returning to clear up my table, had no luck in tempting me to try some of the other desserts, she settled instead on delivering samples of all three to the nine or ten-year-old boy in 1A who seemed to enjoy them thoroughly.
Continuing with the more personal theme of the service that night, the pralines were not offered round the cabin by one of the pursers with the box, but instead three chocolates were selected, placed on a small tray and brought to us with our post-dinner hot towel.
The crew then proceeded to dim the cabin lights and passed out bottles of Evian which I promptly tossed into the inset crevice between the side-lockers and the windows alongside the rest of the bits and pieces I’d accumulated since boarding at Sydney. The purser also came round to take orders for the refreshment service, and asked me when I’d like it to be served. I’ve always struggled with decisions of minor consequence but to her credit the purser waited quietly with no hint of impatience as I tried to pick a good time and having told her what it was, promptly changing it to half-an-hour later. The Refreshments part of the menu:
REFRESHMENT
Noodle Soup and Savouries Buffet
Noodles in Soup with Chicken and Chinese Mushrooms
Selected Sandwiches
(Smoked Chicken with Tabouli, Artichoke with Chevre Cheese or Smoked Salmon with Spinach Pinwheel)
Prawn and Fish Cake with Thai Style Sweet and Chilli Sauce
Dessert
Apple Tart
Bread and Butter Pudding
Vanilla Ice Cream with Mixed Berries
Tea and Coffee
Pralines and Cookies
Amusing myself for the next hour or so with the delights of StudioCX’s Audio Video On Demand feature was fairly easy but eventually I decided it might be time to try and catch a quick nap. After going through the motions of reclining the seat, pushing the armrest down for more sleeping space, pulling the privacy divider out, adjusting my pillow and duvet and popping my eyeglasses into the handy storage space next to me, I was all ready to enjoy some slumber.
I was awoken by the purser gently touching my arm and informing me that it was now 8:30pm Hong Kong time and would I like my meal and a drink now? I requested an apple juice and she disappeared back into the galley before re-emerging with a hot towel and the drink while I slowly brought my seat back upright.
She put the hot towel down on the flat bit of the armrest and was just beginning to set the apple juice down when she realised she had forgotten the coaster. I could see her visibly hesitate as an internal struggle took place between all her CX training and serving the drink promptly. For a moment it looked like the promptness was going to win out as the bottom of the glass tumbler was bare centimetres from making contact with the top of the armrest when her training got the better of her and with a murmured apology withdrew the drink. She was pretty quick to return with a coaster, but it was quite amusing to watch at the time.
I’d ordered the noodles but I was told by the Purser that they were taking a rather long time to be heated and would I like to try the fishcakes in the meantime? Being rather nibbly and not having any particular hatred of either fish or crab I decided ‘why not’ and agreed. The whole ritual of tablecloth and cutlery-laying took place again and the purser even transferred my apple juice from the armrest to the tray table, taking care to place the tumbler so that the words ‘Cathay Pacific’ on the glass were facing me. I love attention to detail
.The crabcake was quite tasty, the two fishcakes less so but that might have been because by that time I was considerably full, the effects of dinner having not worn off yet. Not wanting to have to crawl off the plane, I left the better part of one of the two fishcakes on the plate and also asked the purser if she could cancel my noodles.
The First Officer shortly came on to advise of our descent into Hong Kong and the arrivals-transit information flashed up on our PTV screens. Given the low passenger numbers there were only two connecting flights – Heathrow and Paris, both of which were departing from the closer preferred gates. HQA was allocated gate 33 for arrival for a turnaround back to Sydney as CX101.
The Hong Kong arrivals video was started by the ISM and the entertainment programme wound up, as the flight pursers did one last round of hot towels and collection of any loose objects that had escaped previous culls.
Once HQA had powered down at the gate two flight attendants from the Business Class cabin moved to close the curtain between F and J, enabling the four of us to disembark first. I chatted briefly with the purser and ISM about my upcoming trip to Beijing as we waited for 1L to attach. The ISM discovered that she’d be crewing my return flight, and after exchanging mutual goodbyes, thank-yous and “see you again” I was off my first A340-600 flight and back in Hong Kong.
The new health procedures at HKIA are rather ill-conceived, with passengers passing through the thermal camera check before Immigration, and then having to hand over the Health Declaration after passing through the checkpoint to officers stationed in between the booths and the automatic doors to the baggage hall. It really would be much simpler for the Immigration officers to collect the form at the booth. That having said, it wasn’t terribly inconvenient – merely a little confusing – and Hong Kong and Cathay being their usual efficient selves, I emerged into the reclaim hall to find my bag already doing loops on the belt. Total time from plane exit to arrivals hall: 14 minutes.
Summary judgment
Sydney Airport – Awful staff, adequate facilities to handle passenger flow.
Qantas First Class lounge – Nice seating area, lacking attention to detail (like broadband internet and proper hairdryers in the showers) which define the better lounges out there
A340-600 – From a passenger viewpoint, I thought it had a sleeker and more elegant cabin interior, and overall a better ride than the A343.
Cathay Pacific First Class – This was most definitely one of the best flights I’ve ever had with CX. While the light load probably helped, the two pursers crewing the cabin were fabulous and I can honestly say that it’s hard to imagine how it could get any better (well, apart from CX keeping F on the AKL route but that’s another gripe…)
Hong Kong International Airport – Where else can you get from plane to exit in under 15 minutes?
Jan 30, 2004, 10:54 am
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: new york, ny, usa
Posts: 13,536
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B-HXB:
Next stop – dealing with the ‘people’ manning the security checkpoint.
</font>
Next stop – dealing with the ‘people’ manning the security checkpoint.
</font>
Jan 30, 2004, 11:24 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Yet another stellar effort from one of the Trip Report forum's finest writers.
Thanks, B-HXB!
P.S. Do you foresee any trips to London someday aboard Emirate's First Class? Those new suites aboard their A340-500s look downright opulent.
Thanks, B-HXB!
P.S. Do you foresee any trips to London someday aboard Emirate's First Class? Those new suites aboard their A340-500s look downright opulent.
Jan 30, 2004, 4:30 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Agoura Hills, CA USA
Posts: 2,662
Having taken this flight before, you have given us a fabulous description of the CX service. I actually like this service better than the HKG-LAX which I take 3 to 4 times per year. As a matter of fact I am taking this flight again today and will report on the quality in our forums
Jan 30, 2004, 5:41 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Seat 1A
Programs: Non-status paid F/J (best value for $$$)
Posts: 4,124
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B-HXB:
(Numbers in brackets indicate how many of that particular meal was loaded, as I saw on the purser’s menu when she came round to take the orders)
– CX First Class that magic touch, each passenger received their own little mini-basket of three different warm rolls, rather than having to choose from one big basket offered by the flight attendant. The basket was lined with a linen napkin which was large enough that it could be folded over the remaining pieces of bread in the basket to keep warm.
</font>
(Numbers in brackets indicate how many of that particular meal was loaded, as I saw on the purser’s menu when she came round to take the orders)
– CX First Class that magic touch, each passenger received their own little mini-basket of three different warm rolls, rather than having to choose from one big basket offered by the flight attendant. The basket was lined with a linen napkin which was large enough that it could be folded over the remaining pieces of bread in the basket to keep warm.
</font>
From my experience flying CX F, the individual bread baskets are only given out when the load is low. Once when flying SFO-HKG, F class was completely full so the flight attendants had to walk around with a large basket of bread and asked you to choose the bread that you want.
[This message has been edited by daniellam (edited Jan 30, 2004).]
Jan 30, 2004, 7:22 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,011
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by daniellam:
I think the numbers in brackets beside the main courses tell the flight attendant which "compartment" in the galley they are stored in and not the number available for each selection.</font>
I think the numbers in brackets beside the main courses tell the flight attendant which "compartment" in the galley they are stored in and not the number available for each selection.</font>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by daniellam:
From my experience flying CX F, the individual bread baskets are only given out when the load is low. Once when flying SFO-HKG, F class was completely full so the flight attendants had to walk around with a large basket of bread and asked you to choose the bread that you want.</font>
From my experience flying CX F, the individual bread baskets are only given out when the load is low. Once when flying SFO-HKG, F class was completely full so the flight attendants had to walk around with a large basket of bread and asked you to choose the bread that you want.</font>
Seat 2A - I have considered trying out Emirates, especially when CX axes F from AKL later this year, and am still thinking... I do agree, the seats look fantastic but their AKL service seems particularly prone to delays which is unfortunate.
Thank you to everyone for your comments
Jan 30, 2004, 9:54 pm
#13
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 superb report, B-HXB - bravo! This is reminding me why I am saving up my QF points... but they are accruing all too slowly, alas. I'm sorry to hear that F will be disappearing from CX's AKL services - what's a girl to do?
As far as I know, the premium immigration lines are still active in SYD, though they have always been a bit half-hearted. I know that on the Star Alliance side, premium passengers and elites are supposed to get little gold "P" stickers on their boarding passes, which allow them to use the priority / premium lane, and I think the same applies over at the OneWorld end. It's all very inadequately signposted, however, and the check-in agents usually need to be prompted to give you the stickers.
As far as I know, the premium immigration lines are still active in SYD, though they have always been a bit half-hearted. I know that on the Star Alliance side, premium passengers and elites are supposed to get little gold "P" stickers on their boarding passes, which allow them to use the priority / premium lane, and I think the same applies over at the OneWorld end. It's all very inadequately signposted, however, and the check-in agents usually need to be prompted to give you the stickers.