Curtain Call: Cathay Pacific First Class, HKG-AKL
Feb 25, 2004, 3:47 pm
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Join Date: Jan 2003
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Curtain Call: Cathay Pacific First Class, HKG-AKL
For the Final Time
It struck me that of all the Cathay Pacific trip reports I’ve posted on FlyerTalk, not one has covered the CX route and the CX flight I ply the most – that from Hong Kong to Auckland. With First Class on this route being axed effective from the 21st April, I thought it might be fitting to dedicate the last report in my 2004 Airbus trilogy to what is in all likelihood the last time I’ll be flying in a First Class sleeper seat on this particular sector.
Flight: CX107
Aircraft: Airbus 340-300, B-HXF
Departure time: 2105
Departure gate: 2
Sector: HKG AKL
Trains to the Airport now run at fifteen-minute intervals rather than the ten that was prevalent pre-Sars, but even with the reduced frequency the train was not crowded and there was plenty of seats and space available for luggage storage. I gave the in-station check-in a miss, preferring to complete that at the airport instead.
Even though the trains leave on the quarter-hour, they pull into central Hong Kong station a good seven or eight minutes prior to that and once the inbound passengers are off, there’s ample time to transfer bags from the trolleys on to the train. Signs are set up along the platform advising passengers as to which end of the train is best to travel on for minimum distance to walk to check-in upon arrival, with Cathay Pacific (using zones B and C) being at the rear of the train.
The train departed right on schedule and twenty-three minutes later with two stops we drew into the Airport station and it was again an easy transfer of bags to the waiting trolleys on the platform.
There were plenty of agents staffing the CX First Class check-in and is usually the procedure, one agent entered the information into the computer while another agent helped out with printing boarding cards from another desk. Another smooth pre-takeoff sweep through check-in complete, the agent came round from behind the podium to hand me my boarding pass and lounge invitation.
The remaining formalities to be completed – temperature check, immigration and security screening – went off without a hitch. Everywhere was wide open – absolutely no queues at all in what is perhaps the most quiet time of the day for HKIA.
Cathay Pacific’s two lounges at Hong Kong International Airport are almost polar opposites of each other. While both reach the same high standard, they are decorated in considerably contrasting styles. The Wing, an open, mezzanine-style lounge with terrific views of the apron and slight ambient noise from the gate lounges below, sports a grey granite scheme; whereas the newer Pier is a completely enclosed space on the fifth floor, with white marble being the predominant theme and – as one agent put it with whom I’d been discussing the relative merits of the lounges one time – has the view of a corridor. (Incidentally, I believe this is true only for the First Class lounge as from memory the Business Class lounge faces on to gate 64). Personally, I prefer The Wing and with a gate 2 departure, The Wing was the more convenient option in any case.
The lounge was nowhere near full with all three window-side settings open for my choosing. The reason why there seemed to be nobody was because, as I was to discover, they were all in the restaurant eating. When I tried to join them, I was informed apologetically by the waiter inside that they were all full up at the moment, and I could either wait or eat outside. Opting for the latter, I filled up a plate and returned outside into the main seating area to find that another waiter had already set a place complete with napkin and cutlery at the chair closest to the restaurant entrance.
Hot dishes on offer tonight were cuts of beef, fishcakes, roast veal and a selection of roast potato cubes, rice and stir-fried vegetables, with a selection of salads and cold appetisers and a delectable array of cakes and sliced fruit.
Gate 2 is afforded an excellent view from the lounge and I could easily see and hear the Boarding Soon announcement being made at around twenty past eight. I like being the first to get on planes (why, I don’t quite know as I end up waiting either way – the difference being either in the lounge or on the plane) so this called for me to wander down to the gate after a quick visit to the bathroom.
For the four preferred gates facing the lounge, the quickest way to access them from The Wing is to use either the [impossibly slow] lift or the stairs located opposite and adjacent to respectively the main Customer Service Centre in the Business Class section. This pretty much puts you smack right opposite gate 2, with the only problem being a one-way travelator in the way, requiring a brief diversion around one end.
Boarding hadn’t yet commenced but the row-boarding signs held aloft by agents had made their appearance. Perhaps realising that crackly PA announcements requesting certain rows to now move forward for boarding don’t work because either A) nobody understands them or B) everyone pretends not to understand them, Cathay seem to have shifted to printing big numbers on a sign, maybe under the assumption that any moron can read numbers like 54 and 71. And for the truly old-fashioned, the PA announcement is still made and is repeated by the sign-toting agent as s/he meanders through the forest of seats, extended legs and bulky carry-ons.
All this was immaterial to me as I parked myself and my handcarry firmly next to the left-hand processing station and watched the scene unfold as the CX agents tried to herd everyone into a "single queue please!" at the right-hand boarding station. One of those not on sheepdog duty swiped his card to open the glass doors leading down into the fixed link bridge and informed me that there’d be just a little more of a wait.
Fine by me, as I turned my attention away from the snaky line of people forming at the Economy Class side of the bridge to the aircraft which would shortly be taking me 9,000 kilometres down to New Zealand. Nothing terribly special about HXF, except for the funny mint-green nosecone it had that clashed sharply with the CX logo strip that runs under the nose (making it look just like the aircraft was wearing a face mask) and the fact that I hadn’t yet been in the front cabin of XF since its retrofit.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to be the first on the aircraft this time as a wheelchair passenger was rolled on before me through the Y door but I did get to be the first through the 1L door (as if it really mattered, but we all have our little quirks with which we amuse ourselves). My boarding stub was taken by the Inflight Service Manager and passed on to the senior purser, who showed me to my seat. I was told that I could put my roll-on into the overhead compartment which was a first for me, but maybe she thought I was a bit confused as I initially pulled it into the little space with me so I could stash away my boarding stub which she’d laid on the armrest.
There were four other passengers in First Class that night – all upgrades due to Economy being overbooked. One phrase to describe these passengers would be “a motley bunch”. There was an European couple, who, when given the choice by the purser when they boarded of having the seat pair in row 1 or row 2 agonised considerably as to which to take; a Chinese man in 1A who asked if he could use the side “For Crew Use Only” duvet-storage locker to stow his duffel ; and an Asian man in 2K who, after boarding, immediately requested a copy of the menu and a set of pyjamas, none of which he opened until well after takeoff and the other passengers had all received the same.
It was almost as enjoyable to watch as the boarding.
Anyway, before all that while I was still blissfully the only person who’d been seated in the F cabin, the flight purser (lower in rank than the senior purser but more senior than the rank of flight attendant, none of whom are found serving in Cathay First Class) came by to take my drink order. While I waited for him to return with my drink, I watched as the Business Class passengers trickled past and squint at the ceiling as they tried to find their seats. I’ve noted a lot of people seem to have trouble finding the seat numbers on the Airbuses which are admittedly printed far too tiny on the blue rounded edge of an illuminated bar above the seat – something which has changed on the 340-600 with reversion back to the traditional sticker with big number on it.
The flight purser came by with my water and a hot savoury which for today was creamed mushrooms in a pastry ‘pocket’ (for lack of a better description, the pastry resembled a mini open-topped pie with the filling ‘poured’ in) which was very hot, very tasty and very nicely presented on a small plate. Nobody else in the cabin (after they boarded) seemed to want to try it though, with the exception of 2D who initially refused it and then when the purser began walking away immediately changed her mind and called out she’d try it after all. Like me, she must struggle with decisions of minor consequence.
A newspaper run was done by the senior purser about midway through the boarding process for the three passengers who had boarded and I was apologetically told that no New Zealand papers had been loaded. No consequence; I’d kept up to date with New Zealand news online anyway and any NZ papers loaded are normally a day old, but it was a slight slip in standards. I will never forget on one CX107 flight a couple of years ago, having been also informed that there weren’t any NZ papers on board, for the flight purser to come to my seat just before the doors were closed to hand me a neatly folded copy of that day’s edition of The New Zealand Herald which I eventually found out had come fresh off the just-arrived inbound CX108.
No last-minute newspapers this time, and HXF began its pushback from gate 2 to the strains of the [extremely mind-sticking] music which accompanies the safety video. With that over, and the captain’s, the ISM’s and the Cantonese translation of the ISM’s speech out of the way, the only thing I could think about was what the captain’s name actually was, with me hearing three different versions in all three speeches.
Empty water glasses and champagne flutes were collected, followed by a round of hot towels before HXF took off on 07R heading east from the airport towards Hong Kong and Kowloon.
After the indication from the flight deck that we’d passed through ten thousand feet, the crew got to work, snapping closed the curtains both front and back of the cabin. The senior purser came round to give out the menus and to introduce herself – we were told that we could order any item on the menu at any time and that we weren’t to worry about bothering the crew if we chose to do so. She mentioned that the flight purser would come round shortly to take our dinner orders, and that he did, along with our preference for a drink.
DINNER
Caviar and Balik Salmon Delight
Oscietra Caviar
and
Balik Salmon “Tsar Nicolaj”
served with Warm New Potatoes and Crème Fraiche
Soup
Oxtail Cream Soup
served with Mini Garlic Baguette
Salad
Caesar Saland
Main Courses
Grilled Lobster and Scallops with Lobster Sauce
Boiled New Potatoes and Small Vegetable Casserole
Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops with Natural Gravy, Roasted Garlic and Thyme
Leek and Potato Boulangere and Small Vegetable Casserole
Vegetables wrapped in Bean Curd Skin with Steamed Rice
Award winning dish by Lotus Chan & Sharon Wong of “Simply the Best Chef” Cabin Crew Chinese Culinary Contest
Ricotta Cannelloni with Semi Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
Cheese Board
Dessert Selection
Lemon Crème Brulee Tart
Almond Chocolate Pudding
Vanilla Ice Cream
Milk Pudding with Ginger Juice
Award winning dish by Yvonne Lam & Stephen Sin of “Simply the Best Chef” Cabin Crew Chinese Culinary Contest
Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls
Tea and Coffee
Pralines and Cookies
If you’re wondering what on earth the “Simply the Best Chef” Cabin Crew Chinese Culinary Contest and who thought up that rather frightful name with all those C’s in it; I’m afraid I can only help you with the former but rest assured that you are not alone in thinking the latter. This insert came with (or rather inside) the menu:
***
"SIMPLY THE BEST CHEF"
Prize-winning dishes from Cathay Pacific’s Cabin Crew Cooking Competition
Cathay Pacific is committed to offering high-quality Chinese cuisine to its passengers.
Our cabin crew recently used their culinary skills, combined with professional knowledge and inflight experience, to create a variety of Chinese dishes as part of a unique cooking competition, “Simply the Best Chef”. Renowned Hong Kong food critics were among the judging panel that selected 12 prize-winning dishes.
From February until April 2004, Cathay Pacific is proud to feature the 12 winning dishes on selected flights. These special additions to our inflight menu represent one more way in which Cathay Pacific cabin crew have the interest of their passengers at heart.
***
There then follows pictures of the 12 winning dishes along with the cabin crew whom created them, divided into four categories of three prizes each (gold, silver, bronze). From above, the Milk Pudding in Ginger Juice won Gold in the Snacks/Refreshment category, also scoring the “Best of the Best Chef Award” and the Vegetables Wrap in Beancurd was awarded Gold in the Vegetables category. More information is available from the Cathay Pacific press release.
Returning to the cabin, the Decleor amenity kits and Shanghai Tang pyjamas were handed out (with 2D having another bout of indecision over whether a small or medium would fit better – thankfully the senior purser chipped in with some help otherwise they could’ve been there all night) which started a rush on the two bathrooms as the others all changed out of their clothes. Content to wait out the charge with my orange juice and dish of warmed cashew nuts, plus an activated StudioCX navigator, I pulled out the inset noise cancelling headsets and began browsing.
I know that some flyers claim the CX noise cancelling headsets are not true noise cancelling ones but not having tried the 'proper' ones I find the CX version to be perfectly acceptable. My only complaint would be that they are terribly flimsy and come apart quite easily if one constantly extracts and replaces them in their stowage compartment. For that reason, once I take them out at the beginning of the flight I normally rest them over the storage locker into the slightly depressed well between the locker and the cabin wall with the rest of the bits and pieces I collect during the flight. 2A’s headphones were also showing signs of wear and tear, with the padded edging which cup around the ears being frayed.
The Inflight Service Manager came round to do the customary welcome, handed me a New Zealand Arrival Card for me to complete and closed the window shades for me. With the rest of the cabin now a sea of beige with red trim I decided to join the party and headed for the bathroom with my pyjama kit. The lavatory behind the cockpit was in play (it depends on the crew as some keep it for the exclusive use of the flight deck) so I headed in that direction. Passing the galley, I asked the purser for a clothes hanger, which he quickly got from the closet in front of 1A and handed it to me.
With my pyjamas on and my clothes hanging neatly in the closet (complete with seat identification sticker) I could return to my seat and finish off the nuts. As I was working towards this aim the senior purser came by to lay the cutlery and linen for dinner, complete with the ubiquitous CX card which advertises something different each month or so (this time it was the turn of the Rugby Sevens) and a Bon Appetit card with a handwritten message inside wishing me an enjoyable flight and signed by both pursers.
Regrettably, the perfect picture was spoiled by one thing: a PLASTIC KNIFE.
The senior purser came by with the salmon and caviar cart and tempted me into having some – normally on this flight I like going for a light option and then sacking out but with the menu having been reduced post-Sars and this being the final flight and all, I decided ‘why not’ – and it wasn’t long before the purser had finished preparing my plate and I was working my way through slices of salmon, sour cream, toast points, warm new potatoes and accompaniments in front of me. I was soon wondering exactly why I’d passed on this starter so many times in the past...
I was offered seconds by the crew when they came to clear my plate but with more to come on the menu I decided to pass. The bread basket made an appearance but I had to ask for a butter knife (an item a surprising number of crew seem to forget nowadays).
The lamb was next to be served and the purser offered a pot of mint jelly to go with it, which I turned down (2K later got the pot all to himself). I made short work of the two delicious lamb chops but barely touched the vegetables. This was noticed by the observant senior purser when she came round to collect the plate and when I told her that I didn’t really fancy vegetables all that much she joked "your mother wouldn’t approve!" which, frequent flyer that I am, made me immediately think of Malaysia Airlines’ "Only your mother should tell you when to eat – and you don’t have to eat your vegetables if you don’t want to" advertising campaign for their First Class and GoldFlyer’s Trip Report, not necessarily in that order!
The purser returned to ask my preference for cheese and dessert. While all of the sweets looked appealing, I decided that I really did have to try the “Best of the Best” milk pudding and was told that it would take a few minutes to prepare. While I waited, I took a look at what everyone else was having – as I’d only gone for the salmon and the main I’d been served quite quickly, and most of the cabin were only now tucking into their main courses now.
In between serving courses to 1A and 2D, the pursers would come by my seat to apologise that the milk pudding was taking so long to prepare. From being one of the first to finish my meal, it turned out I was the last to have my tablecloth collected as even after two tries the senior purser couldn’t get the milk to set. She brought her second attempt to show me, and indeed it looked more like milky soup than any sort of pudding. I waved off her suggestion that she try it again for a third time or that I choose another dessert, saying that I was probably ready for some sleep and that I’d only decided to try the milk pudding because of the promotion. She was quite apologetic about the pudding not coming out properly and when I asked if she’d tried it herself, said that she had but even then it had been quite runny. It was this particular crew’s first time preparing the pudding as it had only been added to the menus for a short time.
As she returned to the galley with the remnants of the milk pudding, the cabin lights were dimmed as the rest of the cabin were beginning to turn in for the night, all having foregone dessert. I was ready to bed down as well, but first the senior purser came back with a hot towel and some pralines to choose from if I so desired (I didn’t), and to offer me a duvet.
Since 1A had decided to use his side-locker as a storage compartment the pursers had moved the 1A duvets to the overhead lockers, which they had already passed out to 1A and 2D. With 1K being empty, those two duvets had gone to 2G and 2K, meaning that I, being the last to finish the meal service, was the odd one out.
I mentioned to the purser as she unlatched the locker that it must be inconvenient having to reach into the side lockers to get the duvets on the Airbus cabins when on the 747-400 there was space for storage behind, which elicited a comment that I was very familiar with CX aircraft. This led on to further conversation about the two different style of First Class cabins fitted on the CX fleet. Apparently, the crews prefer working the F cabin on the 744 to the Airbuses because not only is it more spacious and private for the passenger, it makes it easier for them to do their job. The galleys are larger, they don’t get people walking past during boarding, they have the little worktop in between 2A and K and – as I commented to her and she agreed wholeheartedly – the best part is that they don’t have to do cockpit duty in addition to their cabin responsibilities.
I arranged to be woken up an hour and a half before landing so I could have breakfast, and then put my seat into the bed position, pushed down the armrest, extended the privacy divider, switched off the PTV screen and as recommended, fastened the seatbelt over my duvet for what would hopefully be a good night’s sleep.
The purser was not needed in this regard after all, as my internal alarm clock woke me up with one hour and twenty-two minutes flight time remaining. After a visit to the washroom and an exchange of good mornings in the galley with the flight purser who was preparing breakfast for 1K (formerly of 2G who had shifted across presumably to minimise disruption to his still slumbering travelling companion in 2D), I folded up the duvet and stashed it on top of the side locker for later collection.
A hot towel was delivered and shortly after, my meal order was taken:
BRUNCH
Juice Selection
Appetiser
Fresh Seasonal Fruits
Main Courses
Omelette with Ricotta Cheese and Marinated Red Pepper
Assorted Dim Sum
Apple Pancake served with Maple Syrup and Butter
Accompaniments
Grilled Back Bacon, Pan-fried Rosti Potato, Vine Grape Tomato and Buttered Fresh Button Mushrooms
From the Bakery
Assorted Bread, Rolls and Wasa Crackers
Served with Preserves, Honey and Butter
Tea and Coffee
The apple pancake was a new addition to the menu, something which I’ve not seen before so a combination of that and the fact the other two options sounded distinctly unappetising at four o’clock in the morning led me to go with the third option; plus an orange juice, sides of bacon and potatoes and some freshly made white toast.
Cutlery and linen were laid again – this time the butter knife was present and accounted for – and my orange juice delivered almost immediately after the purser returned to the galley with my order. The fruit plate, consisting of a few mandarin slices, a cut of watermelon, two slices of pineapple, two grapes and a slice of grapefruit was brought out. The two pursers had the timing between the courses down perfect, with the toast being delivered in a small wicker basket lined with linen just as I finished the fruit. I was asked if I wanted any preserves to go with my toast – I chose strawberry – but when the purser returned it was with two small pots, one of strawberry jam and one of marmalade. She explained to me that she’d forgotten what I’d asked for, so she’d brought both.
My main course was served shortly after the toast, coming with a small jug of maple syrup, a small plastic pottle of whipped butter and a fresh knife and fork to replace that collected with the fruit appetiser. Taking advantage of a temporary lull in cabin service requirements – 1A and K had both finished their breakfasts and 2D and K were still sleeping – the purser stopped for a brief chat which is always welcome.
Realising that my meal was getting cold, the purser excused herself about five minutes later and left me to my [still warm] breakfast. Unlike many other times, the plate did just contain all three things I’d requested – the pancakes, bacon and potato. Sometimes the pursers feel it necessary to liven up the plate by adding a sprinkling of mushrooms or plopping a tomato on the side for decoration’s sake – which I never eat anyway but as it’s to be destroyed on arrival anyway I suppose it doesn’t really matter if it shows up on the plate or remains in its storage container. At any rate, the preparing purser on this flight had gone for the principle of duality when making up my plate: two small disc-shaped pancakes topped off with a sliver of apple each, two slices of bacon and two potato rosti cakes.
Toothbrush in hand, I pushed down the armrest again after clearing my plate (as per usual, the meal was delicious) and squeezed out of the seat with the intention of changing and freshening myself up before landing. As my route took me right past the closet and the crew were busy in the galley, I unsnapped the top latches and was trying to twist the handles to open it when the purser, noticing what I was doing, came to my rescue. With one hand clutching a toothbrush set and the other holding my clothes on a hanger, I continued the walk forward.
Suitably attired for arrival, I returned the clothes hanger to the closet which I managed to open this time. The senior purser saw me at the closet and came over with the intention of assisting, but smiled ruefully when she found out I’d already opened the door and again mentioned how familiar I was with the cabin.
I gathered from her comment that not too many passengers try to return the clothes hanger to the closet themselves nor engage in discussions with the crew over the differences in aircraft types.
The crew did one last sweep of the cabin before landing, collecting up our water bottles, duvets and discarded pyjamas and also one last hot towel run. An unaccompanied minor was escorted up from the back and seated in 1D, along with her four (!!) bags which her flight purser escort from Y tried to find room for in the overhead lockers.
HXF touched down on 23L about ten minutes ahead of schedule and as we roared past the international terminal on our landing run I took a quick peek through the right hand windows at our likely parking spot. To my delight, 6 and 8 were both immediately scratched as contenders by virtue of a MAS 744 and the Air New Zealand Lord of the Rings 744 respectively. That meant, barring another wait in a penalty box, that it would be a 1L disembarkation which I at all times prefer to having to fight my way through the rear Business Class cabin to door 2.
The ISM was a bit slow with her “Welcome to Auckland” address, not starting until we were rolling past an Air Tahiti Nui A340 on 7, meaning that the Cantonese translation never did get off the ground (or on the ground, rather). The pursers began returning coats and also came round to individually say goodbye to each one of us. Being the last unoccupied spot in the terminal, gate 1 was all ours, and conveniently it was the closest gate to passport control.
Given that all the frontal parking spaces at the terminal were now full, and that I knew from regular visits that the Thai and Air Tahiti would have been at least two of the flights that just pipped us to landing I was gearing myself up for a long wait to clear immigration and MAF formalities. I was second out of the plane (I also like being first off, as well as first on but apparently it was not to be).
Have you ever noticed that when you’ve prepared yourself for the worst possible scenario, it almost never turns out that way? I’d resigned myself to being stuck in the terminal with teeming masses of people for at least a half-hour, probably more, but it seemed – finally – that somebody in a position of authority had realised that the high passenger numbers warranted some action.
The result being that some unlucky Immigration Officer, having drawn the short straw, was on direction duty next to the Duty Free Fast Track (DFFT) counters yelling out "New Zealand and Australian passports?" Normally the DFFT counters are available for holders of NZ or Australian passports who purchase duty free on arrivals – the theory being that more would be encouraged to shop as the disincentive of waiting in long lines at passport control is removed. In the past, I’ve frequently blasted it as nothing more than a revenue-grabbing exercise but this turned round to bite me today as the 3 DFFT desks were being made exclusively available to all Australian and New Zealand passport holders, with the entire immigration hall downstairs changing to do visitors processing.
There were only three people in front of me and I was through in less than five minutes, taking the escalator which put me next to carousel 3. As it moved me downwards I caught a glimpse of the main immigration hall, which could only be described as a complete mess. From what I could see every single counter was open, and each counter had a queue of at least twenty people in front of it. Most queues were backed up to the rear wall of the waiting area, and my fellow (non-New Zealand passport holding) passengers on the CX107 probably had a good 45 minute wait in store for them.
We’d been allocated carousel 5 as is the usual custom for the CX107, something I always find strange as 5 is the longest reclaim belt at AKL and one would think it would be more suited for a 744-size aircraft given more passengers usually equate to more bags. There was an approximate eight minute wait for the bags to come out, during which I was the only person to be standing at the carousel. Being the nervous paranoid type, I was shooting frequent glances up at the television monitor to make sure that a belt switch hadn’t been pulled on me. It hadn’t, and by the time my bags made their appearance as the third and sixth to emerge, only one other person was now nearing the carousel.
The MAF screening area was surprisingly empty, although on further reflection it did make sense. The Malaysian, Thai and Air Tahiti Nui passengers were most likely still stuck at the frightful queues observed at passport control, and those off an Air NZ flight in from Tokyo were still in the throes of baggage collection. Whatever the reason, all the processing stations were open for a minimum number of passengers and with X-ray a breeze (except that it would be nice if the MAF officials on duty would offer to lift bags on and off the X-ray like they do in Australia) I logged in a plane-to-exit time of 14 minutes. (!!)
To sum up
Hong Kong International Airport: Brilliant, as always.
Cathay Pacific First Class: I shall miss being able to fly AKL-HKG-AKL direct in First Class and can only hope that this is not a sign of things to come on other routes as well… but for the final flight, it was nice to draw a crew that easily ranks among the top end of the CX service scale.
Auckland International Airport: I was pleased with the PTE time but I’m sure that those passengers on my flight not holding New Zealand or Australian passports would have quite a different story to tell about arriving. With all gates taken and a full-to-bursting immigration hall it’s time to expand! (And building four new hardstands with a future plan of creating a distant finger pier similar to Heathrow T4’s Victor Zone was not quite what I had in mind).
[Edited to fix link]
[This message has been edited by B-HXB (edited Feb 25, 2004).]
It struck me that of all the Cathay Pacific trip reports I’ve posted on FlyerTalk, not one has covered the CX route and the CX flight I ply the most – that from Hong Kong to Auckland. With First Class on this route being axed effective from the 21st April, I thought it might be fitting to dedicate the last report in my 2004 Airbus trilogy to what is in all likelihood the last time I’ll be flying in a First Class sleeper seat on this particular sector.
Flight: CX107
Aircraft: Airbus 340-300, B-HXF
Departure time: 2105
Departure gate: 2
Sector: HKG AKL
Trains to the Airport now run at fifteen-minute intervals rather than the ten that was prevalent pre-Sars, but even with the reduced frequency the train was not crowded and there was plenty of seats and space available for luggage storage. I gave the in-station check-in a miss, preferring to complete that at the airport instead.
Even though the trains leave on the quarter-hour, they pull into central Hong Kong station a good seven or eight minutes prior to that and once the inbound passengers are off, there’s ample time to transfer bags from the trolleys on to the train. Signs are set up along the platform advising passengers as to which end of the train is best to travel on for minimum distance to walk to check-in upon arrival, with Cathay Pacific (using zones B and C) being at the rear of the train.
The train departed right on schedule and twenty-three minutes later with two stops we drew into the Airport station and it was again an easy transfer of bags to the waiting trolleys on the platform.
There were plenty of agents staffing the CX First Class check-in and is usually the procedure, one agent entered the information into the computer while another agent helped out with printing boarding cards from another desk. Another smooth pre-takeoff sweep through check-in complete, the agent came round from behind the podium to hand me my boarding pass and lounge invitation.
The remaining formalities to be completed – temperature check, immigration and security screening – went off without a hitch. Everywhere was wide open – absolutely no queues at all in what is perhaps the most quiet time of the day for HKIA.
Cathay Pacific’s two lounges at Hong Kong International Airport are almost polar opposites of each other. While both reach the same high standard, they are decorated in considerably contrasting styles. The Wing, an open, mezzanine-style lounge with terrific views of the apron and slight ambient noise from the gate lounges below, sports a grey granite scheme; whereas the newer Pier is a completely enclosed space on the fifth floor, with white marble being the predominant theme and – as one agent put it with whom I’d been discussing the relative merits of the lounges one time – has the view of a corridor. (Incidentally, I believe this is true only for the First Class lounge as from memory the Business Class lounge faces on to gate 64). Personally, I prefer The Wing and with a gate 2 departure, The Wing was the more convenient option in any case.
The lounge was nowhere near full with all three window-side settings open for my choosing. The reason why there seemed to be nobody was because, as I was to discover, they were all in the restaurant eating. When I tried to join them, I was informed apologetically by the waiter inside that they were all full up at the moment, and I could either wait or eat outside. Opting for the latter, I filled up a plate and returned outside into the main seating area to find that another waiter had already set a place complete with napkin and cutlery at the chair closest to the restaurant entrance.
Hot dishes on offer tonight were cuts of beef, fishcakes, roast veal and a selection of roast potato cubes, rice and stir-fried vegetables, with a selection of salads and cold appetisers and a delectable array of cakes and sliced fruit.
Gate 2 is afforded an excellent view from the lounge and I could easily see and hear the Boarding Soon announcement being made at around twenty past eight. I like being the first to get on planes (why, I don’t quite know as I end up waiting either way – the difference being either in the lounge or on the plane) so this called for me to wander down to the gate after a quick visit to the bathroom.
For the four preferred gates facing the lounge, the quickest way to access them from The Wing is to use either the [impossibly slow] lift or the stairs located opposite and adjacent to respectively the main Customer Service Centre in the Business Class section. This pretty much puts you smack right opposite gate 2, with the only problem being a one-way travelator in the way, requiring a brief diversion around one end.
Boarding hadn’t yet commenced but the row-boarding signs held aloft by agents had made their appearance. Perhaps realising that crackly PA announcements requesting certain rows to now move forward for boarding don’t work because either A) nobody understands them or B) everyone pretends not to understand them, Cathay seem to have shifted to printing big numbers on a sign, maybe under the assumption that any moron can read numbers like 54 and 71. And for the truly old-fashioned, the PA announcement is still made and is repeated by the sign-toting agent as s/he meanders through the forest of seats, extended legs and bulky carry-ons.
All this was immaterial to me as I parked myself and my handcarry firmly next to the left-hand processing station and watched the scene unfold as the CX agents tried to herd everyone into a "single queue please!" at the right-hand boarding station. One of those not on sheepdog duty swiped his card to open the glass doors leading down into the fixed link bridge and informed me that there’d be just a little more of a wait.
Fine by me, as I turned my attention away from the snaky line of people forming at the Economy Class side of the bridge to the aircraft which would shortly be taking me 9,000 kilometres down to New Zealand. Nothing terribly special about HXF, except for the funny mint-green nosecone it had that clashed sharply with the CX logo strip that runs under the nose (making it look just like the aircraft was wearing a face mask) and the fact that I hadn’t yet been in the front cabin of XF since its retrofit.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to be the first on the aircraft this time as a wheelchair passenger was rolled on before me through the Y door but I did get to be the first through the 1L door (as if it really mattered, but we all have our little quirks with which we amuse ourselves). My boarding stub was taken by the Inflight Service Manager and passed on to the senior purser, who showed me to my seat. I was told that I could put my roll-on into the overhead compartment which was a first for me, but maybe she thought I was a bit confused as I initially pulled it into the little space with me so I could stash away my boarding stub which she’d laid on the armrest.
There were four other passengers in First Class that night – all upgrades due to Economy being overbooked. One phrase to describe these passengers would be “a motley bunch”. There was an European couple, who, when given the choice by the purser when they boarded of having the seat pair in row 1 or row 2 agonised considerably as to which to take; a Chinese man in 1A who asked if he could use the side “For Crew Use Only” duvet-storage locker to stow his duffel ; and an Asian man in 2K who, after boarding, immediately requested a copy of the menu and a set of pyjamas, none of which he opened until well after takeoff and the other passengers had all received the same.
It was almost as enjoyable to watch as the boarding.
Anyway, before all that while I was still blissfully the only person who’d been seated in the F cabin, the flight purser (lower in rank than the senior purser but more senior than the rank of flight attendant, none of whom are found serving in Cathay First Class) came by to take my drink order. While I waited for him to return with my drink, I watched as the Business Class passengers trickled past and squint at the ceiling as they tried to find their seats. I’ve noted a lot of people seem to have trouble finding the seat numbers on the Airbuses which are admittedly printed far too tiny on the blue rounded edge of an illuminated bar above the seat – something which has changed on the 340-600 with reversion back to the traditional sticker with big number on it.
The flight purser came by with my water and a hot savoury which for today was creamed mushrooms in a pastry ‘pocket’ (for lack of a better description, the pastry resembled a mini open-topped pie with the filling ‘poured’ in) which was very hot, very tasty and very nicely presented on a small plate. Nobody else in the cabin (after they boarded) seemed to want to try it though, with the exception of 2D who initially refused it and then when the purser began walking away immediately changed her mind and called out she’d try it after all. Like me, she must struggle with decisions of minor consequence.
A newspaper run was done by the senior purser about midway through the boarding process for the three passengers who had boarded and I was apologetically told that no New Zealand papers had been loaded. No consequence; I’d kept up to date with New Zealand news online anyway and any NZ papers loaded are normally a day old, but it was a slight slip in standards. I will never forget on one CX107 flight a couple of years ago, having been also informed that there weren’t any NZ papers on board, for the flight purser to come to my seat just before the doors were closed to hand me a neatly folded copy of that day’s edition of The New Zealand Herald which I eventually found out had come fresh off the just-arrived inbound CX108.
No last-minute newspapers this time, and HXF began its pushback from gate 2 to the strains of the [extremely mind-sticking] music which accompanies the safety video. With that over, and the captain’s, the ISM’s and the Cantonese translation of the ISM’s speech out of the way, the only thing I could think about was what the captain’s name actually was, with me hearing three different versions in all three speeches.
Empty water glasses and champagne flutes were collected, followed by a round of hot towels before HXF took off on 07R heading east from the airport towards Hong Kong and Kowloon.
After the indication from the flight deck that we’d passed through ten thousand feet, the crew got to work, snapping closed the curtains both front and back of the cabin. The senior purser came round to give out the menus and to introduce herself – we were told that we could order any item on the menu at any time and that we weren’t to worry about bothering the crew if we chose to do so. She mentioned that the flight purser would come round shortly to take our dinner orders, and that he did, along with our preference for a drink.
DINNER
Caviar and Balik Salmon Delight
Oscietra Caviar
and
Balik Salmon “Tsar Nicolaj”
served with Warm New Potatoes and Crème Fraiche
Soup
Oxtail Cream Soup
served with Mini Garlic Baguette
Salad
Caesar Saland
Main Courses
Grilled Lobster and Scallops with Lobster Sauce
Boiled New Potatoes and Small Vegetable Casserole
Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops with Natural Gravy, Roasted Garlic and Thyme
Leek and Potato Boulangere and Small Vegetable Casserole
Vegetables wrapped in Bean Curd Skin with Steamed Rice
Award winning dish by Lotus Chan & Sharon Wong of “Simply the Best Chef” Cabin Crew Chinese Culinary Contest
Ricotta Cannelloni with Semi Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
Cheese Board
Dessert Selection
Lemon Crème Brulee Tart
Almond Chocolate Pudding
Vanilla Ice Cream
Milk Pudding with Ginger Juice
Award winning dish by Yvonne Lam & Stephen Sin of “Simply the Best Chef” Cabin Crew Chinese Culinary Contest
Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls
Tea and Coffee
Pralines and Cookies
If you’re wondering what on earth the “Simply the Best Chef” Cabin Crew Chinese Culinary Contest and who thought up that rather frightful name with all those C’s in it; I’m afraid I can only help you with the former but rest assured that you are not alone in thinking the latter. This insert came with (or rather inside
) the menu:***
"SIMPLY THE BEST CHEF"
Prize-winning dishes from Cathay Pacific’s Cabin Crew Cooking Competition
Cathay Pacific is committed to offering high-quality Chinese cuisine to its passengers.
Our cabin crew recently used their culinary skills, combined with professional knowledge and inflight experience, to create a variety of Chinese dishes as part of a unique cooking competition, “Simply the Best Chef”. Renowned Hong Kong food critics were among the judging panel that selected 12 prize-winning dishes.
From February until April 2004, Cathay Pacific is proud to feature the 12 winning dishes on selected flights. These special additions to our inflight menu represent one more way in which Cathay Pacific cabin crew have the interest of their passengers at heart.
***
There then follows pictures of the 12 winning dishes along with the cabin crew whom created them, divided into four categories of three prizes each (gold, silver, bronze). From above, the Milk Pudding in Ginger Juice won Gold in the Snacks/Refreshment category, also scoring the “Best of the Best Chef Award” and the Vegetables Wrap in Beancurd was awarded Gold in the Vegetables category. More information is available from the Cathay Pacific press release.
Returning to the cabin, the Decleor amenity kits and Shanghai Tang pyjamas were handed out (with 2D having another bout of indecision over whether a small or medium would fit better – thankfully the senior purser chipped in with some help otherwise they could’ve been there all night) which started a rush on the two bathrooms as the others all changed out of their clothes. Content to wait out the charge with my orange juice and dish of warmed cashew nuts, plus an activated StudioCX navigator, I pulled out the inset noise cancelling headsets and began browsing.
I know that some flyers claim the CX noise cancelling headsets are not true noise cancelling ones but not having tried the 'proper' ones I find the CX version to be perfectly acceptable. My only complaint would be that they are terribly flimsy and come apart quite easily if one constantly extracts and replaces them in their stowage compartment. For that reason, once I take them out at the beginning of the flight I normally rest them over the storage locker into the slightly depressed well between the locker and the cabin wall with the rest of the bits and pieces I collect during the flight. 2A’s headphones were also showing signs of wear and tear, with the padded edging which cup around the ears being frayed.
The Inflight Service Manager came round to do the customary welcome, handed me a New Zealand Arrival Card for me to complete and closed the window shades for me. With the rest of the cabin now a sea of beige with red trim I decided to join the party and headed for the bathroom with my pyjama kit. The lavatory behind the cockpit was in play (it depends on the crew as some keep it for the exclusive use of the flight deck) so I headed in that direction. Passing the galley, I asked the purser for a clothes hanger, which he quickly got from the closet in front of 1A and handed it to me.
With my pyjamas on and my clothes hanging neatly in the closet (complete with seat identification sticker) I could return to my seat and finish off the nuts. As I was working towards this aim the senior purser came by to lay the cutlery and linen for dinner, complete with the ubiquitous CX card which advertises something different each month or so (this time it was the turn of the Rugby Sevens) and a Bon Appetit card with a handwritten message inside wishing me an enjoyable flight and signed by both pursers.
Regrettably, the perfect picture was spoiled by one thing: a PLASTIC KNIFE.
The senior purser came by with the salmon and caviar cart and tempted me into having some – normally on this flight I like going for a light option and then sacking out but with the menu having been reduced post-Sars and this being the final flight and all, I decided ‘why not’ – and it wasn’t long before the purser had finished preparing my plate and I was working my way through slices of salmon, sour cream, toast points, warm new potatoes and accompaniments in front of me. I was soon wondering exactly why I’d passed on this starter so many times in the past...
I was offered seconds by the crew when they came to clear my plate but with more to come on the menu I decided to pass. The bread basket made an appearance but I had to ask for a butter knife (an item a surprising number of crew seem to forget nowadays).
The lamb was next to be served and the purser offered a pot of mint jelly to go with it, which I turned down (2K later got the pot all to himself). I made short work of the two delicious lamb chops but barely touched the vegetables. This was noticed by the observant senior purser when she came round to collect the plate and when I told her that I didn’t really fancy vegetables all that much she joked "your mother wouldn’t approve!" which, frequent flyer that I am, made me immediately think of Malaysia Airlines’ "Only your mother should tell you when to eat – and you don’t have to eat your vegetables if you don’t want to" advertising campaign for their First Class and GoldFlyer’s Trip Report, not necessarily in that order!
The purser returned to ask my preference for cheese and dessert. While all of the sweets looked appealing, I decided that I really did have to try the “Best of the Best” milk pudding and was told that it would take a few minutes to prepare. While I waited, I took a look at what everyone else was having – as I’d only gone for the salmon and the main I’d been served quite quickly, and most of the cabin were only now tucking into their main courses now.
In between serving courses to 1A and 2D, the pursers would come by my seat to apologise that the milk pudding was taking so long to prepare. From being one of the first to finish my meal, it turned out I was the last to have my tablecloth collected as even after two tries the senior purser couldn’t get the milk to set. She brought her second attempt to show me, and indeed it looked more like milky soup than any sort of pudding. I waved off her suggestion that she try it again for a third time or that I choose another dessert, saying that I was probably ready for some sleep and that I’d only decided to try the milk pudding because of the promotion. She was quite apologetic about the pudding not coming out properly and when I asked if she’d tried it herself, said that she had but even then it had been quite runny. It was this particular crew’s first time preparing the pudding as it had only been added to the menus for a short time.
As she returned to the galley with the remnants of the milk pudding, the cabin lights were dimmed as the rest of the cabin were beginning to turn in for the night, all having foregone dessert. I was ready to bed down as well, but first the senior purser came back with a hot towel and some pralines to choose from if I so desired (I didn’t), and to offer me a duvet.
Since 1A had decided to use his side-locker as a storage compartment the pursers had moved the 1A duvets to the overhead lockers, which they had already passed out to 1A and 2D. With 1K being empty, those two duvets had gone to 2G and 2K, meaning that I, being the last to finish the meal service, was the odd one out.
I mentioned to the purser as she unlatched the locker that it must be inconvenient having to reach into the side lockers to get the duvets on the Airbus cabins when on the 747-400 there was space for storage behind, which elicited a comment that I was very familiar with CX aircraft. This led on to further conversation about the two different style of First Class cabins fitted on the CX fleet. Apparently, the crews prefer working the F cabin on the 744 to the Airbuses because not only is it more spacious and private for the passenger, it makes it easier for them to do their job. The galleys are larger, they don’t get people walking past during boarding, they have the little worktop in between 2A and K and – as I commented to her and she agreed wholeheartedly – the best part is that they don’t have to do cockpit duty in addition to their cabin responsibilities.
I arranged to be woken up an hour and a half before landing so I could have breakfast, and then put my seat into the bed position, pushed down the armrest, extended the privacy divider, switched off the PTV screen and as recommended, fastened the seatbelt over my duvet for what would hopefully be a good night’s sleep.
The purser was not needed in this regard after all, as my internal alarm clock woke me up with one hour and twenty-two minutes flight time remaining. After a visit to the washroom and an exchange of good mornings in the galley with the flight purser who was preparing breakfast for 1K (formerly of 2G who had shifted across presumably to minimise disruption to his still slumbering travelling companion in 2D), I folded up the duvet and stashed it on top of the side locker for later collection.
A hot towel was delivered and shortly after, my meal order was taken:
BRUNCH
Juice Selection
Appetiser
Fresh Seasonal Fruits
Main Courses
Omelette with Ricotta Cheese and Marinated Red Pepper
Assorted Dim Sum
Apple Pancake served with Maple Syrup and Butter
Accompaniments
Grilled Back Bacon, Pan-fried Rosti Potato, Vine Grape Tomato and Buttered Fresh Button Mushrooms
From the Bakery
Assorted Bread, Rolls and Wasa Crackers
Served with Preserves, Honey and Butter
Tea and Coffee
The apple pancake was a new addition to the menu, something which I’ve not seen before so a combination of that and the fact the other two options sounded distinctly unappetising at four o’clock in the morning led me to go with the third option; plus an orange juice, sides of bacon and potatoes and some freshly made white toast.
Cutlery and linen were laid again – this time the butter knife was present and accounted for – and my orange juice delivered almost immediately after the purser returned to the galley with my order. The fruit plate, consisting of a few mandarin slices, a cut of watermelon, two slices of pineapple, two grapes and a slice of grapefruit was brought out. The two pursers had the timing between the courses down perfect, with the toast being delivered in a small wicker basket lined with linen just as I finished the fruit. I was asked if I wanted any preserves to go with my toast – I chose strawberry – but when the purser returned it was with two small pots, one of strawberry jam and one of marmalade. She explained to me that she’d forgotten what I’d asked for, so she’d brought both.
My main course was served shortly after the toast, coming with a small jug of maple syrup, a small plastic pottle of whipped butter and a fresh knife and fork to replace that collected with the fruit appetiser. Taking advantage of a temporary lull in cabin service requirements – 1A and K had both finished their breakfasts and 2D and K were still sleeping – the purser stopped for a brief chat which is always welcome.
Realising that my meal was getting cold, the purser excused herself about five minutes later and left me to my [still warm] breakfast. Unlike many other times, the plate did just contain all three things I’d requested – the pancakes, bacon and potato. Sometimes the pursers feel it necessary to liven up the plate by adding a sprinkling of mushrooms or plopping a tomato on the side for decoration’s sake – which I never eat anyway but as it’s to be destroyed on arrival anyway I suppose it doesn’t really matter if it shows up on the plate or remains in its storage container. At any rate, the preparing purser on this flight had gone for the principle of duality when making up my plate: two small disc-shaped pancakes topped off with a sliver of apple each, two slices of bacon and two potato rosti cakes.
Toothbrush in hand, I pushed down the armrest again after clearing my plate (as per usual, the meal was delicious) and squeezed out of the seat with the intention of changing and freshening myself up before landing. As my route took me right past the closet and the crew were busy in the galley, I unsnapped the top latches and was trying to twist the handles to open it when the purser, noticing what I was doing, came to my rescue. With one hand clutching a toothbrush set and the other holding my clothes on a hanger, I continued the walk forward.
Suitably attired for arrival, I returned the clothes hanger to the closet which I managed to open this time. The senior purser saw me at the closet and came over with the intention of assisting, but smiled ruefully when she found out I’d already opened the door and again mentioned how familiar I was with the cabin.
I gathered from her comment that not too many passengers try to return the clothes hanger to the closet themselves nor engage in discussions with the crew over the differences in aircraft types.
The crew did one last sweep of the cabin before landing, collecting up our water bottles, duvets and discarded pyjamas and also one last hot towel run. An unaccompanied minor was escorted up from the back and seated in 1D, along with her four (!!) bags which her flight purser escort from Y tried to find room for in the overhead lockers.
HXF touched down on 23L about ten minutes ahead of schedule and as we roared past the international terminal on our landing run I took a quick peek through the right hand windows at our likely parking spot. To my delight, 6 and 8 were both immediately scratched as contenders by virtue of a MAS 744 and the Air New Zealand Lord of the Rings 744 respectively. That meant, barring another wait in a penalty box, that it would be a 1L disembarkation which I at all times prefer to having to fight my way through the rear Business Class cabin to door 2.
The ISM was a bit slow with her “Welcome to Auckland” address, not starting until we were rolling past an Air Tahiti Nui A340 on 7, meaning that the Cantonese translation never did get off the ground (or on the ground, rather). The pursers began returning coats and also came round to individually say goodbye to each one of us. Being the last unoccupied spot in the terminal, gate 1 was all ours, and conveniently it was the closest gate to passport control.
Given that all the frontal parking spaces at the terminal were now full, and that I knew from regular visits that the Thai and Air Tahiti would have been at least two of the flights that just pipped us to landing I was gearing myself up for a long wait to clear immigration and MAF formalities. I was second out of the plane (I also like being first off, as well as first on but apparently it was not to be).
Have you ever noticed that when you’ve prepared yourself for the worst possible scenario, it almost never turns out that way? I’d resigned myself to being stuck in the terminal with teeming masses of people for at least a half-hour, probably more, but it seemed – finally – that somebody in a position of authority had realised that the high passenger numbers warranted some action.
The result being that some unlucky Immigration Officer, having drawn the short straw, was on direction duty next to the Duty Free Fast Track (DFFT) counters yelling out "New Zealand and Australian passports?" Normally the DFFT counters are available for holders of NZ or Australian passports who purchase duty free on arrivals – the theory being that more would be encouraged to shop as the disincentive of waiting in long lines at passport control is removed. In the past, I’ve frequently blasted it as nothing more than a revenue-grabbing exercise but this turned round to bite me today as the 3 DFFT desks were being made exclusively available to all Australian and New Zealand passport holders, with the entire immigration hall downstairs changing to do visitors processing.
There were only three people in front of me and I was through in less than five minutes, taking the escalator which put me next to carousel 3. As it moved me downwards I caught a glimpse of the main immigration hall, which could only be described as a complete mess. From what I could see every single counter was open, and each counter had a queue of at least twenty people in front of it. Most queues were backed up to the rear wall of the waiting area, and my fellow (non-New Zealand passport holding) passengers on the CX107 probably had a good 45 minute wait in store for them.
We’d been allocated carousel 5 as is the usual custom for the CX107, something I always find strange as 5 is the longest reclaim belt at AKL and one would think it would be more suited for a 744-size aircraft given more passengers usually equate to more bags. There was an approximate eight minute wait for the bags to come out, during which I was the only person to be standing at the carousel. Being the nervous paranoid type, I was shooting frequent glances up at the television monitor to make sure that a belt switch hadn’t been pulled on me. It hadn’t, and by the time my bags made their appearance as the third and sixth to emerge, only one other person was now nearing the carousel.
The MAF screening area was surprisingly empty, although on further reflection it did make sense. The Malaysian, Thai and Air Tahiti Nui passengers were most likely still stuck at the frightful queues observed at passport control, and those off an Air NZ flight in from Tokyo were still in the throes of baggage collection. Whatever the reason, all the processing stations were open for a minimum number of passengers and with X-ray a breeze (except that it would be nice if the MAF officials on duty would offer to lift bags on and off the X-ray like they do in Australia) I logged in a plane-to-exit time of 14 minutes. (!!)
To sum up
Hong Kong International Airport: Brilliant, as always.
Cathay Pacific First Class: I shall miss being able to fly AKL-HKG-AKL direct in First Class and can only hope that this is not a sign of things to come on other routes as well… but for the final flight, it was nice to draw a crew that easily ranks among the top end of the CX service scale.
Auckland International Airport: I was pleased with the PTE time but I’m sure that those passengers on my flight not holding New Zealand or Australian passports would have quite a different story to tell about arriving. With all gates taken and a full-to-bursting immigration hall it’s time to expand! (And building four new hardstands with a future plan of creating a distant finger pier similar to Heathrow T4’s Victor Zone was not quite what I had in mind).
[Edited to fix link]
[This message has been edited by B-HXB (edited Feb 25, 2004).]
It will be a while before I can enjoy something this extravagant.
Mar 1, 2004, 9:46 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,562
Great report. My best flight ever was the CX 108 in F in August 2002. I am so sad to see F go from the HKG-AKL route and, like you, hope it is not a sign of things to come.
Mar 1, 2004, 7:19 pm
#11
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
B-HXB, thanks to your invention of the PTE time, I used my stopwatch on arrival at CHC from SYD a few days ago, and I think I may have set a personal record for an international flight in Y with checked luggage: 7 minutes from engine shutdown to being greeted by my brother at landside! That was despite a 2-3 minute wait for the doors to open and some very slow-walking passengers holding me up...