Dragonair New A330 F Service Hong Kong - Shanghai (KA 894 HKG-PVG)
Apr 27, 2004, 10:48 am
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Boston, MA
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Posts: 7,541
Dragonair New A330 F Service Hong Kong - Shanghai (KA 894 HKG-PVG)
DRAGONAIR 894
Departs Hong Kong (HKG) @ 17:45
Arrives Shanghai (PVG) @ 20:05
Meal: Dinner
Distance: 767 mi
Stops: non-stop
Flight Time: 2:20
Equipment: Airbus A330R
Seat: 1A
I arrived at the airport in HKG a little more than an hour before departure. I chose this flight over the earlier 16:45 departure, because this flight featured full dinner service, whereas the earlier flight was snack only. There was a little confusion about the equipment though: I wanted to make sure I got the newly refurbished A33R, with the new lie flat seats and menu vs. the older style planes. The concierge told me that this flight only had the old seats which is/was seemingly verified by the airline's website, but when I called the airline directly, the agent assured me that this flight on this day had the new equipment.
When I got to the airport, there were two people in line ahead of me at the first class check in counter (I think there was only one staffed); the first person took a while, and then the person ahead of me let me go, because I had a ticket and he had a question...
Anyway, check in was fast and the check-in agent confirmed that this was the new equipment, so I was happy about my choice.
I was given an invitation to the lounge, which turns out to be pretty far from the gate.
When I attempted to enter security, the lady at the entrance was not going to let me in, saying I was only allowed one bag which had to fit into a tiny box and I was wheeling a packed 24" garment bag and had a briefcase. When I complained that I was in first class and had been traveling all over with this bag, she looked at my ticket and gave me a "pass" to let me thru. [Note: when I repeated this process later in the week on CX, the check-in agent tagged my bag with a cabin-pass, and so this process was avoided.]
After clearing security and customs, I went to the lounge which is towards the right end of one side of the terminal. The lounge is a nice combined business and first class lounge. The drink selections were middle of the road; there was a noodle stand where a guy would make noodles for you; and some snacks. There were two computers, and I used one for a few minutes. About 10 minutes later, they announced boarding. As I was departing, I asked about bonus miles and was told that their only partner was Asia Miles, so "what the heck", I joined Asia Miles, although I doubt I'll ever accumulate enough Asia Miles to ever use them.
Board was swift; even though I was a little late and economy had started to board, they have a separate boarding area for business and first class (something all the airlines I flew had, JL, CX, KA, etc., which is a nice feature), so I went to the head of the line and boarded right away.
First class is a 2x2x2 configuration with very nice red full reclining sleeper seats. Go to http://www.dragonair.com/icms/servle...es=66&lang=eng and click on "Upgrade to a New World of Comfort: down below to check them out! PTV's are included and I think there was a selection of 6-12 options. Given that this was only a 2 hour flight, I think I watched CSI, or something like that.
I was offered a pre-departure drink and I had glass of Chivas (12).
After takeoff, we were provided with towels and menus. The service was very friendly and efficient. I expected the food to be better as truly distinctive. It was good, IMO, but not great. The airline touts two new special culinary relationships:
* Super Star Seafood Restaurant, which "has won numerous awards for its achievements in culinary arts. Its reputation has been built on a varied selection of mouth-watering Cantonese seafood dishes, which have seen its reputations spread far and beyond the shores of Hong Kong"; and
* Sabatini, which "is an institution in Rome, and has gained an equally impressive reputation at its sister restaurant at The Royal Garden Hotel in Hong Kong. Famed for its simple, traditional Roman dishes, the family run restaurant represents Italian cooking at its finest and most delicious."
Well, with these two descriptions, my mouth was watering, and I was a little disappointed...but here is the menu with my comments:
First Course:
Roast Duck Breast with Plum Sauce (this was OK, but not exceptional)
Main Course:
1. Today's Special -- the airline has 7 daily specials as follows:
Sunday: Grilled Salmon, grilled Cod and Prawn with Lobster Sauce
Monday: Deep fried Sea Bass with Thai Chili Plum Sauce
Tuesday: Stir Fried Prawn with Chinese Steak Sauce
Wednesday: Scrambled Egg with Seafood
Thursday: Sautéed Prawn with Marjoram Fish Cream Sauce
Friday: Same as Thursday (this must be popular)
Saturday: Prawn and Scallop with Asparagus in Abalone Sauce
2. Super Star Seafood Restaurant Selection -- Sautéed Chicken with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, Steamed Rice and Chinese Vegetables (mild spicy). This is what I ordered and it was like a sweet and sour chicken dish that was decent but not amazing.
3. Sabatini Restaurant Selection: Braised Veal Shank with Wild Mushroom Risotto.
Desert:
Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream
or
Rhubarb Crumble (Served Warm) -- I ordered this and it WAS DELICIOUS!
Bread basket, including garlic bread. [Every airline I flew had garlic bread, but few had good garlic bread, and this was hard and not particularly good.]
Proudly serving Pacific Coffee, Tea, and Godiva Pralines.
The Wine and Cocktail Selection Includes:
APERITIFS & COCKTAILS:
Harvey's Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry
Sweet/Dry Vermouth, Compari
Bloody Mary, Screwdriver
Sweet/Dry Martini, Manhattan
Bacardi Rum, Gordon Gin
Finlandia Vodka
WHISKIES:
Chivas Regal 12 Yrs
Maker's Mark Bourbon
CHAMPAGNE:
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut (Yellow Label)
WHITE WINE:
Chateau de Rully 1998
Burgundy, France
Bimbadgen Chardonnay 1999
Hunter Valley, Australia
RED WINE:
Château Loudenne 1999
Medoc, France
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2000
Greg Norman Estates, Australia
LIQUERS:
Cointreau/Baileys
COGNAC:
Hennessy XO
PORT:
Dow's Port 97
BEER:
International Selection
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Tomato Juice
Soft Drinks, Perrier, Mineral Water
Blue Mountain Iced Coffee (Mr. Brown)
I was quite pleased with the XO cognac which was good touch with and after the delicious Rhubarb crumble desert.
All in all, this is a very nice flight and I suspect the best choice for Hong Kong to Shanghai. I understand CX will be starting service as they have done once per day (5x week) from HKG to PEK, but this will only be 2 class service. I think I would still lean in favor of KA in F to CX in C, with the exception that CX will have better IFE, and the opportunity to eat dinner at the Wing pre-flight as a OW Emerald, plus OW mileage makes CX a tough alternative choice.
Departs Hong Kong (HKG) @ 17:45
Arrives Shanghai (PVG) @ 20:05
Meal: Dinner
Distance: 767 mi
Stops: non-stop
Flight Time: 2:20
Equipment: Airbus A330R
Seat: 1A
I arrived at the airport in HKG a little more than an hour before departure. I chose this flight over the earlier 16:45 departure, because this flight featured full dinner service, whereas the earlier flight was snack only. There was a little confusion about the equipment though: I wanted to make sure I got the newly refurbished A33R, with the new lie flat seats and menu vs. the older style planes. The concierge told me that this flight only had the old seats which is/was seemingly verified by the airline's website, but when I called the airline directly, the agent assured me that this flight on this day had the new equipment.
When I got to the airport, there were two people in line ahead of me at the first class check in counter (I think there was only one staffed); the first person took a while, and then the person ahead of me let me go, because I had a ticket and he had a question...
Anyway, check in was fast and the check-in agent confirmed that this was the new equipment, so I was happy about my choice.
I was given an invitation to the lounge, which turns out to be pretty far from the gate.
When I attempted to enter security, the lady at the entrance was not going to let me in, saying I was only allowed one bag which had to fit into a tiny box and I was wheeling a packed 24" garment bag and had a briefcase. When I complained that I was in first class and had been traveling all over with this bag, she looked at my ticket and gave me a "pass" to let me thru. [Note: when I repeated this process later in the week on CX, the check-in agent tagged my bag with a cabin-pass, and so this process was avoided.]
After clearing security and customs, I went to the lounge which is towards the right end of one side of the terminal. The lounge is a nice combined business and first class lounge. The drink selections were middle of the road; there was a noodle stand where a guy would make noodles for you; and some snacks. There were two computers, and I used one for a few minutes. About 10 minutes later, they announced boarding. As I was departing, I asked about bonus miles and was told that their only partner was Asia Miles, so "what the heck", I joined Asia Miles, although I doubt I'll ever accumulate enough Asia Miles to ever use them.
Board was swift; even though I was a little late and economy had started to board, they have a separate boarding area for business and first class (something all the airlines I flew had, JL, CX, KA, etc., which is a nice feature), so I went to the head of the line and boarded right away.
First class is a 2x2x2 configuration with very nice red full reclining sleeper seats. Go to http://www.dragonair.com/icms/servle...es=66&lang=eng and click on "Upgrade to a New World of Comfort: down below to check them out! PTV's are included and I think there was a selection of 6-12 options. Given that this was only a 2 hour flight, I think I watched CSI, or something like that.
I was offered a pre-departure drink and I had glass of Chivas (12).
After takeoff, we were provided with towels and menus. The service was very friendly and efficient. I expected the food to be better as truly distinctive. It was good, IMO, but not great. The airline touts two new special culinary relationships:
* Super Star Seafood Restaurant, which "has won numerous awards for its achievements in culinary arts. Its reputation has been built on a varied selection of mouth-watering Cantonese seafood dishes, which have seen its reputations spread far and beyond the shores of Hong Kong"; and
* Sabatini, which "is an institution in Rome, and has gained an equally impressive reputation at its sister restaurant at The Royal Garden Hotel in Hong Kong. Famed for its simple, traditional Roman dishes, the family run restaurant represents Italian cooking at its finest and most delicious."
Well, with these two descriptions, my mouth was watering, and I was a little disappointed...but here is the menu with my comments:
First Course:
Roast Duck Breast with Plum Sauce (this was OK, but not exceptional)
Main Course:
1. Today's Special -- the airline has 7 daily specials as follows:
Sunday: Grilled Salmon, grilled Cod and Prawn with Lobster Sauce
Monday: Deep fried Sea Bass with Thai Chili Plum Sauce
Tuesday: Stir Fried Prawn with Chinese Steak Sauce
Wednesday: Scrambled Egg with Seafood
Thursday: Sautéed Prawn with Marjoram Fish Cream Sauce
Friday: Same as Thursday (this must be popular)
Saturday: Prawn and Scallop with Asparagus in Abalone Sauce
2. Super Star Seafood Restaurant Selection -- Sautéed Chicken with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, Steamed Rice and Chinese Vegetables (mild spicy). This is what I ordered and it was like a sweet and sour chicken dish that was decent but not amazing.
3. Sabatini Restaurant Selection: Braised Veal Shank with Wild Mushroom Risotto.
Desert:
Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream
or
Rhubarb Crumble (Served Warm) -- I ordered this and it WAS DELICIOUS!
Bread basket, including garlic bread. [Every airline I flew had garlic bread, but few had good garlic bread, and this was hard and not particularly good.]
Proudly serving Pacific Coffee, Tea, and Godiva Pralines.
The Wine and Cocktail Selection Includes:
APERITIFS & COCKTAILS:
Harvey's Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry
Sweet/Dry Vermouth, Compari
Bloody Mary, Screwdriver
Sweet/Dry Martini, Manhattan
Bacardi Rum, Gordon Gin
Finlandia Vodka
WHISKIES:
Chivas Regal 12 Yrs
Maker's Mark Bourbon
CHAMPAGNE:
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut (Yellow Label)
WHITE WINE:
Chateau de Rully 1998
Burgundy, France
Bimbadgen Chardonnay 1999
Hunter Valley, Australia
RED WINE:
Château Loudenne 1999
Medoc, France
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2000
Greg Norman Estates, Australia
LIQUERS:
Cointreau/Baileys
COGNAC:
Hennessy XO
PORT:
Dow's Port 97
BEER:
International Selection
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Tomato Juice
Soft Drinks, Perrier, Mineral Water
Blue Mountain Iced Coffee (Mr. Brown)
I was quite pleased with the XO cognac which was good touch with and after the delicious Rhubarb crumble desert.
All in all, this is a very nice flight and I suspect the best choice for Hong Kong to Shanghai. I understand CX will be starting service as they have done once per day (5x week) from HKG to PEK, but this will only be 2 class service. I think I would still lean in favor of KA in F to CX in C, with the exception that CX will have better IFE, and the opportunity to eat dinner at the Wing pre-flight as a OW Emerald, plus OW mileage makes CX a tough alternative choice.
Apr 27, 2004, 6:18 pm
#2
In memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: IAD, BOS, PVD
Programs: UA, US, AS, Marriott, Radisson, Hilton
Posts: 7,203
Super Star!
Well, your report is that of a super star. But why would they serve
a Thai-style chicken dish from the Super Star Seafood Restaurant
(where the honey shrimp, btw, are out of this world)?
a Thai-style chicken dish from the Super Star Seafood Restaurant
(where the honey shrimp, btw, are out of this world)?
Apr 28, 2004, 1:09 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum (3MM), QF Lifetime Gold, Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum, Ex-Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 7,541
Originally Posted by Gaucho100K
Related question; is Dragon still serving the PEK route?
Apr 28, 2004, 10:38 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,352
Great report
I love Sabatini in Hong Kong -- among the best Italian food in the Fragrant harbor. I am amazed by how Dragon Air starts this trend of using food from famous restaurants in Hong Kong.
Thanks for the report!
Carfield
Thanks for the report!
Carfield
Apr 29, 2004, 4:24 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BRS
Programs: BA GLD
Posts: 1,927
Originally Posted by Carfield
I love Sabatini in Hong Kong -- among the best Italian food in the Fragrant harbor. I am amazed by how Dragon Air starts this trend of using food from famous restaurants in Hong Kong.
Thanks for the report!
Carfield
Thanks for the report!
Carfield
Wish Dragonair was a partner in one of the major alliances. Maybe one day ...
Jun 3, 2004, 8:18 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: JFK/LAX
Posts: 1,436
Just flew KA PEK-HKG in J. The menu was the same (in terms of number of courses, quality of wines) as described above. The service was excellent. The seats are quite comfortable, though the pitch is probably only 48"--perfectly fine for a 3.5 hour flight. Had this been a 5+ hour flight, I might have paid the extra $100 and flown F as the seats/cabin looked quite nice.