sftrvlr

Point taken. Schoolboy error in my wording, really.

What I should have said was that I prefer my white with less (or no) Oak.

sftrvlr

The wakeup call came far too early for my liking, but I dragged myself out of my cocoon, showered and dressed quickly, and was outside the front entrance waiting for the shuttle back to the airport. The return journey to the terminal was far less complicated than the outbound, and we were deposited outside Departures in about two minutes. Thai has a dedicated check-in island for Royal First and Royal Silk class, along with a waiting lounge for Royal First customers while they are checked in. The agent had no trouble checking both of us in, one with an e-ticket, one with paper, and juggled some seats around so that we could be together. Since it was a domestic departure, no immigration formalities were required, and we made the lengthy walk through the lower levels of the terminal to the domestic gates. I must say it rather reminded me of wandering around somebody’s unfinished basement. I think that’s the look they were going for, but can’t be sure. Maybe it really is unfinished.

The domestic Royal Orchid Lounge is also vastly improved from Don Muang. I would say it’s about four times the size, with comfy chairs, computer stations (only one of which worked) and a better selection of food and drink. No alcohol is served in the domestic lounge, but there was a wide variety of soft drinks and juices, as well as coffee and tea. Finger sandwiches, warm appetizers of curry puffs and spring rolls, pastries and snack mix were offered from the self service bar. After a quick cappuccino and a pastry, it was off to gate B6 for the short hop to Phuket.

TG209 / Bangkok-Phuket
Airbus 330-300 / Seat 24J / Royal Silk Class
Scheduled 1045-1205 / Actual 1101-1226

I have yet to take a journey on Thai where at least one of the aircraft listed on my itinerary was not the aircraft used. Out of a total of six flights this year, four of them have had an equipment change, the worst being a Hong Kong-Bangkok service in May that went from a brand new A330-300 to the oldest, nastiest A300-600 in the fleet. This morning was an exception to the rule though, and the anticipated aircraft was pulling up to the gate as we arrived. The gate areas offer plenty of seating with lots of natural light and fine views over the ramp area. Boarding was delayed by about 25 minutes due to servicing of the aircraft, but was completed quickly, and we pushed back just a little behind schedule. It appeared that they were using the same runway for arrivals and departures that morning, so even though our gate was almost at the threshold, we had to wait for four departures and two arrivals before taking off and heading south.

Here are a couple of photos of the departure lounge:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/p...=2EcN2TJq0Yuqg

In-flight service was efficient and carried out with smiles all around. As I find is always the case with Thai, domestic and long haul crews are excellent, but intra-Asia crews seem grumpy. This was designated as a snack service due to the hour of departure, and the offering was a sandwich and fruit plate, along with soft drinks, coffee and tea. No alcohol is offered on Thai domestic services. We arrived about 20 minutes late into Phuket where some confusion ensued about where mjmsf’s bag would come out. Thailand has a system whereby travelers with a final destination of Phuket (and I believe Chiang Mai) who connect in Bangkok do not clear immigration and customs until their final destination. So when you arrive into Phuket, international through passengers go one way to immigration, international baggage claim and customs, and domestic passengers just go to domestic baggage claim. Now mjmsf had cleared both immigration and customs at Bangkok the night before, but his baggage had been checked through to Phuket. We asked the Thai ground staff where the bag would appear, and they said domestic baggage claim. I was not so sure, so after waiting for nearly all the bags to come out in the domestic area, I left mjmsf and wandered into the international area where lo and behold his bag was spinning round and round on the belt. I picked it up and walked right out through customs without being challenged by anybody . A quick taxi negotiation and we were on the road for the lovely drive about 100 kilometers north to Khao Lak.

We stayed at Le Meridien Khao Lak for the bargain travel agent rate of US$59/night, very much enjoying total relaxation by the pool or at the beach, spa treatments and some fine dining. When I visited in May, the resort was almost empty, but this time, with high season approaching and a large company meeting in house, things were much more lively. It was a little annoying that the large group took over a different part of the resort each night for entertainment and dinner, so “regular” guests were deprived of one or more of the restaurants and bars. That said, we chose room service several times not only because the quality of the food was excellent, but it was nice to simply relax on the balcony watching the swaying palms or a fantastic thunderstorm and not have to dress for dinner. The week at the lovely Le Meridien Khao Lak passed far too quickly, and it was soon time for the return taxi journey to Phuket. We would fly to Bangkok and Singapore together, and then go our separate ways, mjmsf to visit relatives in Singapore, and sftrvlr onward to Colombo.

TG630 / Phuket-Bangkok
Boeing 777-200 / Seat 22B / Royal Executive Class
Scheduled 1255-1420 / Actual 1255-1415

As usual, check-in at Phuket was a breeze with the dedicated business class counters. They were able to check mjmsf’s bag through to Singapore, but unable to check either of us in for the Swiss flight from Bangkok to Singapore, telling us to approach the international connections counter upon arrival. We were given stickers with the letters C.I.Q. on them to identify us as passengers connecting out of Thailand, and were informed that the Royal Orchid Lounge was closed for refurbishment, but that we could use the Thai Restaurant on the upper level, landside. We were reminded to leave enough time for immigration formalities.

There were two sections of the restaurant set aside for the use of Royal Executive Class customers. One for international that served beer, and one for domestic that did not. The snacks in each section were identical. We were two of only four people in the international section, and after a cold Singha and some curry puffs, it was time to clear immigration and head to the gate. True to form, our A330-300 had been replaced by a 777-200! Better than an A300-600, I suppose. This 777-200 did not have the high density (2-4-2) configuration that I was subjected to in May between Bangkok and Hong Kong, but had been reconfigured to the standard 2-3-2 arrangement, with vastly improved legroom. Pushback was right on schedule, followed by an immediate takeoff with half the cabin crew still standing. The departure hour made this a lunch service flight, and a full hot lunch was served, along with non alcoholic beverages. The main course was chicken with cashews, accompanied by a small salad and fruit for desert. I didn't eat, but mjmsf said it was tasty. Once again the Asian carriers manage a complete meal service on a one hour flight that you would be lucky to get a drink on in the USA.

An early arrival into Bangkok was followed by a passport and onward boarding pass check for C. I. Q. passengers. Does anyone know what C. I. Q. actually stands for? Since Thai could not check us in for the Swiss flight to Singapore, we had to produce a paper ticket and e-ticket receipt respectively to show the immigration officer at Bangkok. Once processed, we took the escalator up to the next level (domestic flights use the lower level) and proceeded to wander around trying to find the international transfer counters. Once again there was not a signpost to be found . We finally went into a Royal Orchid Lounge on the third level and asked, and were told it was back down on the second level. Argh! Check-in for the onward flight on Swiss was swift and the agent managed to seat us together in the center section. He also offered us a lounge invitation to any of the Royal Orchid Lounge locations throughout the airport. We selected the one nearest to our departure gate, but it was horribly overcrowded with passengers sitting in the hallways, etc. We finally found two seats together and settled in for an adult beverage or two while we waited. I would estimate that this lounge could accommodate 200 people, and it was overflowing since all Star Alliance Gold customers use the Royal Orchid Lounge. That said, it was nicely designed with a Thai theme, and the food and drink were delicious and varied. Mid shelf liquor as well as the usual variety of beer, wine, soft drinks, juices, water, coffee and tea. An extensive selection of finger sandwiches, hot snacks such as curry puffs, spring rolls and mini pizzas, as well as fruit and pastries were on offer.

LX182 / Bangkok-Singapore
Airbus A340-300 / Seat 8G / Business Class
Scheduled 1605-1930 / Actual 1621-1941

The boarding gate was located just outside the Royal Orchid Lounge and down one level, but the inbound aircraft was arriving at the gate at the same time we were, which didn’t bode well for an on time departure. Announcements were made keeping the passengers informed. Boarding began at 1600 and was completed quickly as everyone complied with the request to take their seats as soon as possible. I don’t understand why it takes 20 minutes to board in Asia, whereas the same amount of people take twice the time in the US. Too many carryons probably. Once onboard, a warm welcome was offered by the crew, along with moist towelettes. Headphones and menus were laid out on each seat. Champagne, juice or water, along with newspapers were next. We bypassed several other aircraft and went directly to the active runway for an immediate takeoff.

Once again, the crew hustled to provide excellent service on the two hour flight down to Singapore. Cocktails and mixed nuts, followed by meal service with wine and bread, another round of wine and bread, then coffee, tea and after dinner drinks accompanied by Swiss chocolates. And finally the duty free service. The menu was as follows:

Bangkok-Singapore
Light meal

Thai mesclun salad with Thousand Island dressing, cucumber, cherry tomato and baby corn

Stir-fried beef in oyster sauce served with Taiwanese vegetables, spring onions and rice
SWISS Asian-style selection

or

Red snapper fillet in Meuniere sauce, accompanied by sautéed snow peas, cherry tomato and diced potatoes

A selection of fresh fruits

I didn’t see the wine list, but imagine it was the same as the flight from Singapore up to Bangkok a week earlier. After the last meal on Swiss, and knowing that I would have use of the Silverkris Lounge at Changi in a couple of hours, I stuck with gin and tonics and mixed nuts, despite the protestations of the crew about how “good” the meal was. The cabin crew on this leg was particularly friendly and showed that Swiss in-flight service deserves its well earned reputation. (With the slight exception of a brusque “NO” when I asked about landing forms for Singapore as we began descent.) The flight attendant came back moments later to apologize and tell me they had forgotten to hand them out, thanking me for reminding the crew. I wasn’t even asking for myself, but for mjmsf who was napping next to me.

Our arrival into Singapore was just a few minutes behind schedule, where mjmsf and I said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I once again made the long, slow trek from the Terminal One C gates to Terminal Two and the Silverkris Lounge to check in for my onward Singapore Airlines flight to Colombo. I felt like a complete idiot as I insisted to the agent that I had an e-ticket, when in reality I had a paper ticket . I just get so used to electronic these days that it sometimes slips my mind that I may in fact have a paper ticket. The agent asked me if 11F, the bulkhead center section aisle on the right, was the seat I wanted (not that I’m picky or anything ,) then she popped out a boarding pass and directed me to the Raffles section of the Silverkris Lounge. She just had to rub it in, didn’t she? I was now slumming it in business class to Colombo.

The business class lounge is larger than the first class lounge, and almost as well appointed. There are two food sections that appear to have about the same offerings as the first class lounge, and the booze seemed to be the same too, except for no Dom Perignon. There is also a full service bar where premium liquor is served. Samosas and pot stickers were offered, as well as stir fried noodles with vegetables and duck with orange sauce. The soup was vegetarian hot and sour. There were also finger sandwiches, bar snacks and various cakes and pastries, as well as fresh fruit. Another impressive spread from Singapore Airlines. I had a cup of the soup and some pot stickers, then played on one of the computers for a while before leaving the lounge (it was becoming uncomfortably full by this time with the late night bank to Europe and elsewhere) to wander slowly to the gate where boarding was already underway as I cleared security.

SQ468 / Singapore-Colombo
Boeing 777-200 / Seat 11F / Raffles Class
Scheduled 2245-2355 / Actual 2245-0015

I was greeted at doorway 1L and directed through the galley and first class cabin (where I tried hard not to look enviously at the monks in 2A&B,) and settled into 11F, insisting that the 110 pound, five foot one inch Singapore Girl NOT try to lift my rollerboard into the overhead. I felt that I was more than able to accomplish this task, being a foot taller and twice the weight. A hot towel was proffered, followed by a glass of bubbly. Noise canceling headset, socks, eyeshades and earplugs came next. Then a selection of newspapers and magazines, and that evening’s supper menu. We pushed back right on time, but took almost 30 minutes to taxi and finally become airborne. The captain anticipated an on time arrival into Colombo, though. The in-flight map was all messed up that evening, telling us that the local time at our destination was 0000, and that we had 1200 hours of flight left. I was hoping that the pilots had a slightly better map up there in the pointy end.

Service began as soon as the seatbelt light went off. Cocktails and nuts were served as dinner orders were taken. Refills were offered prior to laying the table. Raffles Class service is provided on a tray with the starter course. Wine and bread are offered. This is then cleared and each passenger is served an individually plated main course. Desert is offered after the tray has been cleared, along with coffee, tea and after dinner drinks. Service was top notch throughout, with a particularly friendly crew that evening. I was addressed by name each and every time, and the menu was as follows:

singapore >> colombo

supper menu

A Savoury Note

Smoked turkey garnished with tomato and cucumber salad

The Main Event

Pan fried fillet of cod with a Nouilly Prat sauce, buttered spinach and steamed potatoes
Exclusively created by Gordon Ramsay, London

Murgh tandoori
Indian barbecued chicken, mixed vegetable curry and almond pilaf

Stewed lamb in cardamom flavoured tomato sauce, asparagus and fettuccine

A Sweet Note

Pumpkin crème brulee served with tuile

A Connoisseur’s Choice

Gourmet coffee
Selection of tea

The white wines included Piper-Heidsieck Champagne 1999, 2004 Hattenheimer Schultzenhaus Riesling Kabinett Blthasar ress, and Montagny 1er Cru 2004 Burgundy. The reds on offer were Chateau Cissac 1998 Cru Bourgeois Haut Medoc, and Serrata Belguardo 2003 Maremma Toscana.

The turkey appetizer was not at all appetizing, and I only ate the salad with some garlic bread. The lamb was tasty if a bit on the mushy side (as if the meat hadn’t been browned off before stewing it) and went well with a glass or three of the Haut Medoc. I amused myself with Krisworld for an hour or so, and we were descending into Colombo through moderate turbulence, touching down in a driving rain storm, and then taxiing slowly to the gate for a late arrival. With all the extra immigration counters in the new terminal, it took only about 15 minutes to reach the Holiday Inn booth amid the chaos outside International Arrivals. The immigration officer remarked that I had gained a few pounds since my passport photo was taken, and I told him it was all the wonderful food in Sri Lanka that did it.

The Holiday Inn counter called a cab for me. It took about 15 minutes for the driver to negotiate his way to the pickup area, where the Holiday Inn representative wished me a pleasant stay and said he had notified the front desk of my imminent arrival. Security was the tightest I’ve ever seen it in Colombo. We were pulled over by machine gun toting police at checkpoints reinforced with sandbags and tanks six times on the way into the city. Each time they looked at my passport and checked the trunk of the car for explosives, and each time they offered a big smile as the word “America” was exchanged with the cabbie. At the last two checkpoints, the guard had a brief conversation with me, apologizing for the delay, but explaining the necessity with the current situation; thanking me for visiting Sri Lanka and bidding me a pleasant stay.

The cab driver told me that business had all but dried up since the troubles had once again reared their ugly head, and that I was his first fare of the day after working for six hours. He practically begged to come and take me back to the airport when I was ready to leave, and I obliged after we agreed on the fare. Arriving at the hotel I was greeted by name with a handshake, and a warm “welcome back” to Colombo. The front desk clerk chatted amiably as he filled out the quadruplicate paperwork that seems to be required for even the smallest transaction in Sri Lanka. A few moments later, the bellman accompanied me up to my top floor room with a nice view over Galle Face Green to the pounding waves of the Indian Ocean. It had been newly refurbished and was the size of a junior suite with a sofa, armchair and coffee table in the sitting area, a full sized desk and a king sized bed. A tad noisy without double paned windows, but the view made up for it. I ordered a bucket of ice, poured myself a whisky, and once again contemplated that I had made it to the opposite side of the planet in such refined style. I must have been more tired than I thought because I slept nearly 10 hours, waking to a complimentary pot of coffee delivered by the butler.

I visited my favorite Indian restaurant, Alhambra, for lunch, where I ate like a Maharaja for US$20, then lounged by the pool until the heavens opened with afternoon thunderstorms and I retreated to my room to watch an incredible display of rain and lightning for the next few hours. Still full from lunch, I lounged around the room for the rest of the evening, watching a movie, and catching up on the news from Al Jazeera’s new global network. The look is very much CNN with presenters anchoring programs from flashy studio sets in Doha, London, Washington and Kuala Lumpur. They’ve also poached many reporters and presenters from the other global networks such as CNN and BBC, including an old schoolfriend of mine. They probably didn’t want anyone from FOX News . I wish we got Al Jazeera here in San Diego, but the cable company is about as likely to add Al Jazeera as it is to drop FOX News. The next day, another Indian lunch was followed by a wander along the waterfront, a shave at a barber shop and a quick swim in the pool. Then it was time to shower, dress and head back to the airport for my Cathay Pacific flight to Singapore and on to Hong Kong. Another very enjoyable stay in Colombo had come to an end …

Up next: Cathay Pacific’s nasty intra-Asia seat and my first First on JAL.

sporadic

"... and settled into 11F, insisting that the 110 pound, five foot one inch Singapore Girl NOT try to lift my rollerboard into the overhead. " I love your humour. Keep up the good stuff on this TR!

More Champagne Sir?

Excllent report so far!! Thanks sftrvlr ^^

Steady-EDI

Yikes, I've only just discovered this - and an excellent read it is too ^

With this report coming hard on the heels of jacob_m's classic, I really must dedicate some quality thinking time to how on earth I can sample some *A pampering, reinvigorate my rapidly dwindling *A status , retain my BA status and still hold down a job to pay for it all

mikebg

A very enjoyable and entartaining report!
That is something I find quite amazing! Over the past year or so I have become quite a regular on EL AL's First Class, mainly on the LHR-TLV route, but also on TLV-NYC and TLV-HKG. Now I do have some issues with EL AL, but food is not one of them. I have found that as long as there is enough food, they will let you have as much as you want. On some routes the food is so good that I skip meals for most of the day and then 'do the menu' - taking all the starters, all the main courses etc ... (and no, I am not overweight either!). I have never been told that they are only allowed to serve one or the other!

Being rather uncharitable, I would say that as you were one of the last to be served, the crew rather fancied some of the food, and made up the story about 'not being allowed' in order to keep you quiet. I mean, you were on an international First Class flight ...

tomashi

very entertaining report! nice job!
sounds like you have a pretty good time in the first-class cabins of all the premium carriers. can´t wait for the CX part!

thomas

wali

Can't wait for the next part!!
very good so far!

couscous

Still loving it

sftrvlr

I hope you're all enjoying the ride ...

The drive back to Katunayake International was exactly the same as the drive into town had been. Endless checkpoints, flashlights and questions, but once again with smiles all around. Only ticketed passengers are permitted inside the terminal at Colombo, and the two lines for entry were each around 50 people long. I learned years ago in India that lines really mean nothing but a place to stand and chat in this part of the world, so rather than standing around sweating with all the tourists queuing politely for their turn, I simply walked purposefully to the front of the line and into the terminal, flashing my passport at the guard. Hey, when in Rome, right? Once inside there were only about ten people in front of me for the security checkpoint, and I did wait my turn. Just as I reached the x-ray machine, I was brushed aside by an extremely large sari-clad woman muttering in Sinhala (I'm making a language assumption here, but it could have been something else) and waiving her documents about with bangle adorned arms. I then watched and waited as her three porters (yes, three of them) deposited her eleven(!) pieces of luggage onto the conveyor belt as she talked loudly on her cell phone while being wanded by the security guard. "Wow, she's good!" I thought to myself as I pretty much sat right on the belt to wrestle my rollerboard into the machine ahead of a now highly impatient businessman. I was of course hoping to be caught up in her wake and pulled along into the terminal as she cleared a path for me, but that was not to be as a family with several small and rather uncontrolled children took forever to file through the magnetometer.

Okay. Two hurdles jumped. They certainly don't make it easy to leave Sri Lanka, do they? Next, me and about 200 other people surged like a sweaty, smelly river, down a stuffy, hot temporary passageway to the check-in area (International Departures is currently under construction.) I’ve flown Sri Lankan, Emirates, Thai and Singapore Airlines out of Colombo before, but never Cathay Pacific, and it took a few minutes to find the two check-in counters that were open. To my dismay, there was no premium line and a large group of badminton players milling about, but it proved not to be an issue. The line I chose moved quickly and I was soon offered my boarding pass and a lounge invitation, directed through the speedy passport control counters, and upstairs to the newly refurbished terminal.

I planned to briefly say hello to another fellow FlyerTalker (I don't know his FT handle) who was arriving on the Singapore Airlines flight that same evening, and the arrivals monitors showed that I had about half an hour to wait, so I decided to stop in for a drinkie and snack at the Araliya Business Class Lounge. This is one of three new lounges in the new terminal. Sri Lankan has a dedicated (and very nice) lounge, and there are pool lounges for premium customers traveling on other carriers. The Araliya Lounge is for business class, and the Lotus Lounge for first class. Since Cathay only operates a two cabin configuration into Colombo, I had no choice. What a disappointment after my most enjoyable visit to the Sri Lankan Airlines Lounge the last time I was in Colombo!

A report on the Sri Lankan Airlines lounge can be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...=498447&page=4

The Araliya Lounge was crowded with the many late night departures, and on the warm side. There was no enclosed smoking section, but rather a cordoned off area at one end of the lounge, so the entire place had a hard-to-describe aroma of stale cigarettes, bad cologne and curry powder. In fearless defiance, and not wanting to let my readers down (), I pushed on through the haze and found the bar, the gin, some ice and tonic, and settled in to relax for a bit.

Actually, it wasn’t that bad. The old lounges at Colombo were far worse. In fact some carriers merely used to give you restaurant vouchers in lieu of an actual lounge visit. Smoke doesn’t particularly bother me, but those who are sensitive to it would not be happy here. The bar contained mid shelf liquors as well as red and white wines, beers and the usual soft drinks, juices and waters, along with coffee and tea. Food wise, it was quite impressive. At least as far as variety, although the actual taste and quality left a bit to be desired. I sampled the satays (not bad), the mini pizzas (disgusting), the samosas (just edible) and the pan fried noodles with spicy sauce (overcooked.) There was also pasta with tomato sauce, finger sandwiches, cheese and crackers, fruit, and a variety of cookies and pastries. A large and varied selection, but perhaps they need to focus more on quality over quantity. A gin and tonic later, I wandered to the gate to meet the SQ468 from Singapore. My flight had also been called for boarding, but knowing that in Colombo they a) always call the flights too early, and b) make business class wait until after economy class to board, I wasn’t rushed.

As I approached the gate, I saw the Singapore Airlines 777 already parked, although there appeared to be no passengers disembarking, so waited expectantly for a few moments, but nothing happened. I asked the security guard what time the flight had arrived, and he told me 20 minutes ago!

As I was wandering down to the Araliya Lounge, I had noticed throngs of customers at the Transfer Desk, and briefly wondered if something had been delayed or canceled that evening, not even thinking (at the time) that our fellow FlyerTalker had to use that very desk to retrieve his return boarding pass to Singapore that night. Remembering the mess at the Transfer Desk, I turned and walked back to the main terminal, knowing that someone was not going to be a happy camper . Sure enough, there were still at least 50 people awaiting service, but unnamed FTer had managed to push his way to the front and was tapping his fingers on the counter as the agent tapped his fingers on the keyboard behind the counter. We said a brief hello, and he explained that United had double booked him on the Singapore Airlines flight, so they had canceled everything! Just as I exclaimed yikes, the agent handed him a first class boarding pass, and we both sighed with relief. He told me that the reason for the massive queues that evening was because the Sri Lankan flight to London had been delayed for hours, then made an aborted takeoff, so all the passengers were being rebooked or put up overnight. What a mess! It was now twenty minutes before departure for my flight, so we said a quick goodbye, and I sped to the gate for boarding, just as they were announcing my name over the PA system.

CX 710 / CMB-HKG (via SIN)
Boeing 777-300 / Seat 16G (sometimes) / Business Class
Scheduled 1240-1150 / Actual 1240-1144

As I boarded (last) through doorway 1L, I was warmly greeted by the Purser, and directed through the galley towards my mid-cabin seat in the enormous forward business class section on Cathay’s stretch 777. Approaching 16G it became apparent that an elderly gentleman had already settled himself comfortably into my assigned seat. Just as I was about to ask him if he was in the correct seat, a flight attendant quietly requested that I take any available seat in the cabin for this sector from Colombo to Singapore. I actually preferred the window on an overnight flight anyway, and gladly settled into 16K for the short ride. There were a total of 11 passengers in the entire front cabin, and nobody in the second business class mini-cabin for this portion. The flight attendant explained that he had been seated in the last row of the second cabin by himself and they had moved him forward after they thought everyone had boarded the aircraft. I really didn’t mind at all, even though she was making a big deal out of it. She said that the continuation from Singapore to Hong Kong would be completely full, and asked that I move to my originally assigned seat after the cabin had been prepared in Singapore. As I kept telling her, it was not a problem.

Juice or water was offered pre-departure, along with newspaper and magazines, hot towels, headsets, menus and amenity kits. The Purser came around and introduced herself personally to each business class customer, thanking us for selecting Cathay for our travel this evening, and assuring us a comfortable flight. The captain added his welcome, and let us know it would be mainly smooth until descent into the island nation, where some lingering thunderstorms were expected. Pushback was exactly on time, and since Colombo isn’t exactly the busiest airport, we began our takeoff roll ten minutes later. I can’t be sure, but I’m almost positive I saw guards with machine guns in the bunkers that line the runway at CMB, which wouldn’t surprise me under the circumstances. The last time I made a daylight takeoff from Colombo I noticed the bunkers, but they appeared un-manned. Cathay Pacific has cameras outside the aircraft and you watch the takeoff roll on the main cabin screen, which is pretty interesting. Other carriers I’ve seen this on are Emirates and JAL. Climb-out was smooth and the seatbelt sign extinguished shortly as the twinkling lights slipped away beneath us. It all appeared so peaceful as I quietly, sadly contemplated the horrors inflicted on this lovely country in recent times, both at the hands of Mother Nature, as well as her own people.

Service began as soon as the seatbelt sign went off. Drinks and roasted almonds were served from a cart, with refills offered as the table linens were laid. Preset trays containing the appetizer course were then presented. Bread and wine followed immediately. Once the first course had been cleared, carts were rolled down the aisle with the main courses on display so that each customer could make a selection. The service was speedy due to the late hour and short duration of the flight, but did not seem rushed. Our menu was as follows:

REFRESHMENT

APPETIZER

Gravlax Salmon with Waldorf Salad

MAIN COURSES

Prawn Maharaj
Risi Risi Rice and Bindi Mapis

Stir-fried Pork with Chili Bean Sauce
Steamed Rice and Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables

Cauliflower Cream Soup with Scallops

DESSERT

Baked Blueberry Cheesecake with Mango Coulis

TEA AND COFFEE

PRALINES

The white wines were Billecart-Salmon Brut Champagne, Arthur Barolet et Fils Saint Veran 2004 (Burgundy) and Climbing Chardonnay 2005 (New South Wales.) Available reds were Laboure Roi Aloxe Corton Les Hautes Tours 2000 and Vieux Chateau Landon Cru Bourgeois Medoc 2002.

The salmon and Waldorf salad were delicious, and I followed with the cauliflower soup, which needed salt and pepper, but was light and tasty with perfectly cooked scallops. A few glasses of the Billecart-Salmon went down nicely, too. I had not planned on dessert, but the flight attendant insisted, and I complied, taking a couple of pralines to finish my last glass of champagne. For some reason I wasn’t tired, so played with Studio CX for a while, then fell asleep just as we began out descent into Singapore. It turned out to be a smooth descent and landing, putting us at the gate almost 15 minutes early. Through passengers were asked to remain onboard during the layover for security reasons, but to please stay in our originally assigned seats until the security check had been carried out. I had always assumed that Cathay Pacific overnighted their crews in Colombo since the aircraft originates and terminates in Hong Kong, but that is not the case. There was a crew change at Singapore, so the flight attendants who had served us from Colombo to Singapore bid us farewell and a pleasant onward journey. The fresh crew boarded and prepared the cabin for departure. The cleaners did an amazing job in a very short time, too. As usual with flights that depart from most Asian airports, the cabin was spotless before our new companions joined us for the final sector to Hong Kong. The flight attendant from the Colombo-Singapore leg did not lie when she said that this portion of the service was completely full. Every single seat.

It’s a bit of a drag to have to stay on the airplane during a layover approaching 90 minutes, but boarding was quickly completed and the doors were closed, with another on-time pushback. The new cockpit and cabin crew welcomed all of us aboard again. During boarding, juice or water were once again offered, along with newspapers and magazines, menus, headsets and hot towels. No amenity kits were given out on this sector and there was no wine list for the breakfast service. Due to a fair amount of departing traffic at that time of the day, and taxi and takeoff took about 25 minutes, but we were soon airborne and turning northeast towards the South China Sea.

The seatbelt sign was on for quite some time, but service carts rolled down the aisles as soon as it was turned off. With a completely full cabin, the flight attendants work hard! It’s not a particularly rushed service. It’s just that there are so many passengers to serve. There was no beverage service before breakfast, and tables were laid immediately, followed in short order by the preset tray with appetizer course. Juices were offered at the same time, then bakery items and coffee and tea. Refills followed all around. There was quite a gap between courses since it takes a long time to clear that many first courses away, but the carts were on the roll again soon enough with the main course selections, followed by an additional bread/pastry/beverage offering. All in all a well planned, well executed service for a completely full cabin. And a lot of food, to boot. The menu:

BREAKFAST

JUICE SELECTION

APPETIZER

Fresh Seasonal Fruit

FRUIT YOGHURT, CORN FLAKES OR MUESLI

MAIN COURSES

Scrambled Egg in Pancake
Grilled Chicken Sausage, Hash Brown Potatoes and Mushrooms

Hokkien Mee with Prawns, Fish Cake and Choy Sum

Congee with Minced Chicken and Salted Egg

BREAD BASKED

Assorted Bread and Breakfast Pastries
Served with Preserves, Honey and Butter

TEA AND COFFEE

Unfortunately this meal was one to bring down the score for Cathay Pacific. The fruit appetizer consisted of some unripe melon pieces, a strawberry, and some ripe but nearly frozen pineapple segments. The yogurt was warm. I have to say that the scrambled eggs looked pretty horrific, but I wouldn’t have chosen them anyway since I tend to stick to Asian food on Asian airlines when possible. Whilst I like Congee, I had eaten only soup for my main course from Colombo to Singapore, and wanted something a little more substantial. Which left the noodles. Big mistake. Hokkien Mee is one of my favorite things, and although I can’t expect them to taste fantastic at 30,000 feet, whatever they had managed to do to this main course was astounding. Not only was it completely tasteless, but the noodles were horribly overcooked, the seafood rubbery and the vegetables brown and mushy. One bite of each was all I could stomach. However, since I hadn’t slept out of Colombo, it was definitely time for a nap (after waiting 10 minutes for an available lavatory.)

Now I'm not one to get antsy on airplanes, but for some reason all I wanted was to get off this cramped, overstuffed bird. The sooner, the better. The captain complied with a six minute early arrival into Hong Kong.

The weather in Hong Kong was murky as we made the now boring approach to the new Hong Kong International airport for a smooth touchdown and early arrival. With more than three hours to connect to my Japan Airlines flight onward to Narita, I slowly walked to the connection counter where two agents had nobody in line. I was handed a boarding pass for an aisle seat, and requested that it be changed to a window, which was not a problem. The agent also handed me an invitation to the JAL Sakura Lounge and asked if I would like her to escort me through security and show me to the lounge. I declined, and was through security and upstairs in about 90 seconds. Chep Lap Kok is among the best of the new Asian mega-airports. Designed with the passenger in mind it offers soaring ceilings, lots of glass and excellent views of the field, along with a wide variety of shops and restaurants. The airline lounges are located on balconies above the concourse so you can look down at all the activity below you, as well as out to the ramp and field.

I made my way upstairs to the JAL Sakura Lounge where I was greeted with the customary bow by the front desk agents, and then escorted into the first class section of the lounge, which is really just a portion of seats and tables at the far end that are cordoned off. This turned out to be perfect respite though, since rest of the lounge filled almost to capacity as flight time approached, but the first class section remained blissfully quiet. The agent offered to show me around the lounge, but I declined. She brought me a hot towel, then some Japanese green tea and a small cake, asking that I please contact her should I require further assistance. Fine service indeed! The anticipation was building for my first ever flight on Japan Airlines …

putongo

Hey sftrvlr

That was me! And I was thrilled you stopped by to say hi!

Can't wait to read about your next segment . . . . By the way, the miles have not yet posted for that flight I took CMBSIN . . . . . . .

lucky9876coins

Wonderful!^

f4free

Fabulous read .

DLSQflyer

Eagerly awaiting the rest

CHC Kiwi

Wow! You waited a year for your first post. Great stamina!

Excellent report sftrvlr