Impressions of QF/BA/CX/AK - a mix of Y, Y+, J and LCC respectively!
Jul 28, 2007, 3:04 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Netherlands
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M, BA Executive Club, Sofitel Plat, Priority Club, Starwood Preferred Guest
Posts: 1,447
This isn't J, it is WTP - a premium economy cabin. Did you read anything he wrote or just look at the pictures!? I know that must look like a business class seat to a UA flyer but believe me it really isn't on BA! 
Jul 28, 2007, 3:37 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Thanks for the kind words. 
AK6352 JHB-KUL, LCC
Scheduled dep – 0925
Actual dep – 0921
Aircraft – A320
Seat – 1D
My first time on an LCC other than Virgin Blue! I’ve to say compared to Air Asia, DJ felt positively luxurious! AK seemed to be truly an LCC in every sense of that term, whereas DJ is positioned somewhere nearer to full service.
Early this year I was alerted to zero dollar fare deals AK was running to mark its success as the premier LCC in the region. Since I knew that I was going to be in Malaysia and would be visiting KUL, I was well-positioned to take advantage of the deal. And since the total only amounted to MYR80 (slightly more than A$25), I could always forfeit the fare and rebook myself on MH if I got cold feet.
And forfeiting I nearly did. I’d been reading about flight delays, cancellations and various other atrocities AK had inflicted upon its pax, most of whom seem to be infrequent or first time flyers who do not appear to know their rights. I was questioning myself as to why I would voluntarily lump myself with these flyers…
LCC pax always seemed like a special breed of individuals to me. More than anything I have lots of respect for the toughness of these folks – who’re used to jostling their way to the front of queues, fighting each other to death over seats, and not to mention putting up with delays which seem to be the norm. Coupled with the need to do a walk on the tarmac in order the board the aircraft, my impending first time experience was starting to sound like an obstacle course. I feared that I wouldn’t live through ‘Survivor – LCC edition.’
A reprieve came for AK in retaining my patronage in the form of its new ‘Xpress Boarding’ service. For the token sum of MYR20 (or less than A$7), holders of XB passes would be able to board the aircraft ahead of anyone else, even pax with special needs. There was still no allocated seating. Nonetheless I found it pretty good value considering that the alternative is a Business Class ticket on MH, given that Malaysia is largely pristine from the clutches of oneworld or Star Alliance and their associated elite privileges for pax down the back holding shiny plastic cards.
Pre-flight
As I was staying at my parents’ holiday house in Johor Bahru, it was pretty easy for me to get to JHB. The journey from downtown to the airport was merely an uncomplicated 45 minutes taxi ride that cost MYR40 (or approximately A$13).
Those with luggage to check in would need to place their luggage through a scanner before proceeding to the check in counter.
The check in counters were divided into counters for pax with checked in luggage and pax without, however they did not appear to be organized as such as people were queuing at random regardless of whether they had luggage to check in or not. Check-in was a zoo, with a huge group of giggly girls who did not quite get the concept of queuing in a straight line and hence caused much confusion for latter pax. The process was delayed by each of these girls needing to pay extra for oversized luggage. Message to Tony – if you’re thinking of an ‘Xpress Check-in’ service, I’d be the first to pay for it! As is, it took nearly 30 minutes to check in.
The rather harassed check in agent confirmed that I held an ‘Xpress Boarding’ pass, which was noted on my BP as an SSR [PAX SSR (XB1)]. Users of XB should check their BPs for that note as they’d be unable to take advantage of XB if the SSR is missing. Like DJ, the AK BP was printed on cheap-looking Maccas-receipt type paper.
Having no lounge access privileges nor the possibility to purchase access, I spent the rest of my time at the airport sipping coffee (they had soy latte at the airport Coffee Bean outlet!), and watching an episode of Friends on the public TVs.
Boarding
I headed up to the boarding gate at the suggested boarding time and it was not long before boarding was called. I tried to take some pictures of the duty free area but was stopped by a staff member who rudely told me that I’d need to make a purchase before I was allowed to take pictures…:S
XB pax were invited to queue on the right hand side (just myself and a fellow Aussie traveller!) while I watched the hilarity of 150 odd pax wrestle with each other to get to the front on the left.
A DYKWIA situation occurred at the gate when a ‘public servant’ was pissed off that she received no priority boarding privilege with AK. Not content with taking down the GA’s name and threatening legal action, she thought it acceptable to unleash a torrent of profanities in a mixture of English and Malaysian on the visibly upset GA.
XB pax were then invited to walk to the aircraft first. The tarmac walk wasn’t too long, but the combination of heat, stench of jet fuels, and startling noises from the aircraft made me wonder why some of my friends found walking on the tarmac so appealing.
I was greeted by a rather listless ‘Senior Flight Attendant’ when I reached the entrance to the aircraft. Said ‘Senior Flight Attendant’ was the chief stewardess for the flight but unfortunately did not appear to have an ounce of enthusiasm in her bones.
Seat/Cabin
I was pleasantly surprised by AK’s fresh and clean cabins which were a nice change from MH’s grimy 734 cabins. AK’s new fleet is certainly an advantage in that regard and the crisp cabin gave AK a significant edge over MH.
I was seated in 1D, with the chick who also had XB across the aisle in 1C. We both agreed that the bulkhead aisle seats were adequately comfy for the short flight, and provided ample legroom.
Service
As it was a very short flight I did not feel the urge to buy anything to eat or drink. I was satisfied by the hearty fry up of eggs, toast and sausages I had prior to leaving for the airport, and my Coffee Bean beverage.
The FAs were not a friendly lot. Zero smiles, no Ps and Qs, and the ‘Senior Flight Attendant’ was someone who should not be employed in any job that involves dealing with other human beings. She was literally shouting at a pax who did not comprehend the pre-landing safety instructions. Instead of performing the pre-landing cross-check, I noticed that her colleague seemed more interested in disappearing into the toilet to touch up her make up.
Arrival
We landed early, however the extra time gained was consumed by the lengthy taxi. Several pax could not wait to get off the plane though…
There was another tarmac walk to get to the arrivals hall but at least a major part of it took place on proper pavements and in a shaded area.
For short domestic flights in Malaysia shorter than an hour, I’d certainly consider flying AK again. XB and the clean cabins are major advantages of AK. For anything longer, I think I still prefer flying real airlines and their full service complement. Besides, the difference in costs would probably be absorbed by the need to purchase onboard catering and XB.
Next: The Westin Kuala Lumpur, and AK6351 KUL-JHB, LCC.
AK6352 JHB-KUL, LCC
Scheduled dep – 0925
Actual dep – 0921
Aircraft – A320
Seat – 1D
My first time on an LCC other than Virgin Blue! I’ve to say compared to Air Asia, DJ felt positively luxurious! AK seemed to be truly an LCC in every sense of that term, whereas DJ is positioned somewhere nearer to full service.
Early this year I was alerted to zero dollar fare deals AK was running to mark its success as the premier LCC in the region. Since I knew that I was going to be in Malaysia and would be visiting KUL, I was well-positioned to take advantage of the deal. And since the total only amounted to MYR80 (slightly more than A$25), I could always forfeit the fare and rebook myself on MH if I got cold feet.
And forfeiting I nearly did. I’d been reading about flight delays, cancellations and various other atrocities AK had inflicted upon its pax, most of whom seem to be infrequent or first time flyers who do not appear to know their rights. I was questioning myself as to why I would voluntarily lump myself with these flyers…
LCC pax always seemed like a special breed of individuals to me. More than anything I have lots of respect for the toughness of these folks – who’re used to jostling their way to the front of queues, fighting each other to death over seats, and not to mention putting up with delays which seem to be the norm. Coupled with the need to do a walk on the tarmac in order the board the aircraft, my impending first time experience was starting to sound like an obstacle course. I feared that I wouldn’t live through ‘Survivor – LCC edition.’
A reprieve came for AK in retaining my patronage in the form of its new ‘Xpress Boarding’ service. For the token sum of MYR20 (or less than A$7), holders of XB passes would be able to board the aircraft ahead of anyone else, even pax with special needs. There was still no allocated seating. Nonetheless I found it pretty good value considering that the alternative is a Business Class ticket on MH, given that Malaysia is largely pristine from the clutches of oneworld or Star Alliance and their associated elite privileges for pax down the back holding shiny plastic cards.
Pre-flight
As I was staying at my parents’ holiday house in Johor Bahru, it was pretty easy for me to get to JHB. The journey from downtown to the airport was merely an uncomplicated 45 minutes taxi ride that cost MYR40 (or approximately A$13).
Those with luggage to check in would need to place their luggage through a scanner before proceeding to the check in counter.
The check in counters were divided into counters for pax with checked in luggage and pax without, however they did not appear to be organized as such as people were queuing at random regardless of whether they had luggage to check in or not. Check-in was a zoo, with a huge group of giggly girls who did not quite get the concept of queuing in a straight line and hence caused much confusion for latter pax. The process was delayed by each of these girls needing to pay extra for oversized luggage. Message to Tony – if you’re thinking of an ‘Xpress Check-in’ service, I’d be the first to pay for it! As is, it took nearly 30 minutes to check in.
The rather harassed check in agent confirmed that I held an ‘Xpress Boarding’ pass, which was noted on my BP as an SSR [PAX SSR (XB1)]. Users of XB should check their BPs for that note as they’d be unable to take advantage of XB if the SSR is missing. Like DJ, the AK BP was printed on cheap-looking Maccas-receipt type paper.
Having no lounge access privileges nor the possibility to purchase access, I spent the rest of my time at the airport sipping coffee (they had soy latte at the airport Coffee Bean outlet!), and watching an episode of Friends on the public TVs.
Boarding
I headed up to the boarding gate at the suggested boarding time and it was not long before boarding was called. I tried to take some pictures of the duty free area but was stopped by a staff member who rudely told me that I’d need to make a purchase before I was allowed to take pictures…:S
XB pax were invited to queue on the right hand side (just myself and a fellow Aussie traveller!) while I watched the hilarity of 150 odd pax wrestle with each other to get to the front on the left.
A DYKWIA situation occurred at the gate when a ‘public servant’ was pissed off that she received no priority boarding privilege with AK. Not content with taking down the GA’s name and threatening legal action, she thought it acceptable to unleash a torrent of profanities in a mixture of English and Malaysian on the visibly upset GA.
XB pax were then invited to walk to the aircraft first. The tarmac walk wasn’t too long, but the combination of heat, stench of jet fuels, and startling noises from the aircraft made me wonder why some of my friends found walking on the tarmac so appealing.
I was greeted by a rather listless ‘Senior Flight Attendant’ when I reached the entrance to the aircraft. Said ‘Senior Flight Attendant’ was the chief stewardess for the flight but unfortunately did not appear to have an ounce of enthusiasm in her bones.
Seat/Cabin
I was pleasantly surprised by AK’s fresh and clean cabins which were a nice change from MH’s grimy 734 cabins. AK’s new fleet is certainly an advantage in that regard and the crisp cabin gave AK a significant edge over MH.
I was seated in 1D, with the chick who also had XB across the aisle in 1C. We both agreed that the bulkhead aisle seats were adequately comfy for the short flight, and provided ample legroom.
Service
As it was a very short flight I did not feel the urge to buy anything to eat or drink. I was satisfied by the hearty fry up of eggs, toast and sausages I had prior to leaving for the airport, and my Coffee Bean beverage.
The FAs were not a friendly lot. Zero smiles, no Ps and Qs, and the ‘Senior Flight Attendant’ was someone who should not be employed in any job that involves dealing with other human beings. She was literally shouting at a pax who did not comprehend the pre-landing safety instructions. Instead of performing the pre-landing cross-check, I noticed that her colleague seemed more interested in disappearing into the toilet to touch up her make up.
Arrival
We landed early, however the extra time gained was consumed by the lengthy taxi. Several pax could not wait to get off the plane though…
There was another tarmac walk to get to the arrivals hall but at least a major part of it took place on proper pavements and in a shaded area.
For short domestic flights in Malaysia shorter than an hour, I’d certainly consider flying AK again. XB and the clean cabins are major advantages of AK. For anything longer, I think I still prefer flying real airlines and their full service complement. Besides, the difference in costs would probably be absorbed by the need to purchase onboard catering and XB.
Next: The Westin Kuala Lumpur, and AK6351 KUL-JHB, LCC.
Last edited by Keith009; Jul 28, 2007 at 4:13 am
Jul 28, 2007, 11:21 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
The Westin Kuala Lumpur
Bukit Bintang
Stay duration: 2 nights
Location
The Westin is centrally located in KL’s so called Golden Triangle. It stands at the edge of one of the city’s premier shopping streets, Bukit Bintang and is near plenty of decent restaurants and nightspots. Virtually everything is within easy reach – either by walking, monorail, or the insanely cheap taxis. Be prepared to be stuck in endless traffic jams during peak hour if you do elect to take the taxis though.
Décor/Ambience
The interior design of this Westin simply exudes chicness. I love the industrial feel of the lobby and its sleek grey and brown walls. Rock music was playing in the lobby which is a nice change from stereotypical 5 star hotel grand piano music. I’m glad that the Westin KL did not adopt the white-out corporate look that’s become the prototype for the Westin brand of late.
Room
I’d booked the cheapest room category and was allocated a spacious room (the biggest on the floor other than the suite according to the fire escape map) with a view of the Twin Towers. The room was splashed in soothing grey and brown tones, with smart black panels to match.
Certain bits of the room were already showing wear and tear, such as a small chip on the top right hand edge of the writing desk. And although nice to look at, the design of the bathroom basin was rather impractical as it was impossible to prevent water from splashing out.
The Heavenly Bed at this property was very much on par with brand standards, with a very soft mattress which almost rendered it a crime to wake up in the morning.
Service
As I’d arrived earlier than the official check-in time, my room was not ready. However it was a good two hours after check-in time before my room was ready. I suspect that the occupant before me had been an SPG elite customer who’d utilized the late check out perk. The front desk agent was very apologetic and explained that there was no alternative room for me as the hotel was running at capacity. As compensation, I received a fistful of drink vouchers which I did not hesitate to redeem on a few glasses of Veuve at The Living Room.
It was disappointing that there was no priority check in desk for SPG Gold/Platinum members. When I enquired about this, I was told that SPG only required participating properties to display the sign (which was sitting pretty on a filing cabinet and being useless) but it need not actually be used. Huh?
Despite the haphazard check in, service was generally of a very good standard. The concierge was highly knowledgeable and delighted in sharing information on his favourite restaurants, as well as the nightspots in KL which do not seem to be immediately obvious to visitors unlike BKK.
I would certainly stay at the Westin KL again as its décor is infinitely superior and felt more luxurious than the Sheraton Imperial, which seemed like an overdecorated birthday cake. The location of the Westin is also better than the SI or the Le Meridien at Sentral. In spite of the hiccups at check in (which IMO was redeemed by their generous offering of free drinks), the service at the Westin is also heaps superior to the SI.
Bukit Bintang
Stay duration: 2 nights
Location
The Westin is centrally located in KL’s so called Golden Triangle. It stands at the edge of one of the city’s premier shopping streets, Bukit Bintang and is near plenty of decent restaurants and nightspots. Virtually everything is within easy reach – either by walking, monorail, or the insanely cheap taxis. Be prepared to be stuck in endless traffic jams during peak hour if you do elect to take the taxis though.
Décor/Ambience
The interior design of this Westin simply exudes chicness. I love the industrial feel of the lobby and its sleek grey and brown walls. Rock music was playing in the lobby which is a nice change from stereotypical 5 star hotel grand piano music. I’m glad that the Westin KL did not adopt the white-out corporate look that’s become the prototype for the Westin brand of late.
Room
I’d booked the cheapest room category and was allocated a spacious room (the biggest on the floor other than the suite according to the fire escape map) with a view of the Twin Towers. The room was splashed in soothing grey and brown tones, with smart black panels to match.
Certain bits of the room were already showing wear and tear, such as a small chip on the top right hand edge of the writing desk. And although nice to look at, the design of the bathroom basin was rather impractical as it was impossible to prevent water from splashing out.
The Heavenly Bed at this property was very much on par with brand standards, with a very soft mattress which almost rendered it a crime to wake up in the morning.
Service
As I’d arrived earlier than the official check-in time, my room was not ready. However it was a good two hours after check-in time before my room was ready. I suspect that the occupant before me had been an SPG elite customer who’d utilized the late check out perk. The front desk agent was very apologetic and explained that there was no alternative room for me as the hotel was running at capacity. As compensation, I received a fistful of drink vouchers which I did not hesitate to redeem on a few glasses of Veuve at The Living Room.
It was disappointing that there was no priority check in desk for SPG Gold/Platinum members. When I enquired about this, I was told that SPG only required participating properties to display the sign (which was sitting pretty on a filing cabinet and being useless) but it need not actually be used. Huh?
Despite the haphazard check in, service was generally of a very good standard. The concierge was highly knowledgeable and delighted in sharing information on his favourite restaurants, as well as the nightspots in KL which do not seem to be immediately obvious to visitors unlike BKK.
I would certainly stay at the Westin KL again as its décor is infinitely superior and felt more luxurious than the Sheraton Imperial, which seemed like an overdecorated birthday cake. The location of the Westin is also better than the SI or the Le Meridien at Sentral. In spite of the hiccups at check in (which IMO was redeemed by their generous offering of free drinks), the service at the Westin is also heaps superior to the SI.
Last edited by Keith009; Jul 28, 2007 at 11:31 am
Jul 28, 2007, 11:23 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
AK6351 KUL-JHB, LCC
Scheduled dep – 0815
Actual dep – 0826
Aircraft – A320
Seat – 1D
I had to wake up ridiculously early to catch this flight as the airport was by no means in the vicinity of KL. Locals jokingly refer to the airport as Seremban International Airport, Seremban being the name of the town which the airport is actually near to. The journey from hotel to airport took nearly an hour and 15 minutes.
I was grumpy that morning, having only had two hours of sleep the night before. The ghastly sight that awaited me as I arrived at the KUL Low Cost Carrier Terminal did not help. The architecture of the LCCT is about as imaginative as a garden shed’s. The crowds and the humidity created an impression of the place that is akin to a warehouse clearance sale of factory-rejected goods. Or the comedy that occurred when Stella McCartney designed for Target…
After I escaped from the chaotic check-in area, I found a wee bit of tranquility at a Coffee Bean outlet and spent the rest of my pre-boarding time there. Alas they did not have soy milk.
Xpress Boarding worked well again as I did not have to join the rugby scrum to board the flight. Pax with XB were paged individually and invited to queue up at a separate gate.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and similar to my outbound, except with marginally better FAs this time around.
Next: CX712 SIN-BKK, Business Class
Scheduled dep – 0815
Actual dep – 0826
Aircraft – A320
Seat – 1D
I had to wake up ridiculously early to catch this flight as the airport was by no means in the vicinity of KL. Locals jokingly refer to the airport as Seremban International Airport, Seremban being the name of the town which the airport is actually near to. The journey from hotel to airport took nearly an hour and 15 minutes.
I was grumpy that morning, having only had two hours of sleep the night before. The ghastly sight that awaited me as I arrived at the KUL Low Cost Carrier Terminal did not help. The architecture of the LCCT is about as imaginative as a garden shed’s. The crowds and the humidity created an impression of the place that is akin to a warehouse clearance sale of factory-rejected goods. Or the comedy that occurred when Stella McCartney designed for Target…
After I escaped from the chaotic check-in area, I found a wee bit of tranquility at a Coffee Bean outlet and spent the rest of my pre-boarding time there. Alas they did not have soy milk.
Xpress Boarding worked well again as I did not have to join the rugby scrum to board the flight. Pax with XB were paged individually and invited to queue up at a separate gate.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and similar to my outbound, except with marginally better FAs this time around.
Next: CX712 SIN-BKK, Business Class
Last edited by Keith009; Jul 28, 2007 at 11:36 am
Jul 28, 2007, 10:11 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Jul 29, 2007, 9:29 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
CX712 SIN-BKK, Business
Scheduled dep – 1330
Actual dep – 1332
Aircraft – B777-200 (Old Regional Business config)
Seat – 11D
A few wrinkles surfaced at check-in as the trainee agent was having difficulty tagging my bag beyond BKK. My itinerary did raise a few eyebrows (SIN-BKK-SYD-MEL), but I’m sure some of you hardcore mileage runners are probably stifling a yawn.
Eventually a supervisor sorted things out but could only tag my bag to SYD due to Australian CIQ regulations.
I settled with the Skyview Lounge which CX shares with a few other carriers as the QF/BA lounge was closed at that hour. Ironically the Skyview Lounge (located near D gates) was much further away from the gate (C20) than the QF/BA lounge (located near C gates). The Skyview Lounge was slightly better than the CX lounge in BKK due to the abundance of natural lighting. The selection of alcohol was still fairly limited although there was one more choice of white wine than the BKK lounge.
My BP beeped when it was swiped at the gate, with an “Oh you’re the one!” from one of the GAs. It turned out that they’d changed my baggage tag to a brand new one through to MEL. I thought it wasn’t necessary as I’d have to take out my bag in SYD but good on them for trying so hard.
Seat
The seat was the classic regional cradle configuration and was comfortable for the short flight. I had the whole centre row of 3 seats in row 11 to myself. I considered myself lucky that in my entire CX-flying experience I’ve yet to get NRBC config, given the negative feedback I’ve heard about the NRBC seats.
Service
I was blessed with a great crew for this flight, or at least an awesome Senior Purser and ISM. A trend that I noticed on CX flights – it’s the SP or ISM who actively engage with pax, and the rest of the crew do not really interact with pax beyond service delivery. Some of the junior crew came across as slightly aloof in fact. The SP and ISM OTOH were very warm individuals who added that nice personal touch to the service. When the SP saw me with my nose stuck in the latest Harry Potter novel which was released the previous day, she quipped that Business was only half full and yet at least 5 of her pax were reading the same book.
Catering
Lunch was served on this flight:
*my choice
Drinks and wine lists were identical to the previous flight on CX.
I’d hoped that the food on my last flight was an anomaly, however I was once again disappointed. The fish, or should I say cardboard was disgusting and would not be out of place in Economy especially with the simplistic presentation. It might be a short sector but I’ve had better food from a variety of other carriers on the same sector, including both CX’s SIN-based rival and a host of other airlines that I’d normally consider to be inferior to CX. And once again it was up to the dessert to save the day.
Nonetheless the bubbly kept flowing freely, even without prompting. The SP appeared to be an avid Harry Potter fan and could not resist asking about key plot details as she’s had no time to read the novel thus far, to which I could not help but be deliberately vague to add to the cloud of suspense hanging over her head like a Dark Mark over Hogwarts Castle…
Next: BA9 BKK-SYD, New Generation Club World, and QF415 SYD-MEL, Economy.
Scheduled dep – 1330
Actual dep – 1332
Aircraft – B777-200 (Old Regional Business config)
Seat – 11D
A few wrinkles surfaced at check-in as the trainee agent was having difficulty tagging my bag beyond BKK. My itinerary did raise a few eyebrows (SIN-BKK-SYD-MEL), but I’m sure some of you hardcore mileage runners are probably stifling a yawn.
Eventually a supervisor sorted things out but could only tag my bag to SYD due to Australian CIQ regulations.I settled with the Skyview Lounge which CX shares with a few other carriers as the QF/BA lounge was closed at that hour. Ironically the Skyview Lounge (located near D gates) was much further away from the gate (C20) than the QF/BA lounge (located near C gates). The Skyview Lounge was slightly better than the CX lounge in BKK due to the abundance of natural lighting. The selection of alcohol was still fairly limited although there was one more choice of white wine than the BKK lounge.
My BP beeped when it was swiped at the gate, with an “Oh you’re the one!” from one of the GAs. It turned out that they’d changed my baggage tag to a brand new one through to MEL. I thought it wasn’t necessary as I’d have to take out my bag in SYD but good on them for trying so hard.
Seat
The seat was the classic regional cradle configuration and was comfortable for the short flight. I had the whole centre row of 3 seats in row 11 to myself. I considered myself lucky that in my entire CX-flying experience I’ve yet to get NRBC config, given the negative feedback I’ve heard about the NRBC seats.
Service
I was blessed with a great crew for this flight, or at least an awesome Senior Purser and ISM. A trend that I noticed on CX flights – it’s the SP or ISM who actively engage with pax, and the rest of the crew do not really interact with pax beyond service delivery. Some of the junior crew came across as slightly aloof in fact. The SP and ISM OTOH were very warm individuals who added that nice personal touch to the service. When the SP saw me with my nose stuck in the latest Harry Potter novel which was released the previous day, she quipped that Business was only half full and yet at least 5 of her pax were reading the same book.
Catering
Lunch was served on this flight:
LUNCH
Starter
hot smoked salmon with sun-dried tomato
Main Courses
stir-fried chicken with Szechaun sauce
steamed rice, pak choy with carrots and cabbage
*grilled fish with herb white wine cream sauce
boiled parsley new potatoes, buttered green beans and carrots
Dessert
cookies and cream cheesecake
Tea and Coffee
Pralines
Starter
hot smoked salmon with sun-dried tomato
Main Courses
stir-fried chicken with Szechaun sauce
steamed rice, pak choy with carrots and cabbage
*grilled fish with herb white wine cream sauce
boiled parsley new potatoes, buttered green beans and carrots
Dessert
cookies and cream cheesecake
Tea and Coffee
Pralines
Drinks and wine lists were identical to the previous flight on CX.
I’d hoped that the food on my last flight was an anomaly, however I was once again disappointed. The fish, or should I say cardboard was disgusting and would not be out of place in Economy especially with the simplistic presentation. It might be a short sector but I’ve had better food from a variety of other carriers on the same sector, including both CX’s SIN-based rival and a host of other airlines that I’d normally consider to be inferior to CX. And once again it was up to the dessert to save the day.
Nonetheless the bubbly kept flowing freely, even without prompting. The SP appeared to be an avid Harry Potter fan and could not resist asking about key plot details as she’s had no time to read the novel thus far, to which I could not help but be deliberately vague to add to the cloud of suspense hanging over her head like a Dark Mark over Hogwarts Castle…
Next: BA9 BKK-SYD, New Generation Club World, and QF415 SYD-MEL, Economy.
Jul 30, 2007, 6:23 am
#25
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TSV, Australia
Posts: 2,401
Very interesting and comprehensive trip reports QF009 but I have to say I find the comments and the "characters" of people who use LCC's a little on the strange side.
I have flown Air Asia, Thai Air Asia and Indonesian Air Asia for more than 50 legs and have meet many,many different kinds of travelers. Even people who normally pay thousands of dollars more to get to the same place as I'm going.
Can't say I've really missed the free "green apples" that much either.
I have flown Air Asia, Thai Air Asia and Indonesian Air Asia for more than 50 legs and have meet many,many different kinds of travelers. Even people who normally pay thousands of dollars more to get to the same place as I'm going.
Can't say I've really missed the free "green apples" that much either.
Jul 30, 2007, 7:32 am
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
Jul 30, 2007, 8:52 am
#27
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TSV, Australia
Posts: 2,401
The entire paragraph should indicate that I wasn't referring to nor making fun of the economic circumstance of LCC pax. I didn't intend to offend anyone either. Just sharing my honest thoughts about my first LCC experience, with perhaps a little bit of irony thrown in, and I make no apologies for doing so.
Comprehensive and interesting trip report otherwise.^
Jul 30, 2007, 9:34 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
At home I wouldn't go for either of the LCCs when I can get complimentary QP access with QF. As opposed to 30 bucks per flight for DJ, or not at all with JQ (YMMV on this one) and TT. Plus miles and Qpts are a good thing of course.
Last edited by Keith009; Jul 30, 2007 at 9:43 am
Jul 30, 2007, 10:03 am
#29
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
Sorry about that. Was misled by the details: "mid-J config, behind F but in front of Club", etc. Sounds pretty much like where J or C class would be in other carriers, and, as you say, the seat looks like a C seat. Does BA not have business class anymore?
Jul 30, 2007, 10:12 am
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,043
I probably wasn't being too clear with the terminology for non BA regulars. BA has 3 kinds of 744 configs.
High J - 70 J seats
Mid J - 52 J seats
Low J - 38 J seats
The size of the J cabin also determines the row numbers and to a certain extent, the config in World Traveller's Plus (Premium Economy), such as solo bulkhead WTP seats only to be found in high J planes. Hence it is simply convenient to use high/mid/low J as a way to differentiate between the different planes when in J or WTP.
The mid J config is new, and is quite unique in that it has WTP behind F but in front of J. They swapped the WTP and J cabins around.
Last edited by Keith009; Jul 30, 2007 at 10:22 am