Cathay takes my virginity: Flying LAX to HK, Bali, and Singapore in CX J/F
May 19, 2012, 7:10 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold, IHG Plat, CC Gold
Posts: 250
Cathay takes my virginity: Flying LAX to HK, Bali, and Singapore in CX J/F
This trip report is dedicated to Ben (aka Lucky), for if it weren't for his inspiration, this trip would never have happened.
Background
I first got into the frequent flyer scene last year and came across Ben's post on Bali. I remember him calling it the most relaxing place in the world and I wanted to spend miles and points in the most extravagant way to discover Bali for myself. I had accumulated enough BA miles through the 100k Chase signup, UA miles through Sapphire, and AA miles through the EXP MRs earlier this year for the following routing. CX in J: LAX-HKG-DPS, SQ in J: DPS-SIN, and finally CX in J/F: SIN-HKG-SFO, for a three-stop trip in Hong Kong, Bali, and Singapore.
Booking:
I booked these tickets 5 months out and found availability through BA's website. There was pretty good CX availability, except that I couldn't get SFO-HKG in J, and had to go with LAX-HKG instead.
Costs:
LAX-HKG-DPS on CX J: 50K BA Miles + $214
DPS-SIN on SQ J: 17.5K UA Miles + $0
SIN-HKG-SFO on CX F: 67.5K AA Miles + $67.70
First let me say that I am a complete Cathay upper class virgin and this trip would expose me to all (Ben, correct me if I'm wrong) of their upper class products. LAX-HKG in J on their 777-300ER, which is their new long haul business class product. HKG-DPS is on a 747-400, which is their old long haul business class product. DPS-SIN and SIN-HGK were on SQ's and CX's short haul business class, respectively. Finally, the main event of the trip was HKG-SFO in CX long haul first class on a 747-400 - all other US routes use the newer 777-300ER. To my knowledge, First class is the same on the 777-300ER and 747-400.
More info on CX's fleet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay_Pacific_fleet
Background
I first got into the frequent flyer scene last year and came across Ben's post on Bali. I remember him calling it the most relaxing place in the world and I wanted to spend miles and points in the most extravagant way to discover Bali for myself. I had accumulated enough BA miles through the 100k Chase signup, UA miles through Sapphire, and AA miles through the EXP MRs earlier this year for the following routing. CX in J: LAX-HKG-DPS, SQ in J: DPS-SIN, and finally CX in J/F: SIN-HKG-SFO, for a three-stop trip in Hong Kong, Bali, and Singapore.
Booking:
I booked these tickets 5 months out and found availability through BA's website. There was pretty good CX availability, except that I couldn't get SFO-HKG in J, and had to go with LAX-HKG instead.
Costs:
LAX-HKG-DPS on CX J: 50K BA Miles + $214
DPS-SIN on SQ J: 17.5K UA Miles + $0
SIN-HKG-SFO on CX F: 67.5K AA Miles + $67.70
First let me say that I am a complete Cathay upper class virgin and this trip would expose me to all (Ben, correct me if I'm wrong) of their upper class products. LAX-HKG in J on their 777-300ER, which is their new long haul business class product. HKG-DPS is on a 747-400, which is their old long haul business class product. DPS-SIN and SIN-HGK were on SQ's and CX's short haul business class, respectively. Finally, the main event of the trip was HKG-SFO in CX long haul first class on a 747-400 - all other US routes use the newer 777-300ER. To my knowledge, First class is the same on the 777-300ER and 747-400.
More info on CX's fleet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay_Pacific_fleet
Last edited by kpowed; May 19, 2012 at 10:27 pm
May 19, 2012, 7:11 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold, IHG Plat, CC Gold
Posts: 250
CX885 in J
LAX-HKG
777-300ER
April 20, 2012
Seat 12K
Between the 5 months of anticipation and reading countless other trip reports, I had to recall whether I had ever been in upper class on a foreign carrier. Nope, this was my first time, and I'm really glad that it was with Cathay.
The gate experience was a bit odd at LAX. So gate 138 was in a makeshift hanger and we lined up according to class/OW status only to board onto a transfer bus, which took us to the remote plane gate. I lined up in the business line and noticed that there were actually a lot passengers in the F line. In fact there were more pax than there were F seats on the plane. I then remembered that pax can board according to their OW level, and although I'm EXP/OW Sapphire, I didn't care enough to switch lines at that point. We were all getting on the same bus anyway.
Once on board the plane, I just let myself soak up the experience, freely walking around, taking pictures, playing with everything -- just like the international upper class virgin that I was. Business class is actually split into two sections (separated by the galley and restrooms), two rows of 1+2+1 in the front, next to the F cabin, and ~15 rows next to the economy cabin. I had seat 12K and was actually concerned that it was too close to the bathroom, but it actually didn't bother me at all during the flight. I absolutely love how private it felt and I think the best seat in J would be 11A/K, the seat closest to F, because it is in the private cabin and furthest from the restroom.
I was very impressed by the seat and could not imagine the need for flying in F because J was already so good. There are nooks and storage galore. You also get a complete overhead bin, although that may be more storage than you're allowed to bring onto the plane. There is even a little cubby for Cathay's noise cancelling headphones, along with a vanity mirror and a variety of A/V ports, just in case you're doing a presentation on the plane I guess. The entertainment system is amazing as well. The screen was about 11" and there are more shows than you have time for. The seat lies completely flat, totally adjustible, and very comfortable. I was able to take a 4 hour nap.
The service was absolutely flawless. There were about 6 FAs for the J cabin and they gave us just the right amount of attention. There was also an in-flight bathroom cleaning service!
Food was also pretty good. It's comparable to a mid-range Chinese restarurant on the ground: full 3 course meal with a full mid-range alcohol menu. I just ordered a bunch of Cathay delights.
I think overall, it's a very solid, reliable, and refreshing product that makes the transpac so much more bearable. Compared to AA transpac in F, this is a league apart. In fact, I would take CX’s new J over AA F any time. The food and service are so much better, and the seat is newer. Cathay left a very positive impression on me, and I would be delighted to fly their new business class again.
LAX-HKG
777-300ER
April 20, 2012
Seat 12K
Between the 5 months of anticipation and reading countless other trip reports, I had to recall whether I had ever been in upper class on a foreign carrier. Nope, this was my first time, and I'm really glad that it was with Cathay.
The gate experience was a bit odd at LAX. So gate 138 was in a makeshift hanger and we lined up according to class/OW status only to board onto a transfer bus, which took us to the remote plane gate. I lined up in the business line and noticed that there were actually a lot passengers in the F line. In fact there were more pax than there were F seats on the plane. I then remembered that pax can board according to their OW level, and although I'm EXP/OW Sapphire, I didn't care enough to switch lines at that point. We were all getting on the same bus anyway.
Once on board the plane, I just let myself soak up the experience, freely walking around, taking pictures, playing with everything -- just like the international upper class virgin that I was. Business class is actually split into two sections (separated by the galley and restrooms), two rows of 1+2+1 in the front, next to the F cabin, and ~15 rows next to the economy cabin. I had seat 12K and was actually concerned that it was too close to the bathroom, but it actually didn't bother me at all during the flight. I absolutely love how private it felt and I think the best seat in J would be 11A/K, the seat closest to F, because it is in the private cabin and furthest from the restroom.
I was very impressed by the seat and could not imagine the need for flying in F because J was already so good. There are nooks and storage galore. You also get a complete overhead bin, although that may be more storage than you're allowed to bring onto the plane. There is even a little cubby for Cathay's noise cancelling headphones, along with a vanity mirror and a variety of A/V ports, just in case you're doing a presentation on the plane I guess. The entertainment system is amazing as well. The screen was about 11" and there are more shows than you have time for. The seat lies completely flat, totally adjustible, and very comfortable. I was able to take a 4 hour nap.
The service was absolutely flawless. There were about 6 FAs for the J cabin and they gave us just the right amount of attention. There was also an in-flight bathroom cleaning service!
Food was also pretty good. It's comparable to a mid-range Chinese restarurant on the ground: full 3 course meal with a full mid-range alcohol menu. I just ordered a bunch of Cathay delights.
I think overall, it's a very solid, reliable, and refreshing product that makes the transpac so much more bearable. Compared to AA transpac in F, this is a league apart. In fact, I would take CX’s new J over AA F any time. The food and service are so much better, and the seat is newer. Cathay left a very positive impression on me, and I would be delighted to fly their new business class again.
Last edited by kpowed; May 19, 2012 at 9:29 pm
May 19, 2012, 7:11 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold, IHG Plat, CC Gold
Posts: 250
CX785 in J
HKG-DPS
747-400
April 23, 2012
Seat 83K
I took the airport express from Central to the airport and got there in about 30 minutes. The airport experience at HKG was very efficient. At check-in, I was presented with a map along with my boarding passes, showing me where the lounges were. I went to Cathay's newest lounge, the Wing by gate 4. It was a completely modern, dark setting, with a view overlooking the gates below. They had a noodle bar and dim sum dishes, along with a variety of standard drinks and snacks. Since I arrived at the airport early, I had time to visit other lounges: the Cabin by gate 23 and G16 by gate 16. Unfortunately they progressively got worse. My advice is to save your time, and enjoy your stay at the Wing.
The Wing lounge
Very good cha siu bao and wonton soup.
Before I knew it, they were boarding. The plane to DPS was a 747-400, and my seat was upstairs. This was my first time travelling on the elusive upper deck and the experience was quite unique. On one hand, it was cool to finally see what it was like -- the privacy, the cockpit -- however it did feel a bit cramped and my bags had trouble fitting into the overhead bins. The business class on the 747-400 occupies the top deck and part of the lower deck and the seats are the old style herringbone lay-flat seats. They felt a bit narrow and cramped and you couldn't see out the window since you're looking inward. Getting out while the table was down was nearly impossible. The entertainment system was the same one that was used on the new business class, although everything felt a bit more worn.
Service was better than LAX-HKG since the flight attendants made it their mission to end every sentence with "Mr. Kpowed". Food was not as great as LAX-HKG and by this time I was already getting sick of Cathay delights and garlic bread.
(Looks like something is missing? This is how it came!)
Overall, there wasn't really anything amazing, and I think I was spoiled by LAX-HKG. The seats were in need of a refresh and the food could have been better. Get the newer business if you can, and although I didn't sleep on this flight, it's certainly doable.
HKG-DPS
747-400
April 23, 2012
Seat 83K
I took the airport express from Central to the airport and got there in about 30 minutes. The airport experience at HKG was very efficient. At check-in, I was presented with a map along with my boarding passes, showing me where the lounges were. I went to Cathay's newest lounge, the Wing by gate 4. It was a completely modern, dark setting, with a view overlooking the gates below. They had a noodle bar and dim sum dishes, along with a variety of standard drinks and snacks. Since I arrived at the airport early, I had time to visit other lounges: the Cabin by gate 23 and G16 by gate 16. Unfortunately they progressively got worse. My advice is to save your time, and enjoy your stay at the Wing.
The Wing lounge
Very good cha siu bao and wonton soup.
Before I knew it, they were boarding. The plane to DPS was a 747-400, and my seat was upstairs. This was my first time travelling on the elusive upper deck and the experience was quite unique. On one hand, it was cool to finally see what it was like -- the privacy, the cockpit -- however it did feel a bit cramped and my bags had trouble fitting into the overhead bins. The business class on the 747-400 occupies the top deck and part of the lower deck and the seats are the old style herringbone lay-flat seats. They felt a bit narrow and cramped and you couldn't see out the window since you're looking inward. Getting out while the table was down was nearly impossible. The entertainment system was the same one that was used on the new business class, although everything felt a bit more worn.
Service was better than LAX-HKG since the flight attendants made it their mission to end every sentence with "Mr. Kpowed". Food was not as great as LAX-HKG and by this time I was already getting sick of Cathay delights and garlic bread.
(Looks like something is missing? This is how it came!)
Overall, there wasn't really anything amazing, and I think I was spoiled by LAX-HKG. The seats were in need of a refresh and the food could have been better. Get the newer business if you can, and although I didn't sleep on this flight, it's certainly doable.
Last edited by kpowed; May 19, 2012 at 10:42 pm
May 19, 2012, 7:16 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold, IHG Plat, CC Gold
Posts: 250
SQ947 in J
DPS-SIN
777-200
April 28, 2012
Seat 14A
First let me say that the security/bureaucracy in DPS was bizarre. There's a security checkpoint where you have to show your tickets before check in. Then after checking in, you have to go through the departure tax desk to get a sticker for paying the departure tax. Then you go through the first real security screening when you enter the gate area. As you get closer to gates presumably for countries with higher security standards than others, you go through a more thorough security check. Once reaching the gate, you go through a passport check, a departure tax sticker collection, and finally the departure card collection. My bags were also subject to some radioactive/bomb detection device which was sort of just waved over it.
As far as the lounge experience at DPS, there was a lot to be desired, but then again we were in a third world country. The food was absolutely unappetizing, and they even charged for internet! I think the best part about the lounge was a place to sit down. I also think this was the only lounge in the airport and served all the upper class passengers.
So after going through the weird security and immigration, we finally got to the gate and waiting a while for the plane since it was late coming in.
Maybe I'm just spoiled after CX885 in J, but the seats were really old recliners and in great need of a refresh. The side foam panel against the wall was also starting to fall off!
Pre-departure drink.
The Singapore Sling tasted like alcoholic kool aid
The food was also terrible. Utterly terrible. Perhaps it was because the plane was coming out of DPS and they just don't know how to make good airplane food.
The food tastes just like it looks...
However, the service was excellent. During dinner I ordered a Bordeaux from the wine list, and it was extremely sweet. It turns out that the FA misheard "Bordeaux" for "Porto" and served me the port instead. We joked about it and they apologized profusely. They changed my napkin after serving since they had gotten some brown sauce on it and they also offered my friend a second entree since they did not have the proper serving dish for his fish.
I'd say because of the service, the product as a whole was slightly above AA J domestic but below CX old long haul J. I'm guessing this was pretty typical of Asian short haul business. I'm not quite sure that it was worth the 17,500 UA miles that I paid for it when flights in Y were around $80 USD, but I tried it for the experience.
DPS-SIN
777-200
April 28, 2012
Seat 14A
First let me say that the security/bureaucracy in DPS was bizarre. There's a security checkpoint where you have to show your tickets before check in. Then after checking in, you have to go through the departure tax desk to get a sticker for paying the departure tax. Then you go through the first real security screening when you enter the gate area. As you get closer to gates presumably for countries with higher security standards than others, you go through a more thorough security check. Once reaching the gate, you go through a passport check, a departure tax sticker collection, and finally the departure card collection. My bags were also subject to some radioactive/bomb detection device which was sort of just waved over it.
As far as the lounge experience at DPS, there was a lot to be desired, but then again we were in a third world country. The food was absolutely unappetizing, and they even charged for internet! I think the best part about the lounge was a place to sit down. I also think this was the only lounge in the airport and served all the upper class passengers.
So after going through the weird security and immigration, we finally got to the gate and waiting a while for the plane since it was late coming in.
Maybe I'm just spoiled after CX885 in J, but the seats were really old recliners and in great need of a refresh. The side foam panel against the wall was also starting to fall off!
Pre-departure drink.
The Singapore Sling tasted like alcoholic kool aid
The food was also terrible. Utterly terrible. Perhaps it was because the plane was coming out of DPS and they just don't know how to make good airplane food.
The food tastes just like it looks...
However, the service was excellent. During dinner I ordered a Bordeaux from the wine list, and it was extremely sweet. It turns out that the FA misheard "Bordeaux" for "Porto" and served me the port instead. We joked about it and they apologized profusely. They changed my napkin after serving since they had gotten some brown sauce on it and they also offered my friend a second entree since they did not have the proper serving dish for his fish.
I'd say because of the service, the product as a whole was slightly above AA J domestic but below CX old long haul J. I'm guessing this was pretty typical of Asian short haul business. I'm not quite sure that it was worth the 17,500 UA miles that I paid for it when flights in Y were around $80 USD, but I tried it for the experience.
Last edited by kpowed; May 20, 2012 at 1:49 am
May 19, 2012, 7:22 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold, IHG Plat, CC Gold
Posts: 250
CX716 in J
SIN-HKG
777-300
April 30, 2012
Seat 14K
The airport experience at SIN was very efficient. Clearing immigration and preliminary security was a breeze. The interesting thing about SIN is that they do their security screening at the gate itself. I think this is actually a much better approach in terms of security since would-be terrorists could do all sorts of things in the terminals themselves, however it does increase costs since you have to outfit every gate with scanners instead of just the terminal. However for the record, I believe this kind of security screening is a waste of time and money, but that's for another thread.
OW Lounge in SIN
Lounge Food wasn't very appetizing.
After just coming off the SQ J inter-Asia short haul, I was kind of expecting something similar on CX. The recliner seats were actually quite new and the entertainment system was OK, but sub-par to the CX long haul flights.
Food was terrible, which was kind of surprising since the flight originated from Singapore where you'd expect there to be very good catering. I didn't do much on the plane other than getting some rest. Three hours later I was back in HKG and went to the Wing lounge for a nice long shower.
SIN-HKG
777-300
April 30, 2012
Seat 14K
The airport experience at SIN was very efficient. Clearing immigration and preliminary security was a breeze. The interesting thing about SIN is that they do their security screening at the gate itself. I think this is actually a much better approach in terms of security since would-be terrorists could do all sorts of things in the terminals themselves, however it does increase costs since you have to outfit every gate with scanners instead of just the terminal. However for the record, I believe this kind of security screening is a waste of time and money, but that's for another thread.
OW Lounge in SIN
Lounge Food wasn't very appetizing.
After just coming off the SQ J inter-Asia short haul, I was kind of expecting something similar on CX. The recliner seats were actually quite new and the entertainment system was OK, but sub-par to the CX long haul flights.
Food was terrible, which was kind of surprising since the flight originated from Singapore where you'd expect there to be very good catering. I didn't do much on the plane other than getting some rest. Three hours later I was back in HKG and went to the Wing lounge for a nice long shower.
Last edited by kpowed; May 19, 2012 at 9:32 pm
May 19, 2012, 7:35 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold, IHG Plat, CC Gold
Posts: 250
CX872
HKG-SFO
747-400
Seat 1A
May 1, 2012
Finally, the main event: Cathay Pacific First Class. Let me first say that the service was absolutely incredible. There were three FAs for the 5 of us and from the moment I stepped on board, they addressed me "Mr. Kpowed". After I settled into my seat, the head purser came by to personally gave a rather lengthy introduction, including things like flight time, ETA, and where we were going (although I probably should have known that by then). I was offered a pre-departure beverage: Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne. I've never had it before, so why not? It was very different from other Champagnes that I've tried. The first thing I noticed were the strong caramel notes. It also lacked fruity notes and was quite dry. Believe it or not, I'm not a fan.
Ok, let me just say this: The seat is huge. HUGE. It collapses into a flat bed with an ottoman for another passenger. The table is very large, about 33% larger than new J and 50% larger than old J. First also has its own VIP bathroom - two in fact. You could fit a row of Y in there and I'm really not sure that I needed all of the extra space. There were in fact, no overhead bins in the first class cabin. Carry-on luggage went either underneath the ottoman in front of you, or in your personal cabinet. The first world problem is how to use all the space.
FYI, there's nothing wrong with your monitor. It's the mood lighting.
Pre-departure Krug
Personal cabinet
Meal service was upon demand. In fact, the entire menu was on demand. Wow. I asked for dinner immediately so that I could go to bed quickly. First course was caviar and Balik salmon "Tsar Nicholaj". I never had either before and I was still recovering from food poisoning, but I wanted to be adventurous and try it anyway. The caviar was oily, salty, and smooth. I don't know how else to describe it. The caviar didn't "pop" as I had expected, but instead just spread. The smoked salmon was ok. It was a bit too raw for my tastes.
Half way through the first course, I was offered wine. Luckily (I thought) on 5/1 they started a new wine menu, offering selected Bordeaux wines from the 1855 classification (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeau...cation_of_1855).
It turns out that they only had one of those listed since there was some confusion with catering since the flight departed at 00:30 on 5/1 (Damn it! I really wanted to try the 2004 Lynch Bages!) But the wine they did have, the 2006 Chateau Lagrange, was one of the best wines I've had. The FA opened it in front of me and I got the feeling that the FAs go through some sommelier training because they were EXTREMELY knowledgeable. The wine was well balanced, medium body, medium color, mild acidity, had notes of black cherry, oak, vanilla, chocolate, and very easy to drink.
The main course was a huge piece of steak. This was quite a shock to me since I had just left a society that doesn't put a lot of emphasis on meat. In fact, in Bali, they say that rice is the main course and meats are just side dishes. The steak was absolutely delicious, however the FA actually apologized for it being too dry. I just had a fruit salad for dessert since at this point I was too sleepy and drunk to want any more food.
I told the FA that I was ready for bed, and she went to make my bed. I felt kind of bad since I’m not used to people making my bed in front of me. The space was quite excessive compared to the new J, where I was able to sleep just fine. I was also given pajamas by Shanghai Tang and a very nice amenity kit. I was sleep within minutes and woke up with 4 hours to go.
After waking up and brushing my teeth, I had breakfast. This is probably the worst part of the flight. In short, the food was garbage. Service was a bit slow (maybe I was cranky from the 5 hour sleep). But the food was certainly garbage. I ordered the traditional Chinese breakfast. The dim sum just tasted stale and frozen. The chicken and mushroom congee had too many mushrooms and the absolutely worst cuts of meat. The best thing was the strawberry yogurt and the extra roasted duck noodle soup I had to order to fill the rest of my stomach.
After experiencing all of Cathay's upper class products, I think the bottom line is that if you just need to sleep, the new J is totally acceptable. In fact, I was wondering why someone needed First since the new business class was already so good. The real differences to me are the better food and the continuous pampering. I don't really drink, so the Blue label or Krug really doesn't matter to me. The seat and bathroom are truly excessive. And by the end of the flight, I was starting to get sick of hearing "certainly" at the end of every sentence. Don't get me wrong, if you wanted to splurge, CX F is the way to do it. And for only 67.5k AA miles one way, it's a pretty good deal over 55k for J. But be careful, because once you try this, it's very difficult going back.
HKG-SFO
747-400
Seat 1A
May 1, 2012
Finally, the main event: Cathay Pacific First Class. Let me first say that the service was absolutely incredible. There were three FAs for the 5 of us and from the moment I stepped on board, they addressed me "Mr. Kpowed". After I settled into my seat, the head purser came by to personally gave a rather lengthy introduction, including things like flight time, ETA, and where we were going (although I probably should have known that by then). I was offered a pre-departure beverage: Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne. I've never had it before, so why not? It was very different from other Champagnes that I've tried. The first thing I noticed were the strong caramel notes. It also lacked fruity notes and was quite dry. Believe it or not, I'm not a fan.
Ok, let me just say this: The seat is huge. HUGE. It collapses into a flat bed with an ottoman for another passenger. The table is very large, about 33% larger than new J and 50% larger than old J. First also has its own VIP bathroom - two in fact. You could fit a row of Y in there and I'm really not sure that I needed all of the extra space. There were in fact, no overhead bins in the first class cabin. Carry-on luggage went either underneath the ottoman in front of you, or in your personal cabinet. The first world problem is how to use all the space.
FYI, there's nothing wrong with your monitor. It's the mood lighting.
Pre-departure Krug
Personal cabinet
Meal service was upon demand. In fact, the entire menu was on demand. Wow. I asked for dinner immediately so that I could go to bed quickly. First course was caviar and Balik salmon "Tsar Nicholaj". I never had either before and I was still recovering from food poisoning, but I wanted to be adventurous and try it anyway. The caviar was oily, salty, and smooth. I don't know how else to describe it. The caviar didn't "pop" as I had expected, but instead just spread. The smoked salmon was ok. It was a bit too raw for my tastes.
Half way through the first course, I was offered wine. Luckily (I thought) on 5/1 they started a new wine menu, offering selected Bordeaux wines from the 1855 classification (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeau...cation_of_1855).
It turns out that they only had one of those listed since there was some confusion with catering since the flight departed at 00:30 on 5/1 (Damn it! I really wanted to try the 2004 Lynch Bages!) But the wine they did have, the 2006 Chateau Lagrange, was one of the best wines I've had. The FA opened it in front of me and I got the feeling that the FAs go through some sommelier training because they were EXTREMELY knowledgeable. The wine was well balanced, medium body, medium color, mild acidity, had notes of black cherry, oak, vanilla, chocolate, and very easy to drink.
The main course was a huge piece of steak. This was quite a shock to me since I had just left a society that doesn't put a lot of emphasis on meat. In fact, in Bali, they say that rice is the main course and meats are just side dishes. The steak was absolutely delicious, however the FA actually apologized for it being too dry. I just had a fruit salad for dessert since at this point I was too sleepy and drunk to want any more food.
I told the FA that I was ready for bed, and she went to make my bed. I felt kind of bad since I’m not used to people making my bed in front of me. The space was quite excessive compared to the new J, where I was able to sleep just fine. I was also given pajamas by Shanghai Tang and a very nice amenity kit. I was sleep within minutes and woke up with 4 hours to go.
After waking up and brushing my teeth, I had breakfast. This is probably the worst part of the flight. In short, the food was garbage. Service was a bit slow (maybe I was cranky from the 5 hour sleep). But the food was certainly garbage. I ordered the traditional Chinese breakfast. The dim sum just tasted stale and frozen. The chicken and mushroom congee had too many mushrooms and the absolutely worst cuts of meat. The best thing was the strawberry yogurt and the extra roasted duck noodle soup I had to order to fill the rest of my stomach.
After experiencing all of Cathay's upper class products, I think the bottom line is that if you just need to sleep, the new J is totally acceptable. In fact, I was wondering why someone needed First since the new business class was already so good. The real differences to me are the better food and the continuous pampering. I don't really drink, so the Blue label or Krug really doesn't matter to me. The seat and bathroom are truly excessive. And by the end of the flight, I was starting to get sick of hearing "certainly" at the end of every sentence. Don't get me wrong, if you wanted to splurge, CX F is the way to do it. And for only 67.5k AA miles one way, it's a pretty good deal over 55k for J. But be careful, because once you try this, it's very difficult going back.
Last edited by kpowed; May 19, 2012 at 10:57 pm
May 19, 2012, 9:55 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 74
Nice trip
here is one question I want to know.
Do you know where could I find the seat available if I want to redeem a ticket with AA miles?
Actually, it is MIA-JFK(SFO,LAX,ORD)-HKG-BKK All with CX (KA)or AA are ok.
I just try it on BA's webstire. Is there any way to do so?
FYI, it will begin at Dec.12. I might arrive RGN and 14th Dec. LOL
Best
Daniel
here is one question I want to know.
Do you know where could I find the seat available if I want to redeem a ticket with AA miles?
Actually, it is MIA-JFK(SFO,LAX,ORD)-HKG-BKK All with CX (KA)or AA are ok.
I just try it on BA's webstire. Is there any way to do so?
FYI, it will begin at Dec.12. I might arrive RGN and 14th Dec. LOL
Best
Daniel
May 19, 2012, 10:20 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BKK.DPS
Programs: P THAI,Diamond HYATT
Posts: 3,290
First let me say that the security/bureaucracy in DPS was bizarre. There's a security checkpoint where you have to show your tickets before check in. Then after checking in, you have to go through the departure tax desk to get a sticker for paying the departure tax. Then you go through the first real security screening when you enter the gate area. As you get closer to gates presumably for countries with higher security standards than others, you go through a more thorough security check. Once reaching the gate, you go through a passport check, a departure tax sticker collection, and finally the departure card collection. My bags were also subject to some radioactive/bomb detection device .
May 19, 2012, 10:24 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Gold, IHG Plat, CC Gold
Posts: 250
Nice trip
here is one question I want to know.
Do you know where could I find the seat available if I want to redeem a ticket with AA miles?
Actually, it is MIA-JFK(SFO,LAX,ORD)-HKG-BKK All with CX (KA)or AA are ok.
I just try it on BA's webstire. Is there any way to do so?
FYI, it will begin at Dec.12. I might arrive RGN and 14th Dec. LOL
Best
Daniel
here is one question I want to know.
Do you know where could I find the seat available if I want to redeem a ticket with AA miles?
Actually, it is MIA-JFK(SFO,LAX,ORD)-HKG-BKK All with CX (KA)or AA are ok.
I just try it on BA's webstire. Is there any way to do so?
FYI, it will begin at Dec.12. I might arrive RGN and 14th Dec. LOL
Best
Daniel
