jdtravels

Hello there, this is my first attempt at a trip report (as previous attempts have failed due to procrastination). Hope it ain't too shabby, and excuse any shortcomings.

So my aim was to get from HKG to LHR before heading to CMB:


This report should cover (if I get to the end of it):
1) HKG: QF The Hong Kong Lounge and CX The Bridge
2) HKG-BKK: CX
3) BKK: QF, JL and CX lounges, a comparison of oneworld offerings
4) BKK-DOH: QR
5) DOH: Al Mourjan Business Lounge
6) DOH-LHR: QR
7) LHR: QR Premium Lounge
8) LHR-DOH: QR
9) DOH-BKK: QR

Unfortunately, the last leg BKK-CMB on UL will not be covered as I was too tired and did not take any photos.

One of the reasons I went with QR other than price was because there was an offer for bonus miles when flying the A380


Bonus: Hilton London Paddington, GWR Tower room

jdtravels

I took the Airport Express train from the city to the airport, and took around 30 minutes including waiting for the train. For those who don't know, you may choose to check in at the train station should you be boarding at Hong Kong or Kowloon stations. I chose to check in at the airport, however, as I didn't really have that many bags to carry around.

Check in at HKG was a breeze, as always. I queued in the Premium Economy lane at the CX counters, before my FFP card being spotted by a member of staff and being directed to the front of the queue (embarrassing moment here). Worth noting that the J and dedicated Marco Polo club/FFP counters are in another aisle at the CX hub. Security, as usual, was quick and efficient, and before long I was off to revisit my favourite HKG lounges.


The Qantas Hong Kong Lounge
I decided to start at the QF lounge as it as immediately after immigration and security, and I had no idea where my flight was to depart from yet as it was still too early. Also, I preferred QF over The Wing, as the latter tends to be crowded with non-FTers who seem not to know about the QF lounge yet (and let's hope it remains that way).



Qantas seems to have really upped their game with their new lounge concepts at Singapore and Hong Kong (and LAX it would seem, though I've never had the privilege of visiting that). It would appear that many FTers agree, and arguably, it has become my favourite lounge in HKG, over the CX offerings. It should be noted that this is a combined J/F lounge, so one would expect an offering halfway in between.

Visually, the lounge was pleasing. It had luxurious finishings without the bling (yes, I am not a fan of Emirates). There were mirrors and other reflective surfaces placed to (I suppose) reflect more light, though the space itself was quite large anyway, and had an ideal location with an open ceiling.










Unmanned service counter (though on previous occasions, I saw staff there)


For the most part, the bathroom was reasonably clean, though the cubicles were a problem... (no photo there)




The other thing that made this my favourite lounge was the food offering. Not only were the choices tempting and tasty, there were some attractive 'healthy' options which are sometimes hard to find, not only in lounges, but in general.


Delicious spiced pumpkin soup




The soft-boiled egg was really good - I had three of them, and only remembered to take a photo of the last (and the one that was slightly overdone)




(One of) The tea and coffee section(s)


It also offered a colour printer (sorry for the blur):

Quality was as one would expect, but the important thing was that it was wifi enabled, and you could connect through AirPrint or whatever Apple calls it to print directly from an iPhone, iPad or Mac. Excellent idea, as who doesn't travel with their own electronic device nowadays?


Hong Kong Airport
So after my (long) visit to the QF lounge, I went off to The Bridge, which is nearly at the opposite end of the terminal, where my flight was to depart from. HKG is a plane-spotter's paradise, so because of the number of heavies as well as the unobstructed views. I really question the choices of certain airports to put lines and dots across their windows. So rather than taking the shuttle or the travelators, I walked the length, snapping a few shots as I went.
[N.B. please feel free to correct me if I identified planes incorrectly. I apologise in advance!]


Entrance to The Cabin, another CX offering that I did not visit due to lack of interest.


KE 747


JL 777


S7 A320 in the background, and a HX A330 (?) blocking the view


FJ A330


AY A340 in oneworld livery


CX A330 in oneworld livery with a background of other CX planes


The Bridge
My other preferred lounge, this time for flights departing at the western end of the terminal. Again, it is a joint J/F lounge with good decor. Unfortunately, it was extremely crowded, and I only stayed for a small bite. Unfortunately no noodle bar is available here.


Entrance statement with a great reflection off the floor


Escalators down to the lounge reception, where I turned right




The Bakery inside the lounge, which offered decent food


Soon enough it was time to board...

jdtravels

HKG-BKK flight was operated by an A340. I went with PE on this short haul flight, as I thought J was not worth the cost and Y would be too crowded. This turned out really well, with Y very full, J an old-configuration 'coffin class', and PE just right with everyone getting an empty seat next to them. And with the window seat, I could take my favourite out-the-plane-window pictures ^!

I do not have a picture of the exterior as I arrived quite late at the gate with long queues already formed and I didn't have the empty jet bridge moment to stop and hover around.

Inside, PE was lovely for this length of flight. Great legroom especially for those with a bulkhead seat.


Ok, I admit I'm not very tall


An empty bulkhead row otherwise (I believe CX still annoying blocks bulkheads in Y and PE from non-status passengers, as before entering my OWS number, I was unable to select the seat). A senior flight attendant (I assume, as she had a different uniform. Perhaps she was the cabin services manager?) did come and say hello personally, and she had a name list, which I assume contained list of non-J passengers who had some sort of status


Taxiing with my phone "switched off". CX, KA, CX, KA


The FJ flight left (I believe to park at a remote stand awaiting flight back to Nadi). I also wonder why there were TWO AA 777s parked here. As if leaving one for that long in HKG wasn't bad enough...


Down the runway we go


While this TG A380 has to wait patiently in line


Just managed to spot a Star Alliance tail of an unknown airline's unknown plane


Up, up and away! View of HKG's western end


Meal on this short flight was a Y-class meal unfortunately. Tip to CX, not that they would read this, would be to at least serve ice cream in PE...


That said, my vegetarian pasta option was good


Sun beginning to set, reflecting wonderful orange hues, while a cumulonimbus has formed


Landed at BKK, taxiing


MD (Air Madagascar) A340, next to an EK 777 (I think), next to a TG A330. On the right, a NH possibly 787


Turns out that was the section in which we were headed

jdtravels

There has been great discussion regarding the (lack of) good oneworld lounges in BKK, and I can only say how much I am looking forward to the opening of the new CX lounge due to replace the previous one in concourse G. I know I could have (and should have) visited the TG lounge with my QR ticket, but I could not be bothered this time.

QF Bangkok Business Lounge
This was by far the best oneworld lounge available. It was not too crowded, had the most modern furnishing and the best food. It was no competition whatsoever.




Quite empty


The buffet station had good choices, and was frequently refilled


Vegetarian lasagne and sugarcane prawn


Satay chicken


Part of the drinks selection and a childhood favourite ^


Loos were at the far end, with individual shower suites for those wishing to clean up. This was also the only oneworld lounge offering showers.

Loos themselves were empty, and allowed for photos. They were clean




Business centre to the left of the entrance hall



CX First and Business Class Lounge
at concourse D


I tried to visit this lounge on my outbound journey, but it was (fortunately in retrospect) closed for cleaning.

On the return, it was open, and I entered while waiting for my flight to CMB. However, it was crowded with poor food options. My suggestion is to skip this lounge altogether unless other lounges are not available to you (e.g. CX MPC silver (OWR), other lounges unfortunately closed). You would be much better off walking a few more metres down the concourse and visiting the JL Sakura Lounge instead (see below)


This was the only picture I took inside the lounge. It was small and quite crowded, the food choices were poor. Overall, it left much to be desired. On that note, I cannot wait until CX refreshes their outstation lounges, and cannot wait to visit the new one at HND.


JL Sakura Lounge
Typically JL, this lounge was clean but somewhat dated. Food was good. Sitting between CX and QF's offerings, I would put it more towards QF's lounge in terms of both food and ambiance.




Quite empty again


Best view from this lounge was unfortunately the terminal. That said, it did have an interesting angle


You could look straight out with a feeling of being somewhat halfway between levels,


or you could look downwards by reflection into the boarding gate below


Very strange layout within one of the cubicles. Neither private nor facilitating conversation


Similar layout, but this time effective with privacy screens


Clean loos, but interesting to note that all of the cubicles had the same sign outside them saying something along the lines of "This cubicle is not in use. Sorry for the inconvenience". So for men, urinals only!


I assume catering was being managed by the Novotel nearby


As you would expect, cup noodles were available


As were various types of sushi


I went with fish shaomai and crisps


The lounge did what it had to to shame smokers . It was a room within the lounge, only that it had a huge glass window in the wall separating the two rooms. You could look at the backs and heads of certain smokers had their been any inside


Conclusion for those who missed the rant: visit the QF lounge, and if, in the unlikely situation it gets crowded, visit the JL one. Under no circumstance should you visit the CX concourse D lounge should there be other options. Alternatively, wait for the new CX concourse G lounge to open (and I suspect they'll close the concourse D lounge when it does) ^

jdtravels

I chose to fly via BKK for a few reasons:
(1) QR offered competitive fares at the time I was booking
(2) I had yet to fly on their A380, having been on their A330, A340, B787, A320. Obviously, I still want to try their A350 and maybe their A319, although I've never really bought the idea of an all-business class flight
(3) they were running a promotion that gave you double miles for flying on the A380 (and you also get an upgraded tier once you fly with their A380 twice. Hello QR Platinum! This is especially useful if, like me, you have multiple FFP programmes and you need to credit flights to some other programmes for better redemption rates, etc.)
(4) QR offered one of the best J products out there. Period. No matter what others say, I've never had a bad experience on J; maybe some mediocre ones, but never unacceptable

So here goes...


Heading out to the gate, I got to admire BKK's design

The A380 featured reverse herringbone seats similar to those on the B787


Widescreen TV with good quality, featuring The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1


The side table was very useful for drinks, and was of a good size. The main table was tucked under the TV, and could easily be pulled out by pressing a lever at the bottom.

The main differences between this seat and the CX reverse herringbone are that:

(1) the TV doesn't fold in, which means that the footwell may, at first glance, seem confined. But in actual use, I can assure you that it gave no problems at all;


(2) there was also no side privacy 'wing', which did make the cabin feel more open, though I would probably have preferred one, as even though privacy was better when the seat was completely flat (i.e. in bed mode), it was still noticeably less so;


(3) the side armrests are electronically-controlled on the A380 seat, which made it easier to control and had no problems with getting stuck; however, the button settings meant that if the aisle-side armrest was raised for privacy, the window-side armrest was also raised, and as a side-sleeper, the extra nook for my behind was lost




The loos were well-finished, but had limited space. Extra size of the plane did not equate to extra-large J loos , though understandably, I guess they would have preferred extra loos instead for the extra people


They did have extra-large sinks though


QR now runs a dine-on-demand menu for J class, which was, again, subject to great debate here on FT. While some argued that it was for cost-saving measures (and I'm not disagreeing with that), I do feel that it is a better system for most passengers, as the flight attendants would come around after the safety video to take your orders and enquire when you would like what food item. I think that if you chose, you could have ordered two meals.


The amuse-bouche this time was a satay stick. For those of you who notice details, you will see that I had already taken a bite of the white-coloured bread-like thing before remembering to take the photo. It was yum, though I did not eat the onions because they were raw


I had sesame-encrusted prawns with a Thai-style salad, which had just the right amount of spice


For mains, I chose the beef medallion with "rösti", carrots and (cooked) onions. The veggies were good, though the so-called rösti was obviously not a rösti. The beef was slightly overdone, though to be fair, I was not asked how I wanted my steak done, nor did I expect to be. I must stress that I was not complaining but merely commenting on the beef

I skipped dessert as I was too full and I'm not usually a dessert person. But for those who are, please do ensure you leave sufficient room for dessert (and not binge at BKK lounges with mediocre food, or eat too heavy a main), as they served Ladurée-branded cakes on board!


After the meal and a satisfying nap. I prefer sleeping in a lounge-chair position while flying, as I feel that lying completely flat makes me plane-sick (is that a proper term? I meant like motion sickness, but on a plane). The A380 seat was excellent for that. A quick tour of the cabin showed that most other passengers were lying completely flat, so I assume that was alright too.


Before long, we were approaching Doha


Doha skyline


Illuminated taxiway


Off the plane at DOH, and into the terminal. One thing I've noticed with the A380 is that since premium class passengers disembark from the upper deck, and most Y class passengers from the lower deck, there is no delay between F/J passengers and Y passengers at the front of the plane. In fact, F/J passengers would have to go down an escalator and meet up with the Y passengers prior to entering the terminal. That is to say, if flying in Y, I would possibly choose a seat near the front of the lower deck than use status and fly on the upper deck in the rear

More importantly, it seemed that BKK was on the so-called 'safe list' discussed on this board. No extra screening before entering the terminal!

jdtravels

Everyone should, by now, know about the mess with lounges at DOH. Apparently after so many months, there are still only two lounges operational: The Al Mourjan Business Lounge (at the time of writing open to all oneworld J/F and status holders) and the Oryx Lounge (pay in and open to other airlines' guests). That equates to one thing, and one thing only: crowded . I can only hope that the other lounges will have opened by my next trip.


I checked for the departure gate of my LHR flight at one of the many FIDS


And could not resist stopping by this teddy bear (please vote: cute or freaky?)

Lounge admittance eligibility was checked at the bottom of the set of escalators leading to the lounge. Boarding passes were scanned with portable barcode scanners.


Top of the escalators with a busy help desk/front desk




Dining facility at the restaurant.


The food was mediocre for the most part, and according to sources within this board, it was mainly due to the lack of space in the kitchen. I escaped here not for the food, but because there was a seat available


You caught me! Highlight of the lounge restaurant was the desserts selection. I'm not usually into desserts as I've just said, but the chocolate cake and apple tart looked too good to pass


I went back for seconds...


Tempting?


Drooling yet?


Seats opened up as I was leaving the lounge


Clean lavs

All in all, this lounge at its present state was rather disappointing for QR to have as its flagship. We should all cross our fingers and hope that the three other lounges will be completed soon.

jdtravels

I apologise for the lack of content on this post!

Unfortunately, they decided to give us a bus gate. Seeing that the flight was quite full, though 'only' on an A340, one could imagine how busy that gate and how packed those buses became. On the plus side I got very close up to the QR tail!


For the sharp minded, you may be wondering why I was boarding at the back of the plane when I was travelling near the front. I don't know why, but the gate agent pointed me towards the Y bus and wouldn't let me board through the J queue. Anyhow, it gave me this photo, so it really didn't matter


I apologise for a lack of good photos, but due to the time of departure, cabin lights were dimmed soon after boarding. Cabin was the 2-2-2 old configuration, seat though outdated was comfortable enough. Nothing special, just a plane waiting to be either retrofitted or replaced

That being the case, I went to sleep and had a great rest


Dawn




Before long, we were approaching London, cabin lights were back on


Landing at LHR with a BA 777 and a QF A380 nearby


Early morning lineup at LHR T4, when all the planes from the east come in: MH A380, 9W B777, GF A330, SV B777, EY A380 in the ugly new mosaic livery


Just as a BA flight took off

Home sweet home after 3 years!

jdtravels

I took the Heathrow Express at Paddington Station, which took me to Heathrow Central in 15 minutes. I had to wait an additional few minutes for the Terminal 4 transfer, which was annoying, but that was the consequence of flying out of an out-of-the-way terminal!




Very spacious for 15 minutes, and I really didn't understand why they had to offer a 'Business First' class for those willing to pay even more

QR check in is in Area A, which is on the left if you enter through the front, or at the opposite end if you arrive on the Heathrow Express. It was efficient with clear signage.

Security was the best I've ever seen at Heathrow, with minimal queuing. No fast track was offered for departures.

Seeing that I had one and half hours, I wanted to see whether I could take a few pictures of the MH Golden Lounge. Unfortunately, it was closed.


Entrance was via this elevator, which was locked. The stairs nearby led to a locked steel door

Forgetting about the SkyTeam lounge, I went off to the QR Premium Lounge located a few gates along




It offered views out to the tarmac with two AI planes, the one in front a B787

The lounge was quite crowded as there were multiple QR flights departing within an hour of so of each other. Lacking good seating options, I went to the restaurant


The restaurant was located at the far end past the buffet section. Decor was good with these amazing sweets dispensers


Very tempting menu


I started with the Thai Tom Yum soup which was delicious and quite hot (which I enjoyed, though I would advise against if if one is unable to tolerate much spice)


Tuna Niçoise - the tuna was slightly overdone, though still nice. The rest of the dish was amazing


King Prawn linguine, cooked nicely with good flavour


Welcome card given to lounge guests

Time for boarding, and I stopped by the loos that were just past the entrance. They were in the form of individual suites without showers

jdtravels

Reserved post #8

jdtravels

Reserved post #9

JohnRain

Interesting TR so far, I'll make sure to check out the QF lounge on my upcoming trip to HK, but please resize your pictures, they're way too big!

jdtravels

Thanks! About the pictures, yes, I just realised. Sorry! Experimenting right now with optimal size

Rami Tamimi

Thanks jdtravels for an azing start of the TR. I am flying out of BKK on CX next month,so the comparisson of CX/QF/JL lounges is very useful.What time was your flight ex BKK?My one is at 15:00,so trying to estimate which lounges will be open at that time.

jdtravels

All three oneworld lounges should be open at that time You're in luck!

Thanks for that comment, btw

wrp96

FYI I think the two letter code for Korean is KE not KL. I think KL is KLM.