olgsr

Hello Everyone,

This is the recap of our trip to South Africa from last year.We spent a wonderful 9 days in the Kruger area and Cape Town followed by a short stopover in Hong Kong.To get there we used (pre-devaluation) United miles and Alaska miles to get back.Originally we were booked on CX F all the way from Cape Johannesburg but they retired the 747 on the route earlier than expected so we were downgraded to J on a 3 class 77W,though life I know.
This is a somewhat shorter review of the trip,in case you want to see all the pictures here are the links to my site-not blog,my mom is the only reader anyways...

Introduction
South African Airways Business Class New York to Johannesburg
Sausage Tree Safari Camp,Hoedspruit
POD Camps Bay,Cape Town
Cathay Pacific Business Class Johannesburg to Hong Kong
Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui ,Regency Suite,Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to New York


We arrived at JFK around 10 AM for our 11:15 AM departure. Even that I knew we were good on time I wanted to arrive earlier since South African uses T4 which is notorious for having one of the sh!tt!est TSA lines.NY Port Authority had different plans for us since they decided to tear up the Grand Central Parkway making the usual 25 minute Astoria-JFK trip into an hour ride.Keep that in mind if your going that way to JFK. … in the next 20 years.Sorry NY,love ya, but that’s the truth.
South African was using check-in row 5 but I didn’t see the premium line.I’m not a douche who refuses to check-in at a completely empty economy row but I had to interline my bag with our connecting flight from Jo’burg plus I had some issues pulling up another SA itinerary online so wanted to make sure everything was good.
Check-in took some time because non of the agents were able to check my bag all the way to HDS.They had to call the office for some help but it was solved in 5-10 minutes.
Security wasn’t too bad this time and we were through in no time at all,sigh…
South African business class passengers use Swiss’ lounge which I wrote about a couple of months ago here. Not much changed since,while it’s a completely OK lounge for US standards, it doesn’t worth arriving earlier to the airport just to spend more time than you need to drink a glass of proseco.
One thing I do like a lot about this lounge is its tarmac views.


South African Airways SA 204
New York JFK to Johannesburg OR Tambo 11:30 AM – 8:30 AM (+1)
Seats: 5H/K
Aircraft:Airbus A340-600
Boarding was via door 2L where we were greeted by a friendly crew member.After looking at our seat assignments she directed us to the left, towards the business class cabin.

The seats were in a 7 row ,forward facing 2-2-2 arrangement for a total of 42 flat-bed seats.Obviously the center pairs offer direct aisle access for both passengers but that’s not a concern to us when traveling together. While the colors and the seats looked dated I wasn’t disappointed since I knew exactly what I signed ourselves up for when ditching our Austrian/Turkish itinerary .What really mattered was that we’ll reach our destination a day earlier since it didn’t require 23 hour layover in Europe.Yes those are fun but it does drain your batteries drastically.
South African has a nicer business class on some of their A330s and actually they are using that superior product on their Washington’s IAD route.





Once settled in we were promptly offered pre-departure beverages. As always we went for the bubbly.SA used to serve Moët&Chandon but this time it was Taittinger a Reims which is still pretty good for business class.



Once airborne we both changed into our Cathay first pajamas.By the time we were back at our seats the crew was coming around taking drink orders.I liked that they didn’t use a cart , instead they just brought over the specific bottles to each passanger.While this can be slower sometimes I do find it classier.
I sticked to the champagne for the whole lunch.



Lunch started with a couple of canapés which consisted of a shrimp toast,a raw beef skewer and some sort of goat cheese ball. While wifey skipped the meat one I did find them pretty good.


For appetizer we both picked the crayfish timbale.I don’t say this often about airline food but it was PHENOMENAL, loved every bite!


For main my wife had the mushroom ravioli which she found to be just okay.


I had the grilled seabass which again was pretty good. The spinach side was a little weird so in this case the picture does all the justice.


After mains we were offered cheeses,port and desserts. I took it in exactly that order. My wife was done with lunch so she gave me her chocolate cake dessert .Wish she would have ordered the passion fruit mousse too because it was delicious.


After finishing everything I asked the FA for a tea and some Baileys.They didn’t have any but he said he can bring me some Amarula . “What’s that ? Is it like Baileys?” – I asked , “NO.It’s way better” -he responded. He was absolutely right, we ended drinking that every single day for the following 10 days in South Africa ! Thank you.


Lunch service was fast and was done in an hour and 15 minutes. I wanted to watch some movies before going to sleep so pulled out the screen from the center console. Unfortunately it’s far from HD and even on full brightness it was hard to see it.
So how are the seats for sleeping? Well…
They do give you a matt to put on top of it so that’s a plus,blanket and pillow both pretty good. Unfortunately I still I have to say it was uncomfortable. Why? For one,the seats are so short that I had to put my pillow between the headrest and the “cradle” to extend the length . They are angled flat(-ish) so you’re constantly sliding down,plus they have breaks by your neck and lower back so it feels like you’re trying to sleep on 3 chairs that’s been pushed together,no bueno.



Anyways because of my usual pre-redeye tactic of staying awake until late and waking up early I was able to knock myself out for a couple of hours.
I woke up just off the coast of Namibia and watched a couple of sitcoms.Breakfast was served an hour and a half before landing which consisted of a fruit plate,cereals and yoghurt to start and either eggs benedict,french toast or continental breakfast as a second plate.I opted for the latter one simply because I try to avoid those fake-plastic-tasty egg dishes doesn’t matter the airline I’m flying with,learned my lesson many times.

So how was my experience?
If I look at the product I’d say it was fine,definitely not the best for a 16 hour flight and if you can get a Swiss JFK-ZRH-JNB or a Turkish JFK-IST-JNB go with that because their product are so superior.I have to be fair and mention that the food was pretty good but again nothing like DO&CO.
As you noticed I didn’t mention anything about the service.I wanted to sum up here because this is one of the main reasons I’d take that flight again (besides the convenience of a non-stop).I probably never seen a crew so friendly like the one we had onboard . You do meet sometimes nice and polite people but those guys were just EXTREMELY friendly,fun and enthusiastic . Always smiling and it felt like passengers comfort and satisfaction is their main priority.I even saw an FA clearly on his break(he was in pajamas) running into the cabin because someone pushed the “call button”,on American carriers… good luck with that.
Not just that they were over the top but I’d take any of them in any First class cabin any day!
Hopefully they update their product on the JFK route but if not I’m happy to fly them from DC if it saves me time.

olgsr

We had a couple of hours to kill before our connection to Hoedspruit.I was planning to spend it in South African’s arrival lounge which is right after the exit of baggage claim.I asked for directions while re-checking my bag and the agent told me that she recommends on just using the SAA lounge once I clear security in the domestic terminal. I explained that I’m connecting to an economy flight or what she answered that it’s ok and I’ll have no issues getting in.While I was having doubts,the idea of being able to spend my time there until boarding was too tempting to give further thoughts to it.

Of course I was turned away while trying to access the lounge…I mentioned at the front desk what I was told earlier so she decided to call baggage claim.The same person picked up the phone who “helped” me but now she changed her story completely(I guess she realized the info she gave was wrong) and was saying that I told her that I have Star Alliance Gold card.
If I’d have a Star Gold card I wouldn’t need your help to know I can access the lounge.
She was straight up lying and tried to make me look completely stupid .
I just wanted to take a shower and grab a coffee so I was getting somewhat pissed.
I was frustrated with the situation not because I was given wrong info but because of the unhelpfulness of the agents all around. While I don’t agree with “the costumer is always right” idea but in that case I was right indeed so some flexibility would have been appreciated.
On the plus side Standard Bank has a small lounge available to anyone where they offer free wifi and coffee.
A couple of hours later we took our flight to Hoedspruit,one of the two airports serving the Kruger Area-the other being Nelspruit.The trip itself was short and uneventful ,the only thing worth mentioning was the tarmac ride from the terminal next to the A380s.British,Air France and Lufthansa all operate red-eyes so their planes sit at JNB for over 12 hours.



For lodging I booked a tent at the Sausage Tree Safari Camp.Nightly prices were $330 on my dates,they were running a 4 for 3 promo making it roughly $250 a night.While it’s not cheap I’d say it’s pretty good comparing to prices in the area.
You could do self driving a bit cheaper but we wanted to be in a camp and leave that to the experts.
We prearranged an arrival transfer earlier and were greeted upon arrival by TJ who took us to the camp which was 45 minutes away located in the Olifants West Game Reserve.



Upon arrival we were welcomed by Sonja and Richard the owner-managers of the camp.We received a couple of welcome drinks and they offered us lunch.While it’s usually at 2pm(it was 3-3:30pm when we got there) they made 2 extras since they knew we’ll be hungry…great start.
They explained the basic rules ,went through the schedule and talked about the camp in general.As for schedule goes there are two drives a day:the first was at 6AM and the second at either 4 or 4:30,can’t remember. Meal is served 3 times a day , breakfast was right after the first drive ,lunch at 2pm and dinner around 8:30PM basically an hour after returning from the afternoon drive .
Thanks to the property’s small size it is very cozy and intimate.It consisted of a main house with a deck&pool area overlooking the bushes,5 tents and the dining room space.
After a quick bite we were shown our tent (#5) at the very end of the camp.



The rooms were minimalist but nicely decorated.I find some other over-the-top lodges to be too luxurious,if that’s even a thing. I’m here to be with the nature and don’t necessarily think I need a St. Regis in the bushes but maybe probably that’s just me.







While I’ve been calling it tent ,half of it was permanent and of course the base itself too.
Right off the bedroom was bathroom which included both a tub and an outdoor shower.



Food,food,food:
Both breakfast and lunch were served on the deck except for one windy lunch when we had to use the indoor dining space in the lobby.
Breakfast usually consisted of cereals,fruit and muffins(home-made) to start and an egg dish as a second.

Lunch was usually on the lighter side but I never felt hungry on our 4 days stay.I’m not even sure if there’s a snack menu…. but beer,wine and booze is available anytime. And since I’m talking drinks I have to mention that everything is extremely well priced.It’s great that they aren’t taking advantage of being secluded but that’s my experience of South Africa in general and loved it.



Dinner was always at he campfire. So dinner… Prepared by Chef Orlando and his team(aka one more person) and consisted of 3 courses,an appetizer,main and dessert. Main was usually meat like kudu or antelope venison except for one night when it was fish.Honestly Orlando blew our mind away with his cooking.Probably one of the best culinary experience I’ve ever had in any hotel.It was always fresh,tasty and used mostly french-italian elements that I never thought I’ll meet in the middle of nowhere.

Games:









Sausage Tree Safari was an amazing property and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.Service was spectacular,you can tell Sonja and Richard love what they do and that positive energy reflects on the whole staff. The property was well maintained,loved the decoration&layout so it was an extremely comfortable and relaxing way to spend a couple of days in the bushes .
Again,food was just ridiculous…Thank you Orlando.
Drives were fun and full of information.I do have to mention though that location wise it’s not prime Kruger(Olifants is in the greater Kruger area) so there are more roads around it ,blocking animals free movement and making them somewhat shyer than the ones behind the closed gates of Kruger.Naturally lodges there come at a hefty price tag.
Looking at the price point I don’t think you can do better,if next time I’m in Hoedspruit I definitely know where to stay!

olgsr

We were incredibly excited to visit Cape Town!While there are chain hotel options ,none of them were in areas where I wanted to stay at so I decided to look for either a nice boutique hotel or rent an apartment.We wanted somewhere close to the beach so after doing some research I came across the fairly new POD Camps Bay on Tripadvisor which met all the criteria and had no doubts that was the place to be.

Location:
Get a car… Yes, you can survive without it but it will make your stay far more enjoyable. Camps Bay is located on the outskirt of Cape Town just on the other side of Lion’s Head.It’s only a 15 minutes drive to downtown which you can do by either going along the coast for a scenic but slower route or across the hill which takes you in between Lion’s Head and Table Mountain.
The hotel was located on the western end of the ” strip”,close to restaurants and shops but still somewhat isolated from the noisyness of it.
There was a complimentary underground parking for guests which was a huge plus.While there was no valet, not that I need that, one of the guys from the front desk offered to park our car while we checked in.




Check-in was quick and we were taken to our mountain view room on the second floor. It was one category up from the basic room giving a bit more space and partial view of the Table Mountain.The window facing that direction was pretty small so that obviously wasn’t the highlight of the room.While we opted to save the money , if the budget allows it,I’d recommend to get a partial ocean or ocean view room because they were huge ,came with a balcony and obviously, an amazing view. On the same note don’t bother with the rooms that have a private pool,they are on the ground floor and have a high divider between them so the only thing you can see is the road in-front of the hotel .The property is pretty small so even if it’s full you’ll be just fine at the “communal” pool.
Back to our room…
While it was on the smaller size somehow they were able to fit a queen bed,a decent size desk and you still had some space to move around(not a lot though).I’m not an interior designer but I think the wooden platform under the bed was definitely a fail since it makes the room look more cramped than it actually is.





On the desk there were plenty of welcome goodies left including some fruit,snacks,chocolates and a bottle of wine.



And things got interesting… The same guy who checked us in was the one explaining the “amenities”. When he got to the desk he referred to everything as complimentary this and that instead of welcome gifts.At one point I just had to ask him :” So everything is refilled daily?” for what he bowed his head . Now,I new minibar was free but that they throw in snacks (chips,gummy bears,dried fruit,chocolate,etc) and wine in world where hotels charge $10 for an M&Ms is simply unbelievable!

Something interesting about the hotel: They didn’t close the empty rooms.When I say they weren’t closed I am not saying that they weren’t locked,I mean that they are completely open.I couldn’t resist my curiosity/temptation and did a little self-guided tour of the property.
Ocean view rooms were big enough to call them junior suites in chain hotels :



The coolest rooms are definitely the corner suites,massive in size with floor to ceiling windows giving you a perfect view of the beach and the sunset.They were stunning:



Grounds:
Being a small hotel you found everything next to each other.The decoration was contemporary chic,exacting and sleek ,exactly how we like it.









Food:
Like basically everything at this property breakfasts was included in the rate.It was served in the lobby every morning from 6:30-10:30 and featured both a buffet selection and an a la carte menu.
The buffet wasn’t as extensive as Asian hotels but it was still plentiful with a delicious selection.



There was also an a la carte menu...


Now…the only negative-ish thing I have to stay about this hotel.Because of the small size of the kitchen they aren’t set up for lunch/dinner service.While they allow you to order from neighboring places and eat it at the hotel I kind of felt weird about this.At least have some small snacks so people don’t have to leave the property if hanging out at the pool or just want to relax after a tirering day around the city.
Overall impression
Besides that “small” no food after 11am thing I think this an incredible property and it was one of the best stays I’ve ever had.Being a new hotel it’s in a tip-top shape,the location is fantastic for people looking at relaxing stay but still being close to the hustle and bustle of the city.
The staff was simply outstanding,always similing and helpful.It’s all about little touches so let me just highlight one:
There’s no one at the front desk in the middle of the night so I asked if we could take care of check-out the day before since we had to leave the hotel around 4:30AM .Naturally they had no issues with that and told us that there will be a security guard on duty if we needed any help.Sooo,we wake up and on my way down I stopped by at the front desk to leave our room keys,the guard comes over and hands me two doggy bags with croissants,muffins , OJs and tells us that it was left by the staff so we can still have some breakfast,a-m-a-z-i-n-g!
No wonder next time in Cape Town this is not only a good option but for us it’ll be the #1 !

olgsr

I booked 2 Cathay Pacific first class tickets using Alaska miles.For 70k it’s one the best use of those miles,plus you can add a stop-over as we did. At that time Cathay was in the process of retiring their 747 fleet and had its last flight scheduled for october.Unfortunately that date was moved earlier to september and they stopped serving JNB just 4 days before our departure. Our plane was changed to a ” first-class-less” 3 class 77W which I was bummed about since it meat a cut from 13 hours of nonstop “Krug-ing” and the opportunity of flying in the iconic 1A-1K seats in the front of the superjumbo.Of course it was still an amazing deal but I always like to b!tch about this, #firstclassproblems .

After check-in and immigration we headed to Shongololo Lounge,which is Cathay’s contract lounge in Johannesburg.While it was completely fine to kill some time at,I wouldn’t bother getting there too early.The food selection didn’t look too good so I sticked to some pre-wrapped snacks…







10 minutes before our boarding time we headed over to our gate which was right around the corner.By that time people were all lined up and so we did the same and joined the already long business class/priority lane which interestingly was packed with Japanese business men heading home.

Our 77W to Hong Kong:


Cathay Pacific CX845 12:30PM-7:15AM(+1)

Johannesburg to Hong Kong

Seats:12A,15A(Business Class)

Aircraft:Boeing 777-300ER,three-class configuration

Cathay’s three class 77W consists of 40 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration . While I was disappointed not flying the 747,I was really curious of the hard product since I’ve only heard a very positive feedback.

We boarded via 1L a were promptly greeted by the crew.First impressions of the cabin were great.It looked sleek with the usual Cathay colors.







Once in our seats we were offered pre-departure beverages. The options were champagne(Billecart Salmon Brut),water and orange juice .We did inquire about Cathay’s Delight but unfortunately it wasn’t available.The FA did offer to check later if they have all the ingredients so he could make us a couple.

At same time Mara,the purser ,came over to introduce herself and thanked us for flying with them that day.



Once airborne,Bryan, the flight attendant on our aisle introduced himself and started to give out menus.
Shortly after taking our orders,he surprised us with some Cathay’s Delight!!Our neighbor got super jealous and asked for one too ,sorry Bryan…



At the same time I started browsing through StudioCX,Cathay’s in flight entertainment system, which offer a wide selection of movies,TV shows,music,games..you name it.

The first movie I decided to watch was Blended since it seemed the most appropriate coming from Africa.

Lunch service began shortly with chicken satay as the appetizer.



As for my main I tried the lamb stew which was actually pretty good but I do have to mention that the vegetables were tasteless and chewy.



I finished lunch with both the cheese plate(with port) and the chocolate cheesecake(with some Baileys).



All in all lunch service was good.The food in general was edible but nothing to write home about.I do have to say that the bar for business class is really high since we flew Turkish Airlines and Austrian.

Service was fast,friendly and efficient with just the right amount of time in between courses and our glasses were never empty.

By that time I was really sleepy (didn’t get much the night before) so I prepared my bed and slept for almost 5-6 hours .The bed is really comfortable and offered plenty of space-I’m 6’1″ btw.



I woke up a couple of hours before landing so I watched 2 or 3 episodes of the Big Ban Theory. In the meantime breakfast was served,I decided to go with the “local” option and try the pork udons.They were pretty good indeed.



45 minutes before landing the captain came on the PA and informed us that we’ll began our descent to HKG shortly so I quickly changed back from my PJs.


Before heading to the city we stopped by at The Arrival lounge to freshen up a bit.The lounge is located right after the arrivals hall and can be accessed by first/business passengers and OneWorld emerald members traveling in any cabin. While it’s nowhere near the departure lounges airside,it’s perfectly fine to take shower and grab a quick breakfast.

Summary :

As usual Cathay didn’t disappoint . My flight from JNB was fantastic with top notch service and perfectly edible food,which is a compliment when talking about business class…

As for the hard product: phenomenal.The seats were comfortable,offered plenty of space and privacy. While I (naturally ) still prefer their first class it became incredibly difficult to obtain two seats so it’s a great alternative given that sometimes I see Cathay releasing 5-6 business class seats per flight.

stevie

Great TR thanks.

olgsr

After a quick stop at The Arrival lounge we headed to the city by the Express train. We had a reservation at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui which is located right off Nathan Road in Central Kowloon.While the train doesn’t have a stop close to the hotel,MTR operates complimentary shuttles throughout the area making it an easy and cheap way to get from/to the airport.

The shuttle left us on the parking level ,1 floor down from the street, so we took an elevator up to the lobby.Check-in area was quite busy but in a matter of minutes we were helped by a very friendly employee.



Being only 9am when we arrived , I didn’t have my hopes up to get the room that early.They offered us to have breakfast in the lounge and keep our bags for a couple of ours while a room opens up.She said that they shouldn’t have any issues checking us in around 11-12pm. I thought it was a very generous and welcoming looking that I’m only a lousy Platinum member,so even that my suite granted me Club access they could have easily sent me away for those 3 hours.
Normally I would begin with a recap of the room but breakfast was the first thing we did so let me start there.
Breakfast and evening canapés are served in the Club lounge located on the 23rd floor.If you’re staying on the club level there is a separate entrance on the 24th floor giving you direct access to it.





The morning spread was pretty basic if compared to top properties around Asia.Usually I can’t resist all the temptation and always end up having what I would normally eat for breakfast ,brunch,lunch,snack and dinner combined.
There was a center island with some pastries and fruits :


On the main counter you found a few cereals and a handful of hot dishes:




While I think that the breakfast selection was sufficient ,I can totally see it becoming quite monotone if you’re staying for an extended period.Personally I didn’t really care since I had my focus on hitting up my favorite pork buns at Tim Ho Wan.It’s the world cheapest Michelin starred restaurant and you’ll find it right in the basement of the IFC building. It’s not as cozy as they used to be when they were a neighborhood spot but I guess that’s capitalism . Now you’ll find them even at the airport ,in Malaysia and all over Singapore too.
Back to the hotel… In a couple of hours we returned and our room was ready as promised. It was on the 22nd floor overlooking the west side of the city and partially the harbor.

The room was pretty big with a separate living room and bedroom,not the a-la W “here’s a bookshelf and call it a wall” style .I liked the circle layout of the suite , you were able to go all round in it since the rooms were only separated with sliding doors.



On the coffee table there was a bottle of wine left as a welcome gift. Having only a limited time at the hotel we didn’t bother opening it so I can’t comment on how it was.I still find it to be a nice touch for mid tier elites.


The bedroom was on the smaller side (ouch,I sound waaay too spoiled) and it was “missing” a smaller sitting are like a corner couch or a reading chair.The only reason I say this is because that room had bigger windows making it brighter and offered better views, making it more compelling to hang out at.







As you see on the pictures above there was also a small work desk in the corner. On that there was a fact sheet with the lounge/pool/gym info,benefits and operating hours but most importantly there was a smartphone as well. Similarly to other hotels in the city you’re free to use it and they offer complimentary local calls and internet. I didn’t test it since I have free worldwide roaming thanks to the pink carrier. Anyways it’s a good option if you don’t but be careful of not loosing it because you’ll end up paying a ~USD250 penalty.



The bathroom was big with both a tub and a shower. No double sink,again #spoiled.



Grounds :
First of all I’m sorry but I forgot to make a note on which floor was the gym and the pool located.
As for the gym I’d say it was somewhere in the mid-10s and because of that views were literally non-existent.
It was well equipped and completely functional but the low ceiling made it somewhat claustrophobic .


The pool was located a couple of floors lower.While it was fine to spend some time at(aka functional),I found it to be a bit sterile with all the empty space around it and of course it doesn’t compare to the modern style of other properties like the ICON or the W.



Club lounge:
The lounge offers evening drinks and canapés between 5:30PM and 7:30 PM. The evening selection was good and it was a perfect way to relax for a bit before heading out to the city.With its floor to ceiling windows overlooking the harbor you get fantastic views of the city.




Conclusion:
On the whole we had a pleasant stay at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui.The suite was spacious and offered great views of the city.Probably the biggest selling point of the property is its location in the heart of Kowloon just minutes away from Nathan road and all the main attractions.With the exception of the Star ferry ,we basically didn’t use any public transport and walked everywhere.
I do have to mention that the staff was superb! Friendly,attentive and always ready to help.Originally I was booked there for 2 nights but had to leave earlier,they were happy to cancel the second night and not charge me anything extra….oh,and all that at midnight but more on that in the next post!
I think it’s a great value if you’re using points,cash+points or even better if redeeming the annual (category 1-4) free night that comes with the Hyatt Visa.If paying fully out of pocket I think Hong Kong offers better hotels in the same price range.

olgsr

About a month before before leaving for our trip I received another one of those dreaded “schedule change” emails from Alaska. See, I was booked to Chicago on First class (and from there connecting to LaGuardia on a separate Avios redemption) but unfortunately they canceled the flight and we were moved to another one which got us to ORD 6 hours later. It was a 3 class 77W so not only that we lost our First class seats again but more importantly we would have missed our flight back to New York .
It was time to call Alaska and explain the situation.Mileageplan redemptions can be modified free of charge up to 60 days before departure so my plan was to get a waiver and move ourselves to another,more convenient flight…hopefully with a first class cabin.
After a short hold I was helped by a very friendly costumer service representative. First she started to look for award spaces around my dates but she couldn’t find anything. Later I asked if she’d be kind enough to look for non-stop flights to JFK.
I was checking ba.com simultaneously I had the same results she was getting:while there were 2 seats available, unfortunately they were on different flights…that’s a no go,wifey would kill me .
She asked me if she can put me on hold for a second while she would ask the supervisor something . A couple of minutes later she returned and said she could offer us on CX888 via YVR in first class.No brainer I took it,canceled my BA award and I was happy I’m coming all the way home on Cathay.I still have no idea how she was able to manually request those seats since they weren’t available on miles,maybe she just did it they same way they do it during IRROPS.
Fast-forward we are in Hong Kong and I see 2 spaces open up on the non-stop flight the day before.Thought worth giving a shot and call Alaska Airlines again. Told the agent I was given a connecting flight due to a schedule change and inquired if we could be moved to CX846,non-stop to New York. 5 minutes later I had our new tickets…
KUDOS to Alaska Airlines Mileageplus desk!!!
Our flight only departed at 6:45PM so we still had plenty of time that day to hang out in the city.We headed back to the airport the same way as we arrived,by the Express train.FYI you can check your bags at both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon stations.If you’re coming from somewhere else or just grabbing a cab there is a dedicated counter for first class passengers at the airport.



I won’t get into a longer review of the Wing since I wrote about it the last time we were in Hong Kong .(Cabanas ares still amazing!)
The lounge is located right after security check.









Followed by the mandatory shower and Moet champagne bar visit we headed to the noodle bar on the other side of the lounge (the business class side) . After ordering you receive a beeper so they can call you when your food is ready.



On our previous visit we were there early morning so I was curious to see the dinner selection .The restaurant offers both a buffet spread and an a la carte menu . I tried the braised ossobuco which was phenomenal!







Once full we went back to the bar and had a couple of margaritas . I’m just realizing every time I write a report it sounds like we’re alcoholics.We’re far from being heavy drinkers…that only happens when we fly.
PS:Margaritas are not that good.Still don’t know if they were making them with lemon juice or just a crappy lime juice.

Cathay Pacific CX845 6:45PM-10:35PM

Hong Kong to New York JFK

Seats:2D/K

Aircraft:Boeing 777-300ER

Similarly to all the triple 7s operating the JFK route this one featured 4 classes: first,business,premium economy and economy.

First class has a 1-1-1 configuration granting aisle access to every passenger . “Normally” I’d prefer 1A & 2A since it would have isolate us on the left side of the cabin ,the reason for that is that the center seats open to the right.

The plane featured Cathay’s new first class which is just a refurbished version of the old one.No complaints here I think the layout is perfect and gives plenty of privacy even that they aren’t fully enclosed suites.





Once in my seat I was promptly welcomed Esther and she offered a pre-deparute beverage for which I had KRUG. At the same time I was given an amuse bouche too .



We sat at the gate for an extra 15-20 minutes waiting for something (forgot what was the issue,but nothing serious) but once we started our taxi we were cleared to take off immediately so we were heading to New York in no time at all.
Once airborne I was given another glass of Krug and some peanuts,they came on a plate so I didn’t have to return the plane to HKG…talking to you Korean Air lady.



Dinner:
My wife joined me for dinner so Esther installed the table extension so we could eat together.
We started with some caviar:


We were still pretty full of all the food we had at the lounge so we only had a cauliflower soup and a prawn salad as mains.Both of them were delicious. While I agree that Cathay has a good catering it’s still plane food.It can be a hit or miss so I like to play it safe and always get on board well eaten.




As for desserts we shared the mixed fruit and the chocolate pudding.Can’t really go wrong there…






After dinner she offered to prepare our beds on which we took upon.Cathay’s bedding is PHENOMENAL! It’s wide,long,the mattress is conformable and actually can fit two people … for 10 minutes,tested .





After a solid 4-5 hours of sleep I woke up craving for some food.I remembered that I liked the burger the last time so I asked for one together with a Hong Kong style milk tea.



I watched another movie and slept a couple of hours . 2 hours before getting to New York I asked for brunch. To start I had the mix fruit plate with a pink guava smoothie….actually I might had a Krug too.

As for main I asked for the Angus beef from the dinner menu.They had absolutely no problem on preparing it( or they just didn’t show it).It was better than the one I had the last time.





Our descend began shortly.Landing was smooth and we were at the gate in no time.We thanked the crew ,especially Esther, while leaving the aircraft.
Thanks to Global Entry immigration wasn’t an issue and we were landslide within 5 minutes.

Overall experience
I love Cathay Pacific. Maybe they don’t have the best lounge in the world or the fanciest seats but if you look at the whole “package” its an incredible experience all around. For 70k Alaska mileageplan miles its a steal/dream redemption , given that you can get 30 hours of first class flying with a free stopover in Asia .
What made this flight so special was Esther ,the flight attendant taking care of us most of the time. She was professional,friendly but most importantly fun and it was great to engage with her in many conversations.She’s been working with Cathay for almost 17 years(she looked about 30 btw) so she only works on regional flights nowadays but sometimes she does ask for the JFK flight so she can visit New York…awesome!
We talked a lot and it was great to see someone stepping out of the “Cathay-keep-the-distance-flight-attandant “bubble.
Thank you again and hope to see you soon!

Bretteee

I am planning to fly from New York to Johannesburg.

14 hours on a daylight flight leaving in the morning concerns me.

I don't think it's worth spending 80,000 miles one way in C vs. 40,000 in Y.

If I am correct it's better to fly nonstop.

I did notice OW in C via Washington is 70,000 miles. But a 1 hour stop in Dakar makes me nervous; Ebola etc.

I assume you went in April.

How was the weather in Cape Town and Kruger temperature wise?

Lastly Cathay awards don't seem to show up on the Alaska web site.

olgsr

1,Actually it wasn't that bad.I was able to get a couple of hours of sleep and was just fine being active the day I got there(if sitting in a safari Jeep counts active .

2,I don't mind flying Y either but if using miles I rather do J...

3,The one departing IAD should cost the same so non-stop is better.The only difference is that the A330 on that route has their newer J I believe.

4,Weather.Kruger and CT have almost opposite "ideal-times-to-visit".Game viewing is the best during winter months when it's not to lush and it doesn't rain,it's easier to spot animals.
Cape Town summer is nov to march/april if beach is the main factor. I was there in September and was pretty lucky weather wise. Around 25C/78F and rained only one day.
I'd recommend going october/early november.CT should be nice. Kruger gets it first rains and that's the month when babies are born.

5,Alaska.com won't show CX.Just check on ba.com and once you find availability give them a call.

Bretteee

Thanks for your patience answering my questions.

If I am correct for Krueger it's better to go June to September which is their winter?

Thanks.

DaveNCL

Nice report, currently looking at Cape Town and Hong Kong for next year so this gives me some good hotel ideas.

I'll not ask any further questions!

Bretteee

One more question.

Did you require vaccinations or Malaria pills for Kruger?

olgsr

Winter is low risk so I didn't bother taking it(guess it's another + for going in june-september) and btw I wasn't bitten once but of course that's not something you can control. honestly I wouldn't take it even if i'd go during summer months.People living there are doing just fine without it...
When I asked if I should have taken some they answered: "why bother? it's the same thing you get when you get sick." lol

olgsr

Thanks! Yeah the POD was awesome and it's my #1 choice but it's somewhat expensive during summer months - off season it's a great value($400 vs $225).If in Cape Town I think Camps Bay is the go to area and there are many boutique hotels and apartments in a good price range(like The Glen Apartments).

In Kowloon my favorite is the Icon but requires a 10 minute walk from Nathan Road.I do have to mention that I enjoy Hong Kong Island more...

Andriyko

Excellent report and wonderful pictures! Thank you for sharing.