RTW Spring Break 2016 (EK F, 3K Y, KA J, CX F, JL F, AA F/Y)
Mar 28, 2016, 4:20 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Wow! You definitely know how to get around in style! Thanks for another great trip report detailing it all. I'd love to check out JAL's First Class some day. Until then, I'll have to settle for a flight aboard Mexico's Interjet aboard a Sukhoi Superjet 100 in three weeks time. Thanks again for this glimpse of the good life. I look forward to checking out the rest as it comes out. ^^
Mar 29, 2016, 6:33 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Thank you all for reading!!
Thank you!! Kind words from the TR master. JAL is definitely worth a try one day - I firmly believe that JAL and NH make the best steaks in the sky (at least ex-NRT). I'm just starting your TR - so far it has been a treat as always!
Wow! You definitely know how to get around in style! Thanks for another great trip report detailing it all. I'd love to check out JAL's First Class some day. Until then, I'll have to settle for a flight aboard Mexico's Interjet aboard a Sukhoi Superjet 100 in three weeks time. Thanks again for this glimpse of the good life. I look forward to checking out the rest as it comes out. ^^
Mar 29, 2016, 6:35 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Phuket
SIN – HKT (JetStar A320)
We arrived at the airport and began our first JetStar experience. We had pre-purchased 25kg to be safe (since we were both at about 21kg upon leaving the US) and both ended up being at 25kg on the dot. The check-in process was smooth safe for me leaving my passport holder containing $80 USD and $50 HKD on the counter (which was never recovered). Thankfully it didn’t contain my passport so the damage was limited.
After proceeding through security we headed up to SATS Premier Lounge using my Priority Pass (thanks Citi Prestige). It was nothing special but I did grab a quick Asahi. The food was nothing special so we jumped on the airside train and headed over to Terminal 1 where my girlfriend grabbed some Paul and I headed to Ippudo Express to grab beef curry which was quite tasty.
After eating we made our way to the gate and after going through security quickly boarded the plane (with no weighing of our carry-on baggage to our relief). I only have one picture from this flight but it was largely uneventful. I got lucky when a family asked me trade my middle seat for an aisle seat so that was a pleasant surprise. Also grabbed an Asahi for what ended up being $5.50 once it processed through my CSP:
About 2 hours (and an Asahi) later we touched down in Phuket). After a quick immigration and customs queue we met up with our driver from the Phuket Shuttle and were on our way to the Renaissance Phuket
Renaissance Phuket
We had initially planned to go to Bali and stay at the IC Bali but after recent terror warnings (and the decision of two cruise lines to cancel their port of call in Bali) we opted to play it safe and relax in Phuket instead of Bali. I had emailed the hotel ahead of time to inquire about a confirmed upgrade to a Villa with a private plunge pool and they had no issue confirming it. So for 140k points we had a Villa complete with a private plunge pool (which at the time of booking was ~$600 USD/night) for five nights.
We walked arrived at the resort were instantly wowed. The front desk staff was incredibly accommodating and in addition to the pool villa upgrade, we were also told that we’d receive a 20% discount on Food and Beverage as a result of my Platinum status and that they’d have no problem accommodating us for a 4pm check-out on our last day.
Upon arriving at the villa we got a lay of the land. They had a nice big king bed which was already feather-free (we are both allergic and often run into problems where they’ve made the pillows feather-free but not the bedspread so the fact it was already taken care of was quite nice). We also had a welcome bottle of wine and were informed that we could choose 2 items or points from the following card (we choose mango with stick rice and chocolate a few days later):
The bathroom had a large tub and shower and contained a door with steps down to the pool and to the outdoor shower. There was also a set of sliding doors in the middle of the villa that provided direct access to the pool as well:
Phuket Days 1 – 5
The next morning we woke up and got to have a proper look around with the sun up. The pool was surprisingly big (though I’ve never had a private plunge pool before so don’t have much to compare it to). In addition to the pool there was also a deck with two lounge chairs and towels that were refreshed daily. We also had our first look at the villa from the outside in the daytime:
There was also a supermarket down by the JW with daily shuttles and free bikes allowing easy access to grab a few necessities (Diet Coke for the gf and Chang beer for me at a reasonable 50 baht/can instead of the 170 baht/can that the resort was charging).
We walked down to the ocean and were taken aback by the incredible view and the vivid blue and green of the water. Last year we stayed in Hua Hin after a two week trip through China and it’s safe to say that this property (particularly the beach area) blew Hua Hin away:
On multiple days we took walks in both directions and took a few more pictures:
In terms of food, the resort had a number of options. For lunch every day we opted for “The Sandbox”, which was an outdoor dining area next to the main pool and steps from the beach (with a decent view of the ocean from our seats). They had a very Western friendly menu and all the meals were fantastic. Here are some pictures of our meals which ranged from pizza to burgers to fresh salads along with a few cocktails:
Tables and menu:
Food and Drink (which were sadly quite weak):
For dinner we primary ate at Loca Vore, an indoor restaurant that had a more exhaustive menu than The Sandbox. The food and cocktails were excellent here as well:
Finally one night we opted to enjoy “The Lounge” which was the outdoor bar on the property. From 6-8pm they offered a BOGO on cocktails and also offered a complimentary drink using local spirits every night. They served a limited menu which contained Pad Thai, something I couldn’t resist trying on one of the nights:
We also headed to the Quan Spa one day for a couples massage which was a very reasonable 7000 baht for the two of us (after tax, tip, and the 20% Platinum discount):
The rest of our time was spent relaxing in the pool and enjoying our surroundings. Here is a sample of pictures I took of the grounds and the various time we spent (in no particular order but starting with the main pool):
Chalong Bay Distillery
On our last day we had a 4pm checkout but with no flight until 7pm we had a bit of time to kill during the day. The night before my girlfriend had come across the Chalong Bay Distillery and figured out that there was a 2pm tour. I quickly emailed Phuket Shuttle (who was picking us up at 4pm to go to the airport) and for 1500 baht was able to have them drive us one hour down to Chalong Bay in time for the tour and still get to the airport with plenty of time. No pictures were allowed on the tour but we did get pictures of the grounds and a couple of fantastic cocktails with rum and picked up a couple of bottles to take back to the US:
SIN – HKT (JetStar A320)
We arrived at the airport and began our first JetStar experience. We had pre-purchased 25kg to be safe (since we were both at about 21kg upon leaving the US) and both ended up being at 25kg on the dot. The check-in process was smooth safe for me leaving my passport holder containing $80 USD and $50 HKD on the counter (which was never recovered). Thankfully it didn’t contain my passport so the damage was limited.
After proceeding through security we headed up to SATS Premier Lounge using my Priority Pass (thanks Citi Prestige). It was nothing special but I did grab a quick Asahi. The food was nothing special so we jumped on the airside train and headed over to Terminal 1 where my girlfriend grabbed some Paul and I headed to Ippudo Express to grab beef curry which was quite tasty.
After eating we made our way to the gate and after going through security quickly boarded the plane (with no weighing of our carry-on baggage to our relief). I only have one picture from this flight but it was largely uneventful. I got lucky when a family asked me trade my middle seat for an aisle seat so that was a pleasant surprise. Also grabbed an Asahi for what ended up being $5.50 once it processed through my CSP:
About 2 hours (and an Asahi) later we touched down in Phuket). After a quick immigration and customs queue we met up with our driver from the Phuket Shuttle and were on our way to the Renaissance Phuket
Renaissance Phuket
We had initially planned to go to Bali and stay at the IC Bali but after recent terror warnings (and the decision of two cruise lines to cancel their port of call in Bali) we opted to play it safe and relax in Phuket instead of Bali. I had emailed the hotel ahead of time to inquire about a confirmed upgrade to a Villa with a private plunge pool and they had no issue confirming it. So for 140k points we had a Villa complete with a private plunge pool (which at the time of booking was ~$600 USD/night) for five nights.
We walked arrived at the resort were instantly wowed. The front desk staff was incredibly accommodating and in addition to the pool villa upgrade, we were also told that we’d receive a 20% discount on Food and Beverage as a result of my Platinum status and that they’d have no problem accommodating us for a 4pm check-out on our last day.
Upon arriving at the villa we got a lay of the land. They had a nice big king bed which was already feather-free (we are both allergic and often run into problems where they’ve made the pillows feather-free but not the bedspread so the fact it was already taken care of was quite nice). We also had a welcome bottle of wine and were informed that we could choose 2 items or points from the following card (we choose mango with stick rice and chocolate a few days later):
The bathroom had a large tub and shower and contained a door with steps down to the pool and to the outdoor shower. There was also a set of sliding doors in the middle of the villa that provided direct access to the pool as well:
Phuket Days 1 – 5
The next morning we woke up and got to have a proper look around with the sun up. The pool was surprisingly big (though I’ve never had a private plunge pool before so don’t have much to compare it to). In addition to the pool there was also a deck with two lounge chairs and towels that were refreshed daily. We also had our first look at the villa from the outside in the daytime:
There was also a supermarket down by the JW with daily shuttles and free bikes allowing easy access to grab a few necessities (Diet Coke for the gf and Chang beer for me at a reasonable 50 baht/can instead of the 170 baht/can that the resort was charging).
We walked down to the ocean and were taken aback by the incredible view and the vivid blue and green of the water. Last year we stayed in Hua Hin after a two week trip through China and it’s safe to say that this property (particularly the beach area) blew Hua Hin away:
On multiple days we took walks in both directions and took a few more pictures:
In terms of food, the resort had a number of options. For lunch every day we opted for “The Sandbox”, which was an outdoor dining area next to the main pool and steps from the beach (with a decent view of the ocean from our seats). They had a very Western friendly menu and all the meals were fantastic. Here are some pictures of our meals which ranged from pizza to burgers to fresh salads along with a few cocktails:
Tables and menu:
Food and Drink (which were sadly quite weak):
For dinner we primary ate at Loca Vore, an indoor restaurant that had a more exhaustive menu than The Sandbox. The food and cocktails were excellent here as well:
Finally one night we opted to enjoy “The Lounge” which was the outdoor bar on the property. From 6-8pm they offered a BOGO on cocktails and also offered a complimentary drink using local spirits every night. They served a limited menu which contained Pad Thai, something I couldn’t resist trying on one of the nights:
We also headed to the Quan Spa one day for a couples massage which was a very reasonable 7000 baht for the two of us (after tax, tip, and the 20% Platinum discount):
The rest of our time was spent relaxing in the pool and enjoying our surroundings. Here is a sample of pictures I took of the grounds and the various time we spent (in no particular order but starting with the main pool):
Chalong Bay Distillery
On our last day we had a 4pm checkout but with no flight until 7pm we had a bit of time to kill during the day. The night before my girlfriend had come across the Chalong Bay Distillery and figured out that there was a 2pm tour. I quickly emailed Phuket Shuttle (who was picking us up at 4pm to go to the airport) and for 1500 baht was able to have them drive us one hour down to Chalong Bay in time for the tour and still get to the airport with plenty of time. No pictures were allowed on the tour but we did get pictures of the grounds and a couple of fantastic cocktails with rum and picked up a couple of bottles to take back to the US:
Apr 3, 2016, 11:32 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
HKT – HKG (KA 267)
Our long journey home started with a Dragonair flight from HKT – HKG served by an A330 with no F. We arrived at the airport and we greeted with a scrum of people heading to a number of different destinations.
After passing through security it took ~30 minutes to finally get through immigration despite the appearance of a relatively short line. From there we proceeded to the Royal Orchid Lounge which CX/KA uses at HKT. It was nothing special and in fact was one of the worst J lounges I’ve ever experienced (worse than the SATS lounge at SIN).
In fact that only lounge that comes close to this lounge is the domestic Sakura Lounge at CTS that we passed through last year on our way from CTS – HND:
Once on board we were warmly greeted and shown to our seats 11D and 11G. The seat was identical to the A330 we flew last year from HKG – PEK with the only difference being the absence of a First Class cabin on this flight:
I opted for the specialty cocktail to start the flight:
Soon we were on our way and provided with a decent dinner menu for ~3 hour flight to Hong Kong along with a glass of the Tattinger on offer:
I started with a “ciabatta roll”, a piece of garlic bread, and the Thai Salad starter along with the Family Selection Gran Reserva Shiraz which was not so good:
For dinner I went with the Thai Chicken Curry and switched back to the Tattinger:
Followed by Cookies & Cream for dessert:
The rest of the flight was spent working on the TR and watching Friends while having a couple more glasses of the Tattinger.
Regal Hotel HKG
After asking on the Marriott forum and taking into account our extremely short (9 hour) layover in HKG I opted for the Regal which was $75 USD cheaper than the Marriott at $110 USD for a non-refundable rate including an Orbitz 15% discount.
Immigration and customs was a breeze and we made the short walk over from the B Arrival Hall over to the Regal. We were given a room with two queens (instead of the original 1 King) and quickly made our way to the room for our short 5 hour nap.
The room itself was functional, clean, and served its purpose (and I highly recommend to anyone in the future – I didn’t see the Marriott but for an overnight even for a Plat like me it makes little sense to pay extra for the Marriott vs. Regal since Regal was perfectly acceptable). Since we were at the end of the hall we also had a nice tarmac view of a couple CX heavies (pictures didn’t make the cut since it was nighttime and the iPhone 6 still struggles with nighttime pictures):
HKG – HND (CX 548, 77W F)
The Pier
All too soon the alarm clock rang and we packed up and headed back towards to the terminal. After dropping our bags at the underwhelming F counter we made our way through immigration and security. We were assigned gate 30 and I was intent on checking out The Pier, which would be a new one for both of us and the only CX HKG lounge we hadn’t been to.
Similar to The Bridge, the entrance is rather hidden with just a simple sign as you head down the escalator:
We were welcomed into the lounge and we made our way to the massage counter to inquire about availability. Unfortunately the first massage availability was at 8am, which coincided with boarding time so there was no massage for us today (oh well, we’ll get one at the JL F lounge tomorrow).
Instead we proceeded to the dining room which is infinitely classier than the one in The Wing:
As has been noted by numerous posts and bloggers there is no buffet at The Pier Dining Room and instead there is a full menu:
I went with the Belgian waffle and of course a glass of The Peninsula champagne (aka the breakfast of champions):
After breakfast we had a quick look around at the place and found it to be a really well-designed and beautiful space:
We made our way over to a couple of chairs by the window and grabbed a couple more glasses of champagne (Peninsula and Veuve Clicquot, respectively)
Despite the waffle I also stopped by “The Pantry” and grabbed a few slices of baguette:
CX 548 (HKG – HND, 77W F seats 1K and 2D)
At ~750am we finally decided to head over to gate 30 for the flight to HND. Our chariot for today’s flight to HND:
After a brief wait at the gate we boarded and were greeted with the magnificent CX F seat for the 3rd time. While service has been hit or miss (1 good flight and 1 bad flight) it’s undeniable that the CX F seat is IMO the most comfortable seat in the sky (with the EY Residence being the only contender I haven’t tried):
We were warmly greeted by Eugenie and Agnus working the First Class cabin today. I was hopeful that the flight would have a lunch service but sadly our menu only featured breakfast items:
Since I had breakfast in the lounge, the fruit was about all I could handle accompanied of course with the Deutz champagne on offer:
After chowing down, I spent some time working on this trip report before succumbing to my weaknesses and going for a glass of the Johnnie Walker Blue (hey, they don’t have it on JL F tomorrow plus I’ll be focused on Hibiki 17 tomorrow so might as well take advantage):
Our long journey home started with a Dragonair flight from HKT – HKG served by an A330 with no F. We arrived at the airport and we greeted with a scrum of people heading to a number of different destinations.
After passing through security it took ~30 minutes to finally get through immigration despite the appearance of a relatively short line. From there we proceeded to the Royal Orchid Lounge which CX/KA uses at HKT. It was nothing special and in fact was one of the worst J lounges I’ve ever experienced (worse than the SATS lounge at SIN).
In fact that only lounge that comes close to this lounge is the domestic Sakura Lounge at CTS that we passed through last year on our way from CTS – HND:
Once on board we were warmly greeted and shown to our seats 11D and 11G. The seat was identical to the A330 we flew last year from HKG – PEK with the only difference being the absence of a First Class cabin on this flight:
I opted for the specialty cocktail to start the flight:
Soon we were on our way and provided with a decent dinner menu for ~3 hour flight to Hong Kong along with a glass of the Tattinger on offer:
I started with a “ciabatta roll”, a piece of garlic bread, and the Thai Salad starter along with the Family Selection Gran Reserva Shiraz which was not so good:
For dinner I went with the Thai Chicken Curry and switched back to the Tattinger:
Followed by Cookies & Cream for dessert:
The rest of the flight was spent working on the TR and watching Friends while having a couple more glasses of the Tattinger.
Regal Hotel HKG
After asking on the Marriott forum and taking into account our extremely short (9 hour) layover in HKG I opted for the Regal which was $75 USD cheaper than the Marriott at $110 USD for a non-refundable rate including an Orbitz 15% discount.
Immigration and customs was a breeze and we made the short walk over from the B Arrival Hall over to the Regal. We were given a room with two queens (instead of the original 1 King) and quickly made our way to the room for our short 5 hour nap.
The room itself was functional, clean, and served its purpose (and I highly recommend to anyone in the future – I didn’t see the Marriott but for an overnight even for a Plat like me it makes little sense to pay extra for the Marriott vs. Regal since Regal was perfectly acceptable). Since we were at the end of the hall we also had a nice tarmac view of a couple CX heavies (pictures didn’t make the cut since it was nighttime and the iPhone 6 still struggles with nighttime pictures):
HKG – HND (CX 548, 77W F)
The Pier
All too soon the alarm clock rang and we packed up and headed back towards to the terminal. After dropping our bags at the underwhelming F counter we made our way through immigration and security. We were assigned gate 30 and I was intent on checking out The Pier, which would be a new one for both of us and the only CX HKG lounge we hadn’t been to.
Similar to The Bridge, the entrance is rather hidden with just a simple sign as you head down the escalator:
We were welcomed into the lounge and we made our way to the massage counter to inquire about availability. Unfortunately the first massage availability was at 8am, which coincided with boarding time so there was no massage for us today (oh well, we’ll get one at the JL F lounge tomorrow).
Instead we proceeded to the dining room which is infinitely classier than the one in The Wing:
As has been noted by numerous posts and bloggers there is no buffet at The Pier Dining Room and instead there is a full menu:
I went with the Belgian waffle and of course a glass of The Peninsula champagne (aka the breakfast of champions):
After breakfast we had a quick look around at the place and found it to be a really well-designed and beautiful space:
We made our way over to a couple of chairs by the window and grabbed a couple more glasses of champagne (Peninsula and Veuve Clicquot, respectively)
Despite the waffle I also stopped by “The Pantry” and grabbed a few slices of baguette:
CX 548 (HKG – HND, 77W F seats 1K and 2D)
At ~750am we finally decided to head over to gate 30 for the flight to HND. Our chariot for today’s flight to HND:
After a brief wait at the gate we boarded and were greeted with the magnificent CX F seat for the 3rd time. While service has been hit or miss (1 good flight and 1 bad flight) it’s undeniable that the CX F seat is IMO the most comfortable seat in the sky (with the EY Residence being the only contender I haven’t tried):
We were warmly greeted by Eugenie and Agnus working the First Class cabin today. I was hopeful that the flight would have a lunch service but sadly our menu only featured breakfast items:
Since I had breakfast in the lounge, the fruit was about all I could handle accompanied of course with the Deutz champagne on offer:
After chowing down, I spent some time working on this trip report before succumbing to my weaknesses and going for a glass of the Johnnie Walker Blue (hey, they don’t have it on JL F tomorrow plus I’ll be focused on Hibiki 17 tomorrow so might as well take advantage):
Last edited by Duke787; Apr 4, 2016 at 12:06 am
