Originally Posted by
MegatopLover
Does anyone have recent experiences with this service? At night?
My visit is several months away, but I'm thinking about taking the ferry to Macao, then coming back on this helicopter service, probably the last one of the night because we will either see Cirque du Soleil or go out for a nice meal.
How bad does the weather have to be for flights to be cancelled?
On an ordinary (somewhat hazy) night, what are the views of Victoria Harbour like as you arrive?
What is the pre-departure lounge like?
How are immigration formalities handled? Is it a separate area from the main departures/arrivals halls for the ferries?
If we're booked on the last flight of the night, but we make it to the heliport early, how difficult is it to change to an earlier departure?
Anything else I should know before making the decision?
the helicopter is absolutely horrible. flights are frequently canceled due to "weather" or "technical difficulties" but really what happens is that they don't have enough passengers and decide to consolidate the flights. having to wait 30 minutes for the next available helicopter ride means that you would have saved time and potentially money just taking the ferry
the helis themselves look like they are from the 70s, with (faux?) leather seats that have cracks and tears and the foam inside showing. not a comfortable 15 minute flight at all. i'm 6 feet and found it v crowded.
haven't taken it at night but the view during the day is okay. the windows are small enough that the position of your seat and the angle of approach may obscure much of the view you wanted to have. you'll find yourself looking down into water for the most part
the pre-departure lounge is nice, with a bar, some snacks, and some nice looking waitstaff. but you're not paying for the lounge, you're paying for convenience, no? could always hang out at a casino with much better company
immigration - i have no idea. i got lost in some stairwell following the passenger in front of me and ended up *outside* of immigration. had to find an officer who gave me a stern look before letting me back in. not cool...
will not be easy to reschedule. last time i was with 2 business contacts who were turned away because of some weather cancellation bullshxt. they decided not to try the waitlist and went for the ferry instead. my sense is that, as with all monopolies, service is crap
however, apparently stanley ho flies the heli like the rest of us all the time so maybe my experience is not representative.