After the Chinese New Year, with visits to relatives and old schoolmates, I was keep checking with UA and OZ ticket offices in Hong Kong for the segment of HKG-ICN on OZ, as I was in C. UA and OZ now has offices right next to each other, both are in Tsim Sha Tsui Gateway Towers, with UA in Tower 1 and OZ in Tower 2. CX and KA share the same office in Tower 6, so do JL and NH also in Tower 6 but different floors.
I went to the OZ ticket office to check availability, also to ask about pre order the meal for ICN-ORD segment. Since I noticed from the menus from the flight ORD-ICN, it also listed the choices for the return, other than the Royal Korean Meal, it also has a new Chinese option. The agent told me if I don't pre order anything, it would only has the western option. On the Chinese option, it also said Main Course 1 and Main course 2, I thought i have to choose one or the other, but the agent said if I pre ordered the chinese option, it will be fine, I trusted her as it is true.
Check-in for the flight OZ 722 on 2/11/09
This was a bad beginning, I have two serious issues. 1) One of my two luggages was 2kg over weight 2) UA had refused to issue the ticket from I to O.
1) First issue
When I check in at the F desk with OZ (OZ is in the H area in HKG, UA is just behind OZ at the G area). Agent said one of my bag is 34kg instead of 32kg, I knew it may be overweighted, but I told the agent how much would it cost the extra and I am willing to pay for that. She said there is no way I can pay for it, she said there is a law in Hong Kong prohibit any luggages over 32kg, workers can't handle it. She insisted I have to take something out to put in the other checked bag.
I told her this is the first time I ever heard about this issue, although she said this is a new rule since October. In the past in HKG, I know whenever any bags over the limit, you pay per kg overweighted. I asked her if any ways to get around it as I am *G and travel in F class, there is also no way I can put it in the other bag, although it is rather light 25kg, it is all full, the only choice is I have to take something out and dumped it. Since my mother saw that why it was taking me so long for the checkin, she joined me to explain to her about the issue, later she called for a supervisor and let me go without a word.
2) Second issue (I have started up another thread in the UA board, so I am not going to talk about this too much anymore)
With 3 UA agents told me I can still change from C to F in this OZ flight if F opens, I asked about if F open, indeed it is. But she can't put me in F saying she doesn't know if more mileage require to get to F, I have to go to UA to deal with it. UA lady in HKG said no, even right on her desk i had called up the US 1P line, which the agent on the phone said yes, but the lady at the airport did not believe and refuse to talk to the person on the phone, which turned to a bizzare.
I left disappointed, more disappointed was I asked the OZ checkin about how many rows in C upper deck on my plane, and she replied there were 9 rows, which is definately the old
HL7417, the only
74M with the old seats.
HKG now has a new thing about before you get to the security and immigration, there is someone other than checking your boarding pass and passport, also check the size of your carry on. My carryon definately under size, she still want to check it.
From the checkin, I was also issued the lounge pass for the KA lounge, but I decided to visit my beloved RCC first. I took the under ground train to near gate 60 for the RCC.
As I was in no F, I will see if I can get into the IFL with my boarding pass for ICN-ORD. Agent was dressed in LH uniform, I guess she was expecting the LH pax later on, as the UA flight to SFO and ORD were about to leave. She let me into the IFL. I was checking the facility, and grab a bottle of mango juice. She returned and asked for my HKG-ICN boarding pass, once she saw I am in C, she asked me to go back to the RCC.
The RCC has the usual stuff, which I don't need to stay there at all as I can go there any other times as a paid ticket.
I went downstairs, and saw
UA 896 to ORD is leaving at
gate 63, with
N179UA (8479) and
UA 862 to SFO just started to board at
gate 65, with
N127UA (8427)
Here is the
N179UA with new color, behind is
N127UA
As the underground train only goes one way for departure pax, I have to walk back to the OZ gate. Along the way, slap a few photos. It was a sunny but extremely haze day, the reports from previous days had mentioned the visibility of the habor and Chek Lap Kok had down to below 4000 metres.
UO 737-800 B-KBR and behind
TG 340-600 HS-TNC
9W 330-200
Another
UO 737-800 B-KBP in new color, note, this
Hong Kong Express (UO) basically had painted in the updated
Hong Kong Airlines (HX) color, as they had already merged, but still using different names.
KE 614 737-900 HL7717 to ICN and
PR 320 RP-C8614,
OZ 74M HL7417,
KA 330-300, and MU A300-600
Also along the way, something interesting
