Dear all,

Here is another series of trip reports, which covers a visit to New Zealand, a farewell to Air NZ domestic flights, an OW RTW trip in J, my first international trips on QF, and my first experiences on the BA J flat seats.

July 28, 2002
CX 751 HKG-BKK Lv1425 Arr1600
Boeing 777-300 B-HNK
The trip began with my usual Airport Express check-ins. The agent was efficient and friendly. She checked me all the way to AKL via BKK and SYD. Although I flew J class from HKG to BKK, she attached the F class tag to the bags since I flew the rest of the trip in F class. The agent was a bit concerned as I lacked a return ticket. My RTW ticket is issued by an agent at NZ, so I don’t have the ticket physically. Therefore she is a bit worried, and after counseling with her supervisor, she says that it is okay. If the NZ immigration needs a return ticket, I simply have to buy one ticket at the airport. Then I took the train into the airport and proceeded to the “Wing” for some noodles and phone chats. Our flight this afternoon continued into Mumbai and Dubai, and both J and Y were full. I was fortunate enough to secure an aisle seat in advance. Boarding was orderly and pre-takeoff beverage was passed out, followed by newspapers, cold towels, and headsets.

We took off from Runway 7R at 2:46pm, and flying time was two hours and ten minutes. Shortly after we reached the cruising attitude of 35,000ft, beverage cart rolled out and a bowl of pistachio nuts was passed out (Pistachio must be the selection of the month, but I like the honey roasted cashews). Then the refreshment tray with the fruit plate was passed out. Cathay Pacific has a Chinese food promotion beginning this month, which features food prepared by this popular Chinese restaurant, Yung Kee, as it was celebrating its 60th anniversary.

Refreshment
Fresh Seasonal Fruits
Half a kiwi, papaya, melon, grapefruit, and 2 orange segments

Braised Spring Chicken with Preserved Turnip, Steamed Rice, Stir-fried Pak Choy
A special creation by Mr Kinsen Kam of “Yung Kee”
Really good dish – the chicken meats were boneless and the turnip tasted great.
Or
Turmeric and Yogurt flavored Pie with Vegetable Curry filling, Prawn and Vegetable Skewer
Or
Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese), Pilau Rice, Chana Masala (Chick Peas), served with Raita and Hot Pickles

Movenpick Ice-cream
Strawberry, chocolate, or caramel
Or
Selection of Pastries
Green tea mousse, lemon curd tart, caramel brownie, and mini fruit tarts (mango, strawberry…)

Tea and Coffee

I really like the dessert trolley, especially pastries were featured now. I had a piece of the green tea mousse cake and a small mango tart. The flight went by quickly and we landed on R/W21L at 3:51pm BKK time, and parked at gate 52. Since I received the BA boarding pass at Hong Kong, I went straight to the lounge, which was all the way on the other end. However, I later found out I had to walk all the way back to Gate 54 again. The lounge attendants then re-issued me a boarding pass (in the real BA boarding pass), but they were unable to print out the QF boarding pass, since it was a codeshare flight with Lan Chile. The lounge itself was pretty nice with sofa and a snack station with sandwiches, hot savory snacks, fruits, and a self-serving bar. There is a shower facilitiy, but I can imagine that it cannot accommodate everyone in first class during the BKK transit on the LHR to SYD flight within an hour.

BA 9 BKK-SYD Lv1730 Arr0520+1
Boeing 747-400 G-BNLL Chelsea Rose
It was my first time on BA long haul flight in FIRST, and I definitely enjoyed them. The BA F/As were pretty cheerful and I was immediately offered a nice wash bag, sleeper suit, choice of orange juice and champagne with a bowl of cashews, and headsets. The duvet and wool blankets, and pillows were already on the seat. I love the duvet blanket. Door was closed at 5:16pm, but we did not push back till 5:30pm. Before the safety demonstration, the F/As had to spray insecticides – just a warning to all Australian-bound passengers. Our flight finally took off from Runway 21R at 5:46pm. Flying time was eight hours and fifteen minutes, and our flight route first took us towards Rayong, and then slowly climbed towards 33,000ft, before hitting Pontinanak, Brunei, and then onto Denpasar, Indonesia. We climbed further into 35,000ft before entering the Aussie airspace through the gateway of Derby, and then headed towards Alice Spring, and then finally onto Sydney.

I personally really enjoyed this flight because the flight attendants were very attentive. Short after takeoff, a beverage service immediately began and a plate of canapes – Parma ham and cantaloupe ball, apricot on toast, and smoked halibut on rye bread accompanied my glass of champagne.

Wine List
Champagne
Krug Burt, Grande Cuvee

White Wines
Meursault, 1999, Pierre Andre Au Chateau de Corton-Andre
Chateau de Chantegrive, Cuvee Caroline, 2000, Graves Blanc
De Bortoli Yarra Valley Chardonnay, 1998

Red Wines
Clos Du Marquis 1995
Hollick Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, 1998
Beaune Premier Cur Les Epenottes, 1998, Domaine Parent

Dessert Wines
Miranda Golden Botrytis, 1995

Port
Warre’s 1986, Reserve Twany Port

Followed the beverage service, the flight attendant took the order for our dinner. A full dinner was featured and everything was a la carte. Here is the full transcript.
Appetizers
Baby leek terrine with Thai prawns and verjuice vinaigrette
Created by Liam Tomlin – my choice – excellent dish and the best part of the meal
Warm Spinach and Ricotta Cheese cannelloni with red pepper sauce
Tom Kha Gai, coconut chicken soup
My choice again – not to my taste and it is spicy.
Mixed Seasonal Salad served with mustard and herb vinaigrette, extra virgin olive oil or Blue Cheese and chive dressing
Selection of warm breads
Rye, garlic bread, white rolls, Five grain rolls

Main Courses
Lamb medallions with mint jus and new potatoes
Stir-fried prawns with sweet basil and chilli sauce and steamed rice
Main course char-grilled chicken Caesar salad
Pumpkin gnoochi with Fontina cheese and rosemary oil
Created by Liam Tomlin – a pretty good main course. The pasta was kept moist by the cheese on top. But it was a bit greasy, but fortunately, it was olive and rosemary oil.

Lighter Options
Grilled steak baguette with herb mayonnaise
Selection of reception sandwiches
Freshly cooked penne pasta, with your choice of tomato and basil or carbonara sauce served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Dessert
Chocolate and macadamia brownies with caramel ice cream
Created by Liam Tomlin – another excellent choice.
Crepes filled with sauteed apples and Calvados brandy
Selection of fresh fruit
Cheeseboard selections
Beverages
Chocolates

After a filling dinner, I decided to turn my seat into a bed. Bottled waters were passed out and a mini snack station with chocolates and cookies and both still and sparking water were set up in the mid-cabin. When I woke up in the middle of the night, the F/A checked on me and made sure that I was fine. The duvet blanket was very comfortable and I had a great sleep. I did not watch the PTV, except an episode of “Absolutely Fabulous.” I then woke up about two hours prior to arrival and read magazines. Continental breakfast was then served. Here was the full transcript.
Freshly squeezed orange juice
Our special wake-up energizing smoothie of tropical fruit
Fresh fruit appetizer
2 pineapple, grapefruit segments, papaya, cantaloupes, watermelon slices, & 3 grapes
Birchermuesli
Natural or Fruit yogurt – yogurt with mixed fruits
Warm Breads and breakfast pastries
Apricot & pineapple Danish, muffin, & croissants

The breakfast was pretty filling and due to curfew at Sydney, our aircraft slowed down a bit as we descent into the airport. We finally landed on Runway 34L at 5:02pm, and parked at Gate 24. Our flight was definitely the first flight of the day. I quickly went through the transit security checkpoints and headed towards the QF first class lounge, which was not open till 5:30am. The airport was very quiet and I simply sat by the club and read a bit.

LA 800 SYD-AKL Lv1015 Arr1530
Airbus A340-300 CC-CQE
As expected, QF code-shares with LA on this flight towards Auckland and Santiago, Chile. Qantas Club was pretty big and as expected, it was quiet at these wee hours. I took advantage of the shower facility, which was definitely a premium perk. A full continental breakfast buffet with fruits, cereals, Danish, and various food were offered with fruit juices and a range of yogurts. The alcoholic bar was not opened till 11am. Anyway, I went to the business center and used the computer a bit. Then I sat by the window and saw various planes going up and down, including OZ’s Boeing 777, lots of QF Boeing 737s, 747s, and 767s, CX’s B744 to HKG, and saw my LA flight coming into the gate. The flight arrived early from AKL. I headed out to the gate, which found a relatively light load, but F class was 100% full. Boarding time was 9:43am, and a fluent English speaking F/A welcomed us. I took my seat, 1C, and the F/A offered me a choice of OJ or champagne, accompanied by a bowl of mixed nuts. Headsets were found at the magazine pocket, and a shoe bag with slippers was given out later. The boarding went quickly but door was not closed. I saw many mechanics with the CX uniform coming in and out of the cockpit (QF does not operate any Airbus right now – later this year with A330s, which explains the appearances of the CX mechanics). The pilot did not tell us much, so we kept waiting. Then there was something wrong with our flight plan, and then the door was finally closed at 11:13am. We pushed back ten minutes later due to congestion behind us. We took off from Runway 16R at 11:45pm. Flying time was two hours and thirty-eight minutes, with a cruising attitude of 37,000ft.

A little disappointed – instead of a lunch service, we were offered a brunch service. Although not the fancy meal I expected, the brunch service was pretty creative. I never had a fresh sandwich prepared on board for me before. The bread was toasted and the ingredients were fresh. Here was the full wine list and menu transcript:

To Start
Champagne
Champagne Tattinger “Comtes de Champagne”
Coffee and Tea

As the Main Entrée, We Offer
Egg Dish
Salmon and leek quiche served with baked tomatoes and asparagus

Gourmet Sandwich
Create your very own sandwich choosing from the following ingredients

Breads – Bagel – Whole Wheat Bread
Delicious Fillings – Roast Beef, Smoked Salmon, Brie Cheese
Dressings – Philadelphia Cheese, Butter
Fresh Vegetables – Lettuce, Tomato

Lighter Choice
A selection of natural and low fat products, Roast Beef, lettuce, tomato, whole wheat bread

From the Bakery
Bread Basket

Dessert
Raspberry Kuchen
Chocolate and raspberry kuchen, served with a berry sauce

Fresh Fruit
Assortment of fresh seasonal fruit

Wine List
Brut Souverain
Champagne Henriot, Reims, Frania
Marques – Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, Vina Concha y Toro – Valle del Maipo
Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 1999, Vina Santa Ema – Valle del Maipo
Santa Isabel Estate – Merlot 2000, Vina Casa Blanca – Valle de Casablanca
Carmenere Reserva 2001, Vina Anakena – Valle de Rapel
Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2001, Vina Carmen, Valle de Casablanca
Piritas – Chardonnay 2000, Vina Tarpaca, Valle de Maipo

I had a bagel sandwich with roast beef, Brie, tomato, and lettuce, which was pretty nice. The bread was freshly toasted and the presentation was okay. The bread basket had some fresh wheat breads and brown crackers. I had the piece of chocolate pie for dessert. The quality was high but I would rather have a more proper lunch with an appetizer, an entrée, and fresh fruit dessert. The reason for this planning was perhaps that an elaborate dinner would be served on the next segment. After brunch, a box of Coasta’s Chilean chocolate was passed out, and then I went to bed. For the first time, a F/A placed a blanket for me and gave me a full sized pillow. The rest of the flight was pretty quiet, and descent soon began at 1:55pm. Then we landed on R/W23L at 4:23pm (AKL was two hours faster than SYD), and parked at Gate 5. However, we did not deplane till 25 minutes later. For some mysterious reason, no insecticide sprays were loaded on board and the aircraft was not properly “sterilized.” So, three NZ agricultural staffs came on board and the door was closed again. The staffs then sprayed the aircraft and the purser was busy looking for some more sprays and doing some paper works. Everyone was a bit mystified and I hope the F/A could keep us posted. Then we finally deplaned and the bags took another 30mintues to come out because the cargo hold had to be sprayed as well. Fortunately, my bags came out but then my nightmare began. I guess the immigration was not satisfied about the reason for my three days stay at Auckland, and was given the full interrogations by the custom officers. Gosh, I am a drug trafficker now… the officer was friendly but my bags were searched thoroughly. It was crazy and I was a bit pissed off. What a welcome to a “friendly” country! Then the officer needed to do the drug swap, which was similar to the process where the security agent checked your bags for possibly bomb threat. Of course, nothing was found and the officer asked if I was being searched by custom before. I said, “no.”

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this installment. The next set will be about the “Overview of Air New Zealand’s Domestic Business Class and Koru Club.”

Carfield