CZ Flight 328 - LAX - CAN (6/28)
Scheduled: 2300 - 0520 (6/30)
Actual: 2316 - 0404 (6/30)
Airbus A380-800
We left the KE lounge a bit early to have a walk around and prepare for the next flight, and tried to get some shots of the plane. Unfortunately, the boarding gate wouldn't allow it due to the lack of windows nearby.
Boarding began at T-45, and it was an utter cluster of humanity. They lined up the F- and J- pax and then tried to get the Y- pax separated by row. Needless to say, this was a futile effort. Either way, boarding happened fairly quickly for F- and J- and we we onboard quickly.
As has been previously described, the seats are nice and comfortable and provide plenty of room to stretch out.
- The wife really liked the extra space
Even though the cabin was full, the arrangement provided for a fairly quiet and secluded experience
Boarding went on fairly quickly, and a short taxi and takeoff ensued. In-flight service happened within a half-hour of takeoff.
The menu for the flight
The dinner service started with a nice seafood hors d'oeuvre, which was flavorful and lovely
Then soup was served, which was okay at best.
I took everything with a with white wine, which was pleasant enough, but not refilled readily. Next course was a bit of a mess. I was seated in 22E and my wife in 22F, which was the opposite of our seat assignments (we inadvertently switched as we sat where we landed on boarding). I ordered the short ribs and the wife ordered the barbecued hen, however I noted very early in the reservation process that my wife required a gluten-free meal, which one of the FAs inquired about after taking her order but long before the meal service started, and noted the change in seats. I was served her hen and she was served a very bland plate of steamed chicken and vegetables. In the grand scheme of things, not a big deal - but I know for a fact that they have the capacity to easily manage changes in seat assignments (I witnessed an FA using an iPad to reassign them on the return flight).
That said, the main course of barbecued hen was just fine, although it was a bit overwhelmed by the amount and the sweetness of the sauce.
The cheese course simply seemed not to exist - it was not offered, and when asked the FA shot me a blank stare. I didn't finish the pineapple tart, as it was bland and I didn't really want it, but the fruit served prior to dessert was nice and fresh tasting. I would have preferred the ice cream, but the FA said they didn't have any.
Nice, but small fruit plate
Bland and dry pineapple tart
After dinner, I took my bag into the cramped restroom towards the back of the cabin (shared with Y) as it was difficult to pass through the galley to the larger lavs at the front. The FAs put up a series of curtains around the galley which essentially made it into a fortress. Luckily, I had been given a heads-up that CZ no longer offered PJs in J, so I packed a pair and changed into them. I put down my seat and my wife's seat into the full-flat position (good picture here - thanks to Rocky from DoublewidesFly
http://upgrd.com/images/upload/image...3-03.09.20.jpg) and managed to sleep for about 5 hours initially, then another 3 hours. The seat was fairly comfortable, and the real highlights (other than the full-flat config) were the pillows and the comforter. CZ provided two pillows, which was great to cover the little cubby on the side and a nice fluffy comforter to make it feel like a real bed. Kudos on the hard product, CZ.
When I woke up the first time, the wife was awake and hungry (she could only eat about 1/3 of the courses served) and I encouraged her to press the call button to request a snack, as there were no signs of life in the aisles or the galley. She pressed it and no one came by for nearly 10 minutes. Finally after about 10 minutes a FA walked to my seat (opposite the call light) and without saying a word, handed me a glass of water and a steamed pork sesame bun and walked away. Both the wife and I laughed as she walked away, because frankly it was one of the strangest things I've ever seen. After that, I walked to the forward bar and put together a plate of fruit and cheese for the wife. I decided that even though I'd not wanted anything, that I would eat the bun which was quite nice.
The remote for the PTV and lights - and although that looks like a flight attendant call light towards the bottom on the left, apparently it's the steamed pork sesame bun request button
About 2.5 hours prior to landing, the lights came on and breakfast was served. It started with yogurt, fruit, and very stale toast. I wasn't given the option to opt for cereal instead of the yogurt.
My order for dim sum was overlooked due to the seating swap, and I was served a quiche which was okay.
The wife received a very nice omelette with mushrooms as the GF option, which was quite lovely.
After breakfast, I cleaned up and we began an extremely long descent into CAN (it was nearly an hour from when final descent was called until we actually landed). I noted by the end of my trip that in the US we use the term "initial approach" and "initial descent" to describe what the Chinese refer to as "final descent". The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful with the exception of the very customs and immigrations videos that were shown on approach.
All in all, CZ in J is a nice enough product, and the seat really carries all the value. The service was sufficient to poor on this flight, and I think there is a lot of room for growth in the FA service component of these flights.
Tour of Guangzhou
On arrival, we were met immediately off the plane by a uniformed CZ agent holding a board with our names who escorted us to the transfer desk. We explained that due to the long nature of the layover and the fact that we'd never been to China, that we arranged a tour. She initially seemed dismayed, as they had arranged a hotel for us (the Pullman at CAN), but she worked with immigration to get everything set up for us to be given a 24-hour transit visa which took about an hour.
Once out of the airport we began our tour of Guangzhou at 6:15 am with our lovely guide, Jacquelyn, who tried her best to highlight some of the unique aspects of Guangzhou. She specifically focused on how focused on food and growth the Cantonese were, as well as her dismay over the loss of a great amount of culture in the name of progress. Here are some of the highlights.
Guangzhou TV tower, which is 217 M high.
5 Goats statue, telling the story of the history of Guangzhou
The Chen Clan Academy and Guangdong Folk Arts Museum. This contained a number of Chinese arts and cultural items including paintings, ivory carvings, slik embroidery, and traditional room design.
Shamian island - Home of the consular and embassy offices
An interesting open market - She described how important food preparation is to the Cantonese, and how specific items were used as medicine. We saw hundreds of different types of mushrooms, spices, and even scorpions and lizard skins to be used in soup.
Following this, we had a nice lunch with our guide, did some shopping, and headed back to the airport as it was too hot and humid for us to continue shopping (all that was left on the itinerary)