MH 785/432 - BKK-KUL-HKG - 738 - J

One might wonder why we would return to Bangkok for one evening just to fly back to KUL and then onto HKG instead of a direct KUL-HKG. Direct KUL-HKG flights were about twice the price in Y as the BKK-KUL-HKG in J. Ever the mileage runner, I figured it was worth backtracking to BKK. We also wanted to some additional shopping in the area that we didn't get to do on the previous trip.

We were given premium security/immigration passes. We located the entrance to this premium security line but there were all these people standing there. We assumed they were in line, but it turns out they were just blocking the entrance for no good reason. Security was okay although my bag had to be run through a couple times. Security mistakenly thought they I had a knife. They didn't take that long and they were very nice about it. The premium immigration line was long and also took a longer time.

CX First and Business Lounge

MH uses the Louis Tavern CIP lounge at BKK. But seeing as we already experienced it, we went to the new CX First and Business Class lounge. The CX lounge was very nice, and I loved the views of the tarmac and the terminal. There were several food stations including a Noodle Bar. We weren't hungry, so we only had drinks. They even had their own washrooms. My experience with the old CX lounge was that we had to leave the lounge to use the toilets!

It was starting to get a bit crowded after we entered. In fact, there was a line of about 8 people in front of us when we entered.


We only stayed for about 20 minutes, and then we headed to our gate.

BKK-KUL

We walked down the stairs to our gate. There were gate agents there ready to scan our boarding passes as we entered the waiting area. I wonder what happens if you want to leave! Fortunately, this waiting area has toilets and water fountains, so you have everything you need right before the flight.

We could see our plane arriving at the gate.


We sat near the actual gate which is clear on the opposite side of the entrance to the waiting area, where agents were scanning our boarding passes. Surprisingly, there weren't many people sitting in that area. The announcement for pre-boards, business class, and elite members came from a woman with a sign who started her verbal announcements from the entrance to the waiting area. Despite it not being the most effective way to get people's attention, boarding was quite orderly.

It's been awhile since I've stepped foot on MH's aircraft. This 738 looked fairly new and clean. Here are pictures of the cabin and seats.


The IFE was not very responsive. I had to press buttons several times to get it to work. The touchscreen also needed to be re-calibrated.


Each seat had a USB and power port.


Obligatory legroom picture. I was able to fit my backpack under the seat in front of me.


Pre-departure beverages. My partner got apple juice and I got guava juice.


Though I've flown MH a few times before, this is the first time I've noticed a Muslim prayer. I've seen it on EY and QR before, but not on MH.


Here's the menu and wine list:


After take off, the FA came by to take our drink and meal orders. I ordered a Teh Tarik.


I had the Green Curry Chicken. It tasted good, like any other Green Curry Chicken I've had elsewhere. My favorite part was the crunchy, tangy, and spicy mango salad. I did not care for the cake as it tasted like doughy, sweet, scrambled eggs.


KLIA was very quiet. What's great about KLIA now is that when you land, you just walk from the plane and back into the terminal. Our arrival gate was only a few gates away from our departure gate. Since we had about an hour, we walked to to the MAS Regional Golden Lounge where we used the facilities, had a few snacks and drinks, and waited for our flight.

MH 432 - KUL-HKG - 738 - J

The gate was just a short stroll from the MAS Regional Golden Lounge. It was still fairly quiet in the terminal. We got to the gate about 5 minutes before boarding. Although I'm sure it's more secure as you and your bags are being searched right before you board, I don't like the set up here where security is at the gate as it's sometimes a bit hectic close to boarding time. However, there was no line at security. The waiting area wasn't very busy and there weren't a lot of passengers waiting. Here's the airplane taking us to HKG. It's the same type that brought us to KUL.


The reason why I don't like the security at the gate setup is that once you're in the waiting area, you're pretty much locked in. If you have to use the toilet, you have to leave and go through security all over again.

The gate was manned by two very quiet MH agents. They were so soft spoken that we didn't even know that they were boarding. The pre-boards (families and people that need assistance) were in line first. We were waiting for them to call for business class passengers and elites. They made some other announcement, but again they were so soft spoken we couldn't hear them and we were standing in front of the podium. MH sent me a survey, and I complained about how their GAs need to make announcements more clear.

The J cabin was full. A couple and their two children were sitting in front of us. They were a bit loud and running around their row and the galley area. The parents did occasionally tell them to calm down. Eventually, they just spent the last half of the flight with one of the FA in the galley. It was a bit annoying, but I know the children were very excited about flying and they were very cute. So, I just tried to focus on IFE.

The menu for the KUL-HKG route:


After take-off, we were served beverages and nuts. I ordered Teh Tarik--my last one for awhile.


The meal started with MH's signature satay dish, which was absolutely delicious. Grilled meat on a stick is always good, right?


The setup came with a seared tuna appetizers, fruit, and a slice of cake. One of the FAs came by with a bread basket, and I selected the garlic bread.


I selected the Shepherd's Pie, which was tasted okay. Since the mashed potato topping was mushy and the pastry holding the meat filling was also soft, the whole plate felt like one pile of mush.


I watched a couple movies to pass the rest of the time. The IFE system's touch screen was much more responsive than our previous flight. We had to circle HKG a few times, which delayed our arrival a few minutes.

We landed at HKIA and were parked fairly close to immigration. I went through the frequent visitor channel while my partner headed through regular immigration. The line was fairly long, but that gave me time to buy our Airport Express tickets and withdraw money at the ATM. And now, we were in our last destination before heading home from our six week holiday.

As always, I was very satisfied with regional business class product on MH. There was a good offering of TV shows and movies in their IFE. The seat was pretty standard regional J, similar to AA's domestic F on their own 738s. The food is generally good and includes a selection of regional cuisine. I always look forward to the satay appetizers! The cabin crew were very friendly and were always checking in with passengers. We scored an amazing price on these J tickets, so the value was very good.

All Good Things...

After 40 days abroad, it was time to head home.

Although our gate was near immigration and the Wing, I wanted to check out the new Pier First Class lounge. I convinced my partner to go to the complete opposite side of airport and back. We took the train down to the other side and walked to the Pier.


The new Pier is so much nicer. There were very few people there--maybe five other people at the time. I felt the old Pier was very dark and felt closed in. The new Pier felt very open and light with much better views of the tarmac. I believe the old Pier had curtains that hid any views the windows had. There was a pantry for snacks like cereals and pastries as well as a full restaurant. I tried to allocate enough time to lounge hop, but security and having to wait for my partner to go through immigration was considerably longer than anticipated. So, we didn't stay very long and only had time for a drink.

Then, we hiked it all the way back to the Wing. The Wing was a bit crowded. We had breakfast at the Haven and almost all the tables were taken with large groups. After breakfast, we sat out in the main lounge--almost all the seats were taken as well. It's too bad that our flight wasn't near the Pier as it might have been quieter.

About ten minutes before boarding time, we headed out to our gate. It turns out it was actually near the G16 lounge, which we could have used as well. When we got there, the sign said boarding soon, but it was actually much more delayed.

Here is our plane from the gate.


Even though the GAs had not announced boarding, a large line started to form. Though the line started at the sign for First/Business class passengers, all the Y passengers also got in this line which extended pretty far. I overheard the GAs say to each other that they don't know why people were lining up (keeping in mind that it was at boarding time).

Eventually, the GAs started the line up process and moved all the Y passengers to the correct line. One GA checked our boarding passes and passports and told us to line up right behind the pre-boards (i.e. the wheelchair assists) even though they were really off to the side next to the gate doors. We did as we were told, but we felt like we were in middle of everyone's way since we were standing between the gate and the computer terminal. So, we just merged into the line next to us which I presume was the business and elite line. It turns out that it was all the F/Emerald passengers were also in that line--one of them thought we were trying to cut in front of him. We decided to just get out of line (the F/J line was fairly short anyway) and sat down until boarding actually started.

CX 898 - HKG-LAX - 77W - F

We got back in line after boarding started. After our BPs were scanned we walked onto the jetbridge where our bags were searched for liquids.

My partner entered the aircraft before me and the ISM showed him to his seat in 2A. There were no other FAs at the door, so I just walked behind him and sat down in 1A. Here are some images from the seat, which was recently refurbished. I was a bit absentminded, and forgot to take a picture of the seat itself. However, it looks similar to the old version. I think they may have expanded their closet space a little bit because I was able to fit a duffle bag and my backpack into it though it was a bit tight.


Later on, the ISM came over and welcomed me on board. Then, the SP and FP individually stopped by to introduce themselves and to offer beverages.

Pre-departure beverage of Krug and an amusé bouche. Amazingly, this glass was the only champagne I had on the entire flight!


Here is the new Aesop amenity kit with Aesop products (Rosehip Seed Lip Cream and Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream), a comb, and dental kit. Although I liked the Aesop scents, the tubes were hard to use. Imagine squeezing a toothpaste tube to get lotion or lip balm. The bag itself is much sturdier than the old Zegna bags. I prefer the Zegna bags because they were smaller and easier to reuse.



The PYE pajamas seemed to be thicker and better quality than the old Shanghai Tang ones. A coupon was provided along with the pajamas for a free gift at PYE. It seems I have something to look forward to on my next trip to Hong Kong. Other FTers reported that the free gift is for PYE handkerchiefs.


A short taxi to the runway and we were up in the air:


For our first meal, my partner and I dined together in my seat 1A. He sat in the buddy seat. The SP explained to him that because I am the passenger in main seat, I get served first as part of their protocol. She didn't want him to feel like they were neglecting him . She suggested that for the next meal, we could sit in his seat 2A so he could be served first.

My partner and I both ordered the Western options. We started with the caviar and garnishes. As always, I can never have enough blinis, even with this small tin of caviar.


The next course was Cauliflower cream soup with freshly ground black pepper.


This salad was probably the first healthy serving of vegetables I've had for over a month. The size of the shrimp were huge! Here is the Mesclun salad with tandoori prawn and Mint yoghurt dressing on the side.


I ordered the Grilled USDA Certified Angus beef striploin with red wine jus and Bearnaise sauce, kiplfer potatoes, roasted portobello mushroom and vine ripened tomatoes. The SP came by and offered some hot mustard to go with our steak.

The steak was a huge cut of meat, it must have been 12 or 16oz. In hindsight, we should have just ordered one and split. This serving of steak was way too big (and I'm from Texas!). The FP was concerned that we only got through half of it. She asked if it was overcooked. Honestly, it was a bit overcooked, but we just couldn't finish it simply because it was too much. So, we just said it was too much food for us.


I had a cheese plate for dessert with some jasmine tea. The cheeses included Bleu d'Auvergne, Red Leicester, Taleggio, and Somerset Brie. However, I was too full from that steak to finish my cheese plate.


As this was a day flight, I wasn't feeling too sleepy. CXStudio had the entire first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which provided ample entertainment for the whole flight.I still changed into the pajamas and asked the FAs for the turn down service.

Midflight, I asked for a snack. I ordered jasmine tea and wonton noodles. Warm liquids like soup always makes me feel better on long airplane rides. But as always, my order with hot liquids tends to coincide with the captain turning the seat belt sign on because of turbulence. On CX and other airlines, no hot liquids can be served during this time. It was about 30 minutes before I was served the meal. The wontons were delicious.


During the time, I saw a J passenger come through the curtain and used our F lavs!!! I've never seen this on CX before! Even on AA, they ask passengers to stay in their own cabins.

The FP took our breakfast order. We elected to dine at my partner's seat in 2A this time so he can experience being served first . We said we would take our breakfast an hour and a half before landing. I usually choose the Chinese breakfast in F, but this time I went with an Western option.

Bread basket of warm and flakey croissants.


I chose the Organic free range eggs with pan-fried potato cake with cheese and spring onion, Dingley Dell rasher of bacon, Cumberland sausage, roasted vine ripened tomato and parsley.

My breakfast with eggs sunny-side up. It was a lot of food, especially with the croissants.


Pretty soon, another awesome F experience coming to an end: Southern California in the distance.


The screen showing the completion of our trip.


And this picture brings us to the conclusion of our Asian trip.


Usually the cabin crew will close the curtains between F and J and in some cases stand there, neither of which was not done here. In the time it took for us to grab our bags, some guy (I assume from J) barreled down the aisle to line up at the door.

Overall, we had a wonderful flight. Our cabin crew was amazing. We were served by Senior Purser who was assisted by a Flight Purser, who were very friendly and personable. Each time they approached us to serve or pick up something, they would engage us in conversation. They asked us questions about our holiday, what we do, and what Texas is like. They also told us about themselves and what they like to do when they are in LA. I was very happy to fill out a Customer Service survey for them for which I received a free Cathay Pacific pen! CX even responded within 5 days of travel to my survey!

Since I've been in the process of burning all my AAdvantage miles and my travel has substantially decreased, this trip probably marks the last international F trip for a very long time. But what a great way to end the run.

We had a ten hour layover in LAX which gave me time to visit my family in LA. My brother picked us up and I took Uber back to the airport. Traffic at LAX wasn't too bad for a change.

AA 5900 - LAX-SAT - E75 - F

Experiencing TSA and LAX together is like being slapped in the face to awaken you to the fact that your holiday is over. Although I have TSA Pre-Check, my partner did not. Also, my boarding pass was issued by CX and the AA checkin lines were too long. So, I went into the regular TSA line. I'm surprised that AA doesn't offer a priority boarding line as I knew they used to. It took over 30 minutes for us to get to through security because they only had one line open yet a bunch of TSA agents just standing around. They kept moving people behind us to new lines thus making our wait even longer, which was quite unfair. I later found out the lines were that long that there was some credible threat, which made me less angry.

Coincidentally, oneworld sent me a survey specifically asking about my experience transiting in LAX. I sure told them how I felt.

I initially planned on hanging out at the Flagship Lounge for a bit, but we headed straight for Eagle's Nest because security took so long. There was a long line at the bus station in T4 but several busses came at once. We hung out at the AC and had a few non-alcoholic beverages and snacks before boarding.

The F cabin was half-full. We had a very nice FA that came by and introduced herself to all the passengers in F. She offered PDB's but we declined.

After take off, our meal consisted of a cold tray with a wrap, a salad, and key lime pie. It was sufficient.


The flight was uneventful and pretty quiet. The most exciting part was when a couple tried to self-upgrade in the middle of the flight under the guise of waiting for the lav. They sat down with their bags. The woman even brought her bags with her! The FA sent them back .

We landed at SAT and quickly taxied to the gate. I believe AA's LAX-SAT flight is one of the last to arrive for the night, so the terminal was very quiet. We headed out to the curb to wait for our ride and our vacation was over.

In Conclusion

Fourteen flights, nine stops, and seven countries in forty days was quite an adventure for me. That's the longest continuous time I have spent abroad. It took nearly a year of planning and researching hotels and airfares. Fortunately, there were very few snafus. In addition to the destinations, I enjoyed revisiting my favorite airlines such as CX and JL. I also enjoyed trying new airlines that I may fly again like AK and QV.

I still wish I could be on holiday, yet I'm also glad to be home and sleeping in my own bed. It took me a few weeks to write this blog as I needed some time to recuperate before looking at anything travel related.