FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - How to spend 27hrs in a 10hr journey? HEL-AMS-HKG-NRT-HKG-LHR-HEL ON CX IN Y
Old Nov 11, 2015, 12:43 pm
  #10  
intuition
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
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Great report! (But how was the 2 days on the Ground in Tokyo?)

Originally Posted by Purjelentaja
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In Amsterdam the flight obviously landed somewhere in northern Holland ...
LOL!
I know that taxi route. If you get it on the outbound you soon start to ask yourself: "Will they drive instead of fly to destination?!?"

Originally Posted by Purjelentaja
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My boarding gate had been changed to the satellite, and there was another JAL F-lounge just opposite my boarding gate, so quite soon changed there. It was very much like the other F-lounge in the main building, except without sushi bar, and I was the only customer there! As my flight was some 45mins delayed, I had plenty of quality time to enjoy the services. Though JAL F lounges were superb, I nevertheless think that the Wing First at HKG still wins this race.
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I was at NRT last week and was told by check in staff that the JAL F lounge at satellite was closed and they specifically directed me to the other one, despite my flight being at satellite. I guess it just recently re-opened and that even some GA are not aware - that might explain the low occupancy.

Anyway, Sakura First NRT and Wing First HKG are two very nice lounges, each in their own way. I agree HKG wins on food options and the bathrooms, though I wouldn't want Sakura lounge to change!



Originally Posted by Purjelentaja
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Conclusions

As a whole CX offered excellent service on the flights between HKG and NRT, whereas the long flights from/to Europe were on much lower level in terms of service and cabin crew attitude.
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Overall outbound journey took 23hrs, inbound 27hrs, with 2 stops enroute, whereas direct flight HEL-NRT is only some 10hrs. A good question is that why use more than double the time for sitting in the planes and airports, perhaps it just is the nature of an aviation geek
First, great to see you liked Japan! I just can't stop going there myself.

Sad to hear about some of the CX experiences. I have been hoping they'd return to serve CPH-HKG, maybe I shouldn't get my hopes up.


As for the route-question - if you start to look at the Finnair fares, you'll soon find they will much rather sell you a LHR-NRT on BA than their own flights! The alliance between AY/BA/JL has made it difficult to find decent fares to Japan on the shortest route. I hope QR soon enters HEL, perhaps that will shake things up a bit!
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