Alright then, this trip is on! Now then, the question is: Do any of you want to read about it? I realize that premium class travel aboard Cathay Pacific and Emirates has been reported upon ad nauseum here in the pages of the Trip Reports Forum. Additionally, given the overwhelming popularity of photo reports, most of you have neither the time nor patience to read through the ramblings of an old goat like me who’s long been on record as preferring to write about “getting there” more so than being there.
Hey – I’m cool with it, and I’ll understand completely should any of you have already hit your back buttons in pursuit of more original and entertaining compositions – or compilations as the case may be. There are a lot of great reports out there and I hope you’ll be suitably entertained.
As for the rest a youse, you know the drill by now. Go fetch yourselves something tasty to eat and drink, then take a seat and buckle in for the ride. It promises to be a First Class trip!
February 15, 2016
Horizon Airlines Fairbanks to Anchorage 740a – 905a DHC-8-400 Coach Class
Alaska Airlines Anchorage to Seattle 1000a – 205p 737-400 Coach Class
Horizon Airlines Seattle to Vancouver 350p – 438p DHC-8-400 Coach Class
Cathay Pacific Vancouver to New York 950p – 600a 777-300 First Class
In exchange for promising to be back in time to drive her to the airport next week, my neighbor pledged to wake up at 6:00am and drive me out to the airport this morning. True to her word, she was parked in my driveway with her trusty Toyota Camry warm and ready when I stepped out my door at 6:45am.
Arriving at the terminal just 40 minutes prior to departure, I headed directly upstairs and straight on through the TSA Pre✓™ line without delay. I stopped briefly to admire Alaska’s newest 737 – a -900 model wearing the line’s attractive
new livery. Alaska’s new look was introduced just two weeks ago and this was the first example I’d seen close up. It’s a refreshing new look that exudes both purpose and warmth – I look forward to flying aboard one of the newly painted planes soon.
Now I’m sure you didn’t click your mouse on this report to read about a trio of economy class flights between Fairbanks, Anchorage, Seattle and on to Vancouver. Suffice it to say that Alaska’s economy class is a solid product with spacious seating, good affordably priced food options and attentive service. Today’s flights reflected all of those qualities nicely and while I’d hate to think that I’ve begun to take Alaska’s fine service for granted, for me the real highlight was my flight aboard Horizon’s Dash 8 up to Vancouver. It was operated by ship 452 wearing the “Employee Powered” livery.
“So?” You ask. “What’s the big deal?”
Over the years I’ve logged 211 flights aboard Horizon – 157 of those aboard its DHC-8-400s. Up until today I’d flown all but four of Horizon’s fleet of 52 strong. As of this afternoon, make that all but three. I'm sure that for many of you this logging of flights may all seem quite frivolous but - as one who’s been faithfully recording all of my flights since a very young age – I can tell you that as the flights begin to add up over the years, some impressive statistics begin to emerge. In the case of Horizon’s Dash 8s, when you’ve come so close to flying upon the entire fleet, it’s actually quite exciting to be able to add a previously unflown upon aircraft to the collection – especially since it’s all left to chance. It took me eleven years and 201 flights before I managed to fly upon all forty of Alaska’s 737-400s. For one so steeped in airplane geekdom as I am, I can tell you on good authority that it’s a nice feeling to see any Alaska 737-400 and be able to say “I’ve flown on that plane before!”
Having logged 5,127 flights as of tonight, I can also make the same statement about Alaska’s MD-80s, Delta’s DC-8-61s, United’s DC-8-61s and Continental’s DC-10-10s. I’m close to being able to saying that about quite a few other types such as Alaska’s sixty-one 737-800s of which I’ve flown all but two.
These “accomplishments” are all well and good but do they actually mean anything in the great scheme of things? Not unless you’re into it. So if any of you should someday see me in an airport, you can either look the other way and pretend you didn’t see me while backing away slowly (Don’t make eye contact – try to remain calm!) or come on over and let me buy you a drink and we can talk planes and travels.
* * * _ _ * * *
Vancouver International Airport may very well be
the most attractive airport I’ve ever been in. Wood, glass, steel, trees and one of the most extensive collections of Pacific Northwest Coast Native art in the world all come together to create a very comfortable and welcoming ambience. Add to that a nice collection of
restaurants and
shops and a trip to or through YVR becomes a real pleasure.
My Horizon flight parked way down at the end of the commuter wing, resulting in a walk to customs and immigration that had to be at least a half mile. With my slowly deteriorating spinal condition these longer walks are becoming a bit painful but I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. No wheelchair assistance for me! I also refuse to get one of those blue handicap cards to post in my truck window. As long as I can still haul 40lb containers of water into my cabin, I’ll still keep truckin’ on. I used a spare shoelace to rig up a handle on my 15lb daypack (the laptop weights 7lbs all by itself. Then throw in camera, books, magazines, a heating pad and all manner of other goods and trinkets…) which I then attached to the base of the extending handle of my rollabord bag. That made the walk a lot easier.
I’ve driven sixteen roundtrips between Alaska and the Lower 48 (Alaska speak for the contiguous 48 states) and as such I’ve had a good deal of experience with Canadian customs. Two of the more intensive inspections I’ve been subjected to have come courtesy of the Canadian authorities. For the most part however, my interactions and experiences with them have been pleasant and straightforward. Today was just such an instance. The Customs and Immigration hall at YVR is large and well organized. I headed for the appropriate lane and was then directed to an expedited lane where I received assistance and direction from a friendly customs official before being released into Canada with their blessing.
Check in was handled as expeditiously as you would expect for an International First Class flight. There was only one person ahead of me at the Fast Track security check point and soon I was on my way to Cathay’s lounge, located on the mezzanine level just beyond security.
Just outside the entrance to the lounge is a life sized cardboard cutout of a Cathay Pacific Flight Attendant. These cardboard cutouts seem rather popular with the Asian airlines - examples from China Airlines, Singapore Airlines and now Cathay come to mind. A pretty receptionist greeted me from behind a long counter, inspected my boarding pass and then provided me with directions to the First Class Lounge – essentially turn right and you’ll see the doorway just at the far end of the Business Class lounge. Please make yourself comfortable and enjoy the lounge.
It had been ten years since I’d last visited this lounge and – aside from the food offerings – it would appear that little has changed. Polished black marble floors, potted plants, comfortable seating and big picture windows make this lounge a pleasant place to while away an hour or two before departure. That said, there’s no real difference between the Business and First Class sides of the lounge. Why the two sides are divided is beyond me. British Airways also uses this lounge and given the historic British affinity for class distinction, perhaps this is done as a courtesy to their First Class passengers. After all, we can’t have proper First Class passengers rubbing shoulders with “The Great Unwashed”
! We’ll just keep it our secret – you and I – that I drive a bus for a living and happen to live in a cabin with outdoor plumbing.
The First Class side of Cathay Pacific’s Vancouver Lounge
Outside the windows on the ramp below was an EVA 747-400. I thought by now EVA had relegated those -400s to intra-Asia services. It was nice to see that wasn’t the case because for me personally, I much prefer the old fashioned well-padded comfort of the ten year old Business Class seating on the 747s compared to the new molded plastic suites that highlight EVA’s Royal Laurel Class aboard its 777-300ERs.
Turning away from the window, I headed over to the buffet area to take stock of the epicurean delights on offer. Along one wall was a nicely stocked buffet area that included a hot pan with chicken quesadillas and a basket of shrimp dumplings and barbecued pork buns. Inside a nearby display refrigerator was a selection of small sandwiches, veggie plates and slices of carrot cake.
Basket of dumplings and hot buns
A nicely stocked refrigerator
I put together a small plate of food, grabbed a cold beer and retired to a table in the small business center. It was time to arrange for some travel insurance and an Australian visa. While I’m at it, I might as well see about a hotel in Singapore.
Lounge treats
Boarding was called at 9:15pm. By the time I’d broken down my laptop and gotten all of my gear stowed away, I was the last person out of the lounge. The flight was departing from D73, about a quarter mile away. From the time my Horizon flight arrived at the far end of the commuter earlier this afternoon, I reckon I’ve walked a good three quarters of a mile around this airport so far. What’s another quarter mile? Still, this airport sure is spread out!
It’s been two years, eleven months and twenty-six days since I last had the pleasure of flying aboard one of Cathay’s newly refurbished 777-300ERs. Speaking solely from the perspective of a First Class passenger, it’s a marvelous airplane featuring large spacious suites and wide comfortable seats. When reclined into their full 180° flatbed mode, they become the widest bed I’ve yet slept upon inflight. But more on that later.
Awaiting me at the doorway was a full on reception committee of three flight attendants with a fourth one hovering in the background. Judging by the absence of passengers in the gate lounge I figured I was one of the last passengers to board but still, this was an impressive assemblage of cabin crew. I presented my boarding pass to the closest one and was quickly handed off to Angel who escorted me through the small forward Business Class cabin and on through the heavy taupe curtains into the sanctuary of the First Class cabin.
Cathay’s 777 First Class Suite
Cathay’s 777 First Class Suite – One of the widest seats in the sky
Ah… this is so much nicer. Walking into First Class – even from the comfy confines of Cathay’s very nice Business Class cabin – is always a pleasant and cherished experience, full of wonderful anticipation for the comfort and attention that await.
I didn’t have long to wait, either. While Angel was helping me get stowed away – she even wrestled my rollabord into the seat side storage closet all by herself – Kevin stopped by to introduce himself and inquire as to my pre-flight drink preferences. Does Cathay still proffer the Krug? Outstanding! I’ll have a glass of that, please.
Krug Grande Cuvée – A proper start to any trip
Service continued with the usual assortment of pre-flight swag – amenity kit, pajamas, newspapers, etc. By appearances the amenity kit had changed substantially since the last time I’d flown. Tonight’s collection was put together by the Australian company Aēsop and came packaged in a handsome beige zippered case. It included the usual toiletries highlighted by tubes of Aēsop’s Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream and Rosehip Seed Lip Cream.
Cathay’s Aēsop branded amenity kit
As ever, I’m at a loss about what to do with creams like these. Mind you, I think it’s great that Cathay provides these fancy products to its First Class clientele, but when it comes to facial and lip hygiene, I’ve somehow managed to get by all these years on soap and water and saliva. While I’ve never had my facial skin professionally evaluated, I think it looks just fine as is. As for my lips, despite having lived in a dry climate all of my life I’ve never used anything but my tongue to wet my lips now and then with the result being that they rarely ever get chapped. We’re talking like – maybe once a year, if that. I must be blessed or something.
The captain came on over the PA to welcome us aboard and inform us that despite the delay caused by the repair of a small item back in the galley, a nice tailwind would push us into New York right on time – possibly even a few minutes early.
Sigh… Damned tailwinds! They always come at the worst times, too, like these late night flights where I want to have as much time as possible to check out the meal service and then maybe knock off a couple hours or more of sleep.
Honestly, the smart thing to do on a flight like this would be to have eaten well in advance of the flight and then used my onboard time to get as much sleep as possible. The problem a guy like me faces is that I consider inflight dining – especially that of an international First Class standard – to be the epitome of inflight entertainment. Providing a first rate IFE (Inflight Entertainment System) loaded with hundreds of films and television programs is of no consequence to me. I’d rather watch those shows back home from the comfort of my recliner on my larger TV screen.
No – if I’m going fly First Class aboard an airline of Cathay Pacific’s caliber and there’s going to be a meal served, I’m going to be awake to check it out. I can’t help it. I’m just wired that way.
So it was that when fifteen minutes into the flight the menu and wine list were presented, I sat up a little straighter and listened with interest as Kevin informed me of Cathay’s latest wine promotion and described the two wines from it to be offered with tonight’s meal. Of course, these wines would be in addition to the wines that Cathay has already selected for this month’s menu cycle. Let’s have a look at those offerings, shall we?
WINE LIST
Champagne
Krug Grande Cuvée
White Wines
Domaene Gobelsburg Kamptal Grüner Veltliner 2013
Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru 2013
Red Wines
Akarua Pinot Noir Bannockburn Central Otago 2013
Hahn Winery Central Coast Meritage 2011
Port
Ramos Pinto Quinta da Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Promotional Wines
We have carefully selected five top quality wines from Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux to complement our First Class selection. Please refer to the promotional wine brochure for the selected wine details. Our cabin crew will be pleased to offer you the promotional wines available on this flight.
White Wines
Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2011
Château Bouscaut 2012
Red Wines
Château Haut-Bergey 2005
Château Olivier Red 2009
Domaine de Chevalier 2012
Here’s the rest of the beverages menu:
Aperitifs and Cocktails
Campari * Martini Rosso * Martini Extra Dry * Tio Pepe Sherry * Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry * Tanqueray Ten Gin * Bacardi Rum * Belvedere Vodka * Bloody Mary * Screwdriver
Whiskies
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old * Johnny Walker Blue Label * Canadian Club * Gentleman Jack Bourbon * Glenmorangie Signet Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Cognac
Tesseron Lot 76 XO Tradition
Liqueurs
Cointreau * Drambuie * Kahlua * Bailey’s Irish Cream
Beer
International Selection
Signature Drinks
Cathay Delight
A kiwifruit based non-alcoholic drink with coconut juice and a touch of fresh mint
Pacific Sunrise
A refreshing combination of champagne and Drambuie with the zest of orange and lemon
Now that’s a very nice looking wine presentation and one that I definitely look forward to exploring during the meal service. First however, it’s time for a pre-dinner cocktail and right now I can’t wait to reacquaint myself with a deliciously chilled serving of Johnny Walker Blue Label on ice. Would I care for some mixed nuts with that? Why, yes of course!
While Kevin returned to the galley to prepare my JWB and mixed nuts, I took a couple of minutes to peruse this evening’s dinner selections.
Cocktail hour on Cathay Pacific
Cathay has a different menu presentation since I last flew with them in November of 2013. The new menu is a bit larger in size and the artistic renditions of epicurean delights that used to adorn the cover have been replaced with a simple Cathay swoosh and the word Dining. The menu is then attached via a thin red ribbon to a slightly larger lightweight wooden pad or platform. I suppose it’s nice in an uncluttered zen kind of way but my personal preference would be to retain the artwork on the menu cover.
That said, it’s what’s inside the menu that really counts, so let’s see what’s for dinner!
The meal is euphemistically described as a “Supper” but short of a caviar course and a proper dinner salad it’s a full meal service offering plenty to eat – especially at this late hour.
SUPPER
INTERNATIONAL FAVORITES
Appetizer
Grilled jumbo tiger prawns, crab meat salad, saffron and tomato sauce
Soup
Chatham carrot and ginger soup
Grilled Angus AAA Beef Tenderloin
Portobello mushrooms, broccolini, zucchini, mashed potatoes
Port wine sauce and Béarnaise sauce
CHINESE FAVORITES
Pan-fried Black Cod
Sweet onion sauce, mixed vegetables and steamed jasmine rice
Or
Wontons in Noodle Soup
CHEESE and DESSERT
International Cheese Selection
Sir Laurier, Aged Cheddar, Goat Cheese, Cambozola
Chocolate Pecan Praline Cake
With vanilla sauce
Afterwards
Freshly brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino, café latte and a selection of teas
Pralines
Hmm… very nice, very nice…
Be it on the ground or in the air, one of my favorite parts of any meal has always been the hors d’oeuvres and appetizers. The best are like delicious little works of art – some of them so beautifully crafted that I almost feel guilty about tearing into one with knife and fork. Almost – but not quite. I opted to start tonight’s meal with both the prawns and the soup, followed by the superlative Grilled Angus AAA Beef Tenderloin.
Kevin patiently wrote down each of my selections and then we took a moment to discuss the wine offerings.
The description of the promotional red wine designated for tonight’s flight, the Château Haut-Bergey 2005, read as follows:
“2005 was an exceptional vintage for Château Haut-Bergey. The hard work done since 1991 has started to uncover the true potential of the Château, and this wine is proof. Muscular tannins are obvious in its excellent structure, but after ten years of aging, it has now become round and smooth. Flavors have ripened to red and black fruits with hints of undergrowth and tobacco, creating an overall balance. This red wine will pair well with braised meat dishes or roasts.” Grape Varieties: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot
What really caught my attention was “
muscular tannins”. I love the earthiness of a good tannic wine, but after reading that ten years of aging had rounded and smoothed those tannins, my interest heightened considerably.
Red and black fruits with hints of undergrowth and tobacco… Undergrowth? Hmm… well it all sounds deliciously earthy, so I would love a glass of the Bergey with my main course, please.
We were thirty minutes into the flight when Angel arrived with my table settings. International First Class dining on an airline of Cathay Pacific’s caliber begins with a proper table setting. This means laying down crisp white linen, placing glasses with the airline logo facing you, placing bread
and butter plates as well as presenting salt and pepper in real shakers. Bread is not just a variety of rolls presented for your selection from a basket. No – each passenger receives their own personal bread basket. Silverware is properly placed in each side of the service plate.
All of my most recent First Class meals have come aboard U.S. domestic flights. Even on five and a half hour transcons, the majority of the meals – from appetizers through to the main course – are delivered on a tray, sometimes all at once. Silverware is usually presented wrapped in a napkin. In today’s homogenized and dumbed down American society, this kind of service is considered acceptable, even amongst those who pay top dollar for a seat on say – United’s p.s. (Premium Service) flights.
What a shame we’ve fallen to such depths. What a shame that when it comes to inflight dining – particularly on international services, so many people not only don’t have a clue but honestly could care less that the overall experience could be so much nicer. In all I suspect a lack of awareness combined with this overall acceptance of mediocrity - the majority of U.S. based premium class clientele consider the present service levels to be acceptable - contributes mightily to why the U.S. airlines don’t see any reason to up their game relative to their overseas competition. Perhaps the fact that so many people are sitting up front gratis due to status related upgrades or award travel also has something to do with it.
Anybody demanding higher standards – a not at all unreasonable expectation even for International Business Class passengers on many Asian and European airlines – knows to avoid U.S. airlines when it comes to long distance premium class travel. That is unless of course the price is just too good to resist.
It wasn’t always like this. Pan Am and TWA used to provide world class service as good as any in the industry and better than most. I remember long domestic flights aboard the likes of TWA, Eastern, Continental, Western and yes – even United – that featured courteous service highlighted by attractive menus, beautifully set tables and food graciously presented and served course by course with both culinary knowledge and pride.
It had been nine and a half months since my last flight in international First Class, so I was really looking forward to a nice dinner. And of course, Cathay Pacific, Kevin and Angel really delivered!
This meal got off to a nice start with the presentation of my appetizer, an exquisitely arranged compilation of prawn, crabmeat salad and asparagus colorfully accented by saffron and tomato sauce. My only complaint if you could call it such is that there wasn’t another prawn but then that would have thrown off the symmetry of the presentation.
Tiger Prawn Appetizer
Next up was the soup. Chatham carrot and ginger soup… that certainly sounds interesting, even to a guy like me who generally doesn’t care for cooked carrots. This soup had a nice flavor and texture. I especially liked the addition of bacon pieces. Mmmm!
Chatham Carrot and Ginger Soup
Alright then, bring on the main course!
By first appearances, the presentation was a bit underwhelming. While the food was artfully arranged in the center of the plate, there wasn’t very much of it. I doubt there were much more than four or five ounces of meat and just a smidgen of potatoes. Still, given the time of day, perhaps this was just as well. I find it’s not good – for me at least – to sleep on a full stomach.
The Portobello mushrooms, broccolini, zucchini and mashed potatoes made nice accompaniments to the meal, but perhaps my favorite was the addition of Béarnaise sauce and port wine sauce, presented in small pitchers off to one side of the plate.
Grilled Angus AAA Beef Tenderloin
The tenderloin was perhaps the tenderest piece of meat I’ve ever had. I kid you not – it really was rather amazing, almost a melt in your mouth quality that was enhanced deliciously with the liberal addition of Béarnaise sauce. Were it earlier in the day, I might have asked for seconds!
I never eat dessert at home but what the heck - I’ve come this far, I might as well finish this meal off in style. Chocolate Pecan Praline Cake. Ooooo – the name alone just rolls off the tongue. As much as I’d like to accompany this with a cup of coffee, stimulants are out at this hour and so I requested a small glass of Bailey’s Irish Cream on ice.
Chocolate Pecan Praline Cake
Oh yeah! The cake was firm and the frosting exquisite - a sweet and tasty ending to this meal.
Were we in a restaurant the portions would have been a bit larger but I doubt they would have been any more flavorful – especially the tenderloin. Don’t listen to those snooty old stiffs that tell you no airplane food can hold a candle to land based restaurants. While no one would disagree that a freshly prepared restaurant meal is going to taste better than one reheated in an airline oven, at the end of your inflight meal you’ve got to ask yourself –appetizer, salad, soup, main, dessert – did you enjoy it? Was it good? For me at least, the answer to those questions has often been positive.
To be sure, sometimes the airlines don’t get it right, but - for those capable of bringing an objective viewpoint to the dinner table – I think most would agree that when we’re talking international standard First Class catering, the food can occasionally be very good. Indeed, a properly prepared and served meal can be the highlight of your flight.
My all-time favorite was a delicious Barramundi baked in Coconut Curry Sauce served aboard a British Airways flight between Singapore and London. Back in the days of trolley service here in the United States, we used to be served delicious Chateaubriands and other roasts with accompaniments like Potatoes Berny or string beans almandine. They were nicely cooked and uniformly delicious.
* * * _ _ * * *
By the time the last of my plates were cleared off, we were speeding across western North Dakota at 588 mph with a little less than three hours left in the flight. It occurred to me that if I were sitting in Williston, North Dakota on a clear and starry night watching the lights of a distant airliner speeding across the heavens, I would never have thought it was a Cathay Pacific 777. Up this far north, at this hour of night, I would have guessed the skies would be populated with Delta jets making their way from the Pacific Northwest across to Minneapolis or Detroit.
After informing Kevin that I’d like to have my suite set up for sleeping, I headed up to the forward lavs to practice a bit of dental hygiene. Unlike the spacious lavatories found aboard Cathay’s 747-400s, these were more traditionally sized with the only real difference between them and the other classes being the quality of the amenities provided.
Upon return to my suite, I read for a bit and then slept fitfully until our approach into New York. After just a couple hours of sleep I felt like a half charged battery. I had enough power to make my way through customs and the three hour layover but at some point on the upcoming fifteen hour flight across to Hong Kong I was going to have to recharge completely with a few more hours of sleep.
* * * _ _ * * *
Cathay Pacific flights arrive and depart from Terminal 7 at JFK. While I’ve heard many refer to this building as the British Airways Terminal, it actually serves ten foreign airlines. At this time of the morning the only other aircraft I saw were a British Airways 747 and an Aerolineas Argentinas A340. We parked next to the BA 744 at gate 4 and I proceeded inside where I sped through Customs and Immigration thanks to my Global Entry membership.
Since all relevant boarding passes had been issued in Vancouver, I headed straight for the security check point. Surprise! There was no TSA Pre✓™ line. It had been so long since I’d last removed shoes and belt at a checkpoint that it really seemed quite foreign to me. On a positive note, there was a premium class lane and as such I made my way through the checkpoint relatively quickly.
Roight. Where’s that lounge?
Cathay Pacific shares the British Airways Galleries Lounges at JFK. Although the lounge has separate sides for First and Business Class passengers, my understanding is that true British Airways First Class passengers have their own dedicated Concorde Room here at JFK.
Nice as that would have been to visit, I was looking forward more to the upcoming flight to Hong Kong than I was the lounge facilities. At the same time, pre-flight lounging is an integral part of the overall First Class flight experience and so I was curious as to what this lounge might have on offer, particularly for breakfast. Would there be any hot items?
Following a nice greeting and a bit of a chat with the chipper lounge receptionist, I made my way into the First Class lounge.
Hmm… this is definitely different from my last visit to BA’s First lounge here at JFK. That visit was back in 2004 and the facility I visited then was larger and of a completely different design inside – there was more wood, much like BA’s Terraces Lounge at SFO. This facility was a bit darker in ambience with only one window providing any outside light.
Still, I had no real complaints. There were plenty of comfy chairs and a small dining area with perhaps a dozen tables – of which only four or five were in use. There was a small Business Center but it included no work spaces – just computer terminals and a printer. In addition to needing to purchase some insurance for this trip, I also wanted to add to a few of the notes on the trip that I‘d taken so far. I know they call them laptops but I much prefer a flat surface to work on, so I picked a table by the wall and plugged in.
A central buffet island offered a variety of typical continental breakfast items including that old New York deli favorite – Bagels and Lox, with all the trimmings including capers. Oy vey! I quickly put together a good looking plate complete with cream cheese and red onions, poured myself a cup of coffee and then retired to my table to enjoy it all.
It should be noted that there were no hot items such as scrambled eggs, potatoes or breakfast meats available. There was however a nicely stocked oatmeal station off to one side. It included various sweeteners along with raisins and nuts.
Returning for a refill on my coffee, I took note of the extensive self-service bar located along the wall opposite the buffet. What a shame that it was so early in the day for there was a good variety of top shelf stuff here including Grey Goose vodka, Woodford Reserve bourbon and Glenlivet 15 Year Old Scotch Whisky.
Before leaving the lounge and heading down to Gate 4, I stopped by the window to admire the morning sunrise and its effect on the Jet Blue 320s parked next door.
Jet Blue A320s bask in the early morning sun