February 17, 2016
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong to Singapore 315p – 710p 747-400 First Class


Fifteen minutes later I arrived down at gate 47. Boarding was in process but first I had to attend to an important pre-boarding ritual. As one who not only logs my flights but also records the aircraft registration, I always take a moment to identify the specific aircraft prior to boarding. The registration is usually located toward the rear of the aircraft, in the area of the rearmost passenger door. Depending upon the gate, the available daylight or the aircraft’s position at the gate, getting a clear view of it is not always an easy task. Such was the case today. Thankfully though, Cathay’s aircraft also have identifying letters painted on their forward landing gear or nose wheel doors. There it is – HKT.

Ah, it’s my old friend B-HKT. This will be the third flight I've logged on this aircraft since 2010 and I feel like I've come to know her well. I wonder if my name is still carved in the wall panel beside seat 2K? Just kidding, of course!

The airplane has quite an interesting history. It was delivered fresh from the factory to Singapore Airlines back in 1993. Following eight years of faithful service it was sold or leased to El Al for whom it toiled until September of 2005 when it was parked in the Sonoran Desert at Marana, Arizona. In March of 2006, Cathay Pacific showed up, kicked the tires and decided to buy it third hand. It is now one of four 747-400s still operating passenger flights with Cathay. Sadly, her four thirsty engines can’t compete with the fuel economy of Cathay’s twin engine 777-300ERs so her days of long intercontinental flights are over. Now, in the twilight of her passenger service, she plies shorter intra-Asian routes such as this 1590 mile leg down to Singapore.

As I made my way down the glass walled jetway, it was plane to see that this twenty-three year old airplane looked a bit worn on the outside. Inside however she looked good – indeed she’s sort of a living museum. I’m happy to report that the old Cathay First and Business Class suites are still in place. That’s not such a good thing in Business Class but up front the old suites are just as wide and comfortable as those on the newer 777s.




The First Class cabin on Cathay’s 747-400



The widest First Class seat in the sky



First Class legroom


My hosts today are Roland and Jenna. Roland helped me get settled in and offered me the traditional glass of Champagne. On intra-Asia flights that would be the Amour de Deutz Blanc de Blancs 2005. Beyond that the wine list and beverage offerings were almost exactly the same as what was offered on my previous two flights.


WINE LIST

Champagne
Amour de Deutz de Blancs 2005

White Wines

Domaene Gobelsburg Kamptal Grüner Veltliner 2013
Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru 2013

Red Wines

Akarua Pinot Noir Bannockburn Central Otago 2013
Marchesi de Frescobaldi Mormoreto, Toscana IGT 2010

Port

Ramos Pinto Quinta da Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port


I know I’m going to disappoint a few of you here, but I’m just not a big Champagne guy. Maybe later in the flight… What I’d really like is to reacquaint myself with a nicely chilled glass of Cathay’s delicious non-alcoholic signature drink called the Cathay Delight. The kiwifruit base accented with coconut juice and fresh mint makes for a refreshing and delicious drink at any time of day. Having just spent the past 37 hours traveling from Fairbanks to Singapore, I was in need of a little refreshing.




Cathay Delight


Purser Rebecca stopped by to offer me a gracious welcome aboard along with her thanks for flying with Cathay Pacific. Soon after the Captain added his greetings along with a bit of information about this afternoon’s flight. Flight time was projected at a little over three hours with good conditions reported enroute. Right on. It sure is nice to be sat back in the nose of a 747! The Queen of the Skies…

As we taxied out I took a few shots of the airport as well as a couple of shots of the coast as we climbed away from nearby Lantau Island. Earlier I had also taken a couple pictures from inside The Bridge lounge. None of those photos will be displayed here however.

I’m a firm believer in using photographs to enhance my reports rather than to be the main focus of them. As such, the photos I do choose to employ have to meet certain criteria – mainly, are they of good quality (well composed and clear) and/or are they interesting (to me, at least). If only from having read thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, I feel like I’ve got a pretty good eye for what types of photos will serve my reports well.

Be that as it may, the reality is I’m not that great of a photographer and many of the photographs I do take end up being deleted. Often times a picture that I’ve fired off in someplace like the lounge or terminal will look interesting when I took it but upon further review I’ll decide I don’t like the composition or the lighting or whatever. Just because I took it doesn’t mean I need to keep it, and, even if I keep it, I don’t necessarily need to use it in my report.

In any event, I’ve just used 176 words to describe why I don’t include certain photos. Yawn. In a photo report I likely could have accomplished the same thing by simply not including any photos of it. Ya gotta love the simplicity of that approach!

Meanwhile, here at 36,000 feet dinner is served. The menu refers to the meal service offered on this flight as a “Refreshment” but it looks a lot more like a full meal to me. Here – see for yourselves:


REFRESHMENT

STARTERS

Marinated Prawns
Potato dill salad, edamame beans, chive dressing

Soup
Cream of Chicken

MAIN COURSES

Grilled Australian Wagyu Beef Rump
Red wine sauce, carrots and kipfler potato

Braised Pork and Preserved Vegetables
In rice stick noodle soup

Afternoon Tea Set
Scones, clotted cream and strawberry preserves
Assorted sandwiches and mini-pastries

CHEESE AND DESSERT

International Cheese Selection
Fourme d’Ambert, Cheddar, Reblochon, Tomme

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Cake
Mixed berry compote

Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Pralines


It’s rare that I’ve ever come across an appetizer I didn’t like. Unless liver or pickles are the main ingredient, I’m all in. Same goes for soup. Cream of Chicken… sound’s great! Now then, for the main course… they both sound pretty good but on Roland’s recommendation I’m going to go with the Grilled Australian Wagyu Beef Rump.

And might I care for a cocktail before dinner? Why not! Johnny Walker Blue, on the rocks please.




Afternoon Delight ~ JWB at 36000’


Linens were laid, the table set and soon I was presented with an aesthetically pleasing plate of marinated prawns that was every bit as delicious as it looked. I paired it with the Austrian Grüner Veltliner, a deliciously spicy white wine that probably can’t be found back home. Um, Roland? Could I have a refill on that wine, please?




Marinated Prawns
Potato dill salad, edamame beans, chive dressing


Next up was the Cream of Chicken soup. Roland apologized that it may have come out too thick but I thought it was just fine in both flavor and consistency.




Cream of Chicken Soup
Hey! Is that me in that wine glass?!


Alrighty then – where’s the beef?!

Ah… Now that is a nice looking piece of meat!




Grilled Australian Wagyu Beef Rump
Red wine sauce, carrots and kipfler potato


Most airlines – including Cathay – are often guilty of serving up dinky little 5oz portions of tenderloin that wouldn’t even satisfy your grandmother. Thankfully the flight kitchen in Singapore saw fit to serve up a properly sized portion of beef. It even came out reasonably well cooked, on the medium side of medium rare with just a hint of pink remaining in the middle.

I so enjoyed the flavorful New Zealand Pinot Noir I’d had earlier in the day with lunch that I decided to stick with it through the remainder of the dinner service. That is one wine I’ll try to order when I get home.

As I savored the wine and prepared for the cheese service, I reclined my seat a bit, took in the pretty view out my window and considered how fortunate I am to be able to enjoy an experience like this…




Cruisin’ on Cathay’s 747-400



The view from on high


Honestly, this entire day has been incredible. It was only 21 hours ago that we were pushing back from the gate at JFK, soon to be speeding north over the barren landscape of northern Canada and the polar regions – and now here I am on the other side of the world cruising along on a sunny afternoon while anticipating a refill on my wine and a delicious selection of fine cheese… Am I blessed or what?!




Wine and Cheese over the Pacific


Dessert? Well I’ve come this far, I might as well go whole hog! After all, it’s not every day I get to enjoy fine dining a la Cathay Pacific. It’s been two and a half years since my last flights with them and word is that Cathay’s First Class award redemption is going to become more difficult in the years ahead. So, yes, I will have that dessert please. I want to enjoy this service for all it’s worth. After all, who knows how long it’ll be until I next get to fly with them?




Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Cake


Ahh… what a treat! Despite the comparatively short length of this flight, I’ll say this was the best meal on my trio of Cathay Pacific flights.

Roland stopped by and we chatted a bit about his experiences and mine. Like all flight attendants for a large international airline, he was very well travelled. His favorite city was San Francisco, followed closely by Adelaide, Australia. He recalled laying over in Anchorage some years ago when Cathay used to route its Toronto to Hong Kong flights through there but he’d never visited the Last Frontier properly. Like a lot of people he was concerned about the northern climate but after I showed him a few pictures of summertime in Denali National Park and around Fairbanks – including a picture of my thermometer reading in the nineties – he seemed more amenable to the possibility of a future visit.

The sun was just setting as we began our descent into Singapore’s Changi International Airport. I quickly grabbed my camera and fired off a quick photo…




Sunset off the coast of Singapore


We made a wide turn over the ocean just west and south of Singapore and I briefly regretted not having taken a seat on the “A” side where the view of Singapore’s skyline looked very pretty. The one thing that stood out on my side was the huge number of tankers and container ships anchored just off shore. There were literally dozens of ships, more than I’ve ever seen off any other city in the world.

As I stepped off B-HKT and headed up the jetway, it occurred to me that given my flying patterns and the airlines I typically fly, I’ll be fortunate if I’m able to log another fifteen flights aboard 747s. Since my very first flight aboard a Continental classic back in 1971, the 747 has always evoked in me a sense of excitement and elegance. To this day I’ve never found a First Class cabin anywhere near as cozy and pleasant as that found in the nose of a 747. Even the upper deck has an inviting ambience that I just don’t feel aboard an A380 or a 777. For me, the 747 will always be “The Queen of the Skies”.

I paused at the gate lounge windows to give one last look at my grand old Cathay Queen before heading off to Immigration and a pleasant layover in Singapore.