Push back was right on time and as we taxied past the large number of Air Canada jetliners parked at terminal or in maintenance areas, I briefly considered the possibility that by next year at this time, there may be no more Air Canada. During my short stay in Canada, I read a number of articles and editorials written in the wake of a Hong Kong investor’s having pulled out of talks to inject 650 million dollars into the airline after negotiations with the unions regarding scaling down their apparently hefty pension plans were met with intransigence. One editorial observed that as things now stand, Air Canada may simply be too expensive to operate in today’s climate. Add to this the fact that Air Canada’s CEO along with his chief restructuring officer, while asking their employees to give back some of their pension benefits, were apparently set to receive bonuses totaling 21 million if the deal could be worked out. Then, after the investor backed out, the chief restructuring officer handed in his resignation. Air Canada’s bankruptcy extension hearing was due to come up the following week and so far at least, the whole business of saving Air Canada didn’t appear to be going any better than the past business of running Air Canada.
Flight time to Hong Kong was projected at thirteen hours and thirty one minutes, cruising at a variety of altitudes too numerous to list here. In any event, it takes a lot of fuel to keep a big four engine jetliner like the Airbus A340 aloft for such a long period of time and so our take off roll extended to almost fifty seconds before we finally bid adieu to Terra Firma and headed into the clear afternoon sky beyond Vancouver.
About ten minutes into the flight, Evelyn appeared with my second Cathay Delight and took my requests from the luncheon menu. Lets see… I’ll have the soup and the salad – Oriental dressing, please – and for the main course… let’s go with the lamb. Fillet of lamb sounded more substantial than lamb chops and I’m always a sucker for any mustard based sauce!
Climbing northwest out of Vancouver, passengers on the left side of the aircraft were treated to spectacular views of the rugged core of Vancouver Island whilst the right hand side took in equally impressive views of British Columbia’s Coastal Range. Our route of flight would take us right up along Alaska’s southeastern coastline before taking a more westerly heading just south of Anchorage. I’ll have to remember to book seat 2K next time I’m on this flight!
My table was soon set with crisp white linen, a bread plate, a butter plate, Cathay’s unique egg shaped salt and pepper shaker, two glasses for water and wine and finally, real silverware! The bread basket made an appearance and I selected a small loaf of Garlic Bread, nicely presented in an aluminum foil jacket to keep it warm. Again, another example of the little things Cathay does that make its flights so special.
When the Salmon and Caviar Service commenced, I opted for a smaller portion of caviar but a larger serving of salmon. I’m hardly a caviar connoisseur but I do like my caviar a bit more flavorful. As for drinking vodka with caviar, well, I think that’s an acquired taste that I have yet to acquire. Instead, I tried out a glass of the Burgundy and savored the delicious salmon with ample additions of red onion and crème fraiche. The soup and salad were both quite nice, especially the salad which included a fair bit of head lettuce. So many airlines load up their salad bowls with mesclun leaves or “field greens” and while those nice dark green leaves are probably higher in mineral and vitamin content, I just love the texture of a good head lettuce!
Unfortunately, the lamb was pretty well overdone, forcing me to chew hard and snap my head back to get it down. Well, maybe not that bad but it certainly would not have won any awards for excellence in inflight catering. Perhaps I should stick with the Chinese dishes… We’ll see.
Dessert was a magnificent Pear Charlotte that was as much a work of art as it was a culinary masterpiece! Simply delicious, especially with a cup of cappuccino followed by a small glass of port afterwards.
** ***** **
By the time the last luncheon plate was cleared off, we were well on our way to Kodiak Island, just off central Alaska’s southern coast. Unfortunately, clouds had gathered and so I decided it was time to investigate the inflight entertainment options. On the flight between Vancouver and New York, I’d been too busy eating, writing and chatting with the FAs to watch any TV or movies. Now, with almost eleven hours yet to go before we’d land in Hong Kong, I had plenty of time.
Cathay Pacific’s Studio CX is the greatest thing to happen to inflight entertainment that I have ever seen. The variety of movies, television programming, documentaries and music is simply outstanding! Add to this the video on demand feature whereby you may start and/or pause your selected program at any time and you’ve got without question the finest inflight entertainment system I have ever experienced!
For some reason, despite all the great movies available, I desired an action flick and so went with that old tried and true classic Die Hard with Bruce Willis. Yippie Ki Ay and all that! I hadn’t seen that movie in years and it, along with a Coke and a plate of pistachios, made for a most enjoyable two hours. Later, I checked out the new album by 16 year old English school girl soul phenom Joss Stone, who some say will be the next Aretha Franklin. I don’t know about that just yet, but she’s got a voice and musical sensibilities that belie her young age.
** ***** **
Three meals were offered on this long flight into Hong Kong – luncheon, a substantial refreshment, and a light dinner. Here are the menu transcripts for the refreshment and light dinner:
REFRESHMENT
French Baguette with Artichoke and Crabmeat Dippings
Noodles in Soup with Wontons and Shui Gaw
Plain or Prawn Congee accompanied by Oriental Pan-fried Cake
Rice with Cured Meat in Hot Pot served with Daily Soup
Haagen Dazs Ice Cream
** ***** **
LIGHT DINNER
Appetizer
Fresh Seasonal Fruits
Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls
MAIN COURSES
Braised Pork Spare Ribs Wuxi Style
Steamed Rice and Stir-fried Choy Sum
Superior Fried Noodles with Crab Meat
Stir-fried Pak Choy
Porcini Ravioli
With Artichoke and Spinach Cream Sauce
** ***** **
Tea and Coffee
Pralines and Cookies
By the time I’d finished with the movie, the music and a bit of work on this trip report, we were seven hours into the flight and I figured I’d better get a bit of sleep. It was broad daylight outside my window but past 10:00pm back in Vancouver. Considering that I’d started this day in the Fraser River Valley aboard The Canadian, done a load of laundry in Vancouver, drank warm beer in the CX lounge at YVR and was now flying just off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, I figured I was due for a nap. With Cathay’s big well stuffed pillows, large comfy duvet and half tab of Melatonin, I was asleep within minutes and didn’t wake up until about an hour out of Hong Kong.
Prior to my nap, I’d made arrangements with Evelyn for my dinner choices. Now that I was up and about, she proceeded to set my table and bring out the food. In lieu of bread, I started with a plate of the French Baguette with Crabmeat and Artichoke dip. Good stuff! This was followed by small bowl of the Soup with Wontons and Shui Gaw and a plate of the Braised Pork Spare Ribs Wuxi Style. What a feed! The crab and artichoke dip was just a bit too rich to finish off but the pork spareribs were excellent and every bit as tender as the lamb was tough.
After a flight of thirteen hours and twenty eight minutes, we touched down lightly in Hong Kong, braked hard, and headed into Gate 25, conveniently located close in to the main terminal complex. Rarely has a thirteen hour flight passed by so quickly! Between the food, the entertainment and a comfortable bed, I can’t imagine any better way to fly. Well done, Cathay Pacific!