Seat 2A

Day Nine
Cathay Pacific First Class ~ 777-300 ~ Los Angeles, CA to Hong Kong, CH ~ 1230p – 655p

I love the feeling of waking up with the anticipation of an International First Class flight later in the day. Any of you who’ve had the good fortune to have done so yourselves know what of I speak. We’re talking about the very best way one can fly as a passenger. It’s great fun to read reports from our brethren who have flown First Class aboard the world’s finest airlines but it’s quite another thing to actually experience the service yourself. I’ve been fortunate to have experienced inflight service of this stature on many occasions, most recently six months ago while flying Qantas from Sydney to Dallas. I can’t wait to do it again!

A quality First Class flight is not just the space or the food. It’s the training and pride reflected in flight attendants who anticipate your needs, not just come when they’re called. It’s consistently and graciously meeting the expectations and needs of an often sophisticated and seasoned clientele, many of whom have expectations commensurate with their lot in life, a lot that rarely if ever includes Economy or Business Class travel. It’s training and pride that reflect in a meal being presented, not just served. It’s a commitment by the airline to provide only the finest in food and amenities and to maintain a high standard of service that allows only the best and most dedicated flight attendants to work the First Class cabin. It’s class. First Class. It all adds up to the very best service one can expect in the air and it’s exciting stuff to experience, much less anticipate. I’ve been looking forward to this flight for two months and now the day is here! Let’s head on over to the International Terminal and check in.


* * * _  _ * * *


9:00am might seem a bit early to head out to the airport for a 12:30pm flight, but remember - we’re flying International First Class aboard Cathay Pacific today and, as many of you know, one of the prime benefits of International First Class air travel is the chance to enjoy a bit of preflight repose in the First Class Lounge.

Now a few years ago, Cathay Pacific’s lounge experience wouldn’t have been all that worthy of excitement because Cathay used the rather generic One World First Class Lounge at LAX. However, with the opening of Qantas’ new First Class Lounge in 2014, all of that changed for the better. Much better.

Let’s check-in first, though.

The Tom Bradley International Terminal – henceforth referred to as the TBIT – was built to accommodate the influx of visitors for the 1984 Olympics. The original facility – while reasonably functional by 1984 standards – in later years bore the brunt of many complaints as it failed to keep up with the post-deregulation increase in air travelers. A variety of plans were submitted and reviewed but ultimately left grounded by political turmoil.

In 2010 construction began on the $1.5 billion Bradley West project, part of a $4 billion batch of LAX improvement and redevelopment projects. The Bradley West project added over 1,250,000 square feet of shops, restaurants, and passenger lounges, as well as new security screening, customs, immigration, and baggage claim facilities. When all of the projects came to fruition with the opening of the new terminal in 2013, it was a breath of fresh air to the Los Angeles air travel scene.

I arrived at Cathay’s ticket counter to find a choice of agents waiting to check me in. I picked the one with the brightest eyes and the nicest smile and, following the usual formalities, was soon on my way up to the security checkpoint.

Airlines have been touting the arrival of TSA Pre✓® at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal, but it’s the modified version - much like you find in smaller airports such as Fairbanks. This means you still have to remove your laptop and other large electronics but hey - that’s still a huge improvement over the discombobulated and poorly run operation I’ve often endured while flying out of here in years past. The last time I was here the First Class screening lane took considerably longer to get through than the Economy Class lane.

Qantas’ First Class Lounge is located up on the fifth floor of the TBIT. Well placed signage directed me easily up the elevator and beyond to the lounge. As I strolled through the attractive etched glass doors and approached the reception desk, try to imagine my surprise when the receptionist stood and greeted me by name. I briefly flashed back to 1871 when Stanley found Dr. Livingston in the wilds of Tanzania. “Seat 2A, I presume?” Although I’m not a guy who’s big on being addressed by name while traveling, I was nonetheless suitably impressed.

With about two hours to go before having to head down to the gate, my plan was to have a leisurely breakfast and then get on the internet to purchase some travel insurance and maybe check a few sports scores. What the heck – I might even take a spin over to FlyerTalk to see what’s going on. Ever aware that many of you would surely appreciate a few pictures of the QANTAS lounge, I pulled out my trusty Canon SX-160IS and attempted to capture a few shots of the seating and dining areas. It quickly became apparent however that the limited scope of my lens would not allow the quality of photo that a proper review of this lounge deserves, so I hope you’ll forgive me (or possibly even thank me!) for instead providing a link to an excellent photographic and journalistic review of this lounge presented by Ben Schlappig at his superb website One Mile At A Time. You’ll find the link to that review right HERE. Here also are a couple of my pictures:



Qantas First Class Lounge at LAX


Qantas First Class Lounge at LAX


Qantas First Class Lounge at LAX


Now then, with that out of the way, let’s eat!

The dining area is comprised of about 20 tables set alongside a long, modern styled bar. Honestly, the bar was the real highlight here with an impressive selection of bottled beers, wines and spirits set against a stylish contemporary back bar. Had it not been so early in the day, I would’ve happily toasted my good fortune with a glass of fine Australian wine or an equally delicious American made bourbon. Speaking of which, why don’t the Australians produce an internationally renowned whiskey? If they went at it with the same fervor and expertise that they do their winemaking, I’ve no doubt they’d be highly successful. Perhaps they already have a world class bourbon type whiskey and I’m just unaware of it, so if anyone has any suggestions in this regard, please feel free to pass them along.

But I digress. A waiter indicated I was free to sit wherever I liked and then came over with a menu while taking my drink request. Coffee and water, please. Now then, let’s check out that breakfast menu:



QANTAS First Class Lounge Breakfast Menu


Oh my, what an impressive selection! Honestly, I doubt there’s another restaurant anywhere in the airport offering such a nice variety of breakfast foods - certainly not on a complimentary basis. Now bear with me here as I take a stroll down memory lane… but I remember when LAX’s iconic Theme Building actually had a working restaurant. It was quite a nice one, too, operated by Marriott Host. To this day I cannot remember having ever been served a finer plate of Eggs Benedict anywhere.

By the way, for those of you unfamiliar with the LAX theme building, I’m talking about the iconic white spider looking building that graces the center of the airport. Built in 1961, it was once a popular place to eat and drink that for many was as much a part of a visit to LAX as getting on a plane.

Back then the restaurant revolved 360° and one thing I remember from that memorable meal was that it was the first time I had ever taken notice of TWA’s new livery. Gone was the old Star Stream livery with its attractive red banner along the length of the fuselage and the famous Raymond Loewy designed golden globe logo on the tail. The new livery harkened back to the days of the Constellation with twin red stripes under the windows and an almost solid red tail with white TWA lettering within. It was the spring of 1974 and I was young enough to be excited because the livery was new and different and yet disappointed because I didn’t feel the new livery reflected anywhere near the class and distinction that the airline had always embodied.

Anyway, the restaurant in the Theme Building served good food back then and also had a great observation deck. Unfortunately, the restaurant in the building has been closed since 2013 and, given the cost of parking and the time involved in pre-flight security procedures these days, it seems unlikely to open again – at least not as a restaurant.

Alas, there were no Eggs Benedict on today’s menu so I cobbled together the closest I could – two poached eggs with green pea fritters and a side of mushrooms, beans and hash browns. And more coffee, please!



Breakfast in the QANTAS Lounge


As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun and suddenly it was approaching noon and the first call was being made to proceed downstairs to gate 150 for the boarding of Cathay Pacific’s flight 885 with nonstop service to Hong Kong.

Well alrighty then! Let’s get this show on the road!

As I made my way down through TBIT’s great hall, I couldn’t help but admire the high sweeping ceilings and large angled windows that allowed plenty of natural light to wash over the many fine shops and restaurants sprinkled throughout the terminal. I really have to tip my hat to all the folks involved in this project from the architects to the city commissioners who managed to get together and pull this off. TBIT is a great looking terminal and one that should reflect positively on both Los Angeles and America as a whole for many years to come.


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It’s been just over two years since my last flight with Cathay Pacific. Some of you may recall that trip as the one I impulsively booked from scratch just hours beforehand while suddenly deciding to knock off my 5 millionth mile flown from the comfort of a First Class Suite aboard an Emirates A380. It was an all-First Class around the world extravaganza completed in just 5 days and a most fitting way to break through the 5 million mile mark in style. Any of you that feel like reading through that one again sometime, you’ll find it right HERE.

Flashbacks to that trip were easy to come by since the 777-300 operating this afternoon’s flight to Hong Kong was none other than B-KPI, my old friend from two years ago. I flew on this airplane from Vancouver to New York to Hong Kong before switching over to a venerable 747 for the comparatively short flight down to Singapore. And now here she was again – two years older but looking clean and fit in Cathay’s new livery. It’s nice to see you again, old girl! Let’s go to Hong Kong!

A big crowd had amassed at the entrance to the jet bridge, many of whom were now using the First and Business lane as well as the Economy Class lane. I showed my boarding pass to the agent at the podium and was immediately escorted past the throngs of Economy and Business Class passengers to the First Class line. Surprisingly, the walk down the dedicated First and Business Class jet bridge was empty save for me. I paused briefly to collect a copy of that day’s International New York Times and then proceeded on to the entrance.

A well turned out reception committee of three flight attendants was positioned at the entrance, set to greet both First and Business passengers at door 1L. I was assigned to suite – 1K – my favorite seat for westbound flights. No problem – just cross over and it’ll be the first suite on your left. Thanks! I know the way.

Cathay’s four-class 777-300s have just six First Class suites. As such, they can be a difficult seat to book – especially via award mileage. I am fortunate that as a single traveler, the odds of booking one of these suites increases exponentially as opposed to two or more people trying to book them a month or two out. A couple of years ago, two friends of mine were each able to get their First Class award suites, but they had to travel one day apart from one another.

In any event, it sure felt good to be back up here. After spending much of the year slumming about in First Class aboard various U.S. airlines, a suite such as 1K aboard Cathay’s 777 is a very nice reward for all of those hard earned miles I fly each year in order to make this possible.

Only two of us were booked up front this afternoon – each of us sat on opposite sides of the cabin - so I had plenty of room to spread out. I stashed my roll-a-bord next door in 1D while my shoes and jacket went in 1K. As Business Class passengers continued to filter through the cabin, I took my seat and spent a moment running through all my usual pre-flight seat function tests. That’s right. The time to make sure everything works is now while we’re still on the ground. Once you’re in the air, it’s a bit late to address most problems.

It’s worth noting that Cathay’s First Class seats have to be amongst the widest in the air. Seatguru puts their width at 36 inches and I don’t doubt it. Check it out!



Cathay Pacific’s First Class seat


Cathay Pacific’s First Class seat


Cathay Pacific’s First Class Suite from the rear looking forward


The suite itself – while not enclosed a la those of Emirates or Etihad – nonetheless offers an outstanding amount of personal space and privacy. Per my personal tastes I prefer the more open arrangement, so as you might imagine I’m quite pleased with the overall layout of Cathay’s First Class suites.

William was my steward this afternoon and it wasn’t long before he stopped by to introduce himself and offer me a pre-departure drink. Although I’m not a big fan of Champagne, I do have a healthy respect for tradition and that tradition is typically to commence any great First Class journey with a glass of your host’s proffered Champagne.

For many years now, Krug Grande Cuvée has been the Champagne of note in Cathay’s Intercontinental First Class cabins. This month Cathay claims to have changed it up with an offering of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2006. No doubt fans of the Krug will be disappointed but, from my admittedly limited perspective, the Taittinger tastes about as good as most any other top flight Champagne.




Champagne Service


I should add – I’m not a total rube in these matters. I do feel like I can at least distinguish between a quality Champagne and a bottom shelf sparkling wine. But then, who wouldn’t be able to do so if the bottom of the spectrum was represented by the likes of Cooks or Franzia Brothers? One Champagne that I do remember liking immediately - enough to ask for a refill no less - was Louise Pommery, 1989 served on my very first flight aboard British Airways – a First Class turn between Los Angeles and London way back in 2002. I can still taste its buttery smooth effervescence even now. Mmmm… delicious! Then as now, a small plate of warmed mixed nuts accompanied today’s Champagne.

While I sat, sipped and savored, the usual array of pre-flight swag continued to be presented piece by piece – the amenity kit, the pajamas, the headset, the menu, a selection of magazines… Bring it on! Amenity kit aficionados will be pleased to see that in the interests of a more thorough report, I took a moment to photograph Cathay’s offering.



Cathay Pacific’s First Class Amenity Kit


Cathay Pacific’s First Class Amenity Kit Contents


Those same aficionados may be equally disappointed when I tell them that afterwards I repacked the contents of the kit and never opened it again, leaving it on board when I left. I carry most all of the toiletries I need in my daypack. Those items include floss, an electric toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste and a brush. Beyond that I’ve not much use for moisturizing creams and the like.

Menus were presented next. As one who considers International First Class inflight dining to be the pinnacle of inflight entertainment, this is a highly anticipated moment for me. I had to take a picture…



Champagne Service with First Class Menu


A full luncheon and a light dinner will be served on this 15 hour flight. Additionally some fairly substantial snack or light meal items will also be available anytime during the flight. That’s a lot of food to be eaten – much less perused - so you can imagine my excitement as I opened the menu booklet and took it all in…


LUNCHEON
Los Angeles to Hong Kong

CAVIAR AND CHAMPAGNE
Caviar and Champagne – a perfect match.
Served with traditional garnishes of blinis, chives, crème fraîche and chopped eggs

INTERNATIONAL FAVORITES

New England Clam Chowder
Smoked duck, dried cranberries, rock chive lettuce and raspberry vinaigrette

Braised Veal Cheek
Celeriac puree and caramelized baby carrots

Spiced Black Cod
Coconut lentils, lemon new potatoes and slow roasted cherry tomato sauce

Garden Pea Mint Ravioli
Char grilled red pepper and grana Padano


CHINESE FAVORITES

Kelp, mussel and spiny melon soup
Cold plate – pickled turnip

Hong Kong Style Chicken Curry
Stir-fried broccoli and steamed jasmine rice


CHEESE AND DESSERT

Stilton Blue, Manchego, Camembert
Fresh seasonal berries and crème fraiche
Orange sweet curd soufflé, dolce de leche ice cream
Black sesame sweet soup


BREAD BASKET

Assorted Bread
Butter and balsamic olive oil


AFTERWARDS

Freshly Brewed Coffee
Also available are espresso, cappuccino, caffe latte

A selection of teas

Pralines


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SNACKS

Braised pork and preserved vegetable in noodle soup
Grilled U.S. beef burger, onion confit, Kaiser roll and ketchup
Potato and peas samosa
Ice cream


* * * _  _ * * *


DINNER

STARTER

Fresh seasonal fruit

MAIN COURSES

Chicken Supreme
Mushroom ragout, bread dumpling

Steamed Sea Bass
Golden garlic and spring onion, stir-fried kalian, carrots and steamed jasmine rice

Buffalo Mozzarella Ravioli
With roasted cherry tomato sauce

DESSERT

Maple pecan pie with caramel sauce

BREAD BASKET

Assorted Bread
Butter and balsamic olive oil


AFTERWARDS

Freshly Brewed Coffee
Also available are espresso, cappuccino, caffe latte

A selection of teas
Pralines



We were 15 minutes late pushing off the gate and, once we finally did, we then had to taxi seemingly all the way down to Long Beach. LAX is spread out over a lot of territory and between having to taxi over to the other side of the airport plus allow a number of other planes to take spots ahead of us, we didn’t ultimately take to the air until almost 1:30pm. When the captain finally did push the 777’s twin throttles all the way forward and the two massive GE90-115B turbofans spooled up to their maximum thrust, it was music to my ears.

Hong Kong, here we come!


* * * _  _ * * *


Flight time for this 7,250 mile flight was initially projected at 14 hours and 46 minutes though as the trip progressed that projection would ultimately turn out be a bit optimistic. More on that later though. William has arrived and is waiting patiently for my luncheon and cocktail selections. I’ve informed him of our preference for a cocktail first and then luncheon maybe an hour or so into the flight. Now then, let’s check out those bar offerings…


WINE LIST

Champagne
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2006

White Wines
Olivier Leflaive Saint Aubin 1er Cru Remilly 2014
Palliser Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Red Wines
Spy Valley Envoy Johnson Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015
Seghesio Family Vineyards Defiant Red Blend 2015
Ch teau Branaire-Ducru Saint Julien 2006

Dessert Wine
Lions de Suduiraut Sauternes 2015


BAR LIST

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 Year Old * Johnny Walker Blue Label * Canadian Club * Gentleman Jack Bourbon *
Glenmorangie Signet Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Cognac
Tesseron Lot 76 Tradition

Liqueurs
Cointreau * Drambuie * Kahlua * Bailey’s Irish Cream

Beer
International Selection

Signature Drinks

Cathay Delight – A kiwifruit based non-alcoholic drink with coconut milk and a touch of fresh mint
Pacific Sunrise – A refreshing combination of Champagne and Drambuie with a zest of orange and lemon


You know, I generally never touch alcohol at home until at least 6 or 7PM. For the most part that’s true even on football Sundays. For me at least, alcohol is an evening treat. Once in a great while I might splurge and have a Bloody Mary or a Screwdriver but for the most part I’m fine with water or coffee during the day. Today was no different. With nearly 15 hours of flight time ahead of us, there’ll be plenty of time to have an obligatory tumbler (or two!) of Johnny Walker Blue as well as a couple of fine wines with the meals.

For now I opted to start the festivities with one of my favorite non-alcoholic drinks – a Cathay Delight. I’ve been a big fan of this libation ever since my first one back in 2004 aboard one of Cathay’s A340-300s between Vancouver and Hong Kong. It’s light and refreshing but with a velvety texture thanks to the rich coconut milk that comprises its base. Mmmm… so good!

I love the first forty minutes or so of these long flights in First Class. Now that we’re finally airborne, we’ve adjusted our seats to a comfortable position, gratefully accepted that first glass of our favorite libation and can now begin to truly relax and unwind. As our First Class cabin crew moves unobtrusively about the cabin delivering drinks and taking meal orders, from the galley come the faint clinks of glass and cutlery as the promise of the wonderful inflight service ahead begins to be realized. Taking another sip from our drinks, we gaze out the window and revel in the magnificence of International First Class air travel… Ah… it is indeed a good life!



Cathay Delight


We were about an hour and fifteen minutes into the flight - just off the coast of Eureka/Arcata, California - when I alerted William that I was ready to commence the luncheon service. I had placed my meal orders earlier and was informed that upon alerting the crew, it’d be about fifteen minutes to get the first courses ready. No problem! I’ve got nowhere to go and fourteen hours to get there.

Following long established tradition, I chose to commence today’s meal service with a serving of caviar. Indeed, with only one exception, all of the caviar I’ve ever been served has been inflight. Most of these instances have been in International First Class but one time I enjoyed the full caviar service from the trolley while flying First Class aboard a Braniff International 727-100 between New York and Dallas. Caviar services used to be de rigueur amongst the world’s finest airlines but these days only a handful of international airlines still offer a proper caviar service. Thankfully, one of those airlines is Cathay Pacific.

I can tell you that my appreciation of caviar was not love at first bite, but over the years I’ve definitely come to appreciate those little black eggs. Once upon a time Cathay served its caviar from the cart and featured top flight Oscietra Caviar from the Caspian Sea paired with luscious “Tsar Nicolaj” Balik Salmon. Alas, Cathay’s caviar service has taken a substantial hit over the years. The Oscietra has been downgraded to Calvisius Venise, a Siberian caviar that’s been farm raised in the Italian village of Calvisano. Though not as salty or dense as the Oscietra, for most people it’s still perfectly acceptable caviar. That includes me. What I really miss are the salmon slices, the warm new potatoes, the lemon half and the chopped onions.

Traditionally caviar is served with toast points, melba toast or blinis (little silver dollar sized buckwheat flour pancakes) as well as crème fraîche, chopped egg yolks and whites and chopped onions. Cathay offered all of these today except for the chopped onions which had been replaced with a sprinkle of chives blended in with the crème fraîche. It was not the same flavor as I’ve come to appreciate over the years.



Caviar Service on Cathay Pacific – 2018 Edition


One thing I really like though about Cathay’s service is that its bread basket includes slices of warmed garlic bread. Now if you really want to taste pure decadence, here’s what you do: Take a piece of the garlic bread and slather a nice sized portion of crème fraîche on it. Top that with the chopped eggs and – if you have it – chopped onion. Then spread a generous portion of caviar atop all of that. Then open wide and enjoy! Today I accompanied my caviar with a glass of Olivier Leflaive Saint Aubin 1er Cru Remilly 2014.

Oh. My. God. I’m not a big drinker of white wines but this wine fairly leapt out of the glass and immediately caressed my taste buds with a wonderful combination of crispness and flavor. There was nothing lingering about the flavor either. It was immediate and delicious! I see a bottle retails for about $35.00 USD. I hope I can find two or three of them when I return home.

Right. On to the soup then! Who can turn down New England Clam Chowder? Maybe a few New Yorkers perhaps but for me it has always been one of my favorite soups. Cathay’s version had all of the flavor but was lacking in the essential thickness of a proper chowdah. Still, it was more than palatable though I would’ve appreciated a packet or two of oyster crackers. Next time.



New England Clam Chowder


Moving right along, William next delivered an artistically presented salad of smoked duck and dried cranberries served atop rock chive lettuce and accented with raspberry vinaigrette. As airline salads go, this one was as flavorful as it was original. I was particularly impressed and perhaps even a bit taken aback at the amount of duck meat included in the salad. There was a lot – main course amounts by U.S. airline standards – that is if any U.S. airlines actually still served duck. Back in the good old days of thirty five years past, United used to serve a very passable Duck a l’Orange with wild rice. This was not a transcon entrée but rather a staple on the Chicago to Denver flights that I flew quite often back then. But I digress…



Smoked Duck and Cranberry Salad


Smoked Duck and Cranberry Salad


Alright then, I’m ready for the main course. This was not a hard choice for me. I’d had the veal cheek on my New York to Hong Kong flight two years ago. It was disappointing in that it comprised only about 2 ounces of actual meat. Braised Veal Embryo Cheek. No thanks. I’ll stick to loins from now on. I’m not a big cod fan though the coconut lentils did briefly capture my fancy. Garden Pea Mint Ravioli? Oooo - serious vegetarian commitment for that one. Not me, brother.

So then, let’s go with the Hong Kong Style Chicken Curry. Here’s what I was served:



Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong Style Chicken Curry


I am not enough of a Chinese food connoisseur to truly appreciate just what exactly “Hong Kong Style” means as opposed to other culinary styles with which I’m reasonably familiar such as Hunan or Szechuan styles. I guess I was simply hoping that my meal would be a bit more elaborate than a basic chicken curry accompanied by steamed broccoli and rice. Later, I even went on the internet to see what most Hong Kong Style Chicken Curries Looked like.

Lesson learned. Next time, order “Hong Kong Style” foods on flights originating out of Hong Kong. It would appear that what I was served today was an “LA Style” chicken curry or possibly even a “Barstow Style” version. Thankfully a small bowl of Lee Kum Kee Guilin Chili Sauce helped make this dish somewhat more palatable.

When William returned to clear off my plates and ask if I’d care for dessert, I had to pass – or at last pause for an hour or so. I was seriously full.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this in previous trip reports but it’s worth reiterating. I normally never eat this much at home. Not unless it’s Thanksgiving or Super Bowl Sunday. When flying in International First Class however, I’m in festival mode. Let’s party! I want to try everything. International First Class air travel is a rare and cherished treat that I only get to experience two or three times a year so I want to take full advantage of it.

Pity the stuffy old farts that yawn at the prospect another First Class flight. We have a few of them right here at FlyerTalk, most notably at a couple of popular European airline forums. As one member succinctly put it: “They are so blasè about it all as they have zillions of miles from their work related travel and they expect forelock-tipping and have just lost the excitement of it all.”

As for me – I have loved commercial flight since I was just a small child. Sure, we all like sitting up in Business or First but I really, really like it. The allure of First Class travel has always been strong for me – so strong that as a kid I used to spend hours writing off all the airlines asking for brochures about their new 747s and DC-10s as well as any brochures about their inflight service. Back in the 1970s most airlines were only too happy to oblige, sending me all kinds of cool stuff. Back then it paid to market the quality of your inflight service because with most airfares being equal amongst airlines – even internationally – the best way for an airline to differentiate itself was with its inflight service and amenities. All of those brochures were seriously intoxicating. Where other boys my age might have fantasized about growing up to become a sports star or maybe a rock star, I was content to let the chips fall where they may in those regards (I was into sports and music, too) but when it came to idle daydreaming – like in the middle of Mr. Jordan’s 3rd period Latin class – I was more than content to imagine myself sipping cocktails in the upstairs lounge with the favored few. And I’ve worked hard to turn those daydreams of yesteryear into reality – having logged over 600000 miles in International First Class as opposed to another million or so in the so-so product we call “First Class” here in the U.S.

So then, for me to be sitting up here in Suite 1K cruising high above the Pacific Ocean aboard one of the world’s finest airlines with a glass of fine Chardonnay at hand while taking in such a beautiful day from 38,000 feet… life could hardly be finer. This is what First Class is all about!

On a clear day, this flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong offers a fantastic view of the Pacific Rim, following the coast from Southern California all the way up along Alaska, down the Aleutians and along the Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan and then on down the Chinese coast to Hong Kong. I choose to sit on the right side of the aircraft to better take advantage of the scenery – if it can be seen. Unfortunately, most of our flight today – and by that I mean like about 85% of it – was over clouds or worse, up amidst high clouds and turbulence.

So then, what to do when you’ve finished lunch and there are still about 12 ½ hours left to fly? For some this is a nightmarish scenario but for me, it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of my seat’s multiple recline functions and simply relax. I’ve got books, magazines and today’s newspaper to read as well as a veritable cornucopia of entertainment options from TV to movies to games on Cathay’s excellent Studio CX.

To be sure, there are better IFE’s out there offering even more choices but hey – there’s no way I’d even come close to checking out even 5% of the total even if I dedicated myself to doing so straight from the start of the flight. As such, I don’t get too excited about this or that airline’s IFE. When you’re flying on any of the world’s top twenty or so airlines, all of the systems will generally provide more than enough options to keep you entertained.

For me, that meant starting out with a few rounds of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? I like trivia but the problem for me with Cathay’s version is that many of the questions are oriented toward a British or Commonwealth audience. That I once managed to get all the way up to $64000 was more a factor of blind luck than real knowledge. Even so, I had a good time for a half hour or so before switching over to the movie selections.

Most of the time, I’m not a big fan of watching movies on airplanes. I’d rather wait until I get home where I can watch them on my ancient 120 lb. 29” Magnovox. You’d think I’d have upgraded to a proper flat screen TV by now – Lord knows I can certainly afford to given how affordable good 50” HD flat screens have become - but I have a soft spot for things that work well over a long period of time. I mean, that old TV has been like a reliable old friend over the years – always starting and never a problem with picture or reception or anything else. To simply discard it for a younger, prettier model would be unthinkable. My truck is 17 years old and still going strong. If I were to win the Powerball lottery tomorrow, I wouldn’t be buying a new truck. And I wouldn’t move out of my cabin, either. But I might stop mileage running and just buy the tickets outright.

William stopped by to see how things were going before retiring to the crew rest area for a little R&R. We discussed the three cheeses on offer – I was familiar with the Stilton and Camembert but had never heard of Manchego. From William’s description it sounded a bit milder than I like, so I requested a plate of the Stilton and Camembert along with a glass of the Sauternes to wash them down. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of dessert wines but as Cathay has stopped offering Port, it was either the Sauternes or something stronger.



Cheese and Sauternes over the Gulf of Alaska


Tracking directly over Kodiak


Pralines


Somewhere amidst all of this, I discovered Francis Ford Coppola’s 1971 classic, The Godfather. I remember watching this movie at the Bedford Playhouse when I was just a kid. It is truly a classic in American cinema and even more to the point for today’s flight – it ran 2 hours and 47 minutes.


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You know, if I were sitting at home waiting for the hours to pass by I would probably be much more aware of the passage of time. Somehow on this flight, time seems to just fly by. Over the course of the flight I took four or five strolls to the back of the plane just to loosen up and get some exercise. A lot of people are worried about DVTs and perhaps rightfully so. In my case, I just know it’s not good to be sitting for so long, so I make it a point to get up and move around as unobtrusively as possible during the flight.

I mentioned earlier in this report that I’ve never flown anything but First Class on Cathay Pacific. That streak has stretched to 30 flights and 170000 miles so far. After today’s strolls through the Business Class cabin, I’m going to do my best to maintain that streak. Certainly on a long intercontinental flight, I can’t imagine sitting anywhere other than First Class – especially on Cathay. While on some airlines the differences between First and Business Class are becoming increasingly blurred, on Cathay’s 777-300 the two classes are as different as night and day.

The entire ambience of the First Class cabin is all about space, peace and quiet. To walk down the length of the Business Class and then part those heavy curtains and return to the rarified atmosphere of the First Class cabin is akin to coming up from the depths and finally emerging above water. It’s not that Cathay’s Business Class is all that bad – on the contrary I should imagine it rates fairly well amongst most major airlines – but in the same amount of space where six suites exist in First Class, I would estimate you could fit 12-16 Business Class suites.

I love the spaciousness of Cathay’s First Class cabin.


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By the time The Godfather had ended, we were most of the way down the Aleutian Island chain with about 8 more hours to go before reaching Hong Kong. In fact, I noted that by the time we drew even with Adak – an old naval base near the end of the Aleutians – we’d been in flight for just under 7 hours.

My strategy for this flight was to stay awake for most of the flight, get maybe four or five hours of sleep, and then catch up on the rest at my hotel tonight. As with any flight on Cathay, my strategy also included partaking of a bowl of Cathay’s special mid-flight noodle soup. These soups are not the same as the ones you get with lunch. They are much heartier noodle based soups and are presented in a special black lacquered bowl. Above all, they represent some of the finest soups I’ve ever had – be it in the air or on the ground. Today’s soup is the Braised pork and preserved vegetable in noodle soup.



Midflight Noodle Soup


Later, I spent about 45 minutes entertaining the purser and the other First Class FA with some of my many pictures of inflight meal services as well as a few shots from back home in Alaska. As you might imagine, they were particularly interested in pictures depicting Cathay’s meals but they were downright awestruck with the ones depicting Emirate’s meal services. It was fun to roll out some of those old photos, all the more so for the ladies’ enthusiasm.

Shortly thereafter, I had my seat converted to its sleeping configuration. The time was nearing 11:00pm back in Los Angeles so it wasn’t hard to get ready for bed despite the bright sun shining beyond my window shades. William had returned from his rest and I asked him to wake me with enough time to enjoy the full dinner service before our arrival in Hong Kong. As such I placed my dinner order before turning in for the night. Cathay’s suites have a superb arrangement of reading lights which enabled me to read easily for a half hour or so before finally lapsing into a comfortable four hour nap.



Bedtime on Cathay Pacific


Perhaps it was the anticipation but I awoke on my own with just over an hour and a half left in the flight. The timing was perfect. As I trundled off to the lav to freshen up, the crew returned my suite to its daytime configuration and, within minutes of my return, was ready with the table settings.

Raising my window shade, I was surprised to see the sun was well on its way to calling it a day. But then, most of the other times I’ve flown westbound on this route have been in March when the days were a bit longer. In any event, the setting sun was pretty but hardly awe inspiring.



Sunset over the East China Sea


The second meal on this fifteen hour flight is not as large or elaborate as the first one. I’ve had people ask “How could you possibly eat another meal after that big lunch?” Easy. Aside from my explanation earlier in this report as to why I want to take advantage of all of the service offered, let’s also take a look at the timeline for a moment. Remember, this is a fifteen hour flight. Most of us eat three meals a day, generally around 7:00am, 1:00pm and 7:00pm give or take an hour or two. And for you people who say “I don’t eat breakfast”, you really ought to start doing so. It’s the most important meal of the day! You’ll note that there are typically about 6 hours between meals. Yes, I did have a good sized breakfast and lunch, a bowl of soup about 8:30pm California local time and now here it was the equivalent of 2:00am back there, while approaching 6:00pm in Hong Kong. For some people, this light dinner might help their body clocks adjust to the fact that it’s currently dinner time in Hong Kong. Me – my plan upon landing is to catch a bus to my hotel and knock off a few more hours of sleep. As such, this meal is like a late night trip to an all-night diner after a long night of partying.

So then, for my first course I skipped the proffered fruit plate and replaced it with a serving of potato and pea samosas from the mid-flight snack menu. This was a good call. Those samosas were hot and crispy – almost as if they’d only just been removed from the deep fat fryer. Dee-licious!



Samosa Appetizer


Next up came the Chicken Supreme – an elegant sounding name for what was essentially a baked chicken thigh. It was very good though – moist, tender and reasonably flavorful made all that much nicer with the addition of the delicious mushroom ragout.



Chicken Supreme


Chicken Supreme ambience shot


Dessert? You’ve come this far – might as well go whole hog. Bring it on! With ice cream, please.



Maple Pecan Pie


I accompanied the dessert with a small snifter of cognac. I don’t have a lot of experience with cognac and to be honest it’s not exactly a favorite of mine. Still, flying on airlines like Cathay provides an excellent opportunity to sample some fine wines and liqueurs that I would rarely have a chance to taste back home. As for the cognac, a bottle of Tesseron Lot 76 Tradition, I’d have to say the jury’s still out. Some things – like the flavor and texture of caviar – take time to learn to properly appreciate. I’d like to have a few more sessions with this and other cognacs because to be honest, I’ve rarely ever drunk it.

Although the original flight time was projected at just less than fifteen hours, strong headwinds over the far western Aleutians combined with air traffic delays coming into Hong Kong resulted in a projected arrival time of 7:50pm – almost an hour behind schedule. Passengers with tight connections responded with consternation – I could hear the clamor in the back when the captain announced our expected arrival at the gate. The crew responded by moving some of the Business Class passengers up into the four remaining First Class suites to help them disembark faster. Somewhat surprisingly, William stopped by to ask me if this was okay. I mean, I suppose it was polite protocol on his part to ask but honestly, what am I going to say? No! Send them back! Of course, I was totally cool with it and would have appreciated the same courtesy had I been in a similar situation.

So what happened after we’d landed and hooked up with the jet bridge at 1L? The purser still held even those tight connection passengers back in order to allow myself and the one other First Class passenger to disembark first. I said a quick good bye and thanks for a great flight and then got out of the way as a couple dozen connecting passengers stampeded past.

Thankfully, we’d parked at gate 2 so it wasn’t too long of a walk to immigration. Unfortunately, an apparently full Air France 787-9 had arrived just before us and as I arrived at the immigration hall I could see quite a large crowd had gathered. I joined the maddening crush of humanity just as the last of the Air France passengers - all of them festooned with round orange stickers - were being herded into the Visitor’s lane.

Give credit to the Hong Kong immigration folks though. Despite quite an imposing group of passengers snaking through five or six long switchback lanes, I doubt if I spent more than 15 to 20 minutes total in that line. I remember once being in an immigration queue at Manchester with only about 15-20 passengers off an inbound Pakistan International Airways flight ahead of me. Given language and potential terrorism issues, that line took considerably longer to navigate.

Although I gave strong consideration to just crashing in the airport (I know a great spot downstairs by the 50 series gates) I had a pretty long layover, so why not splurge and get a hotel?

My hotel for the night was the Harbour Plaza Resort, located about 40 minutes by courtesy shuttle bus from HKIA. My timing was well-nigh perfect. Once I had cleared customs, I headed for the hotel’s kiosk on the arrivals level and was told that a bus would be departing in 15 minutes.



Beats sleeping in the airport in a hot, muggy night


The view from my window