Cathay Dragon
Business Class (J)
CX Business Class Ticket
KA103: KTM-HKG (Kathmandu to Hong Kong)
23 January 2019
Airbus A330-300 (Two Class Configuration)
B-LBK
Seat 11D
Departure: 11:15PM
Arrival: 5:50AM+1
After a rest and some dinner, I took the hotel shuttle to the airport. The cost was free because I'd drawn free Regency Club access upon check-in. Either way, the shuttle normally only costs $12 each way, so fairly reasonable (versus $6-$8 for a taxi).
In any event, I arrived at the airport a couple hours prior to departure. I completed check-in at the counter, as they had to verify my credit card (the first time CX has done this to me). For those wondering, the reason why I was using KTM as the start point for my flight back to the US was due to cost. A round trip J ticket KTM-BOS cost the same as a round trip PE ticket BOS-HKG; in other words, an excellent value.
I will add that the check-in counters at KTM were a bit of a mess. Some folks didn't understand (perhaps willful ignorance) the concept of a dedicated business class check-in counter and wanted to cut ahead of me. Counter staff handled the situation well, but the check-in process was a bit of a scrum, as expected.
After check-in I proceeded to the lounge (pre-security, post-immigration) to wait until it was time to go through security. The lounge is nothing special so I killed time by hydrating and blowing my nose. Oh, and coughing too. Eventually, it was time to board. The gate area was an absolute zoo and we boarded by walking across the tarmac.
B-LBK
I was familiar with this seat configuration, as I'd flown it on the CX regional fleet previously. I also knew that meant a dismal chance that I'd get any sleep on this flight.
The forward cabin was roughly 70% full, but I had an empty seat beside me once again.
J Cabin
Good Legroom
Since sleep was unlikely, I partook of the meal service. It was nothing special, but good enough.
Menu
Fruit
Chicken
Dessert
I then tried in vain to sleep, but it didn't happen for me. We arrived at HKG on time and offloaded near gate 36, right across the hall from transit security. I got through security in 5 minutes and headed straight for the Aerotel located near gate 35. I could have gone into the city for a day hotel, but the extra hassle wasn't really worth it. So I got a room at Aerotel for 6 hours and promptly passed out.
Aerotel Room
I got a solid 5 hours of sleep, despite the fact that the bed was more a day bed. The room lacked individual A/C controls, so it started to get a bit warm at noon. Also, the curtains didn't block out all light, though they did a reasonable job of keeping it dark-ish. After a good long nap, I cleaned up and went to grab some breakfast.
Apron View from Aerotel Room
Overall, the flight was fine. But I really disliked the timing of the KTM flight. It's timed to coincide with the morning flight bank (similar to ex-US flights), so the timing is pretty terrible for connecting to US-bound flights. Unfortunately, I suspect the demand for a double daily to KTM just isn't there.