JohnGreat

Folks,
Need some advises on my upcoming trip on CX’s F class in a few weeks. Pardon my ignorance, this is my 1st and I bet will be my only opportunity to fly via F class. Remind myself as if I am one of the “The Beverly Hillbillies” …….. Any feedback are welcome. Here are my questions,

1. I’ll be flying F class from SFO – HKG with a transit time of two hours before my connecting flight which will be in J class
   • Based on what I have read, I am still entitled to use F class lounge in HKG although my connecting flight is in J. Am I correct?
   • Assuming my arrival is on time, will 90 minutes sufficient for me to have a decent breakfast either in the Wing’s/Pier’s F lounge, not the buffet? Without rushing. I am estimating 30 minutes for walking from my embarking gate and disembarking gate plus passing through security. I just pray it’s not one in Gate 1 and the other in Gate 60. BTW, @ 6ish in the morning, are the F lounge fully open?
   • I tried to change to a later connecting flight but MPC said I will have to pay penalty for making changes. For US$300, I’ll pass. Any work around?
2. Can I request for a lady’s amenity kit although I am an old man? When do I request? At check-in or on the flight? I never use those amenities anyway and do not intend to use the F class pajama, because someone has already begging for 2 sets (Round trip)
   • Will it be alright if I change to my T-Shirt and shorts just as I do when I normally flew in J? The last thing I want to hear is someone mentioning a wield old man wearing boxer short and T-Shirt running around in F cabin.
3. On my return flight from HKG - SFO, I intend to head to the airport right after checking out @ noon although my departure time is 1am
   • Will that be too much? Again, I will be very upset if I later read someone writing on “CX Secret” about a Golden Mountain big uncle living in CX’s F lounge and hopping around lounges
   • I plan to explore both The Wing’s and the Pier’s F class lounge during those 12 hours.
     • I even plan to take a bath/shower and not at the hotel. Which lounge for bath do you suggest? Wing or Pier? May I assume F lounge hopping is allowed?
     • I will like to have lunch, afternoon tea and dinner plus supper before I head to my departure gate @ 00:30
     • I plan to use “The Retreat” in the afternoon for resting. No massage planed
     • Anything else I can do or experience in the lounge?
     • Is there a way to predict which gate my flight will be departing from?

QRC3288

I'll try to answer your questions here. Congratulations and enjoy the flight.

Yes, correct.
Although I'm not sure what you mean exactly, yes 30 minutes is a reasonable and perhaps slightly conservative estimate for total time (disembarking from first flight + transit security + walk to lounge + walk from lounge to departure gate for 2nd flight).

Are you going to try and go to both Wing and Pier? If you only go to one, actually it won't be the end of the world even if one flight is gate 4 (...farther than gate 1) and the other is gate 71.

Just remember, there are transit security facilities scattered throughout the single-terminal airport: "transit" is another way of saying "go downstairs/arrival to upstairs/departure".

You will likely know your departure gate for your 2nd flight when you land, either when you're in the air or upon arrival if the gate isn't displayed on-board CX873 as they often are prior to landing. If you don't mind which lounge you use, when you deplane, I'd recommend using either the Pier or Wing F most "on the way" to your next gate. But really, 2 hours is plenty of time to go to both, even if the gates aren't perfectly located.

Yes


Not that I know.

Not a problem to get the opposite sex, I do it all the time. Just ask on board when they give you your kit. Not a big deal.

Also not a problem to wear your t-shirt. Dress code in F is no different than J class, PEY or Y in my opinion. Although if you're implying it's okay to waltz around in your underwear...that I have to assume you're kidding...right? Just as that wouldn't be appropriate anywhere else on the plane, it is not appropriate in F class either...

you are going to have a lot of time in the lounge then....which, although isn't my cup of tea, sounds like what you're going for

Ha, have you read FT and seen what some people do on the blogs? People shoveling bottles of water into their bags, stealing bottles of Champagne, trying to spend overnight, taking an entire buffet tray worth of sushi, and god knows how many other things. Spending hours in the lounge is not a crime. You're overthinking it a little too much . Enjoy yourself.



You may go between the lounges as many times as you like...no restrictions.

"The Cabanas" in Wing F have the only baths, if you're asking about bath tubs.

I prefer The Pier for showers. If you care, Pier has brand-name amenities while the Wing doesn't. Actually, both Pier J and Pier F have brand-name amenities. Wing doesn't.

Since you have so much time, you may as well go to all the lounges. Pier J is particularly nice IMO and if I had 12 hours I'd probably be there instead of the F lounge.

Not really. Although flights to the USA often depart from gates 3-4, and to a lesser-extent 17-18. However sometimes they are also at random gates in the 20s, 40s, 60s, etc. If you have to bet, bet on gates 3-4. Those are the most common departure gates for late night CX872 and CX880 (SFO and LAX midnight departures).


I'll add the final caveat that I certainly wouldn't be spending 12 (or 6...or 4) hours in the lounge if I could avoid it. But I understand the excitement and am not going to try and dissuade you. Enjoy.

Dr. HFH

From one man who's feeling old to another....

Yes.


Yes, but have breakfast before you spend any time shopping or otherwise dawdling.


Depends a bit on how mobile you are and how fast you walk, but my answer doesn't change. Should be plenty of time. Lounges will be open.


Sorry, I'm not a member of, and know nothing about, MPC.


Yes. Request when you first board and cabin crew is distributing them. I've never experienced a problem doing this, and I always do. I don't use them myself, but my staff loves them, so I always ask for the female kit (I'm male).


Boxer shorts? T shirt? IMO, that's inappropriately underdressed. The aircraft is a public place. Use the pajamas, and request an extra pair from cabin crew. If there is an extra pair, they'll happily give them to you. And one more thing. I wouldn't have guessed that I have to say this, but one older couple on a MRU-LHR flight in F defied my expectations on this. Regardless of your attire, if you're going to change, do it in the lavatory, not in the cabin.


"Too much" is different for every person. It's very unlikely that anyone will notice you. The lounges are large, and are sometimes crowded. And who cares what they write about you? It's not like they're going to publish your name/photo.


Yes, lounge hopping is allowed. Personally, I prefer The Wing, for 1) high ceilings (well, in much of the lounge, there isn't any ceiling, it's just the roof, and it's very high), 2) spectacular tarmac views, and 3) The lower ceilings and restricted views in The Pier contribute to a bit of a subterranean feeling that I get, and I don't find it pleasant. That said, in terms of décor, etc., The Pier is lovely, too.


Not with certainty, but CX U.S.-bound flights often depart from gates 1-4.

cxfan1960

I suppose you are connecting to a short-haul OW flight, in which case you are entitled to the F lounge.

Unless your flight arrives early, I would suggest relax and have breakfast in a F lounge instead of lounge hopping. You will have plenty of time doing lounge hopping on your return.

Some gates are pretty remote. In some cases, you make need to take a bus to a midfield concourse. CX/KA occasionally closes gate early. So be at the gate with enough time to spare.

ricktoronto

Noon checkout to 1 a.m. flight time just for CX lounges is crazy. They are not that great in F or J. 13 hours, good grief.

sxc

JohnGreat

Folks, many Thanks for for all your inputs..... I will have a second part of questions about during the flight after I summarized my questions later.

Just to clarify, I meant to wear a basketball short and not a boxer short. Misuse of word......... I will definitely not wear an under and waltz in the F cabin

I hope to have sufficient time to visit one of the F lounge during my transit in HKG near my connecting flight(CX) gate. And for the return flight from HKG - SFO, I will try to cut down the time instead of using 12 full hours visiting both F lounges. Being a 'Silver', I have visited all the J lounges except "The Deck". Haven't gone to that side of the gates.

SW7London

Interesting you say this, occasionally at the end of a flight I ask for a second pair for a family member - sometimes the answer is a yes, I'll come right back, sometimes they have to check and more often than not say no.

I wouldn't have thought they would be controlled that strictly - i.e. they must have spares for spillage etc. Evidently not!

sxc

mbamejia

You CAN try to rebook at the check-in counter at SFO if you are connecting to a CX or KA flight. Did that once out of ORD and they accommodated me with no extra charges. No guarantees though.

If not CX/KA, chances are slim to none, IMO.

brunos

Travelling in shorts in F class, whatever kind of shorts, is politically VERY incorrect.

CS PJs (PYE) are nice and easily washable in lukewarm water. We do it all the time. Why not enjoy one of the pleasure of F? The only reason I could see is if your friend is small size and you are large.

A lounge is a lounge. F lounge is not vastly better than J lounge. It is open to all DMs and the like flying Y, not exclusive. Once you have eaten and drunk (mediocre quality of wines) most of us get bored. Two hours gives you plenty of time to enjoy. On the return flight, I would simply ask for 2pm checkout from hotel, enjoy HK a bit more and head to airport by 7 to get some early dinner in lounge and a shower.

Dr. HFH

I ask for an extra pair occasionally and have never been denied. I usually ask towards the end of the flight.

londonexpert

Amenity kit yes - PJ's no.

HaikalS

A little OOT but I actually find the PJs more "special" than the amenity kit

Nile_US

Damn! I didn't know I could take the amenity kit home! I really liked the one I got on my LAX-HKG, J flight a couple of weeks ago and was thinking but didn't want to be "THAT" type of a person!! I am gonna do it next time, if I get another free op-up! ;-)