Seat 2A

I made my first trip to Australia back in 1982. I departed out of Los Angeles aboard a four year old Continental DC-10-30 that made stops in Honolulu and Nadi on the way to Sydney. Pan Am and Qantas offered nonstop LA to Sydney flights aboard 747SPs, but I preferred the multi-stop routing, especially as I’d never flown into Nadi.

Since that first trip, I’ve made ten more trips to Australia. Obviously, I like it Down Under. More to the point, I like the entire region. Many of my trips to Australia have also included visits to New Zealand, Fiji and other Pacific islands. And, because I work seasonally, I generally stay anywhere from one to four months at a time.

This hasn’t gone unnoticed amongst friends and family back home. More than a few have suggested “Why don’t you just buy a winter home down there?” Indeed, that thought had occurred to me as well, especially given what until recently has been very affordable housing prices. Back in the late 1980s, $100,000.00 USD would get you an incredibly nice place in either Tasmania or New Zealand.

Ultimately however, I came to the realization that I could never purchase a house in Australia because my home is in North America. I love Australia but I’m not gonna move in with her. We’re good friends. I come down here to explore and have fun, not set up home and live per se. More to the point, I can’t imagine calling anywhere but North America home. Born in Colorado and raised in the American West, my roots are firmly planted in North American soil. From the Rocky Mountains to the Canadian Maritimes, from the Mexican Riviera to the Alaskan Interior, there’s no continent I’d rather live on. If I were to have another ten lifetimes, I would hope that I’d be so fortunate as to live each and every one of them somewhere between Southern Mexico and Northern Alaska.

Now it’s time to return home. I’m due to report for duty in Denali National Park on May 7th. Equally compelling is the fact that it’s springtime in the North Country. Winter, summer and autumn all have their charms, but my favorite season is spring. The days are longer, the sun is warmer and everything is new, fresh and exciting. It’s like a beautiful girl has just called out to me “Hey! You want to dance?!” I’m excited to get back home and join the seasonal festivities.

As always, I’ve had a great time during this winter’s two trips Down Under. I visited a number of great little towns well off the tourist track and met some very nice people. I’m talking about places such as Norseman, WA, Kadina, SA and Augusta, WA. I rediscovered the incredible natural beauty of Australia’s Red Centre, particularly the West MacDonnell Ranges, and I rode the world’s only north-south transcontinental train all the way up to Darwin in the far north. I often find myself wishing that it was four months ago and I could do this all over again. I’m already looking forward to my next trip, which hopefully will include a visit to the Brisbane Qantas Pub for a few beers with fellow FTer QF WP. Next time I come down, I’d like to see more of South Australia as well as the north of West Australia.

All told, my journey home will involve 14,650 miles of travel aboard four airlines. All but 810 of those miles will be in First Class, with the bulk of that travel coming aboard Cathay Pacific, arguably the finest purveyor of inflight First Class service in the world. So without further ado, let’s head on out to Hobart International Airport and get this trip underway.


May 01, 2005
Hobart to Melbourne
Virgin Blue 365 Economy Class
737-800 VH-VOV Seat 14C
1010a-1120a Flight Time: :57

I love stormy nights, lying in a warm bed while listening to nature’s symphony fantastique just outside my window. On my last night in Tasmania, nature delivered a particularly impressive display of wind and rain. Up in Tasmania’s high country, snow has been falling for the past three days. Despite the warm sunny weather I’ve experienced of late, I have to remind myself that it’s late autumn down here on the south side of the planet. Winter is just around the corner.

I awoke briefly at 4:00am and the storm was still raging, so when I finally got up at 7:00am I was surprised to see clear skies and bright sunshine. It was still windy but the rain had ceased. After a round of good byes to the friendly staff at Central City Backpackers, I caught the shuttle bus out to Hobart International Airport.

Back in 1989, I flew an Air New Zealand 737 into Hobart from Christchurch, New Zealand. That flight represented Hobart’s only scheduled international air service. Air New Zealand dropped it about ten years ago but the airport retains its international status because it still maintains a customs facility. Perhaps an international charter flight still drops in occasionally.

Hobart’s airport is currently undergoing a major renovation, perhaps in hopes of luring more international flights. To be sure, Tasmania has seen a marked increase in tourism over the years as both Australians and overseas visitors are starting to recognize Tasmania’s incredible natural beauty and wide variety of tourism activities and facilities.

The tarmac was particularly busy this morning with two bright red 737-800s from Virgin Blue, a 737-400 from Qantas and a fully painted 717-200 from Jetstar. The livery on the Jetstar 717 was noteworthy because so many of them bear only the Jetstar title and logo on an all white fuselage with nothing on the tail. Image is as important to an airline as it is any other big company and half-painted aircraft do not generally tend to inspire a lot of confidence in the quality of the operation.

The aircraft operating my flight up to Melbourne this morning was a non-winglet equipped 737-800 dubbed “Alluring Alice”. Boarding was called fifteen minutes prior to departure. Both the forward and rear doors were utilized, allowing the almost full flight to board smoothly and efficiently.

Entering via the forward door, the first thing I noticed was that the seats aboard this aircraft were not upholstered in the traditional Virgin blue. Rather, they were upholstered in patterned olive green and dark gray. I thought it looked a bit like Air Canada’s interior but of course, Air Canada has never operated the 737-800. Instructions on the seatback regarding seatbelts and life vests were in English and some Eastern European looking language. Turkish or one of the old Yugoslavian states, perhaps?

We were buffeted by strong winds as we climbed out of Hobart, so much so that the lady across the aisle from me grabbed an air sickness bag but thankfully did not have to use it. Fortunately, we got up above the winds fairly quickly and the rest of the flight went smoothly. My exit row aisle seat afforded plenty of room and I used it to the fullest during the short fifty-seven minute flight up to Melbourne. I bought coffee and a muffin off the inflight menu and then pulled out my laptop and put in the finishing touches on the opening paragraphs of this Trip Report. For me at least, the most difficult portion of writing any trip report is getting it off to a good start. I was happy to have this one well under way by the time we touched down in Melbourne at 11:15am.

Having now flown both Virgin Blue and Jetstar at least twice each, it is my opinion that Virgin Blue offers the superior product. Starting with appearance, both of the Jetstar 717s that I flew upon as well as many that I’ve seen since were not completely painted. Whereas Jetstar boards by zones, Virgin Blue assigns seats. On board, Jetstar’s 717s offer less seat pitch than many busses – I would guestimate it at about 31” or less. Certainly no more. Jetstar’s Flight Attendants are friendly enough, though not quite as chipper as their counterparts at Virgin Blue who seem to be happier in their jobs. When it comes to baggage delivery, Virgin Blue wins hands down. Only once in five flights with Virgin Blue have I ever had to wait longer than five to eight minutes for my baggage. At the end of the day, Jetstar is okay but Virgin Blue is simply better.

At baggage claim, I met up with fellow FTer rot8, also known as Martin. It’s been my great pleasure to meet up with rot8 over the past three years. A more gracious host could not be imagined and today that was doubly true as Martin had finagled seats for us both at the Collingwood vs. St. Kilda AFL Football match to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

After dropping off my pack at the Formule 1 Motel at Tullamarine, we headed out to the MCG and claimed our seats up on the third level. Given the size of the AFL playing field, an oval much larger than our one hundred yard long NFL field, these third level seats afforded us a much better view than those down closer to the field.

Prior to the match, I’d watched a couple of AFL matches in an attempt to become somewhat conversant in the game. Still, once play got underway, I still had a lot of questions. Martin, to his eternal credit, was supremely patient with my many questions and observations, some of which may have been a bit overly forward for a neophyte observer of the game.

Unfortunately, Collingwood’s Magpies are suffering through a tough season, hobbled by injuries to some of its key players. St. Kilda beat them fairly handily this day and the immediate future does not look overly bright. It’s never fun to watch your favorite team play poorly and Martin and I washed down the disappointment with a couple of cold beers downstairs after the match. Collingwood is a proud old franchise and I’ll look forward to the day that the Magpies win an AFL Championship for Martin and their many supporters.

After the match, we headed down to Lygon Street in Carlton and ran the gauntlet of Italian Restaurants. The restaurant barkers are out on the sidewalk boldly trying to entice you into their restaurants with offers of free drinks and/or appetizers. I’d never seen anything quite like it. We walked by six or seven restaurants, politely declining six or seven offers before finally settling on one of the restaurants. I don’t recall how we chose it, but I remember that provided us with a very nice meal indeed.

Thanks again to rot8 for being such a fine host. I look forward to the day I’ll be in a position to return his kindness.


May 02, 2005
Melbourne to Sydney
Qantas 434 Economy Class
767-300 VH-ZXF Seat 43J
100p-235p Flight Time: 1:10

The Formule 1 Motel is conveniently located just around the corner from a BP Roadhouse, complete with attached McDonalds restaurant. There I met up with fellow FTer mwenenzi for Egg McMuffins (McDonalds’ finest sandwich) and chit chat. Amazingly, he’d only left Australia once since I last saw him in January. Mwenenzi means Traveler in Swahili and in Allan’s case it is a most appropriate moniker.

I arrived at Qantas’ domestic terminal at 11:15am. It was not a pretty sight. The Economy Class check-in line was huge, snaking back and forth through six long lanes. I think I was number 214. I glanced at my watch. So long as I made it to the counter within the next hour…

As I trudged through lanes five and six, I recalled some of the longer lines I’d waited in during my life. The longest was at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. It was 1983 and The Grateful Dead was playing a three night gig. Although one could have a great time just about anywhere at a Dead concert, we decided to see if just once we could score seats down in the first or second row. Back then festival seating was the rule so if you wanted better seats, you needed to be one of the first to enter the park. This meant getting down to the park early. Real early. After a long night of partying up at Chief Hosa campground, the eight of us showed up red-eyed and bushy haired at 3:00am. Despite the early hour, we were hardly at the front of the line. Still, we had a fine time hangin’ with the rest of the ‘Heads and although the park gates didn’t open until 8:00am, time and space were irrelevant and we ultimately ended up with second row seats. Hey Now!

Unfortunately, waiting in an Economy Class check-in line is hardly a party atmosphere. I flew out of Las Vegas on September 14th, 2001 – the first day that U.S. airports had been allowed to reopen following the 9-11 incidents. The line looked like something out of a Stephen King movie, overflowing with crowds of hot and harried air travelers sluggishly snaking through over fifteen rows of humanity. The line extended outside the terminal, into the 90-degree heat. I waited almost two and a half hours in that line!

Thankfully on this day Qantas had plenty of agents on duty and I found myself standing at a counter just twenty-two minutes later. Good on ya, Qantas!

About four years ago, Qantas picked up some used 767-300s from British Airways. These 767s were not very old – their odometers indicated they’d flown just a few million miles – and they were promptly put to work plying Qantas’ busier domestic routes, such as the Melbourne – Sydney – Brisbane corridor. In fact, when I booked this flight a couple of months ago, I had a hard time finding any flights between Melbourne and Sydney operated by something other than the 767-300.

Sitting at Gate 24 this afternoon was VH-ZXD, a Rolls-Royce powered 767-300 of British heritage. I’m guessing that most if not all of these ex-BA machines are relegated to domestic service, which means that few if any of them are outfitted with the Dreamtime seats in Business Class. Today’s aircraft certainly wasn’t. Business Class consisted of five rows of 2-2-2 seating, followed by a tiny two row Economy Class cabin, then the galley and finally the main cabin. Seating was relatively spacious, especially compared to Qantas subsidiary Jetstar. I would estimate seat pitch on the 767 at 33-34”.

Despite this being an almost full flight, boarding proceeded quickly because Qantas does a good job of enforcing its carry-on size restrictions. As a result, you don’t have half or more of the passengers struggling down the aisles with bulky roll-on bags, delaying the boarding process as they search for available bin space or try to force their bags into spaces that may or may not have room for them.

As departure time approached, we were informed that the engineers had noticed a “small problem” in their inspection of the aircraft and were on the phone to Sydney trying to decide what to about it. Further information would be forthcoming within ten minutes. I decided to set my stopwatch and put this claim to the test.

Eight minutes later, the captain got back to us with the bad news. We’d not be flying this aircraft up to Sydney today. At least, not on the 1:00pm departure. The good news was that the aircraft scheduled for the 3:00pm departure was another 767 with an identical cabin configuration. It was parked just across the concourse at Gate 21. We’ll just switch planes, baggage, etc. and be on our way as soon as possible.

And so we did, finally pushing back from Gate 21 at 2:15pm. Then the bad news was delivered. In an effort to get us on our way to Sydney as soon as possible – especially those passengers with connecting flights – it was decided to leave the food and beverages behind. I thought I heard sounds of mild disappointment from a few rows back but honestly, what would we have received on a one hour flight up to Sydney anyway? A boxed sandwich?

In any event, Qantas turned those jeers into cheers when it was further announced that upon our arrival in Sydney, an agent would be meeting the flight to distribute meal vouchers as compensation. It’ll be interesting to find out just how much compensation is deemed appropriate for a snack sandwich.

Actually, the fact that Qantas serves any food at all on this one hour, 430 mile flight is quite nice. I flew Economy Class from Darwin to Sydney to Melbourne in mid-April and there was food on each segment. Never mind that the Darwin flight departed at 1:15am and I slept through whatever was served. The Sydney to Melbourne flight was aboard a 747-400 and it smelled like a full hot breakfast was served – at least up in Business and First Class. Compared to our current service –or lack of same - in the US, I thought this was pretty impressive. One just wonders how long it will last.

Many of our Australian FTers like to bray about how much nicer the service is on Qantas compared to flying aboard US airlines. They’re right – Qantas offers a much nicer product these days. It should be noted however that US airlines have been operating in a deregulated environment much longer than the Australian carriers. The dynamics affecting profitable operations in the US domestic market - mainly lots more competition from Low Cost Carriers - are much more pronounced than those found in the Australian domestic market, and the major US carriers have been dealing with a multitude of Low Cost Carriers for a lot longer.

In their heyday, US airlines offered the finest inflight service in the world insofar as domestic flights were concerned. I remember menus with appetizers and a choice of three entrees on three and a half hour Denver to New York flights. After the meal, there was still plenty of time to go hang out in the lounge for a drink and a smoke. And that was in Economy Class! I remember flying First Class Chicago to Dallas on American’s DC-10s in the early 1980s. The flight was less than two hours but we got the full trolley service for both salad and entrees as we sat around a table for four. I’ve enjoyed more than a few full hot dinner services on flights of less than an hour between Denver and Albuquerque or Salt Lake City.

Considering that the US was the first of the developed nations to deregulate its airline industry, it’s understandable that some examples would be set on how best to operate – and not operate – in the new deregulated environment. During the first ten to fifteen years of deregulation in America however, our airlines still offered a good inflight product with complete, hot meals served in both First Class and Economy.

Australia deregulated in about 1990 and since that time only three real Low Cost Carriers have emerged – Compass, Impulse and Virgin Blue. Jetstar should be included as well even though it’s owned by Qantas. Compass Airlines arrived in December 1990 and was down and out before the end of 1991, thanks in no small measure to predatory pricing and policies by Ansett and Australian Airlines. It’s reincarnation via Southern Cross in 1991 lasted just one year. Impulse and its colorful new 717s lasted all of ten months before it was incorporated into Qantas Link. Until Virgin Blue arrived, no true Low Cost Carrier had ever mounted a credible and consistent challenge to the dominance of Qantas/Australian/TAA or Ansett for the domestic marketplace.

Given the unique dynamics of Australia’s geography and population, I have my doubts as to whether the country could support another national low fare airline. Virgin Blue hasn’t exactly been making money hand over fist and its new owners, the Patrick Corporation, have indicated they don’t intend to operate Virgin Blue as a true discount carrier. In the meantime Qantas’ domestic fares, though occasionally on par with Virgin Blue or Qantas’ own Jetstar, are usually about 20 to 30% higher. Interestingly, the real challenge facing Qantas would appear to be in the international arena, particularly on the Sydney to Los Angeles run now coveted by Singapore Airlines. As well, once insignificant Emirates is now becoming a major world airline and is clamoring for greater access to Australian markets, including trans-Pacific markets.

So yes, Qantas does indeed offer superior service to its US counterparts but already there have been cuts from its inflight service of years past. Were Qantas to operate in a similar environment to the US, I have little reason to doubt that it would be in much the same position that many of the major US carriers find themselves in today, with similar style of service. It’ll be interesting to see how Qantas’ unions will react should Qantas ever someday request concessions from them such as those foisted upon US airline employees. Hopefully Geoff Dixon or whoever’s running the ship by then won’t go and reward himself with millions in bonuses like a couple of the foolish and greedy CEOs at American carriers.

Getting back to the flight, Qantas offered a modified beverage service up to Sydney and did a good job of insuring connecting passengers met their flights. In one case, a small bus was waiting at the gate for passengers connecting to Tamworth and Albury. Very nice. Upon arrival, we were informed that in lieu of meal vouchers, we need only present our boarding passes to any airport food vendor and would receive an $8.00 credit towards whatever we wanted. Well done, Qantas!


*** ***** ***

Although Sydney has a slew of inexpensive hostels in the Kings Cross area, I wanted to treat myself to some peace and quiet at a nicer hotel. I’d done a search on the local budget hotel websites such as wotif.com and octopustravel.com and didn’t see anything all that interesting or affordable. The hotels that were affordable – i.e. less than $100.00AUD per night – didn’t look all that good. Through Google I found a site called needtoescape.com that listed a double room at the good looking Gemini Hotel for just $99.00 all in. Equally attractive was the fact that the Gemini operated a free shuttle service between the airport and the hotel.

After claiming my pack, I called up the Gemini and arranged for a ride. The hotel is located in the Sydney suburb of Randwick and is only a fifteen-minute drive from the airport. The area surrounding the hotel has a nice variety of restaurants and shops, so finding an affordable dinner was no problem either. It’s worth noting however that the Italian restaurant located in the hotel offered very affordably priced main dishes as well.

My room was practically a suite and was nicer than some much pricier Hyatt and Sheraton rooms that I’ve stayed in. After putting in a bit of work on this report, I went out and found a pretty decent Thai restaurant for dinner.

The next morning, I caught a shuttle back to the airport. The day was bright and sunny – a great day for flying. That I’d be flying in First Class aboard Cathay Pacific only served to heighten the anticipation.

Seat 2A

May 03, 2005
Sydney to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class
A340-300 B-HXL Seat 1A
300p-1035p Flight Time: 8:42

PICTURES MAY BE FOUND HERE.

Cathay Pacific’s check-in counters opened at noon, three hours before flight time. I sauntered up to the counter shortly after it opened and soon was on my way through security and on to the First Class lounge. Surprisingly, there was no Fast Track lane for First or Business Class passengers.

Cathay does not operate its own lounge at Kingsford-Smith. Instead, I was given an invitation to visit the Qantas Club. I’ve heard both positive and negative reviews about Sydney’s International Qantas Club. Usually however, the best First Class lounge in any international airport is the one operated by the airline based out of that airport. As a First Class passenger accustomed to the very highest standards in service on Cathay Pacific, I was curious to see just how Qantas’ Club would stack up.

Once I’d passed through the gauntlet of Duty Free stores blatantly placed to squeeze every last note of colorful Australian currency from my wallet, I headed up the escalator to the Mezzanine Level where the Qantas Club is located. The entrance to the First Class side is through large, opaque glass doors. After surrendering my lounge invitation card to the receptionist, I stashed my carry-on bag and proceeded into the lounge.

I like big windows that let in lots of natural light. A nice sweeping vista is also appreciated but is secondary to the natural light. The Sydney Qantas Club scored high marks on both counts with large, nearly floor to ceiling picture windows that afforded a superb view of the ramp and the skyline of downtown Sydney in the distance. The lounge was not that busy so there was plenty of room for visitors to spread out upon a variety of couches and chairs set around low coffee tables.

In the center of the lounge was a buffet area stocked with a decent variety of liquors and beers. Also featured was a very nice and ever changing variety of hot and cold foods. At the time I arrived, there was a nice selection of cold sandwiches, seasoned chicken wraps, peppered salmon, meatballs and fried chicken tenders accompanied by guacamole, chutney and a tomato salsa. There was also a nice plate of cheeses, including a tasty blue cheese that I quite enjoyed. Also available were fresh fruit and two different plates of pastries, cookies and muffins. I thought it was all quite good and wasted no time in putting together a colorful plate of finger foods to accompany an ice cold Crown Lager and mixed nuts.

Settling at a table by the window, I watched as my A340 was prepared for departure. I think it was Andy Warhol who once filmed the Empire State Building for something like eight straight hours. Although I didn’t have time to see that movie, I should imagine that if one were to film all the activity around an international airliner from the time of its arrival to the time of its departure, the entertainment value would be considerably higher.

The Qantas Club does have an Internet room with four terminals but the connection speed was woefully slow. I’ve been on faster dial ups in the middle of Alaska. Surprisingly, there was no free wireless offered even though the capability to inexpensively provide such has been available in Australia for some time now. The fact that at its own home base Australia’s primary airline won’t even provide its best customers with something as basic as decent Internet access is at best incomprehensible and at worst foolish penny pinching.

When I returned to the buffet area for another beer, I noticed that tasty looking open-faced sandwiches had replaced the original basic sandwiches. A tray of cold cuts had also been added, along with some different but no less delicious looking pastries. Those open-faced sandwiches were tempting but with a full dinner to look forward to in about an hour, I decided to hold off.

Aside from the Internet situation, I really have no complaints with this lounge. It was spacious, comfortable and reasonably well stocked with food and drink. Overall, it was a pleasant place to while away a couple of hours before my flight.

Boarding was called about twenty-five minutes before departure time. Gate 24 was conveniently located right next door to the Qantas Club so I didn’t have far to go once I got all my gear collected. In this instance, “gear” meant laptop, cord, camera, postcards and pens. The gate agents sounded quite flustered when I arrived. “Okay - There’s the First Class passenger!” one of them said. “Call back up to the lounge and see about those Business Class passengers. They must still be up there!” I looked at my watch. 2:41pm. Still nineteen minutes before departure.

Gate 24 has just one jetway and it was positioned at door 1L. This meant that all the passengers got to wander through the First Class cabin on their way back to the nether regions of the aircraft. This was no big deal to me, especially since I was apparently one of the last to board, but I found it unusual given the customary placement of jetways at door 2L.

My seat today is 1A. I wanted the A side for two reasons. First and foremost, it is the side on which the sun will be setting. Secondly, the lavatory on the A340 is located on the right hand side of the forward galley. Less noise and traffic nearby my seat is always appreciated.

A First Class seat in the nose of a 747 has always been my favorite spot aloft. Still, a First Class Suite aboard one of Cathay Pacific’s Airbuses ranks a very close second. This appraisal does not apply to any other operator of the larger Airbuses that I’ve flown upon. Furthermore, the First Class Suites aboard Cathay’s A330 and A340s are unquestionably the finest accommodations I have ever experienced aloft. The reason I like them so much is because of the huge amount of personal space and seat side storage available. Check out the suite in this photo.

All First Class flights aboard Cathay Pacific begin with the presentation of a preflight glass of champagne (or the beverage of your choice) along with a small appetizer or amuse bouche. Today’s offerings were a glass of tasty Cuvée William Deutz 1996 along with a small plate of sliced lobster tail atop seasoned greens. Delicious.

Captain Gord Thompson issued a hearty welcome aboard from the flight deck and informed us that we’d be eight hours and thirty-five minutes enroute up to Hong Kong this afternoon. There would be some thunderstorms along the route, especially later this evening, but in general we should be in for a fairly smooth flight. Even so, it’s always a good idea to keep those seatbelts fastened at all times.

Following the last minute arrival of an Australian family of four, the doors were shut and we promptly began our push back. The First Class cabin had six out of eight seats filled – a far better load than on my flight down from Hong Kong when only three of us were up front.

As we were taxiing out, Purser Marie Hendricks stopped by to introduce herself and welcome us all aboard Cathay Pacific’s First Class. Cocktails would be served shortly after takeoff, followed by dinner. Thank you for flying with Cathay Pacific and please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything we can do for you.

Following a lengthy takeoff roll, we soared into the clear Australian skies and soon adopted a northwesterly heading. As we were climbing out, it occurred to me that the last time I flew internationally out of Sydney was way back in 1992 aboard a Continental DC-10-30 headed for Honolulu, nine and a half hours distant. I was in First Class on that flight and I’ll always remember the big log of truffled fois gras from which the Flight Attendants were carving massive slabs. Decadent indeed. I wonder what Cathay will be offering on this flight?

That question was soon answered with the presentation of the menu and wine list. My menu featured a picture of a mouth watering plateful of spring rolls and dipping sauce on its cover. The wine list was emblazoned with the logo from Business Traveller Magazine’s Cellar in the Sky Awards, from which Cathay Pacific was awarded Most Original Wine List. Let’s see what’s in the cellar for this flight…


WINE LIST

Champagne
Cuvée William Deutz 1996

White Wines
Hollick Coonawarra Reserve Chardonnay 2002
Vincent Girardin Meursault, Vieilles Vignes 2001

Red Wines
Chateau Branaire-Ducru 1996, 4eme Cru Classe
St. Andrews Shiraz 1999
Tignanello 2000

Port
Ramos Pinto Quinto da Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port




This is the same wine list that was offered on my flight down last month. Not that I’m complaining, however. I have fond memories of that St. Andrews Shiraz, as well as the Vincent Girardin Meursault. The latter won First Place for the best First Class White Wine in the aforementioned Cellar in the Sky Awards,

Flight Attendant Marjorie stopped by to take my drink order and said she’d return in about ten minutes for my dinner selections. In the meantime, I perused the First Class menu over a glass of St. Andrews Shiraz accompanied by a small dish of almonds. Hmm…




Sydney to Hong Kong

DINNER

Caviar and Balik Salmon Delight
Oscietra Caviar and Balik Salmon “Tsar Nicolaj”
Served with Warm New Potatoes and Crème Fraiche

LIGHT CHOICE

Potato and Fennel Cream Soup
Served with Mini Garlic Baguette

Smoked Trout with Nicoise Salad
Served with Light Vinaigrette Dressing

Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls

MAIN COURSES

Dory Fillet with Chervil Cream Sauce
Presented with Boiled Potatoes, Roast Pumpkin and Green Beans

Stir-Fried Beef with Oyster Mushrooms
Steamed Rice and Choy Sum

Korean Style Fried Prawns with Chilli and Pinenuts
Steamed Rice and Sautéed Vegetables

Ricotta Ravioli
Topped with Pumpkin Spinach Cream Sauce


Condiments of Guilin Chilli Sauce, Chinese Red Vinegar and Soya Sauce
are available to accompany your choice


*** ***** ***


Cheeseboard
A Selection of Fine International Cheeses
Served with the Traditional Accompaniments

Dessert
Ice Cream
Chocolate Tart with King Island Cream
Bread and Butter Pudding with Custard Sauce

Tea and Coffee

Pralines and Cookies




Well now… everything looked pretty good but the Korean Style Fried Prawns with Chilli and Pinenuts sounded deliciously exotic. That’s what I ordered for my main course along with soup, salad and of course the famous caviar course.

Cathay presents its salmon and caviar service the old fashioned way, from atop the trolley. While I recognize the benefit of serving meals “on demand” from the galley, I really miss the panache that a proper trolley service adds to the presentation of any part of the meal, from cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to dessert. Seeing your food and drink prepared and presented right at seatside really heightens the anticipation for the entire meal. Western Airlines used to serve its Islander Punch from a magnificent bubbling volcano complete with dried ice. United used to offer a wonderful tossed salad presentation that included cracked pepper delivered with a flourish from a large wooden pepper grinder. United’s Royal Hawaiian First Class service often featured elaborate cakes and pies, beautifully arranged atop the trolley. Northwest’s Regal Imperial dessert carts were justifiably famous as well. I remember a First Class flight on UTA between Papeete and Los Angeles that featured a spectacular Pate de Fois Gras presentation highlighted by a beautiful feather arrangement. Air France’s canapé and appetizer presentations were also a thing of beauty.

Well prepared meals delivered from the galley are very nice but a properly orchestrated trolley service can turn a mere dinner into a memorable event.

Today’s trolley was wielded by Katherine, who did an excellent job of preparing some very artistic looking plates of caviar and salmon surrounded by all the trimmings. I thought it nice that she took the time to transfer the caviar from spoon to spoon to spoon in order to remove any excess liquid that might have accumulated near the bottom of the serving bowl. Three pieces of luscious Balik salmon were framed around two portions of deep black caviar. Onions, eggs and crème fraiche were added, followed by new potatoes and Melba Toast. Great care was taken to ensure proper symmetry around the plate. Finally, a cloth wrapped lemon half was placed on my table and I was free to delve into this most decadent of inflight treats.

With just one exception, the only times I’ve ever eaten caviar have come onboard airplanes. And not just long distance international flights either. Once I was served caviar with all the trimmings aboard a Braniff 727 between New York and Dallas. Coincidentally, the only time I was served caviar when I wasn’t on an airplane occurred at Dulles International Airport at the pre-departure party celebrating the inaugural Concorde flight within the United States. That was on January 12th, 1979. Braniff International had entered into a promotional agreement with Air France and British Airways to fly their Concordes on a code share from Washington DC down to Dallas and back. Of course, flights within the US would be operated at subsonic speeds, but hey – it was the Concorde and a flight on it could be had for the very affordable domestic First Class fare rather than the exorbitant international Supersonic Class fare. I paid $156.00 for a Washington to Denver ticket routed through Dallas. Prior to the flight, I dined on caviar and other fine treats at the International Room restaurant in the main Dulles terminal building. A beautiful ice sculpture held chilled bottles of fine Russian vodka.

Getting on that inaugural Concorde flight was not a problem. Upon reading about it in the paper, I immediately called up Braniff and got a reservation. It was that simple. Both the British Airways and Air France birds were flown down to DFW that sunny January day and every effort was made to land on DFW’s twin runways simultaneously. I flew down on the Air France jet and sat next to the French Minister of Transportation. He was the first person I’d ever seen sniff a wine cork. At the Braniff terminal, we parked nose to nose with BA’s Concorde. As passengers from both aircraft disembarked, a band on the tarmac struck up a spirited rendition of The Yellow Rose of Texas. Ladies were handed a long stemmed yellow rose while gentlemen had one pinned through their lapels. That’s right, lapels. Flying was still enough of an event back then that people still dressed nicely when they flew. TV cameras and news crews crowded around and helicopters filmed the scene from above. It was a fun event to be a part of during the Good Old Days of American commercial aviation. Sadly, the Concorde service down to Dallas was not a moneymaker and was scrapped after just a few months.

Anyway, that gala event at Washington Dulles may well have been the first time I ever had caviar. I can tell you it was not love at first bite, but over the years I’ve definitely come to appreciate those little black eggs. And because caviar is such a rare and cherished treat, rolling it out on the trolley and creatively preparing each plate only served to make the experience that much more distinguished. Well done, Cathay Pacific!

The soup was noteworthy only in that so few airlines still offer a soup course these days. Today’s soup was savory though nowhere near the best soup I’ve had aloft, that being a fantastic clam chowder proffered aboard Aerolineas Argentinas while flying First Class from New York to Miami back in 1986.

The salad included tomato, potato, olives and green beans in addition to pieces of trout. It was pretty good but a leafier salad would have been more to my liking.

There was a ten-minute interlude between the salad and my entrée presentation, but the wait was well worth it. Korean Style Fried Prawns with Chilli and Pinenuts… Even the name sounds delectable. The prawns certainly were, nicely spiced with the chilli and pleasantly enhanced by the added texture of the pinenuts. This was one of the better Asian dishes I’ve had aloft.

For dessert, I chose the Chocolate Tart with King Island Cream. Now when I think of tarts, I usually envision those little round pie dough pastries filled with custard, fruit and whipped cream. This type of tart was standard Economy Class dessert fare on United Airlines back in the sixties and seventies. The tart I was served today might best be described as chocolate mousse in a pie wedge. Though I prefer the custard variety, today’s version was most scrumptious, particularly when washed down with coffee and Bailey’s Irish Cream.

After dinner, I watched an episode of The Sopranos on Studio CX before turning my attention to the Airshow Map. Our route of flight this afternoon took us on a north-northwesterly heading out of Sydney, passing not far from Qantas’ original hometown of Longreach and continuing on up over Arnhem Land. We crossed the northern coast of Australia at a point about two hundred miles east of Darwin. From there we headed out over the Arafura Sea, the first of four different seas along our route to Hong Kong. The others were the Banda Sea, the Celebes Sea and the South China Sea.

At the time we passed over Australia’s northern coast, we’d been inflight for three hours and twenty-eight minutes. We were cruising at 38,000 feet, enjoying a 20-mph tailwind that pushed us along at 565 mph. The Airshow indicated that we still had another 2,637 miles to go, a distance we were projected to cover in just five more hours. Well, 5:04 to be exact, but what’s a couple of minutes when you’re half wasted on good food, wine and the euphoria of First Class travel aboard Cathay Pacific?

As we passed by Zamboanga on the southern tip of the Philippine island of Mindanao, Katherine stopped by to point out a big fishing fleet anchored off our port side, in the direction of Borneo. I was amazed at the amount of area covered by all the lights, especially after checking the Airshow map and noting that there was no land down there.

At this point in the flight, we’d been cruising along for about five and a half hours and most of the passengers were either sleeping, reading or watching their PTVs. It was not a particularly demanding time for the Flight Attendants and so I had a chance to chat with Katherine for awhile.

More than a few Trip Reporters have made the assertion that Flight Attendants onboard the Asian airlines tend to be “robotic”. I won’t contest that view because aside from Cathay Pacific, I haven’t flown any other Asian airlines over the past ten years. However, based upon my experiences aboard Cathay, I wouldn’t label any of their First Class Flight Attendants as robotic. To the contrary, the ladies I’ve met have been very friendly and outgoing, though professional enough to recognize and respect those passengers who want to keep idle chit chat to a minimum. It’s been evident in talking with the crews on my flights that Cathay Pacific doesn’t hire just any pretty face. The First Class FA’s I’ve met over the past couple of years have been intelligent, outgoing people who can and will happily engage you in intelligent conversation if you so desire. Empty headed coffee, tea or me girls they’re definitely not.

The distance between Sydney and Hong Kong is 4,800 miles. That’s about the same distance as Athens to New York. Perhaps because this flight departs in the afternoon and arrives later that same evening, it really doesn’t seem like all that long of a flight to me. Of course, were I squeezed into the approximately three square feet of space allotted each of the almost two hundred passengers back in Economy Class, I might feel differently.

Up in Cathay Pacific’s First Class, there’s been plenty to keep me happy and occupied. Cocktails and a six-course dinner take up a good two hours or more of the flight. A movie is good for a couple more hours. Thanks to in-seat laptop power ports, I can work on this report, listen to music, design some work related databases, even write and send emails. Glancing at my watch, I was amazed to discover that we were now less than two hours from landing in Hong Kong. Katherine returned to ask if I’d care for anything from the refreshment menu.

I have a tendency to overeat in First Class and this flight was no exception. I mean – for me at least – it’s not everyday I get to enjoy such fine food and drink aloft, much less on the ground. Yeah, yeah – I’ve heard all the talk about how much better the food is in a fine earthbound restaurant. I certainly won’t contest that point but I’ve always felt that most food served in International First Class is generally pretty darned good, particularly onboard an airline of Cathay Pacific’s caliber. Perhaps it all tastes so good because I've always viewed the inflight meal as a form of inflight entertainment. A good meal, regardless of the class traveled in, is often the highlight of an otherwise unremarkable flight. I know it’s weird, but somehow what may just a basic Kung Po Chicken in Hong Kong just seems a tad more special at 38,000’.

Above all else, I just love it up here! Comfortably ensconced in a state of the art suite while cruising along high above the planet on a beautiful evening is just heavenly to me. Now let’s have a look at that menu…



REFRESHMENT


NOODLE SOUP AND SAVORIES BUFFET

Noodles in Soup
With Chicken, Chinese Mushrooms and Choy Sum

Selected Sandwiches
Chicken Caesar, Salmon and Cheese, Artichoke and Goats Cheese

Pork Sausage and Chive Mash
Topped with Onion Gravy

DESSERT SELECTION
Selected Pastries
Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Tea and Coffee

Pralines and Cookies




I’ve said before that Cathay’s Asian soups are not to be missed. As such, I requested a bowl of the Chicken & Noodles soup Chinese style and decided to wait and see about the sandwiches until they wheeled the buffet cart through the cabin later on.

Cathay includes a small plate of hot chilli paste with all its soups and I blithely scraped all of it into my soup. Mmmm… ___ !!! ___!! Ay, Carramba! Man, what a rush! Katherine, could you please express me a cold glass of water?! Truth be known, I did overdo it a bit on the chili paste but I’ve had hotter soups in a couple of Thai restaurants. The mushrooms in particular were delicious – chewy with a nutty flavor unlike any mushrooms I’d ever eaten before.

When the sandwich cart was rolled out, I just couldn’t resist. The Chicken Caesar sandwiches were more like a miniature Chicken Wellington – all pastry on the outside with a delicious filling in the center. They were sliced about a three quarters of an inch thick so each sandwich wasn’t all that large. I had one along with a salmon roll and called it a meal. A very good meal.

Our descent into Hong Kong was magical. The cloud cover was puffy rather than solid, and because the clouds were quite low, the lights from the city below illuminated them beautifully. Because the cloud layer was so low, many of the mountaintops surrounding Hong Kong rose above the clouds. Between the clouds we could glimpse the bright lights of the city below. Through this environment we made our descent into Hong Kong. It was indeed a memorable approach.

Overall, this flight represented another stellar effort by Cathay Pacific. We even parked at Gate 2, right across from Cathay’s excellent airport lounge The Wing. It’s hard to imagine a flight being any nicer than this one. Once again, well done Cathay Pacific!


HONG KONG AIRPORT

Over the past couple of weeks, I put in a lot of time on the Internet searching for an affordable hotel room not too far from Hong Kong’s airport. I was willing to pay up to $70.00 USD for a room. To be sure, there are plenty of accommodations around Hong Kong within that price range. However, none of them were located anywhere near the airport. My flight in from Sydney wasn’t scheduled to arrive until 10:30pm. By the time I’d have cleared customs and gotten a train or bus into town, it would have been midnight or later. Add to this the fact that I am totally unfamiliar with Hong Kong and ultimately it just didn’t make sense to put myself in the position of trying to find my way late at night in a foreign city where I didn’t speak the language.

As one might imagine, it was not a particularly gut wrenching decision for me to decide to sleep in the airport. As with my trip down to Australia, I simply brought my sleeping bag and Thermarest Pad along as carry-on baggage. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, I headed downstairs to Gates 5-9. These gates are rarely used late at night and thankfully, tonight was no different. I set up camp in a dimly lit area along the windows and slept quite comfortably until about 7:00am.

Now, what to do until 4:00pm? Hong Kong’s International Airport offers a wide variety of shops and restaurants, and there is plenty of quiet seating available for rest or reading. The plane watching can be quite good and of course you can always walk off any leftover boredom with a half-mile stroll down to the far end of the airport.

As a First Class passenger aboard Cathay Pacific, I also had access to The Wing, generally acknowledged as The World’s Finest Airport Lounge amongst those who frequent such places. I’ve been in a lot of airline lounges in my time and I have to agree with the pros – in terms of services and amenities, The Wing is without peer.

A shower at The Wing is a treat unto itself. The showerheads are about the size of a Kansas sunflower and deliver a most satisfying deluge of hot water. I’d brought along a change of clothing for my second day of travel and now, clean and freshly attired, I proceeded into The Haven, the Wing’s dedicated restaurant for First Class passengers. The Haven offers an excellent breakfast buffet with all the usual western food items plus Asian staples such as congee, noodles and dim sum. Waiters greet and seat you, returning with the beverages of your choice. I settled for a bowl of muesli, some fruit and a Danish roll along with that morning’s copy of the International Herald Tribune. A nice start to the day.

Both the Business and First Class sides of The Wing offer plenty of desk space as well as Internet ready computer terminals, Better yet, the entire lounge is rigged for wireless access so I just fired up my laptop and put in some work on this report. Out the windows to my right is probably the best overall view of the tarmac to be found at any airport in the world. I could see literally dozens of airplanes. Of particular interest was a DC-10-40 (The long range, Pratt & Whitney powered variant) from Japan Airlines and a DC-10-30 from Northwest. It seems like only yesterday that I flew my first flight on a DC-10, back in June of 1972. Truth be known, I was originally booked on a nonstop from New York JFK to Denver aboard a 727-100 but I accidentally on purpose overslept so that I could get rebooked on the LaGuardia to Chicago DC-10 that connected to a DC-8 into Denver. That DC-10 was painted in United’s four star “DC-10 Friendship” livery and featured a large lounge in both First and Coach classes. I also remember that we had seafood crepes for lunch. That was in Economy Class. One a two hour flight. These days, only First Class gets fed on a New York to Chicago flight and then only a sandwich.

But I digress. I spent the better part of the morning trying to bring this report up to date and since I actually rather enjoy writing these reports, time just flew by. Suddenly, it was almost noon. Eager to get out and about for a bit, I walked all the way down to Cathay’s other lounge, The Pier. The Pier is smaller than The Wing and doesn’t offer anywhere near as nice of a view. The dining room there did however provide an excellent luncheon buffet from which I had a salad with stir-fried beef and noodles.

The one thing I have never gotten around to trying yet is Cathay’s Cabanas – the private rooms where one may relax, sleep, work, whatever. To be honest, I’ve never felt a need for that much privacy while in the lounge. Just give me a desk and a comfy chair and I’ll be fine.

Flight 882 to Los Angeles was boarding from Gate 3, conveniently located just thirty meters from the entrance to The Wing. I collected my belongings and headed down to the gate about half an hour prior to departure. Quite a long line had formed for Economy Class passengers but as a First Class passenger I was able to stroll up to the podium at my leisure, present my boarding pass and board anytime.

Seat 2A

May 04, 2005
Hong Kong to Los Angeles
Cathay Pacific 882 First Class
747-400 B-HUD Seat 1A
415p-235p Flight Time: 12:26

Surprisingly, I was able to reserve Seat 1A months in advance of today’s flight. Because many First Class patrons apparently favor the greater sense of privacy afforded them in the first row, many airlines do not allow non-elite level passengers to reserve this row until the day of travel. However, because Cathay Pacific does not stagger the seating in First Class, each seat is directly across from its counterpart on the other side of the cabin. Given the narrowness of the 747’s cabin up in the nose of the aircraft, seats 1A and 1K on Cathay are fairly close together and perhaps better suited for couples traveling together rather than individuals desiring greater privacy. I personally like sitting up in the nose of the 747 because of the slightly angled windows. The first three windows are angled in such a way that they offer the closest thing to a forward view that any passenger can have aboard a commercial jetliner. Only the pilots have a better view.

Service in the forward cabin was provided by Michi, Juhe and Melody. Friendly, attentive and caring - one could not ask for three more lovely and polished Flight Attendants. I was soon comfortably settled in, munching upon an appetizer and sipping Krug Champagne. An amenity kit and pajamas were delivered, followed by a hot towel. The appetizer was a small orange bell pepper filled with a colorful onion and pepper relish accented with grated cheese and pesto vinaigrette dressing artistically placed in drops around the pepper. It was every bit as delicious as it looked.

Although the First Class cabin has been disappearing from some of Cathay’s longer international routes, it is unlikely that this will happen on the Hong Kong to Los Angeles route where patronage of the forward cabin is quite good. Today’s flight was no exception. Every suite was occupied.

Just prior to pushback, Captain Warren Dean welcomed us aboard and gave us some pertinent information about the flight. Our routing would initially take us north towards Japan before adopting a more easterly heading across the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Due to fortuitous tailwinds, we’d enjoy a relatively “quick” journey across the Pacific this evening. Flight time was projected at just 12 hours and 12 minutes. This all sounded fine to me except for that last part about the quick journey. I’m probably the only person on the entire plane who would actually prefer a stiff headwind and an extra hour or two of flight time. But then, I may be one of the few people who view First Class travel aboard a top flight airline like Cathay Pacific in much the same way that kids view a ride on their favorite roller coaster. The flight is never long enough.

Soon, the doors were shut, the jetway was withdrawn and we were pushed back and away from Gate 3. Next door to us at Gate 2, flight 872 to San Francisco was also pushing back. Oh good - a race to the West Coast!

Taxiing out to the runway, we passed by a half dozen remotely parked Dragon Air jets. There appeared to be a good number of gates available and I couldn’t help but wonder if Dragon Air were remotely parking some of its flights in an effort to trim costs. Following a string of three Cathay Pacific 777-300s, we took off into a misty afternoon sky and banked gently to the north. There were good views to be had of the coastline north of the airport until cloud cover obscured all. Soon however, we soared above the clouds and into bright sunshine. Surprisingly, most passengers chose to leave their window shades up and enjoy the late afternoon sunlight as we climbed towards our initial cruising altitude of thirty some odd thousand feet.

The menu and wine list were presented shortly after take off though well before we’d reached cruising altitude. Unlike some airlines, Cathay’s Flight Attendants don’t just hand you a menu. Rather, they present you the menu opened to the correct page. The wine list is then pointed out and mention is made of any special wines that may have been boarded. Although this flight had no special additional wines, my Hong Kong to Sydney flight had a delicious dessert wine (Chateau Roumieu “Haut-Placey” Sauternes 2001) added to the offerings. That wine was described on a special card inserted into the wine list. Here’s the wine list and menu for tonight’s flight:


WINE LIST

Champagne
Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne

White Wines
Franciscan Oakville Estate Chardonnay 2001
Vincent Girardin Meursault, Vieilles Vignes 2001

Red Wines
Corton Grand Cru Louis Max 1996
Foley Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2001
Chateau Lynch Bages 1997, 5éme Cru Classé

Port
Ramos Pinto Quinto da Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port




Hong Kong to Los Angeles

DINNER

Caviar and Balik Salmon Delight
Oscietra Caviar and Balik Salmon “Tsar Nicolaj”
Served with Warm New Potatoes and Crème Fraiche

LIGHT CHOICE

Green Pea and Ham Soup
Served with Mini Garlic Baguette

Caesar Salad


Bread Basket
Assorted Bread and Rolls

MAIN COURSES

Pan-fried Monk Fish Fillet wrapped with Parma Ham
Olive Crushed Potatoes and Roast Mixed Vegetables

Lamb Chops with Leeks in Gravy
Steamed Rice and Stir-fried Broccoli

Braised Duck with Preserved Vegetables and Sour Pickles
Steamed Rice and Stir-fried Broccoli

Garganelli
Topped with Olive, Caper and Tomato Sauce


*** ***** ***


Cheeseboard
A Selection of Fine International Cheeses
Served with the Traditional Accompaniments

Dessert
Pistachio Nut Ice Cream
Lemon Crème Brule Tart
Bread and Butter Pudding

Tea and Coffee

Pralines and Cookies




As always, I was in no danger of going hungry on my Cathay Pacific flight. When Melody returned to take my order, I requested a glass of the rich and flavorful Corton Grand Cru Louis Max 1996, to be followed by caviar, soup, salad and the Monk Fish Fillet. The Braised Duck also sounded good, though the preserved vegetables and sour pickles did not.

Back in the mid-1980s, United used to serve a magnificent Duck a l’Orange. It was accompanied by wild rice and vegetables and to this day remains one of the finer First Class airline entrées I’ve ever eaten. I used to order it all the time on the 7:00pm Chicago to Denver flight that I flew most every week in early 1986. It’s really quite sad to see United in its current state of bankruptcy along with the resulting impact on its once fine inflight product. I’ve logged over one million miles aboard United and at its best, it was one of the world’s finest purveyors of inflight service. That included Flight Attendants who did a really great job of looking after you. These days, we can only hope that United might manage a return to even half of its former glory.

The Caviar and salmon were presented with Cathay’s usual elan, though interestingly the service started from the rear of the cabin. Aside from the fact that I happened to be sitting in the first row, I’ve always thought that one of the best reasons for starting the trolley service in the front of the cabin is that it allows those passengers seated farther back to watch the proceedings. Anticipation is definitely half the fun of a good inflight service!

Of the world’s forty or fifty airlines that still offer an International First Class service, only a handful still provide a soup course with their lunch and dinner services. One of the nicer Asian soups I’ve ever had aloft was on a British Airways flight between Singapore and Melbourne. It was a deliciously spicy prawn, coconut milk and coriander soup that easily rivaled the finest I’ve ever been served in earthbound restaurants. I was really looking forward to Cathay’s interpretation of Green Pea and Ham soup, one of my favorites.

Alas, it was quite a disappointment. Contrary to the thick and rich pea soups I’ve come to appreciate over the years, tonight’s soup was more like a pea broth with little flecks of ham and a few carrots tossed in to add color. It was tasty but watery. I recommend Cathay’s Hong Kong chefs stop by any Stuart Anderson’s Pea Soup Restaurant next time they’re visiting America.

Pine nuts and a zesty Caesar dressing made for a tasty salad, accompanied by a seemingly endless supply of Cathay’s warmed garlic bread.

Cathay’s Pan-fried Monk Fish Fillet was a winner. The fillet was wrapped in a thin cover of Parma ham, then baked just enough to leave the ham lightly crispy and the fillet light and juicy. In all, a thoroughly delicious entrée that was complimented quite nicely by Olive Crushed Potatoes and roast vegetables.

As much as I’ve come to enjoy the flavor of a robust blue cheese accompanied by a glass of fine tawny Port, I decided to skip this in favor of a small bowl of Pistachio Nut Ice Cream. Far from being served only a simple bowl of ice cream, I was instead presented two scoops of ice cream artistically bestowed with a chocolate triangle and a rolled cookie. A small amount of caramel sauce had also been added. This was a most elegant presentation of an otherwise simple dessert and typical of the little touches that make Cathay Pacific one of the world’s finest airlines.

By now, we were about three hundred miles south of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s major islands. They say time flies when you’re having fun and I was having a blast so far, comfortably reclined in my big seat while hooting to an episode of Frasier. On a somewhat less than positive note, flight time was down to just nine and a half hours. Where are those headwinds when you really need them?!

Although I never felt hungry after my big dinner, mid-flight snacks were available should anyone desire. Here’s what was offered:


SNACKS

Noodles with Soup
With Barbecued Duck

Wild Mushroom Ragout with Asparagus
On Toasted Ciabatta

Plain Congee or Congee with Minced Pork and Carrots
Accompanied by Spring Onion Pancake

Rice with Steamed Pork Patties and Conpoy in Hot Pot
Served with Boiled Sliced Chicken Soup with Ceylon Spinach

Haagen Dazs Ice Cream


Later I converted my seat to its fully flat position and placed a half-folded duvet atop it. While many passengers use the duvet as a blanket, I prefer to employ its added softness atop the seat cushions, then cover myself with one of Cathay’s fine wool blankets. In this fashion I slept quite comfortably and didn’t awake until we were just an hour and a half out of Los Angeles. The Air Show map indicated that we were about two hundred miles off the coast of California, just northwest of Eureka. We were 690 miles out from Los Angeles, cruising at 37,000 feet and worst of all, speeding along at 547 mph. Ah well, all good things must eventually come to an end, but not before a proper breakfast. While Michi set my table with crisp white linens and sparkling glasses, I changed back into my traveling clothes and returned to peruse the breakfast menu:


BREAKFAST

Juice Selection

Appetizer
Fresh Seasonal Fruit

Yogurt Selection
Natural or Low Fat Fruit Flavored

Cereals
Muesli, Corn Flakes or Rice Crispies


MAIN COURSES

Eggs – Freshly Scrambled, Fried or Boiled
Mini Glutinous Rice Dumpling and Assorted Dim Sum
Leek Quiche

Accompaniments
Grilled Back Bacon, Lamb Noisette and Pan-fried Pork Sausage
Lyonnaise Potato with Onion and Herbs
Vine Tomato and Sautéed Fresh Mushrooms

Bread Basket
Assorted Bread Rolls, Fresh Toast and Waso Crackers
Served with Preserves, Honey and Butter

Tea and Coffee






Hmm… this menu looks awfully familiar. That leek quiche has shown up on three out of my four breakfast flights over the past year. So has the dim sum. The eggs and accompaniments are pretty much standard issue these days. I tried the leek quiche last year on my flight between Hong Kong and Vancouver. I thought it would have tasted much better had the leeks been removed and replaced with just about anything else. Although dim sum look like something wet and soggy pulled up from deep underground, they actually taste quite good. However, I prefer them as a lunch, dinner or snack item. As such, I cast my lot with a comparatively bland plate of scrambled eggs accompanied by all the accompaniments.

Coffee and a basket of warmed flaky croissants were delivered, followed by a colorful bowl of fresh fruit. Grapefruit, watermelon, kiwifruit, grapes, honeydew and oranges – a delicious start to any day. Meanwhile, the Southern California coast edged ever closer on the Air Show map. We were now only about an hour away from our arrival in Los Angeles. Outside my window, the view was that of a marvelous spring day – clear and sunny. Though the Air Show map indicated a temperature in the –50 degree range, no doubt the conditions down on terra firma were far more pleasant.

We began our descent soon after the last of the breakfast service had been cleared. We’d been aloft for just over twelve hours. Though I could have easily enjoyed another twelve hours aloft, my disappointment at having to end this wonderful inflight existence was tempered somewhat by the prospect of enjoying a brilliant afternoon in sunny California.

Los Angeles Air Traffic Control directed us on an extensive aerial tour over the San Fernando Valley and the city’s eastern suburbs. We made our final approach to the west and, after a flight of twelve hours and twenty-six minutes, landed smoothly at Los Angeles International Airport.


*** ***** ***

Once again, Cathay Pacific had delivered an outstanding inflight experience. The comfort, service and food were all of the highest quality. I sincerely hope that all of you who’ve ever read and enjoyed any of my stories will have an opportunity at least once in your lives to enjoy a long overseas trip in First Class aboard an airline the caliber of Cathay Pacific.

So many passengers view air travel as something to be endured rather than enjoyed. Granted, being squeezed into an Economy Class seat amongst two or three hundred fellow travelers does get old in a hurry. While only a fortunate few get to enjoy the opulence of a quality First Class service, the experience is hardly limited to the rich and famous. In this day and age of generous frequent flyer programs, most elite level flyers are able to accrue mileage remarkably fast. Anyone with a love of flight and the willingness to part with the requisite miles can enjoy an inflight experience so exquisite that you too will regret landing. Start saving those extra miles now!


*** ***** ***

Thanks for reading! Here’s wishing you all a fine summer and many happy contrails…

Tim2008

Excellent report! Thanks

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Fantastic report! Thanks for the 'flashbacks' to service in the 80's and 90's... great to read!

I agree that Cathay is one of the finer flying experiences. I flew the HKG-LAX sector last year - 1A was blocked because of faulty video - so they moved me to 1K. I had the whole row to myself - amazing privacy - and the only way to improve on an already great experience!

Regards

WG

olafman

Great report! It's been over a year since I was in CX FC and I sure miss it!! They certainly do a nice job!

Your amusing writing style was a nice addition to the report!

I give you credit for sleeping at HKG. I'm too old to do such a thing!

djjaguar64

Pure Decadence and Luxury, what more can I say ? Bravo, a great read ! ^

Moomba

There is something to be said for the experience of dining on fine food at 30000 feet.

You bought back my memories of a particulary long leg (head winds) from HKG - LHR on CX in J. I woke up and was peckish and ordered the Noodles, expecting something along the lines of pot-o-noodles. How wrong was I and how delicious were they.

Thanks for reminding me why I chose CX again for a trip LHR - SYD in 2 weeks. In J again, but one of the best seats in the house in 86K on a 747.

Keep the reports coming in it was a great read.

UA 882

Wow...great report!!

I am in HKG right now just having arrivedwith SQ1 from SFO in C... Although it is without question that the service is exemplary, the crew definately isn't very open when it comes to having a conversation! They are so robotic!!! Thankfully, I can be a very talkative person!

I am starting to wish that CX replace SQ in the *A....

goback

Thanks for another wonderful report. I really enjoy how you intersperse your report with flashbacks to the 'glory days'.
I flew first transpacific on PanAm in 1978 via Nadi to Honolulu and then onto Seattle via Portland. We came back from Honolulu via Auckland. I distinctly remember bad food and empty planes! My favourite flight was with Western on a DC10 from, I think, SFO to HNL.
By the way, when you come back to South Australia, drop a message.

MrBo

Compelling reading Seat2A - particularly liked the line "Katherine, could you please express me a cold glass of water?!" - had me laughing out loud and my colleagues wondering what could be so funny about some VB programming!

Gardyloo

Thanks once again, 2A, and keep them Cheechakos smilin'.

Come back when the tundra's white again.

Carfield

Thanks for another great report (indeed I just ordered prints of your pictures so wonderfully taken). May I ask what camera do you use?

Cathay Pacific is such a wonderful airline, and I feel that CX's F/As are not robotic and indeed they are often friendly.

About Hong Kong, you should venture into the city... it is only a convenient bus or airport express ride, and I feel that most taxi drivers can speak reasonable amount of English and most people at the airports can definitely direct to your destination. But I still think that the Regal Hong Kong Airport hotel is too overpriced, and even if I have to do stopover at HK, I venture out into the city... a room at Regal HKG airport does not worthy of more than $100USD per night. I am willing to pay more if it is as nice as Grand Hyatt at Seoul Incheon airport, but not this particular Regal.

I guess we will have to wait for many months before another series of fun and well-written reports.

Thanks,
Carfield

CharlesMD

What a great trip report! I especially liked the photos of the sky when you were flying HKG-SYD. Also, what great lounge photos in SYD-- would it be OK for me to put them on my website? I will attribute them to you! What type of camera did you use? I wish my photos came out that nice!

optimoflyer

What a wonderful trip report! I felt as if I were traveling with you. I love your references to the golden age of flying.
You express yourself quite well and I want to commend you on that. May all your trips be as wonderful as this one...
A Fan.