AC340-541

Introduction

Hello fellow FT-ers! In November and December of 2009 I flew on this itinerary:

17 Nov 09: Air Canada AC156 Vancouver - Toronto in Executive Class
18 Nov 09: Air Canada AC015 Toronto - Hong Kong in Executive First
22 Nov 09: Thai Airways TG628 Hong Kong - Incheon in Royal Silk (Business Class)
23 Nov 09: Asiana Airlines OZ112 Incheon - Osaka Kansai in Business Class
27 Nov 09: All Nippon Airways NH144 Osaka Kansai - Tokyo Haneda in Economy
06 Dec 09: Air Canada AC004 Toyo Narita - Vancouver in Economy

I'm presenting to you my trip report for the bolded flight segments, since I think that they would be the most interesting. Please enjoy, and leave your comments for me! I will do my best to respond!

Toronto International Departures Maple Leaf Lounge

Note: No check-in details at YYZ since I had arrived the morning of departure on AC156, the red-eye from Vancouver. AC had cancelled my original flight (AC007, YVR-HKG) and the alternate routing (via NRT) would have put me into HKG too late in the day for my dinner plans. So it would be extra miles and a pain in the neck to fly 4.5 hours East and then double back (well, actually we flew North from YYZ but I digress...) Not going to detail the domestic segment since I have done so twice already on FT, please check this TR for more info on YVR-YYZ and vice-versa: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...yvr-77l-j.html

Arrived into YYZ with about three hours to kill before the HKG departure. Easy connections for domestic-international at YYZ. The infamous high-speed moving walkway was in service (you can hear that thing from the escalators!) so my "walk" was actually quite short.

Breakfast at the MLL was quite nice actually, much better than I have had in the past. Here are the offerings:


Cereal selection


Yoghurt selection


Fruit cocktail (they need some real "fruit salad" here!)


Freshly baked muffins (warm) and granola


Bread and a toaster


My breakfast selections

Food was quite nice for a North American airline lounge. Much better than my previous experiences in AA Admirals Clubs, CO Presidents Clubs or UA RCC.

The lounge started out quite empty but began to fill with people for the morning HKG and the daytripper LHR flight, along with a couple Airbus narrowbodies off to sun destinations.

Note: liquor and beer were locked up until 11am, well after my departure time of 10am. Not really a concern to me but there might well be some people who are "living" in far-off time zones who wouldn't mind some of the JW Black or a Bloody Mary... in any case, there are no sparkling wines available, which would have gone well with my orange juice. I would just have to wait until I get on board!


Nice open space with lots of seating

Flight Details At-a-glance



Aircraft: Boeing 777-233/LR
Registration: C-FIVK
Fin Number: 704
Departure (Scheduled/Actual): 1000/1040
Arrival (Scheduled/Actual): 1430/1520

Priority Boarding and Departure

Priority Boarding enforcement has, in my experience, been much stronger in the last 5-6 months -- and it's something that, as a top-tier member, I truly appreciate. There were three lines with one being dedicated to Executive First, Super Elite, Elite, and Star Alliance Gold. I was through the gate and down the first jetway (there were two boarding bridges used for this flight) in no time at all.


Nice to know you don't have to queue in the jetway!


One of the two Service Directors waits to welcome the J passengers

I was greeted by name and shown to my seat by one of the two SD's on board. I was in seat 3K, my companion in 4G. The rows are mis-aligned on the 77L and 77W in the forward J cabin.

XX - 1D 1G - XX
1A - 2D 2G - 1K
2A - 3D 3G - 2A
(and so on, until the last row of the forward J cabin)
6A - XX XX - 6K

EXIT GALLEY EXIT
LAV GALLEY LAV

XX - 7D 7G - XX
8A - 8D 8G - 8K
(and so on, until the last row of the rear J cabin)

Note: More details can be found at http://seatexpert.com/seatmap/12/Air...ing_777-300ER/


My seat, 3K, with headphone sanitary covers, pillow, "duvet," amenity kit, and 600mL bottle of water

I did not think to take a photo of the amenity kit at the time, since I have a couple of them already, but they contain:

"Deserving Thyme" products
- Refreshing facial towelette
- Mouthwash
- Lip care balm
- Mega moisturizing body butter

Other products
- Colgate toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Ear plugs
- Mentos brand mint
- Eye-cover
- Sock/slippers

It's not in the most attractive packaging (blue and green tri-fold toiletry case) but it does get the job done.

Note: If I remember correctly from ACYYZ/SD, AC is phasing in a new amenity kit ("Silver Kit", I believe) to replace the current long-haul and short-haul kits, so this information probably out of date by now. The kit I received is the "Blue Kit" (longhaul).

Coats were taken and newspapers offered (Canadian and Hong Kong selection) almost immediately as we got settled into our seats. Tina, who would be taking care of our side of the forward J cabin, would give us some pretty great service on this 15.5 hour flight.

Sparkling wine and orange juice were offered in stemless champagne flutes, along with a napkin and our flight's menu. I knew from reading other FT-er's TR's that AC, like many other carriers, offers a sparkling wine instead of Champagne for pre-departure drinks unless you specifically request the Champagne. With this in mind, I was happy that the FA offered the drinks as "Sparkling wine or orange juice?" instead of trying to pass it on as "Champagne," as I have experienced on other carriers.


Sparkling wine, not mentioned on the menu but from California or Spain. The most current offering is Domaine Ste. Michelle from California, I believe

After push-back, we didn't make it very far before the SD made an annoucement that, due to a passenger who had fallen ill in the few minutes it took for us to push back, we would have to return to the gate. It took more than a half-hour for the ground crew to return and search for the luggage that belonged to the passenger (and his companions) who deplaned. I used this time to wander around the aircraft and visit the flight crews, who were in good humour about this being their shortest "gate-to-gate experience" in all their flying years and joked that it was time for the relief crew to take over.


View from the flight deck of this majestic 77L, thanks to the great crew for this opportunity


A little bit of Canadi>n along for the ride!

Following our delay, taxi and departure was normal and we took off from 06L. Our polar flight had finally begun!

Menu


Also you can see that I mixed some of my companion's orange juice together with my sparkling wine to create a mimosa, since for me it was still very early in the morning, Pacific time!

Lunch

Appetizer

Hot-smoked peppered Salmon served with Organic Field Greens

Choice of Main Courses

Braised Beef accompanied by Pumpkin, steamed Rice, Kailan and Carrots

Roast Chicken stuffed with Goat Cheese, Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes complemented by Pesto Butter, Redskin Mash with Garlic and Chive and Ratatouille

Braised Black Cod (NutriCuisine Choice) on a Tomato, Saffron, and Potato Broth

Artichoke Ricotta Agnolotti with Red Pepper Sauce accented by Mushrooms, Basil, and Parmesan Cheese

Additional seasoning is available

A selection of fresh Breads with Butter

Selection of Cheese with Crackers

OKA with Mushrooms, Britannia medium Cheddar and Chevrita Goat's Cheese

Dessert

Berry Brulee Tart

Fresh Fruit (NutriCuisine Choice)

Mid-Flight Snack
Choose one or more of the delicious snack options we will be offering between our two meal services. You can also request them at any time, so should you fall asleep, do not hesitate to let us know your selection upon waking up.

Dim Sum Selection of Pork and Shrimp Siomai, Har Gau, and Beef Ball

Smoked Chicken Focaccia with grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Wrap

Smoked Salmon, Barbecue Beef, and Chicken Brochettes complemented by Brie with Cracked Pepper and Balsamic Fig Chutney

Nissin Instant Noodle Cup

Ice Cream

At your leisure, fresh Fruit and a variety of Packaged Snacks are available between services. Feel free to help yourself!

Pre-Arrival Service

Choice of Main Courses

Stir-fried Prawns with Fish Veloute Sauce and Walnuts, presented with Chinese Noodles, Broccoli and Pumpkin

Breaded Pork Loin topped with Chili Garlic featured with steamed Rice, Eggplant, and Broccoli

Grilled Herb Chicken accompanied by Penne Pasta with creamy Tomato Sauce and Zucchini, Eggplant, Artichoke, and Cherry Tomatoes

Served with fresh fruit, a selection of fresh Breads with Butter and Chocolates

Wines

Champagne Drappier
Carte d'Or Brut, Reims, France

Danie DeWet, Sauvignon Blanc
DeWetshof Estate, Robertson, South Africa

Colio Estate Proprietors' Reserve
North Shore, Lake Erie, VQA, Canada

Ironstone Cabernet Sauvignon
California, United States

Pago de Cirsus, Tempranillo/Merlot/Cabernet
Navarra, Spain

Port
Dow's Port, Portugal

Bar List

Beer

Heineken
Molson Canadian
Coors Light

Spirits

Smirnoff Vodka
Bombay Sapphire Gin
Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch
Crown Royal Whisky
Jack Daniel's Bourbon
Bacardi White Rum

Liqueurs

Courvoisier V.S.O.P. Cognac
Grand Marnier
Baileys Irish Cream

Cold Beverages

Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Tomato Juice
Cranberry Cocktail
Extra-spicy Clamato
Coca-Cola
Sprite
Ginger Ale
Club Soda
Tonic Water
Perrier
Bottled Water

Hot Beverages

Freshly brewed Second Cup regular or decaffeinated coffee
Selection of tea and herbal teas

Served with cream, milk, or lemon

AC340-541

In-flight Service

Orders for lunch were taken (overtly) by status, as I was asked for my preference rather promptly but my companion, who has no status with AC, had her choice taken much later. No worries as both of us were able to have our first choice.

Tina, the FA who would be taking care of our side of the forward J cabin, presented hot towels and table cloths while we opened up the AVOD screens. Unluckily for my first-ever polar flight, the moving map did not work. It was the only unhappy moment of my flight, as there were some nice things to come!


Tina comes by with drinks, not using the cart but rather taking our orders and returning with our selections. I find this method much nicer, although it means for more trips to the Galley for the crew!


Mixed nuts with your choice of bar drink.


Drappier Champagne, Carte d'Or Brut, one of my favourites thanks to a certain friendly FT-er AC Service Director who surprised me on a recent flight to Bogota while I was in Y


First course presentation


The "Organic Field Greens" salad also had hearts of palm in it, which I really enjoyed


Close-up shot of the hot-smoked Salmon on a bed of Fennel and Cucumber


Braised Black Cod


Sauvignon Blanc


My companion's Braised Beef


Cheese Course served from the cart


Really nice cheese course


Port


Dessert Course served from the cart also


Berry Brulee Taet, I skipped this in favour of fruit


A "scoop" of watermelon with pineapple and kiwi (probably should have tried the tart instead!)

Overall, I found the first meal service to be very enjoyable. AC had recently overhauled their North American Business Class meals and I can see that there are some componants that have made it into the International service, namely the updated serving ware (stemless wine glasses and flatware). Appetizer course was very thoughtful, with a decent size salad and a good serving of smoked salmon. The entree courses were inspired as well, even the "chicken" dish was quite elaborate with many flavouring elements from what I could see. I enjoyed the sea bass very much, and the broth was quite flavourful. I skipped the tart, but it did look good. According to a friend, soon there will be warm/hot desserts available, such as chocolate lava cake! Can't wait to try that on a future flight!

Lavatories in the J cabin on the 77W and 77L have a nice treat: windows!


Fruit and Passion products in the lav. Note that facial tissue is still used in place of proper paper towel for this flight.


A view from the lav! Remember to close the blind upon landing!


Almost a full flight in J, and almost full in Y too.

Mid-Flight snack options were far too numerous to try them all, but I had a good time attempting this feat!


Mid-cabin Galley stocked full of snacks and drinks


Self-serve Champagne!

AC340-541

A great snacking option


Steamed-to-order Dim Sum selection


The pork and shrimp dumpling was the best out of the three


Smoked Salmon and Brochettes


The beef was on the tough side, but the pepper brie and salmon were terrific


Nissin Instant Cup Noodles. Enough said :-)


Somewhere over Siberia...


Pre-arrival lunch/dinner comes as a single-tray service


"Which option would you like?"


I took the Breaded Pork Tenderloin... very, very well seasoned and a good balance with the white rice. Being Cantonese-Canadian, I can't deny there's something great about simply steamed white rice :-)

Hard Product

"The Pod"

Traveling with my companion, it certainly made conversing an effort, but not altogether difficult. I enjoyed the privacy, and would definately choose this seat configuration again. Taking photos and looking out the window is indeed difficult with the seats angled towards the aisle, but compared to the same seats on the 763 and the 333, the 77L and 77W offer the best angles for views.

Sleeping

This was the first opportunity for me to try "sleeping" on AC's new longhaul J product, the angled lie-flat seats. Like many others, I found them to be on the hard side, but it was still easy to find myself getting comfortable and falling asleep for hours at a time. I am 6' tall, and I have to say that I kind of wish that the foot rest at the end of the seat were just a tiny bit further away. The duvet provided was thankfully a low-static version of what they had used to hand out, and was of a decent thickness to provide some warmth. Pillow was fluffy enough. I think after the mid-flight snacks I found a better position for myself, I had the seat almost flat, with a slight Z shape where I slept facing up rather than on my side (as I did when the seat was completely flat). I prefer this position much more, and unlike other Business Class seats in a "Z" shape, there is no gravity pulling you down since the seat is not quite angled downwards but rather cradles your thigh and wait area. I hope I'm being coherent enough here!

AVOD

I know many people love to hate the Thales system that AC has due to its inconsistent performance, but I think AC has a really good selection of movies and short films... unless you take more that four or five flights a month, which I had done right up until this flight. So there weren't many films left that interested me. Music instead kept me company, along with all that food!

Descent and Arrival into Hong Kong


Gorgeous GE90, and the views aren't bad either!


Tower structure in HKG


Arrival at the gate


Baggage Reclaim at HKG

It was a long walk to the Customs/Immigration area from our gate, and there were some pretty massive lines at the time we arrived. Following passport control, I was happy to find that the ground staff at HKG had taken all of the Priority-tagged luggage and assembled them in a row alongside our baggage carousel! Now that's nice service. I had up until this point only seen that done on NH transpac flights! In no time at all, I was off to the HK Airport Express and into Hong Kong for a few days!

In-City Check In, Hong Kong Station

In-City check in with Thai Airways was a breeze, which allowed us to leave all of our luggage at the station while we wandered in the ifc Mall above before taking the HK Airport Express back to the airport. They managed to check our luggage all the way to Osaka-Kansai, where we would continue to after one night in Seoul. In order to take advantage of the in-city check in, you must hold a ticket on the Airport Express. You don't need to continue to the train platform right away, you are able to exit the check-in area and re-enter the train platform later, so don't worry about coming early to spend some time at the Mall. It's quite impressive and worth a look around.

AC340-541

Hong Kong International Airport

Even though we had already checked-in at HK MTR Station, I wanted to go over to Terminal 2 (where TG has its check-in facilities) and take a look around. Note that T2 has no gates, only land-side facilities such as food and shopping along with some check-in desks.


Impressive ceiling!


TG check-in area, apart from other *A airlines which use T1


Aviation Discovery Centre, worth a visit for all FT-ers! Second floor of T2.

Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge

Newly renovated, the SilverKris Lounge at HKG is the closest to the passport control area and therefore the first lounge to visit if you have a *G card!


I wish she were real instead of a cut-out piece of cardboard!


Not that full at this time of day (1pm)


Bar area


Cafe/food area


Coffee


Black mushroom and chicken congee with accompaniments


Fresh fruits, salads, and cold sandwiches


Fried food including samosas and spring rolls


Hot food selection


Dim sum selection


Why hello, Drappier, we meet again!


My bounty!


Delicious congee


Greek-style salad with frisee


Cookies and Cream flavour!


Nice and fresh


Perfect drink

I really enjoyed the SilverKris lounge's food, as you can probably tell from the photos. Now with a semi-full stomach, it was time to venture out to the Duty Free shopping and the other two *G lounges in HKG!

AC340-541

United Airlines Red Carpet Club

United's RCC is located at the middle of the "Y" shape of the outfield gates at HKG, on the second floor...


On my way to the UA RCC


Entrance


Nice high ceiling with a really nice view of the apron!


Food buffet


Fresh fruit


Bar selection


Soup's on!


Hey, I recognize these!


Coffee and tea available


Desserts and ice cream


Cup noodles


Maki rolls


Quite a bit of seating


My plate of food, much smaller than at the SKL!


Showers if you want!


TG 772 pulling into the gate!

The arrival of my aircraft means I only have about 40 minutes before I need to board! Overall I enjoy the open, natural light of the RCC but much prefer the food of the SKL. Location will also benefit most people flying on AC, UA, TG, and some SQ flights as they use these further gates more often than not. Off to the Royal Silk Lounge!

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge


Oh, the purple! The lounge attendant doesn't like the fact that I have a Lounge Pass from check-in but refuse to use it since I have *G status and can just show my BP and card to gain access. He insists on taking my Lounge Pass...



When I arrive at the ROL, it's completely full. Thai has two arrivals and two departures within about an hour, so there are a lot of transit passengers, plus I'm sure any other *G pax transiting HKG.

AC340-541

Massage chairs


Bar area


Hot food selection


Small sample of the food offerings


Business Centre, printer available via e-mail only


Wii for your entertainment!

After a very short stay at the lounge, it's time to make our way downstairs to the gate area, where boarding is about to commence!

Flight Details At-a-glance



Aircraft: Boeing 777-2D7
Registration: HS-TJD
Aircraft Name: Mukdahan
Departure (Scheduled/Actual): 1530/1540
Arrival (Scheduled/Actual): 1945/1955

Priority Boarding and Departure


Priority boarding also enforced really well here... :-)


Celebrating His Majesty's 60th Anniversary!


Seats 12A and 12B, 2nd row of the aircraft


Pillow, blanket, and headphone sanitary covers are at the seat

Boarding was done quickly and efficiently, but low loads probably helped with this as well. The traditional Thai greeting while coming aboard was nice, and we were shown to our seats by the in-charge FA. Jackets were quickly taken and menus passed out.


Big screen with a working moving map!


Pretty empty today!


Pre-departure drinks of Champagne or Orange Juice!


CX Hub! Taxiing out for departure


Great view after take-off!


Terminal building and remote stands


Impressive views of the city as we climb to cruising altitude


You can see old Kai Tak in the harbour!


Farewell for now, Hong Kong!

AC340-541

Menu



First Course

Beef Pastrami

Main Course

Poached Salmon with Vegetables, Champagne Sauce, Boiled New Potatoes with Parsley, Broccoli, Pumpkin

Stir-fried Chicken with Red Wine Sauce, Yellow Fettuccine with Pesto Sauce, Sauteed Vegetables

Stir-fried Beef with Onion, Red and Green Capsicum, Steamed Thai Hom Mali Rice, Sauteed Vegetables

Assorted Breads, Crackers, Butter, Cheese

Dessert

Vanilla Ice Cream

Tea, Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino

Wines

Champagne Pommery Brut Royal

Mercurey Domaine Faiveley 2003

Chateau Robin 2006

Macon Villages 2006

Bourgogne Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes 2007

Krug'scher Hof Chardonnay Spatlese Trocken 2007

Aperitifs

Campari
Gin Martini
Screwdriver
Bloody Mary
Black Russian
Vodka Martini
Warre's Aarrior Port

Spirits

Rum
Gin
Bourbon Whisky
Whisky
Vodka

Cognac & Liqueurs

Remy Martin X.O.
Kahlua
Drambuie
Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge

Beers

Heineken
Chang Beer
Singha Beer

Soft Drinks

Fruit Juices
Diet Soft Drinks
Soft Drinks

Beverages

Espresso
Cappuccino
Instant Coffee
Decaffeinated Coffee
Special Blended Coffee
Oolong Tea
Ceylon High Tea
Japanese Green Tea
Chocolate Malt 3 in 1

In-flight Service

Meal service started promptly after we reached cruising altitude. Orders were taken in circular order, from 11A/11B and 11E/11F down to 16A/16B and 16E/16F before coming back up from 16J/16K to 11J/11K. There were less than 12 people in the 30-seat J cabin, so meal preferences were probably not an issue. Warm towels were passed out as well.


More Pommery Brut for me; note the packaged almonds served in the wrapper


Beverage service cart


Table cloth


Nice service on TG


First course presentation


Marinated zucchini squash along with the Pastrami


Warm garlic bread!


Stir-fried beef, not bad but it did remind me of many meals that I've had in trans-pac Y... Uninspired, but not bad tasting.


Champagne sauce salmon. Again, presentation could use some help as the composition of the dish looks very Y-class casserole-like.


Simple dessert, but good none the less.


An after-meal espresso

Not terribly impressed after reading so many accolades for Asian carriers' J class offerings, but I am keeping in mind that this is a regional flight and not a trans-oceanic flight. Would have liked less sauce on the food as in general the entrees were quite salty.

Hard Product

The Seat

The seat was comfortable enough, and it was nice to face forward and get a great view out of the window. I don't have too many complaints as there are numerous storeage spaces, comfortable padding on the seats, and an easy user interface. Note that these seats do not lie completely flat, but rather at a slight angle, thereby putting pressure on the bottom of your feet as they rest on the footrest if you are tall like me. It is fine for short- or medium-haul but I don't think a 15 hour flight would be as tolerable.


My seat, in bed-mode. The incline is not slight.


No LED/mood lighting on this older 777-200 series aircraft.

The AVOD

I'm happy to say that the moving map worked on this aircraft. I like the screen size, and the user-face is quite easy to manipulate. I did not watch any movies, but they did have quite a nice selection for this regional flight.


Approaching Incheon!

Descent and Arrival into Incheon, Korea


Sun sets in the distance


Great cloud texture as the sun shines its last rays of light


Taxiing to the satellite terminal at ICN, where all non-KE or OZ flights arrive

Immigration was quick and pain-free, and with no luggage to collect we were out in a flash for a late dinner in Seoul with a friend before returning in the morning for our flight on to Osaka-Kansai!

AC340-541

Incheon International Airport


Arriving at ICN

A wet morning in Seoul greeted us as we made our way to ICN for our late-morning flight.


ICN Terminal area


OZ Business Class check-in area


I love this updated take on departure information display boards...

Security at ICN was pain-free, with many aisles open. Off to the Asiana Lounge, which is on the 2nd floor just as you exit security!

Asiana Business Class Lounge


Lounge entrance


Flowers are a nice touch


Spacious and well-appointed


Buffet area


Sparkling rose available!


A rose mimosa


Abalone congee! Nice and homey.


Cold spaghetti and salad


Mini-sandwiches and cup noodles


Great views of the tarmac


Self-serve coffee


UCC Americano

The lounge was enjoyable, spacious, and clean. It's worth noting the hot food service ended at about 9am, including eggs and congee. Self-serve cup noodles and finger sandwiches were put out not soon after. Showers and buisness centre facilities are also available.

Flight Details At-a-glance



Aircraft: Airbus A330-323E
Registration: HL7754
Departure (Scheduled/Actual): 1000/0955
Arrival (Scheduled/Actual): 1140/1145

AC340-541

Priority Boarding and Departure


The gate agents were apologizing (!) to this group of buisness men who were not flying in C but wanted to get on the plane first... such "service" is not the norm in North America!


Down the escalator to the jetway


Welcome aboard! Very friendly and cheerful crew!


Seats 2G/2K


Great, moving map works!


Pretty empty in C on this flight


Pre-departure Orange Juice


We say farewell to our gate-mates as we push back


Great view of the satellite terminal as we take off


Main terminal building


See you later, Incheon!

Menu



Appetizer

Salmon Gravlax with Mixed Vegetables

Main Course

Beef Tenderloin Brochette served with Ratatouille

Deep Fried Monk Fish with Oriental Sauce, served with Vegetables and Steamed Rice

Dessert

Pumpkin Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Coffee and Tea

Wines

Champagne Cattier Brut

HESS Monterey Chardonnay 2007, California

Artesa Elements 2005, Carneros, Califoria

Spirits

Scotch Whisky Ballantine's 17 Years
Bourbon Whiskey Jack Daniel
Vodka Smirnoff
Gin Beefeater's

Cognac & Liqueur

Camus X.O.
Bailey's Irish Cream

Beer

A selection is available, please ask

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

A selection is available, please ask

Coffee

Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee
Decaffeinated Coffee
Espresso
Cappuccino
Caffe Latte

AC340-541

In-flight Service

Hot towel service and beverage orders were taken when we reached cruising altitude. There were only four other passengers in the C cabin so the in-charge went from left to right. When she arrived she greeted me by name and thanked me for flying aboard Asiana as a Star Alliance Gold member with Air Canada! Nice touch.


Single-tray service for this very short flight


Very fresh salmon salad


Warm and soft cheese roll


Monk Fish, cooked really well and not drowning in sauce either!


I love this stuff! I should have asked for some to take with me! ;-)


Asiana everywhere!


Champagne for lunch!


The FA made sure to turn the bottle appropriately so that when she poured the words would be at the right position... such attention to detail impresses me.


Little bubbles, big happiness


Nice delicate texture and sweet pumpkin flavour


Coffee service to go with dessert


An espresso to finish

For such a short flight, I was impressed with the lunch service on OZ. I had a choice between TG or OZ for the first sector (HKG-ICN) and chose TG to sample two carriers, but from this short experience I would love to try OZ C again. Service with a SMILE also helped a lot, something that the TG crews did not attempt.

Hard Product

The Seat

There has been much said on FT and elsewhere about OZ's fading off-yellow upholstery, and I can see where that comes from now. True, the seat covers are a bit worn, but the rest of the cabin is pretty well kept. The seat functions are very similar to TG's, as they are not true lie-flat seats either but rather full recline stays at an angle. Like I mentioned above in the AC flight section, I much rather enjoy great soft product and mediocre hard product than vice versa :-)


Lavatory amenities


Decoration or self-serve? :-)


Registration Plate of this aircraft

AC340-541

The AVOD

I enjoyed watching the moving map, but again I did not try out the IFE. Out the window I was meserized by some pretty amazing views, of which I will share a couple of my favourites!


Climbing to cruising altitude


I love fluffy clouds


Japan's coastline

Descent and Arrival into Osaka-Kansai


Skimming the sea of Japan


Crossing over the runway threshold


Arriving at the gate


Kansai's distinctive roof design

Arrival into Japan was surprisingly a long process! There were not enough immigration staff to deal with the arrivals of two flights from Korea and one from Taipei at the same time. After the wait, luggage pick-up was fast and we zipped out to take the train into the city!

Conclusion

This brings my Trip Report to an end! I hope you have enjoyed reading this! I've put a lot of effort into this because I had read a lot of TR's on FT in planning my itinerary, and understand that many others will look to this as one of those resources. I hope I have been able to help in this area. Please let me know if there are any questions as I would love to help you all out!!!

Best wishes for Happy Flying in 2010!
- Mike


Spotting at Tokyo-Haneda!

ORDnHKG

Very nice and detail report ! ^

Just curious are you using your AC miles or pay C ?

As it seems whenever I try to use my UA miles for TG ICN-HKG or vice versa, I never get any availability due to starnet blocking for this route on TG.

Your AC flight seems like they have very nice meals and a variety of mid-flight snacks, perhaps one of these days when I am done with using my miles for *A First, I may try AC.

The TG flight looks ok for C, but the meal doesn't look very appetizing, poor presentation with the food and the tray, and the 3 FAs on your flight doesn't even have a smile. It looks like they are lacking behind their *A asian partners OZ, SQ, and NH regarding to service and food.

You are really lucky from taking off HKG on a sunny day with no haze and clouds, very nice shots with Hong Kong Island and Kowoloon. ^

AC340-541

These flights were a combination of pay, upgrade with AC Top Tier Certificate, and reward bookings.

YVR-YYZ
YYZ-HKG
Paid + Cert

HKG-ICN
ICN-KIX
KIX-HND
Reward *A Business Class on AE miles (30,000 + no tax + no fees)

NRT-YVR
Paid

You are right, TG FA's rarely smiled but perhaps it has something to do with culture? I have not been to Thailand before but I know in Japan and Korea all the service industry workers are very used to smiling warmly, etc. etc...

AC was great in that aspect too, even chatted for a long time during one FA's break in the mid-galley.

I would definitely take OZ again, but TG is only a maybe. :-) I will be on UA HKG-SIN and then SQ SIN-HKG soon so that will round off my inter-Asia flying quite nicely I think! Thanks for your comments! I really like those HKG and ICN departure photos too!

ORDnHKG

3 choices of mid-flight snacks are really great for C class, even top carriers like OZ and SQ doesn't even have that many in F ! ^

I especially like their presentation dim sum in a steamer, I have only seen that in OZ F long haul.

There had two great choices, but the last choice I can't understand why they put fake noodles in a real bowl, doesn't cost a lot to get real egg noodles like CX.

AC340-541

There was one more option, the Chicken Focaccia Sandwich and Vegetable Goat Cheese Wrap. It didn't sound too appetizing to me. When the FA asked me if I wanted to "try the last snack" I said no and asked for a second round of the dim sum, which she said was "pretty wise."

You praised the "presentation" of the steamer but don't like the "presentation" of the cup noodle in the bowl. I agree to each his own, but I betting AC thought that styrofoam wasn't exactly screaming "Executive First" service... or maybe to save space on-board, they load up ones without the "cup" for J service? Who knows, maybe a helpful AC YYZ-based Service Director can shed some light :-P