Singapore and Seoul on the Emirates A380 and 777-300ER and Asiana A330 in Business
Jun 12, 2010, 12:17 pm
#46
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The Gate 16 Lounge
Next up was the Gate 16 lounge, a joint offering from Cathay and Dragon Air. This was easily accessed up an escalator close to, unsurprisingly, Gate 16.
Entrance to the Gate 16 lounge
Upon entering the lounge my boarding pass was checked and I was waved through. The lounge seemed pretty busy, which was surprising, since the gate area below was practically deserted.
My first impressions of this lounge were not good. In fact, I’d go as far to as to say that this is the worst lounge that I’ve ever been to. Being a joint Cathay Pacific lounge, I’d expected similar ambience and décor to that of the Wing and the Pier. However, this was way off the mark.
The lounge was dirty and tatty. There didn’t seem to be much on offer in terms of drinks, let alone food.
Looking left
Looking right
I left quickly, spending just enough time to get a couple of snaps before practically running out of the door.
The deserted gate area near gate 16
So, after a very brief visit it was off through the maze of shops to the Wing, near gates 1-4.
Verdict
Don’t bother.
Next up was the Gate 16 lounge, a joint offering from Cathay and Dragon Air. This was easily accessed up an escalator close to, unsurprisingly, Gate 16.
Entrance to the Gate 16 lounge
Upon entering the lounge my boarding pass was checked and I was waved through. The lounge seemed pretty busy, which was surprising, since the gate area below was practically deserted.
My first impressions of this lounge were not good. In fact, I’d go as far to as to say that this is the worst lounge that I’ve ever been to. Being a joint Cathay Pacific lounge, I’d expected similar ambience and décor to that of the Wing and the Pier. However, this was way off the mark.
The lounge was dirty and tatty. There didn’t seem to be much on offer in terms of drinks, let alone food.
Looking left
Looking right
I left quickly, spending just enough time to get a couple of snaps before practically running out of the door.
The deserted gate area near gate 16
So, after a very brief visit it was off through the maze of shops to the Wing, near gates 1-4.
Verdict
Don’t bother.
Jun 12, 2010, 4:23 pm
#47
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Gosh, that lounge looks unappealing. Almost (but not quite) as bad as the LH Business lounges at FRA. The stain on the carpet is certainly reminiscent 
Eagerly awaiting the next update... it's been a while
Eagerly awaiting the next update... it's been a while
Jun 12, 2010, 4:35 pm
#48
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Jun 12, 2010, 5:15 pm
#49
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The Wing – Cathay Pacific
Entrance to the Wing
The Wing is one of two flagship Cathay Pacific lounges located in Hong Kong. It is situated near gates 1-4 and is located on a mezzanine level, overlooking the gate area.
After a brisk walk I arrived outside the entrance to the Wing. The desk was very busy and it took a little while to have my boarding pass checked (for the third time now).
Walking to the Wing
I bundled into the lift along with about 10 other people and as soon as the doors opened out onto the lounge area on the first level it was clear that it was packed. There was hardly anywhere to sit.
This would be my third visit to the Wing and it remains one of my favourite lounges across the Oneworld network.
The lounge is divided into many different area, so much so it can be daunting trying to find your way around as a first timer.
Granite sign posts direct visitors around the lounge
There are two main seating areas, the Long and Short bars, a noodle bar, reading room, computer work area and a games room.
I had no intention of staying too long as time was running out before I had to board my flight and I still had to visit the Pier.
I started off by turning left and heading towards the main seating area where you get fantastic views overlooking the gate area.
Overlooking one of the gate areas below
The design of the Wing, placing it on a mezzanine level keeps the lounge both very open and seemingly very exclusive. If you ever wanted a stark reminder of how most normal people travel simply grab a glass of champagne from the Long Bar and watch the other passengers rush around below you.
Moving through the lounge next up is the open work and seating area. Desks and connections are provided so that passengers are able to catch up on some work.
Work area
Next up is the famous Long Bar. This is probably my favourite area of the lounge. Ample seating at the bar allows passengers to sit and work, or relax at the fully tendered marble bar.
The Long Bar
Heading back towards the lifts I stopped off to see what was happening at the noodle bar. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to stop here to grab something to eat. Last time they were serving Dan Dan Mien noodles which is where I picked up the habit for this fantastic dish from.
The Noodle Bar
About this time I noticed that my flight had assigned gate 60 so it was time to head off to the Pier to complete my lounge hopping.
Verdict
I love the Wing. It has so much to offer the business class passenger. The food and drink offerings are both substantial and of good quality. I enjoy sitting at the Long Bar with a glass of champagne or equally a bowl of freshly prepared noodles at the Noodle Bar.
My only criticism is the dated and slightly uncomfortable lounge furniture. I feel as though it could so with updating.
If you have the opportunity The Wing is a must-visit lounge.
More photos from my previous visit can be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...pacific-2.html
Entrance to the Wing
The Wing is one of two flagship Cathay Pacific lounges located in Hong Kong. It is situated near gates 1-4 and is located on a mezzanine level, overlooking the gate area.
After a brisk walk I arrived outside the entrance to the Wing. The desk was very busy and it took a little while to have my boarding pass checked (for the third time now).
Walking to the Wing
I bundled into the lift along with about 10 other people and as soon as the doors opened out onto the lounge area on the first level it was clear that it was packed. There was hardly anywhere to sit.
This would be my third visit to the Wing and it remains one of my favourite lounges across the Oneworld network.
The lounge is divided into many different area, so much so it can be daunting trying to find your way around as a first timer.
Granite sign posts direct visitors around the lounge
There are two main seating areas, the Long and Short bars, a noodle bar, reading room, computer work area and a games room.
I had no intention of staying too long as time was running out before I had to board my flight and I still had to visit the Pier.
I started off by turning left and heading towards the main seating area where you get fantastic views overlooking the gate area.
Overlooking one of the gate areas below
The design of the Wing, placing it on a mezzanine level keeps the lounge both very open and seemingly very exclusive. If you ever wanted a stark reminder of how most normal people travel simply grab a glass of champagne from the Long Bar and watch the other passengers rush around below you.
Moving through the lounge next up is the open work and seating area. Desks and connections are provided so that passengers are able to catch up on some work.
Work area
Next up is the famous Long Bar. This is probably my favourite area of the lounge. Ample seating at the bar allows passengers to sit and work, or relax at the fully tendered marble bar.
The Long Bar
Heading back towards the lifts I stopped off to see what was happening at the noodle bar. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to stop here to grab something to eat. Last time they were serving Dan Dan Mien noodles which is where I picked up the habit for this fantastic dish from.
The Noodle Bar
About this time I noticed that my flight had assigned gate 60 so it was time to head off to the Pier to complete my lounge hopping.
Verdict
I love the Wing. It has so much to offer the business class passenger. The food and drink offerings are both substantial and of good quality. I enjoy sitting at the Long Bar with a glass of champagne or equally a bowl of freshly prepared noodles at the Noodle Bar.
My only criticism is the dated and slightly uncomfortable lounge furniture. I feel as though it could so with updating.
If you have the opportunity The Wing is a must-visit lounge.
More photos from my previous visit can be found here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...pacific-2.html
Last edited by matthandy; Jun 14, 2010 at 9:40 am
Jun 13, 2010, 2:37 pm
#50
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The Pier
I headed down the escalator to the train which runs between the main hall and the Northwest (gates 60-71) and the Southwest (40-50) concourses.
The escalator down to the train
After a quick ride I quickly sprinted past my plane standing at gate 60 and noticed the shiny Singapore Airlines A380 behind it. Amusingly, there seemed to be a stand off between the A380 and some of the ground crew.
Cathay Pacific 777-200 operating CX416 today
Stand off
The entrance to the pier is located near gate 63 and down the escalator.
Entrance to the Pier
As soon as I had my boarding pass scanned at reception I noticed that my flight had been called for boarding. My time was up. I had time to get a quick couple of snaps around the lounge.
The Pier is The Wing’s slightly less cool relative with less of the wow factor than the other lounge. However, with softer furnishings and low ceilings, the Pier has a much more comfortable atmosphere. I find that it is often easier to find somewhere to sit too.
The Pier has all of the same features as the Wing including the Long Bar, the Noodle Bar, showers and a work area.
The Long Bar
Seating Area
Seating Area
The Noodle Bar
Side seating area
After getting these few snaps I headed out of the lounge to board at Gate 60.
Verdict
I generally find the Pier to be a bit more comfortable and quieter than The Wing. For this reason, I usually spend more time here, however, I wouldn’t make the trek to the Pier if my flight was departing from gates 1-4. That is not to say that it isn’t a great lounge, because it is, but it offers nothing more than the Wing, apart from the location.
The Pier is an great lounge and it’s a shame that I didn’t get the chance to spend more time there on this trip. Next time….
Verdict on the Hong Kong Oneworld Lounges
I was able to visit four of the Oneworld lounges at Hong Kong Airport in the one and a half hours that I had available to me. By far, and it was always going to be, the Wing is my favourite. It has a certain buzz about it and despite being busy, continues to feel exclusive. The facilities are excellent and I particularly like the fact that there is a proper bar with service. This is mostly lacking in business class lounges these days.
Next up is the new Qantas Business lounge. The Australian airline have put together a very comfortable lounge with excellent modern facilities and designer décor. There seemed to be a very good selection of both food and drink and lots of corners, nooks and crannies to settle down in.
Third is the Pier, but only because it offers nothing new over the Wing. The Pier is still an excellent lounge and I’d be happy to while a way a few hours there. It lacks the atmosphere of the Wing however.
Last has to be the Gate 16 lounge, what a disaster.
Advice on Which Lounge to Choose
If you have status with Oneworld and have access to all of these lounges my recommendation is simple. If you have plenty of time to spare, head to the Wing first (since it is closest after immigration and security) to grab a glass of Champagne at the Long Bar and watch the world go by. Otherwise, you have three choices:
If you flight departs from Gates 1-4, stay at the Wing or perhaps head over to the Qantas lounge for a bit, to experience something a little different.
If you flight departs from Gates 15-19 head to the Qantas lounge. Avoid the Gate 16 lounge at all costs.
If you flight departs from either 40-50 or 60-71 then head to the Pier.
I headed down the escalator to the train which runs between the main hall and the Northwest (gates 60-71) and the Southwest (40-50) concourses.
The escalator down to the train
After a quick ride I quickly sprinted past my plane standing at gate 60 and noticed the shiny Singapore Airlines A380 behind it. Amusingly, there seemed to be a stand off between the A380 and some of the ground crew.
Cathay Pacific 777-200 operating CX416 today
Stand off
The entrance to the pier is located near gate 63 and down the escalator.
Entrance to the Pier
As soon as I had my boarding pass scanned at reception I noticed that my flight had been called for boarding. My time was up. I had time to get a quick couple of snaps around the lounge.
The Pier is The Wing’s slightly less cool relative with less of the wow factor than the other lounge. However, with softer furnishings and low ceilings, the Pier has a much more comfortable atmosphere. I find that it is often easier to find somewhere to sit too.
The Pier has all of the same features as the Wing including the Long Bar, the Noodle Bar, showers and a work area.
The Long Bar
Seating Area
Seating Area
The Noodle Bar
Side seating area
After getting these few snaps I headed out of the lounge to board at Gate 60.
Verdict
I generally find the Pier to be a bit more comfortable and quieter than The Wing. For this reason, I usually spend more time here, however, I wouldn’t make the trek to the Pier if my flight was departing from gates 1-4. That is not to say that it isn’t a great lounge, because it is, but it offers nothing more than the Wing, apart from the location.
The Pier is an great lounge and it’s a shame that I didn’t get the chance to spend more time there on this trip. Next time….
Verdict on the Hong Kong Oneworld Lounges
I was able to visit four of the Oneworld lounges at Hong Kong Airport in the one and a half hours that I had available to me. By far, and it was always going to be, the Wing is my favourite. It has a certain buzz about it and despite being busy, continues to feel exclusive. The facilities are excellent and I particularly like the fact that there is a proper bar with service. This is mostly lacking in business class lounges these days.
Next up is the new Qantas Business lounge. The Australian airline have put together a very comfortable lounge with excellent modern facilities and designer décor. There seemed to be a very good selection of both food and drink and lots of corners, nooks and crannies to settle down in.
Third is the Pier, but only because it offers nothing new over the Wing. The Pier is still an excellent lounge and I’d be happy to while a way a few hours there. It lacks the atmosphere of the Wing however.
Last has to be the Gate 16 lounge, what a disaster.
Advice on Which Lounge to Choose
If you have status with Oneworld and have access to all of these lounges my recommendation is simple. If you have plenty of time to spare, head to the Wing first (since it is closest after immigration and security) to grab a glass of Champagne at the Long Bar and watch the world go by. Otherwise, you have three choices:
If you flight departs from Gates 1-4, stay at the Wing or perhaps head over to the Qantas lounge for a bit, to experience something a little different.
If you flight departs from Gates 15-19 head to the Qantas lounge. Avoid the Gate 16 lounge at all costs.
If you flight departs from either 40-50 or 60-71 then head to the Pier.
Jun 13, 2010, 2:48 pm
#51
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Nice updates. I went to the G16 lounge once, just to have a look as my CX flight was leaving from G16. I agree not nice at all.
Jun 14, 2010, 2:13 pm
#52
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Hong Kong to Seoul on the Cathay Pacific (CX) Boeing 777-200 in Economy
Flight: CX416
Carrier: Cathay Pacific
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Scheduled Departure time: 16:30
Duration: 3h 40m
Scheduled Arrival time: 21:10 (local)
Routing: Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Class: Economy
Seat: 36A (seat plan)
I dashed out of the Pier and headed over to Gate 60 where the flight was boarding.
Boarding at Gate 60
I was able to skip the rather long economy queue by using the business class lane. At 16.05 I was on-board this rather dated aircraft.
Originally, this flight had an A340 scheduled however this was changed to a short haul Boeing 777-200 a few hours before the flight.
This aircraft has a 3-3-3 configuration and definitely doesn’t feel as spacious as the A330 that I was on for the flight to Hong Kong. I was sitting in 36A, a window seat near the front of the forward economy cabin.
The cabin seemed to be filling up but I suspect that the flight wasn’t full.
Looking forward from 36A
Looking rearwards from 36A
Leg room
I’m not tall by any means but the seat seemed rather cramped.
The crew were busy helping passengers with boarding and at about 16.20 the Captain came on the PA to announce a flight time of 3 hours and 4 minutes. At this point my seat mate sat down. He sat in 36C which meant that we had a seat free between us. Good job too as he was quite large.
As soon as he stowed his bag he slumped in his seat and started snoring.
We pushed back at 16.35, with the man still snoring and make our way towards the run way. This took a little while as there seemed to be a lot of traffic in front of us.
At this point the man was really gurgling and it was pretty disgusting. His head was slumped forward, making it worse. I prayed that the roar of the engines would drown him out.
Turning onto the Runway
At 16.55 we were away and the two engines were brought up to full power as we breezed down the runway.
Take off over the terminal building
Climbing through the clouds
The seat belt sign was turned off very quickly, after only 5 minutes, the man was still snoring away.
The crew firstly came around with trays of drinks. This was an excellent way of serving everyone a drink very quickly. The choices were water, orange juice or coke. This was then followed by the full dinner service at about 17.50. The choices were chicken or beef with rice. This was served with a choice of drinks.
Sweet and sour chicken with rice – you can see my iPhone with flight notes in the corner
On the tray was a selection of cut fruits, roll and butter, sweet and sour chicken with plain rice and a chocolate biscuit. The meal was excellent and I finished all of it.
My tray was cleared only 30 minutes later.
Although IFE was available on-board, with headphones handed out near the start of the flight I was happy watching Family Guy on my iPhone. I’d loaded a few series onto it so had many hours of entertainment available for the trip.
At about 18.45 Hong Kong time I got a bit of a shock as I saw a Lufthansa plane, sailing past the window in the opposite direction. It seemed incredibly close, enough that I could clearly make out the aircraft windows. It was cruising at a very similar altitude. I’ve never seen another aircraft that close before. I suspect that it must have been the Seoul to Frankfurt flight for that evening.
I changed my watch to Seoul time at this point as it started to get dark outside.
Sunset over the ocean
We started to descend at 20.25, with the Captain announcing that we’d be touching down in about 30 minutes time. The Korean customs video was played and we cruised into Incheon for a rather bumpy landing at 20.55.
After a short taxi we were on stand and disembarking into the slightly deserted terminal building.
On stand at 9pm
Making our way towards immigration
Thanks Pierce
Like Hong Kong, passengers have to take a short train journey to the main terminal building if arriving at the additional concourse. Unfortunately, most of us missed the train that was waiting for us because of a stupid woman in front who blocked off the escalator with herself and her bags.
After waiting for the next train and quickly going through security I was in the baggage hall. In the space of five minutes I grabbed my bag, went through customs, changed my Hong Kong dollars into Won, dodged several taxi touts and was in a taxi on my way back to the Intercontinental.
From plane to taxi in 30 minutes, excellent.
Verdict
Another good flight from Cathay Pacific. I think that I would have preferred the original aircraft however as the 777 was dated and felt cramped. However, both the food and the service were excellent, a real example of what a quality Asian carrier can do on a short regional flight.
Flight: CX416
Carrier: Cathay Pacific
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Scheduled Departure time: 16:30
Duration: 3h 40m
Scheduled Arrival time: 21:10 (local)
Routing: Hong Kong to Seoul Incheon
Class: Economy
Seat: 36A (seat plan)
I dashed out of the Pier and headed over to Gate 60 where the flight was boarding.
Boarding at Gate 60
I was able to skip the rather long economy queue by using the business class lane. At 16.05 I was on-board this rather dated aircraft.
Originally, this flight had an A340 scheduled however this was changed to a short haul Boeing 777-200 a few hours before the flight.
This aircraft has a 3-3-3 configuration and definitely doesn’t feel as spacious as the A330 that I was on for the flight to Hong Kong. I was sitting in 36A, a window seat near the front of the forward economy cabin.
The cabin seemed to be filling up but I suspect that the flight wasn’t full.
Looking forward from 36A
Looking rearwards from 36A
Leg room
I’m not tall by any means but the seat seemed rather cramped.
The crew were busy helping passengers with boarding and at about 16.20 the Captain came on the PA to announce a flight time of 3 hours and 4 minutes. At this point my seat mate sat down. He sat in 36C which meant that we had a seat free between us. Good job too as he was quite large.
As soon as he stowed his bag he slumped in his seat and started snoring.
We pushed back at 16.35, with the man still snoring and make our way towards the run way. This took a little while as there seemed to be a lot of traffic in front of us.
At this point the man was really gurgling and it was pretty disgusting. His head was slumped forward, making it worse. I prayed that the roar of the engines would drown him out.
Turning onto the Runway
At 16.55 we were away and the two engines were brought up to full power as we breezed down the runway.
Take off over the terminal building
Climbing through the clouds
The seat belt sign was turned off very quickly, after only 5 minutes, the man was still snoring away.
The crew firstly came around with trays of drinks. This was an excellent way of serving everyone a drink very quickly. The choices were water, orange juice or coke. This was then followed by the full dinner service at about 17.50. The choices were chicken or beef with rice. This was served with a choice of drinks.
Sweet and sour chicken with rice – you can see my iPhone with flight notes in the corner
On the tray was a selection of cut fruits, roll and butter, sweet and sour chicken with plain rice and a chocolate biscuit. The meal was excellent and I finished all of it.
My tray was cleared only 30 minutes later.
Although IFE was available on-board, with headphones handed out near the start of the flight I was happy watching Family Guy on my iPhone. I’d loaded a few series onto it so had many hours of entertainment available for the trip.
At about 18.45 Hong Kong time I got a bit of a shock as I saw a Lufthansa plane, sailing past the window in the opposite direction. It seemed incredibly close, enough that I could clearly make out the aircraft windows. It was cruising at a very similar altitude. I’ve never seen another aircraft that close before. I suspect that it must have been the Seoul to Frankfurt flight for that evening.
I changed my watch to Seoul time at this point as it started to get dark outside.
Sunset over the ocean
We started to descend at 20.25, with the Captain announcing that we’d be touching down in about 30 minutes time. The Korean customs video was played and we cruised into Incheon for a rather bumpy landing at 20.55.
After a short taxi we were on stand and disembarking into the slightly deserted terminal building.
On stand at 9pm
Making our way towards immigration
Thanks Pierce
Like Hong Kong, passengers have to take a short train journey to the main terminal building if arriving at the additional concourse. Unfortunately, most of us missed the train that was waiting for us because of a stupid woman in front who blocked off the escalator with herself and her bags.
After waiting for the next train and quickly going through security I was in the baggage hall. In the space of five minutes I grabbed my bag, went through customs, changed my Hong Kong dollars into Won, dodged several taxi touts and was in a taxi on my way back to the Intercontinental.
From plane to taxi in 30 minutes, excellent.
Verdict
Another good flight from Cathay Pacific. I think that I would have preferred the original aircraft however as the 777 was dated and felt cramped. However, both the food and the service were excellent, a real example of what a quality Asian carrier can do on a short regional flight.
Last edited by matthandy; Jun 14, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Jun 14, 2010, 3:52 pm
#53
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
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A Few More Days in Seoul
And so, I was back in Seoul and back to work for a few more days before finally flying home at the end of the week.
I’d managed to have some luck on my side as it turns out that the day that I was due to fly out was actually Buddha’s birthday, which is a national holiday across many countries in Asia. This meant a day off work and a chance to do some exploring.
I didn’t need to go far. I decided to meet up with some colleagues to do a little bit of work in the morning. We VPN’d in at the hotel lobby so were able to work from there. After this we headed down into Coex for some lunch and practised our best Korean by asking politely for a receipt at the end of the meal.
After seeing that the temple over the road from the hotel had been setting up for something special we decided to head over there to see what was going on.
The Bongeun Temple from my hotel room, early morning
The Bongeun Temple is one of Seoul’s oldest temples and is home to Korea’s largest statue of Buddha.
I was a little worried that we wouldn’t be welcome, given that our group comprised wholly of Westerners and that there may be a strict dress code. On this hot day we were all in t-shirts and shorts.
I needn’t have worried. For a start the temple was packed! The friendly staff at the entrance handed our leaflets in English, explaining the meaning and history behind each of the buildings on the temple grounds.
Walking towards the main building, colourful lanterns adorn the path above
Ladies selling colourful lanterns
Buddha’s birthday is clearly a day of significance amongst Korea’s Buddhist community as the place was buzzing with activity. I was struck by the colour all around us.
We walked up the steps and into something truly amazing. I couldn’t understand what I’d seen from the hotel room, a sea of red in the middle of the temple complex. It was impossible to see what this was from the 22nd floor.
This turned out to be a sea of lanterns with personal messages and wishes from locals and visitors alike.
The sea of red lanterns
It was really amazing, but what was more so is that the lanterns were absolutely everywhere! It seemed as though the temple grounds were running out of space to put them.
A lady watches on as her lantern is carefully hung
More lanterns with Hangul characters
White lanterns shading visitors
We spent a good hour walking around the temple, watching people as they offered gifts to Buddha and knelt and bowed saying prayers.
We were getting pretty hot so decided to head back to the hotel to cool down for a bit. A couple of us then headed off to the Korean National War Museum at Itaewon (http://www.theforgottenvictory.org).
The Museum is dedicated to remembering significant battles and events in South Korea’s war torn history. The place is absolutely huge and you could easily spend a good hour or so climbing over the attractions outside.
Monument to the Korean War
Planes, tanks and guns
I enjoyed simply exploring the huge collection of aircraft, tanks, vehicles, guns and missiles that were on display outside, some of which looked particularly scary. It was a stark reminder of how vicious war must be.
We then headed inside (entrance is free) and spent an hour or so wandering around before heading to the main street in Itaewon and meeting up with our colleagues for something to eat.
Itaewon is a bit of a tourist trap. It’s closely located to the American base and has therefore become very Westernised. Personally, I found it to be rather tatty and tacky, nothing like the class of Cheongdam-dong where my office is located.
After dinner and a couple of drinks it was time to head back to the hotel to freshen up before finally heading to the airport at about 8pm.
Verdict
I quite like Seoul actually. Travelling in the summer is definitely preferable over winter! I thought that the temple was truly amazing, the lanterns, the colours and the dedication of the locals to celebrate Buddha’s birthday is something that I will always remember.
Coming Up
- The Korean Airlines Lounge, Incheon
- Emirates A380 Seoul to Dubai in Business
- Emirates Terminal 3 Business Class Lounge Complex
- Emirates 777-300ER Dubai to Gatwick in Business
And so, I was back in Seoul and back to work for a few more days before finally flying home at the end of the week.
I’d managed to have some luck on my side as it turns out that the day that I was due to fly out was actually Buddha’s birthday, which is a national holiday across many countries in Asia. This meant a day off work and a chance to do some exploring.
I didn’t need to go far. I decided to meet up with some colleagues to do a little bit of work in the morning. We VPN’d in at the hotel lobby so were able to work from there. After this we headed down into Coex for some lunch and practised our best Korean by asking politely for a receipt at the end of the meal.
After seeing that the temple over the road from the hotel had been setting up for something special we decided to head over there to see what was going on.
The Bongeun Temple from my hotel room, early morning
The Bongeun Temple is one of Seoul’s oldest temples and is home to Korea’s largest statue of Buddha.
I was a little worried that we wouldn’t be welcome, given that our group comprised wholly of Westerners and that there may be a strict dress code. On this hot day we were all in t-shirts and shorts.
I needn’t have worried. For a start the temple was packed! The friendly staff at the entrance handed our leaflets in English, explaining the meaning and history behind each of the buildings on the temple grounds.
Walking towards the main building, colourful lanterns adorn the path above
Ladies selling colourful lanterns
Buddha’s birthday is clearly a day of significance amongst Korea’s Buddhist community as the place was buzzing with activity. I was struck by the colour all around us.
We walked up the steps and into something truly amazing. I couldn’t understand what I’d seen from the hotel room, a sea of red in the middle of the temple complex. It was impossible to see what this was from the 22nd floor.
This turned out to be a sea of lanterns with personal messages and wishes from locals and visitors alike.
The sea of red lanterns
It was really amazing, but what was more so is that the lanterns were absolutely everywhere! It seemed as though the temple grounds were running out of space to put them.
A lady watches on as her lantern is carefully hung
More lanterns with Hangul characters
White lanterns shading visitors
We spent a good hour walking around the temple, watching people as they offered gifts to Buddha and knelt and bowed saying prayers.
We were getting pretty hot so decided to head back to the hotel to cool down for a bit. A couple of us then headed off to the Korean National War Museum at Itaewon (http://www.theforgottenvictory.org).
The Museum is dedicated to remembering significant battles and events in South Korea’s war torn history. The place is absolutely huge and you could easily spend a good hour or so climbing over the attractions outside.
Monument to the Korean War
Planes, tanks and guns
I enjoyed simply exploring the huge collection of aircraft, tanks, vehicles, guns and missiles that were on display outside, some of which looked particularly scary. It was a stark reminder of how vicious war must be.
We then headed inside (entrance is free) and spent an hour or so wandering around before heading to the main street in Itaewon and meeting up with our colleagues for something to eat.
Itaewon is a bit of a tourist trap. It’s closely located to the American base and has therefore become very Westernised. Personally, I found it to be rather tatty and tacky, nothing like the class of Cheongdam-dong where my office is located.
After dinner and a couple of drinks it was time to head back to the hotel to freshen up before finally heading to the airport at about 8pm.
Verdict
I quite like Seoul actually. Travelling in the summer is definitely preferable over winter! I thought that the temple was truly amazing, the lanterns, the colours and the dedication of the locals to celebrate Buddha’s birthday is something that I will always remember.
Coming Up
- The Korean Airlines Lounge, Incheon
- Emirates A380 Seoul to Dubai in Business
- Emirates Terminal 3 Business Class Lounge Complex
- Emirates 777-300ER Dubai to Gatwick in Business
Last edited by matthandy; Jun 15, 2010 at 4:50 am
Jun 15, 2010, 4:42 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SQ Gold, KQ Platinum, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,348
Thanks for the most recent two updates ^
CX's 772 regional Y seats look very dated, but as seems to be the case on Cathay, the food is pretty good.
Interesting report from Seoul, although just to point out your link to the Bongeun Temple was flagged as a site containing malware by Safari 5...
I like the 'Coming Up' teaser! The Korean Airlines lounge does not look like anything special - it looks a bit clinical
CX's 772 regional Y seats look very dated, but as seems to be the case on Cathay, the food is pretty good.
Interesting report from Seoul, although just to point out your link to the Bongeun Temple was flagged as a site containing malware by Safari 5...
I like the 'Coming Up' teaser! The Korean Airlines lounge does not look like anything special - it looks a bit clinical
Jun 15, 2010, 4:51 am
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
Whoops - link removed. I just did a search on Google for the link.
The rubber sofas are a bit special....
Jun 15, 2010, 4:19 pm
#56
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
Seoul to Dubai on the EK A380 in Business
Flight: EK323
Carrier: Emirates
Aircraft: Airbus A380
Scheduled Departure time: 23.55
Duration: 9h 30m
Scheduled Arrival time: 04:25 (local)
Routing: Seoul, Incheon - Dubai (DXB) T3
Class: Business
Seat: 14K – Upper Deck (seat plan)
I was feeling a bit sad and excited to be leaving Seoul. With my bags all packed in to the taxi, I left the hotel at about 20.10, expecting a longish journey to the airport. Traffic at the best of times is never good in Seoul but on a Friday night, I expected it to be terrible.
As we made our way to the airport it was clear that the traffic wasn’t actually that bad. However, the driver made up for it by scaring the hell out of me. I swear that he was either drunk or falling asleep. He constantly shifted around and kept leaning right up to the steering wheel, then slumping back again. I was really concerned and very glad when we arrived at the airport only 50 minutes later.
Pulling up to the terminal building it was clear that the airport was relatively empty. Given that this was a public national holiday, equivalent to Christmas, I suppose that it wasn’t too much of a surprise.
The check in desks were located in Zone H, which was only a short walk away.
Emirates Check In Desks at Zone H
Emirates takes up an entire row, with multiple desks for economy, business and first. Check in was very quick, with only a small queue. I was checked all the way through to Gatwick and presented with both boarding passes, my lounge invite and my luggage receipt. I love flying business when it comes to luggage, no worries about how heavy it is!
After going through a very polite security check, with lots of bowing, and then through immigration (less polite) I took the train over to Concourse A where my flight was departing this evening.
I decided to walk along to Gate 120 where the big bird was waiting. I wanted to get some snaps before I went to lounge in case I didn't get the opportunity later. The airport was deserted and this flight seemed to be one of if not the last flight of the day.
The Big Bird
Gate Area
I then retreated to the lounge which is located up an escalator near to the exit from the train, in the centre of the concourse.
Emirates do not have their own lounge at Incheon so Emirates business and first class passengers are invited to use the Korean Airlines Lounge. This lounge was recently voted the best airline lounge in the world by Priority Pass club members. Now, those in the know will realise that most airline lounges are not available to those holding Priority Pass membership, therefore, what this really means is that this lounge was voted as the best lounge in their network. This isn’t saying much, since gems like The Wing in Hong Kong, the Qantas First Class lounge in Sydney and the lounges in Terminal 5 at LHR are excluded.
Entrance to the Korean Airlines Lounge
Still, I did have high expectations and having seen photos, I braced myself for the rather odd styling. In my notes I’ve said, as my first impressions “this lounge is weird!”. That probably describes it well.
The lounge is styled in Korean Airlines colours, with turquoise and white as the dominant theme. The sofas are made of a rubbery foam which surprisingly wasn’t too bad, comfort wise.
As it was only about 21.40 the lounge wasn’t very busy at this point so I was able to find myself a spot by the windows, near the desks.
First view of the lounge
My spot
Looking back into the lounge, towards the entrance, computer work desks are located by the windows to the left
After placing my things down I got my camera out and wandered around to see what was on offer.
Everything that you would expect to find was available. There was a large TV viewing room, showers, toilets, a newspaper rack, although no English language newspapers were available, ample seating and food and drink areas.
Newspaper rack, and directions
I’d heard that the lounge was catered by the Hyatt hotel chain and this seemed to be the case with the food labels beside each dish proudly marked with the Hyatt logo.
The selection didn’t appear to be substantial but there was a good amount of choice available. Certainly nothing like the Emirates lounge at LHR or Dubai though. A selection of hot dishes was available as well as a salad bar and sandwiches. For dessert, various cakes and biscuits were on offer.
On the drink side of things, the choices were limited. Two white wines were available, no red, and there was a very limited selection of spirits which lacked vodka. Soft drinks were available with water, fizzy drinks as well as tea and coffee.
The Dining Area
Cold Selection
I helped myself to a glass of Chardonnay, some bottled water from the fridge and some pesto pasta and cheese from the cold selection.
After being a little uninspired by the hot selection I was pleasantly surprised to find that what food I had taken was of excellent quality. The pasta was really great, so much so that I went back for more. I finished off with a slice of coconut cake.
At this point the lounge had started to fill up. The decor in the lounge caused two issues, one the lounge felt cold, due to the colour scheme and the lack of soft furnishings meant that the lounge was over noisy. It certainly didn’t feel like a very welcoming environment and I was itching to get onboard.
At 23.05 one of the staff went around to each passenger to invite us to board our flight to Dubai. This was a nice touch. I gathered up my things and headed down to the gate area to find boarding in full swing with a long queue for economy. I skipped past this to join the business and first class queue and after having my boarding pass checked I made my way towards the three air bridges to board the aircraft.
Flight: EK323
Carrier: Emirates
Aircraft: Airbus A380
Scheduled Departure time: 23.55
Duration: 9h 30m
Scheduled Arrival time: 04:25 (local)
Routing: Seoul, Incheon - Dubai (DXB) T3
Class: Business
Seat: 14K – Upper Deck (seat plan)
I was feeling a bit sad and excited to be leaving Seoul. With my bags all packed in to the taxi, I left the hotel at about 20.10, expecting a longish journey to the airport. Traffic at the best of times is never good in Seoul but on a Friday night, I expected it to be terrible.
As we made our way to the airport it was clear that the traffic wasn’t actually that bad. However, the driver made up for it by scaring the hell out of me. I swear that he was either drunk or falling asleep. He constantly shifted around and kept leaning right up to the steering wheel, then slumping back again. I was really concerned and very glad when we arrived at the airport only 50 minutes later.
Pulling up to the terminal building it was clear that the airport was relatively empty. Given that this was a public national holiday, equivalent to Christmas, I suppose that it wasn’t too much of a surprise.
The check in desks were located in Zone H, which was only a short walk away.
Emirates Check In Desks at Zone H
Emirates takes up an entire row, with multiple desks for economy, business and first. Check in was very quick, with only a small queue. I was checked all the way through to Gatwick and presented with both boarding passes, my lounge invite and my luggage receipt. I love flying business when it comes to luggage, no worries about how heavy it is!
After going through a very polite security check, with lots of bowing, and then through immigration (less polite) I took the train over to Concourse A where my flight was departing this evening.
I decided to walk along to Gate 120 where the big bird was waiting. I wanted to get some snaps before I went to lounge in case I didn't get the opportunity later. The airport was deserted and this flight seemed to be one of if not the last flight of the day.
The Big Bird
Gate Area
I then retreated to the lounge which is located up an escalator near to the exit from the train, in the centre of the concourse.
Emirates do not have their own lounge at Incheon so Emirates business and first class passengers are invited to use the Korean Airlines Lounge. This lounge was recently voted the best airline lounge in the world by Priority Pass club members. Now, those in the know will realise that most airline lounges are not available to those holding Priority Pass membership, therefore, what this really means is that this lounge was voted as the best lounge in their network. This isn’t saying much, since gems like The Wing in Hong Kong, the Qantas First Class lounge in Sydney and the lounges in Terminal 5 at LHR are excluded.
Entrance to the Korean Airlines Lounge
Still, I did have high expectations and having seen photos, I braced myself for the rather odd styling. In my notes I’ve said, as my first impressions “this lounge is weird!”. That probably describes it well.
The lounge is styled in Korean Airlines colours, with turquoise and white as the dominant theme. The sofas are made of a rubbery foam which surprisingly wasn’t too bad, comfort wise.
As it was only about 21.40 the lounge wasn’t very busy at this point so I was able to find myself a spot by the windows, near the desks.
First view of the lounge
My spot
Looking back into the lounge, towards the entrance, computer work desks are located by the windows to the left
After placing my things down I got my camera out and wandered around to see what was on offer.
Everything that you would expect to find was available. There was a large TV viewing room, showers, toilets, a newspaper rack, although no English language newspapers were available, ample seating and food and drink areas.
Newspaper rack, and directions
I’d heard that the lounge was catered by the Hyatt hotel chain and this seemed to be the case with the food labels beside each dish proudly marked with the Hyatt logo.
The selection didn’t appear to be substantial but there was a good amount of choice available. Certainly nothing like the Emirates lounge at LHR or Dubai though. A selection of hot dishes was available as well as a salad bar and sandwiches. For dessert, various cakes and biscuits were on offer.
On the drink side of things, the choices were limited. Two white wines were available, no red, and there was a very limited selection of spirits which lacked vodka. Soft drinks were available with water, fizzy drinks as well as tea and coffee.
The Dining Area
Cold Selection
I helped myself to a glass of Chardonnay, some bottled water from the fridge and some pesto pasta and cheese from the cold selection.
After being a little uninspired by the hot selection I was pleasantly surprised to find that what food I had taken was of excellent quality. The pasta was really great, so much so that I went back for more. I finished off with a slice of coconut cake.
At this point the lounge had started to fill up. The decor in the lounge caused two issues, one the lounge felt cold, due to the colour scheme and the lack of soft furnishings meant that the lounge was over noisy. It certainly didn’t feel like a very welcoming environment and I was itching to get onboard.
At 23.05 one of the staff went around to each passenger to invite us to board our flight to Dubai. This was a nice touch. I gathered up my things and headed down to the gate area to find boarding in full swing with a long queue for economy. I skipped past this to join the business and first class queue and after having my boarding pass checked I made my way towards the three air bridges to board the aircraft.
Jun 15, 2010, 4:21 pm
#57
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
Multiple Doors
Doors 1 and 2 must be used for economy passengers with upper deck door used for first and business class. I boarded directly on to the upper deck and was on-board at 23.15. I was welcomed at the door by name and pointed in the direction of my seat. I stowed my bags in the overhead locker and then sat down. The IFE screen was showing the welcome screen and the forward facing tail camera. I was sitting in 14K, which is the same seat that I sat in on the London to Dubai leg of my trip.
A blanket and headphones were placed on the seat, but crucially, no matter how hard I tried, I could not find the mattress.
Boarded
The cabin was very busy with passengers moving around to find their seats etc. The passengers seemed to be a mix of Korean and other nationalities, mostly European who I assume would connect to other flights at Dubai. I had a quick play with the seat to check that everything is working and found that the mini pop-up foot rest was broken. No big loss, since I could stretch my feet out to the main rest anyway, although it did make a whirring sound whenever I tried to recline the seat.
One of the crew came along to offer welcome drinks. The choices were Champagne, orange or apple juice. I took a glass of Champagne and then started to make some notes on the lounge while I waited for boarding to complete.
At about 23.45 the crew came around with hot towels and shortly after the Captain came on the PA to announce a flight time of 9 hours with a rather low initial cruise of 28,000 feet. Menu’s and amenity kits were handed out, with the kit being the same as I had received on my flight from Dubai to Singapore.
The air bridges were removed at 23.55 and we pushed back on time.
Watching the push back and taxi on the tail cam was great fun and really helped get my bearings as we made our way to the runway. One feature that I hadn't seen before was that the aircraft stopped at a line of bright lights on the taxi way. After a minute or so the lights went out and the taxi-way lights were illuminated, guiding us to the runway. I suppose that this is someway of ensuring that aircraft do not enter the runway until cleared.
We took off, rather bumpily at 00.10 and were on our way to Dubai.
The climb was rather turbulent and the seat belt sign remained lit. The crew started to come around to offer mattresses (which were hidden behind the seat for each passenger) however, just before they got to me the Captain asked everyone to sit down due to turbulence. Eventually one of the crew members reached me a laid out my mattress.
Now, a word on the crew. After my poor experiences on the London flight I really prayed that the crew on this flight would set a better example. On the A side of the aircraft, the crew seemed to be very friendly. A particularly remember one FA, a lady wearing glasses who was very chatty with the passengers. Typically, the crew on my side seemed a little dour.
At 00.50 the crew came around to take dinner orders. I had decided to take dinner, rather than just go to sleep as I was feeling pretty hungry. I hoped that the crew would attempt to speed up the service due to the late departure time of the flight which meant that most people would like to get to sleep as soon as possible. The menu and wine list were presented in English, Korean and Arabic.
The Menu
Bar Service
Aperitifs
Campari – Campari Bitter
Vermouth Sweet / Dry – Martini
Sweet Sherry – Harvey’s Bristol Cream
Dry Sherry – Tio Pepe
Beers
A selection of international beers including Heineken, Budweiser and Amstel Light
Cocktails
Black Russian, Bloody Mary, Bucks Fizz, Champagne Cocktail, Cosmopolitan (US Routes), Fantasy Island, Kir Royal, Manhattan, Martini Cocktail Classic, Screwdriver, Vodka Martini
Spirits
Premium Scotch Whisky – Chivas Regal 18 Year Old
Single Malt Whisky – Glenfiddich 15 Year Old
Tennesse Whiskey – Jack Daniels
Irish Whiskey – Jameson’s
Cognac – Hennessy XO
Vodka – Grey Goose
Gin – Bombay Sapphire
Rum – Bacardi Superior
Champagne, Port and Wines
A selection of fine wines from internationally renowned vineyards of the old and new world
Liqueurs
Baileys Original Irish Cream
Tia Maria
Drambuie
Cointreau
Light Meal
Appetiser
Selection of authentic Arabic mezze
which includes hommous, moutabal, makdous, stuffed vine leaf, tomato cup filled with tabouleh and marinated mozzarella cheese
Hot smoked salmon and snow fish
served with mixed leaves and water cress salad
Salad
Seasonal salad
a seasonal side salad served with a choice of dressings
Main Course
Chicken piccata
buttered chicken supreme served with sautéed tagliatelle pasta and vegetables
Spicy prawns Korean style
seared prawns served with barbeque sauce, steamed rice and sautéed spinach with pine nutes, accompanied with traditional Korean oxtail soup, garnished with oxtail and spring onions
Spinach and cheese tortellini
pasta cases filled with cheese, served in a white artichoke and asparagus sauce
Grilled red snapper
grilled fish fillets served with green beans, herbed mushrooms and cumin boiled potatoes
Bread
Bread basket
a variety of freshly baked rolls and garlic bread
Dessert
Vanilla mille-feuille
Mille-feullie cake served with vanilla sauce
Cheese
International cheese selection
specially selected international cheeses, matured to perfection and served with a selection of crudités, crackers and dried fruits
Fruit
Fresh seasonal fruit
Beverages
Tea
Ceylon, China, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee
freshly brewed, decaffeinated, espresso and cappuccino
Chocolates
to accompany a freshly brewed cup of tea or coffee
Aperitifs
Campari – Campari Bitter
Vermouth Sweet / Dry – Martini
Sweet Sherry – Harvey’s Bristol Cream
Dry Sherry – Tio Pepe
Beers
A selection of international beers including Heineken, Budweiser and Amstel Light
Cocktails
Black Russian, Bloody Mary, Bucks Fizz, Champagne Cocktail, Cosmopolitan (US Routes), Fantasy Island, Kir Royal, Manhattan, Martini Cocktail Classic, Screwdriver, Vodka Martini
Spirits
Premium Scotch Whisky – Chivas Regal 18 Year Old
Single Malt Whisky – Glenfiddich 15 Year Old
Tennesse Whiskey – Jack Daniels
Irish Whiskey – Jameson’s
Cognac – Hennessy XO
Vodka – Grey Goose
Gin – Bombay Sapphire
Rum – Bacardi Superior
Champagne, Port and Wines
A selection of fine wines from internationally renowned vineyards of the old and new world
Liqueurs
Baileys Original Irish Cream
Tia Maria
Drambuie
Cointreau
Light Meal
Appetiser
Selection of authentic Arabic mezze
which includes hommous, moutabal, makdous, stuffed vine leaf, tomato cup filled with tabouleh and marinated mozzarella cheese
Hot smoked salmon and snow fish
served with mixed leaves and water cress salad
Salad
Seasonal salad
a seasonal side salad served with a choice of dressings
Main Course
Chicken piccata
buttered chicken supreme served with sautéed tagliatelle pasta and vegetables
Spicy prawns Korean style
seared prawns served with barbeque sauce, steamed rice and sautéed spinach with pine nutes, accompanied with traditional Korean oxtail soup, garnished with oxtail and spring onions
Spinach and cheese tortellini
pasta cases filled with cheese, served in a white artichoke and asparagus sauce
Grilled red snapper
grilled fish fillets served with green beans, herbed mushrooms and cumin boiled potatoes
Bread
Bread basket
a variety of freshly baked rolls and garlic bread
Dessert
Vanilla mille-feuille
Mille-feullie cake served with vanilla sauce
Cheese
International cheese selection
specially selected international cheeses, matured to perfection and served with a selection of crudités, crackers and dried fruits
Fruit
Fresh seasonal fruit
Beverages
Tea
Ceylon, China, Earl Grey, Camomile
Coffee
freshly brewed, decaffeinated, espresso and cappuccino
Chocolates
to accompany a freshly brewed cup of tea or coffee
The Wine List
We have selected these wines to offer a diverse range of styles from the world’s top vineyards. These wines will blend delicately with our chef’s creations and perfectly complement your dining experience.
Champagne
Moët and Chandon Brut Impérial NV
A harmonious blend of the three Champagne grape varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, from the most expressive crus of the Champagne region.
Brut Impérial embodies the Moët & Chandon style. It is a complete, generous and dynamic champagne.
The wine has matured on the lees for several years until considered ready for drinking by the Chef de Cave.
White Wine
Craggy Range Yacht Club Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Malborough, New Zealand
Pale and green tinged in appearance. Bright aromas of lemongrass, lime, herbs, grapefruit and spring flowers.
The palate is juicy yet elegant in structure, with an ultra fine texture and a beautiful array of citrus and sweet herb flavours, and delicate floral notes.
This crunchy single vineyard wine finishes vibrant, mouth-watering and flavour filled.
Leeuwin Estate, Chardonnay 2007, Margaret River, Western Australia
Western Australia’s Margaret River makes very elegant and restrained styles of wine. Leeuwin Estate is the regions leading proponent of this approach.
The nose has aromas and showing ripe pears, cashew nuts, crème brûlée and hints of toasty French oak. The palate displays the typical sweet fruit from Leeuwin’s low cropping vineyards of dried pear, toasty creamy custard tart and nutty nuances of almond and cashew, with lingering stone fruit and fresh clean finish.
Red Wine
Château St. Georges 2002 St. Emillion
The nose is immediate and forthright. At first, spicy oak tends to dominate the aroma profile. Within about ten minutes in the glass, a much more balanced profile emerges, with violets, brambles, dark berry fruit and spicy vanilla oak all contributing their share. The flavour then drives through and widens on the middle palate, delivering a clear, clean shot of complex dark berry fruit. On the finish, a blanket of fine, delicious tannins descends on the tongue, puckering and drying the mouth, while clear fruit rises to the back of the mouth, singing with intensity. Very good length.
Wither Hills, Pinot Noir 2007 Malborough, New Zealand
The Wairau Valley in the heart of the Malborough is home to the Wither Hills vineyards. A wonderful deep garnet hue sets the tone for this classic Pinot Noir. The aromas are youthful, complex and ever evolving in the glass. Look for aromas of ripe black cherry and rich plum surrounded by blueberry fruit. On the palate the wine just melts with enchanting fresh forest red fruit flavours and leaves you looking for a second sip.
Port
Graham’s Port 2003 Late Bottled Vintage
Graham’s Port 2003 Late Bottled Vintage like Vintage Port, is a wine of a single year but it is not a “declared” Vintage Port. Whereas Vintage Port spends only two tears in casks and then matures in the bottle, LBV is aged and then bottled with a light filtration at between four and six years old. At the time of bottling it has completed it’s maturation and is ready for drinking without the need for decanting. The 2003 vintage in Portugal, compared to the legendary ’63, is seen as one of the best in recent times.
Champagne
Moët and Chandon Brut Impérial NV
A harmonious blend of the three Champagne grape varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, from the most expressive crus of the Champagne region.
Brut Impérial embodies the Moët & Chandon style. It is a complete, generous and dynamic champagne.
The wine has matured on the lees for several years until considered ready for drinking by the Chef de Cave.
White Wine
Craggy Range Yacht Club Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Malborough, New Zealand
Pale and green tinged in appearance. Bright aromas of lemongrass, lime, herbs, grapefruit and spring flowers.
The palate is juicy yet elegant in structure, with an ultra fine texture and a beautiful array of citrus and sweet herb flavours, and delicate floral notes.
This crunchy single vineyard wine finishes vibrant, mouth-watering and flavour filled.
Leeuwin Estate, Chardonnay 2007, Margaret River, Western Australia
Western Australia’s Margaret River makes very elegant and restrained styles of wine. Leeuwin Estate is the regions leading proponent of this approach.
The nose has aromas and showing ripe pears, cashew nuts, crème brûlée and hints of toasty French oak. The palate displays the typical sweet fruit from Leeuwin’s low cropping vineyards of dried pear, toasty creamy custard tart and nutty nuances of almond and cashew, with lingering stone fruit and fresh clean finish.
Red Wine
Château St. Georges 2002 St. Emillion
The nose is immediate and forthright. At first, spicy oak tends to dominate the aroma profile. Within about ten minutes in the glass, a much more balanced profile emerges, with violets, brambles, dark berry fruit and spicy vanilla oak all contributing their share. The flavour then drives through and widens on the middle palate, delivering a clear, clean shot of complex dark berry fruit. On the finish, a blanket of fine, delicious tannins descends on the tongue, puckering and drying the mouth, while clear fruit rises to the back of the mouth, singing with intensity. Very good length.
Wither Hills, Pinot Noir 2007 Malborough, New Zealand
The Wairau Valley in the heart of the Malborough is home to the Wither Hills vineyards. A wonderful deep garnet hue sets the tone for this classic Pinot Noir. The aromas are youthful, complex and ever evolving in the glass. Look for aromas of ripe black cherry and rich plum surrounded by blueberry fruit. On the palate the wine just melts with enchanting fresh forest red fruit flavours and leaves you looking for a second sip.
Port
Graham’s Port 2003 Late Bottled Vintage
Graham’s Port 2003 Late Bottled Vintage like Vintage Port, is a wine of a single year but it is not a “declared” Vintage Port. Whereas Vintage Port spends only two tears in casks and then matures in the bottle, LBV is aged and then bottled with a light filtration at between four and six years old. At the time of bottling it has completed it’s maturation and is ready for drinking without the need for decanting. The 2003 vintage in Portugal, compared to the legendary ’63, is seen as one of the best in recent times.
A drinks run took place and I chose to have water, which was accompanied by warm nuts.
Water and Warm Nuts
It took 40 minutes before my table was eventually laid and I was starting to think that I should have just gone to sleep.
An hour after placing my order the starter turned up. Without a word this was placed in front of me. Would it kill the crew to actually take a little pride in their work? Surely it wouldn’t have been too difficult to say something like ‘Here is your salmon Sir’, would it? Sigh. What is up with the Emirates A380 crew? Serious complacency, arrogance and other attitude problems appear to be abundant. I get friendly service with a smile on Easyjet where my ticket costs £30, so why is this so impossible on Emirates in business class where my ticket cost over £3000?
If there are any A380 crew reading this, please take note. I’m not the only one that has been complaining about the consistently poor service on board the A380 recently. There was a trip report posted on Airliners a few weeks ago where the author reported the same attitude problems that I’ve experienced. There are also several threads and posts from passengers over in the Flyertalk Emirates Skywards forum.
I was offered bread and another drink. I wanted to sleep so I didn’t bother trying any of the wine.
Smoked Salmon and Snowfish
The starter was actually quite good and was well presented, although it didn't take long to get through it as I wanted to try to accelerate the meal service so that I could get to sleep.
My starter was cleared relatively quickly and then my main was placed in front of me, again, without a word and no offer of a top-up.
Tortellini
Again, the pasta was very good and although it looks like a small portion this was not the case and there was enough to leave me satisfied. I finished at about 02.00 Seoul time. To be honest, I couldn't be bothered with dessert, since it had taken so long to complete the dinner service. Lucky that I didn’t bother because after 40 minutes the remains of my dinner were still sitting in front of me. I gave up and moved everything onto the area beside my seat and went up to use the toilet. Rubbish service, with a complete lack of attention to passengers needs. To have everything sitting in front of me for 40 minutes is not on.
All of the toilets for business class passengers at the back of the aircraft and I had to travel through the bar area to get to the them. The bar was nicely lit up so I headed back to my seat to grab a photo.
The Bar Area at Night
The bar area was pretty empty, which I suppose was expected given the time of night. I certainly wasn’t interested in stopping for a drink as my first priority was to get some sleep.
I reclined the seat into bed mode, took off my socks and cursed the fact that I had forgotten to pack my Qantas pyjamas. However, with the combination of the mattress, the blanket, the cotton pillow an eyeshade and a set of ear plugs I was able to settle down comfortably and managed five and a half hours of uninterrupted sleep.
I woke up at 03.20 Dubai time, about 40 minutes prior to landing, perfect timing, although I missed breakfast, although I'd have needed to have woken up three hours beforehand given the rate of service. Having said this, I’ve previously woken up with less than hour to landing on a BA flight and was still offered breakfast, and when I’ve woken even closer to landing I was still asked if I wanted something to drink. The Emirates crew didn't even notice that I’d woken up, in fact, according to them I barely existed anyway so what did my state of slumber matter. Yes, I’m bitter.
Wakey, Wakey
The Cabin, at the top of descent
At 25 minutes to landing the Captain came on the PA to announce just that. The crew were scurrying around preparing the cabin for landing. I packed up my things and put everything back into my bag for a quick getaway. I noticed that the guy in front of me was still asleep. One of the crew noticed this too as she walked past. Talking to my friend who is an onboard manager for another airline the normal practice is to try and gently wake the passenger so as not to startle them. However, this crew member decided that the best course of action was to simply hold down to the seat recline button to return the seat to the upright position while the passenger was still fast asleep in it. As soon as he woke up she nipped off down to the back of the plane. The man was pretty startled and clearly annoyed. I thought that this behaviour was terribly rude and lazy on the part of the crew member. If she had done it to me I would have been pretty angry.
As we made our descent we again hit some pretty bad turbulence with the plane being jolted to the left at one point.
We landed in darkness at 4am local time and quickly taxied to the gate. I watched our progress on the tail cam.
Chocks On at the Gate
Getting off the plane was pretty quick and I was soon on my way to the transfer area.
Verdict
Again, an excellent hard product from Emirates. I was able to recline comfortably when watching a film as well as sleep very well when the seat was in bed mode. The fact that I managed to get over five hours of sleep is testament to this. The food was also good in both presentation and quality, despite the poor and slow service and the entertainment system remains the best in the sky in terms of choice, but perhaps has some way to go in the area of usability.
On to the bad. The crew were awful, again. The ladies serving my side seemed bored, bothered and annoyed. The passengers were a clear inconvenience and at no point did they demonstrate any kind of duty of care or thought towards their needs. I don’t recall getting more than a few words out of them for the entire flight. On the A side of the aircraft however, it was a different story.
The dinner service was terribly slow to the point of feeling neglected. Basically, it was a waste of time and not all an enjoyable experience. I thought that the crew member who woke the man in front of me was seriously out of order and her actions demonstrate contempt towards the people that she is there to look after.
Overall, the flight was annoyingly disappointing. It was very functional, I was able to eat, I was able to sleep. Nothing more. The promises of a great Emirates A380 experience as lauded in all of the marketing hype was sadly non-evident. Much like my first sector, the crew ruined the flight for me. I’m so annoyed about this. The crew need a serious kick up the backside to get their act together. However, with Emirates still growing, perhaps they don't care about customer service and repeat business.
Would I fly the Emirates A380 again? Not on my own, not if I could help it. As a lone traveller the crew have a greater influence on the whole experience. If I was travelling with someone it probably would be less of an issue.
Coming Up
- Emirates Terminal 3 Business Class Lounge Complex
- Emirates 777-300ER Dubai to Gatwick in Business
Last edited by matthandy; Jun 20, 2010 at 3:37 am
Jun 16, 2010, 12:26 pm
#59
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: UK
Programs: Virgin Flying Club Red, Emirates Skywards Blue, BA Executive Club Blue, Amex BA
Posts: 2,379
Thanks for the excellent reviews. Im looking forward to your views on your Dubai to Gatwick in Business trip as Im thinking about doing the same.
Jun 16, 2010, 6:15 pm
#60
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,210
However, the driver made up for it by scaring the hell out of me. I swear that he was either drunk or falling asleep. He constantly shifted around and kept leaning right up to the steering wheel, then slumping back again. I was really concerned and very glad when we arrived at the airport only 50 minutes later.
This is a super trip report Matt and your picture taking has improved greatly if you don't mind me saying so....really super pics to complement a fantastic journey. ^