Circling The Pacific: The Long Way To Down Under - LAX-HKG-SYD-BNE-LAX on CX F/J QF J
Sep 7, 2014, 3:00 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Southern California
Programs: Alaska MVPG; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 223
Circling The Pacific: The Long Way To Down Under - LAX-HKG-SYD-BNE-LAX on CX F/J QF J
Introduction:
After a while you just get used to the looks on peoples’ faces when you explain to them that you’re going on a quick trip to Australia from the US, while also spending two days in Hong Kong.
“It’s gonna suck having to do all that flying,” they’ll say.
“Not when you’re traveling on a bed in the sky.”
Having spent the past 2 years immersing myself in this hobby, reading through countless trip reports, and learning how to accumulate massive amount of points (while also visiting an ungodly number of CVS stores) I finally had an opportunity to redeem some points and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Having picked Labor Day to get married, my wife and I decided that we would travel for our anniversary every year. Last year we headed to New York, and it was fantastic. This year I was decided to go international, and settled on Australia. I knew that premium flight options to and from Australia are very limited, and that if I wanted to make this work, I had to get creative. Inspired by this SFO777 trip report, I decided that we would travel down under the long way, circling the Pacific. Ultimately, I settled on the following flights, knowing that, because of work, we only had the week of Labor Day to take our trip:
-CX897 First Class B777-300ER Los Angeles to Hong Kong (LAX-HKG)
-Hong Kong
-CX101 Business Class A330-300 Hong Kong to Sydney (HKG-SYD)
-Sydney
-QF516 Business Class B767-300 Sydney to Brisbane (SYD-BNE) and Brisbane
-QF15 Business Class B747-400 Brisbane to Los Angeles (BNE-LAX)
For hotels, we spent a night at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui using the free anniversary night from the Chase Hyatt CC, one night aboard CX101, 3 nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney using the 2 free night signup bonus from the Chase Hyatt CC and 22k Hyatt GP points, and one night at a random hotel in Brisbane that I am trying to erase from my memory. I’ll also provide my thoughts on Hong Kong, Sydney, and Brisbane in due course.
The biggest reason I got hooked in this hobby was reading through all the trip reports posted here and on blogs, and wanted to share my experience in hopes of inspiring others to do something similar, while also providing some insights on my own experiences. Also, I’ll be partly writing this report for myself, as I don’t have a blog and wanted a place to chronicle my thoughts and memories for future recollection. Plus, I picked up a snazzy new camera and took tons of pics, so why not share with all the folks who would appreciate them the most?
I am fully aware that writing a whole trip report is a pretty daunting task, so my hope is that by posting this intro, I’ll force myself to get it done. My goal is to get the entire report up over the course of the next week or so. And now, some teasers:
After a while you just get used to the looks on peoples’ faces when you explain to them that you’re going on a quick trip to Australia from the US, while also spending two days in Hong Kong.
“It’s gonna suck having to do all that flying,” they’ll say.
“Not when you’re traveling on a bed in the sky.”
Having spent the past 2 years immersing myself in this hobby, reading through countless trip reports, and learning how to accumulate massive amount of points (while also visiting an ungodly number of CVS stores) I finally had an opportunity to redeem some points and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Having picked Labor Day to get married, my wife and I decided that we would travel for our anniversary every year. Last year we headed to New York, and it was fantastic. This year I was decided to go international, and settled on Australia. I knew that premium flight options to and from Australia are very limited, and that if I wanted to make this work, I had to get creative. Inspired by this SFO777 trip report, I decided that we would travel down under the long way, circling the Pacific. Ultimately, I settled on the following flights, knowing that, because of work, we only had the week of Labor Day to take our trip:
-CX897 First Class B777-300ER Los Angeles to Hong Kong (LAX-HKG)
-Hong Kong
-CX101 Business Class A330-300 Hong Kong to Sydney (HKG-SYD)
-Sydney
-QF516 Business Class B767-300 Sydney to Brisbane (SYD-BNE) and Brisbane
-QF15 Business Class B747-400 Brisbane to Los Angeles (BNE-LAX)
For hotels, we spent a night at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui using the free anniversary night from the Chase Hyatt CC, one night aboard CX101, 3 nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney using the 2 free night signup bonus from the Chase Hyatt CC and 22k Hyatt GP points, and one night at a random hotel in Brisbane that I am trying to erase from my memory. I’ll also provide my thoughts on Hong Kong, Sydney, and Brisbane in due course.
The biggest reason I got hooked in this hobby was reading through all the trip reports posted here and on blogs, and wanted to share my experience in hopes of inspiring others to do something similar, while also providing some insights on my own experiences. Also, I’ll be partly writing this report for myself, as I don’t have a blog and wanted a place to chronicle my thoughts and memories for future recollection. Plus, I picked up a snazzy new camera and took tons of pics, so why not share with all the folks who would appreciate them the most?
I am fully aware that writing a whole trip report is a pretty daunting task, so my hope is that by posting this intro, I’ll force myself to get it done. My goal is to get the entire report up over the course of the next week or so. And now, some teasers:
Last edited by bhamsan01; Sep 21, 2014 at 11:34 pm
Sep 7, 2014, 10:06 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Southern California
Programs: Alaska MVPG; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 223
I spent quite a bit of time searching through reports on QF 747s and found very few. I happened to take the most pics and notes from that flight in case others were wondering about the experience, like me. Not to spoil the fun, but I thought the flight was fantastic. I will say however to make sure you get a seat on the upper deck. I walked down to the lower deck during the middle of the flight, as folks were using the gallery downstairs as sort of a mini lounge, and it looked incredibly cramped all around in J. Plus, the FAs didn't dim down the lights until much later on in the flight.
Looking forward to it.
Sep 7, 2014, 6:15 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Southern California
Programs: Alaska MVPG; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 223
CX897 First Class B777-300ER Los Angeles to Hong Kong (LAX-HKG)
Los Angeles to Hong Kong:
“Should we stop and pick up some snacks for the flight?”
“No honey, I think we’ll have plenty to eat on the plane.”
Old habits die hard, I suppose.
While the departure time isn’t ideal for adjusting to a 15 hour time difference, flying out of LAX on a weekday at 9:40AM means you’re treated to a relatively empty TBIT, as only a few flights depart between 9:00AM and Noon.
On the downside, you’re left to deal with horrendous LA morning rush hour traffic.
We arrived at TBIT about 2 hours prior to departure and proceeded directly to the first class check-in counter. The F counter agent was busy checking in a family flying in business class when we arrived. However, within a couple minutes the business check-in counter agent waived us over in front of a family of 10 flying in business and we quickly checked our two suitcases. Originally we had reserved 1A and 1K, hoping to move to either 2A or 2K at check-in so we could sit next to each other. I was hoping for 2A, as the A side does not share an aisle with the middle D seats. Lucky for us, only one other passenger was booked in F, in 2K, and the agent happily accommodated us in 1A and 2A. I’m sure the other passenger was equally happy that we decided to move to the A side, as he had 4 F seats seemingly to himself.
We breezed through security and made our way to the OW lounge.
The new and improved TBIT
Disclaimer: I don’t have many pics of any of the lounges we visited on our trip. I never found lounges to be that interesting, and I felt a little self conscious photographing in the lounge. So for those looking for pics of the lounge, I apologize for the lack of pics.
Alright, back to the report.
Since the F lounge was not yet ready for use, we visited the business lounge. The business lounge is immediately to the right up one level right below the Star Alliance lounge right after security. The lounge itself was large and a huge improvement over the old OW Business lounge, which we visited during the start of our honeymoon two years prior, when we flew J from LAX-NRT-SGN on JAL in angled seats (our first time flying anything other than economy, anywhere).
I was starving, so I grabbed from breakfast. Spread was mediocre, with scrambled eggs and bacon, plus an assortment of pastries. I did catch someone with a chocolate croissant on the way out which immediately changed my opinion of the food. I wish I was able to snag one for myself.
Much to my wife’s amusement, I decided to use the lounge to take a shower before the near 15 hour flight. I find that I have trouble sleeping if I don’t shower, and I planned on doing some sleeping on the flight to help with the time adjustment. The shower was readily available, as the only other folks in the lounge were those continuing on to JFK from SYD on QF107, and was stocked with everything you’d need to shower.
We left the lounge about 10 minutes prior to the boarding time stated on the boarding pass and made our way to gate 134.
Much to my surprise, boarding was already underway. We proceeded to the premium boarding line and were checked through in no time. And this is where the fun begins…
Cathay Pacific 897
Los Angeles (LAX) – Hong Kong (HKG)
777-300ER
Friday, August 29, 2014
9:40AM – 3:25PM (+1 Day)
14hr45min
Seats 1A, 2A (First Class)
Immediately upon boarding we were directed to our seats, 1A and 2A, and were warmly greeted by our flight attendants, Vivian and Alvin.
I’ve seen literally hundreds of photos of the CX F suite, and was beyond excited to finally experience it for myself. I was immediately blown away.
First, the seat:
Legroom for days
View of cabin from my seat
Seat controls on touch pad
All F and J passengers boarded through the front door, meaning all J passengers passed through the F cabin. Honestly, I didn’t care, as I was beyond excited to finally experience CX F first hand, something that, as recently as 3 years ago, I never thought I would get to do even in my wildest dreams.
After getting settled, Alvin offered a couple glasses of Krug...
...along with an amuse of avocado puree with lobster...
...and warm cashews.
We probably spent a good 15 minutes sitting in 2A together, marveling at the size of the seat and suite.
Next, amenity kits and PYE PJs.
The men's amenity kit contained Aesop face and skin products, a comb, shoe horn, ear plug, toothbrush, and mouthwash. I requested the Cathay Pacific pen to complete the kit. (pic taken at home, post flight) Wife and I both agreed that the men's bag was far superior to the women's, although she got more swag in hers.
Bose noise cancelling headphones.
We pushed back from the gate on time as our captain announced an early arrival. We were probably the only people on the plane hoping for the opposite.
Menus were distributed shortly after takeoff.
Unfortunately I made a major trip report faux paux and failed to grab the wine menu. I guess I’ll just have to book another CX F flight soon.
All I can tell you is that I had Krug. Lots of Krug.
We opted to dine together in my suite, 1A. Like a good husband, I took the ottoman seat. Shoulder space was somewhat limited due to the TV, but I didn’t care. I was sitting at a table for 2 about to eat caviar and lobster on a plane to Hong Kong. How could I complain about that??
Alvin commented on how he enjoys when people choose to dine together, as it’s more of a challenge to set two place sets and keeps him sharp. Happy to oblige, Alvin!
Of course, caviar to start.
With some bread. Heh.
Seriously though guys, that garlic bread...
I opted for the truffle infused cauliflower soup. It was superb.
(Apologies for the blur)
And the stir-fried Maine lobster with giner and spring onion, served with steamed jasmine rice, stir-fried pak choy and carrots. Sooo gooood.
For some reason, after everything I ate, the steamed rice on a plane never ceases to amaze me.
Following lunch, Alvin brought out all of the cheese and asked if we would like any. We chose them all.
Cambozola, goat cheese, port salut, and yellow cheddar
We also went with the fresh seasonal berries with vanilla cream. The vanilla cream was excellent.
(sorry again for the blur. I dove in before I took a pic, and rushed the pic while we hit some turbulence).
All in all, the best lunch I’ve ever had on a plane, hands down.
After lunch we changed into our PJs. Alvin graciously offered to exchange for a different size if they did not fit. Mine fit like a glove. I’d go on to wear the PJs on my next flight, CX101 redeye from HKG to SYD. I don’t know how they compare to the Shanghai Tang PJs, but these PJs were some of the most comfortable clothes I’ve ever worn to sleep.
Not kidding, super comf. I would wear these everyday if I could.
I requested turndown service right after lunch. Within minutes, my seat was converted to a bed. On a plane. The novelty will never get old.
Still sipping Krug.
The comforter was unbelieveably comfortable. I wish I could get one for my couch at home.
Because we now have a 15 month old at home, its been a while since we've gone to the movies. I was intent on watching everything I could. First, I decided to watch Million Dollar Arm. I recalled reading about this story on espn.com back in 2008, and was interested to see how it would be portrayed on the big screen.
Part way through I ordered some Hong Kong milk tea (first of four), along with shui gaw noodle soup and a coke.
I’m starting to think that the reason I didn’t sleep that much was more likely due to all the caffeine in my body.
All in all, an enjoyable movie.
Next, I watched an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Then another. And another. A good friend of mine recommended this show to me a while back, and I wish I started watching sooner. Its absolutely hilarious. Thankfully, CX101 had the same IFE, so I was able to get through about 16/22 episodes of Season 1 after both flights. Guess I’ll have to book another CX F flight to finish off season 1, in addition to getting a photo of the wine list.
I tried to get some sleep somewhere between episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The bed was incredibly comfortable. I realize I’m comparing F to J, but it was by far the most comfortable bed I slept in on all the flights. I probably only slept for an hour or so, and laid down and relaxed for another hour while listening to some Jay Z on the CX IFE.
Unable to sleep, I ordered the hot pot rice. Not as good as the soup, but still really tasty.
My only gripe with the IFE is the commercials before each episode and movie. Thankfully, there’s an option to fast forward. Otherwise, there were plenty of movies that I wanted to watch but didn’t have time to on the plane.
About a few hours outside of HKG I really fell asleep and missed dinner. My wife stayed up and ordered the fettuccine. Unfortunately they were out, which left me with the hilarious image of the middle aged Asian businessman on the other side of the plane scarfing down 3 portions of fettuccine for lunch. She ended up having the braised pork, and was pretty happy about it.
I woke up about 45 minutes outside of Hong Kong and had two more Hong Kong milk teas. Alvin wrote down some suggestions for places to eat and for me to get some Hong Kong milk tea near our hotel. Cathay Pacific, going the extra mile!
Some departing shots of the suite, with more milk tea
Sadly, it was time to depart. We thanked Alvin and Vivian, and we made our way to immigration, which was pretty empty.
Along with LH, I feel that CX F is probably one of the most reviewed cabins on FT and in blogs. After seeing the cabin and experiencing the flight, I can now see why. Everything about the experience was simply unforgettable. My wife and I both agreed that our only complaint was that the flight wasn’t longer. If you can walk off a 15 hour flight feeling that way, you know it was a good experience. Kudos, CX897!
“Should we stop and pick up some snacks for the flight?”
“No honey, I think we’ll have plenty to eat on the plane.”
Old habits die hard, I suppose.
While the departure time isn’t ideal for adjusting to a 15 hour time difference, flying out of LAX on a weekday at 9:40AM means you’re treated to a relatively empty TBIT, as only a few flights depart between 9:00AM and Noon.
On the downside, you’re left to deal with horrendous LA morning rush hour traffic.
We arrived at TBIT about 2 hours prior to departure and proceeded directly to the first class check-in counter. The F counter agent was busy checking in a family flying in business class when we arrived. However, within a couple minutes the business check-in counter agent waived us over in front of a family of 10 flying in business and we quickly checked our two suitcases. Originally we had reserved 1A and 1K, hoping to move to either 2A or 2K at check-in so we could sit next to each other. I was hoping for 2A, as the A side does not share an aisle with the middle D seats. Lucky for us, only one other passenger was booked in F, in 2K, and the agent happily accommodated us in 1A and 2A. I’m sure the other passenger was equally happy that we decided to move to the A side, as he had 4 F seats seemingly to himself.
We breezed through security and made our way to the OW lounge.
The new and improved TBIT
Disclaimer: I don’t have many pics of any of the lounges we visited on our trip. I never found lounges to be that interesting, and I felt a little self conscious photographing in the lounge. So for those looking for pics of the lounge, I apologize for the lack of pics.
Alright, back to the report.
Since the F lounge was not yet ready for use, we visited the business lounge. The business lounge is immediately to the right up one level right below the Star Alliance lounge right after security. The lounge itself was large and a huge improvement over the old OW Business lounge, which we visited during the start of our honeymoon two years prior, when we flew J from LAX-NRT-SGN on JAL in angled seats (our first time flying anything other than economy, anywhere).
I was starving, so I grabbed from breakfast. Spread was mediocre, with scrambled eggs and bacon, plus an assortment of pastries. I did catch someone with a chocolate croissant on the way out which immediately changed my opinion of the food. I wish I was able to snag one for myself.
Much to my wife’s amusement, I decided to use the lounge to take a shower before the near 15 hour flight. I find that I have trouble sleeping if I don’t shower, and I planned on doing some sleeping on the flight to help with the time adjustment. The shower was readily available, as the only other folks in the lounge were those continuing on to JFK from SYD on QF107, and was stocked with everything you’d need to shower.
We left the lounge about 10 minutes prior to the boarding time stated on the boarding pass and made our way to gate 134.
Much to my surprise, boarding was already underway. We proceeded to the premium boarding line and were checked through in no time. And this is where the fun begins…
Cathay Pacific 897
Los Angeles (LAX) – Hong Kong (HKG)
777-300ER
Friday, August 29, 2014
9:40AM – 3:25PM (+1 Day)
14hr45min
Seats 1A, 2A (First Class)
Immediately upon boarding we were directed to our seats, 1A and 2A, and were warmly greeted by our flight attendants, Vivian and Alvin.
I’ve seen literally hundreds of photos of the CX F suite, and was beyond excited to finally experience it for myself. I was immediately blown away.
First, the seat:
Legroom for days
View of cabin from my seat
Seat controls on touch pad
All F and J passengers boarded through the front door, meaning all J passengers passed through the F cabin. Honestly, I didn’t care, as I was beyond excited to finally experience CX F first hand, something that, as recently as 3 years ago, I never thought I would get to do even in my wildest dreams.
After getting settled, Alvin offered a couple glasses of Krug...
...along with an amuse of avocado puree with lobster...
...and warm cashews.
We probably spent a good 15 minutes sitting in 2A together, marveling at the size of the seat and suite.
Next, amenity kits and PYE PJs.
The men's amenity kit contained Aesop face and skin products, a comb, shoe horn, ear plug, toothbrush, and mouthwash. I requested the Cathay Pacific pen to complete the kit. (pic taken at home, post flight) Wife and I both agreed that the men's bag was far superior to the women's, although she got more swag in hers.
Bose noise cancelling headphones.
We pushed back from the gate on time as our captain announced an early arrival. We were probably the only people on the plane hoping for the opposite.
Menus were distributed shortly after takeoff.
Unfortunately I made a major trip report faux paux and failed to grab the wine menu. I guess I’ll just have to book another CX F flight soon.
All I can tell you is that I had Krug. Lots of Krug.
We opted to dine together in my suite, 1A. Like a good husband, I took the ottoman seat. Shoulder space was somewhat limited due to the TV, but I didn’t care. I was sitting at a table for 2 about to eat caviar and lobster on a plane to Hong Kong. How could I complain about that??
Alvin commented on how he enjoys when people choose to dine together, as it’s more of a challenge to set two place sets and keeps him sharp. Happy to oblige, Alvin!
Of course, caviar to start.
With some bread. Heh.
Seriously though guys, that garlic bread...
I opted for the truffle infused cauliflower soup. It was superb.
(Apologies for the blur)
And the stir-fried Maine lobster with giner and spring onion, served with steamed jasmine rice, stir-fried pak choy and carrots. Sooo gooood.
For some reason, after everything I ate, the steamed rice on a plane never ceases to amaze me.
Following lunch, Alvin brought out all of the cheese and asked if we would like any. We chose them all.
Cambozola, goat cheese, port salut, and yellow cheddar
We also went with the fresh seasonal berries with vanilla cream. The vanilla cream was excellent.
(sorry again for the blur. I dove in before I took a pic, and rushed the pic while we hit some turbulence).
All in all, the best lunch I’ve ever had on a plane, hands down.
After lunch we changed into our PJs. Alvin graciously offered to exchange for a different size if they did not fit. Mine fit like a glove. I’d go on to wear the PJs on my next flight, CX101 redeye from HKG to SYD. I don’t know how they compare to the Shanghai Tang PJs, but these PJs were some of the most comfortable clothes I’ve ever worn to sleep.
Not kidding, super comf. I would wear these everyday if I could.
I requested turndown service right after lunch. Within minutes, my seat was converted to a bed. On a plane. The novelty will never get old.
Still sipping Krug.
The comforter was unbelieveably comfortable. I wish I could get one for my couch at home.
Because we now have a 15 month old at home, its been a while since we've gone to the movies. I was intent on watching everything I could. First, I decided to watch Million Dollar Arm. I recalled reading about this story on espn.com back in 2008, and was interested to see how it would be portrayed on the big screen.
Part way through I ordered some Hong Kong milk tea (first of four), along with shui gaw noodle soup and a coke.
I’m starting to think that the reason I didn’t sleep that much was more likely due to all the caffeine in my body.
All in all, an enjoyable movie.
Next, I watched an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Then another. And another. A good friend of mine recommended this show to me a while back, and I wish I started watching sooner. Its absolutely hilarious. Thankfully, CX101 had the same IFE, so I was able to get through about 16/22 episodes of Season 1 after both flights. Guess I’ll have to book another CX F flight to finish off season 1, in addition to getting a photo of the wine list.
I tried to get some sleep somewhere between episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The bed was incredibly comfortable. I realize I’m comparing F to J, but it was by far the most comfortable bed I slept in on all the flights. I probably only slept for an hour or so, and laid down and relaxed for another hour while listening to some Jay Z on the CX IFE.
Unable to sleep, I ordered the hot pot rice. Not as good as the soup, but still really tasty.
My only gripe with the IFE is the commercials before each episode and movie. Thankfully, there’s an option to fast forward. Otherwise, there were plenty of movies that I wanted to watch but didn’t have time to on the plane.
About a few hours outside of HKG I really fell asleep and missed dinner. My wife stayed up and ordered the fettuccine. Unfortunately they were out, which left me with the hilarious image of the middle aged Asian businessman on the other side of the plane scarfing down 3 portions of fettuccine for lunch. She ended up having the braised pork, and was pretty happy about it.
I woke up about 45 minutes outside of Hong Kong and had two more Hong Kong milk teas. Alvin wrote down some suggestions for places to eat and for me to get some Hong Kong milk tea near our hotel. Cathay Pacific, going the extra mile!
Some departing shots of the suite, with more milk tea
Sadly, it was time to depart. We thanked Alvin and Vivian, and we made our way to immigration, which was pretty empty.
Along with LH, I feel that CX F is probably one of the most reviewed cabins on FT and in blogs. After seeing the cabin and experiencing the flight, I can now see why. Everything about the experience was simply unforgettable. My wife and I both agreed that our only complaint was that the flight wasn’t longer. If you can walk off a 15 hour flight feeling that way, you know it was a good experience. Kudos, CX897!
Last edited by bhamsan01; Oct 5, 2014 at 11:14 am
Sep 8, 2014, 12:30 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
Love it!
Your writing style and descriptions make for a terrific read, bhamsan01. I've flown some of the same carriers and stayed at the same hotels (Park Hyatt Sydney), and know it's going to be fun to tag along with you on this journey!
Your trip has some impressive flight time - I love circle trips. But to call it "the long way" I think you'd need to take routes like BA SEA-LHR-SYD and return, or EK SEA-DXB-HKG and return, or EK LAX-DXB-HKG & CX HKG-LAX ... those are the long way.
Love your photos and description of CX F on the LAX-HKG segment. It's booked on my agenda for just over 2 months from now. I can't wait.
Introduction:
After a while you just get used to the looks on peoples’ faces when you explain to them that you’re going on a quick trip to Australia from the US, while also spending two days in Hong Kong.
“It’s gonna suck having to do all that flying,” they’ll say.
“Not when you’re traveling on a bed in the sky.”
I decided that we would travel down under the long way, circling the Pacific.
After a while you just get used to the looks on peoples’ faces when you explain to them that you’re going on a quick trip to Australia from the US, while also spending two days in Hong Kong.
“It’s gonna suck having to do all that flying,” they’ll say.
“Not when you’re traveling on a bed in the sky.”
I decided that we would travel down under the long way, circling the Pacific.
Your trip has some impressive flight time - I love circle trips. But to call it "the long way" I think you'd need to take routes like BA SEA-LHR-SYD and return, or EK SEA-DXB-HKG and return, or EK LAX-DXB-HKG & CX HKG-LAX ... those are the long way.
Love your photos and description of CX F on the LAX-HKG segment. It's booked on my agenda for just over 2 months from now. I can't wait.
Sep 8, 2014, 10:58 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Southern California
Programs: Alaska MVPG; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 223
Thanks! Wait for the next installment. More narration! More photos!
Cool, I'd highly recommend it. This flight seems to have the best availability. As I'll mention in my next segment, the immigration line at HKG was virtually empty, and we were at our hotel within an hour of stepping off the plane. I would gladly take this exact flight again, as we were able to acclimate to the time change quickly.
Whatever they fly, I hope they have some Mint availability!
Hah, I guess I wasn't getting creative enough. I actually did consider LAX-AUH/DXB-SYD, flying Etihad and Qantas F, but I didn't think the Mrs. would go for it. That would be the looooooong way. However, I think after our last experience flying F, I can convince her otherwise. She feels like 10 hour flights are too short flying F/J.
Enjoy your flight, I'm now jealous of everyone flying CX F.
Your trip has some impressive flight time - I love circle trips. But to call it "the long way" I think you'd need to take routes like BA SEA-LHR-SYD and return, or EK SEA-DXB-HKG and return, or EK LAX-DXB-HKG & CX HKG-LAX ... those are the long way.
Love your photos and description of CX F on the LAX-HKG segment. It's booked on my agenda for just over 2 months from now. I can't wait.
Love your photos and description of CX F on the LAX-HKG segment. It's booked on my agenda for just over 2 months from now. I can't wait.
Enjoy your flight, I'm now jealous of everyone flying CX F.
Sep 9, 2014, 12:44 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Southern California
Programs: Alaska MVPG; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 223
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
We were the first passengers off the plane and quickly made our way through immigration. One of the additional benefits of taking CX897 is an empty immigration queue upon arrival, apparently. We were through in seconds, and purchased two RT Airport Express passes to Kowloon Station.
Upon arrival at Kowloon Station, we hopped onto the free shuttle bus, K3, which dropped us off in the downstairs lobby area of the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui (“HRTST”). Looking at the hotel on Google maps gives on the impression that it’s a walkable distance from Kowloon station to the hotel. Do not be fooled, it is quite a hike!
(Sorry for the lack of pictures, I was quite tired during this portion of the trip)
We booked the Hyatt using the free Hyatt Category 1-4 award one receives from the Chase Hyatt CC on the card anniversary. As my card anniversary fell in August, I received the award just in time. Typical room rates were ~$290, so paying the $75 fee for this award was well worth it.
For those who have not stayed at this Hyatt, its right at the southern tip of Kowloon, a few blocks to the harbor, right near all the world famous custom suit tailors.
Another disclaimer: I did not take any pics of the room, one because I was pretty exhausted and we only stayed one night, but two because I am terrible at taking hotel room pictures. They just do not do the room justice. So, for those who might be considering the hotel, I will provide a few comments.
This Hyatt is located close enough to the MTR red line (I lived in Chicago for five years, so I just call the lines by their color), so you can reach the train without having to step outside, key for those who don’t like humidity and don’t like ridiculous crowds (also known as, people who would have a terrible time in HK). There’s also an entrance right outside on Hanoi Rd., if you get lost walking through underground corridors easily.
Also, being American, one of the coolest aspects of the Hyatt is that they provide you with an Android phone that’ll allow you to make free international calls and access the internet and Google maps through 3G. If you’re like me and love Google maps, this is key!
Here’s the view from hotel room.
Our first night we ventured through Harbour City and ate dinner at Ippudo HK. We stayed for the festival of lights, which turned out to be not as spectacular as I thought. The harbour, however, was spectacular as always.
Slightly disappointed by the lack of lasers and cool stuff, and moreso quite exhausted, we retired for the night around 9:00pm
*****
The next morning we woke up super early and made our way to the Peak.
Sunrise
I had heard the stories of long lines to get up to the Peak, so I wanted to make sure we didn’t have to deal with the wait and headed o the tram first thing. We took the MTR to Admiralty station and immediately got lost trying to find the tram. Luckily, we found a cab and $22HKD later, were in line for the peak tram.
We paid a bit extra ($12HKD) to go to the observation deck. Take a look at the two pics below.
One is from the observation desk, one is from off one of the nearby (free) pathways. Can you tell the difference? Neither can I.
(Answer: the bottom is from the observation deck...I think?)
The free viewing platform
After about an hour or so, we started getting hungry and made our way to what we really came to Hong Kong for - Tim Ho Wan.
WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOD PICS AHEAD
Tim Ho Wan at IFC II
I would gladly blow another 135k AA miles for these buns. Seriously.
Completely food coma’d out, we made our way back to the room for a quick nap before the 2:00pm check out time. At 1:59pm, we checked out and left our bags with the front desk and left to retrieve our free gift as part of our CX F PJ set at PYE. For those that don’t know, you can either elect to receive this cool set of handkerchiefs, or a $500HKD gift card, good until 2016.
Considering their shirts cost about $1300HKD, I elected to take the handkerchief set. Wife spent her $500HKD with a pair of cool shades.
Next, we ventured to Din Tai Fung at Causeway Bay for some world famous dumplings.
These will be seen again during this trip.
Thank you, delicious dumpling man!
Following, I wanted to check out the mid-central escalators, which I was determined to do after seeing this really cool video by Jungles In Paris: http://www.junglesinparis.com/stories/24
One of the reasons I enjoy visiting cities like New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, is that I am intrigued by urban landscapes. I love peeking down random alleyways and side streets, wondering what’s going on down there, and imagining the lives of the people who live in these places. The escalators were a really cool opportunity for me to explore and see this section of Hong Kong. Plus, my wife spotted a place to get a manicure off the third escalator before we jumped on our plane to Sydney.
Literally hanging on to our last ounce of energy, we made our way back to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and headed to Kowloon station on the trusty K3 bus. Although I wasn’t convinced it was a good idea, we opted to check in our bags at the train station. I’m glad we did, because the station had no line for check in and our bags made it safely to Australia. If the airport check in didn't look like a legit airport checkin counter, I probably would have kept my bags and carried them to the plane myself.
21 minutes later we arrived back at HKG, and made our way to The Pier, as it was the closest to our gate, and I couldn’t get us into the Wing First Class Lounge due to not having OW Emerald status.
(Again, lack of lounge pics. Sorry!)
After a much needed shower using the lounge’s superb shower facilities and a bowl of won ton noodle soup at the Noodle Bar…
Half eaten bowl of noodles. Still delish though.
…we were finally on our way to Sydney aboard CX101 in business class.
We were the first passengers off the plane and quickly made our way through immigration. One of the additional benefits of taking CX897 is an empty immigration queue upon arrival, apparently. We were through in seconds, and purchased two RT Airport Express passes to Kowloon Station.
Upon arrival at Kowloon Station, we hopped onto the free shuttle bus, K3, which dropped us off in the downstairs lobby area of the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui (“HRTST”). Looking at the hotel on Google maps gives on the impression that it’s a walkable distance from Kowloon station to the hotel. Do not be fooled, it is quite a hike!
(Sorry for the lack of pictures, I was quite tired during this portion of the trip)
We booked the Hyatt using the free Hyatt Category 1-4 award one receives from the Chase Hyatt CC on the card anniversary. As my card anniversary fell in August, I received the award just in time. Typical room rates were ~$290, so paying the $75 fee for this award was well worth it.
For those who have not stayed at this Hyatt, its right at the southern tip of Kowloon, a few blocks to the harbor, right near all the world famous custom suit tailors.
Another disclaimer: I did not take any pics of the room, one because I was pretty exhausted and we only stayed one night, but two because I am terrible at taking hotel room pictures. They just do not do the room justice. So, for those who might be considering the hotel, I will provide a few comments.
This Hyatt is located close enough to the MTR red line (I lived in Chicago for five years, so I just call the lines by their color), so you can reach the train without having to step outside, key for those who don’t like humidity and don’t like ridiculous crowds (also known as, people who would have a terrible time in HK). There’s also an entrance right outside on Hanoi Rd., if you get lost walking through underground corridors easily.
Also, being American, one of the coolest aspects of the Hyatt is that they provide you with an Android phone that’ll allow you to make free international calls and access the internet and Google maps through 3G. If you’re like me and love Google maps, this is key!
Here’s the view from hotel room.
Our first night we ventured through Harbour City and ate dinner at Ippudo HK. We stayed for the festival of lights, which turned out to be not as spectacular as I thought. The harbour, however, was spectacular as always.
Slightly disappointed by the lack of lasers and cool stuff, and moreso quite exhausted, we retired for the night around 9:00pm
*****
The next morning we woke up super early and made our way to the Peak.
Sunrise
I had heard the stories of long lines to get up to the Peak, so I wanted to make sure we didn’t have to deal with the wait and headed o the tram first thing. We took the MTR to Admiralty station and immediately got lost trying to find the tram. Luckily, we found a cab and $22HKD later, were in line for the peak tram.
We paid a bit extra ($12HKD) to go to the observation deck. Take a look at the two pics below.
One is from the observation desk, one is from off one of the nearby (free) pathways. Can you tell the difference? Neither can I.
(Answer: the bottom is from the observation deck...I think?)
The free viewing platform
After about an hour or so, we started getting hungry and made our way to what we really came to Hong Kong for - Tim Ho Wan.
WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOD PICS AHEAD
Tim Ho Wan at IFC II
I would gladly blow another 135k AA miles for these buns. Seriously.
Completely food coma’d out, we made our way back to the room for a quick nap before the 2:00pm check out time. At 1:59pm, we checked out and left our bags with the front desk and left to retrieve our free gift as part of our CX F PJ set at PYE. For those that don’t know, you can either elect to receive this cool set of handkerchiefs, or a $500HKD gift card, good until 2016.
Considering their shirts cost about $1300HKD, I elected to take the handkerchief set. Wife spent her $500HKD with a pair of cool shades.
Next, we ventured to Din Tai Fung at Causeway Bay for some world famous dumplings.
These will be seen again during this trip.
Thank you, delicious dumpling man!
Following, I wanted to check out the mid-central escalators, which I was determined to do after seeing this really cool video by Jungles In Paris: http://www.junglesinparis.com/stories/24
One of the reasons I enjoy visiting cities like New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, is that I am intrigued by urban landscapes. I love peeking down random alleyways and side streets, wondering what’s going on down there, and imagining the lives of the people who live in these places. The escalators were a really cool opportunity for me to explore and see this section of Hong Kong. Plus, my wife spotted a place to get a manicure off the third escalator before we jumped on our plane to Sydney.
Literally hanging on to our last ounce of energy, we made our way back to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and headed to Kowloon station on the trusty K3 bus. Although I wasn’t convinced it was a good idea, we opted to check in our bags at the train station. I’m glad we did, because the station had no line for check in and our bags made it safely to Australia. If the airport check in didn't look like a legit airport checkin counter, I probably would have kept my bags and carried them to the plane myself.
21 minutes later we arrived back at HKG, and made our way to The Pier, as it was the closest to our gate, and I couldn’t get us into the Wing First Class Lounge due to not having OW Emerald status.
(Again, lack of lounge pics. Sorry!)
After a much needed shower using the lounge’s superb shower facilities and a bowl of won ton noodle soup at the Noodle Bar…
Half eaten bowl of noodles. Still delish though.
…we were finally on our way to Sydney aboard CX101 in business class.
