pilotharrison

Hello fellow ft members
This is my first post and first trip report ever...
Any *constructive* criticism or comments are welcomed.

Background
I flew back today with my mother from Vancouver to Hong Kong to visit my family during my spring/Easter break, and two days later continue on a mini trip to Seoul for a few days. This is the first leg of the YVR-HKG-ICN-HKG-YVR trip..

Trip Information
Flight: Cathay Pacific Airways flight CPA837
Equipment: Boeing B777-367ER/ (B77G config)
A/C Info: B-KQE/MSN41432 ln 1089
Seat: 40K
Load: 80% in Y class
STD: 14:30 PDT ATD: 15:07 PDT
STA: 19:00 (+1) HKT ATA: 19:32 (+1) HKT


*Unfortunately I don't have photos until after boarding the aircraft*
Pre-departure
Check-in was very simple, and quick. We were notified at check-in that the plane would depart at 14:40 instead of the scheduled departure.

We arrived at border control at 13:15, and passed through within 10 minutes. My mom and I arrived at gate D65 at about 13:30, but only after a bit of distraction in the duty free shop (hehe)...


B-KQE, our ship today to Hong Kong


Boarding
Boarding was announced at 14:20. By then it was quite clear that we wouldn't make our departure at 14:40... Boarding, as usual had two lines, one for rows 59 and behind and one for 39-57. We would board the last, but we were at the front of the line for 39-57.

Boarding went smooth, and my mom and I had hoped that the seat beside us (40H) would be empty. Turned out it was empty after all, and my mom moved to that seat after takeoff.

Takeoff (Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXG9Jx4PvGw
The power of two GE90-115B engines pushing you airborne is crazy, we were pressed against our seats!
I was seated at 40K, in which I had a very good view of both the right engine and the wing. It was noisy at times, but it's worth it ^

Flight

Menu Cards:

I'm sorry this is a bit hard to read..



Lunch- served shortly after take-off
Smoked salmon with marinated quinoa salad

Beef with oyster sauce, steamed jasmine rice and mixed vegetables
or
Baked salmon with tapenade sauce, spinach mashed potatoes, carrots, green peas and lima beans
or
Mezzani pasta with butternut squash cheese sauce

Chocolate raspberry cake

Tea and coffee

Dinner- served midway through flight-

Fresh seasonal fruit

Chicken with soya sauce, steamed rice, shiitake mushrooms and spring onion
or
Honey chipotle pork with parsley potatoes and carrots

Boston cream cake

Tea and coffee

About 45 minutes after takeoff, a drinks and peanuts service was performed.


Lunch was served an hour and a half after takeoff.
I chose the salmon over the beef.
The smoked salmon actually had a strong taste of the "smoking", which came to my liking.


The salmon was a bit dry, but overall I was pretty content with the dish.


The chocolate raspberry cake didn't really have any raspberry taste to it at all- I had two, since my mom didn't really have a sweet tooth.


The meal as a whole when it was given to me:


After all the trays were collected, the lights were slowly turned off and i set off exploring the IFE. The selection of shows and movies were disappointing compared to previous flights- this time they only had pretty much 1-3 episodes of a particular show.

I watched an hour of Family Guy, then I decided to explore the movies.
I settled in for Big Hero 6, and watched it to the end.
Ending a little tragic (for those who have seen it), huh?

I pulled out my tablet and did work on a paper I had to do for school..


That was until I found Mockingjay Part 1 in the movies and watched that.

A while later, leftover apple juice from Y+ class was served (as we were in the second row of Y) and that began our dinner.

For dinner, I chose the chicken, as I wanted to eat rice. I only had one photo, but note the Y+ cutlery (more leftovers)


A few more hours passed of me playing Crossy Road and opening the blinds every half hour or so.. I watched an (only) episode available of Sidewalk Scientist, a show in Hong Kong that explains common misconceptions with science (like waiting 10 seconds before opening the microwave door to prevent radiation exposure)

I watched this show called the Middle, until an hour and a half before arrival.
I opened the blinds and found this beautiful sunset

so I watched it until landing.

Previously in the flight I have asked the inflight manager to give the captain a letter requesting a cockpit visit and also a logsheet I had, during the checks the manager delivered me my logsheet and told me to wait after landing.

After landing, I waited until most people disembarked and I went up to the cockpit.

The pilots commented on my logsheet that I knew quite a lot for a teenager, and I had a few questions about VORs and RNAV and stuff..

We ended up talking about RNAV approaches for a while haha, and a bit about a pilot career, as I noted on my letter that it was a dream of mine to fly for CX one day..

Anyway, they wished me luck and my mom and I left.
Debrief
Overall I was disappointed with the service, as the FA's went about the cabin probably once, and spent a lot of time in the galleys on their phones..

The IFE selection was really meh..

But overall I was content, since I really paid probably about $450 one way for this flight...

(We paid about $1000 per person for YVR-HKG-ICN-HKG-YVR, 4 sectors)

Comments and suggestions always welcome

TPJ

The meals look the same CX serves (used to serve?) on a hour HKG-TPE flight. I would be expect a more substantial meals on long-haul flight...

And BTW - welcome to FT!

zcat18

Very nice first post/trip report! Welcome to FT! ^

pilotharrison

It might just be the catering at YVR..
But it is a letdown, the last time I flew this route a year ago there was Häagen-Dazs ice cream as an example.

I'm currently going to the airport for my HKG-ICN flight today, and let's see how the catering compares.

I'll report on that too when I arrive Seoul

Thanks for the welcome

Thanks