SFO777

Great pics Genius1. The IC Grand Stanford looks like a wonderful hotel. Nice rooms and an impressive breakfast spread. The 2-2-2 old Business Class on the QR 330 looks pretty underwhelming. Is QR going to upgrade that 330 cabin? It's bad enough that they don't have a lot of First Class. The least they could do is bring the J cabin into the 21st century.

I do enjoy DOH as a connecting airport, much better than depressing AUH. The Al Mourjan Lounge is really impressive. I visited it just after it open and before the First Class lounge was ready. As you noted, expansive design definitely took priority over the intimate seating areas. Do they still offer Krug as the well champagne?

Marros

Excellent trip report so far, the photos are fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

jdanton

No Krug as of February. They were serving Billecart-Salmon reserve. I hate that there's no way to buy F ex-US.

SFO777

One would think that at least NY and LA could support an F cabin.

jdanton

yeah, I don't understand the calculus, behind not doing it.

Moomba

Excellent and very detailed report Genuis1.

I can't believe how empty the lounge in DOH was. There are other showers located at the men's room on the back wall near the water feature.

Grande Annee

Nice pics Genius1, I look forward to the next part.

krazykanuck

So...as I'm about to be in HKG for a couple days I could really use your next segment.

matthandy

Great report so far Genius1.

The IC looks very nice although the serving stations in the lounge look a little Star Trek-esque to me!

Genius1

Thanks offerendum! Yes, the 'main' IC seems to get a fair amount of coverage on here, but the ICGS doesn't.

Thanks again for your comments SFO777. I believe QR are announcing a completely new J product later this year which will be fitted across the fleet. I thin the 787s are replacing most of the A330s over the next few years.

Thanks Marros!

Thanks Moomba! Yes, the lounge was very empty - I was expecting it to be much busier given it was peak connecting time (around 2am local time).

Thanks Grande Annee.

Done - see below! Hope it's in time for your trip, krazykanuck.

Thanks matthandy! Yes, they do look a bit odd in photos, but in reality it makes sense and works with the design of the lounge.

Genius1

Images from Hong Kong

Most days started with either a walk to the Star Ferry or a walk to TST/East TST station. Unfortunately part of The Avenue of the Stars is closed due to major construction work (which you can see in the first photo below), meaning the middle part of the walk from the ICGS is a little less scenic than usual at the moment. The part of the Avenue that is open, however, offers the usual spectacular views of Hong Kong Island. I’ll note at this point that I took well over a thousand photos on this trip, so only a handful of my favourite images will make it into this part of the report.





For our first day, we took the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island to explore Central and Victoria Peak, opting for the upper deck on this first trip across. Whilst the upper deck (formerly first class) offers the best view, the lower deck is great for the atmosphere (and smell!) of the engine and a different perspective, as well as for saving a few pence - we mixed it up between upper and lower deck on the numerous crossings we took. We had purchased stored value Octopus cards at HKG airport which we used to pay for all trains, buses and ferries on this trip (although the card can be used for more than that, for example in cafes and at convenience stores). Whilst HKG is a walkable city, it helps to use public transport to travel to areas further out, and of course across the harbour.















It’s a good idea to take the bus up to Victoria Peak and then the Peak Tram back down to Central - this way round, you avoid the queues for the tram on the way up and (especially sitting on the upper deck of the bus) can enjoy great views as you climb up towards the Peak. If you’ve not done it before, the official viewing platform at the Peak is worth the entrance fee, provided you ignore all the tourist tat in the building on the way up and focus on the views from the top.





However, arguably some of the best views of the Hong Kong skyline can be enjoyed for free from the circular walk around Harlech and Lugard roads. Just beyond an interesting colonial-era post box, Harlech Road starts. The first part of the walk is mainly through wooded areas with glimpses of the countryside beyond, but once you’ve rounded the corner onto Lugard Road (actually just a narrow path hugging the cliff face at this point), the skyline starts to open out to the left hand side. The walk took around an hour at a reasonably brisk pace allowing stops for photos.











That evening we took a walk down to the Star Ferry again, and were witness to some amazing low cloud over the buildings of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.







Our second day was spent seeing more of Central, again via Star Ferry. Both the zoological and botanical gardens, and Hong Kong Park are nice places to while the time away from the hustle and bustle of the streets beyond, although I’m not a fan of the small cages housing the primates and birds.































That evening we had a dinner reservation in Central, and on the way there I took one of my favourite photos of the trip - the bus station next to the Star Ferry piers at dusk, with low cloud over the skyline in the background. Something about the lighting just sets the scene off nicely.









Lantau was the focus of day three. First up, the MTR to Tung Chung and a short walk to the ferry pier for the 30 minute sailing to Tai O. Most tourists who make the trip to Tai O seem to go to the Big Buddha via cable car first, and then take the bus down to Tai O and the ferry back to Tung Chung - it’s certainly worth doing things the other way around as we did to avoid the crowds. The waiting area for the ferry was rustic to say the least, and the ferry not much more modern, complete with a disconcertingly large amount of life jackets and exit signs.











Tai O was completely captivating, and well worth dedicating a couple of hours to explore properly. Straying off the beaten track was highly rewarding.





























We took an empty bus (more of a coach, actually) up to Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha, where the low cloud made for some very atmospheric shots. As with anywhere, taking the time to stroll away from the tourist areas is recommended - the Wisdom Path in this case.

Genius1

We had hoped to hike part of the Dragon’s Back Trail on our fourth day in the city, but the weather was not so kind with low cloud quite prevalent. We didn’t get to the Dragon’s Back at all on this trip - one for next time. Wan Chai became the destination for the day, reached via ferry once more. I love the contrast between Wan Chai and Central - the markets in particular are a sight to behold (and smells to avoid). There is a lot of construction work going on adjacent to the conference centre, and the air pollution was particularly terrible in this part of the city.







































Having enjoyed dry weather up to this point, our final full day in Hong Kong was rather wet, but this made for some interesting photographs as we explored Kowloon, including its famous bird and flower markets. The Walled City Park was an interesting site to visit, if just for the sense of history the place still holds (rather than the slightly less interesting but still pleasant man-made gardens). One can almost still hear the 747s roaring overhead as they make their final turn into Kai Tak.











































I’ll conclude this part with some final shots from the morning of our departure day - back to Central and one final trip on the Star Ferry and a ride on one of Hong Kong’s vintage trams.























Next: A full tour of the oneworld business class lounges at HKG, and 13 hours in Cathay Pacific’s Business Class.

offerendum

Thanks for showing me some parts of the town I didn´t see during my visit

Genius1

Glad you enjoyed the pictures from Hong Kong.

Genius1

Cathay Pacific The Wing Business Class, HKG

Arriving at HKG via taxi and the ever-efficient Airport Express, it’s hard not to be impressed by the architecture of Chek Lap Kok. CX have an expansive premium check-in area with standard desks for Business Class, and staffed podiums for First Class (although neither area is screened from the rest of the terminal). We were beckoned over to a free Business Class desk by a friendly and professional agent where our bags were tagged with CX Business Class tags, and our BPs were issued for our flight to LHR and onward to ARN. I had not been able to check-in online, although the app worked just for the CX sector and mobile BPs could be downloaded. As I have previously noted, bizarrely HKG doesn’t offer fast track immigration or security, but there wasn’t much of a queue this afternoon and we were airside within about 10 minutes of completing check-in.



We went through the immigration/security checkpoint closest to The Wing, on the left hand side of the terminal. At the same level as security is the entrance to the First Class part of the lounge, whilst Business Class passengers have to descend to gate level and walk along the concourse to access the lounge - much akin to the BA South lounges at LHR T5. Refurbishment of The Wing started in 2011 and concluded a few years later. The design is quite minimalist, with the emphasis on polished stone and tiled surfaces.







Entering the Business Class lounge via gate level, beyond the reception desk is a rectangular seating area with small buffet, next to which is a long corridor with showers radiating off it. There is also The Gallery (a quiet seating area), small drinks station and The IT Zone with iMacs on this level. The lounge area has a view out over the front of the terminal building to landside.











Up the stairs opposite reception is the main part of the lounge, open to the rest of the terminal. Along the balcony is the famous Long Bar (this space also has a small buffet counter), beyond which is the Coffee Loft (with more iMacs) and Noodle Bar to the left. The two bars and Coffee Loft are all manned with staff who will take orders on demand - a really nice touch in a business class facility, where self-service is the norm. Magazines and newspapers are available aplenty from well designed shelves built into the walls, and wifi was fast and free. TVs were also dotted around the lounge as one would expect, although these are fast becoming obsolete with more and more passengers using their own devices. I didn’t sample the catering on offer in this lounge, but the usual Asian and Western CX buffet was available with plenty of choice, and of course made-to-order noodles at The Noodle Bar. This space has a slight air of school canteen about it, which is not really to my taste.

























I must admit to not being a huge fan of The Wing overall - the layout feels cramped in places, the spaces were all fairly busy on the upper level during our short visit, and the balcony location of the upper level means noise can be an issue at times. I much prefer the lower level which feels more exclusive - indeed, we whiled away the final half an hour or so of the evening in The Gallery. Despite not having a view, this ‘room’ within the lounge was a calming space to enjoy before the long flight. I also used a shower room in The Wing to freshen up before the flight. Stocked with Jurlique amenities, the rooms are nicely appointed with ample space and amenities, if a little dark.







Cathay Pacific The Cabin, HKG

Next up on the lounge tour was The Cabin, a shared First/Business Class lounge that opened in 2011 occupying a level below the gates halfway along the ‘spine’ of the terminal. This lounge comprises a fairly narrow corridor broken into two halves either side of the reception desk - turning right is The IT Zone with numerous iMacs and a small drinks station.













The left hand portion of the lounge (the larger of the two spaces) houses The Health Bar and The Deli. Once again, both of these are manned bars, supplemented by the usual buffet and drinks stations dotted around the main lounge area. Views from the lounge look out over the apron to the mountains of Lantau beyond.













The design of the lounge is similar to that of The Wing, with more of an emphasis on bold red colouring and more of a ‘trendy’ vibe. Incidentally, the red carpet is terrible for those who like to wheel their cabin bags upright! I get the feeling this lounge is geared more towards the solo traveller, as there are numerous Solus chairs and limited shared seating areas. As with The Wing, the lounge was fairly busy (and particularly warm), resulting in us not lingering long here.

Cathay Pacific The Bridge, HKG

At the time of visiting (mid-April), The Pier Business Class had not reopened following its refurbishment, although at the time of writing (late May) the lounge was due to reopen in early June. The space is going to be similar to the newly refurbished The Pier First Class, along with CX’s latest lounge design seen in a number of other new or newly refurbished lounges worldwide - I can’t wait to try it! In the meantime, we made do with what is currently the newest CX business class lounge at HKG - The Bridge, a shared F/J lounge like The Cabin. As its name suggests, The Bridge bridges the space between the two ‘piers’ of the terminal building, quite a walk from the main shopping area where The Wing and QF lounges are located (there is a train transfer for those who don’t want the exercise!).









As we descended the escalator to the reception desk, an agent came forward to take our boarding passes and welcome us to the lounge. Divided into two equally sized elegant spaces either side of reception, to the left are showers, The Bistro buffet area and Coffee Loft.













To the right is The Bakery and The Long Bar.



















Each of the spaces is well divided into separate ‘rooms’, and the desire of CX to introduce more of a homely feel to their lounges is really evident - a precursor to the current lounge design seen in the likes of Bangkok and Vancouver, with more use of natural wood (in lieu of stone) and warmer colours (such as green Solus chairs instead of cool greys and bold reds).

Partly I guess due to the more remote location, The Bridge (in particular the left hand portion) was much quieter than the other two lounges, and a genuinely pleasant space to spend time in comfortable armchairs surrounded by bookshelves and a view of the apron as the sun set, disturbed only by the rather annoying incessant boarding announcements.



I enjoyed a Cathay Delight (CX’s signature non-alcoholic cocktail comprising kiwifruit, coconut juice and fresh mint) along with a light dinner of soup, dim sum and rice from the extensive and neatly presented selection in The Bakery. Plates were cleared promptly, although it was disappointing to see the same standards weren’t applied to the slightly shabby washrooms. I must admit to being quite amused at watching a steady procession of travellers failing to open the door marked ‘Washrooms’ due to the complete absence of a handle or ‘push’ sign, and the way the door was integrated into the polished white wall either side. Less than clean washrooms aside, The Bridge is currently my favourite oneworld business class lounge at HKG without a doubt.

The Qantas Hong Kong Lounge

Our final lounge on this trip to HKG was The Qantas Hong Kong Lounge, a space created a year or so ago from the former joint BA/QF First Class lounge on the balcony level to the right of check-in, the mirror image of The Wing on the other side of the terminal. Designed in Qantas’s signature Marc Newson style, the lounge features a menu from Neil Perry with service by Sofitel, and is a genuinely nice space to spend some time (when it’s not rammed for the QF departures as it was when we first stepped into the lounge during the early evening). Visiting once the QF departures had flown for the day, just two loads of principally BA passengers remained in what is a fairly large and airy space.









The layout of the lounge is fairly straightforward, with numerous seating areas broken up by a large and well-designed bar and buffet/dining area, a coffee area and quieter more secluded seating area set into the side of the lounge near the washrooms and showers. The emphasis is very much on communal spaces, so don’t expect too many private seating areas.





























I enjoyed a panna cotta dessert from the extensive and good quality buffet, noting that some tables in the dining area were marked as ‘Reserved’ and fully laid with glasses, cutlery and napkins, presumably for those travelling in BA First (and potentially oneworld Emerald members?).



My only gripe with the lounge is the rather harsh lighting (a function of the lounge being at balcony level open to the main terminal roof and main lighting scheme), and potential opportunity for noise from the gate level below to drift up - combined, these factors result in a less intimate and exclusive feel when compared to The Bridge. The QF lounge is a great daytime lounge, whereas the The Bridge is the place to be of an evening.