hkskyline's 2016 Exploring the World
Aug 5, 2016, 11:16 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,505
hkskyline's 2016 Exploring the World
HKG-KUL
Every time I see an A380, I eagerly anticipate a price war for the cattle class seats. With oil being so cheap, it is such a bargain to fly to Europe now.
Cathay doesn't have many A340 birds left, and it was a surprise to fly on one today. I prefer this type and also the A330 as the window is not so deep in. I only need to climb over one more person to get out.
KUL-HKG
These B747 are parked here and incurring charges as the airport tries to find the owners to pay up.
There were a couple of surprise 787 visitors today.
Meanwhile, I wonder when can MAS get rid of their A380s. No buyers yet.
Today, I would fly this widebody home.
Food is never a highlight in Economy Class. This includes premium carriers such as Cathay. Where are the vegetables in my dinner?
HKG-HEL
Oops. I did it again. Chinese New Year is getting increasingly painful as millions of others compete with you for the same seats to regional destinations. Europe continues to be cheap so instead of paying a fortune to go to Japan, I opted for a bargain trip to Europe instead. This time, unlike my Christmas trip to Germany, I went for a more expensive fare in order to save flight time. Finnair claims it flies the shortest route to Europe, and they were right for this trip to Poland.
The check-in agent noticed I booked this trip at the last minute and questioned this and that before capitulating and sending my luggage away. The entire Finnair cabin crew serving us consisted of Hong Kongers who spoke accented English and the announcements did not come in Finnish. Eye shades were not available but ear plugs were given upon request, so I was able to nap on and off for the flight.
Helsinki's airport is small and cozy. Transferring here wasn't too cumbersome and very manageable. I was a bit tired from the red-eye and it didn't help when the next flight to Warsaw was delayed.
I walked around the shops to pass the time. But I had no interest in trying exotic game.
Finnair didn't seem so great though. I didn't pay extra to get extra service, but a faster route into Europe. They flew the A330, which I liked for the 2-4-2 seating configuration.
HEL-WAW
My first flight on the Embraer. The leg room was surprisingly good and the seats were spacious, although the windows were spaced out very widely. This flight is operated by an affiliate of Finnair, although the jet was painted in the official colours. Complimentary drinks were served for this <2 hour flight and food was available for purchase.
The plane actually felt a bit spacious. Perhaps it was because the seating is configured 2-2.
The flight passed by uneventfully again and we landed a bit late in Warsaw. I wanted to spot lots of LOT planes and my wish was granted.
It was delightful to hop onto a new airport train and ride for only 20 minutes into the city centre at the cost of about 1 euro. Take that, Heathrow Express!
Warsaw was a pleasant place in the winter. It wasn't so cold, the hotels were cheap, and I got lots of blue skies.
WAW-HEL
I return to Chopin airport by the same rail line. Sunday frequencies are 3 trains an hour on SKM trains, although there is also another operator that runs once hourly service as well.
There were 2 check-in counters open for Finnair and I was processed efficiently. The agent added a short connection tag to my bag without me asking.
Since I was flying to Finland today, I only needed to go through security check. I browsed around the duty-free shop for some last minute souvenirs but though the food probably won't survive the long journey back to Asia. I didn't need booze either.
By now it is 7pm and the boarding pass noted we would start at 7:15. During my tour of the airport, I had already noticed the incoming aircraft would arrive at 7:25. A bit worried whether the plane can turn around within 35 minutes, I wondered whether my 55 minute connection in Helsinki would be enough? The free wifi worked well and just shy of 7:25pm, the Embraer jet pulled into the gate.
Arrivals and departures are shared areas in this airport, so I could observe the arriving passengers enter and head towards the baggage exit downstairs. It was only a 20 minute wait before we started to board. Boarding was quick and it was nowhere near a full load tonight. I checked in online earlier to get as close to the door as possible in case I needed to dash upon arrival. The crew announced boarding is complete on the intercom and we pushed back just a few minutes past 8pm. Impressive.
HEL-HKG
Helsinki's airport is quite nice to use, but there are not enough seats at each gate to accomodate a long-haul load. I settled a gate away, where there are USB chargers on the seats and waited. Boarding was delayed twice - first to 11:15pm, then next to 11:30pm, and the boarding lines snaked around the small gate area on a seemingly full loading.
My impression of Finnair is a more luxurious low-cost carrier. It is not worth a significant premium over the Middle Eastern carriers, but if you are heading to Eastern Europe, the travel time is indeed far quicker going through Helsinki than Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Istanbul, and the airport is quite decent and quick to transit.
HKG-BKK
Barely past my jet lag, I was on the plane again for a long weekend in Bangkok. I was hit with a 2.5 hour delay, and got it minimized by standing by for another flight instead, although the agent didn't even apologize that my original flight had the major schedule change. This gave me time for dinner at the credit card lounge.
A Cambodian government jet was boarding as I waited for my revised flight.
A fish ball noodle is not enough for dinner, so I got a second dinner on the flight as well. Although Bangkok is only about 2 hours away, we still got a complimentary hot meal. Yes, we're spoiled in Asia.
A bit of chaos in Bangkok ...
BKK-HKG
Bangkok's airport looks nice but the experience is nowhere near award-winning standards. There are very few moving walkways so it is a long walk to the more remote gates.
Bangkok gets a lot more interesting airlines than Hong Kong, although spotting here is far worse with windows covered up and not easily reachable since the gates are a floor below the main walkways. I had to make the best of what I've got.
Cathay is stingy with releasing award seats, so I had to capitulate and fly Premium Economy today. My only other PEY experience was with Qantas many years ago thanks to an unexpected online check-in upgrade. The difference wasn't so much using Avios compared to Asia Miles - only 2250 more.
Without much luck at the terminal, my spotting got more interesting during taxi.
Service-wise, we got J class headsets but a Y meal. On a long-haul. PEY would be a weird hybrid.
HKG-KMG
Ching Ming and Easter are major holidays in Hong Kong since it is easy to connect the two long weekends. I couldn't do this, so could only fly a short trip on the Ching Ming long weekend.
While Cathay Pacific and Dragonair are being branded as a seemless single airline group, in reality they operate separately. I ventured to the Marco Polo counters in row B, only to be told they only process Cathay flights and I needed to go across the terminal to the other end for the Dragonair counters.
Dragonair will be gradually rebranded to "integrate" with Cathay. The famous dragon will become much smaller and almost invisible on the livery. So from now on, I need to take more photos of their planes.
The new A320 has the regional Cathay seats and in-flight wifi as there are no PTVs.
As we headed for take-off, I noticed this Orient Thai 747 under repair. Was this the plane that went out of service for almost a month and wrecked havoc on thousands of passengers?
Lunch is served. The beef rice was a little spicy since too much pepper was used. But I was surprised at the premium ice-cream. For a 2-hour flight, I was satisfied with the hot meal.
On approach into Kunming.
Kunming's new international airport opened a few years ago, and the vastness was obvious as we taxied in. However, it seemed this is a land of narrowbodies, and there weren't too many parked here at this time of the day. Seated up front, I went through immigration very quickly and exited within 20 minutes of landing.
The airport buses were just outside international arrivals, but I waited 20 minutes before my departure to the railway station took off. As the driver pulled away, I noticed the premium buses at the domestic end which went to my hotel. But I would later find out they didn't operate more frequently anyway. Hope the metro link can extend into the city centre soon.
KMG-HKG
After having tried the cheaper commuter 919 service from the airport into town, I opted for the more expensive "luxury" bus that departed directly from my hotel near the train station. 25 yuan was still very affordable and I saved 10 minutes.
I arrived at the airport with 50 minutes to go before check-in ends. The terminal is huge and looked imposing on the highway in. The bus dropped me off at the departures level. All entrants were held just inside the terminal doors, where security personnel sample swabbed luggage before releasing the group into the check-in area. The terrorist threat is just as real in China as in the West.
Graceful arches line the terminal's structure points. The terminal was quite busy but seemed it was mostly due to domestic departures.
The restaurants were busy as well and prices were significantly inflated from in the city. But then, they are cheap by Western standards. After enjoying a chicken rice noodle for 28 yuan, I headed into immigration, where there was a longer wait, but managed to clear security within 20 minutes.
The international section of the terminal became fairly quiet with lots of empty gates. As I had expected, this is still mostly a domestic airport.
To combat the liquids ban, Chinese travelers typically use plastic bottles and fill up here before flight.
The boarding queues have changed so lowly Green Marco Polo members don't get priority boarding.
I settled into my front-row seat in Economy once again and waited ... and waited ... saw the rain come and pass, until the flight deck came on the PA to announce we would be slightly late due to refueling.
Today's plane is a widebody A330 with PTVs and the flight home would be short at under 2 hours. A hot meal was served shortly after the seat belt signs came off. Since I had lunch already at the airport, I opted for a simple dish of fish and potatoes. Strange there wasn't rice or pasta. Like the incoming flight, premium ice-cream was also served.
With rebranding imminent, I turned my eyes onto the Dragonair memorabilia in the seat pocket in front of me.
Who wants to buy an airplane trolley from the duty-free catalogue?
HKG-SIN
I haven't flown on SQ for years. Hong Kong-Singapore is a very competitive route with a 5th freedom alternative as well. Prices have dropped to rock bottom as LCCs edge in so SQ won my patronage on pricing. On today's flight, the PTV screens were reasonably-sized although the interface looked a bit ancient. The entertainment selection was great though but there were no earphones in the seat. Strangely, there was a pillow and blanket though. Disposable ones were provided upon request.
Breakfast was served slowly. The presentation and quality were better than Cathay, with a fruit appetizer, dim sum main for the Chinese option (rice flour roll, siu mai, and vegetables), custard for dessert, and bread roll accompanied by metal cutlery. But a moist serviette was missing.
We made a long approach to land and looped back at Indonesia to come in from the south. I captured a few shots of the airport but the skyline was a bit far to see clearly.
SIN-HKG
Terminal 3 is refreshingly different from the other 2 terminals. It is big, airy, bright, and has an interesting ceiling design.
What is this piece of ancient history doing here?
Plane spotting is difficult here since the waiting lounges are enclosed past the security X-rays. It took some time to find a few windows in the public area.
Once inside the waiting lounge, you can't get out. At least there were enough seats. I have always disliked this type of design. If there are delays, you need to re-clear security even if you just go back out for the bathroom, if that is even possible.
Today's aircraft is much nicer with a long-haul configuration as the flight would continue to San Francisco after Hong Kong. The seats were more comfortable and the IFE much more usable. Disposable headphones were already placed at each seat this time.
More photos : http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase2016-air-1.htm
2015 Summary : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...lia-japan.html
2014 Summary : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-showcase.html
2013 Summary : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-showcase.html
Every time I see an A380, I eagerly anticipate a price war for the cattle class seats. With oil being so cheap, it is such a bargain to fly to Europe now.
Cathay doesn't have many A340 birds left, and it was a surprise to fly on one today. I prefer this type and also the A330 as the window is not so deep in. I only need to climb over one more person to get out.
KUL-HKG
These B747 are parked here and incurring charges as the airport tries to find the owners to pay up.
There were a couple of surprise 787 visitors today.
Meanwhile, I wonder when can MAS get rid of their A380s. No buyers yet.
Today, I would fly this widebody home.
Food is never a highlight in Economy Class. This includes premium carriers such as Cathay. Where are the vegetables in my dinner?
HKG-HEL
Oops. I did it again. Chinese New Year is getting increasingly painful as millions of others compete with you for the same seats to regional destinations. Europe continues to be cheap so instead of paying a fortune to go to Japan, I opted for a bargain trip to Europe instead. This time, unlike my Christmas trip to Germany, I went for a more expensive fare in order to save flight time. Finnair claims it flies the shortest route to Europe, and they were right for this trip to Poland.
The check-in agent noticed I booked this trip at the last minute and questioned this and that before capitulating and sending my luggage away. The entire Finnair cabin crew serving us consisted of Hong Kongers who spoke accented English and the announcements did not come in Finnish. Eye shades were not available but ear plugs were given upon request, so I was able to nap on and off for the flight.
Helsinki's airport is small and cozy. Transferring here wasn't too cumbersome and very manageable. I was a bit tired from the red-eye and it didn't help when the next flight to Warsaw was delayed.
I walked around the shops to pass the time. But I had no interest in trying exotic game.
Finnair didn't seem so great though. I didn't pay extra to get extra service, but a faster route into Europe. They flew the A330, which I liked for the 2-4-2 seating configuration.
HEL-WAW
My first flight on the Embraer. The leg room was surprisingly good and the seats were spacious, although the windows were spaced out very widely. This flight is operated by an affiliate of Finnair, although the jet was painted in the official colours. Complimentary drinks were served for this <2 hour flight and food was available for purchase.
The plane actually felt a bit spacious. Perhaps it was because the seating is configured 2-2.
The flight passed by uneventfully again and we landed a bit late in Warsaw. I wanted to spot lots of LOT planes and my wish was granted.
It was delightful to hop onto a new airport train and ride for only 20 minutes into the city centre at the cost of about 1 euro. Take that, Heathrow Express!
Warsaw was a pleasant place in the winter. It wasn't so cold, the hotels were cheap, and I got lots of blue skies.
WAW-HEL
I return to Chopin airport by the same rail line. Sunday frequencies are 3 trains an hour on SKM trains, although there is also another operator that runs once hourly service as well.
There were 2 check-in counters open for Finnair and I was processed efficiently. The agent added a short connection tag to my bag without me asking.
Since I was flying to Finland today, I only needed to go through security check. I browsed around the duty-free shop for some last minute souvenirs but though the food probably won't survive the long journey back to Asia. I didn't need booze either.
By now it is 7pm and the boarding pass noted we would start at 7:15. During my tour of the airport, I had already noticed the incoming aircraft would arrive at 7:25. A bit worried whether the plane can turn around within 35 minutes, I wondered whether my 55 minute connection in Helsinki would be enough? The free wifi worked well and just shy of 7:25pm, the Embraer jet pulled into the gate.
Arrivals and departures are shared areas in this airport, so I could observe the arriving passengers enter and head towards the baggage exit downstairs. It was only a 20 minute wait before we started to board. Boarding was quick and it was nowhere near a full load tonight. I checked in online earlier to get as close to the door as possible in case I needed to dash upon arrival. The crew announced boarding is complete on the intercom and we pushed back just a few minutes past 8pm. Impressive.
HEL-HKG
Helsinki's airport is quite nice to use, but there are not enough seats at each gate to accomodate a long-haul load. I settled a gate away, where there are USB chargers on the seats and waited. Boarding was delayed twice - first to 11:15pm, then next to 11:30pm, and the boarding lines snaked around the small gate area on a seemingly full loading.
My impression of Finnair is a more luxurious low-cost carrier. It is not worth a significant premium over the Middle Eastern carriers, but if you are heading to Eastern Europe, the travel time is indeed far quicker going through Helsinki than Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Istanbul, and the airport is quite decent and quick to transit.
HKG-BKK
Barely past my jet lag, I was on the plane again for a long weekend in Bangkok. I was hit with a 2.5 hour delay, and got it minimized by standing by for another flight instead, although the agent didn't even apologize that my original flight had the major schedule change. This gave me time for dinner at the credit card lounge.
A Cambodian government jet was boarding as I waited for my revised flight.
A fish ball noodle is not enough for dinner, so I got a second dinner on the flight as well. Although Bangkok is only about 2 hours away, we still got a complimentary hot meal. Yes, we're spoiled in Asia.
A bit of chaos in Bangkok ...
BKK-HKG
Bangkok's airport looks nice but the experience is nowhere near award-winning standards. There are very few moving walkways so it is a long walk to the more remote gates.
Bangkok gets a lot more interesting airlines than Hong Kong, although spotting here is far worse with windows covered up and not easily reachable since the gates are a floor below the main walkways. I had to make the best of what I've got.
Cathay is stingy with releasing award seats, so I had to capitulate and fly Premium Economy today. My only other PEY experience was with Qantas many years ago thanks to an unexpected online check-in upgrade. The difference wasn't so much using Avios compared to Asia Miles - only 2250 more.
Without much luck at the terminal, my spotting got more interesting during taxi.
Service-wise, we got J class headsets but a Y meal. On a long-haul. PEY would be a weird hybrid.
HKG-KMG
Ching Ming and Easter are major holidays in Hong Kong since it is easy to connect the two long weekends. I couldn't do this, so could only fly a short trip on the Ching Ming long weekend.
While Cathay Pacific and Dragonair are being branded as a seemless single airline group, in reality they operate separately. I ventured to the Marco Polo counters in row B, only to be told they only process Cathay flights and I needed to go across the terminal to the other end for the Dragonair counters.
Dragonair will be gradually rebranded to "integrate" with Cathay. The famous dragon will become much smaller and almost invisible on the livery. So from now on, I need to take more photos of their planes.
The new A320 has the regional Cathay seats and in-flight wifi as there are no PTVs.
As we headed for take-off, I noticed this Orient Thai 747 under repair. Was this the plane that went out of service for almost a month and wrecked havoc on thousands of passengers?
Lunch is served. The beef rice was a little spicy since too much pepper was used. But I was surprised at the premium ice-cream. For a 2-hour flight, I was satisfied with the hot meal.
On approach into Kunming.
Kunming's new international airport opened a few years ago, and the vastness was obvious as we taxied in. However, it seemed this is a land of narrowbodies, and there weren't too many parked here at this time of the day. Seated up front, I went through immigration very quickly and exited within 20 minutes of landing.
The airport buses were just outside international arrivals, but I waited 20 minutes before my departure to the railway station took off. As the driver pulled away, I noticed the premium buses at the domestic end which went to my hotel. But I would later find out they didn't operate more frequently anyway. Hope the metro link can extend into the city centre soon.
KMG-HKG
After having tried the cheaper commuter 919 service from the airport into town, I opted for the more expensive "luxury" bus that departed directly from my hotel near the train station. 25 yuan was still very affordable and I saved 10 minutes.
I arrived at the airport with 50 minutes to go before check-in ends. The terminal is huge and looked imposing on the highway in. The bus dropped me off at the departures level. All entrants were held just inside the terminal doors, where security personnel sample swabbed luggage before releasing the group into the check-in area. The terrorist threat is just as real in China as in the West.
Graceful arches line the terminal's structure points. The terminal was quite busy but seemed it was mostly due to domestic departures.
The restaurants were busy as well and prices were significantly inflated from in the city. But then, they are cheap by Western standards. After enjoying a chicken rice noodle for 28 yuan, I headed into immigration, where there was a longer wait, but managed to clear security within 20 minutes.
The international section of the terminal became fairly quiet with lots of empty gates. As I had expected, this is still mostly a domestic airport.
To combat the liquids ban, Chinese travelers typically use plastic bottles and fill up here before flight.
The boarding queues have changed so lowly Green Marco Polo members don't get priority boarding.
I settled into my front-row seat in Economy once again and waited ... and waited ... saw the rain come and pass, until the flight deck came on the PA to announce we would be slightly late due to refueling.
Today's plane is a widebody A330 with PTVs and the flight home would be short at under 2 hours. A hot meal was served shortly after the seat belt signs came off. Since I had lunch already at the airport, I opted for a simple dish of fish and potatoes. Strange there wasn't rice or pasta. Like the incoming flight, premium ice-cream was also served.
With rebranding imminent, I turned my eyes onto the Dragonair memorabilia in the seat pocket in front of me.
Who wants to buy an airplane trolley from the duty-free catalogue?
HKG-SIN
I haven't flown on SQ for years. Hong Kong-Singapore is a very competitive route with a 5th freedom alternative as well. Prices have dropped to rock bottom as LCCs edge in so SQ won my patronage on pricing. On today's flight, the PTV screens were reasonably-sized although the interface looked a bit ancient. The entertainment selection was great though but there were no earphones in the seat. Strangely, there was a pillow and blanket though. Disposable ones were provided upon request.
Breakfast was served slowly. The presentation and quality were better than Cathay, with a fruit appetizer, dim sum main for the Chinese option (rice flour roll, siu mai, and vegetables), custard for dessert, and bread roll accompanied by metal cutlery. But a moist serviette was missing.
We made a long approach to land and looped back at Indonesia to come in from the south. I captured a few shots of the airport but the skyline was a bit far to see clearly.
SIN-HKG
Terminal 3 is refreshingly different from the other 2 terminals. It is big, airy, bright, and has an interesting ceiling design.
What is this piece of ancient history doing here?
Plane spotting is difficult here since the waiting lounges are enclosed past the security X-rays. It took some time to find a few windows in the public area.
Once inside the waiting lounge, you can't get out. At least there were enough seats. I have always disliked this type of design. If there are delays, you need to re-clear security even if you just go back out for the bathroom, if that is even possible.
Today's aircraft is much nicer with a long-haul configuration as the flight would continue to San Francisco after Hong Kong. The seats were more comfortable and the IFE much more usable. Disposable headphones were already placed at each seat this time.
More photos : http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase2016-air-1.htm
2015 Summary : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...lia-japan.html
2014 Summary : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-showcase.html
2013 Summary : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-showcase.html
Aug 5, 2016, 2:13 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: Free agent!
Posts: 1,427
I agree. I don't know how SIN keeps winning awards for being best airport in the world when it has these types of gates. At least T3 is much nicer than the aging T2, which I seem to always have the misfortune of departing from.
Oct 22, 2016, 10:59 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,505
Hong Kong - Jakarta
1 July
Cathay Pacific and Dragonair are gradually repainting their planes as part of their livery rebranding. That means I have to photogaph the old liveries as much as possible before they become a part of history. I'm not a big fan of their new colours. The old red, green, and white contrasted each other very well. Why mess with something that works?
Jakarta and Manila are good routes to bet on an upgrade, thanks to domestic helper traffic that fills up the planes. I was upgraded to Premium Economy today due to an overbooked Economy class. While I don't see a business case to buy a ticket here on a short flight, I suppose the airline folks want to safeguard their premium Business Class cabin with this hybrid. The 2-4-2 configuration here is only 1 seat less than cattle class out back.
While I was hoping for a window seat to capture some aerial photos, it was not possible with this upgrade. Nevertheless, I got some much-needed rest in this more comfortable seat so I could be prepared for a long day in Jakarta.
I didn't have much expectations for Jakarta's airport. I couldn't find the immigration queue for foreigners, signage was horrible, and the baggage carousel was too small for a widebody flight.
With over 6 hours to go before my next domestic flight, I headed to Garuda's premium counter and successfully checked my bag and got my boarding pass. The staff were cheerful but I didn't get an upgrade from Economy class today. My friend had gotten a Business Class ticket and the agent didn't mind checking me in there as well.
Jakarta - Yogyakarta
1 July
Jakarta's airport is connected to the city by a dedicated highway. During regular times, it can take hours to get into the city. Luckily, the city emptied out with an imminent long weekend on the horizon. Too bad I couldn't try the new terminal - it would open weeks after my visit.
Similar to airports in less secure countries, I had to go through a first level of security screening before being able to enter the check-in area.
The check-in area is functional. It didn't seem like an old and ugly terminal here, unlike at arrivals.
Plane spotting is nearly impossible here since the gates are in pods away from the main terminal area, which are not accessible due to the official security check for those gates only.
So instead, browse around the shops and restaurants. Sunset had not arrived yet so Muslims would still need to fast.
Once sunset had arrived, food and drink boxes were distributed to break the fast.
The gate's dedicated holding area is after the official security check. But there were not enough seats for everyone. The toilets are downstairs so at least you are not too trapped in here. The security guard initially didn't let me in too far in advance, probably knowing I would be bored in there.
I dread bus gates, but tonight's experience was not so bad with the bus not packed to the brim and rather pleasant weather.
My first flight on Garuda was a pleasant surprise. The crew were friendly, professional, and a food box was given to us despite the short flight. I got the exit row for free and stretched very well while watching TV on my dedicated screen. My prior perceptions were heavily influenced by the EU ban that was only partially lifted for Indonesian carriers. This was the lesser evil compared to more incident-prone local airlines such as Lion Air.
Welcome to Yogyakarta. No gates. Walk outside to the terminal.
Yogyakarta - Denpasar
4 July
Yogyakarta's airport is also a blast of the past. Don't come here too early before your flight. You'll quickly run out of things to do.
The domestic lounge is an uninspiring area. All passengers board from the tarmac. There are no jet bridges here.
However, there are some windows where there can be a bit of plane spotting to appreciate Indonesia's many, many airlines.
Like a library, borrow a newspaper and remember to return it to the rack.
False advertising is rampant around the world. I have never seen this brand in Hong Kong. Maybe the city name is part of its name and not really where it is supposed to be from.
Today, I try Garuda again for a short domestic flight to Bali. With beautiful blue skies, Merapi was fully visible and we flew very near it!
Living in Asia, we have the expectation of a meal even on short hops. We got another box meal today.
The seat was comfortable enough and not having a personal TV was OK when the scenery was so good.
We landed on the over-touristed resort of Bali, which was far more busy and beautified than the more "authentic" Indonesia.
Denpasar - Hong Kong
5 July
Bali's new international terminal is world-class, a marked improvement from my last visit several years ago.
There is a rising number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Bali, but I was still surprised a bottle of booze needs to be wrapped in a flag to get someone's attention.
Bali is probably the least Indonesian part of Indonesia. Looking at this photo, it could be anywhere in the West.
Yet in a predominantely Muslim country, would this store be appropriate?
Great to be here during dry season. There were lots of nice views as we departed and headed north. This elevated causeway across the water has helped alleviate traffic and improve travel times significantly in the southern part of the island.
Short driving distances can still take a long time due to narrow and winding roads. It would have taken hours to get to this mountain from the airport.
First World problems. For a 5 hour flight, I wished a premium carrier's meal wouldn't be so basic. There were barely any vegetables and way too much rice. I got much better fare on SQ for a shorter flight a few months earlier.
Hong Kong - Seoul Incheon
10 July
A few days later, I was back at the airport. The skies were grey this morning, but it was red hot for spotting. Rebranding has edged closer with a few more planes in the new liveries.
Settled in my window seat, I was initially happy to see us push back 1 minute ahead of schedule. But we eventually were grounded for an hour and a half due to a technical issue which forced us to return to the gate. It was my first time experiencing such a tarmac return.
Lucky I had secured a good spacious seat at the front of cattle class, so was still very comfortable during the delay. After we took off, we were served a late breakfast. The options were omelette or congee. I opted for a congee, which had chicken and mushroom bits in it. It tasted good but the portion was fairly small so even with the yogurt, fruits, and bread, I was still hungry after.
With the delay behind me, I looked out to enjoy the views. These short flights are typically uneventful anyway.
There was also plenty in the IFE to keep me entertained.
Soon, Dragonair as a brand will disappear.
I then turned to the written entertainment options. The Pearl River Delta consists of several large cities, anchored by Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. This graphic showcases the development quite nicely.
But then, this was a redemption booking in the optimal dry season. Happy that it was a cheap free flight! That cleared out my expiring Asia Miles nicely!
Seoul Incheon - Hong Kong
22 July
I have used Incheon many times over the years. The key difference nowadays is the sheer number of shoppers from China that have swarmed Korea. I caught these self-serve tax refund machines for the first time in the departures hall. Luckily, the tax on my personal purchases was deducted at the shop already, so I didn't need to line up here.
Duty-free could also be picked up once past immigration at dedicated counters. You pay in the duty-free shop in the city first, then use the receipt to line up at that shop's counter to get the goods for hand-carry.
Once these shopping formalities were over, the terminal was otherwise quiet.
Plane spotting is decent here, although nothing compared to Hong Kong or Bangkok.
I have gotten more and more disappointed with Cathay's Economy Class catering. Since I had a bite in the terminal already, I opted out of the main dish and settled for appetizer and cookie only.
I have always wanted to take aerial photos of Hong Kong on arrival, but never really got lucky with different flight paths and bad weather. Today was exceptionally clear and I finally got what I wanted.
Beautiful all the way to touchdown!
More photos on my website : http://www.globalphotos.org/flightreports.htm
1 July
Cathay Pacific and Dragonair are gradually repainting their planes as part of their livery rebranding. That means I have to photogaph the old liveries as much as possible before they become a part of history. I'm not a big fan of their new colours. The old red, green, and white contrasted each other very well. Why mess with something that works?
Jakarta and Manila are good routes to bet on an upgrade, thanks to domestic helper traffic that fills up the planes. I was upgraded to Premium Economy today due to an overbooked Economy class. While I don't see a business case to buy a ticket here on a short flight, I suppose the airline folks want to safeguard their premium Business Class cabin with this hybrid. The 2-4-2 configuration here is only 1 seat less than cattle class out back.
While I was hoping for a window seat to capture some aerial photos, it was not possible with this upgrade. Nevertheless, I got some much-needed rest in this more comfortable seat so I could be prepared for a long day in Jakarta.
I didn't have much expectations for Jakarta's airport. I couldn't find the immigration queue for foreigners, signage was horrible, and the baggage carousel was too small for a widebody flight.
With over 6 hours to go before my next domestic flight, I headed to Garuda's premium counter and successfully checked my bag and got my boarding pass. The staff were cheerful but I didn't get an upgrade from Economy class today. My friend had gotten a Business Class ticket and the agent didn't mind checking me in there as well.
Jakarta - Yogyakarta
1 July
Jakarta's airport is connected to the city by a dedicated highway. During regular times, it can take hours to get into the city. Luckily, the city emptied out with an imminent long weekend on the horizon. Too bad I couldn't try the new terminal - it would open weeks after my visit.
Similar to airports in less secure countries, I had to go through a first level of security screening before being able to enter the check-in area.
The check-in area is functional. It didn't seem like an old and ugly terminal here, unlike at arrivals.
Plane spotting is nearly impossible here since the gates are in pods away from the main terminal area, which are not accessible due to the official security check for those gates only.
So instead, browse around the shops and restaurants. Sunset had not arrived yet so Muslims would still need to fast.
Once sunset had arrived, food and drink boxes were distributed to break the fast.
The gate's dedicated holding area is after the official security check. But there were not enough seats for everyone. The toilets are downstairs so at least you are not too trapped in here. The security guard initially didn't let me in too far in advance, probably knowing I would be bored in there.
I dread bus gates, but tonight's experience was not so bad with the bus not packed to the brim and rather pleasant weather.
My first flight on Garuda was a pleasant surprise. The crew were friendly, professional, and a food box was given to us despite the short flight. I got the exit row for free and stretched very well while watching TV on my dedicated screen. My prior perceptions were heavily influenced by the EU ban that was only partially lifted for Indonesian carriers. This was the lesser evil compared to more incident-prone local airlines such as Lion Air.
Welcome to Yogyakarta. No gates. Walk outside to the terminal.
Yogyakarta - Denpasar
4 July
Yogyakarta's airport is also a blast of the past. Don't come here too early before your flight. You'll quickly run out of things to do.
The domestic lounge is an uninspiring area. All passengers board from the tarmac. There are no jet bridges here.
However, there are some windows where there can be a bit of plane spotting to appreciate Indonesia's many, many airlines.
Like a library, borrow a newspaper and remember to return it to the rack.
False advertising is rampant around the world. I have never seen this brand in Hong Kong. Maybe the city name is part of its name and not really where it is supposed to be from.
Today, I try Garuda again for a short domestic flight to Bali. With beautiful blue skies, Merapi was fully visible and we flew very near it!
Living in Asia, we have the expectation of a meal even on short hops. We got another box meal today.
The seat was comfortable enough and not having a personal TV was OK when the scenery was so good.
We landed on the over-touristed resort of Bali, which was far more busy and beautified than the more "authentic" Indonesia.
Denpasar - Hong Kong
5 July
Bali's new international terminal is world-class, a marked improvement from my last visit several years ago.
There is a rising number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Bali, but I was still surprised a bottle of booze needs to be wrapped in a flag to get someone's attention.
Bali is probably the least Indonesian part of Indonesia. Looking at this photo, it could be anywhere in the West.
Yet in a predominantely Muslim country, would this store be appropriate?
Great to be here during dry season. There were lots of nice views as we departed and headed north. This elevated causeway across the water has helped alleviate traffic and improve travel times significantly in the southern part of the island.
Short driving distances can still take a long time due to narrow and winding roads. It would have taken hours to get to this mountain from the airport.
First World problems. For a 5 hour flight, I wished a premium carrier's meal wouldn't be so basic. There were barely any vegetables and way too much rice. I got much better fare on SQ for a shorter flight a few months earlier.
Hong Kong - Seoul Incheon
10 July
A few days later, I was back at the airport. The skies were grey this morning, but it was red hot for spotting. Rebranding has edged closer with a few more planes in the new liveries.
Settled in my window seat, I was initially happy to see us push back 1 minute ahead of schedule. But we eventually were grounded for an hour and a half due to a technical issue which forced us to return to the gate. It was my first time experiencing such a tarmac return.
Lucky I had secured a good spacious seat at the front of cattle class, so was still very comfortable during the delay. After we took off, we were served a late breakfast. The options were omelette or congee. I opted for a congee, which had chicken and mushroom bits in it. It tasted good but the portion was fairly small so even with the yogurt, fruits, and bread, I was still hungry after.
With the delay behind me, I looked out to enjoy the views. These short flights are typically uneventful anyway.
There was also plenty in the IFE to keep me entertained.
Soon, Dragonair as a brand will disappear.
I then turned to the written entertainment options. The Pearl River Delta consists of several large cities, anchored by Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. This graphic showcases the development quite nicely.
But then, this was a redemption booking in the optimal dry season. Happy that it was a cheap free flight! That cleared out my expiring Asia Miles nicely!
Seoul Incheon - Hong Kong
22 July
I have used Incheon many times over the years. The key difference nowadays is the sheer number of shoppers from China that have swarmed Korea. I caught these self-serve tax refund machines for the first time in the departures hall. Luckily, the tax on my personal purchases was deducted at the shop already, so I didn't need to line up here.
Duty-free could also be picked up once past immigration at dedicated counters. You pay in the duty-free shop in the city first, then use the receipt to line up at that shop's counter to get the goods for hand-carry.
Once these shopping formalities were over, the terminal was otherwise quiet.
Plane spotting is decent here, although nothing compared to Hong Kong or Bangkok.
I have gotten more and more disappointed with Cathay's Economy Class catering. Since I had a bite in the terminal already, I opted out of the main dish and settled for appetizer and cookie only.
I have always wanted to take aerial photos of Hong Kong on arrival, but never really got lucky with different flight paths and bad weather. Today was exceptionally clear and I finally got what I wanted.
Beautiful all the way to touchdown!
More photos on my website : http://www.globalphotos.org/flightreports.htm