Travelling the world for 6 months... My sabbatical leave experience
Mar 27, 2019, 11:04 pm
#91
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Giant Ibis between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
After one full day spent in the Cambodian capital, I used the services of the bus company Giant Ibis to reach the city of Siem Reap, located next to the UNESCO Ankhor Wat site. For 16 USD, the bus service was comfortable and included a pick up from my hotel. Considering the Traffic situation in Cambodia, the driver was driving smoothly and a few stops were done on the way to Siem Reap, including one for lunch. Water and a snack were also provided during the ride. We departed Phnom Penh at 09:45 and arrived in Siem Reap at 16:00 but the company offered a free pickup from my hotel located downtown. This bus service was mostly used by Western tourists and I made friend with my seat mate, Timothy from UK, also on a sabbatical leave and with whom I spent my entire stay in Siem Reap with.
Complimentary snack and water bottle
Nice seat...
Highway restaurant...
... and tourist shop
Fried rice
Sometimes, passing cars, trucks or tuktuks on Cambodian roads can be scary...
Decent legroom !
One last stop before Siem Reap
"Luggage claim" in Siem Reap
And everything did fit in the Tuk-Tuk !
As a side note, I would highly recommend the newly opened Ibis Styles Siem Reap for a comfortable and reasonably priced accommodation and the restaurant Marum for a very nice lunch or dinner. This restaurant belongs to the same organization as Friends in Phnom Penh and they also have branches in Siaknouville, Luang Prabang, Laos and Rangoon in Myanmar. They train teenagers from poor families to work in the restaurant industry, in the kitchen or in the service site. Not only the food was excellent in the 3 locations I have been, but on top of it, this is for a good cause. Some locations also have a small shop selling souvenirs locally made for a very reasonable price.
Ibis Styles Siem Reap lobby
Small but functional and comfortable
View from my room (last floor)
Friends restaurant in Phnom Penh
Delicious fish
And sticky rice dessert !
Marum, in Siem Reap
Love those desserts ! The location where the restaurant is also nice.
Menu at the Luang Prabang restaurant Khaiphaen
Fish and noodle soup
Fried Banana with ice cream
Complimentary snack and water bottle
Nice seat...
Highway restaurant...
... and tourist shop
Fried rice
Sometimes, passing cars, trucks or tuktuks on Cambodian roads can be scary...
Decent legroom !
One last stop before Siem Reap
"Luggage claim" in Siem Reap
And everything did fit in the Tuk-Tuk !
As a side note, I would highly recommend the newly opened Ibis Styles Siem Reap for a comfortable and reasonably priced accommodation and the restaurant Marum for a very nice lunch or dinner. This restaurant belongs to the same organization as Friends in Phnom Penh and they also have branches in Siaknouville, Luang Prabang, Laos and Rangoon in Myanmar. They train teenagers from poor families to work in the restaurant industry, in the kitchen or in the service site. Not only the food was excellent in the 3 locations I have been, but on top of it, this is for a good cause. Some locations also have a small shop selling souvenirs locally made for a very reasonable price.
Ibis Styles Siem Reap lobby
Small but functional and comfortable
View from my room (last floor)
Friends restaurant in Phnom Penh
Delicious fish
And sticky rice dessert !
Marum, in Siem Reap
Love those desserts ! The location where the restaurant is also nice.
Menu at the Luang Prabang restaurant Khaiphaen
Fish and noodle soup
Fried Banana with ice cream
Mar 30, 2019, 8:08 pm
#92
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Quick update on this trip...
For the ones following my trip, you certainly noticed that the reporting is not going as fast as my travels. Here is a quick update, as I received a few questions about that, live from Perth (or actually, for the last couple hours, Alice Springs) on the advancement of my journey, as I had to adjust some of the destinations and flights I wanted to take...
This is what I did so far : In red are the flights, in blue are the train trips, in orange the boat trip and in yellow any bus or car trips...
So it's 37189 kms still to go... and 176022 km travelled so far !
This is what I did so far : In red are the flights, in blue are the train trips, in orange the boat trip and in yellow any bus or car trips...
So it's 37189 kms still to go... and 176022 km travelled so far !
Mar 30, 2019, 9:24 pm
#93
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
After a few very nice days in Siem Reap, the next stop was to hop briefly to the neighboring country of Laos and the city of Luang Prabang. I decided to visit Luang Prabang after seeing a « 60-second vacation » program about it on CNN. Considering that Vietnam Airlines has a fifth-freedom flight between Siem Reap and Luang Prabang several times a week, and i used 9000 Flying Blue miles + 51 Euros of taxes to fly this short route.
Just like Phnom Penh airport, Siem Reap airport is managed by Vinci airports and it looks pretty nice.
In addition to the 5-weekly flights to Luang Prabang, VN operates several flights out of Siem Reap daily, to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh ville. Only 2 counters were open, with no Sky Priority signage. A long line of passengers were queuing on the left lane while the right lane was almost empty, so I decided to give a try and ask the agent (who was playing on his phone) if this was the Sky Priority lane. He said that it was « fine » and after a minute or so, my luggage was tagged to LPQ and my boarding passes issued.
Siem Reap airport entrance
After a swift exit immigration control and security clearance, I headed, together with 2 of my friends to the Plaza Premium lounge.
Plaza Premium Lounge REP airport
My two friends were flying on Air Asia (which is not a sky team partner) and since this lounge was also a priority pass lounge, I decided to give a try and ask if I could guest both of them using my priority pass membership and use my Skyteam Elite plus status to get me access to the lounge. After a few minutes of discussion, they agreed to have the 3 of us come into this nice lounge.
Bar
The lounge is very pleasant and comfortable and has a cold and hot buffet, with cooked to order noodles, and also a staffed bar. An outside terrace is also available, such as clean restrooms and showers inside the lounge.
Outdoor area
I stayed about 45 minutes in the lounge before going back to the terminal as the inbound flight from Ho Chi Minh city landed earlier than expected.
I found the terminal to be also very nice, with lots of natural light and space to sit.
REP terminal
No I haven't tried that one !
Inbound flight from SGN, continuing to LPQ and HAN
Boarding eventually started, with Sky Priority boarding being called first, at 16:30. Since REP does not have any jet bridges, boarding was done by walking on the tarmac and using stairs, allowing some extra sightseeing of the airport.
Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321
Vietnam Airlines VN930, November 28th 2018
Siem Reap REP - 17:05
Luang Prabang LPQ - 18:35
Airbus A321 – VN-A615 – Seat 10F (initially 10C), Economy class, window.
I was one of the first passengers to enter the aircraft and took my assigned seat 11C (I asked during check in if I could get a front seat, which the agent gladly assigned). The legroom was good as it is the first seat of the economy class section. Although the seats are different in Business and Economy class, No bulkhead wall was present between the two sections, just a curtain was there. The aircraft was clearly not full that day and maybe only 40 to 50 passengers were present, and mostly seated at the rear of the cabin. So I decided to move to the window seat 11F once the announcement « boarding completed » was made. 2 passengers were present in the business class cabin, which had a capacity of 8 seats.
Row 10
Leg room in Row 10
View on the Business class cabin
Not a very busy flight !
New legroom !
We took off at 16:53 after a short taxi to the runway. Service began 10 minutes later, when a snack box, containing a small chicken sandwich, a cookie and a bag of cuttlefish green peas, was distributed. A few minutes later, the immigration form for Laos was also distributed
Take off from Siem Reap
Snack box
The flight was pretty uneventful and the crew was not very friendly to say the least, as they were barely smiling or talking. The sun set during our approach to LPQ and we landed at 18:05, which is 30 minutes before scheduled arrival time, and parked next to a Lao airlines Airbus A320
Approaching Luang Prabang
Welcome in Lao !
Just like Cambodia, The People’s Democratic Republic of Lao requires most of the citizenships to apply for a visa on arrival (understand « pay-to-enter »). The applied fee depends on the citizenship of the passenger, and as a French-passport holder, I remember paying 32 USD, including the 1 USD fee for taking a picture at the airport.
Since I was one of the first passengers to disembark, I was also one of the first one to complete the second form required to apply for a Visa on arrival (this one was not provided on the plane, but just before the immigration counters), and therefore did not have to queue to get my picture taken and my Visa issued. The luggage arrived within 20 minutes after landing and I was outside the very small terminal by 18:25.
Immigration hall LPQ airport
Visa issued !
Lao tuk-tuk, different than in Bangkok or Cambodia ...
Just like Phnom Penh airport, Siem Reap airport is managed by Vinci airports and it looks pretty nice.
In addition to the 5-weekly flights to Luang Prabang, VN operates several flights out of Siem Reap daily, to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh ville. Only 2 counters were open, with no Sky Priority signage. A long line of passengers were queuing on the left lane while the right lane was almost empty, so I decided to give a try and ask the agent (who was playing on his phone) if this was the Sky Priority lane. He said that it was « fine » and after a minute or so, my luggage was tagged to LPQ and my boarding passes issued.
Siem Reap airport entrance
After a swift exit immigration control and security clearance, I headed, together with 2 of my friends to the Plaza Premium lounge.
Plaza Premium Lounge REP airport
My two friends were flying on Air Asia (which is not a sky team partner) and since this lounge was also a priority pass lounge, I decided to give a try and ask if I could guest both of them using my priority pass membership and use my Skyteam Elite plus status to get me access to the lounge. After a few minutes of discussion, they agreed to have the 3 of us come into this nice lounge.
Bar
The lounge is very pleasant and comfortable and has a cold and hot buffet, with cooked to order noodles, and also a staffed bar. An outside terrace is also available, such as clean restrooms and showers inside the lounge.
Outdoor area
I stayed about 45 minutes in the lounge before going back to the terminal as the inbound flight from Ho Chi Minh city landed earlier than expected.
I found the terminal to be also very nice, with lots of natural light and space to sit.
REP terminal
No I haven't tried that one !
Inbound flight from SGN, continuing to LPQ and HAN
Boarding eventually started, with Sky Priority boarding being called first, at 16:30. Since REP does not have any jet bridges, boarding was done by walking on the tarmac and using stairs, allowing some extra sightseeing of the airport.
Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321
Vietnam Airlines VN930, November 28th 2018
Siem Reap REP - 17:05
Luang Prabang LPQ - 18:35
Airbus A321 – VN-A615 – Seat 10F (initially 10C), Economy class, window.
I was one of the first passengers to enter the aircraft and took my assigned seat 11C (I asked during check in if I could get a front seat, which the agent gladly assigned). The legroom was good as it is the first seat of the economy class section. Although the seats are different in Business and Economy class, No bulkhead wall was present between the two sections, just a curtain was there. The aircraft was clearly not full that day and maybe only 40 to 50 passengers were present, and mostly seated at the rear of the cabin. So I decided to move to the window seat 11F once the announcement « boarding completed » was made. 2 passengers were present in the business class cabin, which had a capacity of 8 seats.
Row 10
Leg room in Row 10
View on the Business class cabin
Not a very busy flight !
New legroom !
We took off at 16:53 after a short taxi to the runway. Service began 10 minutes later, when a snack box, containing a small chicken sandwich, a cookie and a bag of cuttlefish green peas, was distributed. A few minutes later, the immigration form for Laos was also distributed
Take off from Siem Reap
Snack box
The flight was pretty uneventful and the crew was not very friendly to say the least, as they were barely smiling or talking. The sun set during our approach to LPQ and we landed at 18:05, which is 30 minutes before scheduled arrival time, and parked next to a Lao airlines Airbus A320
Approaching Luang Prabang
Welcome in Lao !
Just like Cambodia, The People’s Democratic Republic of Lao requires most of the citizenships to apply for a visa on arrival (understand « pay-to-enter »). The applied fee depends on the citizenship of the passenger, and as a French-passport holder, I remember paying 32 USD, including the 1 USD fee for taking a picture at the airport.
Since I was one of the first passengers to disembark, I was also one of the first one to complete the second form required to apply for a Visa on arrival (this one was not provided on the plane, but just before the immigration counters), and therefore did not have to queue to get my picture taken and my Visa issued. The luggage arrived within 20 minutes after landing and I was outside the very small terminal by 18:25.
Immigration hall LPQ airport
Visa issued !
Lao tuk-tuk, different than in Bangkok or Cambodia ...
Mar 31, 2019, 4:34 am
#94
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
VN Economy Class LPQ-HAN
I stayed only 2 days in Luang Prabang, and those 2 days went fast. By the time I thought about it, I was already in a Tuk-Tuk to get to the local airport…
Luang Prabang airport
Check-in area
The airport of Luang Prabang is pretty small and checking my luggage was a swift formality using the Business class counter. Exit immigration and security were also pretty fast to clear.
Unfortunately, VN does not have any agreement with any lounge in LPQ airport. The two main lounges of the airport were the Lao Airlines and Bangkok Airways lounges, and the latter is member of the Priority Pass network but unfortunately closed just at the moment I arrived since the last flight to Bangkok just departed.
So I was left with the few shops open inside the terminal (3 to 4 times more expensive than in town) and waited on a partly broken bench, until boarding began at 18:30.
VIP Lounge 1 ??? There are 4 in total in LPQ
The terminal area
Bangkok airways lounge. Unfortunately, it closed just when I arrived.
Lao Airlines lounge. Unfortunately, I did not have access to it.
Food court of LPQ airport
My own lounge...
Boarding soon...
A little massage before the flight ?
Being a Buddhist monk on Lao airlines beats every single Platinum card !
Please provide suggestions...
The ride to Hanoi...
Vietnam Airlines VN930, November 30th 2018
Luang Prabang LPQ - 19:15
Hanoi Noi bai Intl HAN - 20:15
Airbus A321 – VN-A602 – Seat 10B, Economy class, middle.
This flight was coming from Siem Reap (this was the same flight number as the one I took 2 days before) and the passengers coming from Siem Reap and continuing to Hanoi had to disembark the aircraft and wait inside the terminal. This is where I met a Spanish/British gentlemen traveling with his mother who appeared to have lost her passport, making the re-embarkation … complicated ! It appears she did not lose her passport but just left it in the seat pocket of the aircraft. We started to discuss and it appeared he was seated right next to me, in seat 10C.
Now comes the question… How come I ended up taking the middle seat ? Well, Vietnam Airlines online check-in system does not really give you many seating options, and you usually need to ask at the airport to get an emergency exit or first row seat. This is what I did, since I was quite happy of the legroom provided on my previous flight and the agent in LPQ gave me a first (economy) row seat… but in the middle. And I noticed that too late once I was already boarding. Fortunately this was only a short, one hour flight and the interesting discussion with my seat mate made the flight go very fast…
Row 10. Again.
Legroom on seat 10B
Interestingly, absolutely no service was provided on this flight. No drinks, no snacks. I noticed this only after landing in Hanoi.
We landed in Hanoi around 19:45, so 30 min early again, and I queued for immigration for about 15 minutes. As a French passport holder, I am eligible to a visa free entry for 15 days once a year into Vietnam. UK, German, Italian and Spanish passport holders can enjoy the same benefit but the rest of the EU passports require a visa on arrival, which can also be done online.
Immigration at HAN
All the benefit of the early landing got shadowed by the fact it took forever to collect our luggage. Eventually, by 20:45 we collected our luggage and reached the outside of the terminal.
Luggage took forever to arrive...
Luang Prabang airport
Check-in area
The airport of Luang Prabang is pretty small and checking my luggage was a swift formality using the Business class counter. Exit immigration and security were also pretty fast to clear.
Unfortunately, VN does not have any agreement with any lounge in LPQ airport. The two main lounges of the airport were the Lao Airlines and Bangkok Airways lounges, and the latter is member of the Priority Pass network but unfortunately closed just at the moment I arrived since the last flight to Bangkok just departed.
So I was left with the few shops open inside the terminal (3 to 4 times more expensive than in town) and waited on a partly broken bench, until boarding began at 18:30.
VIP Lounge 1 ??? There are 4 in total in LPQ
The terminal area
Bangkok airways lounge. Unfortunately, it closed just when I arrived.
Lao Airlines lounge. Unfortunately, I did not have access to it.
Food court of LPQ airport
My own lounge...
Boarding soon...
A little massage before the flight ?
Being a Buddhist monk on Lao airlines beats every single Platinum card !
Please provide suggestions...
The ride to Hanoi...
Vietnam Airlines VN930, November 30th 2018
Luang Prabang LPQ - 19:15
Hanoi Noi bai Intl HAN - 20:15
Airbus A321 – VN-A602 – Seat 10B, Economy class, middle.
This flight was coming from Siem Reap (this was the same flight number as the one I took 2 days before) and the passengers coming from Siem Reap and continuing to Hanoi had to disembark the aircraft and wait inside the terminal. This is where I met a Spanish/British gentlemen traveling with his mother who appeared to have lost her passport, making the re-embarkation … complicated ! It appears she did not lose her passport but just left it in the seat pocket of the aircraft. We started to discuss and it appeared he was seated right next to me, in seat 10C.
Now comes the question… How come I ended up taking the middle seat ? Well, Vietnam Airlines online check-in system does not really give you many seating options, and you usually need to ask at the airport to get an emergency exit or first row seat. This is what I did, since I was quite happy of the legroom provided on my previous flight and the agent in LPQ gave me a first (economy) row seat… but in the middle. And I noticed that too late once I was already boarding. Fortunately this was only a short, one hour flight and the interesting discussion with my seat mate made the flight go very fast…
Row 10. Again.
Legroom on seat 10B
Interestingly, absolutely no service was provided on this flight. No drinks, no snacks. I noticed this only after landing in Hanoi.
We landed in Hanoi around 19:45, so 30 min early again, and I queued for immigration for about 15 minutes. As a French passport holder, I am eligible to a visa free entry for 15 days once a year into Vietnam. UK, German, Italian and Spanish passport holders can enjoy the same benefit but the rest of the EU passports require a visa on arrival, which can also be done online.
Immigration at HAN
All the benefit of the early landing got shadowed by the fact it took forever to collect our luggage. Eventually, by 20:45 we collected our luggage and reached the outside of the terminal.
Luggage took forever to arrive...
Apr 4, 2019, 5:41 am
#96
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
After spending 5 beautiful days in Hanoi and Northern Vietnam, I was ready to see my next destination : Bangkok in Thailand. This was my first time in this very touristic country, so I was not sure what to expect…
I initially wanted to use some BA Avios to book the Fifth freedom QR flight between HAN and BKK, availability was there for weeks before I decided to book it, and when I was ready to reserve a business class seat on this flight, it was not there anymore : It appeared that QR decided to stop this Fifth freedom flight and fly to Hanoi directly from Doha. So I ended up booking a cheap VN flight, in economy class, where I could still enjoy some SkyPriority benefits.
The Uber ride to the airport was relatively smooth, considering the intense traffic in the Vietnamese capital and I reached Noi Bai airport in a bit less than 45 minutes from the center of the city.
Hanoi airport
The airport being a hub for the national carrier Vietnam Airlines, a large and dedicated check-in area for SkyPriority eligible passengers was available at the end of the international terminal, pier H.
Skypriority check-in area
Only a few minutes were necessary to tag my luggage and issue my boarding pass to BKK, and after I went downstairs to change the remaining Vietnamese Dongs I had in my possession, I went straight to immigration and security clearance where sky priority counters were available at both check points. Less than 5 minutes were necessary to complete both actions - thumbs up to HAN airport and Vietnam Airlines for the smooth process !
Lounge coupon
Skypriority lane was available for immigration and security procedures.
After a few outside pictures and visiting a few shops, I went to the VN lotus lounge upstairs and was greeted by 2 friendly agents.
Departures board
Plane spotting in Hanoi
Lounge access upstairs
The lounge is quite large and was not very busy when I was there. At the end of lounge can be found a relaxation section with massage chairs while the buffet area is located in the middle of the lounge. It also has large windows to the outside and I remember seeing a smoking section (I don’t really care as I am a non-smoker).
VN lotus lounge entrance
VN lounge Hanoi airport
Nice outside views from the lounge
Relaxing area
Bar and buffet
Beverage selection
The buffet has a few hot and cold options, including a make-your-own Phô (vietnamese noodle soup), which is a popular option with Vietnamese travelers for lunch.
Buffet selection
Make your own noodle soup
I am ready for lunch !
Finally, the lounge has wifi connection and I recall the speed was ok.
I stayed about 40 minutes in the lounge before heading downstairs towards the bus gate 26, from where my flight to Bangkok was departing.
The general boarding had already started when I arrived and I used the sky priority lane to bypass the crowd. Note that a separate bus was available for business class passengers and the gate agent invited me to use it, but also mentioned that the normal bus would be faster to reach the aircraft as it was ready to depart, so I used this latter option. I am not a big fan of bus gates, but appreciate when airlines offer a special bus service for premium class passengers, as the buses are usually packed to the brim…
We reached our aircraft, the same one I had the week before between REP and LPQ after a 5 minutes airport bus tour.
VN-A615 to Bangkok
I initially wanted to use some BA Avios to book the Fifth freedom QR flight between HAN and BKK, availability was there for weeks before I decided to book it, and when I was ready to reserve a business class seat on this flight, it was not there anymore : It appeared that QR decided to stop this Fifth freedom flight and fly to Hanoi directly from Doha. So I ended up booking a cheap VN flight, in economy class, where I could still enjoy some SkyPriority benefits.
The Uber ride to the airport was relatively smooth, considering the intense traffic in the Vietnamese capital and I reached Noi Bai airport in a bit less than 45 minutes from the center of the city.
Hanoi airport
The airport being a hub for the national carrier Vietnam Airlines, a large and dedicated check-in area for SkyPriority eligible passengers was available at the end of the international terminal, pier H.
Skypriority check-in area
Only a few minutes were necessary to tag my luggage and issue my boarding pass to BKK, and after I went downstairs to change the remaining Vietnamese Dongs I had in my possession, I went straight to immigration and security clearance where sky priority counters were available at both check points. Less than 5 minutes were necessary to complete both actions - thumbs up to HAN airport and Vietnam Airlines for the smooth process !
Lounge coupon
Skypriority lane was available for immigration and security procedures.
After a few outside pictures and visiting a few shops, I went to the VN lotus lounge upstairs and was greeted by 2 friendly agents.
Departures board
Plane spotting in Hanoi
Lounge access upstairs
The lounge is quite large and was not very busy when I was there. At the end of lounge can be found a relaxation section with massage chairs while the buffet area is located in the middle of the lounge. It also has large windows to the outside and I remember seeing a smoking section (I don’t really care as I am a non-smoker).
VN lotus lounge entrance
VN lounge Hanoi airport
Nice outside views from the lounge
Relaxing area
Bar and buffet
Beverage selection
The buffet has a few hot and cold options, including a make-your-own Phô (vietnamese noodle soup), which is a popular option with Vietnamese travelers for lunch.
Buffet selection
Make your own noodle soup
I am ready for lunch !
Finally, the lounge has wifi connection and I recall the speed was ok.
I stayed about 40 minutes in the lounge before heading downstairs towards the bus gate 26, from where my flight to Bangkok was departing.
The general boarding had already started when I arrived and I used the sky priority lane to bypass the crowd. Note that a separate bus was available for business class passengers and the gate agent invited me to use it, but also mentioned that the normal bus would be faster to reach the aircraft as it was ready to depart, so I used this latter option. I am not a big fan of bus gates, but appreciate when airlines offer a special bus service for premium class passengers, as the buses are usually packed to the brim…
We reached our aircraft, the same one I had the week before between REP and LPQ after a 5 minutes airport bus tour.
VN-A615 to Bangkok
Apr 4, 2019, 5:58 am
#97
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Vietnam Airlines VN613, December 4th 2018
Hanoi Noi bai Intl HAN - 15:30
Bangkok Subarvarnahmi BKK - 17:35
Airbus A321 – VN-A615 – Seat 10A, Economy class, window.
I took my seat 10A, located at the first row of the economy class section and quickly understood that my row will remain pretty empty during the flight (although the rest of the cabin was quite full, the first few rows had only a few passengers seated).
Initial legroom configuration...
...much better now !
We taxied for 10 minutes with some nice views over VN’s newest aircrafts : The Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-900. We took off around 15:40 and soon after departure, the crew came to distribute the immigration forms for Thailand.
Leaving Hanoi...
Both trendy aircrafts are in stock at VN...
The Thai immigration form requests to tell how much you make...
About 10 minutes later, the meal was served and we had the choice between chicken with rice or fish with noodles.
I was pleasantly surprised by the meal provided by VN, considering this was a 2-hour flight in economy. It was tasty. Delta airlines, for instance, is still very far from this in business class during a 3-hour flight for example ! (And I am writing those lines currently seated on a DL flight, in business class, between LAX and SEA… where we are just getting peanuts, chips or granola bars !)
Tasty hot meal on a 2 hour flight in economy !
I like when airlines give facts about their home country !
We approached Bangkok around 17:30, with a beautiful sunset on the bay and the city and landed at 17:45. It took 5 more minutes to reach our gate, connected to the terminal.
Approaching Bangkok
Just landed in BKK !
The walk to the immigration was a bit long and there was a queue when I arrived at the first check point, but BKK airport being so big, that there was no wait at the second immigration check point located 150m away.
My luggage arrived within the first ones on the belt, and I was outside the terminal 20 minutes after disembarking, which is quite a highlight for such a big airport ! i wish transiting to my hotel on Sukhumvit would have been that smooth, but it took the grab driver an hour and half due to traffic to bring me to my destination.
Immigration hall, I went to the one advertized and there were no queues
Luggage collection
And my bag arrived within the first few ones on the belt !
Hanoi Noi bai Intl HAN - 15:30
Bangkok Subarvarnahmi BKK - 17:35
Airbus A321 – VN-A615 – Seat 10A, Economy class, window.
I took my seat 10A, located at the first row of the economy class section and quickly understood that my row will remain pretty empty during the flight (although the rest of the cabin was quite full, the first few rows had only a few passengers seated).
Initial legroom configuration...
...much better now !
We taxied for 10 minutes with some nice views over VN’s newest aircrafts : The Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-900. We took off around 15:40 and soon after departure, the crew came to distribute the immigration forms for Thailand.
Leaving Hanoi...
Both trendy aircrafts are in stock at VN...
The Thai immigration form requests to tell how much you make...
About 10 minutes later, the meal was served and we had the choice between chicken with rice or fish with noodles.
I was pleasantly surprised by the meal provided by VN, considering this was a 2-hour flight in economy. It was tasty. Delta airlines, for instance, is still very far from this in business class during a 3-hour flight for example ! (And I am writing those lines currently seated on a DL flight, in business class, between LAX and SEA… where we are just getting peanuts, chips or granola bars !)
Tasty hot meal on a 2 hour flight in economy !
I like when airlines give facts about their home country !
We approached Bangkok around 17:30, with a beautiful sunset on the bay and the city and landed at 17:45. It took 5 more minutes to reach our gate, connected to the terminal.
Approaching Bangkok
Just landed in BKK !
The walk to the immigration was a bit long and there was a queue when I arrived at the first check point, but BKK airport being so big, that there was no wait at the second immigration check point located 150m away.
My luggage arrived within the first ones on the belt, and I was outside the terminal 20 minutes after disembarking, which is quite a highlight for such a big airport ! i wish transiting to my hotel on Sukhumvit would have been that smooth, but it took the grab driver an hour and half due to traffic to bring me to my destination.
Immigration hall, I went to the one advertized and there were no queues
Luggage collection
And my bag arrived within the first few ones on the belt !
Apr 4, 2019, 5:24 pm
#99
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Jul 11, 2019, 12:29 pm
#101
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Lounge hopping in BKK !
I finished my sabbatical leave at the end of April but with the new house and my normal working life being back, I finally got the time tonight to post some of the text I already prepared months ago...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For my first time in Thailand, I stayed 4 days and visited Bangkok and it’s surroundings, including Ayuthaya. My next destination was a country I had the chance to discover several years ago and which I really enjoyed visiting : Taiwan.
Malaysia airlines had a good business class sale ex-BKK several months before and I was able to score a multi-stop trip in business class from BKK to TPE via KUL and returning to PEN (Penang, Malaysia) 5 days later. MH used to operate the Taipei flights using a Boeing 737, which is not the most comfortable ride for a 5-hour flight. The recently switched this service to an Airbus 330 (-200 variant) which provides a better seat in business class. In additional to this « improvement », the flight between KUL and TPE is slightly above 2000 miles in distance, which means each business class segment will earn 140 Tier Points on British Airways, instead of only 40 Tier Points for flights below 2000 miles. So booking business class on this trip to get 360 Tier Points, and for only 536 Euros was a no brainer…
I arrived in BKK airport about 3 hours before departure as I wanted to test a few lounges there. For OneWorld flyers, BKK airport has an excellent lounge offering, between the Cathay Pacific, the Japan Airlines, and the Qatar Airways lounges (note that the latter is not accessible with OneWorld status only but requires a business or first class ticket for a flight on any OneWorld carrier. Priority pass card holders also have plenty of choices in BKK, including most of the Miracle lounges, the AF/KLM lounge and the OmanAir lounge. Nowadays, the new Turkish Airlines lounge is also accessible to Priority Pass holders, but this lounge was not yet open at the time of my visit.
Checking in for Taipei took no time, and I was told by the agent that my bag will remain overnight in KUL, unless I wanted to retrieve it. Since I was staying overnight at the Sama-Sama transit hotel, I was fine with the first option.
Both boarding passes were issued, together with the lounge invitation for the Miracle lounge. I am still wondering how come MH uses a contract lounge instead of one of the OneWorld lounges around… Cost reasons ? The boarding passes also came with a priority lane invitation, which appears to be very useful in BKK.
BKK terminal
BKK terminal MH counters
Fast track pass
Fast track entrance
After security, the terminal becomes a museum
A nice collection of lounges to visit !
Security and emigration controls took in total about 5 minutes and it was then a pretty long walk to reach the first lounge I wanted to try : The Qatar Airways Bangkok lounge.
QR lounge entrance BKK
As written before, this lounge is the most « exclusive » of the OneWorld lounges in BKK as you need to have a same-day boarding pass in Business or First class on any OneWorld carrier to access it. Being « just » Emerald or Sapphire will not give you access. Qatar airways like to do those type of distinctions in their lounges, and this rule applies also to their lounges in London and Doha (for DOH, there are separate lounges available for Emerald and Sapphire members but those are way less attractive…
Immediately after entering the lounge, a friendly attendant came to me to ask for my boarding pass and asked me if it was my first time there. she briefly introduced me with the facilities and I quickly noticed that I was basically alone in the entire lounge !
The lounge is pretty nice and has some « non-tarmac » outside views and plenty of lighting. The seating was comfortable and a separate business/office section was available. A buffet area is located at the left side of the lounge with some tables and a separate dining room was also available behind, although it was not yet open when I got there. I am not sure about the access criteria for this dining room, but the buffet offerings were enough for me, and I decided to take a seat at one of the tables.
QR lounge entrance
I was pretty much alone in this lounge !
Sweets buffet
Hot buffet
This seated area was closed for public at the time of my visit...
Restoom « suites » and showers are available next to the dining area and those facilities were attended by an employee. Concerning the staff working in the lounge, I have to say that I never felt alone ! The staff was very present, although very nice, courteous and professional. Every F&B request I had was fulfilled within a minute. The cook behind the buffet was also available for more explanations about the offering proposed.
I had some light savory snacks followed by some sweets before taking some time to make a few phone calls with the family, as the lounge was empty.
Some snacks
Sweet touches...
Individual restroom suites
After 45 minutes or so, the first few other passengers arrived, all were flying QR as far as I understood, and I decided to leave this very nice lounge to try the Japan Airlines lounge next door.
Unfortunately, I was too early to enter the JL lounge. So I decided to continue my trek and visit one of the Miracle lounges I received the invitation for… I opted for the one located at the G concourse as it was close to the Cathay lounge I wanted to visit afterwards.
Looks like I was too early !
You could see at the entrance of the lounge the complete list of airlines and programs having a partnership with this lounge and the list was quite large. Pay per visit was also advertised. This is not usually a sign of a quality lounge, but in Asia, where the standards in that respect are definitely higher than in anywhere else in the world, maybe this Miracle lounge was an exception… a Miracle of some sort :-)
One of the miracle lounges of BKK airport
Lots of airlines and programs are using this lounge, for which you can also pay for a single visit.
Well, I have to say that the lounge was ok in terms of F&B offerings, and average in terms of seating. It certainly felt more like a waiting area than a cosy lounge. By European or North American standards, this would have been a decent lounge but after visiting the very nice QR lounge, I decided to just take a few pictures and leave.
Cold buffet
Hot selection
Booze section
Business center
Note that this lounge was on two floors and I think it was connected to the transit hotel. the second floor was however, closed.
The next stop was the Cathay Pacific lounge located about 100 meters away.
CX lounge BKK
Lounge entrance
The lounge has the classical color codes of the other Cathay Pacific lounges. Really like the design of the CX lounges worldwide, and love the nice mix of colors and materials used between wood, leather and fabrics.
Right in front of the entrance is located a small self-service buffet, with some standing tables, and on the left side is the noodle bar, with cooked-to-order items. I did not use it this time as I was pretty full, but I enjoyed this concept several times in other CX lounges.
Buffet area with a few standing tables for a quick bite...
Cold cuts selection
Restaurant area
Cooked to order menu
At the right side of the lounge is located the more relaxed area with comfortable leather chairs and the bar. An office corner is also available there, and the restrooms. There are no showers available in this lounge as far as I recall.
I love the decor of those CX lounges
Business center
The bar
Drinks selection
I stayed a good 30 minutes in this lounge, enjoying a panna-cotta with a glass of Moet Champagne while recharging my phone…
We both seem to enjoy our time there... :-)
Time flies when you have fun, and I had to leave the lounge at 18:30 to take a look at the JL lounge located near the D gates…
Finally open !
The lounge was almost empty when I arrived and also uses the color codes of the JL lounges in Japan. While the choice of colors and materials used makes this environment less cosy than the CX lounge, I liked it, as it gives a very « clean » feeling to this area. A selection of Japanese-inspired and Western dishes was available at the self-serve buffet, and sake was also available. Plenty of power plugs were available and wifi speed was good
Pretty empty !
JL lounge buffet
Hot buffet
Soups
Booze selection
Small snack, Japanese style !
Restrooms (« Japanese-style ») were located within the lounge, and I do not recall seeing any showers.
Considering the lounge offering in BKK airport, I think that it would be a good place to open a combined "OneWorld" lounge, although I liked visiting each of those lounges...
30 minutes later, it was time to reach the gate F4 for my flight to Kuala Lumpur, about 5 to 10 minutes away from the JL lounge.
Boarding gate F4
I reached the gate at 19:35 but the aircraft was not there yet, so I decided to spend an additional 20 minutes at the closest lounge in the area, the Air France / KLM lounge, accessible thanks to my Priority Pass membership.
AF/KLM lounge
Lounge entrance, lots of plants...
Although this lounge was probably as large as the JL lounge, it felt completely different due to the large amount of « vegetation » used and the low levels of lighting. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this lounge, and the quality of the food and beverage assortment, with lots of western and asian options. This lounge is mainly used by Air France and KLM passengers but also by the passengers of China Eastern, Vietnam Airlines and Korean air, also SkyTeam partners. Finally, the lounge has restrooms and showers. I spent about 15 minutes there, until I saw by one of the lounge windows that the boarding to KUL was about to start…
Feels different than the JL lounge for sure !
Sushi selection
Steamed buns were also available !
Ice creams...
...and pancake machine !
Sweets selection
Massage chairs
Time to leave !
Boarding finally started around 19:50 and I took my seat 1F onboard MH Boeing 737-800.
Finally boarding !
Boeing 737-800 9M-MLS to KUL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For my first time in Thailand, I stayed 4 days and visited Bangkok and it’s surroundings, including Ayuthaya. My next destination was a country I had the chance to discover several years ago and which I really enjoyed visiting : Taiwan.
Malaysia airlines had a good business class sale ex-BKK several months before and I was able to score a multi-stop trip in business class from BKK to TPE via KUL and returning to PEN (Penang, Malaysia) 5 days later. MH used to operate the Taipei flights using a Boeing 737, which is not the most comfortable ride for a 5-hour flight. The recently switched this service to an Airbus 330 (-200 variant) which provides a better seat in business class. In additional to this « improvement », the flight between KUL and TPE is slightly above 2000 miles in distance, which means each business class segment will earn 140 Tier Points on British Airways, instead of only 40 Tier Points for flights below 2000 miles. So booking business class on this trip to get 360 Tier Points, and for only 536 Euros was a no brainer…
I arrived in BKK airport about 3 hours before departure as I wanted to test a few lounges there. For OneWorld flyers, BKK airport has an excellent lounge offering, between the Cathay Pacific, the Japan Airlines, and the Qatar Airways lounges (note that the latter is not accessible with OneWorld status only but requires a business or first class ticket for a flight on any OneWorld carrier. Priority pass card holders also have plenty of choices in BKK, including most of the Miracle lounges, the AF/KLM lounge and the OmanAir lounge. Nowadays, the new Turkish Airlines lounge is also accessible to Priority Pass holders, but this lounge was not yet open at the time of my visit.
Checking in for Taipei took no time, and I was told by the agent that my bag will remain overnight in KUL, unless I wanted to retrieve it. Since I was staying overnight at the Sama-Sama transit hotel, I was fine with the first option.
Both boarding passes were issued, together with the lounge invitation for the Miracle lounge. I am still wondering how come MH uses a contract lounge instead of one of the OneWorld lounges around… Cost reasons ? The boarding passes also came with a priority lane invitation, which appears to be very useful in BKK.
BKK terminal
BKK terminal MH counters
Fast track pass
Fast track entrance
After security, the terminal becomes a museum
A nice collection of lounges to visit !
Security and emigration controls took in total about 5 minutes and it was then a pretty long walk to reach the first lounge I wanted to try : The Qatar Airways Bangkok lounge.
QR lounge entrance BKK
As written before, this lounge is the most « exclusive » of the OneWorld lounges in BKK as you need to have a same-day boarding pass in Business or First class on any OneWorld carrier to access it. Being « just » Emerald or Sapphire will not give you access. Qatar airways like to do those type of distinctions in their lounges, and this rule applies also to their lounges in London and Doha (for DOH, there are separate lounges available for Emerald and Sapphire members but those are way less attractive…
Immediately after entering the lounge, a friendly attendant came to me to ask for my boarding pass and asked me if it was my first time there. she briefly introduced me with the facilities and I quickly noticed that I was basically alone in the entire lounge !
The lounge is pretty nice and has some « non-tarmac » outside views and plenty of lighting. The seating was comfortable and a separate business/office section was available. A buffet area is located at the left side of the lounge with some tables and a separate dining room was also available behind, although it was not yet open when I got there. I am not sure about the access criteria for this dining room, but the buffet offerings were enough for me, and I decided to take a seat at one of the tables.
QR lounge entrance
I was pretty much alone in this lounge !
Sweets buffet
Hot buffet
This seated area was closed for public at the time of my visit...
Restoom « suites » and showers are available next to the dining area and those facilities were attended by an employee. Concerning the staff working in the lounge, I have to say that I never felt alone ! The staff was very present, although very nice, courteous and professional. Every F&B request I had was fulfilled within a minute. The cook behind the buffet was also available for more explanations about the offering proposed.
I had some light savory snacks followed by some sweets before taking some time to make a few phone calls with the family, as the lounge was empty.
Some snacks
Sweet touches...
Individual restroom suites
After 45 minutes or so, the first few other passengers arrived, all were flying QR as far as I understood, and I decided to leave this very nice lounge to try the Japan Airlines lounge next door.
Unfortunately, I was too early to enter the JL lounge. So I decided to continue my trek and visit one of the Miracle lounges I received the invitation for… I opted for the one located at the G concourse as it was close to the Cathay lounge I wanted to visit afterwards.
Looks like I was too early !
You could see at the entrance of the lounge the complete list of airlines and programs having a partnership with this lounge and the list was quite large. Pay per visit was also advertised. This is not usually a sign of a quality lounge, but in Asia, where the standards in that respect are definitely higher than in anywhere else in the world, maybe this Miracle lounge was an exception… a Miracle of some sort :-)
One of the miracle lounges of BKK airport
Lots of airlines and programs are using this lounge, for which you can also pay for a single visit.
Well, I have to say that the lounge was ok in terms of F&B offerings, and average in terms of seating. It certainly felt more like a waiting area than a cosy lounge. By European or North American standards, this would have been a decent lounge but after visiting the very nice QR lounge, I decided to just take a few pictures and leave.
Cold buffet
Hot selection
Booze section
Business center
Note that this lounge was on two floors and I think it was connected to the transit hotel. the second floor was however, closed.
The next stop was the Cathay Pacific lounge located about 100 meters away.
CX lounge BKK
Lounge entrance
The lounge has the classical color codes of the other Cathay Pacific lounges. Really like the design of the CX lounges worldwide, and love the nice mix of colors and materials used between wood, leather and fabrics.
Right in front of the entrance is located a small self-service buffet, with some standing tables, and on the left side is the noodle bar, with cooked-to-order items. I did not use it this time as I was pretty full, but I enjoyed this concept several times in other CX lounges.
Buffet area with a few standing tables for a quick bite...
Cold cuts selection
Restaurant area
Cooked to order menu
At the right side of the lounge is located the more relaxed area with comfortable leather chairs and the bar. An office corner is also available there, and the restrooms. There are no showers available in this lounge as far as I recall.
I love the decor of those CX lounges
Business center
The bar
Drinks selection
I stayed a good 30 minutes in this lounge, enjoying a panna-cotta with a glass of Moet Champagne while recharging my phone…
We both seem to enjoy our time there... :-)
Time flies when you have fun, and I had to leave the lounge at 18:30 to take a look at the JL lounge located near the D gates…
Finally open !
The lounge was almost empty when I arrived and also uses the color codes of the JL lounges in Japan. While the choice of colors and materials used makes this environment less cosy than the CX lounge, I liked it, as it gives a very « clean » feeling to this area. A selection of Japanese-inspired and Western dishes was available at the self-serve buffet, and sake was also available. Plenty of power plugs were available and wifi speed was good
Pretty empty !
JL lounge buffet
Hot buffet
Soups
Booze selection
Small snack, Japanese style !
Restrooms (« Japanese-style ») were located within the lounge, and I do not recall seeing any showers.
Considering the lounge offering in BKK airport, I think that it would be a good place to open a combined "OneWorld" lounge, although I liked visiting each of those lounges...
30 minutes later, it was time to reach the gate F4 for my flight to Kuala Lumpur, about 5 to 10 minutes away from the JL lounge.
Boarding gate F4
I reached the gate at 19:35 but the aircraft was not there yet, so I decided to spend an additional 20 minutes at the closest lounge in the area, the Air France / KLM lounge, accessible thanks to my Priority Pass membership.
AF/KLM lounge
Lounge entrance, lots of plants...
Although this lounge was probably as large as the JL lounge, it felt completely different due to the large amount of « vegetation » used and the low levels of lighting. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this lounge, and the quality of the food and beverage assortment, with lots of western and asian options. This lounge is mainly used by Air France and KLM passengers but also by the passengers of China Eastern, Vietnam Airlines and Korean air, also SkyTeam partners. Finally, the lounge has restrooms and showers. I spent about 15 minutes there, until I saw by one of the lounge windows that the boarding to KUL was about to start…
Feels different than the JL lounge for sure !
Sushi selection
Steamed buns were also available !
Ice creams...
...and pancake machine !
Sweets selection
Massage chairs
Time to leave !
Boarding finally started around 19:50 and I took my seat 1F onboard MH Boeing 737-800.
Finally boarding !
Boeing 737-800 9M-MLS to KUL
Jul 11, 2019, 2:22 pm
#102
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
MH Business class BKK-KUL
Malaysia Airlines MH781, December 8th 2018
Bangkok Subarvarnahmi BKK - 19:55
Kuala Lumpur KUL - 23:10
Boeing 737-800 - 9M-MLS - Seat 01F, Business class, bulkhead seat.
The cabin was not full for this last flight to Kuala Lumpur of the day and the seat 01D remained empty during the flight giving some extra space. The usual pre-departure beverage choice was offered, and as usual on MH, I opted for some Guava juice. The flight attendant also provided us with a choice of newspapers.
The seat is a regular, but modern, recliner business class seat for the 737, quite comfortable for a 3 hour flight with reasonable recline and a leg rest. It was also equipped with a USB port and a universal power plug.
Seat 1F
As usual... Guava juice !
Japan airlines dreamliner
Leg room was ok
Not very busy flight !
We took off a bit late, at 20:35 and the cabin service began very shortly after. The dinner consisted in a choice of beef linguini, fried chicken or fish with rice, and I opted for the beef linguini. I have to say that the service from the FA was very efficient and I got my meal tray only a few minutes after placing the order. Service was « by name » every time.
The beef pasta was ok, such as the rest of the tray contents. A priority card for immigration clearance in KUL was provided to the business class passengers after dinner.
Beef linguine as main course
Fast track invite
Total route BKK-KUL
We disembarked in KUL at 23:40 (30 minutes late) in the main terminal and I headed straight to the Sama-Sama Express hotel for a short 6 hour sleep.
9M-MLS in KUL
KUL main terminal
Bangkok Subarvarnahmi BKK - 19:55
Kuala Lumpur KUL - 23:10
Boeing 737-800 - 9M-MLS - Seat 01F, Business class, bulkhead seat.
The cabin was not full for this last flight to Kuala Lumpur of the day and the seat 01D remained empty during the flight giving some extra space. The usual pre-departure beverage choice was offered, and as usual on MH, I opted for some Guava juice. The flight attendant also provided us with a choice of newspapers.
The seat is a regular, but modern, recliner business class seat for the 737, quite comfortable for a 3 hour flight with reasonable recline and a leg rest. It was also equipped with a USB port and a universal power plug.
Seat 1F
As usual... Guava juice !
Japan airlines dreamliner
Leg room was ok
Not very busy flight !
We took off a bit late, at 20:35 and the cabin service began very shortly after. The dinner consisted in a choice of beef linguini, fried chicken or fish with rice, and I opted for the beef linguini. I have to say that the service from the FA was very efficient and I got my meal tray only a few minutes after placing the order. Service was « by name » every time.
The beef pasta was ok, such as the rest of the tray contents. A priority card for immigration clearance in KUL was provided to the business class passengers after dinner.
Beef linguine as main course
Fast track invite
Total route BKK-KUL
We disembarked in KUL at 23:40 (30 minutes late) in the main terminal and I headed straight to the Sama-Sama Express hotel for a short 6 hour sleep.
9M-MLS in KUL
KUL main terminal
Jul 12, 2019, 11:15 am
#103
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Breakfast in the MH Lounges KUL
After a 6-hour night at the transit hotel, I went to the MH First lounge for breakfast before my departure to Taipei.
I know this place like my house now...
The breakfast menu was the same than during my first visit a couple weeks before, and I pretty much ordered the same as last time, except that I forgot to mention the waiter to put the syrup and whipped cream on a side for the waffles… I t was way too sweet for my taste !
Breakfast menu MH First lounge KUL
Cereal to start...
English style, without the sausage
And waffles to finish !
The First lounge was quite empty at this time of the day, and I took this opportunity to get until the end to sightsee...
MH First lounge KUL
Private First class room... Like a lounge within the lounge !
The first lounge also has a nap area...
As I wanted to work a bit and it was very cold in the First class lounge, I decided to go to the business class lounge next door and took a spot on one of the tall bar tables located at the entrance. In addition to having a power plug available, I could also look at the outside !
MH Business lounge KUL
The bar section at the entrance of the Business lounge
That's going to be my spot for the next hour or so...
Outside views...
I left the lounge around 8:30 and walked towards the gate C24, where security took a few minutes to clear.
I just hate having to clear security at the gate !
9M-MTX Airbus 330-200 to Taipei
I know this place like my house now...
The breakfast menu was the same than during my first visit a couple weeks before, and I pretty much ordered the same as last time, except that I forgot to mention the waiter to put the syrup and whipped cream on a side for the waffles… I t was way too sweet for my taste !
Breakfast menu MH First lounge KUL
Cereal to start...
English style, without the sausage
And waffles to finish !
The First lounge was quite empty at this time of the day, and I took this opportunity to get until the end to sightsee...
MH First lounge KUL
Private First class room... Like a lounge within the lounge !
The first lounge also has a nap area...
As I wanted to work a bit and it was very cold in the First class lounge, I decided to go to the business class lounge next door and took a spot on one of the tall bar tables located at the entrance. In addition to having a power plug available, I could also look at the outside !
MH Business lounge KUL
The bar section at the entrance of the Business lounge
That's going to be my spot for the next hour or so...
Outside views...
I left the lounge around 8:30 and walked towards the gate C24, where security took a few minutes to clear.
I just hate having to clear security at the gate !
9M-MTX Airbus 330-200 to Taipei
Last edited by palmanfr; Jul 17, 2019 at 12:03 pm
