You have a great sense of writing style... and your description are excellent.. Thank you for sharing... my mouth is watering...

Nope not metaphorically at all. There were actually some small pellets of ice that descended from the ceiling. This has happened before on other flights and its is caused by the humidity playing havoc with the air conditioning on board the plane.

The Photos


I decided that the best way to get a glimpse of Seoul was on the Seoul City Tour Bus that operates a hop on hop off service to the major sightseeing sites in Seoul. The bus runs every 30 minutes and for 5 quid for a one day ticket is not a bad way to get around. The toughest decision was where to get off the bus.

I confirmed with the concierge at the hotel where I could catch the bus and also got the times for my return KAL bus to ICN airport. This was followed by breakfast in the Westin Lounge which was quite a nice spread.

I went back up to my room to do the teeth thing and check how things were going on my return flight to HKG for the next day. My teeth were still there and the flight still showed nothing untoward so I made my way out for the day.

I walked to the area the concierge had directed me to but unfortunately the way was blocked by police with shields. Not wanting to have an altercation with them I re-routed around the back of the city hall. I decided to walk up to the starting point of the tour bus, rather than stop number 2, where I was able to buy a ticket and hop straight on a bus.

This whole area of the city was simply heaving with Police with shields in full body armour complete with cod pieces. The streets were lined with busses that had transported these police, who looked as though they had barely stopped breast feeding. All around the area hundreds and hundreds of police were milling around waiting for something to happen. It was quite intimidating to see such a strong presence. I only found out after I left that they were actually needed to keep order when North Korea started their nuclear testing the following morning. Thankfully I was out of the area by then and on my way to Hong Kong.

My first stop was the National Museum of Korea. The building itself is quite spectacular and the permanent and temporary exhibitions here kept me busy for the best part of the next 2.5 hours.

I then moved on to the Namsangol Traditional Korean Village where I wandered around the village buildings for a while before heading back to the bus stop.
The next stop was going to be Gyeongbokgung Palace where I spent a long time wandering the buildings and grounds. Unfortunately I didn�t grab a map and ended up missing a lot of the buildings to the rear of the compound. Stupid!

It was getting to be late afternoon and I was hungry and tired of being on my feet the whole day so I decided to head back to the hotel. The next stop on the bus was the one I started at so I got out and walked back to the Westin.
After freshening up a bit I went to the lounge to partake of some drinks and nibbles.

I checked my booking again on the internet only to find I had been downgraded to Business class on the HKG-ICN sector as they had switched in a 777-300 instead of the 747-400 that was scheduled to do the flight. I was peeved to say the least. But at this late stage there was nought I could do about it.
An early night was in order as I would need to be up at 06:00 in order to have some breakfast before catching the 07:25 bus to the airport the next morning.

The following morning I did the morning ablutions and checked out after a quick breakfast in the lounge. The bus arrived on time and after two more stops we were on our way back to ICN. The trip at that hour was very quick and I was looking for the CX First desk just over 50 minutes later.

Surprise, surprise there was no First check-in desk so I queued in the Business class line. The wandering queue monitor noticed my absence of bags and sent me to an agent without baggage facilities to check me in for my flight.
She informed me that there was no First class on the flight and I had been seated in Business. She did not mention any compensation.
She printed my BP and Lounge pass for both ICN-HKG and HKG-JFK and I eventually decided to ask if there was any compensation. She called over her supervisor who had already printed the fare rules of the AONE ticket which stated that in the event of no First the passenger would be booked into the Business cabin and therefore there would be no compensation for the downgrade.
I was very polite and calm and said that I had a confirmed First class seat and you downgraded me at the last minute and if I had have known I would have flown a different day/flight. He apologised again but said he could not offer compensation. I said it was unacceptable and started to walk off. He said he would contact his manager and someone would contact me in the lounge. I expected nothing more than another apology though.

One can�t let these things annoy you too much when travelling but the last minute nature of the switch really peeved me. As stated earlier I could do nothing but accept the situation and get on with my mega day of flying. I went through security and immigrations both of which were very quick and I was on the train to the outbuilding in no time.

Once there I found the CX lounge at the top of the escalators near Gate 18 and was welcomed inside. The lounge had the usual basic offerings for a CX lounge including dim sum, fruit, snacks, booze, tea / coffee and some soup.
I grabbed some dim sum and a juice and sat down to await my flight. As I waited my name was paged and I went to the front desk. The agent gave me an envelope with a wodge of Korean Wan and a paper to sign as receipt of the money. The agent said that her managers had reviewed my case and decided compensation for the downgrade was due. My favourite airline just redeemed themselves!

The flight was called at 09:40 and I went down to the gate which was only a short walk away. There was the usual CX line for elites and Business class passengers and I was onboard in moments.

Flight CX417 ICN-HKG Seat 15A
Aircraft: 777-300
Departure time: 10:15

I was escorted to my seat and a blanket and pillow were handed to me along with a set of headphones.
Soon after I was offered papers and a drink from a tray of OJ, Water and Bubbles.

Yes OK I chose bubbles. I took a couple of sideways shots showing the older regional J seats I was to spend the next few hours in. A far cry from the F suite I was expecting.

The senior purser came around and introduced herself. She said I didn�t need an immigrations card for Hong Kong but did need to fill out a health declaration card. I thought that was a little strange as I didn�t need to for my transit through HKG a couple of days earlier.

Hot towels were handed out on the ground and I was able to clean the head grease off my window. The captain announced a flying time of 3 hours and 3 minutes. The flight was indeed very lightly loaded and I could see why they had downgraded the aircraft. There were only 8 in J and from the number of people that milled past there was not a heavy load down the back either.
The crew did a manual safety demonstration after we pushed back a little early at 10:06.

We took off at 10:15 and I got to see ICN airport in the daylight and noticed it was built right on the edge of the water and what looked liked reclaimed land.
Once in the air and the crew were out and about the menus were handed out.

Lunch

Starters
Marinated smoked salmon with feta and vegetable salsa

Seasonal salad served with honey and mustard lime dressing

Main Courses
Beef tenderloin with black pepper sauce potato gratin and broccoli

Deep-fried cod fish with hot and sour sauce, fried rice with pepper, broccoli and Chinese cabbage in oyster sauce

Korean style chicken brochette with steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables

Cheese and Dessert
Cheese selection

Fresh seasonal fruit

Cherry cheesecake

Tea and Coffee

Pralines

*Kimchi and Korean Condiments are available for the Korean Style entr�e.

Drinks

Juices
orange, apple, tomato

Soft Drinks
Coke Zero, Coke, Coke Light, Sprite, Perrier water, tonic water, soda water and ginger ale

Coffees
freshly brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino and caffe latte
regular or decaffeinated

Teas
Hong Kong style milk tea
Ceylon, Japanese, jasmine
organic selection: camomile, earl grey and peppermint

Hot Chocolate

Wine List

Champagne
Billecart-Salmon Brut Champagne
The house of Billecart-Salmon, founded in 1818, is one of the few to remain family owned. The grapes of this cuvee come from the very best vineyards in Marne. The aromas are of ripe pears with a delicate touch of cut hay. It offers fine freshness with an elegant fruity flavour, leaving a clean fresh taste in the mouth.

White Wines:

Aujoux Vire Clesse 2006
Vire-Clesse is located about 15 kilometres north of Macon, the recent village appellation from the Macon region, Burgundy. The 2006 Aujoux Vire Clesse is a delightful pale, shimmering straw colour, which offers an intense nose with a touch of honey and hawthorn. The palate is rich and supple with a pleasant fresh crisp finish. It is an ideal aperitif as well as an excellent accompaniment to seafood dishes.

Trinity Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2008
This award winning wine is produced in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. The aroma of gooseberries is distinctive with gentle notes of citrus, passion fruit and nectarine. It is fresh and zingy with notes of minerals. Enjoy this delicious wine with seafood or fish dishes.

Red Wines:

Grace Vineyard Deep Blue 2006
Grace Vineyard is situated in the centre of the Shanxi Province in China. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. Deep Blue exhibits a deep purple-red colour, with enticing aromas of dark berry fruits, tobacco and subtle oak. It has soft ripe tannins, a long finish and is best enjoyed with meat and game dishes.

Chateau De Mercey Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune 2005
This delicious wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, from Cote de Beaune, Burgundy, France. It has aromas of red and black berries with notes of toast and spices, and offers ample fruity flavours. It matches very well with red meat, poultry and rich cheese.

Port:
Dow�s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2003
This wine is sourced from the same vineyards that in exceptional years produce Dow�s renowned Vintage Ports. It is aged solely in oak casks and bottled 5 to 6 years after the harvest. It is a full rich Port with spicy fruit flavours and an elegant aromatic nose, well rounded on the palate and has the traditional Dow�s drier finish. This makes it one of the finest Late Bottled Vintage Ports available.

Aperitifs and Cocktails:
Gin, Rum, Vodka, Martini Rosso, Martini Extra Dry, Campari, Sweet and Dry Sherry, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver

Whiskies:
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Jack Daniel�s, Canadian Club

Cognac:
Hine �Rare and Delicate� Fine Champagne

Liqueurs:
Drambuie, Cointreau, Bailey�s Irish Cream

Beer:
International Selection

CX Signature Drinks:
Oriental Breeze
A sour-plum tea and cranberry juice based non-alcoholic drink
with honey and fresh lemon juice and a hint of rose water.

Cloud Nine
A refreshing combination of Vodka, Cointreau and Sprite with a refreshing touch of lemon flavour.


A drinks order was taken and no prizes for guessing what I ordered. My bubbly was delivered shortly after along with a bowl of cashew nuts.

A little while later one of the crew came to ask what my meal preference was and also asked which wine I would like to drink with the meal. I said I would like to try the Chinese red wine. She said she would open it now as it needed some time to breathe.

I didn�t really think much of this until later when the mains were delivered and realised that it is not normal practice for passengers to be asked for their meal preference in Business class. I can only surmise that it was because I was a downgrade and they wanted to make sure I got the best of service in J. Nice touch by CX despite the downgrade.

The meal trays were handed out a little later with no trolleys in use due to the light load.

The starter was lovely with plenty of smoked salmon on the plate and the salad was fine. I stuck with the champagne for these two courses. The bread basket came around a couple of times during the meal and I was able to partake in a few slices of the lovely garlic bread. After the starter dishes were cleared away my main course was brought to me and my glass filled with the Chinese red. I had opted for the cod with hot and sour sauce. They weren�t wrong about the hot bit!

It was very sweet and tender fish and wasn�t too bad for a Business class offering but nowhere near the quality of J class food on CX of a few years back. A shame.

The wine was very fresh and young but was quite an acceptable wine although not as heavy as my usual preference. Hey at least I can now say I have tasted a Chinese wine made from grapes.

The ISM came around and introduced herself and noted that I would be having a long day on CX. She didn�t seem to greet the rest of the J passengers though. Not sure if that was OW Emerald or downgrade privilege.

After the main I was offered cheese from a cheese board that the crew presented before me. I chose some and ate this with more of the Chinese wine in my glass.

I had already decided that I would not partake of the dessert and I am not fond of anything cherry flavoured. This was not offered though but tubs of ice cream were. Oh well you only live once!

My wine glass was filled again and my tub of ice cream delivered. I was warned that it has just come off of the dry ice and needed a while to soften. I asked for an espresso coffee to drink at this time also. As promised the ice cream was rock hard and I whiled away the time sipping on my red wine.

Later in the flight the crew member that had taken my dinner order asked me how I liked the red wine. I said it wasn�t bad and she offered to fill my glass again.

Another hot towel was handed out prior to landing in Hong Kong.
We touched down at 12:20 local and it was still raining very heavily outside. We were at the gate at 12:25 and the doors open by 12:26. I thanked the crew and made my way to transit security which was a few steps away. I didn�t need my health declaration as I suspected and was through the security up the escalators in no time. I was then heading down the escalators to the Pier lounge and inside by 12:30. Not bad aircraft to lounge via security in 5 minutes. Only in HKG!

Inside the lounge I went down to the computers to check email etc and partake of a Perrier water. As soon as the water was gone I was offered another but declined. My flight had by this time been assigned a gate and I needed to head up to the Wing to be closer to the gate. I got the stamp on my BP and walked up to the Wing where I was welcomed back.

Another relaxing cool bath was in order so I headed for the cabanas.
Sufficiently cooled I went out to the lounge and ordered a Peppermint tea. I spent most of my time in the lounge people watching over the wall down onto the gates below. I did have a couple of delightful iced coffees made the proper way with chilled coffee and little jugs of sugar syrup and milk on the side.

It was time to make my way out again and say goodbye to HKG for 8 or 9 months.

I was at the gate by 16:25 and queued up at the Business/First line that was already beginning to form. Pre-boarding had started at this time and around 5 minutes later the Business and First queue members was invited to step forward. Down the ramp all bags were being searched by a team of security staff. My bags were quickly searched and I made my way down the ramp to the aircraft.

Flight CX840 HKG-JFK Seat 1A
Aircraft: 777-300
Departure time: 17:00

I was escorted to my seat even though it was only two steps away and the bedding was removed from the closet so I could put my bag inside. I was offered a drink and it wouldn�t be me writing this if the response was not Champagne please.

The glass was brought to my seat first and then the bottle of Krug was presented before me before the glass being poured.

Amenity kits and PJ�s were handed out on the ground and round of hot towels made their way around the cabin.
There were 4 people in F and I had the whole of the left side of the cabin to myself. The centre seats open to the K side of the cabin so the only two seats on the A side were 1 and 2 the later of which remained unoccupied for the flight.

The flight map was showing on my huge screen and had us routed north out of HKG over southern China and then Beijing and Mongolia, then over Russia and the North Pole before flying back down over northern Canada and on into the US and New York. The captain came on the blower and announced a flying time of 15 hours and 3 minutes. He also announced a short delay as they had one no show whose bags were currently being offloaded.

We pushed back only a couple of minutes late at 17:05 and taxied down to the end of the runway for a take off time of 17:22 into the still very wet and cloudy skies.
The menus were handed out after take off and a drinks order was taken.

Menu

Dinner

Caviar, Balik & Champagne
Caviar and Balik salmon �Tsar Nicolaj� with Krug grande cuvee

Starters
Leek and Potato Soup

Roasted lamb loin with Mesclun salad and tzatziki dressing

Main Courses
Pan-fried barramundi with saffron cream sauce, potatoes and roasted vegetables

Braised veal agnolotti with roasted garlic and red wine sauce

Chinese Favourites
Double boiled soup with chicken, winter melon and pearl barley

Cold plate � marinated cuttlefish with chilli vinegar and Szechuanese cucumber salad

Braised pork ribs with vegetables and hot chilli
or
Stir-fried beed with enoki mushroom

Served with steamed jasmine rice and Chinese vegetables

Cheese and Dessert
Shropshire Blue, Tilsit Royalp, Reblochon, Camembert Le Pere Alexandre

Fresh fruit consomme

Raspberry cream with golden raspberry

Warm hazelnut cake with chocolate ice cream and vanilla sauce

Black sesame soup dessert

Tea and Coffee

Pralines and Cookies

Snacks
Plain congee with garnishes

Beef and mushroom pie with salad and tomato concasse

Ice Cream (Hagen Daz)

From out series of classic Signature dishes
Shrimp wontons in noodle soup
Roasted duck in rice vermicelli soup

Drinks

Juices
orange, apple, tomato

Soft Drinks
Coke Zero, Coke, Coke Light, Sprite, Perrier water, tonic water, soda water and ginger ale

Coffees
freshly brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino and caffe latte
regular or decaffeinated

Teas
Fuding jasmine silver fur, Anqi supreme Ti Guam Yin, Ceylon
Japanese, Hong Kong style milk tea
organic selection: camomile, earl grey and peppermint

Hot Chocolate

Wine List

Champagne

Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne
Made from the finest wines from the Marne district of Champagne, Krug Grande Cuvee is known throughout the world for its unique qualities of elegance, fine mousse and distinctive flavour. Skilful blending under the personal control of Henri Krug makes the Grande Cuvee an exceptionally harmonious champagne in the unique Krug style.

White Wines:
Cuvasion Estate Selection Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros 2004
The 2004 Cuvasion Estate Selection Chardonnay has a fabulous nose with layers of tropical fruits. The palate is succulent, rich and plush with notes of close, white peach and key lime. This is a beautiful wine with a delightful combination of rich fruits and a bright beam of acidity and a long persistent aftertaste. It makes an excellent accompaniment to white meat dishes.

Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault Les Clous 2005
Meursault is a large village located in the southern part of the Cote de Beaune, Burgundy, France, which produces some of the best Chardonnay wine in the world. The 2005 Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault Les Clous possess a stony, mineral nose allied to pithy citrus fruit, whilst the palate has a bright fresh acidity to complement the supple, honeyed fruits with a light touch of oak. It is pure with a silky structure. Fish and poultry dishes with a cream sauce will pair wonderfully with this wine.

Red Wines:
Possums Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004
The vines for this delicious wine are planted in Blewitt Springs, an elevated sub-region of McLaren Vale, South Australia. The 2004 Possums Vineyard Shiraz has dark purple and vibrant violet hues. It displays intense aromas of blackberry and raspberry, which marry beautifully with the spiciness of the oak. It is full bodied and well structured with supple tannins. This wine matches well with stews and also many Chinese dishes.

Felipe Rutini Reserve Malbec 2006
Felipe Rutini Reserve Malbec is made from the best grapes from vines which are up to 65 years old, grown in San Carlos, Mendoza, Argentina, at 1000 metres above sea level. The 2006 vintage has a concentrated nose with notes of wild berries, tobacco and vanilla. The palate is full, with rich black fruit flavours and a long, lingering finish and a touch of black pepper. This rich complex wine could be enjoyed with red meat dishes.

Chateau Lynch Bages 2001
The 2001 Chateau Lynch Bages is a ruby garnet in colour. It is pure and lush with aromas of black olives, cedar, blackcurrant and liquorice. This seductive wine is full-bodied with soft tannins, an excellent accompaniment to roast beef, braised lamb and numerous Chinese dishes.

Port:
Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Prodcued form grapes grown in the vineyard Quinta da Ervamoira, this tawny offers all the maturity of an aged wine while still displaying the vigour of youth. It is smooth and full bodied, with aromas and flavours of apricot and plum balanced with vanilla scents from the aged casks.

Aperitifs and Cocktails:
Campari, Martini Rosso, Martini Extra Dry, Tio Pepe Sherry, Harveys Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry, Gordons Dry Gin, Stolichnaya Russian Vodka, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver

Whiskies:
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Canadian Club, Gentleman Jack Bourbon, Glenfiddich Ancient Reserve Single Malt Whisky

Cognac:
Tesseron Lot 76 XO Tradition

Liqueurs:
Cointreau, Drambuie, Kahlua, Bailey�s Irish Cream

Beer:
International Selection

CX Signature Drinks:
Oriental Breeze
A sour-plum tea and cranberry juice based non-alcoholic drink
with honey and fresh lemon juice and a hint of rose water.

Cloud Nine
A refreshing combination of Vodka, Cointreau and Sprite with a refreshing touch of lemon flavour.

After the drinks were drunk the dinner service began.
My table was set and a plate of Caviar was placed before me. I am sure they used to plate up more of the caviar. But it seems those days are gone. But wait! Would you like another helping Mr Moomba? Why not!

Yes another plate of caviar was presented before me which I even took a picture of in its unmolested state.

After I had polished this off with a few glasses of Krug the table was set with a bread basket and my soup. I made a bee-line for the yummy garlic bread and kept with the bubbles for the soup course.

Once this was dispensed with the salad came out along with some nasty turbulence. At one point the crew were asked to stop their service as it was quite bumpy. The salad picture is evidence of the state of the flight at the time. I tried several times but couldn�t get an in focus shot of that course.

Next up was the veal agnolotti which was very nice indeed and those of you astute enough will probably guess that I went with the wonderfully named Possum Vineyard Shiraz for my wine.

After I devoured the main I was so stuffed I couldn�t contemplate any more food and asked for a coffee. I supped this whilst watching the sun go down outside my window.

I watched some movies and listened to some music before the sleeping bug finally caught up with me. I asked a crew member to make up my bed for me which she did in a jiffy.

She handed me a bottle of water and I was out like a light for a good few hours.

I awoke quite refreshed with still a few hours to go so I started to watch some television shows in the IFE.
The IFE was a little flaky at this time where it would be ticking down the minutes but no show was being played on the screen. I played around and eventually got it to play ball.

A while later the ISM came by and asked me if I would mind if she re-set the IFE system as all the other F passengers were unable to use it. I seemed to be the only one who was successfully viewing my programme. I said no problem. Around 15 minutes later she dropped by and let me know I could use the system again.

Around 2 hours out a crew member asked if I would like my meal now. I perused the menu again.

Refreshment

Starter
Fresh seasonal fruit

Main Courses
Braised veal osso bucco on pappardelle with gremolata and mixed vegetables

Pan-seared prawns with lemon saffron risotto, tomato concasse and vegetables

Chinese Favourites
Hunanese chicken with chilli and vinegar sauce, steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried broccoli

Cheese and Dessert
Bavarian Blue, Gruyere, Arenenberger, French Brie

Old fashioned lemon tart with cr�me fraiche

Tea and Coffee

Pralines

I asked for the prawn dish for this meal.

A hot towel was delivered to my seat prior to the meal and then my table was set.

The fruit plate was came out and I had some more champagne to go with this.
I was then quite shocked to see the main course dish set before me. It has two small prawns on it and a large pile of rice. This is not the CX I know and love. I wondered if they had too many requests for this dish and they were dividing it up amongst us?

After the main, perhaps because of the lack of substance, I was asked if I would like another main and the crew member recommended the osso bucco. I thought I would follow my own advice to an FTer and just say yes.
Hence you will see a picture of yet another main course for this section of the flight. Oink!

I was so glad I went with the crew recommendation it was absolutely delicious and if I could have fitted it in I would have gone another.
After my second main course I was offered the lemon tart which I just couldn�t resist. Sublime.

Hot towels were once again passed around after the meal service before getting ready to land. I then changed back into my civvies.

We landed at New York�s JFK airport at 20:44 local time and taxied to our gate. The crew informed me that I would have to disembark through door 2L and apologised.

I thanked the ISM and the F crew and made my way off the plane to a relatively short immigrations queue. The agent queried my odd routing when I said I was only in transit until tomorrow where I head for London. He said you came from Hong Kong to go to London? I said this was a RTW ticket and I am parking it here. He was happy with this and let me into the country.

I made my way straight out through customs and onto the air train to Federal Circle where I called the Sheraton. They said a bus would be along shortly.
She said I could catch a Sheraton JFK bus or the Hilton Garden Inn bus. It is about time these guys teamed up as they are right next door to one another anyway. It is a much greener solution to share the bus route.

I was checking into my hotel room at 21:30 � not bad!

The Photos

A ha! Gotcha! Thanks for the explanation. I've never actually seen that, though I've been rained on my fair share.

Wow, truly impressed and again very well written. I have been to Seoul a few times however didn't know about that tour bus (hopefully they have a stop close to the Grand Hyatt or Hilton . Glad to hear the outcome on your ICN-HGK F to J downgrade was satisfactory. I would have had the same approach with the check-in agent, i.e. you want to make your point across strongly on how dissatisfied you are with the downgrade (and request compensation) however in the most calm, humble and non-demanding way......and in most times the end result becomes positive. Great job!

cheers.

Nice descriptions so far. Very well-written TR

A fantastic & enjoyable trip report Moomba ^^

Great TR - Thanks.

Cheers Larry

Flying on an identical flight in a month's time. I now know what I WON'T be having on that flight.
Glad to see the bubbles served on this sector is Billecart-Salmon rather than that dreadful Deutz.

Or perhaps evidence of effect of several hours of drinking?

1K+ I took the same Seoul tour the first time I visited (quite a few years ago now) and I was staying at Hilton. IIRC I there wasn't a stop near Hilton but still fairly easy to get to a stop.

What's with all the half eaten food pictures...

Stop no. 17 is the Grand Hyatt according to the map I sill have of the route.

I wouldn't advise you have that dish. Enjoy your trip.

It is my TR trademark. It started with my first RTW trip report when I kept forgetting to get my, at the time new, camera out.

Cool, thanks guys!

Thanks for a great read so far Moomba ^

I was wondering whether you could provide some more details on the BA Gate 1 Lounge at T4? I'll be using it when flying the QF A380 to SIN in August.

From your photos it appears to have been slightly updated in terms of carpets, furniture etc. - are those vases above the bar and some of the furniture (eg. the leather-look sofas) from the old First lounge or am I imagining that? I thought the lounge was last refurbished in 2006 when BA added the Chef's Theatre concept and rebranded the lounge from 'Terraces' to 'Gate 1', but from your photos it appears to be a lot fresher than 3 years old!

Would be grateful if you could provide a little more detail of what's on offer and how busy it was etc.