Sunday, October 2, 2011

Cathay Upper Deck Biz: HKG-PVG


744 that will be taking us to PVG

My HKG-PVG was on a 744 and since I was denied the upgrade to First, I decided to go with the next best option, Upper Deck Business Class. Having never tried the upper deck on a 744, I was actually pretty excited. Cathay's Upper Deck consists of all Business class seating offering a very private cabin right behind the cockpit.

Stairway to Heaven?

Upon entering door 1L, I was greeted by the purser and I was directed upstairs. This was a very exciting moment for me as it was my very first time climbing up the steps on the 744. A young attractive Japanese FA greeted me and directed me to my seat. While walking to the seat, I also got a glimpse of the 744 cockpit, another first for me.

The seats on this 744 were of the Herringbone type which I did not like very much. There was very little storage and I felt a bit claustrophobic as I settled down in my seat.


The Seat

Another attractive FA stopped by my seat and offered me a choice of OJ, Champagne, or Water. Since it was 8am in the morning, I did not want to look like a drunkard so I went with the OJ. The FA also offered to hang my jacket. Let me tell ya, the FA wearing the white on Cathay are the most attractive and also the most junior of the bunch. I couldn't help but be nice to them, saying please and thank you after each request . I have long heard that Cathay hired Flight Attendants from neighboring countries based on service not on looks but it seems now days they are hiring more pretty local girls. Some say the service level has dropped because of this but I did not notice this on my flights. The Flight Attendants on the Intra Asia routes were definitely more junior compared to those on the transoceanic routes.

After a smooth takeoff, an American Pilot came on the PA to introduce himself and told us some information about the flight..Surprisingly, all 4 of my flights on Cathay had either American or British Pilots. I guess most of Cathay Pilots are former pilots for legacy carriers in the US. Who woulda funked it. Haha.

Menu

The Japanese FA came by to distribute the day's menu and took my meal order. I decided to go with the Dim Sum option as it was excellent on the earlier leg. I also ordered the signature drink of Cathay, Cathay Delight.

Cathay Delight

My drink arrived shortly and as expected it was pretty tasty. The drink was green in color and had a hint of coconut and kiwi in it.

The service in CX regional Biz was done from carts and everything was placed on a single tray. Although the presentation lacked a bit, the food was tasty and I was pretty satisfied.



The croissant was excellent

Dim Sum

After lunch, my tray was cleared and I decided to test out the seat in bed mode. Again, I have to complain here because even though I don't have broad shoulders, I felt as if I was in a coffin. I am glad they are switching these seats out to new generation biz seats. I reclined my seat to the more comfortable upright position and proceeded to watch a couple more episodes of Big Bang Theory.

The Japanese flight attendant approached me and thanked me for my business and asked me very politely to fill out a survey. Although the survey took about 10mins to complete I was able to get a Cathay pen out of the process :-)

Before I knew it, we were on approach into Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Once again, I did not see the ground until 1000-2000ft off the ground due to the heavy smog and pollution in Shanghai.

I was one of the first to reach immigration and my First Class tagged bag was the 3rd one out of the carousal. Not bad, from gate to curbside in under 15min. Really makes you wonder if LAX will have this kind of efficiency if US had a 2 billion population. I have never had to wait more than 5min for immigration at PVG even though I hold an American passport. Really amazing how overstaffed the airport is.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

The Wing + The Pier Lounge + HKIA

Having traveled to many of Asia's top rated airports, Hong Kong International Airport remains my favorite.

Seoul Incheon International Airport although a true marvel of both architecture and utility, I feel it lacks in the area of convenience, where the quickest method to the city takes no less than 1 hour. Another qualm I have with Incheon is the organization of the terminals. All airlines aside from Asiana Airlines and Korean Airlines is banished to the Satellite terminal creating major inconveniences when trying to arrange meet ups prior to flight.

I have no major qualms with Singapore's Changi International Airport but I feel the inconsistencies between the terminals at Changi is a major negative. However, I like the fact that the shops are open around the clock unlike at HKIA. Also, although the MRT connects the Airport to downtown Singapore, there is no express service to the city.

Hong Kong International Airport features delectable architecture with brand new terminals featuring high ceilings and large windows great for spotting. DFS shopping is excellent and the terminal even features a Zara. An underground train connects one end of the terminal from the other. And lastly, Hong Kong is only 20min away from the airport and is conveniently accessed using the Airport Express train system.

Also it offers excellent First Class lounges with above average amenities. On my trip, I had the chance to sample both of the First Class lounges: The Wing and the The Pier...

Both lounges are similar featuring excellent shower Cabanas which I will feature in this report.

Upon entering the Wing, I inquired about the possibility of an upgrade on my onward flight to Shanghai as it was on a 744 3 class plane sold as a 2 class flight. However, I was quickly denied and was told that they process status based on status on their frequent flyer program Marco Polo Club. Since I was on an award ticket and had no status on Cathay, I pretty much had no chance even with my originating flight being in First. Slightly depressed I asked for the availability of a shower Cabana and was quickly directed to one of the open Cabanas.

Upon entering my private Cabana, I couldn't help but notice how big the room was. It featured a tub, shower, sink, toilet and rest area, I could basically spend an entire morning relaxing in the space. I will let the photos do the talking...

Wicked Cool Tub

Rain Shower


Relaxation Area

I took a much needed shower in the rain shower and ran some water in the tub to soak. Unfortunately the water pressure in the tub was awful therefore I was only able to get about half a tub of water when I got out of the shower. Nonetheless, the bath was comfortable and I was even able to spend 15min lounging in the relaxation area.

After a well deserved rest, I headed out to explore the rest of the lounge.

View from the lounge

The lounge featured an excellent buffet area, but I was too full to enjoy its offerings. I instead headed out to the seating area. As soon as I sat down, I was offered a drink and I went with a glass of orange of juice. I tried out the WIFI and the signal was excellent.

Soon after, I headed out to check out the Pier Lounge, and it was more of the same thing. Pretty soon it was time to board my flight to Shanghai and I headed out to my gate.