V-Flyer

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster here

I purchased 2 x M class fares & upgraded to upper for my "mrs Guy and I" to fly on vs200 from LHR --> HKG in January. Our itinerary is to depart from HKG immediately after landing and spend a few weeks in Thailand, we will then return to HKG for 3 nights at the end of the trip. I have a few questions:

Transfers in Hong Kong

I have booked a departing flight Hong Kong ---> Phuket with Air Asia. This flight is due to depart 2.5 hours after we land. Will we have to collect luggage, go through screening and check in with Air Asia, or are there alternative routes we can take? I assume we will be unable to check our bags in all the way through? Will we have access to the Hong Kong Clubhouse as a revivals lounge - I have used the LHR revivals lounge when flying from the west coast several times and found it great.

Seats on VS200 for a couple

I'm sure this has been done to death over the years! All my previous VS flights have been in the nose of a 747 - what a great spot! As this time we will be on a A340-600 I'm struggling a little to decide where to sit. Opposite each other seems too far to hold a conversation without disturbing other passengers, next to each other the partition will block us off. That being said, I still think the additional privacy of looking at "the wall" sounds preferable. Has anyone done this trip as a couple and have any thoughts? The more I think about it the less it matters - after a few hours in the clubhouse and on to a night flight, ill be fast asleep anyway!

Hotels in Hong Kong

I read on either here or flyertalk (but cannot for the life of me find the thread!) that there is a good 5* in Hong Kong which offer a "sleep and laundry" type package. i.e. we could book in for a few nights at the end of our trip and have the majority of our washing laundered as part of the rate. Can anyone recall the hotel name please?

Thanks in advance everyone

Guy.

Can't help you too much , but just wanted to say welcome, and well done on getting the Gs!

I would guess that you wouldn't be able to check the luggage all the way through, and also doubt that you'd be able to use the CH on arrival. I could be wrong, though!

Thanks for the kind words

Yes - I was pleased, availability seems good flying east at the moment - we didn't need to be too flexible with the dates & the FC helpline staff were really helpful with sorting it all out.

I'll hold fire and see if anyone can help at all. Out of curiosity, when the SYD flights operated, I assume clubhouse access was available during refuelling at HKG for connecting passengers? - This is currently my glimmer of hope!

Cheers again.

guy1234 wrote:I'll hold fire and see if anyone can help at all. Out of curiosity, when the SYD flights operated, I assume clubhouse access was available during refuelling at HKG for connecting passengers? - This is currently my glimmer of hope!

Yes, the Clubhouse was offered for UC passengers during the stopover in HKG. What happened there was that as passengers came off the flights from LHR and SYD, there were two lines separated by tensa barriers. Those terminating at HKG went one way and those continuing on went another to take them to the CH. This meant that passengers ending their journey at HKG could not use the CH as a Revivals lounge there. The fact that you are continuing on in an Air Asia flight would mean that you would not have access to the CH.

If your Air Asia flight is on the same PNR you may well be able to check your bags all the way through but it depends on the interline agreements with the airline

Hi Guy, and welcome.

I'm afraid I agree with honey lamb - I don't think you'll get CH access at HKG although if you get the opportunity to try, it can't hurt to ask.

As far as seats on the A346 go, I'd stick with your instinct and go with seats facing the wall as they do afford more privacy. Personally I'd go for two between 3 & 7K.

I have done a similar route many times - LHR-HKG and then connecting to Thailand. You will not be able to check bags all the way but you do not need to collect them either (that would require you going through immigration etc).

On arrival you need to go to the transfer desks for your airline where they will issue your new boarding pass and also will take your luggage details and arrange to have the bags collected from the luggage and re-checked to your new flight. They may mumble that you cannot which is not correct as I have done this many times. Eventually you will get new luggage check stubbs and then off you go to your new flight.
In fact because it can take a while for the bags to be re-checked I usually ask them to give me the stubbs at the departure gate then I don't have to hang around.

I have never flown Air Asia but I think you are going to face a huge shock after sitting in UC for 12 hours. You might bear in mind that both Cathay Pacific and Thai have direct flights HKG-HKT which I would presume to be a better experience.

Another idea to bear in mind is to connect on the Thai flight (about 7pm) to BKK and have a night there and then fly down to HKT the next day.

Thanks gumshoe / honey lamb,

I had suspected this may be the case - and does seem fair.... I'll give it a try anyway and report back for other V-Flyers! Thanks for the seat tips - I'll get them reserved at T-60 (I'm not holding up hope for the seat booking system to be fixed before then!).

JCBR - thank you for the information RE connecting flights - this sounds quite painless. I had considered the Thai flight to BKK instead, but assumed the transfer time would be too tight - I guess the uncomfortable Air Asia flight will at least highlight just how great UC is for the return journey!

My return journey to HKG from BKG I am looking at Emirates business offering which is coming up at a great rate & would be my first trip on an A380.

On a slight tangent - having also never flown, I am assuming Air Asia is going to be an equivalent service to Ryan Air in Europe? (if you want it, pay for it! - no frills) but otherwise bearable for a relatively short flight?

Thanks again all.

JCBR wrote:-

I have never flown Air Asia but I think you are going to face a huge shock after sitting in UC for 12 hours

.
We flew Air Asia HKT to BKK last March and they were fine. New spotlessly clean planes and pleasant air crew. We booked emergency exit seats which were a very good price.

BKK-HKG on Emirates would be fun as they are now the only airline offering the 380 on that route (TG suspended theirs a few months back but I took it several times on the basis that VS will never have them so it is the only way I get to try it).
It is an ugly plane to look at from the outside but inside is wonderful.

If I were you - push the boat out and buy EK F class. It will only cost you about £100 more than Biz and will be an experience I am sure.

We flew Air Asia HKT to BKK last March and they were fine. New spotlessly clean planes and pleasant air crew. We booked emergency exit seats which were a very good price.

Thanks Daffodil - that is reassuring to hear

If I were you - push the boat out and buy EK F class. It will only cost you about £100 more than Biz and will be an experience I am sure.

Funny you should say that - I just noticed the same thing - about £140 PP more - got to be worth it for the experience - I have not flown Emirates F before.

I flew several legs on Air Asia a couple of years ago and they were fine. They had seat selection and also Hot Seats in rows 1-5 which meant that you had priority boarding and precious little else. Beverages were complimentary but food was buy on board and one could pre-book and pre-pay for hot food.

Done Air Asia HGK - BKK and not a problem at all. Bags of room and pretty good service too. Would certainly use them again. Plus a whole lot cheaper than Cathay for the exact same route.

Thanks all.

I guess the only other advice I would like is the hotel in HKG. The "sleep and laundry" package I previously read about sounded fantastic (although as indicated, this could have been on Flyertalk I read this) - laundry can be exorbitantly expensive in hotels - the idea of arriving home with little to do but a touch up with an iron is quite appealing!

Assuming this was on Flyertalk (and no one knows which hotel I am referring to!) - can anyone recommend any accommodation in HKG - I was thinking perhaps The W Hong Kong - has anyone stayed and can compare this to either the London or Barcelona W's?

Thanks again - all your guidance is invaluable. Guy.

It wasn't a laundry package, but I recently used the Crowne Plaza at Causeway Bay and would happily recommend it.

Harpers Tate wrote:It wasn't a laundry package, but I recently used the Crowne Plaza at Causeway Bay and would happily recommend it.

Thanks Harpers Tate,

I'll look into that.

Guy.

I stayed at the Langham in Kowloon (not the Langham Place) when I was there earlier in the year, amazing hotel and got an absolute bargain booking it on hotels.com

I've stayed at the Intercontinental Grand Stanford - very nice hotel and great restaurant and hotel bar. It also had a super cheap laundry service that was amazingly quick!