This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
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A340-600 G-VWIN Lady Luck
Having arrived into HKG from SIN on United which landed mid morning and not departing on the Virgin flight until much later that evening, I'd decided to jump on the Airport Express and go and use the in-town check-in there as VS check-in at HKG doesn't open until 15:00.
Once at the airport express staiton, I headed up to the check-in area (you need to buy your airport express ticket to the airport first as you have to use this to enter the check-in area). I didn't have long to wait at the VS check-in desk. I was given my purple UC boarding card and Clubhouse invite. Had a coffee and a wander round the shopping mall above the station and then made my way back to the airport. Immigration and security where painless and quite quick and I was soon on the train taking me to the other end of the terminal building where the VS gate and CH are located. The HKG Clubhouse is shared with Eva Air so it's open most of the day.
Entered the CH and was welcomed by a VS staff member. Found a table and made myself comfy. By this time is was still only 13:00 so I had quite a long wait ahead of me. After an hour or so the VS staff member came and found me to let me know that the VS201 flight from SYD would be at least 3 hours late due to a technical problem with the A/C in SYD. Oh well, I could think of worse places to wait!!! The new departure time was now 03:00am [:0]
The serivce is the HKG CH was as good as ever. The VS food menu selection doesn't start till 16:30, so before this time you can select from the Eva Air menu.
Got myself a WiFi password from the front desk. Three are also 3 PC's you can use too.
After several trips to the shops to spend my last few HK$'s and to that delightful smoking room, the afternoon soon turned into evening with the VS200 arrving from LHR around 18:00 so the CH soon started to fill up, more and more pax turned up and before long there wasn't a free table or seat to be found. After a while the VS200 flight to SYD was called and the lounge was soon almost empty again [:)]
After some dinner I relaxed in front of the TV in the CH and before I knew it I was asleep (I had been up since 03:30 that morning!!!) An hour later I woke up so decided to freshen up with a shower which really did make me feel a lot better. I then also had some dinner.
More waiting and more relaxing followed for the next several hours as the usual VS201 departure time came and went. All the Clubhouse staff stayed on until our new departure time [y] I watched HKG airport close for the night after mid-night as all the shops closed and the shutters came down, the moving walkways stop, the last pax depart and the cleaning crews arriving polishing floors etc. Such a contrast to the busy airport terminal a few hours earlier. Even the terminal lights are dimmed.
At around 02:00 the VS201 from SYD finally arrived and pulled into gate 24 (the usual VS gate at HKG is 36). Soon a few transit pax arrived, although they didnt have long as the flight was been turned round as fast as possible so instead of the usual 90 mins, it was just under an hour.
The flight was finally called at 02:45 and the long walk to gate 24 took a good 10 minutes. By the time J pax arrived at the gate, the priority line was very long but we dindt have long to wait.
The cabin was very warm and a bit uncomfortable with no air con. working. All the pax where soon on, the door closed, sleep suits handed out and we pushed back at 03:30. I'm only guessing here but I think the problem with the A/C could have been a faulty APU as all 4 engines where all started individually and with the air. con not working on the ground as well [:?]
A manual safety demo was done. After a short taxi we where on the runway. My oh my, how long it takes a full A346 to fully rotate. You do start to get the feeling that an A346 is never going to leave the ground [:0]. Tonights flight would be about 12 hours I think (I wasn't really paying much attention and was already nodding off as where most other pax). Seat belt sign was soon off and dinner orders where been taken in Upper. Most pax didn't really want much food and all wanted to just sleep. I just ordered a bowl of soup and a mug of hot chocolate. I really didnt pay much attention to what else was on the menu sorry.
Dinner was served very quickly and as soon as I finished I converted my seat to bed. Within about an hour of take-off I'd say about 90% of Upper where asleep.
8 hrs later I woke up. That's the longest I've ever slept on a plane!! Quick trip to the washroom and to the bar for a quick drink and I managed another 2 hours sleep. I finished watching the Simpsons flim I'd started to watch on the out bound flight and soon breakfast was served.
Soon we where approaching LHR and doing the usual mery-go-round before landing at about 08:50. 4 hours late in total [:0]
Not much else to say really as I spent most of this flight asleep.
Regards
Regards
James Mitchell
James Mitchell
