VS201 HKG-LHR 13 JUN 12 (Upper Class)
Posted: 24 Jun 2012, 23:27This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
After a hectic trip and a draining day of meetings in the very sticky heat of Hong Kong, it was time to head home. We took the Airport Express MTR to HKG, and it is hard to fault it: the walk from the train to the VS check-in takes about 1 minute. We were reasonably early -- there was only one check-in desk open! -- and were checked in by a very polite young man who dealt with various requests very competently. Check-in agents in the UK and US could learn a lot from the HKG staff... Security was deserted, and after a brief wait in the immigration/departure queue, we hopped onto the train to the section of the concourse where the Clubhouse is located.
The welcome at the Clubhouse was exceptional, and we were given a brief tour and then shown straight into the showers -- exactly what was desired. After a (heavenly) wash and change into fresh clothes, I took a seat on the balcony and ordered a redhead -- mixed rather differently from LHR, but no complaints (more gin!) -- and watched the world go by. We ate a full dinner in the Clubhouse, because it was already mid-evening and we were both hungry. The food was great: a duck hoisin salad and then a minute steak baguette with some nice mustard on the side. It does seem odd that there is no wine list.
Anyway, after a nice fruit salad and a few glasses of the unknown wine it was time to head to the gate. Priority boarding worked well and it was straight onto Soul Sister and into my seat. Champagne was offered and accepted, though as usual I didn't drink more than a couple of sips. We got away early, despite being very full (296, from memory, with J and W full), and we took off into the long night.
The flight was perfectly fine. Drinks came round, crisps were dished out. I had my usual G&T, and it was nicely mixed.
Since this is a route that doesn't get many TRs, I'll give the menu in case it is of interest to others:
Starters: Somerset cider and onion soup OR Lo shui prawns
Mains: Grilled breast of chicken OR Sauteed prawns OR Mushroom ravioli
Dessert: Coconut and lemon baked cheese cake OR Raspberry clafoutis
To start I had the prawns, which were tasty (+ excellent "tofu"). Very unusually for me I opted for the vegetarian main, which I thought was exceptional -- lovely ravioli, with nice fresh rocket + parmesan substitute. It was great! The clafoutis pudding was a complete joke -- a spongey bit of cake with a synthetic raspberry sauce that one might find in an ice-cream van chucked onto it. Ah well! Still, I didn't go hungry -- indeed, I passed on the cheese, as the ravioli had filled me up more than adequately.
After dinner it was time to sleep, which I managed on and off, and then with about 2 hours to go I gave up trying and had some breakfast. The full English was nice, although the orange juice served with it is rather basic.
We were very early arriving so it was a quick approach into LHR where immigration was very quiet -- I can't remember whether we beat the BA12 or not, but it didn't seem to matter either way. Unfortunately, the baggage handlers did not seem to be ready for us, because there was a VERY long wait for bags, and no priority unloading. All in all, it took an hour from touchdown to exit, which is unacceptable when the airport is essentially empty and all the passengers, including crew, have to stand around for half an hour. I was pretty irritated by this -- I was in a rush to get home to say hello to my toddler son before he disappeared off to his childcare, and to have such opportunities curtailed is very frustrating.
Anyhow, I want to conclude this report on a positive note -- namely, the HKG Clubhouse. It is a great asset for VS. Aside from my nitpicking about wine, I could not fault it at all, and I think that as an overall experience it was my most enjoyable and valued visit to any airline lounge anywhere. Long may it continue! I should also praise the HKG ground crew, who turned a packed plane around ahead of schedule; the crew on the flight itself, many of whom had done our outbound sector (and recognised us on this return leg), were first-rate. I really think that this is a very impressive route for VS, mainly because of the HKG cabin crews and Clubhouse, and I very much hope that in time they will reinstate the VS238 and build on what is a considerable strength.
