This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
We paid for a taxi out to the airport, which worked out only about AUD5 more than 2 tickets on the air train. It may have been that it was a Sunday, but it was much nicer being dropped directly at the terminal entrance rather than having to walk etc. There was a bit of a queue at the Economy area, but nothing at Upper Class. Check-in was very efficient and she was chatty and friendly. The bags were tagged with Upper tags - only ever seems to get done in the out stations and not at LHR. Given the lounge invite for the Air New Zealand lounge and our boarding cards. They were RED....yes RED. My heart skipped a beat....oh no not a down grade, but everything was in order and the seats were as at online check-in. No idea if they had run out or forgot that Upper was purple......more about the boarding cards later!
We then headed through security with our fast track voucher....immmigration was efficent but not friendly, but at least having the fast track voucher meant a faster security area. En route to the lounge, we spent up our last AUD on souvenirs and more Tim Tams.
The lounge was busy - last time I was here, Air New Zealand were operating first and businesss, so there were 2 separate lounges. However, now it is one big lounge. It was busy, we found out later, due to two late United departures. There was a good selection of free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Food options were ok - they did have make your own hot dogs, which were good! We could see Miss Kitty outside the window- born in the same year as out outbound plane from memory.
Boarding was called and the gate area was empty. We boarded and noticed that the plane was shabby and really needs a bit of TLC. Compared to the flight down to SYD from HKG it was pretty much full (I had a wander during the flight and it was full throughout the classes). There seemed to be a few Americans heading up to HKG (probably for Monday morning meetings). Boarding was completed early and so we pushed back roughly on time. A projected flight time of a little over 9 hours. Grabbed a sleep suit before take-off and changed just the top. Had some champagne pre-take off.
Once we were airbourne, it was drinks round. The FSM was around and about, but didn't come round and say hello to anyone or bring round the tray of extras (more about that later). I had a very good spicy bloody mary and nuts. I forgot to write down the menu and didn't steal a copy, so sorry about this. On this flight which leaves at 14.25 there was a full meal service followed by 'light bites' - no afternoon tea for some reason. I wasn't fussed on the starter options (pea soup, seasonal salad with chicken or duck ruined by combining it with Tofu (in my opinion)). So I combined the spring rolls and dim sum from the light bites as a starter - good choice!! The main courses included Barramundi and chilli sticky chicken with egg fried rice and veggies.....I went for the later which was very good. The orders were taken fairly quickly, although there was a bit of a delay in the food being served - not a problem as it allowed a second bloody mary!
After this I followed it with the chocolate mousse which was also pretty good. I thought I would finish off with some cheese.....but can you believe it they had run out!!!!!![:(!][:(!] I have never heard of them running out of cheese on a flight before. Hopes of a nice four course meal dashed, I settled down to watch some TV. I ventured to the bar and asked for some moisturiser and lip balm, only to be told 'oh you must have missed that when it was bought round earlier'. Having already missed out on cheese, I was slightly annoyed by this comment as the 'extras' hadn't been bought around. Luckily before I said anything, someone else at the bar chipped in and said 'oh no they haven't bothered to bring that stuff around yet'.
After a while, as it is a daytime flight, I was a little bored (along with the other half), so we headed up to the bar. There were a few others up there by the time we got there. The service at the bar was either very slow or non-existent for quite a bit of the time. The asian crew seemed the most efficient and friendly. I think we must have spent about an hour or so at the bar - got talking to a fellow doctor at the bar (turned out useful on the HKG-LHR sector). Unfortunately the seat-belt signs came on, so it was time to watch more TV. Didn't venture back to the bar later on and dozed a little bit whilst watching the TV. Although there was no official second service, they did come round and ask it people wanted anything from the light bite section. I had the turkey and brie cibatta, which was really got (and served hot!).
Overall, not a bad flight and we arrived a few minutes early in Hong Kong. The crew weren't as good as on the outbound sectors, and I think that the FSM should make more of an effort to say hi to passengers and also that the things like the extras are always bought around to everyone.
