Don’t you
just love it when things work? It makes life so much easier when things go
according to plan. Case in point, my meticulous planning of the beginning of
our trip to Asia has (so far) gone off without a hitch. As stated in the
previous entry, I had a very tight connection time between my flight to Sydney
and my flight to Hong Kong. But things… just… worked. Which is a nice change
compared to my last international outing with Qantas, where each flight was
delayed, and each time a flight was delayed, there were compounding delays
connecting to other flights. Read on to see what it is like to fly when
everything works effortlessly.
Our trip
began nice and early, with a 5am wake up call to get to the airport in time for
our flight down to Sydney. Emma’s mother, Jen, was kind enough to give us a
lift to the airport at this ungodly hour, saving us the obscene cost of a taxi
to the airport.
Qantas
airways flight QF8, BNE – SYD
Boeing
747-400ER VH-OEG “Parkes”
Intended
Pushback: 0745
Actual Pushback: 0754
Actual Pushback: 0754
Intended
Arrival: 1015
Actual
Arrival: 1015
Seat: 43A
As mentioned
in the previous report, one of the dangers of taking this otherwise
run-of-the-mill Brisbane-Sydney flight is that this particular jet’s previous
point of departure is Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Because of this, even
though for passengers joining the flight at Brisbane it is a domestic sector,
it departs and arrives in at the international terminals. While usually this is
an inconvenience, having to clear customs and whatnot, for passengers
continuing on on another international flight from Sydney, this works out very
well, as you don’t have to waste a significant amount of time transferring
between Sydney’s domestic and international terminals, which involves a long,
but frequent bus ride across the tarmac.
Anyway, we
rocked up at the international terminal for our domestic flight down to Sydney.
We stood in line, and were soon helped by the lovely check in agent, Melina.
Having the previous day scored an upgrade to business class on our flight out
of Sydney, I couldn’t help but plead with her to see if I could get Emma in
business class next to me. Sadly, it was not to be, as she informed me that it
would cost several thousand dollars to upgrade her. No thanks, not for a 9 hour
flight.
She did
however, do everything she could to make our first flight down to Sydney and
our time at Sydney airport as enjoyable and smooth as possible. Firstly, she
changed our allocated seats to the very front of economy. We had a bulkhead
row, which meant no leg room issues, and we were also pretty much first off of
the plane for economy passengers. She then gave us express passes to clear
immigration quickly, and rang up the Sydney business class lounge to get Emma
an invitation into the lounge as well. She also tagged our bags with business
class stickers so that they’d be first off the plane when we arrived in at Hong
Kong. All in all, fantastic service and it really got me in the mood for
travelling. So much so that I wrote an email to Qantas congratulating them on
such an exemplary staff member.
After
grabbing a super healthy breakfast of hot chips from Red Rooster, we made our
way speedily through immigration, and were soon airside at Brisbane’s
international terminal. We had a quick browse through the shops, but we
literally had about three minutes before boarding commenced. I hurriedly took
photos of all of the aircraft at their gates, and then made my way to the gate
to board the aircraft.
Soon
everybody was on board, and we were off on our way a mere nine minutes behind
schedule. Not bad for a flight that often runs up to three hours late.
Strangely enough, even though everyone has seat-back screens, the safety demonstration
was done manually, with even the speech being read out by a crew member, and
not pre recorded. The take-off was powerful. Very powerful. We rocketed down
the runway, and after a quick turn to the right over Moreton bay, we were
Sydney-bound.
This was one
of Qantas’ retrofitted 747’s – it had almost the exact same in flight
entertainment as their flagship product, the A380. The seats were for all
intents and purposes, the same as the A380’s, and the only difference with the
IFE was the handset on the 747 was a lot smaller and lacked the built in keyboard
that the A380 one has.
Breakfast
was soon served. For Emma, she had the gluten free option, which looked and
tasted about as appetising as plastic rice-shaped pieces of cardboard. I had
some form of apple danish and a small yoghurt. Much more enjoyable for this
short flight.
Being such a
short flight, I didn’t bother watching anything on the IFE. Instead, I switched
it to the customary flight path viewer, and used the view out my window as my
source of entertainment. The flight progressed quickly, and there wasn’t much
in the way of views to be seen, as the first half of the flight was quite hazy,
and the second half was completely covered in fluffy white clouds. Our approach
into Sydney was rough and rainy. No breathtaking views of the harbour or opera
house this time, sadly.
According to
the customer service manager, our touchdown in Sydney was “about as smooth as
it gets on a 747”. It’s nice not to bounce down the runway when you land.
We were then
off the plane in a dash, and we made our way through the transfer security
check, and then were quickly at Sydney International, airside. Our first and
only destination today would be the Qantas business lounge. Sadly, due to the
very tight connection times, we only had about 20 minutes in the lounge, but
from what I experienced, it was very nice and spiffy. They were serving
breakfast at the time, and it was the equivalent of a high-class hotel’s buffet
breakfast. Lots of different options, including hash browns, which Emma enjoyed
immensely. I had a plate of sausages, baked beans and a few pastries. Very
tasty stuff. Emma had the aforementioned hash browns and some nice Greek
yoghurt. The lounge also had shower facilities and very nice bathrooms, but I
sadly didn’t get to use either, due to our very short stay.
We then
headed to our gate, and boarded the our flight to Hong Kong. For only the
second time ever, I walked down the priority “Business/First” lane, and left
Emma for my highly enjoyable flight ahead.
Qantas
Airways flight QF127 SYD-HKG
Airbus
A380-800, VH-OQC “Paul McGuinness”
Intended
Pushback: 1140
Actual
Pushback: 1139
Intended
Arrival: 1745
Actual
Arrival:
Captain:
Mark Huxtable
Seat: 12K
Firstly, it
is strange walking *uphill* on a jetbridge. Usually you walk down to the
aircraft – I guess it just shows how massive an aircraft the A380 is. There is
a great feeling when you board an aircraft, and instead of turning right and
heading into economy class, you are able to turn left, and head into the premium
areas. I was afraid that I was going to miss out on this silly experience, as
Qantas’ business class on the A380 takes up most of the upper deck. Luckily
though, I was in only the second row of business class, and the jetbridge is
connected about a quarter of the way down the fuselage of the plane, meaning I
got to partake in the stupid ritual of turning left, instead of right.
Wow. That’s
all I can say about Qantas’ business class product. Having seen photos of it
online, I thought it would be very drab and colourless, but the stylish silver
and grey look of the cabin makes it feel very modern and swish. The seat is
fantastic – I’m a tall guy at 195cm and even with my legs stretched fully out,
I was unable to touch the seat in front of me. The seat has comfortable
cushions, perfect for a long haul flight. Each window seat has several storage
bins next to your armrest, which you can store your personal belongings in, as
well as an overhead locker. Your entertainment screen is large, and motorised,
meaning it deploys from its hidden spot in the armrest at a touch of a button.
You also have a nice privacy divider between seats, too, if you choose not to
socialise with your seatmate. I didn’t have a seatmate on this flight, so I
didn’t really use it very much.
No more than
three minutes after I first sat down in my seat, a lovely flight attendant was
at my side with a glass of champagne. I don’t know what we’re celebrating
exactly, but hey, free champagne is a great way to start a flight.
I continued
to fiddle around with the seat until the aircraft pushed back. We slowly
lumbered our way out to the runway, and we were soon airborne. Once again, the
A380’s take-off wasn’t particularly powerful. It seemed to just trundle down
the runway, and then at the last second go “Oh, you actually want to fly? Sure,
why not.”
One of the
amazing things about the A380 is how quiet it is. I’ve said this plenty of
times before when in economy, and it is even more noticeable when you’re on the
upper deck and at the very front of the plane. Combine this with the noise
cancelling headphones that Qantas give you, and you have a near silent flight
to enjoy.
Shortly
after takeoff, the flight attendants came around on another drinks run, hot
towel run, and a personalised welcome to each passenger. They even knew my
name! That was awesome.
Then, about
an hour into the flight, they took orders for lunch. This is what I had:
Entrée:
Duck and
Pistachio Terrine with Spiced Apple Chutney and Watercress Salad
Main:
150 Day Old Grain
Fed Sirloin with Black Vinegar Vegetables, Fragrant Rice and Chilli Sauce
Dessert:
Profiteroles
Filled with Vanilla Cream, served with Fudge Sauce.
--
In a word,
delicious. All of the food was a very high standard. The duck terrine was a
nice starter, the beef was succulent and tasty, and the dessert while nothing
particularly fancy, was very comforting. I had two (possibly three) glasses of
red wine with this meal, too. I had no idea what I was drinking, but the flight
attendant assured me that it was good and sufficiently fancy. I’ll take her
word for it.
Over lunch,
I watched an episode of “An Idiot Abroad”. Karl Pilkington, although stupid is
quite hilariously profound in his observations. I decided to watch the Japan
episode, to get me in the mood for the rest of our trip. It worked.
After being
stuffed with food, I watched an episode of “Life’s Too Short”. I didn’t find it
particularly funny, I guess that that very awkward and subtle and macabre
humour isn’t for me.
One of the
flight attendants then suggested that I have a drink with Emma, who was
currently seated down in economy. I thought that would be a great idea, so they
went down and got her, and brought her to the lounge at the front of the
aircraft so we could share a drink. Yes, that’s right, this plane is so
freaking huge that it has a lounge on board. Admittedly it is just two sofas
and a TV, but when said two sofas and TV are 12 kilometres up in the air, it
suddenly becomes a lot more impressive. Emma soon joined us, and we chatted to
the other people in the lounge for about an hour. She found it to be a pleasant
surprise being invited up here, and we had a nice glass of champagne to toast
to our holiday ahead. We then raided the chocolate macaroons on offer, and Emma
had a glass of red wine to finish off. I then walked down the spiral staircase
at the rear of the plane, and took her back to economy. It was bizarre walking
down a staircase and discovering that there is a whole other deck of people
below you on this aircraft. Gigantic doesn’t nearly sum up the size of the
A380.
Upon
returning to my seat, I just had to try out the “bed” feature. Yes, that’s
right, the seat converts into a completely lie-flat seat, and is cushioned
enough to act like a very comfortable bed. And it is very comfortable indeed.
Unfortunately, I tried for about an hour to get to sleep, but with all of the
sugar and alcohol in my system, I was unable to sleep in any way shape or form.
It was good to actually try out. I’ve never laid down 12 kilometres up in the
air, and at least now I can say that I have.
By this
stage, we were flying over Indonesia, and once again the flight path and window
provided the perfect in flight entertainment. I set my seat to some form of
cradle-relax-mode-thingy, and stared out one of the three windows devoted to my
seat. Did I mention the chair has a massage function as well? Yep, it has a
goddamn massage function! Best. Flight. Evar!
After a few
hours of daydreaming (and writing this trip report), I headed back downstairs
to see Emma again. I brought her another delicious chocolate macaroon, which
she seemed to really enjoy. We talked
for a little bit, and then she showed me her seat, the excellent 80K (which I
pre-selected for her). As I’ve mentioned in the past, when travelling in
economy on Qantas’ A380, this is by far the best seat in economy. It has the
legroom of business class, and is an excellent choice for those who like a
window seat, but also like to get up frequently, as you don’t have to disturb
passengers to leave the seat.
When I
returned to my seat, it was time for more meals. Yes, MOAR MEALS. This time, it
was a light, pre-arrival snack. I chose to have the Chorizo Roll with
Caramelised Onion and Rocket. It was served nice and warm, straight from the
oven, and the bread was nice and tasty, and the chorizo was packed with
flavour. The perfect snack before landing.
I then
filled out my immigration form, and sat back and enjoyed the last hour or so in
my fancy pants business class seat, staring out over the South China Sea. As I
was busy doing nothing but relaxing, Marc, the customer service manager,
brought someone very special up to business class for me. I was surprised and
overjoyed when I saw Emma there.
Marc said “Hello,
look who I found. Your girlfriend can sit with you for the rest of the flight.
She can stay in business for the landing.” I was really, really happy to get to
share the experience with Emma, even if it was just for an hour or so. Marc
even got us each another glass of champagne each to enjoy together.
Then, out of
nowhere, another attendant, Katrina, brought Emma her own amenity kit to make
her feel even more spoilt. We then had a lovely chat with her about our
upcoming holiday and the most awesome bits of Japan that we were looking
forward to. A really nice level of personal customer service.
As a final
treat before landing, I asked one of the friendly flight attendants if it would
be alright if I could see the cockpit on my disembarking from the aircraft. A
few minutes later, she returned and informed me that that would be no issue. I
would have to wait until the passengers have left, but if I were happy to do
that, then it would be no problem at all.
Sadly, like
our approach into Sydney earlier in the day, there were no awesome views of
Hong Kong on our approach. All we saw was clouds until about two minutes before
landing.
When we were
on the ground, Emma and I then got to not only look at the cockpit and chat to
the pilots, which was fascinating, but we also got to look at Qantas’
prestigious first class section. It looked amazing, but I knew that I’d
absolutely never be able to afford it. Oh well, it was interesting to sit in
the seat, only if just for a minute.
So, is
Business class worth the price? If you are a very high income earner, or you
fly frequently enough to upgrade a lot, then yes, it is worth the price. For
someone like me though? A person who goes on one, maybe two international trips
a year? I simply couldn’t justify the ~$4000 return trip ticket price.
That being
said though, the next time I have enough points to upgrade to business class, I
will in a heartbeat. The pre-flight benefits are awesome, the on-board service
is fantastic and genuine, the food is delicious, and the seat. My GOD, the
seat! This was the most comfortable flight I’ve ever been on, easily. I just
wish that it was longer… I could happily do LAX – Melbourne in one of these
seats, and not feel the slightest bit of discomfort.
Alright, now
after nearly THREE THOUSAND words on flights, I suppose you’re wondering if I’m
ever actually going to talk about Hong Kong? Well yes, here we go.
Immigration
and customs were painless enough, customs especially, which was basically
walking through the exit, with no checks whatsoever. We then bought an octopus
card each (Hong Kong’s public transport card), and then got on the airport
express to the city.
Half an hour
later, and we were in the middle of bustling Hong Kong station. We headed above
ground for a little bit, and discovered just how crazy-pants busy Hong Kong is.
Dazed and quite tired after our long day, we stumbled our way into Central
Station, where we then caught another local train to Sheung Wan.
One long and
confusing walk to our hotel later, and we were finally at Hong Kong, safe and
sound. We then got changed out of our travelling clothes (I dressed up all
smart-like for the business class flight, as did Emma in case she got
upgraded), and into something more comfortable. We had one goal in mind for
tonight, and an excellent way to start our adventure in Hong Kong – the Star
Ferry across Hong Kong Harbour, to see the Hong Kong skyline.
After
catching a train across to Tsim Sha Tsui, we had a wander down the highly posh
streets of this district – every high-class name brand had a store here – Chanel,
Tiffany’s, Louis Vutton. They were all here. What’s more, they appeared to be
their flagship stores for the Asia region. They were all massively impressive –
so much so that it puts New York’s 5th Avenue to shame.
We then made
our way down to the ferry, and paid the ridiculously cheap travel fee of
HKD$2.50 ($0.30 AUD) for the opportunity to see the best view of Hong Kong’s
skyline. Even on the fairly hazy and rainy night that was tonight, it was a
true sight to behold – something that I won’t forget in a hurry.
By this
stage, it was getting late, with Emma and I having been awake for somewhere in
the region of 20 hours. And myself, running on only 4 hours sleep from the
previous night, too, were definitely feeling the effects. We staggered in to a “Circle
K”, basically a 7-Eleven, and bought some microwave meals to eat back at the
hotel. A short walk later, and we were back at the hotel. Our first warning
sign as to the quality of said meals should have been the price. At HKD$15
($2AUD), they were very very cheap. They also tasted very very cheap. Mine was
some form of chicken, pork and sausage on rice. While I wasn’t expecting a
gourmet experience from this microwave meal, it was particularly bad. The
chicken had so many bones in it that I’m pretty sure they put the carcass of
said chicken through a mulcher before cooking it and whacking it on top of some
tasteless rice. Oh well, the experience, while unpleasant, was certainly humorous
to us in our sleep-deprived delirium.
Speaking of
which, it’s now almost 1am here. That means it’s 3am in Brisbane, and that
means that I’ve gone without sleep for 22 hours. I'm running on like 4 hours sleep from the past 48. Time to stop typing and start
sleepialglakent.................2329)))))))))))d.ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Tomorrow:
Exploring Hong Kong Island! Meeting with Harry!
No comments:
Post a Comment