Hi everyone! As promised, I'm back with another travel series since the previous flights in early 2016 were quite uneventful. Thus, I didn't do any trip reports for any of them. However, I'm quite excited for this one since I had quite a surprising adventure during the return flights to Hong Kong and New York which I can't wait to share with you all. So, stay tuned for that as these said reports will be coming soon!
So for this report, my family and I decided to head to Bangkok for a couple of days for a mini-vacation before I head back to the US. I have to admit, I'm glad that I was able to spend more time in the city so I can space everything out and not do everything in just one day. That way, I had more time to relax. Anyways, getting back with this trip report. Let's talk about about the flight!
Summer 2016 Trip Report Index:
1) 19 August 2016: CX653 HKG-BKK, A330-300, Business
2) 21 August 2016: CX750 BKK-HKG, A350-900, Business
3) 21 August 2016: CX846 HKG-JFK, B777-300ER, Business
Pre-flight:
There isn't much to say regarding this part except I got to the airport at a reasonable time after finding out from CX that my flight was going to be delayed by half an hour. So, by the time I arrived, I had plenty of time to check-in, go through security and immigration, hop through some lounges, and my personal favourite: plane spotting! I was able to get through everything very quickly.
HKG Departure Lobby
My favourite shot of HKG!
Check-in area
Breezing through security and immigration
Post-security:
My flight was departing from gate 33 tonight, and the closest lounge would be The Bridge, located near gate 36. However, my father being a Diamond member of the Marco Polo Club (the highest tier of the CX frequent flyer program; also equivalent to oneworld Emerald), he was able to get us access to CX First Class lounges. We eventually went to The Wing, which is one of my favourite lounges in HKG. This is also a good opportunity to compare both the First Class and Business Class lounges and see which is the best! But before I explore the lounge, I went to spot some planes!
Duty-free shopping area
FIDS
Airside
Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-400, HL7421, serving as OZ722 back to ICN
Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-90, 9V-SME, serving as SQ891 back to SIN
I then headed to The Wing and finally check out the First Class section that I've heard so much about from previous flight reviews!
Gates 1-4 area
Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300, B-HLR, serving as CX635 to SIN
The Wing entrance
Few shots of the lounge
The famous balcony shots
From the first glance, I really loved the atmosphere, especially with the dark red and black decor, which I found to be outstanding! I even loved the amenities included such as cabanas, private shower suites, and a dining area with a variety of catering along with an à la carte menu as well as a buffet! Overall, I was impressed!
Champagne Bar
I decided to get a Shirley Temple
Boarding pass, which a slight alteration to the design using the new logo (It's about time!)
I felt a little upset that I didn't get the chance to check out the cabanas and shower suites, but I can do that the next time I visit the lounge. There's always a chance for next time! ;)
I didn't realise how much time I spent at the lounge. So, after the pre-flight fun, we ran straight to the gate!
Departure area
Time for yet another long walk!
Plane to BKK: B-HLH
Gate area
It's funny that my flight was delayed but I board on final call!
Heading down the aerobridges!
Some pre-flight information before I board:
Date: 19 August 2016
Airline: Cathay Pacific
Flight Number: CX 653
Route: Hong Kong (HKG) - Bangkok (BKK)
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Registration: B-HLH
Distance: 1050 miles
Scheduled Departure Time: 12:05 PM (delayed to 12:35 PM)
Actual Departure Time: 1:01 PM
Scheduled Arrival Time: 1:50 PM
Actual Arrival Time: 2:31 PM
Flight Time: 2 hrs 45 mins
Departure Gate at HKG: 33
Arrival Gate at BKK: E5
Inflight:
Main regional business class cabin. The first thing I noticed was the change of arrangement in terms of seating. Instead of 7 rows (11, 12, 14-18), it has downsized to only 4 rows consisting of 11, 12, 14, and 15
My seat: 15K
The usual legroom, which was ok for a 2 hour flight
View from my seat, next to a Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300, B-LBF, serving as CX360 to PVG
Pre-departure drink: Orange juice
Hot towel
Flight info
Menu for today's flight
One of the many signs that this aircraft is ageing
Cabin view
Once boarding was complete, the captain came on with his usual pre-flight welcome along with an apology for the delays that ensued today and explained that that this aircraft had arrived late from another destination. Hence, it took some time to clean and prepare the cabin for the next flight, which is completely understandable.
By 12:40 PM, we were able to pushback, giving me the opportunity to spot more planes! ;)
Thai Airways International Boeing 747-400 HS-TGX
The famous HKG airside!
Jet Airways Airbus A330-200, VT-JWV, which is preparing to depart back for DEL as 9W77 at the newly completed midfield concourse
A former Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing 747-400F, B-HUP, which has been withdrawn from use and will eventually be stored within a few months
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 747-400, PH-BFD, as KL888 back to AMS
Cathay Dragon Airbus A320-200, B-HSM, as KA490 to RMQ
The one thing that I love about the regional business class!
Reunited with 9V-SME
After the taxi to Runway 07R, we took off an hour behind the scheduled departure time
View of Disneyland Hong Kong from the air
See you later, Hong Kong!
Discovering the inflight entertainment, StudioCX!
Time to continue watching some Big Bang Theory!
For drinks, I decided to go for a glass of Coke
Table setup
For lunch, I went for the stir fried chicken choice, which sounded appetising on the menu. However, I was proven wrong yet again with the look and taste of it. It was so bland not even the chilli sauce could save it!
At least the dessert wasn't bad!
After the lunch service, I browsed around the flight map to find out our current location. It turned out that we already above Vietnam
I thought this was the perfect time to fill out the Thai arrival card before I forget
One hour left!
Cabin views
At that point of the flight, I would say that the rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. So, I decided to listen to music and relax until the captain made the announcement that we were now starting the descent into Bangkok and that there were only 30 minutes till we land.
Approaching Bangkok
A cloudy day in Bangkok. It looked fine, but once we touched down onto Suvarnabhumi Airport, it immediately started to rain!
A rainy day in BKK
Docking at gate E5
Disembarking/Arrival into BKK
Post-flight:
The usual never-ending walk to immigration
Reaching the Premium Lane
Baggage claim, which took 5 minutes
BKK Arrival Lobby
So, my family and I booked a private car straight out of the arrival hall, where you can book a car/limousine of your choice for a reasonable price. We made arrangements for the drop-off as well as pick-up to/from the hotel for both today and when we were flying out. Afterwards, I was smooth sailing to our hotel to enjoy a quick getaway in Bangkok!
