HX640 HONG KONG - FUKUOKA (2024.6.2)
INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone, thanks for comming back to my review.
This time, I'm going to share a very intersting flight review with Hong Kong Airlines (HX) A330 Business class service from Hong Kong to Fukuoka.
As a subsidiaries of Hainan Airlines, HX turned to a hybird service carrier since their financial difficulties in 2019. Everything just keep the basic bust just a little better than the low cost carriers.
Fukuoka is one of the new port opened by HX after pandemic, HX operates one daily between HKG and FUK as of the date onboard, and now it has been increased to 2 daily, by using A330.
Another intersting point is, HX uses B-LNR, the only 33S equipment which is a former Singapore Airlines A330 (9V-STK) regularly on HX640/641.
FLIGHT INFO
AIRLINE: HONG KONG AIRLINES
FLIGHT: HX640 HONG KONG - FUKUOKA
REGISTRATION NO: B-LNR
AIRCRAFT MODEL: A330-300
ESTIMATED DEPARTURE TIME: 10:30 (GMT+8)
ACTUAL DEPARTURE TIME: 10:33 (GMT+8)
DEPARTURE GATE AT HONG KONG: 216, TERMINAL 1
ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME: 15:00 (GMT+9)
ACTUAL ARRIVAL TIME: 14:56 (GMT+9)
ARRIVAL GATE AT FUKUOKA: 53, International Terminal
FLIGHT TIME: 3 hours 5 minutes
Hong Kong Airport check-in area
CHECK IN
I arrived at Hong Kong Airport for bag drop at about 06:40(GMT+8), i didn’t wait too long for check-in and finish within 10 minutes.
The security check didn’t take much time, I just finished less than 10 minutes and turned into the airside.
Since my flight was depart from the e midfield concourse, I jumped onto the APM system directly.
View from Club Autus, restricted area of departure level, midfield concourse
Foods served on Club Autus
CLUB AUTUS, HONG KONG AIRLINES LOUNGE
Hong Kong Airlines only operates Club Autus at Hong Kong Airport, which located on the level 7, middle of the midfield concourse since pandemic. Only business class passengers of HX allowed to enter this lounge.
The size of Club Autus has a huge reduction compared with the time before pandemic, only 1/4 of the lounge opened. It decorated in dark green colour, just about 20 dining tables and few coffee shop table there.
The foods of the lounge are not much. For Chinese, they served some dim sum, fried noodles, congee. For western, they served boiled eggs and sandwiches. Besides that, coffee, tea, egg tarts are provided. That’s all what the lounge served.
One thing disappoint me that those signature food by HX lounge like Hong Kong style egg waffles, soup noodles are missing.
The lounge is very quiet as only Business class passengers allowed to go, I think that’s the only benefit I can find here.
View from Club Autus
HKG AIRSIDE
The scheduled boarding time for HX640 was 09:50(GMT+8). I stayed at the Club Autus until 09:30(GMT+8) and go down towards the boarding gate, gate 216.
The midfield concourse is the base camp of Hong Kong Airlines (HX), Hong Kong Express (UO), Greater Bay Airlines (HB) and Air Asia, you can see those aircraft here.
Hong Kong Express A321-200neo, Reg No: B-KKD
Greater Bay Airlines B737-800, Reg No: B-KJF
My flight today, Hong Kong Airlines A330-300, Reg No: B-LNR
BOARDING
The scheduled boarding time was 09:50(GMT+8) and it started on time.
The boarding procedures were followed by passengers with children under 2 years old, or requiring special assistance. Then, it followed by the Business class passengers, platinum, gold, silver members of Fortune Wings Club, economy class zone 1 and zone 2 passengers.
As I was sitting on business class, I was the first passengers onboard.
The boarding process was efficient, and the cabin doors closed at about 10:20(GMT+8).
The loading of this flight today, about 45% on business class, and 95% on economy class.
ONBOARD THE PLANE
Finally, I get on the only 33S equipment of the HX fleet, former Singapore Airlines A330 equipment.
HX used to introduce four former Singapore Airlines A330 fleet in order the network expendation in 2016. After 8 years, only B-LNR still running.
HX does not changed the configeration, just changes the seat colour to their signature fortune red. There are traces of the former SQ layout everywhere on the plane.
View of my seat
The missing AVOD remote control
CABIN SEAT
Sit pitch of economy class was about 60 inches.
There’s a 22 inch personal TV in front of me, and 2 pocket drawer at the bottom.
There is a bottle of water pre set on the seat, maintenance of the plane not good, everything looks very old and you can see transparent tape everywhere.
The seat can be lay down to 172 degree, and the lay down function is still working luckily.
The flights pushed back at 10:33(GMT+8), three minutes behind of schedule time, and take off at 10:57(GMT+8).
AVOD SYSTEM
The TV screen did not turn on, that means no AVOD onboard.
The USB charger and the electronic charger did not work all along the flight.
Welcome drink, lemon tea
Winds outside
Meals onboard
Coffee service
CATERING
The cabin crew served a welcome drink when I onboard, I chose lemon tea.
Breakfest will be served on this flight, the cabin crew will help to take the order before take off.
The menu today are as follows:
· Strawberry yogurt
· Assorted bread with butter (soft roll, croissant, danish pastry)
· Barbecue pork with silver needle noodle soup
or
Baked egg and cheese soufflé with ham, pork sausage, baked beans, sugar snap pea, carrot and pumpkin hash brown
or
Corn flakes with milk
· Fresh fruit with apple, pitaya, watermelon and melon
I chose baked egg and cheese soufflé with ham, pork sausage, baked beans, sugar snap pea, carrot and pumpkin hash brown for the main.
Totally it was good and nothing special since it was loaded at Hong Kong.
Coffee served together with hot milk afterwards.
DUTY FREE SERVICE AND DECENT
After finishing the catering service, the cabin crew proceeds the duty free service and pull down the window shades for passengers take rest.
The flight then began to decent and fly over the Fukuoka city for arrival.
The flight touched down at Fukuoka Airport on 14:52(GMT+9) and arrived at gate 53 on 14:56(GMT+9).
Decending at Fukuoka
Views from the cabin, Fukuoka city and Fukuoka Airport
Baggage claim at FUK
Flight map of my flight from Flightradar24
IMMIGRATION AND BAGGAGE CLAIM
Since the aircraft just opened the L2 door only at Fukuoka, I was the first one to get off the plane.
There’re some walking distance from gate 53 to the immigration. Luckily, the queue was not so long since I arrived the queue.
The baggage took some time to sent out, and I needed to wait some time for my baggage even I was taking business class.
