It may be the GFC, but this is QF J

[Tooner]

After a number of months (nearly 12) since my last international trip, a conference/work trip to HK offers a chance to review QF J again. Last time, I didn't manage to sample the lie (not-really) flat beds in J.

My itinerary was QF87 to HKG to sample a day flight, and QF128 on the returnto sample overnight. Just like last trip from HKG, I've put in for the F upgrade:?:

Sitting here in the F Lounge, I'm reminded how relaxing it is - a nice salad, some butter checken, G&T and a good view.

Now that the flight is delayed around 60mins, I get to sample the wares for a little longer

The main thing you notice about SYD now is the construction. Customs has a different entrance, and the shops seem to have vanished just outside. Luckily the stairs to the right of Security take you up to the Lounge level, and avoids Duty Free land.

F Lounge is not immune form construction - one escalator out of action, meaning you take the lift up to the counter.

Also noticed the wait-staff take your name now. Matching to members in the lounge?

More later - enjoying the food at the moment!

 

[Tooner]

Currently an hour late, and boarding hasn't commenced:shock::evil:

 

[Evan]

Currently an hour late, and boarding hasn't commenced:shock::evil:

Hope its not like my recently delayed QF9, and also noticed the name matching. Enjoy the lounge !
E

 

[serfty]

Hope its not like my recently delayed QF9, and also noticed the name matching. Enjoy the lounge !
E

Departed 102 minutes late (landed only 90 mins late @22:45):

QF87 Hong Kong 15:00 16:42 Departed

Better than Sunday's QF87, it landed on Monday ~3½ hours late.

Note that it has been almost always the case that the Flounge wait staff requested your name on ordering. This for both SYD and MEL - originally, they wanted to see your BP.

 

[Tooner]

Well….. we departed SYD about 1½ hours late L so our expected arrival time slips back to near 11pm HK time (2 am SYD time).


Reflections on the F Lounge: given the time of day (1pm to 4:20pm) it was fairly quiet, although someone told me the spa was fully booked nonetheless. The meals were good, the service reasonably attentive and the atmosphere pleasant.


After eventually boarding (apologies at the gate as well as over PA in FLounge), customary glass of champagne and looong briefing (due to translation into Cantonese at each step), we taxied into the late afternoon rush and eventually took off.


I changed my seat request a few days ago from 3J to 3F after consulting Seatguru (middle J seats in the A330 are considered green in Seatguru) as I decided I didn’t want 3K climbing over me to get to the toilet etc. Turns out everyone on this flight wanted A, B, J or K seats, as very few people were sitting in the middle seats. Indeed, I could spread out as no-one was near me.

Now’s as good a time as any to talk about why the title. As we are in the middle of the GFC (Global Financial Crisis), we are hearing about companies downgrading travel policies (apparently JQ is now the favoured business airline :!::shock I may not have many opportunities to travel in J in the future. Therefore I wanted to record a few impressions of the service etc in case it is all over!


My impression is that there has been a little bit of a drop-off in J travel, with quite a few empty seats here. The bonus is, though, the service is attentive, with the CSM providing a heartfelt apology (I think he’d had a bit of practice though) and an offer of assistance in HKG if needed.

Food was good. I have special meals, so my reflections are versus standard domestic fare, but it was realty good. Nice bread and a beef salad, then char-grilled chicken (tender, not rubbery), mash and beans. Dessert was dried fruit (not the nice things regular diners get), and after a champagne, 2 G&Ts (Plymouth) and a red wine, everything looks good!


AVOD is apparently working, although here we are 9 days into February and the AV guide is still the one for January. Still, this just widens the selection, and all those who want to see "Australia" can do so.

We found out why the plane was late, too. This A330-300 is the one which travels PER – SYD, and with the wind ‘n all was running late. Consequently I had a choice between nc QF headphones and standard QF headphones. Hmm!

So my impressions so far:
​

• FLounge was quiet for a Monday afternoon
  
• 3 hours is a bit long to spend there without a massage
  
• The SYD T1 shopping mall is a mess at the moment; and
  
• Late-running aircraft suck!

 

[Tooner]

We duly landed at 10:45pm as Serfty noted, and after an almost Heathrow like wait for luggage (well, compared to HKG's normal standards) I was off, met by the Mandarion Oriental gent and limo to speed into Central.

Once in the comfy (nice view of neighbouring buildings) room, checked on the bushfire news (Yikes!) and got to sleep around 00:30.

The delay just goes to show how careful logistics can go out the window on a windy day. I would not have expected the flight to have come from Perth (though it does ring a bell from other threads as a preferred PER - SYD flight), and given the weather in the UK, I wonder if QF128 might be at risk on Friday (doesn't it come from UK?).

HK is, of course, busy and hazy! At least the office is only 1 stop from Central.

 

[serfty]

I was in Hong Kong at the weekend; the weather was a very nice 21° with blue Sky until the mid afternoon when it Hazed over.

QF127 is a daily afternoon/evening run up from SYD. It does the turn around and red-eyes back to SYD as QF128.

Of course (00:15 is 03:15 in SYD)

 

[Tooner]

I was in Hong Kong at the weekend; the weather was a very nice 21° with blue Sky until the mid afternoon when it Hazed over.

It's about 27 today, and all hazed over

QF127 is a daily afternoon/evening run up from SYD. It does the turn around and red-eyes back to SYD as QF128.

Pleased to hear it!

Of course (00:15 is 03:15 in SYD)

I'm feeling it now, and drinks to go tonight!

 

[Batesy]

My experience in the Flounge is that the wait staff have always taken your name. I noticed this on my first visit back in June 07 not long after the SYD one opened. I was there again in November this year and they asked again. I have probably had about six visits to both SYD & MEL Flounges combined and always had them ask for a surname.

 

[Tooner]

Back on the ground now, but shattered. Upgrade to F came through, very pleasant. More later.

 

[htchapman]

I have probably had about six visits to both SYD & MEL Flounges combined and always had them ask for a surname.

I've noted and wondered about this.

I think it is to make the overall service more attentive and personalised. Perhaps they go to their touch screens and type in guests surname and put a note to it:

Example:

"Smith" - with partner wearing blue dress.
"Jones" - the one with the three kids running around.

Just a thought.

 

[Tooner]

I think it is to make the overall service more attentive and personalised. Perhaps they go to their touch screens and type in guests surname and put a note to it:

Example:

"Smith" - with partner wearing blue dress.
"Jones" - the one with the three kids running around.

Just a thought.

I guess it could, but then no-one ever uses my name again, even though the service was excellent.

Do they check your name on the passenger lists?

 

[Tooner]

So 2 days in HK Office and then a conference at the Mandarin for 2 days.

First night saw a quick trip to the faux-seediness of Wan Chai (Quote one of the crew "those girls in there a really friendly; they all want to say hello!") and nice food in the Coles Cafeteria style Hay Hay, tiredness overcame me and it was back to the hotel.

Rest of the time was a blur of work and working out I might as well walk from the Mandarin to Pacific Place (took a couple of days!), and a visit to the Kee Club for Yum Cha (courtesy of my boss), a visit to the place which needs no streetlights (Causeway Bay) and it was 6pm and time to head back to the airport.

In the meantime, the requested upgrade to F came through, so once again, my overnight flight from HKG to SYD would be in F, and a comfortable bed.

As the Merc cruised to a halt at the terminal, another MO gent met me at the curb and took me and the luggage straight down to the F counter (relocated from the far end to close to the entrance since Feb 2007). Allocated seat of 3E was changed to 3A, and then I was off to security and immigration.

Once through there, turn left and walk...and walk...and walk to the Wing.

Straight to the Cabana, and a shower and relax. After a couple of drinks at the lounge itself, once the "final call" was showing on the screen I felt I ought to head off to the plane. Strange, never heard a call, but I'm sure I got called last time (in fact it was late last time).

Anyway, passed the secondary screening and onto the plane....

 

[serfty]

Flights are not normally called from the Wing ... I normally depart there ¾ hour before scheduled departure.

 

[Tooner]

Flights are not normally called from the Wing ... I normally depart there ¾ hour before scheduled departure.

Duly noted

IIRC, last time the flight was delayed, so they announced the delay, and then a boarding call.

 

[Tooner]

Last post 16 Feb My apologies for the tardy completion to this TR; Uni and Exams got in the way.

Having got to my seat I was, of course offered the obligatory champagne (and in honour of QF009 I must accept). Very noice!

After settling in I noticed, once again, that most of my fellow F cabin inhabitants had changed into the jim-jams already. I must admit though, it took me a while to realise they all had them on, as the current F J-Js are much less garish than the old black with red/gold trim I last saw. The F amenity pack is actually pretty good (I use it for my stuff when I ride to work), and quite solid.

Also noticed a few people going straight to sleep, and after having dinner trying to watch a movie (AVOD had to be restarted twice), I realised I was only going to get about 4-5 hours sleep. Then I remembered the same thing occured to me last time I took this flight:shock:. Good to see I learned my lesson!

Anyway, being able ot have a relaxing shower in the cabana was worth it rather than having dinner at the Wing, isn't it:?:.

The service on board was of the friendly variety, and it is still nice to have access to an almost proper bathroom. You also can't beat having a comfortable bed made up for you!

After donning the J-Js, off to sleep, to be awoken 1.5 hours before SYD for breakfast. An unremarkable approach and landing became a rather large, and difficult to move joke. After we had reached the gate and powered down, it became apparent we were some 6 inches short of the gate and the door couldn't be opened with the bridge extended.

So what did they do? Got everyone to sit down, put their seat-belts on (after re-stowing their hand luggage), attached a tug and pushed us back the required six inches. After finally getting out, we found ourselves arriving at the same time as a European flight, which resulted in a scrum at immigration.

Now that the channels have been reorganised the express channel is way on the right, and smartgate on the left. I didn't realise the smartgate was working for e-passports, and the express queue was buried under the weight of non-residents queuing so I queued up with everyone else.

Once luggage was retrieved, I thanked god for the express card (queues for the general exit were doubled up by this stage) and headed out to the cab rank.

All in all, a quite rushed trip. Some observations shortly! I promise!

 

[Tooner]

At the time of this flight, the GFC was starting to bite. We were seeing the odd story of Investment Banks cutting back on premium travel etc etc. I'd have to say the journey confirmed a general drop in premium travel, and the 2 for 1 sale started after that.

So in no particular order:

• J cabin was hardly full, and I was the only one sitting in the middle pair of seats.

• J service was impeccable, and the quality of food was actually very good (might have been the 3 G&Ts and a couple of wines though)

• The day flight to HK is excellent for catching up on work - no disruptions after all

• Storage is an issue with International J now - although you can take 2 good cases, I reckon you would struggle to stow them

• HK stores are getting quite desperate as the economy slowly sinks

• Some expats in HK don't seem to have quite caught up with the fact that 1999 has happened, and Wan Chai is hardly the nest of sin it ia made out to be

• If I ever fly a night flight out of HK again, I will eat at the Wing prior to boarding and go straight to sleep. I was wrecked the next day from not enough sleep.

• Spending 4 hours at the F Lounge in Sydney is too long without a massage:shock:

• It is still possible to sleep in an F bed on a 747

• F jim-jams are not too bad, and the amenities pack is also a lot better.

I think my preference would still be to upgrade to F wherever possible (if only for the loo with a view, but I'm unlikely to fly a night sector of only 9 hours again if I can help it.

So, at the end of all that, it was back to work, uni and exams, plus the waiting Mrs Tooner and little Tooners.

Next adventure would be for Mr & Mrs Tooner, alone, to Queenstown (NZ), which in itself turned into an adventure. It's not often you get to visit the F Lounge twice before leaving SYD!

 

[JohnK]

Very nice trip report.