I've got a few spare hours in Hong Kong so might as well write this up while it's fresh! (warning - lots of pics, sorry if they're not the best quality but hopefully they get the point across!)
Qantas called at 10:30am on the dot yesterday to book my partner and I in for the spa. 8am and 8:30am were the only slots available for both of us to have treatments at the same time so we took 8am.
Arrived at the airport around 7:15am, there was a short queue to check-in at the First desks - maybe 10 minutes. I asked the check-in staff for through check to our onward flight from Hong Kong, a revenue J booking with CX. At this point the check-in staff asked if my QF flight was an award booking - clearly well-versed in the through check rules, and ready to say no if it wasn't an award booking. This surprised me - you would think QF might make an exception for QF Plat in F connecting to J - don't expect it!
The F lounge spa was great - it went exactly as all the SYD F spa reviews say.
Boarding started 8:50am on the dot, Taittinger 2006 was offered for pre departure beverage and even got a top-up as there was a short delay waiting for ATC clearance to push back. PJs were handed out before departure too.
My seat (4A) had an blockage on the headphone socket's third pin so I couldn't use the noise cancelling headphones. The CSM noted it but all he could do was offer a set from economy as those don't have the third pin due to no noise cancelling. Not a great start to the flight.
About 45 minutes after take-off they took orders for lunch, menus as below:
Canapes came out fairly quickly:
Meal service started about 1.5-2 hours after take-off. For starters we ordered the duck & squid salad, and cured salmon:
The duck salad was a highlight, salmon was just OK - don't regret trying it but would order something else next time.
For mains we got the braised red pork and cape grim beef fillet.
The pork was decent but very, very similar to a pork dish Qantas serve in domestic J - just a bigger portion.
The beef was extremely disappointing. It was tough and dry - miles behind the medium rare steak JAL serve in J and definitely not worthy of being on the menu for Qantas First. The mac & cheese tasted 'instant'.
Last but not least, I had to laugh at Neil's "salad" of baby cos, raddichio and frisee:
We got the trifle and ice cream sandwich for dessert - both were tasty but no pics, sorry.
After lunch the crew were more than happy to set up the bedding and the cabin was quite dark for the majority of the flight:
Prior to arrival I got the steak sandwich, it was decent - at least the steak was far less tough than the beef fillet main.
We landed on time, and here I am typing this from the Wing while waiting for a Cabana!
Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions, hopefully I've covered most things
Enjoy your trip on Saturday
@THR !
