Hi
@BjJames - your post prompted me to go back through some notes I made on the day of the flight last year.
I am normally a very positive person and get excited about new flight experiences, but I could only describe QF5005 (MU712) as pretty underwhelming and in my experience, poor value for a J class fare. I have heard good reports this year about MU business class flights in the past year, but this certainly was not my experience.
Flight was aboard a A330-200, delivered in 2013. Boarding was via a remote gate at Sydney airport, there were no separate buses for business class passengers and no priority boarding.
Seats were in a 1-2-1 configuration but felt very dated and plain. I sat in a window seat, and opposite me sat a staff member (who I worked out was either an off duty pilot or off duty security guard)- more about him later. The same plane was used for both the SYD-HGH and HGH-PEK sectors.
After boarding a nondescript coloured non-alcoholic drink was served. There were no other choices. The staff member could not explain what it was.
After boarding, they showed a safety demonstration video. This was not viewable in business class, as the monitors on the seats (attached to the seats in front) had to be stowed for take off and landing. While the safety video with its barely audible soundtrack was playing, a flight attendant came through the cabin to take orders for meals. She had one copy of a menu (which seemed quite extensive) and wouldn't leave it with me, showing me the only 2 items from the menu were available. When I enquired about any other items I was curtly told "meiyou".
Interestingly, she took orders for both the 1st and 2nd meals at the same time, and wanted to take drinks orders for both meals at the same time. She seemed a bit taken aback that I wanted to choose the drink to go with my 2nd meal at the time of the second meal, rather than before takeoff. 2 meals were served between SYD-HGH, and 1 meal between HGH-PEK.
Some notes about the flight:
- The Gin and Tonic I ordered was served at room temperature, no refill offered
- Meals were quite poor quality in taste and presentation for Business Class
- Off duty staff member across aisle from me never wore his seatbelt during the flight, continued sending wechat messages from his phone throughout the takeoff roll, came back to his seat stinking of cigarette smoke several times during the flight having been up to the front of the plane.
- The layflat bed was functional but not particularly comfortable
- The IFE selection was quite limited
- The supplied headphones were poor quality, and were collected 30 minutes before landing. You could not use your own headphones at this time as the crew told you to put them away.
- There was free (Chinese) wi-fi throughout the flight which worked OK.
View attachment 193807
Gin and Tonic
View attachment 193808
Salad to start 1st meal
View attachment 193809
Second meal. Choices were "Prawns or Tofu"
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Meal from Hangzhou to Beijing
The changeover at Hangzhou was very simple. All continuing passengers were taken to a small immigration desk (serving only this flight) for entry into China (note there was only manual entry, so even if you have access to E-Channel you still have a manual desk and red stamp at this checkpoint), and then a security checkpoint and a holding room. The room has toilets and hot water but no other facilities such as shops. There is no access into the main departure areas of the terminal. Passengers in Business Class and high status MU travellers had access into a small VIP room, which had some wrapped snacks and cold drinks available from fridges (see photo below). There was no risk of missing the onward flight as it is the same plane and all the passengers are kept together.
View attachment 193810
VIP Lounge in holding area at Hangzhou Airport
You only do immigration at Hangzhou, and don't access your checked luggage. Some domestic passengers joined the flight at Hangzhou, but upon arrival into Beijing the plane parks at a remote stand and passengers transferred by different buses to the terminal. Domestic passengers originating from Hangzhou are taken to the domestic arrivals and domestic luggage claim, while passengers from Sydney are bussed to the international arrivals and international luggage claim, being discharged right into the luggage claim area to pick up bags and then go through quarantine inspection, before exiting the terminal.
I enjoyed trying business class on a different airline, but would not choose to fly MU for long haul international services again and wouldn't recommend it to a friend, based on my experience. Even though I travel frequently, I still like to enjoy a flight and there was nothing particularly fun or enjoyable about this one.
As I mentioned earlier, I have seen some video reviews of MU J Class this year that are quite positive, but I did not find that to be the case. In future I would avoid this codeshare and stick with the QF service, or fly on CX via Hong Kong.
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OT but your experience with off duty staff reminds me of a JQ flight MEL/SIN.
Off duty cabin crew member on her phone from pushback, even during the PA requesting phone be switched to flight mode. She finally stopped texting after takeoff.
Once the seatbelt sign was extinguished I went to the toilet. On the way back to my see, saw her raid the galley carts stuffing (booze) miniatures into sick bags. Filled about three bags.
