Why Oh Why

[Pushka]

Pretty sure we had BC HKG-SYD 6 months ago.

Don'tcha just wish you could zoom back 6 months when life was simpler?

 

[rogerkambah]

Don'tcha just wish you could zoom back 6 months when life was simpler?

Time flys when you're on drugs. Just realised we were actually sipping BC in May last year, so 8 months ago, and not so well even then. I was feeling pretty rats#%t pre-op 6 months ago in July. More anxiety at that time. I'd need to go back another year before that.

 

[love_the_life]

Time flys when you're on drugs. Just realised we were actually sipping BC in May last year, so 8 months ago, and not so well even then. I was feeling pretty rats#%t pre-op 6 months ago in July. More anxiety at that time. I'd need to go back another year before that.

So just keep taking them and maybe the time will fly till you are well and up to travelling again!

 

[RooFlyer]

TPE-HKG CX A340

CX do priority boarding well and we were onboard quickly. This was my first A340 and I was pretty excited about it. The seats are interesting; a similar setup to Air NZ in that they face into the aisle
View attachment 87909 <snip>

Then again I rather like the new QF A333 J seats as I easily reach the footrest and hate the old CX J coffins as my feet reach the aisle.

Don't like the look of that config - yes, reminded me of the old CX 'coffins' which I thought were long gone. No 'give' in elbow room, and, as you found out, v difficult to look out!

With my rather meh experience with CX last month, I'm less and less inclined to go with them in future.

 

[blackcat20]

Don't like the look of that config - yes, reminded me of the old CX 'coffins' which I thought were long gone. No 'give' in elbow room, and, as you found out, v difficult to look out!

With my rather meh experience with CX last month, I'm less and less inclined to go with them in future.

I found he space quite adequate. Just awkward to look out the window. Though it was only 1.5hours, a longer flight may be different.

Hopefully they have the BC when we do HKG-MEL later this year on the A350. It's definitely not my favourite but I'd prefer it over the alternative.

 

[Pushka]

Time flys when you're on drugs. Just realised we were actually sipping BC in May last year, so 8 months ago, and not so well even then. I was feeling pretty rats#%t pre-op 6 months ago in July. More anxiety at that time. I'd need to go back another year before that.

I remember then. You stopped drinking alcohol and you were having strange symptoms.

 

[RooFlyer]

I found he space quite adequate. Just awkward to look out the window. Though it was only 1.5hours, a longer flight may be different. <snip>.

But your figure is better than mine!! I'm doing PPT-AKL-MEL on ANZ in a couple of months; originally in whY, I upgraded to J because the first sector was a 7hr red-eye (2AM departure!) and the last 2 sectors of a holiday (which is in J all the rest), and I didn't want to end the trip on a downer. I've now checked out the ANZ B787-9 J config and hope I've made the right decision.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up and a great TR, as ever

 

[njba]

We've made it to HKG. QF flight was very pleasant; we got some J champers before departure which was lovely. Row 32 was fantastic and I actually managed a nice nap.

Forgot to take a photo of the main (beef cheeks and mash), but there was a golzeme as a prelanding snack.

I'm booked to do that very same trip in April and am looking forward to trying row 32 (should the upgrade not work out)! The menu looks okay, too.

 

[blackcat20]

Oh Singapore.

We headed to the QF lounge as neither of us had been before. Boy is it disappointing after the HKG lounge! As said in another thread, it is rather pub-like: low ceilings, dim, crowded and noisy. I got a nice coughtail from the bar (apparently they only one they were making) but didnt bother with the food. Seating was hard to come by as singles and pairs occupied sections of four seats. The only bit I did like was the bathroom.

With not long till boarding we decided to pop into the BA lounge. This place is quiet relief after the QF lounge. Food looked meg, and the drink selection (self service) was decent, however no bubbles to be seen. But if you ask the lounge attendent for champagne, it will be provided (though I have no idea what it actually was).

Boarding time was nearing so we headed to the gate given the at-gate screening. Priority line seemed good, except the guy guarding the merge held us up to let all the plebs through first.... :shock: And then there was the line in the airbridge....but thank goodness J get to board through F so we were able to skip right along past everyone else...

 

[Pushka]

Priority line seemed good, except the guy guarding the merge held us up to let all the plebs through first.... :shock:

Oh - that happened with us too on Monday. Three people in the priority queue and just a couple of groups in the usual queue and they approached and went through first! What was the point?

 

[blackcat20]

Oh - that happened with us too on Monday. Three people in the priority queue and just a couple of groups in the usual queue and they approached and went through first! What was the point?

Plus he insisted on checking our passports, which had just been done by someone at the entrance to the priority line. TV handed him both, he checks mine, then looks at me with a "wheres your passport?". Ridiculous.

 

[Pushka]

Plus he insisted on checking our passports, which had just been done by someone at the entrance to the priority line. TV handed him both, he checks mine, then looks at me with a "wheres your passport?". Ridiculous.

MrP did comment as we started the scanning process - 'what exactly was he doing there'. Maybe he was a random 'wanna be'

 

[blackcat20]

BA15 SIN-SYD 777

I was excited about this one; my first chance to travel backwards. I always sit backwards on trams and trains so I was interested to see what this would be like. We had a window/aisle pair so that we could chat through the partition but it did mean I had to step over some random blokes feet to get to the aisle.


Our FA was a lovely friendly young woman who bought around pre-departure drinks and a small amenity kit.



Being 8pm and this third flight for the day, we were keen to get through dinner and try to grab some sleep. I loved the backwards takeoff and we were quickly on our way.

 

[blackcat20]

The menu





I was quite over sparkling/champagne at this point so elected for a G&T.

 

[blackcat20]

Dinner device started about an hour into the flight and took a little too long for those of us that were exhausted.
Starter


Then steak for the main. A tad overcooked but not terrible for an onboard meal.


At this point TV got rid of his tray and went to sleep. My body really wanted to do the same but Eton mess for dessert was far too tempting. Unfortunately what was presented as 'Eton mess' bore no resemblance to what I thought it should have been. For some reason I did not take a photo, but what came out was a piece of cake wth some fruit in it. Here I was thinking Eton mess was meringue, cream and fruit smashed up in a glass

So I waved down an FA, palmed off my tray and settled in for four-five hours sleep.

 

[blackcat20]

Apparently I had a glass of red with the steak but I have no recollection of which one, only that I didn't drink it all.

 

[Pushka]

Eton mess is definitely a mess of pavlova and cream and hopefully strawberries. Certainly not a cake dish.

The delay in serving dinner on a night flight and my need for sleep means that I skip dinner. Hoping the lounge food is good. That was the issue for me in Singapore recently with such a short night flight.

Oh well. Next international starts at MEL F lounge and return starts in Dubai F lounge. I shall not go hungry or thirsty.

 

[blackcat20]

Eton mess is definitely a mess of pavlova and cream and hopefully strawberries. Certainly not a cake dish.

The delay in serving dinner on a night flight and my need for sleep means that I skip dinner. Hoping the lounge food is good. That was the issue for me in Singapore recently with such a short night flight.

Oh well. Next international starts at MEL F lounge and return starts in Dubai F lounge. I shall not go hungry or thirsty.

In hindsight I should have eaten in the lounge, but was still full from the previous flight and the food wasnt that appealing....

Three flights in a row, all with meals, plus the noodles at lounges in between meant I certainly wasnt starving

 

[blackcat20]

About 90 minutes out of Sydney I woke up and figured I'd stay awake for breakfast. The views out the window as sunrise approached were spectacular.



No photo of breakfast but t was a rather boring bacon egg roll, and only half of one at that! Croissant and fruit and a good cuppa.

Then we were coming into Sydney on a rather gloomy day.


Arrivals was rather quick; we were right near the front so straight through immigration and customs. Priority bags worked well once again. But the line for transfers! Our bags were only tagged to Sydney so we had to get that sorted before joining the long line for the bus. But within an hour we were settled in the J lounge waiting for the last leg to Melbourne.

 

[blackcat20]

So Sydney. The end was almost in sight thank goodness. We found a nice spot in the J lounge to wait out the last hour before the last flight. TV had ordered the coffees when we were on the transfer bus and they were ready right as we arrived. Plus some fresh scrambled eggs and we were sorted.

Then someone came around with baked ricotta plates which were delicious. I thought I had photographed it but seems I did not.

A few minutes before boarding time was scheduled I suggested we head to the gate, and glimpsed the flight board showing 'final call'. That was a little bit of a worry! So we hightailed it to the gate where not a single pax was to be seen and the board showed 'flight closed'. We were pretty much the last on board despite it only just being boarding time!



I settled into my seat and was greeted by a lovely FA and served a pre-departure juice. This crew was already coming across as the best A330 J crew we'd had; our previous two experiences had been more than disappointing.