Part V: Back to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific – Lovely ride on CX 288 on a beautiful Airbus A350-1000
Before talking about the flight itself, I want to get a topic out of the way. I choose to write about this segment on a separate thread because going to Hong Kong now is an ordeal. There is no other way to describe it. It is an ordeal and I will argue some parts of it are necessary but many parts are also unnecessary. However, I just want to share my thoughts on who should and who should not return to Hong Kong. Honestly the process is as streamlined and as efficient as it can be and Hong Kong is still good in it, but the process is just cumbersome to begin with. Therefore the streamlining can only make the process less painful to certain extent. (I presume that most who want to come to Hong Kong are dual citizens or have families and friends here!) If you are under the following categories, you should not even THINK about coming or returning to Hong Kong.
1. Disabled, Elderly, or Mobility limited – you can’t walk long distance or stand for a long period of time. There is a lot of walking, as those who have been to Hong Kong Airport. All the Covid-19 tests and document checks take place in the midfield concourse, so your first hurdle is to get to the train station. It might be a long walk from your assigned gate. Then once you get to the midfield concourse, you basically walk around the whole concourse in one circle. Even if you choose a wheelchair service (please tip those ladies BTW!), it is a lot of waiting. I will not recommend any of my elderly relatives or those with children especially infants to come to Hong Kong. Just dealing with the three to four hours at HKG is stressful.
2. If you value your privacy or hesitate to provide any information to government, just forget it. Airlines will keep records of your vaccination and you have to basically surrender every information to all these agencies along the way.
3. If you are traveling with a budget, the trip is expensive. 14 days hotel quarantine is not cheap, not to mention you really need additional money for you to use if your schedule gets changed. You have to be prepared to buy a last minute ticket or change your quarantine hotel (most are non-refundable too). Getting refunds from airlines is possible but you are most likely not going to see the money for weeks, if not months. All airlines are facing staff shortage and giving you a refund even if they cancel on you is somehow not their priority.
Anyway, this is just my personal opinions, but give it some thoughts before planning a trip back to Hong Kong. If you are a foreigner, Hong Kong will not be reopening in 2022. Transit is okay and there are transit passnegers on my flight from Frankfurt. The procedures are the same as before, but just be mindful about that suspension rules. Even Cathay Pacific can be affected. Some of their routes have been suspended before too. I only hope that some of these stupid rules can be somewhat relax after Winter Olympics next year. But mandatory quarantine hotel stays will remain the reality, no matter how there is little medical evidence on its usefulness. Zero local case is the goal of the city so just think about the implication.
Back to the flight itself, Cathay Pacific still offers a $3000Euro roundtrip on this really last-minute business class ticket, so I am thankful about it. So far, I am surviving the quarantine here so I am definitely going to use the return earlier next year, unless there is a new variant. I will keep m fingers crossed. The flight was busy but there were still a few window seats for me to pick. I was lucky to get 15K. Cathay Pacific is also really good in sending reminders on various rules about entry into Hong Kong. They might go a bit overboard but I feel that it is necessary. Cathay Pacific sends out a reminder the day before that the counter will open four hours prior to departure and you are urged to come early because of various document checks that will take a long period of time, but of course, they also do not remind you that there is no lounge access for premium and elite passengers too in Frankfurt airport.
October 23, 2021; Saturday
CX 288 FRA-HKG Lv1345 Arr0650+1 Airbus A350-1000 B-LXM
Photo link: https://photobucket.com/u/Carfield76/a/ ... 532faec064
Check-in took place at desks 917 to 920 at terminal two, and as noted by CX, check-in was opened four hours prior to departure. There was already a queue when I arrived around 9:30am. There were three different queues – one for transit passengers, one for business class/MPC/OW Emerald & Sapphire, and one for premium economy and economy passengers. It is actually a smart setup because transit passengers deal with very different quarantine rules that are less cumbersome than Hong Kong government. Most transit passengers got checked in much quicker. For the folks to Hong Kong, there were two staffs (one additional staff when s/he was not assisting with transit passengers), who basically checked your documents, scanned them and uploaded them to their iPad. I started my journey here in Frankfurt so I used the agency that CX German site recommended. Even some of the ICAO certification documents provided by them are not 100% accurate and the agent was ready with a new certification letter, which the officials in Hong Kong would check later on arrival. The whole process took a while but it was not as bad as I thought. You just need to be prepared and I recommend a print copy of everything including hotel reservations, test results and vaccination records. It is just easier for everyone, and make the check-in less painful.
Interestingly the staffs never checked if passengers fill out this Health & Quarantine Information Declaration!
https://hdf.chp.gov.hk/dhehd/hdf-hkia.jsp?lang=en-us
While you can fill it out after arrival, it will save you much time if you fill it out on your mobile phone prior to departure and have the QR code ready. I recommend you taking a screenshot of the QR code page so you don’t need to worry about connecting to WIFI on arrival.
After going through the document check, you are checked in normally by the agent. Bags were weighed and tagged, and boarding pass was given out. Of course the half-hearted apology that CX did not arrange with anyone to provide lounge for premium class passengers. Since it was still early, I headed to the food court for a second breakfast with McDonald. Thankfully the observation deck opened at 11am and it was free now. I spent some time there before heading to the secure area.
Terminal Two Departures
Observation Deck:
Terminal Two has a different system than Terminal One. All the security checks took place prior to your cluster of gates, but you still need to go through immigration, which was busy this afternoon. Terminal Two really did not have much to offer in terms of restaurants and shops. There is a giant duty-free shop, along with a Starbucks and a café. There are various lounges but half of them are closed. I found a Priority-Pass lounge opened though near gate E2. I think it is called the Prime Class lounge, and both China Airlines and Saudia are using that lounge for its business class passengers. There are mostly packaged food products, along with soup and breads. It was nothing fancy but is good enough for a snack. The agent was surprised that Cathay Pacific did not offer a proper lounge for its business class passengers.
Boarding:
The agent told me that they would start boarding early at 12:45pm and asked me to plan accordingly. Of course it was not the truth. Boarding did not begin till 1:05pm.
Tricia, the purser was already at the entrance welcoming everyone onboard. It was actually my first-time flying Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A350-1000 and the cabin looks smarter than the shorter Airbus A350-900. I really like the cabin.
In terms of amenities, things really do not change much for Cathay Pacific. The new Bamford amenity kit and a bottle of water was already at the cupboard along with the typical noise-canceling headsets. Then there is a menu and a CX care kit with a surgical mask and two disinfectant towelettes. A pair of slippers and the Bamford Bedding kit was placed at the stool area. So other than the additional care kit and the lack of “Discovery” magazine, everything is the same as before.
Menu and wine list and breakfast card
No alcohol was offered but pre-takeoff beverage of water and juices were offered in real glassware. I saw a passenger even ordering some popcorns, and they were accommodated. Basically the Covid-19 protocol has relaxed a bit. The flight attendants are wearing masks, even the plastic shield glasses and gloves, but no one was wearing the full PPEs. The only F/A who wore a PPE during my whole trip was this roundtrip on Air Canada flight between Vancouver and Calgary. The F/A wore a simple PPE – basically a disposable cloth covering, during the meal service.
Of course I switched on the tail camera immediately. Boeing please take note for your 777-8/9.
The flight was not too busy, as expected. Boarding was completed within thirty minutes, and door was closed at 1:40pm. We pushed back ten minutes later, and despite being so close to the main runway, we needed to wait for our turn.
I didn’t mind the wait at all.
We finally took off from R/W25C at 2:08pm for our ten hours and twenty-four minutes flight to Hong Kong.
R/W25R in the background
Our routing this afternoon took us over Germany at 37,000ft before passing Eastern Europe into Russia. We climbed to 39,000ft before passing Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport. Then we continue to wards Pirogovskiy, Chernogolovka, Bogorodsk, Bugulma airport, Balkhash airport, Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan, and then we climbed to 41,100ft before entering the Chinese Airspace. We passed Xinjiang, Golmud airport, Mianyang, Zhonjiang, Guiyang Airport, Zhaoqing, Jiangmen, and over Macau before turning towards Hong Kong airport.
For entertainment, the usual AVOD lineup along with Live TV are available, along with WIFI. The flight pass costs $19.95, which is reasonable, so I purchase one pass. The speed was okay for an inflight WIFI. While I did not conduct any speed test, I was able to browse basic internet, upload a few pictures at Instagram (but I could not read all the stories), and track my own plane on flightradar24 app.
Onboard service really did not change much except the flight attendants took all the meal orders through their IPad. The main meal service was simplified with both the starter and main course served together. Main course was plated individually in the galley again. However, the size of the meals was on the small side and I really need all the courses to fill me up. Indeed portion size is a problem even prior to Covid-19 with the new CX business class service anyway, especially compared to my Condor’s flight the day before.
Beverage service was offered within thirty minutes after takeoff. My choice was Perrier, and a bowl of warmed nuts was served with your choice of drinks.
Wine list transcript:
Champagne
Deutz Brut Classic, Champagne, France, NV
White Wines
Domaine Chene Macon La Roche-Vineuse ‘Prestige’, Burgundy, France, 2018
Chateau Ste Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eorica Riesling, Columbia Valley, USA, 2017
Red Wines
Chateau Tanesse, Cadillac Cotes-de-Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2016
Castle Rock Winery Mendocino County Pinot Noir, California, USA, 2018
Dessert Wine
Penfolds Club Reserve Aged Tawny, South Australia, Australia, NV
Lunch was then served and the service was only slightly modified now. Linen service was back.
Lunch Transcript:
To Start
*White zucchini soup with croutons and fresh herbs
Antipasti plate
Prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes, olives, grilled zucchini and artichokes
Mains
*Grilled eggplant involtini rolls
Pumpkin quinoa, tomato sauce
Shrimp wonton noodle soup with Shanghainess pak choy
Baked salmon with harissa
Broccolini, cherry tomatoes, pepper and lentil couscous
Braised chicken with mushrooms and bamboo shoots in oyster sauce
Choy Sum and steamed Jasmine rice
Oven roasted pork with red cabbage
Brussels sprouts with pancetta and German potato dumplings
Cheese
Brie, Manchego and Roquefort
Crackers, green grapes and quince paste
Dessert
Seasonal fresh fruit
Chocolate Mousse with strawberries
Passion fruit cheesecake with raspberry and mango
Selection of Ice Cream Movenpick
Despite two starters are listed on the menu, everyone was served the antipasto plate, which was on the small side for sure. I presume you can request the soup especially if you are a vegetarian. For main course, I went with the roast pork, since it was a German dish and I was flying out from Frankfurt. The dish was alright and I finish the dish.
For dessert, I chose both the cheese and fruit plate. The flight attendants had no issues serving me both. Honestly, I can ask for desserts too. Given how small the meals are, the flight attendants are no longer surprised on how many courses people eat now.
The usual tea/coffee service and pralines were offered after lunch (maybe dinner)…
Beautiful Sunset
More bottled waters were passed out after dinner – leftover from a recent UK flights for sure
Bedding was back and I made my own bed before turning in for the night. It would be a long morning in HK later so I better got some rest first.
Knowing how small breakfast was, I made sure that I woke up early enough to order a snack. I woke up after three hours sleep and here is the snack menu.
All day Available on request throughout your flight
*Grilled eggplant involtini rolls
Pumpkin quinoa, tomato sauce
Shrimp wonton noodle soup with Shanghainess pak choy
Classic beef burger
Emmental cheese, bacon, pickled onions and zucchini on a toasted brioche bun with fries
Galley snacks
Ice cream Movenpick, caramel popcorn Garrett, and other sweet and savory nibbles, available in the galley
I chose the burger, since it was the most filling dish. The burger was as good as I remembered and no wonder it was popular.
After the burger, Tricia asked if I needed more food, and I told her that I was fine. I went back to sleep till the F/A came around taking our breakfast order about two hours prior to arrival. Breakfast cards were issued but we were never asking to fill it out and return. I presume that it was some Covid-19 protocol or they prefer taking orders through iPad anyway.
Breakfast
Pre-order using the enclosed card – your breakfast will be served two hours before landing
Wellness Breakfast
Seasonal fresh fruit and warm pastry selection
Strawberry superfood bowl with chia seeds, goji berries and raspberries
Lighter Breakfast
Seasonal fresh fruit and warm pastry selection
Poached egg with goat’s cheese and guacamole on rye toast
Chinese Breakfast
Seasonal fresh fruit
Sliced beef and mushroom congee
Stir fried egg noodles with vegetables
Western Breakfast
Seasonal fresh fruit and warm pastry selection
Tomato and cheddar omelette, crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, potato roesti
Express Breakfast
For a quick, light breakfast, enjoy a warm pastry with your choice of beverage
Out of the list, the only filling breakfast option was the Western Breakfast, and in the old days, I may ask for a second breakfast and more breads. I was grateful that two pastries – croissant and cinnamon roll – were offered. I avoid these pastries now but knowing the road ahead of me, I ate everything served to me. The breakfast was quite nice and everything was fresh and tasty. I love the cinnamon roll and appreciate that it is not super sweet.
Hot lemon tea after breakfast
Descent began at 5:48am and we made our way to Hong Kong International Airport.
We landed on R/W7R at 6:32am.
I just love the tail camera.
Then we slowly taxied towards gate 63 for another “journey”!
Finnair A350 Next Door
Goodbye B-LXM and thanks for the lovely journey!
As I said earlier, the flight to Hong Kong itself was only part of the journey. I will remind everyone coming to Hong Kong to make sure that you wake up for the pre-arrival meal because you will need to spend another hour or so running around. Surely there are snacks – sandwiches, cookies, and bottled waters – offered, but you need to go through all these tests and checks before getting to that point. So eat up, pack a snack, and bring a bottle of water or refill you water bottle prior to landing.
I did not take pictures any of these checkpoints, as they are forbidden. And there were couple checkpoints that you need to go through. I will just roughly describe them based on my memory and notes. However, these procedures can easily change overnight and even the instruction provided at some of the checkpoints were incorrect. So just use it as a reference! It is good as of October 24, 2021.
Deplaning is the same as usual and there are staffs waiting for transit passengers. If you transit through Hong Kong, you go through the usual procedure and now you just need to walk further to an opening security checkpoint. There are plenty of staffs directing you. I am sure that you are no longer allowed to travel on separate tickets, as all the transit desk check-in desks seem to be closed. For arriving passengers, you are directed to the People’s mover stop towards the Midfield Concourse. There is a staff directing you to various cars, as they are counting numbers. They will not fill the train up like before. They are pretty good in keeping social distance between passengers, especially there are plenty of flights arriving at the morning hours. Sunday mornings are fairly busy for Hong Kong now.
After you reach the Midfield Concourse, you are directed to your first checkpoint, which is to make sure that you have filled out the health & quarantine information declaration. They will scan your QR code and then send you to the next checkpoints. If you did not fill out the form, there are booths in the side so you can fill them out. Then they will continue to check your QR code until you get your quarantine order. The next stop is to verify your personal information, scan your QR code, and give you a tag with a barcode and sending you to the Covid-19 test sites. They are no longer doing the deep throat salvia test, but a real PCR test with a nose and mouth swap is now conducted. The test itself was quick and the nurses were very familiar with the procedures now. They were pretty friendly and even chatty to make you less nervous. Then you are sent to the next checkpoint, which is to make sure that your phones are working. Yes, they will call you on the spot, and of course AT&T decides to flake on me, but a what’s app call is acceptable too. Some folks are struggling a bit as they rely on their family in giving them a second phone when they finish their quarantine. Their overseas phone obviously no longer works here. So please make sure that your phone has an international phone plan even for 14 or 21 days. The government needs to be able to contact you during your quarantine. Then there is of course another checkpoint, which is to check all the documents including vaccination record, test result, and quarantine hotel information. You are issued your quarantine order and the staff verifies all the information with you. Please double check all the information because this quarantine order is important for the next 21 days. All the tests they conducted are linked to this order. It took a while but no one was in a hurry anyway. Finally you are done with all formalities and now walking towards the other end of the concourse, which rows of desks and chairs were set up, as everyone wait for his or her test results. Yes, even the crews have to wait. Here is also the point of your journey that the government finally offers some some refreshment. They have sandwiches – ham & cheese, tuna, or vegetarian, cookies (Ritz lemon sandwich cookies), and bottled waters available. I was told that you could get seconds if you really want to. Each passenger was assigned a particular seat in a particular gate, and they are assigned based on your flight. You are not going to mix with passengers from other flights. There was a garbage bag at each desk and you have to put your own garbage in your trash bag. You just tie them up and leave them at the table, when your flight is clear. There are toilet facilities, as well as charging points for your devices at each gate. But you are not allowed to walk around. So be prepared! I pack my own snacks and my devices are fully charged, so I am good for a few hours. I think all our results came back within two hours. Then you are sent back to the main terminal. Instead of scanning QR code, they scanned your quarantine order now. Please keep them out, as they scanned them every point up to checking in to your quarantine hotel.
You went through the usual passport checks, and then picked up your bags from the baggage claim. It was clear that all the bags were already delivered and you just picked them up form the side. Remember to choose a bright color suitcase so you can find them easier. Then you passed custom and send to the bus depots. There was another checkpoint so they could double check the name of your quarantine hotel and send you to the right bus/van. If you are staying at the Regal Airport Hotel right at the airport, you are sent to a corridor and walk towards your own hotel. A staff still has to escort you though. You are not allowed to be out of sight after you receive your quarantine order. For the rest of us, you wait for your van. I chose the Four Points by Sheraton in Tung Chung because I want a room with an airport view to keep me occupied and it was also a short van ride. As I said earlier, a staff was assigned to each van with a list of passengers. You basically dropped off your bags before boarding your bus, as they need to “disinfect” your bags. The staffs will carry the bags to the van for you. The bus is socially distanced too and even couple cannot sit together. You have to sit at your own pair of seats! I honestly don’t mind. Then you are finally sent to your hotel and your order was scanned again at entrance so they know you are officially checked in at the hotel.
I sincerely hope this whole arrival description makes sense to you, but at least it gives you a rough idea on what to expect. I am sure that I mess up something but you get the idea. My goal is to at least provide everyone some useful information, and it will help you decide on whether to travel if you are based in Hong Kong, or if you are an overseas Hong Kong resident, it will help you to decide if it is worthwhile to return to Hong Kong for the upcoming holidays. I am fine with it and indeed am planning my next trip in February. However, I will go a big longer now after knowing what to expect and how to prepare. I hope you enjoy this series! It feels good to write about flights again.
I sincerely hope that 2022 will be a better year for everyone! Stay Safe! Get Vaccinated! Stay Aviation Tough!
Most importantly, I just want to thank all the cockpit and cabin crews on all my flights because it has been a tough year for everyone working in the aviation industry. I really want to send my best regard to the Cathay Pacific’s crews, who truly work at some of the most unbelievable hostile environments. They basically worked nonstop for 21 days with various flights. They are not allowed to go anywhere during layovers, and when they finally finish their month-long duties, they have to quarantined another 14 days at a hotel. Then they are under medical surveillance for an additional seven day with at least one more Covid-19 test. Then you only have seven days truly off, and the whole cycle begins again. So I really have to send their CX crews my best regards.
Carfield