T RIED AND TE ST E D FL IGHT
and an amenity kit were distributed, consisting of an eye mask, socks, dental kit, earplugs and L’Occitane hand cream and lip balm. My order for lunch was taken when my
lemon tea and nuts were delivered. Hong Kong Airlines has introduced
charming new tableware designs in business class, with the dishes representing various parts of the Bauhinia flower and the salt and pepper shakers (which passengers are encouraged to take home) resembling dim sum. The menu has also incorporated lots of home references. The lunch starter was impressive: abalone celeriac mousse tart and sliced lobster with lemon chimichurri sauce and a side salad. A Chinese bean curd, ginkgo and diced pork soup followed, which was an unusual bonus. Main courses included a vegetarian, beef and chicken options. I chose the chicken breast stuffed with peppadew pepper and mozzarella in demi- glace sauce, with roasted sweet potatoes and seasonal vegetables – a colourful dish that tasted great. My meal finished with a chocolate cake.
After lunch, the cabin lights dimmed
and changed to a purple colour tone, so I reclined into the fully flat bed to get some sleep. It is generously long – I am 190cm (6’ 2”) tall and still had room to spare when lying down. The armrest has also been built wider, which is useful during the flight, and the space between the semi-open footwell was partially blocked with a cushion, thus preventing my foot from falling into the gap when sleeping. I slept very well for around six hours. I woke up because of turbulence. The
attentive crew asked if I wanted a mid-flight snack – a vegetarian brioche sandwich with pepper jack cheese and mixed vegetable, assorted Chinese dim sum or a cheese plate. I ordered the dim sum, consisting of sticky rice and a rice noodle roll, which was a good option. Each passenger is granted 15 minutes of
wifi access for free; after that the charges are: US$4.95 for 20MB of data, US$8.95 for a one-hour pass or US$18.95 for a full-flight pass. I purchased the full-flight package and considered it good value for 15 hours. There were no problems with sending messages or doing emails, though sending photos was a bit slow. I also spent some time navigating the IFE
system, which was smooth and responsive with a wide range of movies, music and TV
programme options, plus live broadcasts of CNN, BBC World News and Sports24. Passengers can also experience take-off and landing from different aircraft camera view points. The cabin lights came on two hours
before landing for the refreshment service. The starter comprised of fresh fruit while the main course was either beef lasagne with herb marinara and chive alfredo sauce or roasted BBQ pork in Chinese five spice sauce with steamed rice, a fried egg and seasonal vegetables. I chose the BBQ pork, but felt it could have benefited from more sauce. The meal was completed with cheesecake and cassis mousse.
77
A RRIVA L A crew member came to each passenger to say thank you and goodbye before the flight started its descent at 1800, which was a nice personal touch. We landed smoothly at 1830. Immigration was not busy and it didn’t take much time to collect my priority luggage and clear customs.
VERDIC T The 15-hour journey flew by. I enjoyed the comfortable lie-flat bed to rest, and had plenty of time to do some work on a firm table with strong wifi connectivity. I also appreciated the excellent service as the cabin crew took care of me and made me feel at home during the flight. Valerian Ho
bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om
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