This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
This trip was originally booked in June 2005. Dean had an invite to attend a trade show there, so we considered it for about a minute and decided to look at how much it would cost. It also turned out that the show was the weekend before the Lesbian & Gay Mardi Gras which was perfect timing.
Dean was due a Flying Club Mastercard Companion ticket so a call to Premier team revealed that there was indeed availability for a J and G fare on the dates we were looking at, infact perfect days - flying out non-stop and with a five day stop-over on the return. They were even good enough to hold the seats for us until the end of the month when Dean's Companion Voucher credited to his FC account. This J with Companion fare, when split between the two of us turned out to be cheaper then two Z fares on the same flights, so for less money we got a CDC and Drive-Thru Check-In which neither of us have used before because we never buy full fare tickets, and after many months hope and crossing of fingers and praying to the Frequent Flyer Gods we were very pleased with the announcement of triple-miles. Which works out at a bonus of 84,000 miles!! Definately helped to justify the incredible expense committed to for the cost of the flights.
And so the countdown timers progressed from 180 days to 1 week to 1 day very quickly. The first leg of the flight (LHR-SYD) left at 9:30pm, Premier Team suggested booking the Car for 4:00pm. We considered this advice and booked the car for 1:00pm. We wanted plenty of time to make full use of all the facilities in the Clubhouse.
By 11:00am bags packed, documents checked, house prepared, time for a bite of lunch and then to wait for the car. Needless to say we were very excited, this was our first trip to Sydney, my first trip going East, our longest Upper Class flight and of course our first experience of a Limo service. By 12:50pm we noticed a rather nice looking Volvo Saloon parked outside in the snow. The day we leave to go on holiday in 25oC plus temperatures it's snowing!
It was so fabulous to have a car take us down to the airport, really nice smooth drive - even when we nearly missed a few junctions. Our driver had some fabulous stories, mostly about American passengers. For example she always tells her passengers that it is a requirement of the Limo service that when you get to the lounge the first thing you must do is have a glass of Champaign to toast the driver. Apparently several American passengers have arrived in the Clubhouse very concerned about what to do and seek advice from the staff as they don't like Champaign. I won't even start with the Heathrow Alps.
Arrived at Heathrow in plenty of time up to drive-thru check-in. We sat in the car, the driver takes the bags out and lines them next to the car and you give your passport and travel documents to a member of staff. They ask a few security questions, dissappear inside to do the check-in while you sit in the car with people passing you going into the carpark. Once completed you are driven through to the carpark to be dropped off by the little bridge that you walk across which comes out right next to Fast-Track security to go through airside.
By the time we arrived in the Clubhouse we had approximately five hours until boarding. First order of the day, a glass of bubbly and a toast to the driver. Have to say it was rather full when we arrived, the sooner they can open Phase II the better - it really is suffering a little at the moment with the lack of space. Service overall was very good, occasionally when it was busy that it took a while to get a drink.
We both had appointments booked at the Cowshed Spa - Dean a Rinestone Cowboy and me a Bronze Cow. We chilled out in the Spa Pool for 20mins before the treatments.
If having a Bronze Cow you can either have it done automatically by the St Tropex Air Tan Booth, or a therapist can do it with the spray gun. I didn't trust the machine - i've seen that episode of Friends! It was very snug in there - not too much room to maouvre. But about 25mins later I emerged all bronzed and lovely. Means i'm not going to scare the locals away when on the beach in Oz now.
We both returned to the lounge area and headed up for a seat by the Deli to eat. A small starter from the Deli counter which was delish, it was hard to convince the staff that I didn't want anymore. They kept offering me things - no i was happy with my Pate, bread and small salad. 'No really I don't want anything else.' Then to sample something from the menu - Shepards Pie for me, wow! Absolutely delicious, really tasty and scrummy. A definite nomination for inflight dining.
Then we had about half an hour or so to wait for boarding to commence. We wandered down to the gate before it was called in the lounge, but by the sudden influx of pax I think it was only by a few minutes. Priority boarding clearly marked and we boarded very quickly and easily.
This was my first time in an Airbus, and I wasn't sure about it looking at pictures and the seatmaps - the three across configuration. We were on G-VBLU Soul Sister, one of the newest 340-600's in the fleet being Airborn the previous month. I have to say I very quickly decided I loved the cabin, nice finishing touches, the overhead bin layout gave a very nice open cabin atmosphere, nice lighting etc. Being so new no scuffing or marks on the suites and also the new pop-up tables which are a definate improvement. Only thing with them is that they can be a bit of hard work to put back down if you accidently push the table release button.
As soon as I had my back turned Gershwin was getting ideas, he had a great idea about setting up the first In-Flight Red Light District. I just rolled my eyes, he's can be such a slut. Mind you he didn't get any action though so he quickly gave up and went to sleep dreaming of the sites of Sydney.
The one thing I couldn't work out about the plane. Flights have been non-smoking since, well since before I started flying years ago. This plane came into service this year - so there is no chance that there is really ever going to be on board smoking. So why the need for ash-trays on the toilet doors and in the toilet?
Flight took off on-time, our home for the next 23hours. How depressing.
Post take-off drinks with the srummiest BBQ Prawn Crackers, had to have a few helpings of them. Because we had eaten in the Clubhouse I decided not have a meal. I wanted to get some sleep and that wouldn't work if I stuffed myself too much. I noticed I wasn't the only one doing this, but an awful lot of pax were taking up the option of the full meal.
Didn't make a note of the menu unfortunately.
I watched a bit of TV and zipped through Fantastic Four, skipping all the boring scenes. Then turned down the bed to get some sleep. There has been a comment on here by a crew member about just how quiet the engines on the 340-600's are - have to admit I was a bit sceptical. Wow! I see what they mean, the engines really are whisper quiet - I was very impressed. Now if they could just sort out the air conditioning / filtering so that it didn't make so much noise it would be absolutely perfect! Instead of using some ear-plugs used the UC Noise-Cancelling headphones, really effective at making a difference in the ambient noise, again I was most impressed. I think I then managed to doze for a few hours before waking up. I then went through a period of snoozing and waking - thinking i had been asleep for about an hour or so each time. Turns out that period lasted only about 40mins, not too impressed I decided to give in and watch some more TV. Back to seat mode and Catherine Tate was the series of choice. 'How very dare you!' Oh I love this series soo much, laughed my way though just over half of it. Great!!
Finally made it to Hong Kong. Announcements for those stopping their journey there and those who were stopping off - advice to see ground staff for guidance through to transfer security and back into departures. There was also an announcement asking those passengers travelling on to Sydney to keep their ameniety kits with them. Two gantries were used for disembarking, we got off using the rear one and followed the signs for those travelling on to Sydney. just after you leave the tunnel some ground-staff are there to check you off for the transfer and to give you your 'Catch me if you can' sticker. We then got a little lost getting through transfers, once we went through security advice on how to find the CH seemed to make no sense. Still we found it on the upper level. Were happily welcomed and shown into the lounge.
The lounge is shared with Eva Air and has its own unique style, as all CH's do. There are several distinct areas to it, the bar, the TV area, the balcony which lets you look down the huge length of HK airport - you can just about see the end. We settled in some seats just by the bar, unfortunately the Bang & Olufsen phone on the table wouldn't allow international calls. We both enjoyed a 'Clubhouse Sandwich', essentially a Club Sandwich. Very tasty with some ice crisps to munch on and glass of G&T to wash it down.
In the TV Lounge area there is also a selection of afternoon tea nibbles to help yourself to, sandwiches, cakes and pastries.
Unfortunately all too quickly it was time to board the plane again. We wandered down to the gate, just a very short walk from the CH. Priority boarding was very clearly marked and worked wonderfully well. They had two lines - one for Priority and one for Economy. The Economy queue was wound away so that those who were Priority Boarding could clearly see the signs and walk straight aboard without sniggers trying to squeeze past other pax. Loved that!
Back on board again - oh joy, just another eight hours to go. Unfortunately another night flight just to really bugger you up. After take off the IFBT distributed the Ameniety kits, if you had stopped off in HK from LHR you were given one of the smaller wallet sized Economy kits, if you started in HK you had a full UC kit. Which reminds me - is it me or have the pens in the kit shrunk? A full size pen is so much nicer.
I have to admit that this leg of the journey is really a bit of a blur to me, I just wanted to get there. Watched the rest of Catherine Tate and a few other TV shows and tried very unnsuccessfully to sleep a bit more. Can't remember what I had to eat or drink - I do however remember thinking not again. Next time we will stop off in HK, even if only for a night.
Spent some time sat at the bar chatting to pax and crew. One crew member was saying that they Sydney route is always full whenver he does it, other crew have very quiet flights but he always seems to get full ones. There was a lovely couple who were using this flight to emmigrate to Sydney! They were travelling with a small kid, who slept for most of the flight - i was jealous. They had stopped off in HK as they couldn't face doing it in one go and being Disney nuts they had to visit Disneyland.
Noticed several pax from the first flight were also on this one, it did seem that this was a bit of a Gay Express to Mardi Gras looking at the mix of pax. So don't know how much that skewed the loads.
Finally we got to Sydney, hurrah! Just before landing to satisfy Australian Quarantine laws the crew walk up and down the plane spraying an insectide throughout to try and kill any little bugs.
Nice moment once we had landed, just taxided to the gate and I think some people had done the usual thing and decided that the seat-belt sign being on doesn't actually apply to them. One of the crew made the accouncement. 'Please remain seated with seat-belts fastened until [Bing bong] oh doesn't matter.' Chucklings from up and down the plane.
Quickly off the plane, and then the only complaint about the flight. Priority baggage seemed to go out of the door, it seemed that half of economy's bags were on the carosel before a single UC bag. Having just spent 23hours in a metal tube all I wanted to do was get out of there and to my hotel - this did annoy me a bit.
Every country has one part of the arrivals process that can be scary, in America its the Immigration guys. Particularly in NYC. Well in Sydney its the Quarantine guys. Immigration very quick and easy, quarantine was a different story. Almost expected to have my bags emptied and searched looking at what they were doing to everyone else. But I was ok, my query answered and I was out though to departures where Dean had met our driver, another woman. She was great - straight to the car and then the Hotel.
Felt totally spakkered, but made it at last - now on the otherside of the world two days after leaving.
Thanks,
Mat xxx
