A Royal (dis)HHonor: Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge Hong Kong

Introduction
Aloft San Francisco Airport
Cathay Pacific Lounge San Francisco
Cathay Pacific First Class San Francisco to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to Singapore
St. Regis Singapore
Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge Singapore
SilkAir Business Class Singapore to Koh Samui
Conrad Koh Samui
Bangkok Airways Economy Class Koh Samui to Bangkok
Le Meridien Bangkok
Thai Airways Royal Silk Business Class Lounge Bangkok
Royal Jordanian Business Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to San Francisco

The feeling walking off our Royal Jordanian flight was one of the most bittersweet I’ve ever experienced. I was still in tears, probably mostly out of happiness, and couldn’t help but laugh at the same time that life wasn’t quite over year. I was walking through the terminal like a total drunk, due to a combination of my weakness and the purpose with which I walked in wanting to get to the lounge and call my family.

Transit security was quick, and we headed to the Cathay Pacific transit desk, as they weren’t able to issue our boarding passes to San Francisco when we had checked in at Bangkok Airport.

The process took a while, and I think the guy checking us in was pretty damn close to offloading me, given that I was a total mess.

After we got our new boarding passes we headed straight for Cathay Pacific’s new “Wing” lounge. The first class section had just completed renovations a week or two prior, so we were excited to check it out. At the entrance we were welcomed upon showing our invitations, and directed up the elevator.

The Wing entrance

Quick confession — I think people over hyped the old first class “Wing.” I generally don’t find OneWorld first class lounges to be exceptional, given the fact that both OneWorld Emerald and first class passengers get access to the lounges, meaning they’re a lot busier than other first class lounges.

But damn, the new “Wing” is one sexy lounge. It’s in the same area it was pre-renovation, so is “open air” and overlooks the terminal. The new furniture is really, really nice and stylish, though.

There’s plenty of seating, and there are servers roaming around offering drinks.

The Wing

There’s also a bar right by the entrance.

Bar Read More…

Posted on May 24th, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Cathay Pacific, Travel, Trip Reports | 4 Comments »

My first stay as a Hilton Diamond member is…

Over the weekend I wrote a post asking how you Hilton Diamond members approach suite upgrades. I’m a new Hilton Diamond member thanks to credit card spend on the Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Reserve Card (affiliate link), and while the rules on suite upgrades are clearly published with Hyatt and Starwood (the two chains I’m primarily loyal too), Hilton isn’t quite as straightforward. Their policy is simply that suite upgrades “may be offered” to Diamond members by the hotel. Based on the comments on that post it seems like for the most part Diamond members don’t proactively get upgraded to suites, but with a bit of begging they’ll sometimes get suite upgrades.

I’m staying at the Hilton Budapest Castle District right now, and booked one night on points and one night with cash, so I had two separate reservations. I actually only locked in the reservation a day before my arrival, and didn’t inform the hotel I had two reservations, so figured I’d have some explaining to do at check-in to have the reservations linked.

Fast forward to yesterday, when I arrived at the hotel at around 7PM.

I decided to head straight up to the club lounge for check-in, and the agent there couldn’t have been nicer. She pointed out that they noticed I had two reservations and took the liberty of linking them and blocking off the same room for me both nights. She also said that they noticed I was a new Hilton Diamond member, and thanked me for my “loyalty” (hah hah), and said they had upgraded me to a top floor suite with great views of the Danube. She then explained internet was free, the club lounge hours, and that I could choose to have breakfast in either the restaurant or club lounge.

She further proactively offered recommendations for what to see in Budapest, and said I could come back to see her any time if I wanted more suggestions.

Then waiting for me in my room was a small arrival amenity, consisting of some chocolate and fruit.

I was simply shocked. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a proactive and friendly check-in experience in my life. Ever.

As far as the room goes, it was huge and the views were amazing. This is an older hotel in the castle district and I realized it wasn’t renovated going in, so it was furnished as I had expected. If a cruise ship and 1986 had a baby, this hotel would be it, down to the towel art.

But the views…. the views… have you ever seen anything like that? Definitely ranks in the top five views I’ve ever had from a hotel room.

If all my Hilton stays were like this I’d probably just be loyal to them, given how many properties they have.

But I’m guessing this can just be chalked up to beginner’s luck, and it’ll be the last suite upgrade I see from them…

Now if you guys will excuse me, it’s almost dinner time and I’m hungary. Not that you guys have a stake in this, but any food tips? Whatever you think, just don’t give me too much of a ribbing, please.

Posted on May 23rd, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Hilton, Hotels, Travel | 42 Comments »

A Royal (dis)HHonor: Royal Jordanian Business Class Bangkok to Hong Kong

As I sit here and try to write this installment, I just can’t get any words out. It’s not that I don’t know what to say, it’s that I have so much to say and I don’t know where to begin. Truthfully this has been the most difficult trip report I’ve ever written, simply because with every installment I’ve had flashbacks of this flight in my head, and I feel like a total idiot about it. So let me give it a shot, at least…

Royal Jordanian 182
Bangkok (BKK) – Hong Kong (HKG)
Saturday, March 30
Depart: 3:25PM
Arrive: 7:00PM
Duration: 2hr35min
Aircraft: Airbus A330
Seat: 3H (Business Class)

I was kind of excited to try Royal Jordanian on this route. Bangkok to Hong Kong is one of those unique routes that’s operated by a bunch of carriers on a “fifth freedom” basis. Heck, Emirates, Ethiopian, Kenya Airways, and Royal Jordanian all operate this flight as a “tag.” So rather than flying Cathay Pacific on the route in their regional business class we decided to fly Royal Jordanian. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to sample them without flying them longhaul. It’s my goal to review as many airlines as possible, so I couldn’t not do it. Besides, I’d flown the three Middle Eastern giants — Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar — and was curious to see how Royal Jordanian compared.

Upon boarding through door 1L we were acknowledged by three flight attendants. They were all Jordanian men and wearing pinstriped button downs, which actually looked pretty sharp.

We quickly found our seats in row three. Royal Jordanian has angled flat seats in business class on their A330s and while they’re probably not the most comfortable in the world for longhaul flights, for a flight between Bangkok and Hong Kong they’re tough to beat. The design and colors of the seats were sufficiently neutral so that I neither loved nor hated them. The cabin consisted of 24 seats across four rows, each of which was in a 2-2-2 configuration.

Our seats in row three

Seats in row four

Legroom

At each seat was an unwrapped pillow and blanket.

Pillow and blanket Read More…

Posted on May 22nd, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Awards, Other Airlines, Travel, Trip Reports | 56 Comments »

There’s no better way to cross the Atlantic…

I recently wrote a post asking whether you guys think I hype Lufthansa first class too much, given how much I love them. I’m doing my best to put down my pom poms and #TeamLufthansa shirt, but just had another spectacular flight in Lufthansa first class between Vancouver and Munich, a route they’ve been serving for less than a week.

The flight was operated by an A330-300 with the new first class cabin, similar to the one on the A380.

And the flight was more or less perfect. The cabin couldn’t be more elegant, and in my opinion is the most comfortable A330 first class cabin out there (yes, even nicer than Swiss, as I find their seats to not be the most comfortable for sitting).

The service, was, as usual, spectacular in a German way. The two flight attendants working first class provided just the right amount of attention and personalization. It’s that amazing balance between professionalism, privacy, and personalization that I find few airlines are able to achieve.

And the food was great too. Lufthansa has made some catering changes as of this month, so the first class meal presentation is a bit different than before.

Rather than having a three tiered appetizer display as before, all the appetizers are now displayed on a single level plate. I’d argue the new presentation is even nicer than before. They also added individual salt and pepper mills, though they came at the expense of the larger one used by the flight attendants.

Oh, and the dessert was even amazing. None of the $&^% Lufthansa usually serves like chili crusted chocolate or elderflower soup. Instead just good old bread pudding.

Other interesting notes? Even though the flight was equipped with the Flynet internet service, it wasn’t operational, as I find to be the case far too often. Not sure why it is, though sure is disappointing when you’re expecting it for a 10 hour flight. Most surprising to me was that it was light more or less the entire flight, despite being a 6:45PM departure and 2:00PM arrival. I think that’s my first overnight transatlantic flight where that happened. The joys of summertime, I guess. Lastly, can anyone explain who decides on Lufthansa’s IFE selection? It’s 2013 and I think IFE matters less and less as passengers can bring their own entertainment, but seriously Lufty, what are you guys thinking? If I’m ever interesting in seeing a documentary on a skateboarding dog or a single episode of a 17 year old sitcom, I’ll consult you guys.

Oh, and the best part of the whole experience? After landing I figured we were taxiing to the gate, but nope, we got a remote stand instead. Lufthansa is the only airline in the world that can make me do the happy dance over a remote stand.

From there it was a quick drive to security, where I was brought to the front of the line, and then the First Class Lounge. And in the lounge they have delicious pretzels and Fanta.

Lufthansa, you rock…

Posted on May 22nd, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Lufthansa, Travel | 35 Comments »

Thunderstorms ahead, is it time to divert?

I’m heading to Europe tonight for a trip not motivated by miles and points (who knew those existed?). I’m visiting a friend in… well, I won’t tell you guys just yet, but I’ll let you guess when I post some pictures from the destination. It’s place where I’m told siestas are holier than the church.

On the way there I had planned a stopover in a European city for a night, and when I booked this last week the weather forecast was great, with sun and warm temperatures. Now there’s a 70% chance of rain and it’s not looking good.

On one hand I’m saying to myself “oh well, tough luck.” On the other hand I’m realizing that I do have the flexibility to switch around my travels, and can instead spend a night somewhere else enroute. The weather in Milan looks beautiful, for example.

The logistics of rebooking (both hotels and flights) is a bit of a pain, but it’s nothing that’s impossible and wouldn’t really cost me anything, since they’re all changeable.

So am I crazy? Have you ever changed your destination or stopover point on an award just to chase nice weather? There are lots of European cities I’ve yet to visit, so I kind of figure why not choose one with nice weather where I can at least enjoy the day. Thoughts?

Posted on May 21st, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Advice, Travel | 24 Comments »

A Royal (dis)HHonor: Thai Airways Royal Silk Business Class Lounge Bangkok

We got to the airport shortly before 2PM for our 3:25PM departure.

Airport exterior

While the Bangkok Airport terminal feels sterile and bland, it’s impressive and airy nonetheless.

Check-in area

We quickly found Royal Jordanian check-in, which was located in row “Q.”

Royal Jordanian check-in Read More…

Posted on May 21st, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Thai, Travel, Trip Reports | 11 Comments »

How much do you value an empty first class cabin?

Once you’ve flown just about every first class product, you’re probably looking for a new “high.” One such “high” which I’ve experienced a few times in my life is having a first class cabin all to myself. I had it three flights in a row, actually — first between Chicago and Zurich, then between London and Istanbul, and finally between Istanbul and Hong Kong. It’s pretty damn awesome when that happens, if not a bit awkward.

So here’s a mostly theoretical question (and I realize the question is making several assumptions, but play along with me for a minute, please).

Would you rather –

A) Fly Lufthansa’s old first class and be guaranteed to have the cabin all to yourself

B) Fly Lufthansa’s new first class with six out of eight seats occupied

What would you do? I ask because my opinion on this is different than everyone else I’ve asked this, so I’m curious to see if I’m totally off base.

Let me know in the comments section, please!

Posted on May 20th, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Advice, Travel | 57 Comments »

A Royal (dis)HHonor: Le Meridien Bangkok

Introduction
Aloft San Francisco Airport
Cathay Pacific Lounge San Francisco
Cathay Pacific First Class San Francisco to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to Singapore
St. Regis Singapore
Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge Singapore
SilkAir Business Class Singapore to Koh Samui
Conrad Koh Samui
Bangkok Airways Economy Class Koh Samui to Bangkok
Le Meridien Bangkok
Royal Jordanian Business Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to San Francisco

Bangkok is one of my favorite cities in the world as far as luxury hotels go. I can’t think of any other city with as many reasonably priced five star hotels as Bangkok. So while I would have loved to sample another great luxury hotel in Bangkok, the purpose of this stay was a bit different. We were in Bangkok for just a night, and when it comes to not-so-classy nightlife the location of the Le Meridien is tough to beat, as it’s close to Patpong Night Market.

I’ll keep this review pretty short, as I’ve stayed at the Le Meridien before, and wrote an extensive review of my stay here, so check that out for full details of the hotel. Instead I’ll just focus on what was different this stay.

We had booked the Le Meridien the day of our arrival and it cost a bit over $100USD for the night, a rate at which it didn’t make sense to use points. The website wasn’t showing any suites available, so we had no expectations of a suite upgrade.

Check-in was efficient and we were informed that we had been upgraded. I wasn’t expecting any sort of an upgrade, so I was impressed. We were assigned room 2218, which was a “circular” room on the 22nd floor.

The room was just under 400 square feet and featured a king size circular bed, a couch with seating for three, a desk, and a flat screen TV.

Circular room

Circular bed

Desk Read More…

Posted on May 20th, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Hotels, SPG, Travel, Trip Reports | 23 Comments »

A Royal (dis)HHonor: Bangkok Airways Economy Class Koh Samui to Bangkok

Introduction
Aloft San Francisco Airport
Cathay Pacific Lounge San Francisco
Cathay Pacific First Class San Francisco to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to Singapore
St. Regis Singapore
Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge Singapore
SilkAir Business Class Singapore to Koh Samui
Conrad Koh Samui
Bangkok Airways Economy Class Koh Samui to Bangkok
Le Meridien Bangkok
Royal Jordanian Business Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to San Francisco

While a coach flight within Thailand is hardly an aspirational travel experience worth writing about, I have to say that Bangkok Airways is one of the most unique airlines I’ve flown. They market themselves as “Asia’s boutique airline,” as they offer some pretty elaborate meal services on short flights and also have lounges for all passengers. And for that matter Koh Samui Airport is an equally unique airport, so hopefully you guys find this interesting.

As I said in the introduction, our coach tickets cost a bit over $100USD per person, which was reasonable. Business class is only a mild premium, though for our date unfortunately the only flight with availability was one of their single cabin A319s, not featuring a business class cabin.

The first thing to note is that just for joining Bangkok Airways’ frequent flyer program, FlyerBonus, you get an extra 10kg baggage allowance. So before flying with them be sure you join if you intend to check a bag. Their normal baggage allowance is 20kg (~44 pounds), so just for being a member you get a 30kg (~66 pounds) baggage allowance. If you’re connecting off an international premium cabin itinerary with heavy bags, that will save you a lot of money.

We were able to check out of the Conrad at 4PM, and made it to the airport by 4:45PM for our 6:50PM flight. The airport is entirely “open air,” so originally I was dreading the time we’d have to spend outside, given that it was close 100 degrees. We were dropped off right in front of the Bangkok Airways check-in counter.

Check-in

The check-in queues were crazy. I mean, literally the longest airport queues I’ve ever seen anywhere. It’s not really surprising, given just how many flights Bangkok Airways has out of Koh Samui. Heck, between 6PM and 7PM they had three flights to Bangkok alone, not factoring in their other destinations.

Check-in queues

And this is where the next tip comes into play — just for doing online check-in you get access to their business class check-in queue. The main queue must have been over an hour long, while there were only two parties ahead of us in the business class line. So be sure to do online check-in.

Web check-in queues Read More…

Posted on May 19th, 2013 by lucky
Filed under: Other Airlines, Travel, Trip Reports | 26 Comments »

A Royal (dis)HHonor: Conrad Koh Samui

Introduction
Aloft San Francisco Airport
Cathay Pacific Lounge San Francisco
Cathay Pacific First Class San Francisco to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to Singapore
St. Regis Singapore
Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge Singapore
SilkAir Business Class Singapore to Koh Samui
Conrad Koh Samui
Bangkok Airways Economy Class Koh Samui to Bangkok
Le Meridien Bangkok
Royal Jordanian Business Class Bangkok to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific “The Wing” First Class Lounge Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to San Francisco

As I discussed in the introduction post, while the initial plan for this trip was to go to Bali, Hilton’s decision to more or less castrate their HHonors program caused us to change our plans and go to Koh Samui instead. The Conrad was available for four nights on an AXON award (available to those with a co-branded Hilton American Express card) for 145,000 points. The hotel went from ordinarily costing 50,000 points per night to 95,000 points per night. Meanwhile category 10 AXON awards will cost 300,000 points starting in a few weeks, meaning the cost of this stay has more than doubled.

The Conrad is an all villa property located on the southern tip of Koh Samui, almost exactly on the opposite side of the island as the airport. We had arranged transport with the hotel in advance, and it cost about $50USD for the hotel’s Toyota SUV (which was comfortable). The ride to the hotel took just a bit under an hour, and the last part of the drive was especially interesting, as we drove up a series of extremely steep hills to the top of the resort.

At the top of the hill was the resort’s reception area, which was open air. The views were stunning.

Resort entrance