香港航空全商務A330-200 上海虹橋首航之旅

Background
Hong Kong Airlines will start the All Business Class flight from 7 March, 2012 between HKG-LGW-HKG. Before the long haul service start, HKA use the specific all-business A330-200 in regional routes to demonstrate the products and services, and they chose Shanghai (SHA) be the first port to receive the inaugural flight on 14 February, 2012.

As HKA use the all-J A332 on that day only, so I managed to do the same day return as well – to try their new service and taste the smell of the brand new aircraft.

Reservation
Booking wasn’t easy to be honest, especially my original plan was booking mixed-class return ticket which cannot do online. So I tried the reservation hotline, problem started…… I called the hotline 4 times, here are the results:
1. Cannot connect
2. Diverted to Hainan Reservation Hotline (Putonghua)
3. Cannot connect
4. Finally connected to Hong Kong Airlines Hotline, but they said they cannot issue the ticket for me, please use the travel agent……I was shocked

After all, I used the easiest way, booked online and do single class only

On the day of travel
On 14 February morning, I headed to the airport and arrived 3 hours before the flight

HX check-in counter in HKIA aisle K


Check-in counters


Dedicated counter for the flight


Upgrade for every passengers


Time to go through the security and immigration


Narrow bodies at one side


Head to the lounge for some food, lounge invitation


You can choose to use the stair


Or the lift to access the lounge


Entrance of the lounge


Seating area


Business corner


View from the lounge – MH 77E at Gate 23


Food corner


Hot dishes


Several kinds of Dim Sum is offering, nice!


Or you can choose cup noodles on the list


Drink corner


My choice


Washroom


The lounge was tiny but adequate, however I think HKA need a bigger lounge if all the business class passengers visit the lounge at the same time.

I left the lounge to take some more photos about the event that day.

Focus for the day, the first HKA All Business Class A330-200 B-LNJ, at Gate 25 loading the meal already


14 February 2012

Hong Kong (HKG) – Shanghai Honqiao (SHA)
Airline: Hong Kong Airlines
Flight: HX 238
Aircraft: A330-200
Registration: B-LNJ
Seat: 9K (Club Premier)
Gate: 25
Arriving Gate: B10

Gate 25


Boarding Pass


Expected departure at 15:15


Gate area




Flight crew and attendants board the plane


Once again, B-LNJ



Boarding started at 15:00, everyone got a certificate for the inaugural flight


Once I was onboard, photos here and there
First Cabin – Club Premier


Second Cabin (Front) – Club Premier


Second Cabin (Back) – Club Classic


Third Cabin – Club Classic


The single Club Classic seats at the rear – K side


A side


The back of the Club Classic seats


Bar area for Club Classic


Bar area for Club Premier


My seat 9K, the last row of Club Premier


Look private, right?


View from my seat


Seat pitch is good


Seat control


Table




Same problem as OZ


Overhead panel


15.4 inches IFE screen


Some reading materials


Safety Informartion



Sickness Bag


Location of the seat control, IFE control, headphone plug, power socket


Welcome drink and towel was offered


Push back at 15:30, and airborne after the powerful takeoff

Let’s have some entertainment


IFE remote


Headphones



Cruising above the clouds


Meal service started and my table was set


Starters
Crab Meat Salad with Horseradish Dressing, it was incredible, very delicious and good quality!


Main Courses
Beef Steak in Red Wine Sauce with Roasted Potato Wedge and Western Vegetable, the steak was tender, juicy, and the sides was nice also


After the meal service, let’s visit the washroom




Although not much time left, I manage to try out the flat bed


The pillow is supportive and the duvet is really comfortable, soft, warm and light


1 hour 50 minutes passed quickly, and it is time to deplane

One more, first cabin during deplane


Docked at Gate B10 in SHA



Passed the immigration in no time as we only have 110 passengers, and some are waiting their check luggages


HKA have extended the turnaround time at SHA to 2.5 hours rather than the normal 50 minutes (737) for media activities, so I take the time to visit the Terminal 2 – which is 15 minutes bus ride from Terminal 1

Terminal 2 – Airy, Modern and New



Terminal 2 is connected to Shanghai Rail Station


Back to Terminal 1, our flight is the last international flight for the day


Check-in area


HX check-in counters


Advertisement for the all Business flight to London


Although it was the one-off flight, HKA still have full set of signage in SHA



Counters


Again


Customs/Immigration


At airside again, some decorations at Gate B10


Press conference was over already


Lounge invitation


Lounge near Gate B11


Inside


Hot food


My choice


14 February 2012

Shanghai Honqiao (SHA) – Hong Kong (HKG)
Airline: Hong Kong Airlines
Flight: HX 239
Aircraft: A330-200
Registration: B-LNJ
Seat: 4A (Club Premier)
Gate: B10
Arriving Gate: 43

Gate B10


Boarding Pass


The load was light for the inbound flight


Boarding started at 20:15, and I was onboard B-LNJ again, this time in the first cabin


Seat 5A


Middle seats of row 3, the divider can be raised for privacy


My seat 4A


Door closed at 20:30 thanks to the light load, and I have the first cabin all to myself.
When taxiing to runway, changed to mood lighting


766 miles to go


Dinner service started soon after takeoff
Starters
Phoenix Tailed Shrimp with Mixed Mushroom



Main Courses
Pan Fried Port Stuffed with Creamy Vegetable with Anna Potato and Western Vegetable, my best pork dish in the air so far


Dessert
Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream
Seasonal Fresh Fruit


Washroom visit




First cabin from the front


Seat 4D in flat bed mode


With mattress


Club Premier bar, will have some snacks during London flight


The senior FA lead me to try the Club Classic seat
The Club Classic seat in fully reclined mode


Seat pitch is very good!


Rear cabin


Menu, [Left]Club Premier [Right]Business Class


The flight touched down in 2 hours 10 minutes and the FA wish all the passengers have a happy valentines day!

Comment:
Lounge:
Lounge in Hong Kong was tiny, but with everything we need. One worry is that if the lounge can accommodate all the 116 passengers at the same time but rumors stated that HKA is finding the new place for the bigger lounge now. Serving Dim Sum in lounge is smart and easy way to make customers happy, good touch HKA!

Service:
Service was great, from check-in, at gate and even onboard, the staffs were nice and helpful. For this special flight, HKA have 18 FAs onboard to serve the customers and make the service very good. FAs in HKA is very young, but I found that they are cheerful and they really love their job in HKA, I found their service may even better than the major players in the world.

Hardware:
Seats:
Club Premier – The flat bed seats are the nearly the same as EY or OZ, I agreed that the seat on A330-200 is a bit narrow, but as a big man like me, I found it is still comfortable is seat and sleep with, the only problem is that the leg area is too open especially at the aisle seats, add a cover will be better.

Club Classic – The reclined seats are actually the regional business class seats on SQ and CX, but with more seating pitch, it makes the seating comfort upgraded a lot! Seating there for long-haul flight should be a joyful experience.

Entertainment:
The touch screen IFE offering is great with many choices of movies, TV and music. On the other hand, free onboard internet will be offered (with limit) on the LGW service, it is good for both leisure and business travelers to spend their time during the flight.

Price:
Club Premier is near the same price as other carriers, including Chauffeur service in LGW, I think it is value for money.
Club Classic is another tier, I can say this is a very good J minus product, which have a great seat, good meal and a dedicated onboard bar for 12 hours. For the price at around HK$13,000 round trip HKG-LGW-HKG, it believe it is a very good choice for the customers which can pay a bit more than Economy Class. Especially CX is offering Premium Economy Class (Y+) from April with the nearly the same price as HX, I would definitely choose HX over CX, for the 2-2-2 seats on A330 rather than 2-4-2 seats on 747, onboard WiFi, better seating pitch.

Good luck and hope Hong Kong Airlines will success for the new LGW route!!

Extra – Good Seats/Not so Good Seats
Club Premier – 9A, 9K Good inside seats at the back, but in case of no infants around you. 5A, 5K are aisle seats just next to the onboard bar, which can be avoid
Club Classic – 22-24 A,K Good single seats with lots of room, I would rate row 22 the best!

Thanks for your reading!!

An excellent report with fully comment

If compare to the another local airline - Cathay Pacific; although the club premier is near the same price as other, I am still thinking that the Criss-Cross seat cannot provide the private environment like Cathay Pacific Business class. So if I have chance to take a business trip, probably I will take the CX one ~

However the Club Classic really get the competitive with another carrier. I think if they can put more effort in advertisement in HK or UK, passengers are wiling to pay for them. (I believe some travelers will take Club Classic to Europe as well) ~

[ 本帖最後由 AVD1 於 2012-3-4 20:22 編輯 ]

看得出 HX 有心開拓商務客和中產旅客的市場, 倫敦線時間也對公務有利
香港凌晨起飛, 在機上睡一覺後整理文件同check email, 清晨到倫敦可以同日開會或辦公
完成工作或會議後同日夜晚可以坐飛機離開倫敦,唔駛住多晚

不過口碑需要時間建立, 尤其公務涉及傾生意的話,一次delay可以損失慘重
開會遲到俾人問返坐乜 airlines 亦會好尷尬,
儲里數為上的 Frequent flyer , 亦未必有興趣坐無 aliance 支持的 HX
呢場仗的確唔易打, 還望呢幾架 A332 生生性性啦!

原帖由 limited 於 2012-3-5 02:28 發表
看得出 HX 有心開拓商務客和中產旅客的市場, 倫敦線時間也對公務有利
香港凌晨起飛, 在機上睡一覺後整理文件同check email, 清晨到倫敦可以同日開會或辦公
完成工作或會議後同日夜晚可以坐飛機離開倫敦,唔駛住多晚

...

最大問題係佢地呢幾班 332 係主攻高端客,
於起步初期真係幾難搵到客源,
事先國泰呢 D 大公司一向都有同中小企做 promo (Macro Polo, Asia Miles 等等)
加上 business trip 一向都出公數, 根本就唔會理個價係平定貴 ~

所以我覺得 HX 今次一開開倫敦真係好"博",
實情佢可以考慮對手冇 o既航點反而仲有機會做得更好 (歐洲都仲有唔小以商務為主但係而家香港仲未有直航 o既城市) ~