Travel opinion: On being a real traveller (NZ Herald)
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Travel opinion: Lounge Check – Three premium lounges at Hong Kong International Airport (NZ Herald)
While in Hong Kong airport, Tim McCready compares the facilities and service in three lounges open to Air New Zealand passengers.
When I checked in for my Air New Zealand Business Premier flight from Hong Kong to Auckland, I was told I had access to three lounges: United Airlines, Thai Airways, and Cathay Pacific.
Challenge accepted.
United Airlines Club lounge
My first visit was to the United Airlines lounge. I initially thought the space was quite small but soon realised walls separate the lounge into different areas. This layout provides a good sense of privacy for relaxing before a flight, and a very quiet feel to the lounge.
On one side of the lounge, huge windows provide great views of the tarmac and the planes as they come and go. On the other side, the mezzanine lounge overlooks the departure hall and gates — as the world’s eighth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, there is no shortage of activity to keep an eye on, to pass the time before a flight.
There were plenty of seats of all varieties scattered around, and although it was a busy time at the airport, I didn’t struggle to find a space. The lounge also had a small shower room and a business centre.
The selection of food was underwhelming, but adequate for a short stay. The Thai green curry I tried was delicious; the cauliflower soup left a lot to be desired.
Thai Airways Royal Orchid lounge
The Thai Airways lounge is just around the corner from United’s. It also benefits from its position: great views out towards the planes, and the ability to people-watch below in the departure hall. Compared to United, this lounge felt much less private — there is a roped-off area for First-Class travellers but the rest of the lounge is wide open. The eclectic chair colours — bright green, orange, blue and yellow — were a jarring eyesore but the chairs were very comfortable.
Though the food selection was wider than that provided by United, it was still fairly standard. There was a reasonable selection of drinks to help yourself to. The bathroom had a single shower (which was occupied while I was visiting). A large business centre was available for use as well as a couple of massage chairs. I was tempted to give them a try but was also well aware of my need to fit another lounge in …
Cathay Pacific: The Bridge
Cathay Pacific is a member of the Oneworld alliance, rather than Air New Zealand’s Star Alliance, however Air New Zealand’s alliance with Cathay allows Airpoints Elite and Gold, and Business Class passengers access to its lounges on certain flights. Cathay has several lounges in Hong Kong airport (The Deck, The Wing, The Pier and The Bridge). I visited The Bridge, located closest to where Air New Zealand flights typically depart from.
The Bridge is just a few minutes’ walk from the United and Thai lounges, but as I descended the escalators into the lounge check-in area, I knew immediately I had saved the best for last. The lounge is enormous and is divided into a North and South Wing.
Each contains multiple zones, which provide a great sense of privacy and a feeling like you’re at home in one of the world’s top hotel lobbies.
Floor-to-ceiling windows span the length of the lounge, providing unobstructed views out to the tarmac. The natural colours inside the lounge — wooden floors with oak and brass accents — give a warm feeling that is often missing in airports, while the custom-made lounge chairs, bookshelves, art and sculptures throughout give the lounge a very sophisticated feel.
The food was spectacular. The North Wing is home to The Bakery, which offers freshly baked bread and pizzas, a generous buffet of Western and Asian dishes and a fresh salad bar. The Long Bar overlooks the tarmac and features an extensive wine and tapas list.
Bartenders are on hand to mix up a drink from the cocktail list — the espresso martini went down a treat.
The South Wing’s Coffee Loft has muffins, biscuits and pastries, as well as barista-made coffee. This wing also contains The Bistro — a second dining area with buffet — along with a fully equipped business centre and shower facilities.
There are nine shower rooms available, and despite the lounge being busy I didn’t need to wait to use one. They come equipped with everything you need to freshen up before a long-haul flight and are cleaned and restocked after each use.
The verdict:
This one’s easy. Thai Airways and United Airlines provide an adequate — albeit fairly standard — airport lounge, but if you have access to Cathay Pacific’s lounge, take advantage of it. It is truly world-class and showcases the very best of what an airport lounge can provide. Just make sure you leave enough time to explore everything that is on offer.
Travel opinion: Flight Check – Flying from Auckland to Brisbane aboard Air New Zealand (NZ Herald Travel)
Tim McCready travels from Auckland to Brisbane on Air New Zealand 739.
The plane: One of Air New Zealand’s Airbus A320-232s. My plane was 15 years old — you could tell from the fitout that it wasn’t one of the airline’s newest, but it was very tidy. The flight was full, aside from a couple of empty middle seats.
The airport experience: Auckland Airport is in the midst of a major redevelopment — it feels as though the airport experience changes every few weeks. Although the departure terminal was a construction zone, you could see behind the plastic drop sheets that the transformation will see it become a real feature for the airport.
There was no queue whatsoever for the Air New Zealand bag drop, and customs and security were seamless. I was let loose in duty-free within minutes.
My seat: Having a window seat over the wing meant I had a very smooth flight across the Tasman, despite warnings from the flight deck that we could be in for a rough ride. The seat was comfortable, and the tray tables seemed larger than others I’ve experienced on the same route or on most long-haul economy flights. I had a fair amount of work to get done, so the space was appreciated.
The flight: We departed about 30 minutes late, after waiting for the late arrival of a few passengers from a connecting flight — but we landed just ahead of the scheduled time. I have been on the other side of that situation before, which makes it hard to hold it against the airline when you eventually see a handful of very relieved, sweaty people clambering down the aisle. With no headwind, our total time in the air was just under three hours.
Food and drink: I travelled with The Works option, and was given the choice of honey soy chicken with rice or a beef casserole with roast potatoes. I chose the beef — which according to a colleague on the flight (who described the chicken as “very oily”), was a wise decision. The meal was substantial, especially for a 4pm departure where it felt too late for lunch but too early for dinner. The meal came with Kāpiti ice cream. Although I love their icecream , the flavour was their latest summer creation: Chamomile and Salted Kāmahi Honey. I’m not a fan of chamomile, nor a strong honey flavour, and I found it very sweet. The most awkward thing on flights where you have an optional meal upgrade, is when the person sitting next to you hasn’t upgraded. My neighbour in the middle seat found herself in the unfortunate position of being wedged between people eating meals, and had to have the crew explain politely why this wasn’t an option for her.
The entertainment: Although there were a reasonable number of older films on board, the recent releases felt light. I got halfway through Tag (the premise wore thin after 20 minutes), and Leave No Trace (lost my attention), before settling on One Hour Photo – a Robin Williams classic I hadn’t seen since digital cameras became ubiquitous (the movie has dated incredibly quickly).
The bottom line: Air New Zealand does these transtasman flights well.
Travel opinion: Flight Check – Hong Kong to Munich aboard Lufthansa (NZ Herald Travel)
Tim McCready flies from Hong Kong to Munich aboard Lufthansa flight 731.
The plane: One of Lufthansa’s 14 superjumbo Airbus A380-800s. My plane was eight years old, with eight First Class suites, 78 lie-flat Business Class seats, 52 Premium Economy seats and 371 Economy seats. I was transiting on both sides, travelling Auckland-Hong Kong-Munich-Dublin. The flight was packed — there were several cheeky passengers attempting to bag an upgrade at the counter, but they were repeatedly told that all classes were full.
The airport experience: Transiting on either side was a dream. Hong Kong and Munich Airports are big and spread out but trains between terminals, and clear signage means you can’t really go wrong. Though there isn’t much to do in Munich Airport for three hours when you arrive at 5am, the Wi-Fi is free and it gave me the opportunity to get this review finished!
My seat: I flew Premium Economy with a window seat. The size and shape of the A380 means the window seats get a generous amount of extra space down the side, which was appreciated. I stored most of the airline’s (and my own) clutter down there throughout the flight — blankets, pillows, shoes. The seats were comfortable, though they were fairly basic in terms of adjustability compared to other Premium Economy options. The separate cabin added some privacy and meant there were never any queues for the cabin’s two toilets — which were kept extremely clean throughout.
Entertainment: While I found Lufthansa’s entertainment system to be less user-friendly than other set-ups, there was plenty to choose from: the usual mix of new release and classic movies, and TV shows, as well as live satellite TV news (which I appreciated given the US air strikes on Syria that took place while I was flying). I used my own headphones as the ones offered in Premium Economy didn’t seem to be any kind of upgrade over most basic Economy offerings.
The flight: As this was the second of two 12ish-hour flights, I spent most of this one asleep. There was a fairly hefty amount of turbulence at the start of the flight, but things settled down and the remaining ride was very smooth. We departed 25 minutes late but landed on time. Total time with wheels off the ground was 11h 32m.
Food and drink: I was disappointed not to see bratwurst and sauerkraut on the menu as I was hopeful for some hearty German fare on board. Instead, I chose the penne pasta with pork goulash for dinner (my third dinner in a row). I should have followed my own advice and steered clear of airline pasta — it didn’t stand up well to reheating. The scrambled eggs with mornay sauce and ratatouille for breakfast was surprisingly good. The drinks service was frequent, and the crew were notably friendlier than my earlier Cathay Pacific flight. The Toblerone was a nice touch.
The bottom line: This wasn’t my favourite Premium Economy experience. It felt as though Lufthansa hasn’t put the same level of innovation into the seat design, food offerings and technology as other airlines have. As for whether I’d fly again — I don’t have too much choice — I’m doing the return journey in a few weeks. But I won’t choose the pasta next time.