Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Part 7: CSX VIP Lounge & CSX-PVG China Eastern Airlines FIRST CLASS








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Part 7: CSX VIP Lounge & CSX-PVG China Eastern Airlines FIRST CLASS
I woke up at about 6:40 AM despite going to bed around midnight.  I quickly got ready and put up away my toiletries after using them into my large suitcase (to be check-in) and then put all my dirty clothes/towels into a pile to be washed and ready for use next time I come back in a few months.  Breakfast was noodles and after rushing through that, I finished getting dressed and was in the car by 7AM for my 8:25AM flight.  I packed my belongings yesterday in the afternoon and then went through it again to sort out what was to be left behind and what needed to be taken back with me back to the US.  I did better this time in terms of taking things back with me but I want to take even more with me next time.  I got a good stash of snacks to take back with me this time: beef jerky, spicy fish snack, preserved ginger, Lay's chips with flavors featured in China, and Beef-Steak flavored Cheetos.


 I got to the airport at about 7:30 AM, took out my luggage, exchanged a few words/a hug and quickly made my way into check-in.  Changsha International Airport domestic flight departure check-in has 2 sections: China Southern Airlines and everyone else.  I waited about twenty minutes in the "other" check-in section before I was given my boarding pass and had checked my luggage through to Shanghai.  I was pleasantly surprised that I had a First Class seat when I was presented with my boarding card along with a VIP lounge invitation and my luggage was tagged "First Class Priority."  I was not expecting it and had I known that this was going to happen, then I could have proceeded to the "other" section's First Class Check-in counter.  I made sure to have the agent put in my Delta Skymiles account number so that I can get credit for the China Eastern Flight.  I had to write out DL on a sheet of paper for her as my Delta card was not something she was familiar with but she got the Frequent Flyer number from the card.  I used the VIP/First Class security and that line was very empty.  With about thirty minutes before boarding, I made my way to VIP Lounge #2 where the attendant instructed me to proceed to VIP Lounge #1 as it was closer to my departure gate of #1.  

Once I made it to the lounge, I only stayed for about five minutes for heading off to board my plane (enough to snap a few photos and grab a few drinks).  There was about twenty seats and one other passenger in there on the same flight as me.  The snack selection was very small but there was a good deal of drinks/juices available.  I only wished I had known that I purchased a First Class ticket and I could have minimized my wait time in check-in and maximized down time in the lounge.  The other passenger inquired about boarding time and the attendant told us it was time to go.  For some reason, there was 2 flight numbers for this flight.  My guess is that one is the original China Eastern (MU) coded flight of 5342 and the other is a code-share of Shanghai Airlines (FM) flight that got recoded as a MU flight with the same flight FM number.  I noticed that MU and FM used to operate separate flight numbers a year ago but since their merger (MU buying out FM), they recoded all flights with MU and FM flight numbers.  





I guess this is their final step in the merger; recoding all FM flights was MU flights while keeping the numbers intact.  The reason being was that MU has several flights between the city pair I was flying as I was not sure if my particular flight was really boarding since a different flight number was called.  I approached the ticket agent and asked if my flight was the next one and she said "yes."  I went backed to the gate waiting area to see the same gentleman as me from the lounge on the same flight as me supposedly.  I did a double take on the TV monitor and the flight number changed to mine.  I immediately went back to the same ticket agent and she apologized and let me know that I was on the correct flight.  I proceeded to the jet bridge and took my seat of 2D.



 
It turns out that I was the only passenger in First Class again.  I had my own flight attendant who introduced herself to me, gave me a pre-departure drink of Orange Juice and asked if I wanted to have a newspaper.  I declined as they were all in Chinese and told her that I cannot read Chinese.  She asked where I was from since I spoke in Chinese with her and I then explained my situation.  She went to scrounge for a China Daily newspaper as it was in English.  She came back later both disappointed and empty handed but I was fine reading the China Eastern Magazine.  After we took off towards Shanghai on a 550 mile flight lasting about 90 minutes, I was offered a hot towel and some breakfast to eat.  Even though I had a bowl noodles a few hours before, I gladly accepted a light breakfast.  It was the first time for me to sit in front on a China domestic flight so it was quite the treat to experience it on the short flight.  Being that I as I was the only passenger, the service did not take long for her to quickly complete.



Breakfast was presented, all on one tray, consisted of: half a salted egg on lettuce, porridge serviced on aluminum tray, plate of fruit (3 grapes/melon wedges/piece of orange), carrot salad, assorted pieces of dim sum and condiments of butter/hot chili paste/salt/pepper.  Breakfast did not take long for me to eat and I only half of the egg (despite not knowing about the shell at first) and left half of the porridge as well.  I chose Orange Juice as my beverage and then green tea after she cleared my breakfast tray.  Since there was some turbulence, I hesitated to get out my computer to work on my trip report.  There was a Mister Bean-esque show on that was entertaining.  After that was over, I reached up to get out my laptop to work on my trip report for about twenty minutes before we prepared to land.  





My flight landed at 9:45AM and we arrived at an apron position in Terminal 1.  I was the first one off the plane and was taken on a private van to the Terminal.  After I got dropped off, I used the bathroom and then to baggage claim.  My bag came out at about 10:15 AM after I picked a seat at carousel #2 and waited.  Despite the fact that I had a First Class priority tag on my luggage, it got ripped off but it came out first among the labeled economy cabin luggage.  I grabbed it and placed it on a trolley and made my way from the first floor to the third floor for International departures.
I somehow ended up at Terminal 1 and realized that when I saw Japan Airlines (JAL) as one of the carriers operating from the Terminal.  All OneWorld carriers with the exception of JAL operate from Terminal 2 as do all the major American Carriers (Delta, American, United, and Continental).  I went to the MU counter to ask about my next trip with them in a few months.   I was sadly informed that I was flying American Airlines into Terminal 2 and connecting on to MU in Terminal 1, with a connecting time of 80 minutes, would not be enough to clear customs/immigration (C & I) and change terminals to check-in myself/luggage and then board as they stop 30 minutes before the flight.  It is the last flight from Shanghai to Changsha so I am in a pickle.  My only hope is to have the American Flight arrive on-time (or even early) and being in Business Class, have my luggage quickly delivered, be one of the first people to go through C & I, and dash from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 and check in before they cut off 30 minutes before boarding.   I thanked the MU gentleman after he suggested that I change my ticket to the following morning to connect on since he really thinks that I will not be able to make it aside from a miracle since the walk between Terminals is 15 minutes.
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Part 6: ICN-CSX Asiana BUSINESS CLASS









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Part 6: ICN-CSX Asiana BUSINESS CLASS
Boarding announcements and greeting were made in three languages: Korean, Chinese, and English which at time seemed to drag on forever.  The ride was pretty smooth despite a choppy section about an hour into the flight.  A pre-departure drink was offered and I took still water.  She did not even have to ask if I wanted ice with that as most Asian people are not used to having water with ice cubes in in.  Hot towel was distributed and collected pretty quickly. 





I was given a menu for the dinner on board and I went with the Korean option which consisted of a smoked fish roll for the starter and Bibimbap with the fixings and soup.  Dessert was a fruit plate consisting of sliced apple wedge, sliced Korean pear wedge, melon slices, and X which was pretty good.  The purser on the Lufthansa flight recommended that I try the dessert wines in the future as it is not as strong since the grapes are harvested later in the season making it a bit sweeter and "less potent" for me when compared to the regular dinner wines.  The Korean man went with the Western Option.  The menu for this flight had the meal option for the red eye flight returning to Seoul-Incheon as well and it is a pretty light snack. 



After dinner, I was ready to turn in and sleep for the duration of the 1000 mile flight that took about 3 & ½ hours.  Little did I know that my left nostril would go crazy and started bleeding profusely for a good ten minutes.  I had some tissues on hand in my pocket to plug it but it was not enough.  At the same time, we started to get choppy in flight and I had to rush to the bathroom to attend to my nose.  I tried to plug it with more tissues but it slowed down eventually and I settled to having just having a piece of tissue stick in my nose for the time beam.  The flight attendant was very attentive and caring during my little emergency situation.  I am not sure why it occurred but I chalk it up to flying for forty hours in 2 days with exposure to a high altitude for a long time and perhaps a little dehydrated as well.
I eventually dozed off and woke up about an hour before arrival.  When we landed a coach passenger rushed ahead of me to get an immigration card from the First Class Flight Attendant and filled it out while we waited for the gate agent to finish the paperwork.  I was the first one to cross the jet bridge and eventually made my way to the customs and immigration hall.  It was very small with about 8 people working the booths for the late flight arrival from Seoul-Incheon.  My immigration officer took his time to check my passport, visa, and looked at the others visas I had stamped in my passport before letting me go.  The baggage claim was nearby and I had to wait about five minutes before it finally showed up (despite having Star Alliance Priority and Lufthansa HON tags).  I am not sure if they follow up the priority luggage tags at the airport but I was happy that it came out sooner rather than later.  I went through customs with no problems despite having two large suitcases, a small plastic bag, and a carry-on rollaway baggage.  My ride was not there waiting so I had to borrow a cell phone from a nice young woman from the information desk who let me dial from her phone and then told my ride that I was at the international arrival hall and not at the domestic one.  By time I landed, went through customs/immigration, and got picked up, it took about thirty minutes.  The ride to my home took another thirty minutes and I was glad to have made it to my home despite forty hours of traveling.  I immediately went to sleep after chatting with my uncle and was awoken at 6 AM when my uncle woke up to go the airport to catch a flight to Hainan.
The Lufthansa First experience was great along with the First Class Terminal and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I cannot properly assess the Asiana Service as I flew on a regional haul flight and will need to experience a First Class long haul along with the First Class Lounge to get a better assessment of Asiana Service (which was the Best in 2010 according to Skytrax and they are one of the few five-star airlines in the world as designated by Skytrak).  This one way trip in First only cost me 60,000 US Airways miles which I think is a great bargain especially being able to transit through Europe and experience Lufthansa First Service the whole way.
Part 6: ICN-CSX Asiana BUSINESS CLASS
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Part 5: Seoul-Incheon Airport Asiana Business Class Lounge









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Part 5: Seoul-Incheon Airport Asiana Business Class Lounge


We had to depart for the trains on the floor below and got on a train to the main terminal for customs/immigration or transfer to the departure area.  I arrived right after a Japanese tour showed up for the Asiana flight to Siem Riep making the wait about twenty minutes since we had to clear security again and they had one line/metal detector/conveyor belt on.
After I went through security, I went up to the departure level and checked in the Asiana Transfer desk to trade out my temporary boarding pass from Lufthansa.  I tried to find whole coffee beans once again but was only able to find a Starbucks (passed that up) and ground coffee.  I inquired at the information desk only to find out that the item is available in the other portion of the airport where I did not access for entrance (probably in the departure area for the non-Korean airlines).  I settled on not getting too much worked up on it and headed towards the Asiana Business Class lounge. 

Once I checked-in with the receptionist, I got the key for a shower room.  I had been assigned seat 2F which was a window seat despite the fact that I requested seat 2B or 2E for aisle access.  I asked the agent if I could switch but she told me the cabin was full (which I found out was not the truth upon boarding).  I had so much goodies left over from all my amenity kits, pajamas, slippers, and toiletries that I had to ask for a plastic bag to alleviate the crowdedness in my carry-on baggage.  The lounge was small but adequate… then again will seem small when compared to what I had at the First Class Terminal.  Afterwards, I went to the main lounge, grabbed a seat and surfed on the internet/checked email/ blogged for a bit.  Wifi did not require a password and the signal was pretty good from where I was sitting the entire time.


 The lounge is pretty big but then again, Asiana only has one First and one Business lounge in their main hub, so it needs to be big to accommodate all their passengers and those other Alliance members who are Star Gold as well.  Asiana operated their gates and lounges on the left part of the terminal while Korean Air operated the other side.  When I finally settled in and grabbed a bite to eat, I had about four hours left to go before departure. 




The food selection was slim… offerings included: chips, pretzels, corn, lettuce, breads, porridge, Ramen Noodle bowels, finger sandwiches, and cold spaghetti.  A sign up later placed to indicate that salad and hot entrees will be served after 6PM local time.  The drink selections were: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Milk, Coffee/Cappuccino/Espresso, cold coffee drink, beer, bottled water, and green tea.
They had five rest areas with massage chairs that people took advantage of as it seemed to be always occupied.  I managed to snag a seat and relaxed for an hour while the chair did its job.  I drifted in and out of sleep as the chair was set on 15 minute cycles watching planes take off.  I listened and caught up on podcasts that I wanted to listen again since I now have a good amount of Skyteam and Star Alliance miles in my accounts.  Dinner was served and the only thing that could pass for real food versus a snack was fettuccini carbonara which I grabbed a helping alone with another bottle of water.  I lounged in a big chair for the duration of the time listening to podcast and watching a golf tournament on TV.  My boarding time of 8PM seemed like a long ways away but I had to stop by the big massage chairs again for another cycle before heading off to gate 47 for my flight.


I waited around until it was boarding time which when they announced that everyone in Business class, Star Alliance Gold members, disabled people, and those with small children could all board.  There was a mass exodus towards the boarding onto the jet bridge.  They took the portion of the boarding pass and left me with a stub (pet peeve of mine) and I learned that I was only 1 of 2 passengers in the Business cabin.  I was surprised that the flight attendant let me store all my baggage in the overhead bins (despite the fact that I thought it would be a full cabin).  The other seat taken was 1A by a Korean gentleman.  The cabin manager came by to greet me and thanked me for flying with them this evening.  



Everyone I came into in the Incheon airport would mistook me for a Korean and I would answer/ask them in English.  Most of the people were pretty helpful and nice to me during my transit visit.  I was a little disappointed with the airport overall as I thought it would be someone thing a big more (Singapore Changi Airport has a slide and a movie theatre in the airport) since Incheon is consistently one of the top three airports rated by Skytrax.  I will have to come back another time in the future to fully appreciate the architecture of the airport and perhaps fly on Korean Air long-haul to experience the full Korean
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Friday, January 28, 2011

Part 4: FRA-ICN Lufthansa FIRST CLASS









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Part 4: FRA-ICN Lufthansa FIRST CLASS

I took my seat at 2A and was offered a pre-departure beverage but I declined since I was stuffed from being in the lounge.  I was given the usual goodies:  amenity kit, pajamas, and slipper set. There was a slight delay as some mechanics had to go to the cockpit to troubleshoot a problem.  It was great to see so many different airlines at the airport as we taxied to the runway.  I am not sure if it is the jet lag, time difference, or the fact I had only about four hours of sleep the night before, I dozed off even before we took off.  The flight attendant was very nice and asked if I would like a blanket so that I could rest which I agreed.



After we took off, I was greeted by the purser to personalized my menu (was not hard since I was the only passenger in First Class) and gave me some wine recommendations along with option of traditional German entrees for my main.  It was weird and sort of eerie being the only passenger in the cabin.  I went ahead and changed into my pajamas/slippers from the previous flight so that I could save the other one for later or even as a souvenir.  Throughout the meal service, people in Business tried to come through the cabin to use the restroom and the flight attendants asked them to turn around to use the one in their cabin.  One complained that First was empty and their bathrooms were full but they did not get any sympathy from her.  I got a whole bunch of the delicious garlic bread and a glass of champagne to start.  I eventually got her to add some orange juice to help with the taste and me less likely to flush if I paced myself.  

The pre-appetizer was a cream cheese mixed with a lot of salt served in an eggshell… it was ok, nothing to write home about.  The three appetizer choices included: salmon tartare with lemon confit and fennel salad (which I ate one mound only), Duck foie gras and poultry meat with celery salad and beetroot vinaigrette (which I only at the poultry meat and skipped the live), and Mousse of Tomatoes and Bell Pepper with pine nut peso (which was very good as I ate all of it).  I did miss the metal tower in which to place the appetizers on as it took up quite a bite of space on my table.  I did skip the caviar service as I got all I wanted from my previous flight.  It is definitely an acquired taste for me and I know it is not something that I need to enjoy daily.









The flight got choppy during meal service and the seatbelt sign was turned on.  I went with the White Onion Cream Soup with Parmesan Croutons over the salad.  It was served pretty hot so I waited for it to cool down and read the USA today newspaper to catch up on national news.  For my entrée I had trouble deciding between the Bibimbap and the Bulgolgi so I got both.  It was served with the traditional garnishes of kimchee, hot sauce/paste, and preserved radish.  I was thoroughly stuffed after that meal and was able to finish the bibimbap and only the bulgolgi meat.  I definitely put on a few pounds on all these flights/lounge visits and really enjoying myself all the way.  







For dessert, I had both the Crème Brûlée with Macademia Nut ice cream and it was the best dessert that I have even had on an airplane. I also got the Carrée of Mousse au Chocolat served with Orange Sauce which was also good.  The flight attendant offered me some green tea which I enjoyed with my dessert.  I also took some grapes from the cart but passed on the cheese.








After dinner service was over, the flight attendant asked me what I thought of the food and I gave her my honest opinion and mentioned about how great the service was throughout.  She even reset my table cloth for dessert and gave me wooden chopsticks for my main entrée. We chatted for a bit and I asked her about her trips/work experiences and she offered to give me a tour of the plane later if I wanted (which of course I agreed to… wonder around to see the other cabins of service).  The other flight attendant offered me some pralines which I took three: cactus, mango, and green tea.  These were round and not individually wrapped but nevertheless very nice/tasty.  She also sat down on the seat in the aisle from me to talk to me about my travels.  She is a very interesting person who takes off 2 months every year to have fun and go vacationing.  She lived in Egypt for a year and in Johannesburg (Jo'burg) for seven.  She was giving me travel ideas for Morocco and talked about the airline industry.  She said that Singapore Airlines is the only Star Alliance member that will not give them a discount for non-revenue travel (which is not surprising since Singapore rarely release premium seats for award travel).  

We talked for about thirty minutes and every once in a while, she had to turn a Business passenger away for trying to use the bathroom in First.  She talked about the comparison of Lufthansa to American carriers and Asian Carriers.  Lufthansa clientele are different that those of American, Middle Eastern, and Asian so that is why it has taken them a while to update their First Class cabins but they will eventually be very similar to those on the Airbus 380's.  She is going to be trained on the Airbus 380 so she will be letting her Boeing 747 certification go starting in March.  We discussed the new Airbus 380 route to/from San Francisco and she let me know that the Jo'burg route might get downgraded this summer since less people will travel there during their winter months.  I am not sure what route that plane might be moved to… perhaps India or Hong Kong maybe?  She told me that a lot of the Lufthansa staff some from diverse background and are very educated. They even command a higher salary than their American counterparts.  She has a Master's degree but chose the flexibility of work and travel benefits over more income.  Overall, I enjoyed talking to them as we had the whole cabin to ourselves.   It is not uncommon for the cabin to have one passenger or even no passenger and in that case, it becomes the unofficial crew lounge rest area. With me being there, that was not going to happen on this flight.

I wanted to know what the purser role was and he walked in right as she was about to explain it.  He and I spoke for a while and now I have a better idea of his job.  He grew up in Brazil and seemed like a very nice, personable man. I think he was heading towards the front for crew rest as after we had talked for a good twenty minutes, he bid me farewell and I did not see him for a long while.

Having nothing to do, I started blogging again so I do not forget details of my experience thus far.  I had to ask for a plug adapter being that this is a German plane.  Whenever I put off my blogging, a lot of details start to get forgotten and I want to always come back and remember this special trip.  I asked the flight attendant about the Business Class amenity kit and she gave me one to take with me.  She reminded that I could call on her anytime I wanted a tour of the plane.  She asked if it was all right for her to turn off the main cabin light and I said it was fine since I had my reading light and overhead light.  She then later came by to refill my water glass and placed a bottle of water into the holder in my seat.   

With about 5 & ½ hours to go before arrival, I packed up my computer and went to rinse out my mouth with the mouth was in the restroom and planned on turning in for the night to get what little sleep I can get which ended up being about three hours of quality sleep.  I pulled the thick blanket from the drawer under my seat and used it as a seat topper to make it more comfortable and used the thin blanket for covers.  I left my computer charged the whole time I was sleep and was paranoid that I would know it over the seat edge and break it so that affected my sleep.  I could have moved it to one of the seven empty seats in the cabin, but I got lazy and wanted to just lay there.









I woke up about 2 & 1/2 hours prior to arrival in Seoul.  I watched an old episode of Glee and 30 Rock.   
The flight attendant asked me if I wanted breakfast and gave me a menu.  I went with the yogurt, fruit plate, and some type of sandwich.  I asked the other flight attendant to give me a tour of the plane and she took me through the business class only since economy was getting their meal service.  I settled in my seat and I had a three course hot breakfast complete with bread, toast, croissant, cinnamon roll, and a kolache.  She offered me fresh squeezed (in Frankfurt) orange juice and a cappuccino after setting cloth on the tray table.
I was stuffed after eating everything but inquired to see if they had any pralines left.  Since I took only three after the dinner service and was the only passenger in First, it appeared that the flight attendants helped themselves to a majority of the chocolates left.  I picked out four pieces: cactus, latte, strawberry, and a regular chocolate.  She offered me tea but I declined.  She saw me taking pictures of my food and offered to snap a few photos of me enjoying my breakfast.  













With about an hour to go, she took me on the rest of the tour of the plane, we went to the back where economy was and circled around toward the front.   In the very back of the plane, the six restrooms are located downstairs necessitating the passengers to congregate down there to wait for their turn.  The crew rest area was in the lower floor as well.  I did notice that the pilots and the crew used the First Class lavatories.  I asked her what was included in the Business Class amenity kit and instead of listing the contents; she later gave me a bag to take home with me!   After the tour, I changed back into my clothes and put away all my amenity items which left my carry-on quite bulky.  I had to carry my toiletry bag by hand when I departed from the plane.  I bid the crew farewell and made my way out via the front jet-bridge towards the transit area.
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