Getting Some Stamps on My Passport (UA F/C, EK F Suite, SQ C, and another UA C)

[globetrekker84]

Hi all!

I know it's been ages since my last TR, and seeing that I've got a holiday shutdown, I'll try to piece together some recent trips.

My latest trip was over the American Thanksgiving break plus a few vacation days that I needed to burn (or lose it altogether). Plus I just got a new passport so it didn't feel right that it would be naked without stamps covering it.
Last year, I made my own RTW trip, so I thought that this year would have its own theme: Circle Pacific.
So I booked all of this on a Sunday, and leaving that Wednesday. My flight path would be as follows:

LAX-ORD-HKG-BKK-SIN-SYD-SFO-LAX


The TR would also include the hotel reviews of:

• The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
• St. Regis Bangkok
• The Observatory Hotel (Sydney)

I'm going to make the TR picture-intensive and keep the words down to a minimum. So off we go!

[globetrekker84]

Part 1: United Airlines F/C (LAX-ORD-HKG)

So 3:30am rolls around and I hadn't slept at all since the night before. By the time I got to the airport, I was a zombie. Had to wait for the re-branded United Club to open at 5am. Once I got in, I snagged a seat near the bar to capture this shot:



The flight to Chicago-O'Hare was a typical UA domestic F flight. Got a pre-departure drink. Had a half-decent omelette and sausage. I ended up talking to my seat mate for most of the flight so that was kind of it for the flight.

Landed in Chicago. Had to take a picture of the famous UA concourse:


Headed to the United club next to my gate and was able to snap a pic of my next ride:


Once onboard, here are the views of the good (by North American standards) C seats:

Note the side stowage compartments on the upper deck, which is super-convenient



Now...the food pics. This is where UA stumbles a bit:






The second meal:


And lastly, the view of the mainland as we approach HKG:

[globetrekker84]

The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

One of the reasons I wanted to go back to Hong Kong (besides to fatten myself up) was to try out the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. I've seen all of the pics and the positive reviews so I had to try it out for myself.

Entrance to the hotel (granted I didn't use this since I used the backdoor entrance from the Kowloon Station of the Airport Express)


View from the lower lobby


Deluxe Harbour View Room on the 109th floor


The nighttime view from the 109th floor


The daytime view from the 109th floor


Weird to comprehend I'm nearly 1500 feet above the ground


The pool on the 118th floor




Just a stunning view




All in all, this is definitely a must visit just for the views. The hotel is typical Ritz-Carlton in poshness. It's on the wrong side of the city and a bit isolated, but definitely worth checking out.

[globetrekker84]

Some views of Hong Kong (Part 1)

Just an assortment of pictures that I took while out there.

[globetrekker84]

Some views of Hong Kong (Part 2)













Probably the most disgusting I saw here:

[globetrekker84]

Some views of Hong Kong (Part 3)

[globetrekker84]

Some views of Hong Kong (Part 4)

[globetrekker84]

Hong Kong Food

You can't go to Hong Kong without stuffing yourself silly with food!

[globetrekker84]

Kowloon Station and Hong Kong International Airport

So I decided to use the city check-in facility for my Emirates flight. Incredibly convenient. More places need to copy this.

FIDS


Airport Express legroom shot


Airy HKIA

[Kyo]

Thanks for the TR! The routemap seems a bit off..?

[globetrekker84]

Emirates F Suite

Now our very own sqfg has written up an amazing TR on Emirates's A380 flight from HKG to BKK so I won't add too much more other than the lounge pics plus some of my own shots.

Here's her TR: A380 battle: SQ J vs EK F (+ shower video)

Lounge Pics












My little puddle-jumper for the evening

[globetrekker84]

More Emirates F Suite















And yes sqfg, this was equally fun to play with.



Fellow puddle-jumper parked nearby






Legroom shot

[globetrekker84]

And more Emirates F Suite

[globetrekker84]

The St. Regis Bangkok

The late arrival meant that I couldn't be bothered to catch a cab so I decided to hire the hotel car to pick me up. Seem appropriate after flying EK F.







Welcome tea


Welcome treat


Room view in the morning


Being there during the end of the floods meant that there were virtually no one around. It was a tragic sight to see. Occupancy was about 20-30%. Hopefully things get better. The hotel is still brand new and you can tell that the staff are still ramping up, but it looks promising.

[globetrekker84]

Sights and Foods of Bangkok (Part 1)

I had a late start, so I decided to walk it out through Bangkok and follow the river to the central part of town.

First order of business: lunch












Flood prevention move