ORD to HKG the VERY LONG WAY (9 segments, 6 F-segments, 5 *A partners)(Outbound)

[ORDnHKG]

UA IFL at NRT and NH F lounge at NRT T1 by Gate 40s

I haven't been to this lounge for quite a while, but I remembered this IFL doesn't offer much in terms of food, looks like it didn't change much.

















I just can't see anyone would have any interest in the food options here if they had been to the NH lounge. At last, I asked one of the agents there for the shower kit and leave and it is 4:15pm.

This is the Murad shower kit, it is available downstairs at the United Club also, you can get it at Arrivals by United at SFO and ORD, and also SFO IFL shower room as well. For some odd reason, UA always do a better job for their shower kit than inflight amenity kit.

[ORDnHKG]

My TG flight is all the way down by NH lounge at gate 40s, but it seems like there is a delay for my flight. Even though the gate said 5:15pm, but boarding don't start until 4:55pm, there was no way for TG to board a 77W in only 20 min, and my boarding pass said boarding supposed to be at 4:35pm.



Since there were still a good half hour before boarding, and the NH lounge is right by the gate, let me check out this NH lounge. The set up for NH lounge by gate 40s is different than the one by gate 50s, as this one F lounge is upstairs, and C lounge is downstairs, C lounge is surrounded by walls, no view at all.





When I went inside, I asked one of the agent if my flight is indeed delayed, they said no at first, and they said if my flight is delayed, I would be protected on the NH flight leaving later. For sure I wouldn't want to spend that extra miles and hotel cost for NH, as that flight was a 763, C and Y only. One of the agent did later use the PA system inside the lounge announce my TG flight will be delayed until 5:35pm instead of 5:15pm.

This F lounge seems to be half the size of the one by gate 50s.





But it also had the suite lounge cubicles





Here are some shots I had taken at NH F lounge by gate 50s







And the view at NH F lounge by gate 40s

[ORDnHKG]

Date: 12/01/2011
Flight: TG 677
Route: NRT-BKK
Aircraft: 777-35RER (Leased from 9W, previously operated by TK)
Reg. # HS-TKT
Gate: 44
Class of Service: First Class
Seat: 2K
Load: 3/8
Schedule departs: 5:15pm
Actual departs: 5:35pm
Schedule arrives: 10:15pm

By the time I went back downstairs, boarding already started for Y class. I went straight to my seat 2K.







Once I was seating, a FA in blue and silver came right to me and introduce her name is Kanokwan, and asked me if I want something to drink, I had a coke with lemon.



Amenity kit, slippers, and noise cancelling haedset already in place in the seat. The red box was the famous Rimowa amenity kit (at least to LH and TG flyertalkers !) I was really looking forward for getting it (That is also when I got TG'ed, aircraft change cause from downgrade from F to C, I pay extra 37.5K miles, overnight in NRT, and overnight in BKK to change to this flight!).

Initially it was distributed in LH F class, when LH discontinue using it, then TG pick it up. This Rimowa amenity kit was really one of a kind, it resemble of the real Rimowa luggage, it often sold in ebay for $100. The slippers seemed like a cheaper kind however, like you would see in a hotel, no slippers bag, and no TG logo sew into it.





The products are come from French brand La Maxima Paris, it has small bottle of eau de cologne, body lotion, lipbalm, and face mist, no eyeshades or socks inside the bag, those are on request items.



I was also handed the menus for the days flight in a bamboo folder



The food menus however is a cheap printed paper, not a nice booklet. I asked Kanokwan why was that, she just said the catering for the day's flight doesn't match what was on the menus, so they had to just print it on a paper and insert into the menus, I had never heard of that before.



After that, there are still plenty of time before departure, now let's check out my "suite"



Doors can be closed manually for full privacy



Lots of personal storage spaces, as no overhead bins at all for F class

[ORDnHKG]

No overhead individual air nozzles, instead it was located near the left side of my head, built into the suite. There is also reading lamp next to the nozzles.



Here is how you know the plane belong to 9W (well other stuff too, but this is where it said specifically Jet Airways)



Initially, I thought this is just a small TV when one recline to bed mode, so that it is closer to you than the big screen farther away, but the purser walked by and seemed like I have trouble using it, he came and showed me how to use it, it was actually touch screen TV where I controlled my seat to recline, legrest, etc.



I took a peek of what's C class look like



It finally pushed back, there was a SQ 380 right next to my plane



From pushed back to taxi, it showed the really cool mood lighting keep changing to different colors at the ceiling

[ORDnHKG]

The powerful GE90 engines took off and dinner service start

Narita - Bankok

Savoury

Japanese Yakitori Skewer
Curry Puff
Pineapple Chilli Sauce

First Course

Duck Liver Mousse, Lobster Tail
Mesclun and Balsamic Sauce

Soup

White Bean Soup
with Chanterelle Mushroom and Truffle Oil

Main Course

Pan-fried Beef Fillet with Sukiyaki Sauce
Steamed Japanese Rice (Tawara Rice)
Mixed Vegetables
or

Chicken in Thai Curry Sauce with Fresh Potatoes and Red Chills
Steamed Thai Horn Mali Rice
Sweet Pork Slices, Cucumber Salad Thai Style
or

Turbot Fish Fillet with Dieppoise Sauce
Mashed Potatoes and Vegetables

Assorted Bread, Butter
Assorted Cheese, Fresh Fruits

Dessert

Crepes Suzette
Vanilla Ice Cream and Orange Sauce
Tea, Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino


Refresment

Ice Cream


It started off with savoury and I had a guava juice



After that table set up probably and an individual bread basket brought to me. I really like the idea of personal bread basket



First Course
After I notified Kanokwan that I don't drink at all, she took away the wine glasses



Soup



Main Course
Pan-fried beef fillet
This beef was still rather tough, though a little better than what I had on LH, at least much better presentation, no more beef totally soaked in sauce, but the beef is very average in quality. Seriously, it seems like the best beef I had on an airplane was UA in F or C, all these carriers LH, TG, and even OZ, don't know how to cook beef at all. At the beginning, I was a little regret that I didn't choose TG's pre-order "book the cook" service for F pax, but after I came back from this trip, I read a thread on FT about TG's book the cook service, it wasn't that good at all compare with SQ's book the cook.

Also, a note to that, there was no miso soup or cold wheat or soba noodles come with the Japanese entree. What's wrong with TG's catering ? I mean this is F class, if you want to prepare a Japanese course, miso soup, soba noodles and pickles are a must, no wonder many TG flyertalkers complain about TG's food being very average even in F or C class.



While I was still eating my food, the other male FA who worked in the galley, (I learned his name was Phoraphat later on) came by and I saw him with the cheese plate, when he saw me I was still eating, he quickly went back to the galley. Try to rush and be done with so that they can rest faster perhaps ?

Kanokwan later brought the cheese and fruits
The way they put the cheese on the foil paper doesn't look very appetizing, not to mention the cheese were wrap in plastic, doesn't look very fresh at all, I passed on the cheese and have fruits instead.





Dessert was the best part of dinner
Crepe with Vanilla icecream in orange sauce



After the dinner service ended, lights out, then the mood light change the ceiling into all stars like the sky.



I decided to take a visit to the bathroom

[ORDnHKG]

There were Ferragamo body lotion and Bvlgari green tea eau de cologne



I also went to see C class bathroom's amenities. C class bathroom also have Ferragamo lotion, but no Bvlgari fragrance, instead of Thann passion fragrance



Surprisingly when I went to Y class bathroom, they also have a bottle of fragrance as well but no lotion.





Some cabin shots



It was quite interesting that they have these lights outside the bathroom, green light show unoccupied, red light show it is occupied, how clever the design.



They have a bar semi-setup, perhaps too lazy to put the glasses up on the wall counter ?



After I went all the back to check out the bathrooms in different classes, when I was on the way back to F, I was checking out the C seat. One of the C FA recognized I was a F pax, she encouraged me to try out the C seat, it seemed comfortable. C was less than half full.

Here I took a shot of the C seat seat-controls



After that I went back up and decided to have chit chat with Kanokwan while Phoraphat was on break. I told her I really like the amenity kit, then she asked me if I wanted an extra one, of course I said yes, then I saw a silver Rimowa, which now I had a red and a silver Rimowa. I told her that I actually collect amenity kits, then she bought me the 2 amenity kits from C, I was extremely happy, I got 4 kits in 1 flight !

Red and silver Rimowa thanks to Kanokwan !



C amenity kit, Aigner on the left and Erb on the right



Aigner kit's contents



Erb kit's contents

[ORDnHKG]

After that I went back to my seat and watch a movie on the big screen TV



So I was curious about their uniform, initially I thought Kanokwan was the purser, as she is wearing blue instead of pink / purple. Then I found out they can actually choose whatever color they want to wear except black. And I was also curious about the cloth that cross over the female FA's shoulder, it was called Sabai. Phoraphat said usually female FA wear plain color sabai, if it is silver or gold color, the FA actually pay extra for that to be made. If the FA is a purser, they actually wear set uniform like suit and tie with black pants, or suit with skirt. Phoraphat also jokingly said that when it is Christmas time, I will see the female FA wearing red and green ! Both of them had worked for TG for 20+ years, so people, don't say all FA on asian airlines are young and pretty, at least not on TG !

Kanokwan on the left and Phoraphat on the left.



The entire flight had light turblence thoughout, with occasional moderate chop, so it wasn't that comfortable to sleep. near the end of flight, both Kanokwan and Phoraphat went to each pax thanking each of them flying TG in today. It was a nice touch, and Kanokwan expecially provided exceptional service.

After the plane landed, it parked at a remote spot, despite I could see many empty gates. My carryon bag was fully loaded with all these gifts from UA/LH/NH/TG, but I have no choice have to carry it on my own down the stairs. It was really hot and humid once I step out of the plane. Once I got downstairs from the plane, there was a man holding a sign with my name on it, and I joined 3 other male pax also in F class on my flight in a tiny toyota van. I appreciate a private van for F pax, but would TG at least get a bigger van ?

Where was my passport ?

So all 3 of us on the van, but I wasn't sure why the driver didn't go yet. Then I was about to take out my passport so that it is faster for immigration, then I realize it was no where to be found ! I quickly jumped off the van, ran back up the stairs to the plane, kept looking around my seat and didn't see it at all. Then I finally remembered when I got onboard the plane at NRT, I put my passport at the back sleeve of my shoulder bag !

Although the plane didn't seem to park far from the terminal, but the van seemed like went a long way, when I got off the van, one pax seemed to have a connecting flight, an escort took him away, me and another male pax followed an escort to an empty custom area. After that, the escort asked me if I have any checked luggage, I told me no, and he went with the other pax to the luggage belt. TG is really special in terms of how they handle the ground service for F pax.

Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport

Initially I was tossing between this Novotel and the Louis Tavern lounge for the quick overnight. Louis Tavern is a transit hotel inside the secure area. I had looked at their website and read the reviews, it was really mix between good and bad, they were charging a minimum of 4 hours, and after 4 hours, you paid more for every 2 hours. It was cheaper than Novotel, but wasn't a lot. Novotel was expensive as an airport hotel, don't really understand why.

http://dayrooms-ciplounges.com/

I decided to go for Novotel as a more reputable establishment, and thanks to FT, I did sign up for A Club gold member, at least I will get some points out of it. I read that there is an underground tunnel or something connecting from the airport to the hotel, but they also have shuttles. But anyway, it was late, I didn't have the mood to look for where is the pathway connect to the hotel, I just looked for signs for the shuttle.

When I got out of the terminal, it seemed like a shuttle just left, again hot and humid, I was still wearing my winter clothes, no way to take them off as I have so many "bags" with me by now, it was extremely uncomfortable, luckily another shuttle pull up in 5 minutes, I just jumped on it at least it was air-conditioned. The hotel basically just a street or highway bridge across from the airport, but it still took the shuttle 10-15 min to get to the hotel.

The hotel itself was built like an Embassy Suites, all the rooms were like a square, in the middle is an atrium with trees and a garden. I went straight to checkin, but when the agent saw that I am a A Club member, she escorted me to a different area, where two agents were sitting there. Those two ladies checked me in and gave my room keys, that's about it, I wasn't offered anything, it wasn't necessary for the agent to bring me to a separate area at all.

I only took a few photos and went to sleep as I have to wake up early the next morning so that I can use TG F lounge.

[sushiinSYD]

Wonderful TR. Thanks a lot, ORDnHKG

i am just wondering if there were any signage in other language than Japanese? i have no problem with Japanese (off course!!), but felt it would be quite unfair to other ppl since some explanations were very interesting...

[ginkoka]

"Then I found out they can actually choose whatever color they want to wear except black. And I was also curious about the cloth that cross over the female FA's shoulder, it was called Sabai. Phoraphat said usually female FA wear plain color sabai, if it is silver or gold color, the FA actually pay extra for that to be made."

Very interesting fact!!!