Nickbots visit SE Asia on SK, LH, EK, TG and (last but not least!) SQ

[nickbot]

FRA-HKG on LH F Part I - Boarding and Pre-flight experience

Lufthansa, flight No. LH738 [FRA-HKG]
Dep. 17:45, Arr. 10:30(+1) [10h 45min]
Boeing 747-400
F Class, Seats 84H/K

Picking up from where I left off, our chauffeur led us to the aircraft door, where two female FAs were waiting; one turned out to be the Purser or equivalent to IFS on SQ I think, and she greeted us warmly, saying they were waiting for us and that she hoped we had enjoyed the FCT. To say we were excited at this point would be an understatement -not only because this was our first ever experience of First Class, but only our second ever trip on the top deck of our favourite aircraft

We were directed upstairs, with an offer to carry my rollalong, which was politely declined. We were shown to our seats by a different female FA who appeared to be in charge of the upper deck (although I knew where they were!) and offered a welcome drink -we selected champagne and went about the business of settling in and unpacking bits and bobs for the start of the journey. The FA quickly arrived back with our pre-flight champagne and I took the opportunity to take a quick snap of mrs nickbot settling in.

84 H&K, our seats for the next ten or so hours, expertly recommended by SQ LPP



The FA offered to take a photograph of us both together, but we said perhaps later (wanted to get everything sorted our pre-take off). She asked if we'd enjoyed the FCT facilities, to which we responded with extremely positive comments. I think LH are justifiably proud of their lounge offerings for F pax at FRA.

Pre-takeoff view from our seats



Our ever friendly FA then came round with all manner of amenities, namely a dinner menu, wine list, slippers, pyjamas and amenity kit. I didn't take photographs at the time, but can present them for you now from my home studio (ok, photos taken on the bedroom floor!)

Dinner menu, wine list and seat guide



PJs -thankfully not football themed style!



Male Bogner amenity kit (oh how I wish it were the new Rimowa one!) -razor and shaving gel from selection in the lavatory



Female Bogner amenity kit



Male and Female slippers, socks and eyeshades



All of these parcels were secreted in the various storage cubbyholes around the seat, but not before I noticed that I'd been issued with XL sized pyjamas! I went aft to the galley and asked if I could swap for a S/M (the same size that mrs nickbot had been given), and was quickly given the correct size. I took the PJs back to my seat and realised there was only a top in there,...so went back to the galley and asked if there were any bottoms! There were no S/M bottoms to be found, so I ended up with a S/M top and XL bottoms,...and probably a reputation as a PITA

Once the PJ situation was sorted out, and I had stored my rollalong in the aft cupboard, I finally took to my seat and had a sip of champagne.

Self portrait of Mr. & Mrs. LH F, with another budding reporter in background!



As many have described, the LH F seats are a relatively old design, but are certainly very comfortable. We were already very happy with our back row position, as we could keep an eye on the comings and goings within the cabin, and have easy access to the (virtually private use) lavatory behind us. It would later transpire that the back row position wasn't quite so good in terms of meal service, but more later.

Bags of legroom, and rapidly depleting champagne level on the RHS



We had a good 15 minutes to leisurely settle into our seats before the doors closed and pushback commenced. It's such a treat to observe this from the top deck I think, and something I very much hope to repeat before 744s become a rare commodity.

Apron view from my upper deck window, just prior to pushback



So impressed by the LH experience so far, and the service offered by the FAs, we felt at that moment that the flight ahead of us could last 100 hours and we'd be more than happy, such was the level of excitement. Not only the LH F trip, but the fact that we were visiting Hong Kong for the first time and then onto Thailand to see good friends and familiar places, capped off with SQ F at the end. This really felt like the proper start to our holiday...

[nickbot]

FRA-HKG on LH F Part II - Taxi, Take-off, Toilet, Towel, Terrine and Tray Table

As we pushed back, the FA asked if we had finished our glass of champagne so that she could collect the glasses, we hadn't in fact so she said it was fine for us to keep them as long as we kept hold of them during take-off. At the time, I couldn't remember clearly back to our one and only SQ C trip in 2005, but seemed to think SQ don't allow this (this was confirmed later in our holiday) -anyhow, it was nice not to be rushed into finishing the glass, and also to have it for sipping during taxi and take-off. Once again, the view from the 744 upper deck was wonderful,...even more so for me because I had the window seat!

Main terminal, during pushback from the gate



Taxi was reasonably long, but as I mentioned previously I couldn't care less how long this particular leg would take us -we could have gone all the way at taxiing speed for all I cared

Just love the reflection of the 744 - you can see my window if you look hard enough!



Climbing away from FRA



As soon as we levelled off at cruising altitude and the seatbelt signs went off, I decided to go aft and check out the lavatory. SQ LPP had explained that this aft toilet was almost a private bathroom for pax in row 84, as most people tend to go to the forward facilities -this certainly seemed to hold true, I don't think either of us ever had to wait to use the aft toilet. I didn't really need to go, I just quite like checking out the facilities!

The first thing that struck me was the window - oh how I love to see a window in the lavatory! The only other time I've experienced this was on our trip to YVR last year with LH. The fact that I wasn't expecting it made it even more of a pleasant surprise (you probably think I'm odd, getting excited about such a thing!) Time, of course, for a photocall...

Window, basket of shaving amenities and signature LH F red rose



Ridiculously grinning nickbot after discovering that the lavatory had a window!



I returned to my seat to find that, in my absence, we had been given hot towels (they were indeed very hot). The following shot aimed to capture the rising steam but seems to have failed!

Hot towel and personal touch screen IFE deployed



Somehow during the setup of the IFE, I had selected Chinese as the operating language, so this took me some time to rectify, resulting in a fair amount of amusement to mrs nickbot (probably aided by the first large glass of champagne she'd consumed!) We then coordinated to watch an episode of Extras together before dinner was served.

The first component of the dinner service was an appetiser (not on the menu) which could be best described as a sun dried tomato terrine -neither of us were really wowed by this taste sensation, but the presentation was reasonably inviting

Tomato amuse bouche



Whilst delivering the appetiser, the FA mentioned that they would soon be serving dinner, so in preparation I deployed my tray table. mrs nickbot (admittedly not being particularly mechanically able) had some difficulty in completing this task, queue more amusement (yet again catalysed by the champagne we had consumed). Eventually, with a little help from her seatmate, the situation was resolved and we were all set for dinner.

How the heck does this thing work?!!?



I can't at this stage remember whether the FA took our order, or if this was requested of us during dinner service, but by this time we were feeling pretty peckish and were therefore very much looking forward to the forthcoming gastronomical delights as the hors d'oeuvres cart started making its way through the cabin

[nickbot]

FRA-HKG on LH F Part II - Dining experience

To start, our tray tables were laid out and we were offered a selection of bread from the basket -we both chose garlic bread and a regular roll. To go with this, wo each had a small glass of their monthly selection red wine (2004 Columbia Valley Cabernet-Sauvignon). I know there's often discussion over the standard of garlic bread on flights, but I'm sorry to say that my memory has faded to the point where I can't comment on how good it was -my only evidence is that I didn't leave it, so it must have been of acceptable quality!

Table setting for dinner



[I've posted the menu for this flight elsewhere, in the LH F Menus thread]

Welcome,

We are glad to introduce to you today Swiss Star Chef Reto Mathis who is called "The mad guy on the mountain" in his hometown of St. Moritz ...<cut>... Exclusive ingredients, uncompromising product quality and the ambition to create innvoations have turned him into a legend in "The first mountain restaurant for epicures"

The finest Chinese cuisine is presented to you today by Zhang Zai Ping from the Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai ...<cut>... Experience a selection of specialities created by both chefs on board Lufthansa First Class today.

Variation of Hors d'oeuvres

Caviar with the traditional garnishes

Sweet-and-sour marinated pork on laid cucumber

Crayfish and avocado timbale with lime creme fraiche

Shaved cheese cannelloni with wild garlic and tomato olive tapenade

Salad or Soup

Mixed lettuce with cucumber, bell pepper, carrot and pine nuts
with your choice of yogurt dill or white balsamic dressing

or

Barley soup grissons style

Choice of Main Courses

White asparagus served with sauce hollandaise, New potatoes and a selection of ham

Grilled tenderloin of beef with truffle jus, asparagus tips and truffle and potato mash

Tuna steak served with soy sprouts, sesame and mashed wasabi puree

Fried eggplant filled with king prawn mash, sambal olek sauce, broccoli, fried egg rice, soy sauce, chinese pickles

Selection of Cheese and Dessert

Tete de Moine, Appenzell, Murol, Bleu de Gex and Brie cheeese

Chocolate fondue with fresh fruit and biscuits

Mango mousse with fresh strawberries and whipped cream

Speciality dessert wines

When the hors d'oeuvres trolley approached us, I chose caviar (well, this is First Class after all, one simply has to have caviar darling), which was served separately from the trolley (i.e. it wasn't all pre-plated, the caviar was spooned out from a bowl). The FA asked if I would like another starter, so I also chose the sweet and sour marinated pork, whilst mrs nickbot chose the shaved cheese cannelloni.

Getting hungry now, but the photocall is more important (note missing garlic bread!)



Shaven cheese cannelloni



Now, for quite some time prior to our trip I'd been scanning through the LH F menu thread here on SQTalk (SQ LPP's photographs in particular) and had been puzzled by the yellow/green muslin bag that was served with caviar -I simply couldn't work out what it was! A quick chat with the LH F expert cleared it up for me and then it was all so logical,...the muslin bag contains half a lemon, such that one can squeeze the juice out without getting pips in ones caviar -simple really!

Both the caviar (accompanied by a glass of vodka of course) and marinated pork were delicious, and so when the FA returned with the trolley and asked if I would like more caviar, who was I to refuse?! I was given another generous spoonful and more toast, which disappeared pretty quickly. The FA soon returned to clear our plates and take our orders for the next course.

I think the trick with hors d'oeuvres on LH F is to ask for everything all together, as per SQ LPP's photographs, then you will be presented with all three choices on the metal plate rack, plus the caviar. This is far more photogenic in my opinion (but possibly only reserved for extra special PITAs )

Neither the salad nor soup sounded particularly appealing to me, but I decided upon the salad and asked for it to be served with the dressing on the side; mrs nickbot opted for the soup. When my salad was served, the dressing had already been applied -okay, not a massive issue, but I do prefer to apply my own, or indeed decide to forego it completely. As it turned out, the salad was most disappointing and after trying a mouthful of the soup, I wished I'd chosen that as it was extremely tasty.

Boring salad



Less boring soup!



nickbot "enjoying" his boring salad



We had now switched back to champagne, of which there were two on offer, either "D" de Devaux Brut, Champagne Veuve Devaux or "Rare", Champagne Piper-Heidsieck -I believe we had the latter. I'm certainly no connoisseur, but do very much enjoy a glass of champagne and the Piper Rare was no exception; as for "pairing" it with my next course, pah!, don't subscribe to that, if I want champagne with my beef then I'll have it!

Now we come to what is possibly the main downside to row 84 -the FAs take the meal order and serve from the front of the cabin, so when it came to our choice, some dishes were unavailable. mrs nickbot wanted to have the tuna steak, but all of these had gone, so we both opted for the grilled tenderloin of beef (actually my choice anyhow, although I was also torn between that and the tuna). We were intending to have different dishes so that we could each sample the different items (and of course photograph them for the forum), but this wasn't to be.

Grilled tenderloin of beef with truffle jus



I have to say, the beef sounded more appetising on the menu than it was in real life. The word Tenderloin in no way described what we actually received, for it was as dry and tough as an old boot. The asparagus and mashed potato were fine, but the meat was extremely disappointing, resulting in it being left all but untouched on our plates. I probably wouldn't have fed this to my cat to be honest!

Beef Toughloin, pretty much untouched



This certainly wasn't the end of the world, but we did mention it to our friendly FA when she returned to see if everything was ok. She mentioned that no-one else had commented on the beef, but that she would certainly pass on the complaint to the catering department. Again, as we were served last, there were no alternative dishes for us. Oh well, not to worry,...must fill up on dessert!

Judging by the continuity of the photos on my memory card, I decided to go for a little walk around after the main course and before dessert, but I'll post these photographs in the next thread. When I returned, the dessert trolley had made its way down to our row, so I was able to indulge once more. I think, because of the beef problem, the FA was keen to ply us with food at this stage, and after a few glasses of champagne (not forgetting the small vodka earlier with my caviar), I was easily persuaded into having a selection of cheeses and the chocolate fondue. The fondue took a few minutes to arrive, as it had to be heated before serving, but it was well worth the wait.

Cheese, fondue, more vodka, red wine,...where did my champagne go?!



I'm a great fan of cheese, and due to being on a permanent diet we hardly ever eat it at home, so this was a real treat. As for the fondue, well what can I say? A pot of warmed chocolate with fruits to dip into it was a sure fire winner in my book!

After this, I think I'd overindulged (this thought was shared by my seatmate after observing me eating warm chocolate with a spoon after the fruit had been exhausted,...think Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or perhaps Mr. Creosote would be more accurate!) and I was retrospectively quite glad that the beef hadn't been up to par, or else I'd have been even more full!

I chose to complete my meal in the true British style, with a nice cup of tea. I enjoyed the presentation in a proper pot, and unlike many airlines it seems that LH can "do" tea reasonably well.

Ahhh Tea, love of my life and cure for all ills



Overall, our impressions of the LH dining experience were good. Service was excellent, but we felt slightly let down by the lack of choice when it came to serving pax at the rear of the cabin. The beef was a real let-down, but these things can happen -shame there wasn't an alternative dish, but this ended up being a blessing in disguise as I think we'd have popped from over-eating! Caviar was enjoyable and in plentiful supply. I think the hors d'oeuvres and dessert were the stars of the show, but due to other factors I have to assign a 6 out of 10.

[nickbot]

FRA-HKG on LH F Part III - Walkabout and sleep

Whilst I was drinking my tea, mrs nickbot was preparing for bed, having already changed into her LH PJs. I decided to go for a walkabout, partly to stretch my legs, but also to visit my usual hangout in the 744 (the last row of Y!) The FAs were distributing blankets and bottles of water, and it seemed that I was the only pax still not ready for bed!

mrs nickbot stretched out, ready for sleep



A few walkabout shots follow, sorry some of them may be a little dark, conscious of not using flash photography to draw attention to myself when others were trying to sleep!

View from the top of the stairs, Purser/IFS completing paperwork



View forward through Business Class cabin - always looks surprisingly crowded after F!



Y cabin and the nickbots usual seats right at the back!



After a quick walk around, I returned to the upper deck and changed into my PJs. Everyone else in the cabin was now laid flat and trying to sleep, so instead of lying in bed watching the IFE as I had intended to do, I thought I'd better join them (well, not actually join them, for this may have been frowned upon )

mrs nickbot sporting a big grin, and her "I Lufthansa" eyeshade



Grinning nickbot, ready for sleep



Despite the LH seat being slightly old fashioned looking, it actually makes a very comfortable bed. I like the water bottle holder feature (to the LHS of the photograph above), and this turned out to be extremely useful during the night because we got so hot. A final photograph to end what was a wonderful day...

Full moon (just about visible )

[nickbot]

FRA-HKG on LH F Part IV - Breakfast

I have to say that, as a true newcomer to F travel, it struck me that the main priorities of First Class are to dine well and then sleep, full stop. I suppose this shouldn't have come as a shock to me (why else would they provide a bed ), but as someone who normally finds it difficult to sleep on flights and often shuns the "enforced sleep periods" to watch IFE for endless hours, it almost seems like a waste to sleep away an F experience.

That said, after quite a long day and not a great deal of sleep at Rest & Fly the night before, I was glad of the opportunity for a little shut eye. At best, I slept fitfully, for the cabin temperature was a little too warm for my liking. I probably only managed two or three hours sleep before I decided I was wasting my time, so decided to get up. I made my way back to the toilet to have a wash and get changed. Upon exiting the bathroom, I popped into the galley and asked the FA if I could have a cup of tea -she said she'd bring it right over. The tea was a welcome wake-up, and I sat watching a little IFE whilst mrs nickbot continued to sleep a while longer.

As I was awake and dressed, the FA asked if I would like to have breakfast now (still circa 2 hours out of HKG), but I declined saying I'd prefer to eat with my wife; she handed me the breakfast menu in any case, so that I could order whenever I wanted. As before, this menu is posted elsewhere in the LH F menu thread.

Cold and hot specialities

Freshly squeezed orange juice

Fresh fruit

Yogurt, curd with mango cubes and pistachios, cornflakes and milk

Graved salmon, smoked filet of trout, italian ham, milan salami, gammon, pumpernickel with cream cheese, gouda, buttermilk cheese

Scrambled eggs freshly prepared upon your request with your choice of bacon or chives

Once mrs nickbot had got up, we ordered from the breakfast menu -again, I felt a little restricted in my choice but opted to have the scrambled eggs, which were actually pretty good.

Scrambled eggs with bacon and chives (and more tea!)



Both mrs nickbot and I were served individually, but as the rest of the pax woke up, the trolley service began. I was relatively surprised that breakfast was still in full service with only 35 minutes or so of flight time left, but all was conducted without a hint of rushing, so it all felt very civilised.

FA serving pax from the breakfast trolley



mrs nickbot finishing her OJ - note single red rose (I didn't get one )



Like dinner previously, breakfast was more than adequate, but not stunning. Service was excellent, and conducted professionally (i.e. no rushing as previously mentioned). Various cups, glasses etc. were collected and the pilot announced that we were approaching HKG -our first First experience was coming to an end

[nickbot]

FRA-HKG on LH F Part V - Arrival in HKG

After seeing me take the last photograph, one of the FAs offered to take a photo of mrs nickbot and I. I think one of the main disadvantages of the Nokia N95 (my main camera these days) in giving it to others to take photographs of you is that the shutter release works just like a "proper" digital camera (i.e. a half press to focus, then a full press to take the shot), but people are still used to mobile 'phone cameras being a single click. The result is lots of poorly focussed photos! After trying about four times, we finally got a decent photo!

Soon before landing, grinning but slightly serious looking nickbots are planning a sit-in in the F cabin!



Before cabin crew took to their seats, the IFS came up and made a special point of coming over to chat with us (I didn't see her doing this to anyone else in the F cabin,...perhaps reserved for PITAs in training!) She asked if we'd enjoyed the flight, and wished us a very pleasant stay in HKG. This was a really nice touch, and certainly endeared us to the LH F experience.

Getting close to HKG



Corresponding view out of the window



The approach was extremely smooth and completely befitting of our First Class experience (ok, the approach would've been smooth for J and Y pax too, but you know what I'm getting at!) FAs took their seats for landing -unlike SQ's upper deck, the FA sits on the LHS of the aircraft on the emex row, so we could see clearly over to her. At this time, the pax opposite us (who was seated in 84C) switched on his BlackBerry,...initially I thought he'd put it into offline mode (as my N95 had been in all through the flight), but soon enough it started bleeping so it was apparent he was receiving messages! I thought this was a little naughty, but I don't think the FA could hear the message bleeps from where she was seated. He was busily replying to messages/emails for the last 15 or so minutes of the flight before we touched down. Perhaps this is the attitude of some F pax (or, more correctly, some pax)? I know I (and many others) break the rule of "no electronic items" during take-off and landing (i.e. cameras), but I did think it was a bit off for him to be busily twiddling with his BlackBerry at that time.

View across the F cabin, including mr blackberry fiddling with his knobs!



Approaching the airport,...geographically challenged at this point so not 100% sure this is HKG!



The excitement kind of switched at this point - the LH F experience was all but over, so now we were focussed on visiting a completely new city to us. Despite only having circa 36 hours scheduled in HKG, we were very much looking forward to this, and of course our main holiday in Thailand (and SQ F later!)

On approach



A little something for the shipping contingent on SQTalk,...try not to get too excited boys!



Touchdown!



Again, a real treat for us to experience touchdown from the upper deck. I so hope that we'll be able to travel with SQ in J on the upper deck before they retire this wonderful aircraft,...sadly I think this is unlikely, but I shall try my best to save up!

Taxiing past grounded Oasis Hong Kong 744s



Once we were parked at the gate and the seatbelt sign had gone out, we collected all of our belongings old and new,...including amenity kits, PJs etc.! (but no glasses this time, sorry guys, my reputation either lies in tatters or is elevated ) Unfortunately, as I went to retireve my Tumi from the aft storage compartment, the flow of other F pax from the cabin prevented me from heading back to our seats, so I had to wait in the galley for them to leave before rejoining mrs nickbot. Once I'd stuffed all of the goodies into my bag (along with six extra special LH F ducks of course, all sqeaking in protest as they were squashed alongside slippers and PJs!), we made our way down the stairs.

As we reached the foot of the stairs, we could see that FAs were lined up beside the curtains of the Y and J cabins, physically preventing those pax from disembarking before the F cabin was empty -this was a completely new experience for us! One lady from J pushed through the cordon, much to the disapproval of the FAs. We were the last to leave the F cabin, probably due to the luggage incident, but also because we were busily thanking all of the FAs in our path!

Farewell to our first ever First Class 744



So, I must apologise that this component of the trip report has been slow in arriving, I hope I've done the LH F experience justice. As our first ever time in First Class, it will always hold a very special place in our hearts - yes, the dining component of the experience wasn't 100%, but nothing to loose sleep over. The service was of a very high standard, so no complaints there. As for the cabin comfort - sure, the seats are old fashioned looking, but are very comfortable (I particularly like the nice wide arm rests). For me, the upper deck is a great location for F, but at that point I'd never tried F in the "nose", so I'll leave my conclusion of that for later in the report. The "on the ground" experience is second to none, and I very much hope we get the opportunity to visit the FCT again at some stage (if only to re-house a few more duckies!)

If we can manage to scrape sufficient BD miles together before it all goes to pot, then I'd jump at the chance to ride LH F once again! I think this is a far more realistic proposition than us riding SQ F again, unless I can predict six extra special numbers before next Saturday comes around!

[taipeiflyer]

wow, a decent razor is offered! the ones in the ferragamo amenity kit on sq have the unique ability to extract six layers of skin from your face, while still maintaining stubble.

[nickbot]

wow, a decent razor is offered! the ones in the ferragamo amenity kit on sq have the unique ability to extract six layers of skin from your face, while still maintaining stubble.

I know! I was surprised to see them in the lavatory, decent razors and excellent shaving gel - so much better than the SQ offering as you say (and that of other airlines)

[jjpb3]

I know! I was surprised to see them in the lavatory, decent razors and excellent shaving gel - so much better than the SQ offering as you say (and that of other airlines)

I agree, it's the best one I've run across inflight. In fact, it made me shift brands once I got back on the ground.

[impresta]

nooooooooooooo! not more placeholders of death!

[nickbot]

nooooooooooooo! not more placeholders of death!

I know, I'm sorry! Post #138 now populated,...more homework to do this weekend!

[9V-SIA]

Great TR.

Appreciate the creative juices that has gone into it

Thanks for sharing

[HUGE AL]

The FA quickly arrived back with our pre-flight champagne and I took the opportunity to take a quick snap of mrs nickbot settling in.

84 H&K, our seats for the next ten or so hours, expertly recommended by SQ LPP

Those are some mongo champagne glasses you've got there!

Beef Toughloin, pretty much untouched

You know, I've never understood ordering beef on an airplane (nickbot is off the hook because he was in the last row) because it almost always comes out this way. However, I did see a couple nice looking pics from SQ LPP a while ago...not sure if that was on SQ or NH...

[nickbot]

Great TR.

Appreciate the creative juices that has gone into it

Thanks for sharing

Many thanks 9V-SIA,...amazing just how much juice it takes lol! I'm about running dry!

Post #139 populated

[nickbot]

Those are some mongo champagne glasses you've got there!

Yes indeed, pretty large! The volume no doubt contributed to our amusement at seemingly mundane issues such as Chinese IFE instructions and tray table deployment problems

You know, I've never understood ordering beef on an airplane (nickbot is off the hook because he was in the last row) because it almost always comes out this way. However, I did see a couple nice looking pics from SQ LPP a while ago...not sure if that was on SQ or NH...

Hmmm, I think we'd have enjoyed the tuna more, but to be honest none of the choices *really* appealed. I suppose this is where SQ F has the edge, as you can BTC for safety, but deviate from this by ordering off the main menu if you see something that takes your fancy (subject to availability of course), or indeed BTC an item especially for the purposes of giving it to the crew, as Sir SQ LPP often does!