Random comments + photos: Beijing, Shanghai Airlines, etc.

[milehighj]

Here's a short TR on my flying visit to PEK, SHA and TYO.

I don't normally post TRs, but this trip involved a couple of firsts - first time on Shanghai Airlines (FM), first time travelling thru SHA Hongqiao, and also possibly my last time on the SQ 744...

Anyway, after an uneventful flight SIN-PEK (no photos), I headed to Hotel Kapok in Wangfujing, 1.5 blocks from the east gate of the Forbidden City.

I'd normally have gone for one of the two Westins, but I found a great deal on Wotif.com at less than 50% cheaper, so thought it was worth a try for just one night...

Hotel Kapok exterior:


Hotel Kapok standard room:


Hotel Kapok standard room:


Hotel Kapok interior:


All-in-all, great value with a great location in Wangfujing, right by the Forbidden City.

[milehighj]

Air China domestic J lounge, PEK T3:




FM 767-300 to SHA Hongqiao:


FY 767-300 Y cabin:


Inedible Y snacks :

[milehighj]

Le Royal Club room @ Le Royal Meridien Shanghai...:




SHA (Hongqiao) International J Lounge [At least this lounge had free Wi-Fi, unlike my 5-star hotel above! ]:

[milehighj]

FM 767-300 to HND:


FM 767-300 J cabin:


My seat, Row 6 first row of Y. Perfectly spacious for Y :




Lunch, only slightly better than the last meal...:


Seconds from ingesting a whole Japanese airport... :

[milehighj]

The SQ 747-400 in twilight (both literally and metaphorically).

I've been flying on SQ 747s all my life, and it's incredibly difficult to think I could have flown on one for the last time.

9V-SMU serving as SQ11 pulling up to the gate at NRT:




Row 17A, the best legroom of ANY J seat on ANY existing SQ aircraft:


J class Kaiseki:

[SQflyergirl]

Seconds from ingesting a whole Japanese airport... :

Burp! I think the engine could've handled it quite easily

[milehighj]

Burp! I think the engine could've handled it quite easily

I even post a leg shot and this is the pic you comment on?!

[StarG]

Thanks for sharing milehighj.
Certainly reminded me of my previous China trips.
Lounges there are never up to international standards (in design or quality) even in the best looking airports!

[jhm]

Thanks for the pics, mhj!

I flew FM a few times in 2006 (before they joined *A) - SHA-CSX-SHA and PEK-PVG. I even joined their FFP and many months later received a card (whcih was subsequently replaced by a card with *A logo).

I'm afraid I wasn't brave enough like you to endure Y (e.g. the fighting to boarding the plane etc) so went for F. It wasn't much more than the full fare Y and J fares (albeit that close to departure the Y fares get progressively discounted until you can pay less than 50%). I booked online through eLong (majority owned by Expedia).

I don't know about now but a few years ago, I understood that FM were probably one of the best of the Chinese domestic carriers (much better than MU for example).

What I remember from my domestic flights:

* They have (or used to have) priority boarding and deplaning for F pax, i.e. a special minibus (complete with cream coloured silk curtains and cushion covers) just for F pax.

* The food wasn't much better than that shown in your picture above.

* The tightest seat belts I've ever come across! They were the first (and only) occasions when I've had to use an extension seatbelt provided by the crew.

* A special F security line at some of the airports.

[SQflyergirl]

I even post a leg shot and this is the pic you comment on?!

okok Nice SQFG tm shot

[N_Architect]

Very nice TR, my friend. Thank you for sharing.

Like that first 744 shot a lot (though a bit blurred - but who cares, in 11 months all these 744 SQ pictures will be precious memories...)

[phaleesy]

I even post a leg shot and this is the pic you comment on?!

okok Nice SQFG tm shot

Is that a grudging praise or not?!

SQfg is either jealous of those legs or she's unimpressed.

Thanks for sharing the (other) pictures.

[milehighj]

I'm afraid I wasn't brave enough like you to endure Y (e.g. the fighting to boarding the plane etc) so went for F. It wasn't much more than the full fare Y and J fares (albeit that close to departure the Y fares get progressively discounted until you can pay less than 50%).

jhm, well I was only willing to brave Y thanks to *G benefits. Without it I would have done as you and gone for F/J.

Nonetheless the treatment as *G was very satisfactory. No lines at the F/J check-in and both times I was automatically assigned bulkhead rows near the front.

okok Nice SQFG tm shot

Like that first 744 shot a lot (though a bit blurred - but who cares, in 11 months all these 744 SQ pictures will be precious memories...)

Sad but true.

Is that a grudging praise or not?!

SQfg is either jealous of those legs or she's unimpressed.

Thanks for sharing the (other) pictures.

I am wondering too...

[9V-JKL]

Thanks for sharing. Interesting hotel name: Kapok.

[SuperJonJon]

Nice TR, milehighj. Thanks for sharing!