Welcome to Hong Kong: American Airlines Inaugural from DFW to HKG on June 6, 2014

[Carfield]

Welcome to Hong Kong: American Airlines Inaugural from DFW to HKG on June 6, 2014



Just want to write a quick report on American Airlines’ inaugural flight from Dallas Ft Worth to Hong Kong. June 11 marks an important day on DFW history, as American Airlines launches two nonstop services to Asia – Shanghai Pudong and Hong Kong. As a Hong Kong-er, I of course want to support American Airlines’ service to Hong Kong, and despite paying for a more expensive D fare and no getting the upgrade to F, it is still a historical flight. The flight itself was mostly good but American definitely needs to step up its catering games in business class, and there are just simply not enough food – meals and snacks. It is sad to see American Airlines cutting back the snack station on its business class cabin, considered the 777-300ERs have just been around for a year. DFW-HKG is a scheduled 16 hours flight, not your typical redeye flight to Europe or South America. Thankfully a cheerful team of professional flight attendants makes this inaugural flight truly special

Here is the link to the full photo album for those who don’t want to read this long report and there are 200+ pictures!
http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/Ca...gural06112014J

June 11, 2014
AA 137 DFW-HKG Lv1245 Arr1805+1 Boeing 777-300ER N724AN/”7LH”

I flew into DFW from St Louis, so could not report on the any check-in festivities in the D check-in area. However I had a strong feeling that most activities happened in the gate area. I purposefully took an earlier flight from St Louis and here was the basic setup around 9:30am at today’s gate – D25. Just a few signs being set up, as well as podiums. Please note that both the Hong Kong special administrative region flag and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Flag were hoisted! Very politically correct thing to do!




N724AN was getting ready!


Strange artwork in the entrance of the DFW Terminal D Admiral Club


I then headed to the Admiral Club, which was fairly busy on this Wednesday morning. There was limited complimentary food and beverage options, just your basic hot beverages, breakfast pastries, and cereals.

[Carfield]

It was interesting to find this Omelet station, but not sure about $11.99 for a temporary cooking station product!



However the best aspect of the lounge was the open view of the tarmac and including N724AN, which was already parked at gate D25. The sunlight was not assisting today, but the tail shots looked okay. I did not stay long, as I was quite hungry, and I could easily find a nice selection of food over at the Centurion lounge. Since it was an AA trip report, I did not take any pictures of the Centurion lounge. However American Airlines needs to step up its lounge game if it wants to increase its premium share of passengers. It is almost unbelievable that a Flagship lounge is not available at its major hub and headquarters.




Some plane spotting



Children Lounge


Here was the one single coupon for one single free premium beverage of your choice!


I also took the chance to head over to gate D33 and sneaked a few shots of the festivities. The flight was definitely packed full.

[Carfield]

N767AJ was used on the inaugural flight to Pudong.


After the Shanghai Pudong flight was wrapped up, things started to heat up here at the HKG gate, as there was these lion dances by the White Leopard Kung Fu School based in Dallas. It was always fascinated to watch non-Asians doing the lion dance, and they were pretty good. Here were a few shots of their performances! The crowd definitely loved them, as many staffs and passengers took pictures with the lions.







Here were pictures featuring various AA staffs, including the token Chinese looking flight attendant.



Here is the DFW poster for the HKG inaugural flight!

[Carfield]

I think another best representation of Hong Kong is its food, and dim sums are definitely on the top of the list. This light dim sum buffet featured freshly baked pineapple buns, steamed barbecued pork bun and shrimp dumplings featured in traditional dim sum carts. There were iced milk tea with boba and iced lemonade soda. The Kirin Court restaurant based in Dallas did a pretty good job.









Chinese Opera


Painting of HK


Gate D25 in Hong Kong mode

[Carfield]

Of course, there was the customary speeches by special dignitaries including CEO Doug Parker, General Li Qiangmen from the PRC Consulate in Houston, Sean Donahue, the CEO of DFW, and Mayor Betsy Price of Fort Worth, who was a frequent guest on these inaugural flights. I recalled seeing Mayor Price on the JetBlue DFW inaugural flight. The speeches were fairly except a very offensive speech given by General Li. It was ironic that General Li talked about the “one country, two systems,” when the PRC government just releases a paper rescinding all these promises. BTW, I don’t care how you see it. Taiwan is not part of China, and given how things are lately, it will not become part of China unless by force. Anyway this is not a political forum, so let just get move on to the pictures!


There was also a ribbon cutting ceremony by the dignitaries, CEO Parker, the pilot and purser on the inaugural flight!




More lion dances after the ribbon cutting ceremony





American Airlines definitely treats these Asian flights seriously and the check-in agents were all Chinese – Cantonese and mandarin speaking, as well as a few Chinese looking trainees. All the announcements were made in English, Cantonese, and mandarin. I don’t think mandarin speaking is necessary, especially most people in the Guangdong province speaks Cantonese, but AA is possibly targeting Chinese passengers heading to Southern part of China, or just being political correct.

The flight was pretty full but many standbys got on. I was number one on the upgrade list, but never had a chance. Boarding began early at noon, and the atmosphere was pretty festive.

DFW airport staffs were passing out USB drives, postcards, and Chinese calligraphy pens to everyone, and then AA staffs were passing out a gift bag containing a TUMI power adaptor, which costs $75 (price tag is included… lol), 500 AA miles gift card, and a $10 Pier One gift card. I will sort of enjoy a first flight certificate or pin or button more. Every passenger received the same gift bag.




Amenity kits (grey version) were already placed at each seat, as well as a pair of BOSE headsets. However, no slippers were offered in business class. Thankfully I brought mine. American Airlines, the Chinese are into slippers too!

[Carfield]

My seat 4A – “home” for the next 16 hours


Pre-takeoff beverage – in plastic glass of course


I chose 4A, the last window seat on the mini cabin behind first class. 4A had two windows, while 3A had one. Despite being closed to the galley (yes there are noises) and bathrooms, I prefer the front business class cabin. The seats are almost same as CX, so I am not going to add much. Here are some pictures of the seats and their controls.







Business class was full!



Door was closed early at 12:39pm, and we pushed back right on time at 12:45pm. There was a water canon sendoff, which was definitely cool.

[Carfield]

All the welcome announcements are conducted in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, and all safety demos and related messages had traditional Chinese subtitles, which I appreciate, as many airlines mix up traditional and simplified Chinese characters!


DFW was not too busy, as we taxied towards R/W18L.
We took off at 12:59pm for our scheduled fifteen hours and twenty-seven minutes flight.





Our flight route took a northern course, as we first climbed to 28,000feet. We passed cities of Southwest Oklahoma City, Alva and McCook before climbing to 30,000feet. We passed by Rapid City, Fort Peck Lake, Glasgow, and then into Canada – Shaunavon, Flat Lake and then Yukon County. We climbed to 32,000feet before reaching Alaska. We crossed the Chukchi Sea and then into Russian territory – Ugolnye Kopi and then climbing to 34,000feet, before hitting the Gizhigan Bay and Magadan Airport/GDX. We then crossed the Sea of Okhotsk and into the Russian Far East, and then climbing to 36,000feet. We entered the PRC airspace by passing cities of Jiamsui, Harbin and Tongliao, before returning to 34,000feet and passing Wuhan, and then descent towards 32,000feet before we hit the factory city of Dongguan and towards Zhuhai and Macau, and then turnaround for Hong Kong.

[Carfield]

Seat in the recline position


Today’s flight features three services – main meal after takeoff, a cold snack served around 9pm DFW local time, and a brunch service prior to arrival. Service was a bit slow, as many F/As were new to the Boeing 777-300ERs. The menu was printed in both English and Traditional Chinese!

There was a beverage service with warmed mixed nuts.



Wine List
Champagne
Champagne Moutard Vintage 2006

White Wines
Wild South Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
Novilunio Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain

Red Wines
Abelis Carthago Lui Selection, Spain
Chateau Argadens, France

Chase’s Choice
A wine form our cellars specially selected by Ken Chase

Dessert Wine
Bodegas Lustau Sherry, Jerez
Senhora do Convento Vintage Port

Beverages
We are pleased to offer you a variety of beverages on today’s flight, including cocktails of your choice mixed with premium liquors.

Spirits
Bacardi Rum
Bombay’s Sapphire Gin
Tito’s Homemade Vodka

Whiskeys
Canadian Club Reserve Blended Whiskey
Dewar’s White Label Scotch Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
Jim Bream’s Devils’ Cut

Beers
Amstel Light, Heineken, Tsingtao and select U.S. Beer
Additional beers may be available on select international flights.

Brandy and Liqueurs
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Courvoisier VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac
DiSaronno Amaretto
Kahlua

Other Beverages
Carbonated beverages
Still and Sparkling water
Java City’s 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee
Java City decaffeinated coffee
Hong Kong style milk tea
Tea
Fruit Juices
Milk

American Airlines uses carts for all the beverage and main meal services, which was definitely a bit on the old school side. The appetizer was first passed out, followed by pre-plated entrée dishes, and then a cheese/dessert/tea/coffee/bottled waters cart.

Lunch


Here is the menu:
Starter
Thai Chicken
With grilled five-spice pineapple, watermelon, and mint dressing


Salad
Seasonal Greens with fresh vegetables, feta cheese, and pepperoncini
With your choice of sour cream and herb dressing or Asian vinaigrette



Assorted gourmet breads will be served with your meal.


The starter was actually pretty nice and the salad was a pretty good-sized one.

Entrées
Chili Rubbed Beef Filet
Offered with black-eyed pea chili sauce, creamy pancetta grits and grilled vegetable medley
Or
Cashew Chicken
Offered with ginger garlic sauce, egg fried rice, stir-fried vegetables and baby bok choy

Or
Miso Glazed Sea Bass
Accompanied by bacon dashi broth, Jasmine rice, and dashi marinated vegetables
Or
Cheese Stuffed Sacchetti
With sundried tomato Alfredo sauce

Steamed rice is available upon request

Chicken was the popular dish and I got one of the last ones. The chicken breast was actually done nicely – not dried out but it could use a bit more rice. The vegetable is definitely not baby bak choy, rather a giant bak choy.

Dine Upon Request
You may choose one of the featured entrées to be served with an appetizer and dessert, presented all at once, at any time you wish.

[Carfield]

Dessert
Traditional Ice Cream Sundae
Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Ice Cream with your choice of hot fudge, butterscotch or seasonal berry toppings, whipped cream and pecans

Gourmet Cheese Plate
An assortment of fine cheeses with garnishes


Fresh Seasonal Fruit

I had the cheese plate, which was really nice. It featured a white cheddar and blue cheese along with green grapes and strawberries.

Bottled waters were passed out after lunch



I decided to take a nap after lunch, and took a few pictures before I slept for a few hours. The seats were very comfortable, but the blanket could be a big longer and thicker.



Bathroom picture



Automatic sensor faucet



Full-sized mirror


Baby changing seat – must be designed for a small baby, who never moves when parents attempt to change diapers!

[Carfield]

Mid-flight Snacks
Help yourself to a variety of sweet and savory snacks located near our galley

When I woke up, we were already in Alaska, and decided to head to the famous snack station. I was pretty disappointed to find a limited selection of fresh food, unlike the pictures I seen on the 77W inaugural flights to GRU. There was a single plate of sandwiches – open-faced roast beef sandwiches, turkey and cheddar wraps, and roasted vegetable baguettes. Then there was a plate of individual sized mixed nuts, along with another plate of sweets – mini lemon tarts, cheesecakes, pecan pies, chocolate covered almond bites, and chocolate covered nuts. There were cups of delicious tapioca pudding with mango, along with marinated cheese antipasto, and a bowl of fresh fruits. It sounded a lot, but American Airlines somehow thinks that catering a plate of each items were sufficient for a full load of J passengers on a sixteen hours day flight.













Snack
Entrées
Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp
Served chilled with Lijiang noodles

[Carfield]

Or
Roast Beef Wrap
With black bean hummus, pickled vegetables, Asian slaw and spicy aioli



Dessert
Fresh Fruit


Around 9pm DFW time, the F/As came around passing out this cold snack, which was definitely on the small side. The noodle dish features four tiny shrimps and a small amount of noodles. The fruit bowl was the typical Grand Marnier fruit salad featured on many AA flights. The snack was definitely on the small side, and most Hong Kong passengers will definitely prefer a more substantial warmed noodle dishes. Where are the cup noodles?

A few hours later, I was hungry again because the noodle dish was quite small. I headed to the fresh snack station and fresh food was long gone except those highly unpopular marinated cheese & olive antipasto, and some random pieces of fruits. The fresh food was all gone before we crossed the International Date Line. The flight attendants had brought out the usual snack basket and here was all the leftover by the time we passed Magadan with six hours left. This was really sad.



Lone items


Those last three snack items were soon gone and the kind F/A told me that those snacks are really popular and the passengers devoured all of them. She was sort of funny about it but then she offered me that roast beef wrap, which explained why there were pictures. The wrap was a bit more filling for sure but black bean might not be my choice of ingredients in in-flight catering.

I have also purchased the inflight wifi and things were working pretty well, until we entered China. I could not help to feel a little bit ripped off towards the end of the flight, when I relied on the wifi to keep me awake. $19 was not bad, but since the PRC is such a huge country, it should really be noted in the website. American Airlines should have warned passengers that there is no coverage in the PRC especially the last four hours are mainly over the PRC.

Entertainment wise – American Airlines features a huge amount of American movies and television programs, not as good as Cathay Pacific, but a step above Delta’s selections. I watched a few episodes of Big Bang Theory. I mostly used my laptop for the rest of the flight.

The final meal was offered around 2:45am DFW local time and 3:45pm Hong Kong local time, and the F/A pushed out a heavy cart. Everything was served in the same tray and there was no separate linen service. I decided to give the Dim Sum a try, and it was another disappointment. The dim sums did not survive the long flights well, and pan-fried dumplings can never survive the harsh conditions. Most Chinese airlines only offer steamed dumplings for that reason. The e-fu noodles were bitter, as they used too much sesame oil in the process. It was basically a failure. I wish they will offer a noodle soup like their Korean flights, or simply go with a full breakfast theme.

Brunch
Offered prior to arrival



Salad
Fresh Seasonal Greens
With bell peppers, radish and pepper cream dressing


Entrées
Three Cheese Omelette
With beef filet served with O’Brien potatoes
Or
Dim Sum
Roast pork bun, chicken gyoza pot sticker, and shrimp purse served with e-fu noodles



Dessert
Cappuccino Mousse Tart

3 Cls, Business, DFW-HKG, L/D-Snack-Brunch
73PM241 6/14 260C055-3B

BOSE headsets were collected an hour prior to arrival, and the F/As still had issues getting the correct counts.

[Carfield]

Descent began at 4:55pm Hong Kong local time, and we did a bit of circling above South China Sea, due to heavy traffic. We finally landed on R/W7L at 5:35pm, and parked at gate 25 ten minutes later. Unfortunately there was no water canon welcome, and I had a feeling that HKG did not do that service. Once parked at gate, there was no more celebration but many ground staffs were snapping pictures of our arrival. I guess American Airlines’ arrival was the new toy of the day.







American Airlines welcome sign


N724AN in Hong Kong




Baggage came out at 6:12pm from Baggage Claim 9. There were some American Airlines USA and Japan staffs overlooking the process. Priority tagged bags came out first.


Before I drew a conclusion, I really want to thank the group of wonderful American Airlines flight attendants working on this special flight. Marty was so warm and professional. They were surely forgetful and were a bit rush to get the service going. I blame American Airlines for not providing the necessary learning time for these F/As to get used to the new planes, but everyone tried their best. They were mingling with passengers and were pretty attentive. I don’t like to compare them with Asian airlines’ flight attendants because you simply cannot do that. Culture wise, both continents treat flight attendants in a completely different way, so it is always unfair to do any comparison. I have my fair share of good and bad AA F/As and today’s flight was definitely on the positive side. Thanks Marty and her team for a wonderful experience and I just wish all my future AA flights would feature this great team. As I mention earlier, there is one mandarin speaking and Cantonese speaking F/A. The mandarin speaking F/A worked in J and she was pretty attentive. For the Cantonese speaking one, he sounded nice but definitely needed to work on your script. It was the first flight but I felt that AA should have found a native Cantonese speaker to write that script!

In conclusion, I am happy that American Airlines starts service to Hong Kong, which is always my hometown, despite all the political setbacks in the past decade. At the same time, American Airlines has not really reached the necessary standard to make this service impressive to most Hong Kong passengers, and despite a good business class seat, the catering is simply a disaster from both quality and quantity viewpoints. There are not enough snacks and the meals were pretty badly made. Moreover, the ten abreast seating in the main cabin will definitely be a turnoff to most Oneworld passengers, except those bargain hunters. First and business class seats are almost on par with Cathay Pacific but the catering needs more quality and quantity. I personally rank American Airlines in the middle among the major three flying to Hong Kong. Delta continues to score higher in service, catering, and amenities offered on its transpacific flight in both its business elite and economy cabins. Just comparing the meals, Delta offers more courses, better quantity and quality meals and snacks. In the main cabin, the wider seats already beat American’s ten abreast 77Ws. In some ways, I really hope the new American Airlines can be successful, but it definitely has lots to learn. Asian passengers are more demanding because their hometown airlines offer high quality products in all cabin classes. Unless it wants to follow United’s lead - “I only fly XXX because it has a generous mileage program so I can put up with the bad services and narrow seats,” American Airlines has much to improve. I wish American Airlines the best of luck! This route has potentials, but there are definitely work to be done, in terms of catering and service!

Carfield

[milehighj]

Just want to write a quick report

Thanks for your quick report.