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Hong Kong Airlines A320-200 economy class

18 Jan 2016 by Tamsin Cocks

CHECK-IN

I arrived at Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1 at 0915 for the 1125 scheduled departure of flight HX352 to Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport. There was a queue at the Hong Kong Airlines check-in counter, but it moved quickly and I was processed within ten minutes. I whizzed through security and was airside by 0940.

BOARDING

After a quick shuttle train journey, I arrived at Gate 41 in plenty of time. Boarding was called at around 1050, although the process didn’t seem to get going for a further ten minutes despite most passengers being ready in line. I finally boarded at 1105.

THE SEAT

The A320-200 offers two classes, with eight seats in business and 144 in economy arranged in a 3-3 configuration. I was near the front of the economy cabin, in seat 34A, and was happy to discover the flight was fairly empty, leaving me with the whole row to myself.

During the pre-flight checks, the cabin crew asked me to put my seat back into the upright position, which was strange as I had not reclined. It turned out my seat was slightly broken. The cabin crew apologised (although the apology should probably have been directed to the passenger behind me) and took a note to get it fixed.

Overall, the seat felt fairly spacious, with 18-inch width and a fairly generous 30-inch pitch. However, that is where the good news ends. The seats did not have personal screens (nor were they available in business class), and although there were some overhead screens I was not given any earphones. This was not a major issue for such a short-haul flight, but it would be unacceptable to have such limited in-flight entertainment on longer flights. Other facilities such as a power source and USB port were not available.

THE FLIGHT

The plane pushed back at 1130 and took off at 1145 – slightly behind schedule. Shortly after take-off the cabin crew came through, handing out a bottle of water and a small, desiccated coconut egg cookie snack. It was a short flight and therefore understandable not to have a full meal service (even though the flight ran over lunchtime), but I was disappointed with this unappetising offering, and mine stayed in its wrapper. This was followed by the offer of coffee or tea.

With no entertainment I decided to indulge in a power nap – as did many of my fellow passengers. Unfortunately the cabin crew were oblivious to this, loudly announcing duty free up and down the aisle, which was annoying and thoughtless.

Shortly before descent an announcement was made that any international newspapers should be handed over to the crew, as they are banned by the Chinese authorities. I have not experienced this before – I assume that although the major Chinese cities allow newspapers to be brought in, and even sell them on the streets, in second- or third-tier cities like Guiyang the more provincial local governments are still paranoid about the nefarious effects of Western influence.

ARRIVAL

The captain announced that we were descending at around 1300 and we landed shortly after, on schedule. The airport was a pleasant surprise – a large, modern facility that expanded with a new terminal in 2013. The immigration and customs process was smooth and efficient, with bags arriving within minutes of waiting at the carousel. Outside the airport a long line of taxis waited to take passengers to their destination, so I was soon en route to my hotel. 

VERDICT

For getting from A to B, the nonstop route between Hong Kong and Guiyang is quick and convenient. However, for a full-service carrier, the product felt very no-frills.

FACT FILE

  • DEPARTURE TIME 1125
  • JOURNEY TIME 1 hour 55 minutes
  • AIRCRAFT TYPE A320-200
  • CONFIGURATION 3-3
  • SEAT PITCH 76cm/30in
  • SEAT WIDTH 46cm/18in
  • PRICE Internet rates for a midweek return economy class flight from Hong Kong in February 2016 start from HK$2,705 (US$347) including taxes and surcharges.
  • CONTACT hongkongairlines.com
Tamsin Cocks
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