[Anonymous]

[business traveller]

Feeling unusually fresh after almost 11 hours on a CX flight from Zurich we landed at HKG shortly before 07:00.

If I think back, transit formalities were painless involving only security procedures and no immigration checks.

My onward connection to Taipei was scheduled to depart at 10:00.

I won't say much about The Pier and Bridge lounges as all I did was read the Sunday morning newspaper, but would quite happily spend more time in either on my next visit.

It has been several years since I last passed through HKG. It feels incredibly spacious and on the short walk from The Pier to Gate 47 via The Bridge I visited a couple of the smoking rooms.

Boarding was just how I like it….I arrived at the gate and 2 minutes later found myself in 15K, a window seat in this 2-3-2 configured Business cabin. Bizarrely the front row is 11 and in common with a few other airlines there is no row 13.

Business was almost full so it was a busy time for the crew rushing about doing everything possible for passengers, handing out menus, serving Champagne Henriot, Blanc de Blancs and supplying vast quantities of tissues to the two ladies in front of me who kept spilling things. Very amusing to observe.

Take-off was to the south over the South China Sea.

Lunch was:

for starters
Fresh seasonal fruit

followed by
Braised chicken with flower mushroom, steamed jasmine rice and Shanghainese pak choy

Pan fried sea bream with bacon, fingerling potatoes and vegetables basquaise

and to finish
Marble cheese cake with strawberry compote

I wish I had gone for the latter Main as the rice was certainly not jasmine steamed, although I did enjoy my glass of Spy Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2013.

My only regret is I didn't experiment with my seat to see what the full recline position was like.

All too soon we had flown up the length of Taiwan over the Strait with fabulous views of the island, before doing a full circle and landing at Taoyuan Intl.

There was a long immigration queue with only a handful of Westerners in it.

'How long will you be in Taiwan?'
'24 hours'

Raised eyebrows but thankfully no further questions!

My bag checked through from Zurich was waiting for me on the belt and then it was quick dash out of the terminal for an iced coffee and cigarette in the gorgeous warm air.

Review courtesy of Seatplans.com. Original review by user icenspice can be found here

[MrMichael]

Are you sure it wasn’t a gorgeous cigarette in the warm air rather than a cigarette in the gorgeous warm air?

[icenspice]

I think you’re right MrMichael. Arriving at O’Hare in January does not put me off enjoying a puff.

[Author]

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