[AndrewinHK]

I shall preface this report by saying that this was a leisure trip, but as it involved J class travel, 5 different airlines, and 8 different airports in the span of 2 weeks, i thought it might prove to be useful to the forum.

Flight 1 – Cathay Pacific (CX 749 Hong Kong to Johannesburg) J class – A350-900

Arriving at HKIA it was much quieter than I expected in the run-up to Christmas, we ventured to the Pier First lounge which happened to be right next to our departure gate, as always the standard of the Pier is top-notch, and it has been reviewed here enough so I shan’t go into any more details. Cathay called the flight, then left everyone waiting at the departure gate, the flight was subsequently delayed by 1 hour, the reason given was a lack of cleaning staff. The seat, food, staff etc were all standard CX, on this flight at least I didn’t notice any deterioration in standards, and I managed to sleep for 8 hours.

Arriving in Johannesburg we had a self-connecting flight, and the delay of the CX flight left us only 1hr 30 minutes to connect, which turned out to be more than enough time thanks to an incredibly efficient Johannesburg airport. We likely got lucky, but on arrival we found no waiting at immigration, and availed of the business class fast track immigration line (though this wasn’t necessary), arriving at the baggage carousel a few minutes later, to find the bags already arriving, we were land side within 10 minutes of deplaning.

Flight 2 – Safair (FA 210 Johannesburg to Cape Town) J class – 737-800

I had originally booked a flight with South African Airways, but in the days running up to the flight I checked the booking and found SAA had retimed the flight to 3 hours later than my original booking (not informed) having already downgraded me due to an aircraft change, so I canceled and rebooked with Safair which isn’t an airline I had heard of, but has extensive operations in South Africa, and a shuttle service on the Johannesburg to Cape Town route. The Safair ticket in J class even booked last minute was 30% cheaper than SAA so it ended up being a money saver.

The Safair check-in was busy, they have 2 separate sections for economy and premium passengers, the premium line was busy, but after waiting 10 minutes check-in was completed. Premium passengers can use a priority security check line, and we were airside again 30 minutes after leaving the Cathay flight, leaving enough time for a quick breakfast stop at Wimpy, which was a great trip down memory lane from the days when Wimpy frequented UK motorway service stations.

Safair J class is just the standard short-haul European style, with the middle seat blocked out, boarding was efficient, and premium passengers strictly boarding first. The staff onboard were friendly, and genuinely looked like they enjoyed working, premium guests get an allowance to spend on the inflight menu, and the staff encouraged those who had this benefit to fully utilize it, the selection had some nostalgic items for me, including NikNaks which I hadn’t had in years and thoroughly enjoyed. Arrival was on time, bags were on the carousel within 5 minutes.

We used Uber frequently on this trip and all airport transfers were with Uber

We stayed at The Westin Cape Town, a large hotel next to the CTICC, everything was good, upgraded thanks to Bonvoy Titanium status, I find Bonvoy to be the best loyalty program for me, the value accrued from free breakfast and upgrades adds up, although it does take much longer than other programs to accrue enough points for free nights.

Flight 3 – South African Airways (SA 226 Cape Town to Sao Paulo GRU) J class – A330

Arriving at check-in the economy desks were already processing passengers and after waiting for 5 minutes in the business line, a check-in agent turned up and greeted us. The agent took our passports and swiftly asked to see my visa for Brazil, I have a British passport and told the agent a visa was not required, she insisted it was, and told me I could not travel. I asked her to check the system again as I was certain having traveled to Brazil on multiple occasions a visa was not needed. On checking again, she without acknowledgment of her quite profuse insistence a visa was required, handed us our boarding passes.

SAA uses the Bidvest lounge for international departures in Cape Town, the lounge itself was spacious enough, with a good food selection, sparkling wine, nothing spectacular but perfectly fine to spend an hour. The one bad thing which many passengers were complaining about was the temperature of the lounge, it was very warm and stuffy, the staff were apologetic, but said the air conditioning was centrally controlled by the airport authority, and they couldn’t do anything about it.

Boarding was on time, and we were warmly welcomed onto a 6-year-old A330 with a 1-2-1 business class layout. The seat, is spacious, and comfortable, for couples (as long as you like your other half) sitting together in the 2 middle seats makes for a nice journey. The food service was well managed, with both aisles being served at the same time, portions were good, the quality of the food and the drinks was nothing outstanding, but for the fare I paid, more than good enough, and exceeded my expectations. The entertainment system has a limited selection, less than 50 movies (around 10 new releases), and a selection of tv shows, again rather limited.

Arrival in GRU was on time, no line at immigration, and we were land side in an Uber within 20 minutes of stepping off the aircraft.

We stayed at The Rosewood in Sao Paulo, which is a few minutes walk from Avenida Paulista, this newly opened property is nothing short of outstanding, I would highly recommend staying, or at least stopping by for a drink or dinner. The hotel was recently voted as the world’s best, and I can certainly see why. The design is superb, it is very unique and beautifully crafted, it has a sexy, hip vibe, and is the place to be seen currently in Sao Paulo. The Emerald Pool is magical, and the Bellavista Pool is more peaceful and spa-like. What I always appreciate about The Rosewood globally, is they have good restaurants, that are reasonably priced, we dined at Taraz, which is Brazilian fare, with a wonderful outdoor courtyard (although many mosquitos so we moved indoors), the menu has a great range of dishes, highly recommend.

Flight 4 – LATAM (LA 3122 Sao Paulo CGH – Rio de Janiero SDU) PEY A319

This was my first time using Congonhas in Sao Paulo and Santos Dumont in Rio, as an aviation geek, SDU has been on my bucket list for some time, having been to Rio multiple times before but only ever using GIG I was looking forward to it.

Latam markets its short-haul J offering as Premium Economy, we arrived at a very busy CGH and joined the premium line, which ended up taking 30 minutes, due to some computer issues, the staff were quite good at recognizing the line building up and diverted passengers to other desks to speed things up. One thing you notice in Brazil, and South America broadly, is passengers frequently travel with pets, something I wish I could easily do living in Asia, the check-in area was full of animals, dogs in particular, and our flight had many dogs in the cabin.

Once check-in was completed, security screening was quick and we were airside. CGH is great for aviation lovers, the departure area has fantastic runway views, and being a city center airport you are close to the runway, CGH has the same sort of feel as LCY, although CGH is considerably bigger.

I was impressed with LATAM the Premium offering is the standard middle seat blocked, but even on the 45-minute shuttle they offered a nice sandwich and drinks service, the aircraft had wifi, and a 34” seat pitch, which made for a pleasant journey, sadly LATAM is no longer in OneWorld, so no benefit for CX frequent flyers, apart from Asia Miles. Landing in SDU was fantastic for me, my other half somewhat bemused as always by my child-like enthusiasm for such things. SDU is a nice small airport, bags were with us within a few minutes.

We stayed at the Fairmont Copacabana in Rio, for those who know Rio this used to be the Sofitel until 2018. For me the hotel has the best location, you are in Copacabana but just a few minutes walk from Ipanema beach. Ipanema is a better beach and area in my opinion. The hotel has been nicely renovated and has a fantastic outlook onto Copacabana beach, the rooms have a relaxed beach vibe. The 2 pools are small, more for lazying than swimming, but nice. Breakfast is a nice selection, with lovely sunrise views over the beach.

Flight 5 – British Airways (BA 249 Rio de Janeiro GIG – Buenos Aires EZE) J Class – 777-200

This is a continuing service from LHR and operates during the Northern Winter schedule. Check-in was quick, no wait at immigration or security. BA uses the GOL Smiles lounge which is managed by Priority Pass, for those traveling to LHR which departs in the evening, the AA lounge would also be an option. The GOL Smiles lounge has a nice outlook over the airport and one of the runways, the food selection was decent for breakfast, with scrambled eggs on offer.

Boarding was on time, onto a Club Suite 777, passengers continuing from LHR seemed to already be onboard, I assume they remained on the aircraft in Rio during the stop with about 50 passengers joining in RIO. I was happy to be with BA on what was Christmas Eve, the crew were fantastic, and they all looked great in the new uniform, it has grown on me, I tend to prefer BA to most Asian carriers (which I know is strange to many) I just prefer the casual, banter type nature of crew, rather than being fawned over. I also got the chance to see one of the male crew members (he identified as male, I checked) wearing a dress and heels for his uniform. I have to say, his spirit and confidence were admirable, and it made me feel quite happy to support an airline that allows its employees to be truly themselves. The service on this 2.5-hour sector was akin to Club Europe, not particularly impressive, the food choice was a sandwich or another sandwich, albeit with Greek yogurt, pastry, and fruit, nicely plated, and champagne was offered. No amenity kit was provided. The flight was on time, arrived in a very quiet EZE, no waiting at immigration, and bags arrived in around 10 minutes.

We stayed at The Four Seasons in Buenos Aires, I am quite a fan of The Four Seasons globally, my other half is less impressed, preferring Mandarin and Rosewood, and I have to admit as the years go by, I do find myself preferring the more unique MO and Rosewood properties. The Buenos Aires property, its nice, but too expensive for what it is, the property charges more than for example the Hong Kong Four Seasons charges, I was slightly confused as to why, I liked the hotel, but I am not sure I would pay the premium to stay again. We had a lovely Christmas lunch at Elena (in the Four Seasons) voted the best restaurant in Argentina, the food was great, and incredibly cheap, the Argentine Peso being devalued means everything (bar the hotel room itself) was incredible value in Buenos Aires, a 10 minute Uber Comfort ride for example was about $3, and our Christmas meal with wine was $70.

We then took the ferry to Montevideo, Uruguay. The Buquebus Ferry Terminal was a 5-minute drive from the hotel. We booked 2x one-way business class tickets via Direct Ferry for approximately $320, the check-in info said check-in closes 2 hours before departure, so we arrived 3 hours in advance, to be then told that check-in doesn’t even open until 1 hour before departure. The terminal is spacious but becomes very crowded and chaotic prior to departure, business class has a separate check-in line which meant a 10 or so-minute wait in line. Immigration you exit Argentina, and the Argentine border agent passes your passport to a Uruguanian agent sitting right next to them who processes your arrival and stamps your passport, quite an efficient system and saves any lining up on arrival. The terminal has a business lounge, simple, but spacious. The ferry boarded everyone and sat without much explanation for 2 hours before leaving, the crossing takes 2hr 45 mins, in this instance, it was very smooth, the boat is spacious, it carries cars and foot passengers, the seat is a recliner, akin to a US domestic business class old style seat, comfy enough. Disembarkation was well organised and bags took about 5 minutes.

We stayed at Aloft in Montevideo, a city worth a day’s stop, but with nothing remarkable about it. I did enjoy learning about Uruguay, it is the safest nation in South America, it ranks as one of the least corrupt nations on earth, less corrupt than the UK for example, and you feel the city is safe, people seem very relaxed and proud to be Uruguayan, we also found locals actively engaged with us, trying multiple times to help us take photos and say hello. The Aloft is fine, breakfast a decent selection, with a juice maker to make your own fresh juice, and a make-your-own pancake station.

Flight 6 – LATAM (LA 8119 Montevideo – Sao Paulo GRU) PEY – A321

Montevideo airport is a relatively new building, space ship like concrete, opening in 2009, it’s a fantastic-looking building. LATAM check-in was crowded, the economy line reminded me of those days as a child taking summer holiday flights home from Spain. Luckily PEY gives you access to the premium line, which was empty. Quickly through to departures. The airport only has 8 gates, and on the day we traveled, 2 flights to Madrid, and 1 to Miami, the rest all South America departures. LATAM offered no lounge access in Montevideo, so we used our AMEX card to access the Aeropuertos VIP club, actually a very comfortable lounge, with large single seat leather sofas, I didnt partake of any food, the offering was standard, nothing remarkable.

LATAM PEY on this sector (2hr 20 mins) provided a full meal service, the meal was nice, European style with cold meats, hummus, and a nice dessert. The cabin again had many dogs on board, which in this instance resulted in some barking contests, which didn’t bother me, but I could understand it perturbing some. Arrival in GRU, again the airport was empty, we were airside with luggage in 15 minutes.

We connected back to SAA and this time flew directly to Johannesburg, nothing really different from the previous flight. One thing that suprised me was the volume of people that travel on this route, this flight was full, and LATAM also operate GRU to Johannesburg.

We completed the final 2 days of our stay at The Four Seasons Westcliff in Johannesburg. Lovely property, in and around the best neighborhoods in Johannesburg. We have done safaris etc before, so we used this stay to enjoy 2 spa days at the Aronia spa in Houghton Estate, just a 10-minute drive from The Four Seasons. I would recommend this spa over the spa at The Four Seasons, it is half the price, and a purpose-built, large building with a lovely pool, and an abundance of treatment rooms, a very nice way to relax for the final days of the year.

Flight 8 – Cathay Pacific CX 748 (Johannesburg to Hong Kong) J class – A350-900

I won’t review the flight, but I will point out that of all the flights during this trip, the only delays were both with CX. This flight was 3 hours late, for me this is the 3rd flight in a row with Cathay where I have experienced significant delays. The delay in this instance was a technical issue with crew oxygen bottles. I didn’t have a connecting flight or anywhere to be in a hurry, so the delay was immaterial to me, but as I noted above, a pattern for me at least is emerging on my recent CX flights.

All in all, we enjoyed a whirlwind trip, it’s what we enjoy, and breaking the journey to South America via South Africa worked really well, even if you just transit, I think it is a route worth considering. I was pleasantly surprised by all the airport experiences, no wait of more than 5 minutes for immigration or 10 minutes for luggage.

Please forgive and errors in the above. I wish everyone on the forum a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous 2024.

14 users thanked author for this post.

Montysaurus, Rferguson2, Woodpecker, Jacob, justloveflying, Johnnyg, DavidGrodentz, ASK1945, SenatorGold, Mark Caswell, AMcWhirter, cwoodward, MartynSinclair, AlanOrton1

[AlanOrton1]

Excellent trip report – many thanks for sharing and for all the insight.
Out of the six cities visited, which would you say was your favourite?
(I’d merely tip my hat to the Copacabana Palace 😉 ).

1 user thanked author for this post.

AndrewinHK

[AndrewinHK]

Thanks Alan. We’ve stayed at Copacabana Palace before, it’s great I agree and has a bigger pool, I just prefer location wise where The Fairmont is. As for favourites it’s hard to beat Cape Town & Rio. Although I was somewhat taken with Buenos Aires during this trip, given the current political change in the headlines, you see the bones of such a grand city and country, with so much potential, I can’t help but wish them well.

1 user thanked author for this post.

AlanOrton1

[Author]

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