MARCH 2019 globaltravelerusa.com 17
PHOTOS: © HONG KONG AIRLINES
GT tested
TOP TAKEAWAYS:
◆ Menu options offered
traditional dishes like dim
sum and modern perks
like chocolate pancakes!◆ Onboard technology
was convenient and of
great quality. I enjoyed
the wide selection of new
movies and easy, iPhone-
like controls.◆ The onboard crew
went above and beyond
to make the flight enjoy-
able and memorable.HONG KONG AIRLINES
hongkongairlines.comHONG KONG AIRLINES | BUSINESS CLASS
Hong Kong (HKG) to Los Angeles (LAX)Reviewed by Carly AllenOn the Ground: Hong Kong Airlines’ recent entry into the United
States allowed a great new innovator into this space, and I have to say
this fresh and modern airline made quite an impression. After a week
of meetings throughout Asia, I headed home from Hong Kong on a
Sunday morning. HKG is always busy, and the Hong Kong Airlines
check-in was to the right and a bit confusing for me to find at first. I
was checked in within a few minutes at the business-class counter and
received a VIP passenger pass, enabling me to use a VIP line through
security, easily cutting my time by 20 minutes.
I had about an hour before boarding, so I was able to experience
the Hong Kong Airlines lounge. The lounge, on the second level,
sports an open-air ambience, so it wasn’t too loud. Despite the bustle
of passengers, there was plenty of seating at couches and large tables
for families, but my favorite was casual tables against the windows
facing the taxiway with warm sunshine spilling in. The buffet-style
cuisine included dim sum, juices and a made-to-order omelet bar.Pre-Flight: The Airbus A350 business class features a 1-2-1 her-
ringbone configuration, giving everyone lots of space — especially the
window seat. I arrived at seat 15A, where the crew greeted me with a
choice of water or lemon tea. I went with the slightly sweet lemon tea.
Hot towels, newspapers and menus were promptly offered. We took
off shortly, and I settled in to enjoy this new aircraft.In-Flight: As we reached cruising altitude, I began to scope out my
seat. The 180-degree lie-flat seat featured a warm red fabric, a decent
width and lots of extra storage for my personal items. The technology
was also a great surprise, starting with a large screen with excel-
lent quality. I was interested to see a new handheld remote for the
entertainment system that looked and ran like an iPhone, which made
choosing movies or shows much easier compared to the old gamer-
looking consoles or reaching over your seat. Decent entertainment
choices included new Hollywood releases.
As our flight attendants began to take our orders, the menu really
caught my eye — the unique design featured cute, cartoon drawings
and figures on all the pages, lightening a normally boring piece of
paper. The items on the menu were also diverse and, more impor-
tantly, tasted delicious. My favorite dishes were the foie gras starters,
seafood stir-fry main course and the chocolate pancakes for breakfast.
I am not the best flyer, as I hardly sleep on planes, so a 14-hour
flight can seem endless. However, the beyond-friendly cabin crew
made my trip easy and fun. It started mid-flight (I was the only one
up, watching a movie), and they surprised me with a cup of tea and a
warm doughnut (yes, a warm doughnut). On my first flight the crew
also realized I wasn’t sleeping and offered to chat in the galley if I
got bored and brought me tea and chocolate. I am not sure how they
knew sweets were the way to my heart, but they did.