Around the World in 80 Hours Part 5: Lounging Like There's No Tomorrow (Because Tomorrow Was Yesterday)

**Apologies for any font or format issues in this post.  Writing on multiple devices while flying around the world makes stitching posts together later somewhat obnoxious. 

HKG Airport- Come for the status, stay for the cabanas.

Where we've come from:

Mileage Run Preview: Best Worst Decisions

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Part 1: In The Clear!

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Parts 2 and 3: Over the Ocean, and Past the Arctic....

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Part 4: Hello Hong Kong, My Old Friend

Where we're going to next:

Anyone who's done ultra long haul mileage running knows that if there's an art and a gospel to good Oneworld lounge planning.  I'd even going as far as to say that the lounge access is one of the biggest benefits to flying as a Oneworld elite, both domestically and abroad.  The other alliances don't come close to providing such a good network.  Star Alliance is probably second, and Skyteam is so far off you can't see them from here. All IMHO, of course.

If I was doing a promo video for the benefit, it would probably start with the words "Imagine a world where luxury comes standard...." and conclude with "....This is that world- Oneworld," all voiced over by a dulcet British accent, with just a slowly filling champagne glass in soft focus, and a 747 taking off in the distance. 

As an aside, yes I have been at the champagne bar.  And yes, this does explain a lot about this post, thanks for asking.

If there’s one other thing mileage runners agree on, it’s that the HKG airport ranks 1 or 2 on the list of all time best lounge airports.  The other contender is probably Sydney, but it’s generally not a place you find yourself on a mileage run thanks to the higher ticket prices. 

 

Anyhow, back to this particular excursion.  We headed back from the city in time to ensure a full 5 hours of lounge time, which we were hoping would be enough.  No, I'm serious.  This is serious business.  For serious.

We'd even devised a plan for where to go and what to do.  This is necessary when you want to hit up several lounges at HKG because it's a big airport, and you don't want to waste time backteacking on yourself.  You have to keep in mind that this is from the same people who have spent months plotting an around the world itinerary on a shoestring, all devised to maximize every last mile out of every last cent.  A little lounge strategy is nothing.

First up- The Wing. 

I've reviewed this lounge in several entries, but mostly HERE.  In short, this lounge is worth some significant time, especially if it's not overcrowded.  This time around I grabbed a cabana for a shower, and enjoyed plenty of time at having a few glasses of bubbly with the other mileage runners.  Never disappoints.

Second stop- The Qantas Lounge. 

This lounge is habitually overlooked and under appreciated by Oneworld flyers dazzled by Cathay's lounges. 

 

To get there from The Wing you go straight out, along the passport control entries, and keep going until you reach the far side of the departures terminal.  It's a bit of a hike, but you can cut back on the steps, you can sneak behind the food court on a narrow walkway/access corridor.  Don't mind the employees catching a few minutes on break, or the occasional trash cart wheeling through.  Just walk like you know where you're going. Just because you're going first class lounge hopping doesn't mean every minute will be glamorous.

The lounge is spacious, with great views of airport ops that The Wing can lack.  The service is also top notch- very friendly and personable.  We grabbed some spots at the bar, and they twisted our arms into trying the 'signature dish' of the day - BBQ pork, freshly sliced.  While there was a full bar on offer as well, most of us went with the Australian sparkling wine.  The lounge is full service, and also offers showers, a full buffet that changes through the day, and plenty of work and relaxing space.  It really is a best kept secret among the lounges, and is a great stop when The Wing gets crowded....or you're just in the mood for some planespotting and Aussie accents.

 Last stop was the lounge that's all in vogue this year- The Pier

 

The Pier is located at the opposite end of the main international terminal, a decent 10-15 minute walk using the moving walkways.  It happened to be just about as far as we could get from our actual next departure gate, and still be in the same terminal.  This was a fact that the incredulous agent at the door tried to explain rather forcefully to us several times.  She really couldn't sort out why we were there, since The Wing is right next to our gate.  "We just came from there, and we have a plan" didn't seem to make much sense to her. 

 

There's also a train down a level which can speed things up, but not by all that much once you wait for the elevators, and then the train.  Besides, we had to walk off the buffet at The Wing, and now the dish of the day at the Qantas lounge.  

Where The Wing is modern, open and airy, The Pier is cozy and tucked on the lower level, under the main concourse.  It's décor speaks more to a 'golden age' of travel, but still with the modern amenities, and plenty of well-maintained plush features.  Think leather high backed chairs, soft lighting, and wood paneled walls.  Oh, and a bar cart from which you can serve yourself a glass of port to finish your layover right.  

Being on the lower level, it also gets you up close and personal with the planes and airport ops in a way that our first two lounge stops didn't.  You feel like you're in a staring contest with a a380 from half of the windows.  The Pier also offers massage services, but you'll need to sign up well before your flight. It's easy to see how this lounge is a favorite of frequent travelers.  I easily could have given this place another hour or two and still not have been ready to leave.  Next time, next time....

 

Like The Wing, The Pier also has a sit-down, made to order restaurant with a full menu all day.  Their specialty are the Dan Dan noodles, and having heard plenty about them from other frequent flyers online, I had to give them a try.  So, this now probably counted as my third or fourth dinner of the day, to say nothing of the heavy dim sum lunch we'd taken in in Hong Kong just before heading to the airport. 

All too soon, it was time to roll out of there and head to the gate for our CX flight down to KUL.  As it was a partner flight, we were slumming it for the next 4 or so hours in coach.  No pain, no gain.

Up next- an aging CX 330, a long-ass Uber ride in KUL & some quality time by the pool.

~CruisingAltitude 

Mileage Runing 2017 Season Opener Preview: Best Worst Decisions

"Somewhere Up There"
(I keep getting distracted by how beautiful the colors are in this picture, and it's making this post hard to write!)

2016's mileage runs ended with a satisfying requalifying run to Quito wherein all the highs and lows of mileage running were had.  There were some beautiful flights, very nice planes, even nicer lounges, and also a fair share of delays and missed connections.  It was also bittersweet, as it was the last year of 'good old fashioned' mileage running, before the new requirements kicked in. 

In case you missed it, starting in 2017 AA has made some fairly drastic changes to their elite program, including adding a qualification level, making the elite tiers 25k, 50k, 75k, and 100k, respectively, as well as adding "Elite Qualifying Dollars" to the mix.  Under the basic letter of the law, this means to qualify for elite status, you ALSO have to spend 3, 6, 9, or 12 thousand dollars to reach your target level. 

This, as I've written about [HERE] is only the basic letter of the law applied to flights on American itself, which makes flying partner airlines a good workaround to those new spend thresholds if you know where to look.  My plan for trying out this new system is to scour the Oneworld airlines for highly discounted fares in premium economy and business class.  Because many of these fares do not originate in the US at all, this requires a healthy (err...I use that term flexibly) sense of adventure.

Speaking of adventure, let me tell you about what I've got on tap for February this year:

It all started with a seemingly innocent tip-off from another mileage running friend about a pretty lucrative premium fare on Qatar Airways.  The basic itinerary was from Columbo, Sri Lanka (CMB) to Doha, Qatar (DOH) to Boston (BOS) and back.  A good long haul, available on weekend dates, mostly on Qatar's brand-spanking-new a350, and in business class on top of it all.  Can't go wrong with that!

Qatar's a350 business class.  Yes, please.

Yup, that's a walk-up bar in the business class cabin.

But....do you see the issue yet? 

Yup, I live in neither Boston, nor Sri Lanka.  However, the flight was available at the discounted price on a very limited basis, and for just a couple of days.  So I went for it and figured those pesky details (like where the flights actually come from, and where they go to) would most likely work themselves out.  You know, like geography has a tendency to do, right?

Best worst decisions, indeed.



Why hello, beautiful.  I'll be seeing you soon!

Once I booked the tickets, I set about the task of getting myself to Colombo, and home from Boston.  What's worth noting here, is that in February I'm only doing half of the CMB-BOS-CMB Qatar itinerary.  Since it would be entirely too much flying for my 'real life' schedule to do LAX to Colombo, to Boston, back to Colombo, and then all the way back to LAX in one go, I booked the outbound and the return on two separate weekends several months apart. 

So now I needed to "position" to CMB to get this thing started, and then just get home from Boston at the end.  Boston was simple enough, but CMB proved to be a little stickier.  The issue is that to get to CMB from LAX on one itinerary turned out to be too expensive for a mileage run.  However, because of Malaysia Air's Oneworld hub in Kuala Lumpur, there were some cheap fares to Malaysia, from which it was a short and cheap award ticket using some of my Amex Membership Rewards points to CMB.  Done and done.

What's even better, is that the flights allowed us to plan a full day (er..12 hours) in Hong Kong, and a full day and night in Kuala Lumpur. 

 

Oh Hong Kong, I'll see you again soon, my friend.

 

For the record, these are two of my absolute favorite mileage run destinations.  They have it all- good quality airlines, fantastic airport lounges, workable public transport, plenty of hotel options, reasonable public safety, and in the case of Malaysia a truly awesome currency exchange rate to the dollar!  It's stopovers like this that make an insane itinerary like trying to fly around the world in 4 days seem maybe a tiny bit more like a vacation.  Or, is that just me?  (Yeah, it's probably just me)

Le Meridien, KL Sentral- $68

Yasss, KL!  A night out at one of the top hot spots can run you as little as $25, all in.

What results from this kind of split ultra long haul booking is that you are able to fly COMPLETELY around the world with one continuous set of flights.  The trips is booked on four separate itineraries, so I'm keeping everything crossed that things go smoothly, at least as far as CMB.  After that, Qatar will have to get me to Boston somehow, and once I'm back in the US, AA will one way or another get me home. 

To protect against misconnects, most of the itinerary has very long stopovers so hopefully even a several hour delay shouldn't make the whole thing implode.  As much as I love travel, the idea of being stranded in Sri Lanka at 3am doesn't sound all that great.

I say again, Best Worst Decisions.

Long layovers also mean time to enjoy the airports and lounges- like the Golden Lounge in KUL

In any case, this is what my 'around the world' mileage run looks like:

Flight 1- LAX-HKG on American (cross the Pacific)
12 Hour stopover in Hong Kong

Flight 2- HKG-KUL on Cathay Pacific
22 hour stopover in Kuala Lumpur

Flight 3- KUL-CMB on Malaysian Air
4 hour stopover in Colombo

Flight 4- CMB-DOH on Qatar
2.5 hour stopover in Doha

Flight 5- DOH-BOS on Qatar (cross Europe and the Atlantic)
5 hour stopover in Boston

And finally, flight 6- BOS-LAX on American

Simple, right?

Plus, it only takes 4 days.  This is also the moment when I realize I just booked a 4 day trip, and only one hotel night.  Oh well, I never was good at math.  As crazy as it sounds, I'm actually really looking forward to this trip.  It's an even bigger challenge than I've done in the past, and at least half of the flights are guaranteed to be in business class.  Plus it puts me well on the way to requalifying for my EXP/Oneworld Emerald status for the next year.

Then in June...I do it all again, just backwards and in heels (so to speak.)  However, that's an (even more convoluted) story for another time.

Fly Well,

~CruisingAltitude

Read the next chapter: Around the World In 80 Hours Part 1- In the Clear!

The Great Mileage Debate.....

I could stare at this for hours, but that's just me.

Clearly, I like miles.  Or at least, one would believe that after reading even one or two things I've written on this blog, or even more so if you have had the misfortune to be at a social gathering with me recently, wherein drinks and the topic of travel had been combined. 

Inevitably, in such an occasion someone in the group will gesticulate in frustration mid-point through my comments on why I last went to Hong Kong for 36 hours, saying that they don't know why anyone would do that because their miles are worthless, can't be used 'for anything,' and all airlines are terrible now.

Okay let's unpack this, and maybe we can come to an accord on several things, and possibly even learn to understand how miles and points get their value.  We might even be able to reach an understanding about what they're actually 'good for.'

But first, let's address the sentiment that 'all airlines are terrible now.'  That one I'm not going to bother arguing over. This is mostly because it's so vague it can't really be dealt with outside of  a seminar on the purpose, regulation, and structure of the global air travel industry.  It's also not worth wasting too much time on because with the way all the changes have been going lately, if it was sufficiently later in the evening, I might just throw up my hands and agree.  But, that would be not entirely true, and counterproductive to the rest of this post. 

So, onwards we go to the rest of the discussion.....

Getting to the other, most important point first, I will generally ask the irate-mileage account-owner what they're actually trying to use their miles for, the lack of which makes them so frustrated. In general, I get a response like this one:

"I have all these miles, and so just last week I wanted to fly our family of four to Cancun for Thanksgiving in first class!  There were NO flights that worked.  Well, maybe the overnight, but we weren't about to do that!!"

Okay, yes, Cancun is lovely, but not the point I'm making here.

Okay, let me tell you what that sounds like to me-

"I have all these dollars in my bank account, but when I tried to find a family of unicorns to buy, there weren't any!!  They tried to sell me a couple horses instead, but I only wanted unicorns.  Ergo, all these dollars are just worthless!"

The reason people outside of the 'miles and points' community get so frustrated with trying to use their miles is that they don't really understand what they're for.  No, you will not be able to necessarily get the exact ticket you've decided you want on the exact day you want it.  Well, on occasion you can, but you may have to spend a lot of miles, or get very lucky. 

The better way to think about how to use your miles is the same way you would think about going to a completely new type of restaurant for the first time, and finding something interesting on the menu.  You might go in thinking you're in the mood for chicken, but if they're out of the chicken, you might be surprised to see a better and intriguing fish option that you go with instead.  You also won't be at all shocked that there's no unicorn on the menu at all, and it shouldn't make you upset.

A few examples of 'interesting dishes' you could order right now:

How about LAX direct to Abu Dhabi in first class on Etihad?  From there you can easily see Dubai, or use it as a starting point to get to Africa, Southern Europe, or India.  The Maldives are always a good choice.

(Click to enlarge)  Notice the 'guest space' available for the next two days, as well as the little note that this ticket comes with car service! 

Plus, the life experience of flying in one of Etihad's closed door first class suites is worth the trip alone if you ask me.  Also, when you consider that the actual price of this ticket comes in in the $15,000 range, it's a pretty darn impressive use of your miles.  If you don't think so, I'll happily take those miles off your hands so I can let you know how it is instead. Kidding, not kidding,

So, what else can we find on the menu?  Well how about...

 

...First class on Cathay Pacific direct to Hong Kong?  You can even bring a friend! If your friend is very nice to you.

 

What if you don't want to go that far, that soon, and/or want to spend fewer miles for a premium experience?  Well, remember how I kept ranting earlier about our trip to Peru?  This flight on LAN only costs about $30 in tax, and 30k miles each way.  Plus, both this trip and the Hong Kong trip can be paid for with either American miles, or with BA Avios, which is a transfer partner with Amex's Membership Rewards.

Nonstop to Lima, and you can add on a free connection within the country.

But what about Europe?  "We want to go to Europe next summer, and we can never get business class to Europe!"  Okay, yes, I do sympathize here.  Premium tickets to Europe, if you're trying to avoid the big taxes that British Airways charges are probably the unicorns of the award flight system.  However... in this world, there are still unicorns out there if you know where and when to look.

Business class to Europe for the Summer.  It happens.

A few years ago when we did Europe on an explorer ticket, the work around was to take Airberlin and spend a few days in Berlin, which was an unplanned but really nice stopover.  This year, how about Helsinki?  This itinerary only costs $61 in cash!  Plus, you get to experience Finnair on the outbound, and one of American's new 787's on the return.

For this post I focused on the premium cabin tickets, but in most cases finding economy availability to these places is orders of magnitude easier.  Plus, you can always mix and match the cabin class if you're willing to do economy one way to save some miles, and make planning trips even simpler.

All this is in addition to being able to use your miles to upgrade your flights, both domestically and internationally, as well as the hotel and car rental deals you can use them for around the world. 

So, where does this leave us?  While finding the trip that works for you if you're limited in time and location is a challenge, it's definitely possible, and if you're flexible you can put together some truly inspiring and luxurious trips using Oneworld miles. 

Happy searching,

~CruisingAltitude

Of course if you don't want to use your time delving into all of the nuance of finding the right trip, I'd love to help you with it!  Visit Altitude Consulting to get in touch! 

Lounge Destinations: The Wing

A drink with a view at The Long Bar

There's a problem with the Hong Kong airport, a big one.  That would be that there's simply too many great lounge options for the discerning Oneworld traveler.  I've been several times, and never make it to as many as I'd like, simply because I get sidetracked into not wanting to leave and waste time hiking through the terminal. 

A note on HKG departures generally if you're planning on coming to the airport especially early- check ahead to make sure your departure airline's desk is open.  American doesn't open until 3 hrs prior to first departure, and many other airlines are similar. If this will be an issue, remember that you can check in at the Central or Kowloon airport express stations!!  This will save you time, and they're open early!

The full list of lounges includes: The Cabin, The Bridge, The Pier & The Wing, as well as the Qantas  Lounge, which opened last year.

First thing's first, let's talk about the first lounge you're likely to stumble upon after getting through passport control- The Wing.

Getting there and getting in:  The Wing is Cathay’s flagship lounge at HKG.  It’s located in the main international terminal, just through the left side passport control.  After clearing, make a hard left down the hallway, before the food court and you can’t miss it.  If in doubt, just look for the life size cutout of a Cathay agent by the door.


Amenities at The Wing

Once you’re in, where to go: The Wing has two sides, business and first.  These are open to passengers flying same day in these respective cabins, as well as Oneworld elites.  Oneworld Sapphire travelers may access the business class side, and Oneworld Emerald my use the first class side.  Oneworld elites are also allowed one guest.  Both are worth a visit, but if you have access to the first class side, it’s REALLY worth a visit, possibly a long one. 

 

There are a few parts of this lounge that set it apart.  Possibly the most notorious, are the luxurious private “cabanas” that can be reserved on a first come first served basis.  The Cabanas are private rooms to relax and get refreshed before your flight.  They are the size of an average W Hotel room, and include a daybed, desk/vanity, bathroom, and most importantly, a waterfall shower and soaking tub.  The rooms are stocked with all the necessities- tolietires, towels, hair drier, etc. 

 

Soaking tub

 

Waterfall shower- the cure for any jetlag

 

Daybed area

If all the cabanas are taken when you arrive, they will put you on the list for the next available one, and give you a pager to take with you.  If you don't have time to wait, they also have very nice shower rooms that I've generally never had to wait for.

Shower room

 

Amenities

 

Rainfall shower

 

The Wing on the first class side also includes a full service complimentary restaurant, named ‘The Haven."  The Haven has both table service, with a full menu, and a buffet if you'd rather take a sampling.  I really appreciate when lounges have this option, because you may not have time for a full service on a layover, or may simply want to enjoy other parts of the lounge as well.
 

 

I'd just like to say that I love breakfast in Hong Kong?  It's one of the only places in the world where you can have congee (a Chinese rice porridge) and dim sum, next to sausage, baked beans, and toast. 

Of course, after your tea, eggs, and congee, you'll naturally have to top it off with a visit to the swanky champagne bar. 

 

 The bar features several nice bottles on ice all day, accompanied by plush red leather couches.  The drinks are self-pour, but there's generally also a server there to take care of you.

There are a couple other features worth a visit if you have the time.  The additional benefit of the layout of this lounge is that the business and first sides are just connected by a hallway/gap with a welcome desk, so you can walk freely between them if you have access to both.  Just have you boarding pass or Oneworld elite card with you in case anyone asks. 

On the business class side, there's a noodle bar that serves made to order soups, as well as 'The Long Bar" that is arguably the best place to sit and watch airport ops.  It solves my one complaint about this lounge, which is that the views of the ramp are somewhat obstructed by the opaque railing
along the edge of the lounge when you're in most of the seating.

First Class Lounge Seating



Semi-private seating/workstations

The lounge can be high traffic at times as well, so it's nice to have plenty of options throughout the space for seating.  You can also grab your food and drink from the first class side, and take them over to the Long Bar for the best of both worlds. 

In any case, you can (and should) easily enjoy several hours here before or between flights.  Check ahead to see where your departure gate will be, since some may require taking the train connection.  Even though HKG is a very large airport, it's well laid out and easy to navigate.  The agents at the lounge are always very helpful, and will make sure you know where you're going next!

Enjoy your visit, 

~CruisingAltitude

Also, I'm very excited about our new blog project- The Baby Flyer Blog !  With the new addition to our traveling family, we've been learning the ins and outs of travel with young children, and want to use what we've learned to help others travel more smoothly, so please have a visit and let us know what you think! 

This post is part of Budget Traveler's Sandbox' Travel Photo Thursday.  Make sure to pay them a visit for some inspiring travel stories and ideas!

Also in this review series, check out Lounge Destinations: The Red Suite