Verb/Noun: 1- The height above mean sea level at which a plane travels in straight and level flight.
2- Ramblings on mileage run insanity & road warrior stories, told with a sense of adventure, a sense of style, and whenever possible....a sense of humor.
**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.
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.
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.
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!
Very retro-post, but hopefully still with some good trip tips going into this year's mileage season early:
Once again, I'm at the end of the year on a much appreciated trip to relax with family by the beach. This year, it's a week in Puerto Vallarta on the Riviera Nyarit. The weather is beautiful, the view is stunning, and it seems like a perfect chance to give a rundown of this year's mileage adventures. As detailed earlier [Here], this season's trips were made up of two weekends in Asia for a total of just over 40,000 qualifying miles. As it turned out due to some late breaking work travel, I happily ended up somewhat over my 100k goal, but I'm not complaining. Maybe it just means I'll get my 'welcome to EXP' package from AA earlier than May, like I did last year.
Nyarit sunset from Villa Del Palmar- Flamingos
All in all, the trips were a great success and great little 'milecations'... as much as flying 17 hours for a one night stop can be. The first trip was the most complex, with 3 Asian destinations with long(ish) stops. Thankfully, the upgrades cleared on both the TPac segments on AA's 777-300ER, making the flights very enjoyable. I managed to catch some good rest, and watched The Birdcage for probably the 126th time in my life. For some reason, long flights make me want to re-watch my favorites.
After landing in HKG, I took the Airport Express train, which goes pretty much nonstop from the airport to Kowloon and then onto Central, so it's hard to get lost. And by 'pretty much nonstop' I mean it just stops at Tsing Yi. So, just, don't get off at Tsing Yi and you're good! It's about a $20-something round trip if you buy both ways when you get there, which beats a taxi for sure.
Side note here- I'm honestly sad I didn't start flying to Hong Kong ten years ago to get to experience the "Kai Tak Heart Attack" approach at the old airport in Kowloon. The old flight path required entering a 47-degree turn at under 1000 ft AGL (usually closer to 600ft), and exiting the turn at 150ft!! It was called the "turn at the checkerboard," due to an orange and white checkerboard painted on a mountain that served as a visual waypoint.
The rest of the short final approach took the plane so close to the buildings of Kowloon that passengers would report being able to see people inside their apartments watching TV!! Yes, yes, this probably sounds like the 6th circle of hell to any nervous fliers, but it really was a feat of good piloting, and a part of aviation history.
For the true AvGeeks, here's the chart for the Kai Tak approach, showing the location of the checkerboard-
Sadly though, the checkerboard is no longer maintained, and is getting progressively deteriorated and overgrown. However, 'checkerboard hill' can still be visited by way of Kowloon Tsai Park. I didn't have time to go check it out on these runs, but maybe another time. As long as AA keeps flying the DFW-HKG route with such good prices, I'll probably get another chance.
Okay, okay, well I know none of that was really applicable to this trip report as I flew into the new(ish) Chek Lap Kok airport....but sometimes I get distracted by aviation history and big planes landing near tall buildings. It happens, and we're just going to have to deal with that from time to time.
Anyway....
Since this run only gave us a short overnight in HKG, we went right to the JW Marriott in Central. It's a short one stop after the Airport Express, and is built over the Admiralty train station, so it's very easy to find your way. My traveling buddy for this run was top-tier with Marriott, so we ended up in a nice room on a top floor with access to their impressive executive lounge. The views were great, though the Marriott is towered over by the Conrad next door.
Dinner at the JWMarriott Lounge
And the first breakfast the next morning. They have dragonfruit. I love dragonfruit.
One thing to know about this, and other area hotels, is that their hosted lounge hours close early- most before 8pm. So, given that AA137 from Dallas lands at 6:30, it's a tight schedule to get checked in in time to make use of them. However, if you happen to get there on time, it's a great way to watch the nightly 'Symphony of Lights' laser show that lights up on both sides of the city.
After a quick sleep, we headed back to the HKG airport on the Airport Express. Since the next flight down to Jakarta was on Cathay Pacific metal, I got to check in at the Cathay 'First Class/OW Emerald' desk, which is actually a row of individual kiosks with personal greeters and assistance. Very nice, and exactly what you'd expect from a truly top tier airline at their home base.
I sure feel welcome, wouldn't you?
Up next (of course) was some quality time at Cathay's flagship lounge 'The Wing' for breakfast at the fully hosted restaurant 'The Haven.' It serves both menu options, and a full buffet. Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world, the least of reasons why being it's got to be one of the only places where you can get Chinese/English fusion breakfast- congee (a traditional rice soup) with preserved egg, next to baked beans on toast. As an aside, The Wing is only one of several high end airport lounges available to One World flyers at HKG. However, it is one of only two that have a true 'first class' section, along with the newly opened Qantas lounge at the other end of the terminal. The business class side is also quite nice, and has a made to order noodle bar.
The shower amenities at The Wing are also possibly the best in the system. The shower suites are 'rainfall' showers with the water falling directly from the ceiling.
A culturally complex breakfast...
Also noteworthy, is the champagne bar, which keeps Veuve Clicquot on ice all day long. We enjoyed a glass with breakfast (all day is 5PM in airports, remember), and then whipped out the paper cups we'd brought from the AC stateside to get a little 'pre departure beverage' to go. The CX servers were caught between being horrified at us pouring $70 champagne into coffee cups, and their overly polite CX indoctrination as they watched us do it, and tried to ignore our blatant bad manners. The sweatshirt and track shoe 'mileage run uniform' didn't help our case either.
"The Champagne Bar"
Our own "PDB"
Speaking of departure... up next- the CGK turn, and onto the redeye up to Tokyo.
Yes, this picture I took of 'AA through the years' at ORD hangs in my office. Don't judge....
As it's the opening week of my Mileage Season, I'm obliged to honor my
tradition of posting the layout of my travel plans on the way to 100k
and EXP status for 'One More Year.' This will be the fourth time I've
said 'One More Year,' for those keeping track at home.
I thought last year's mega-mileage runs would cure me of this hobby. I mean, booking yourself 48 solid flight hours over a long weekend should logically deter a reasonable person from wanting to get back on a plane for the foreseeable future. But, as has been made clear, mileage runners aren't reasonable people. At least not about this.
Honestly, even with the jetlag, the hours in economy seating, warmed-over food, Chinese smog in Shanghai, and questionable connections in snowstorms, I had a blast. I met new people, saw things and places I didn't even know I was looking for, and learned to navigate cities and airports as foreign as they come.
So, in four short days, I'm off on the first of this year's two long-haul runs.... and I can't wait.
I think 'Donkey' said it best...
As any mileage runner who's in it for the status level knows, the adventure can be a by-product of the goal of reaching 25, 50, or 100k miles. So, for those wondering where the mileage runs are this year, and why, here's an overview of this season's itineraries-
This season is comprised of two long weekends headed West over the Pacific from Dallas to various destinations in Asia. Weekend one is the longer of the two, coming in at around 22,600 elite qualifying miles, with a flight path from LAX-DFW on the red eye to meet up with a mid-morning nonstop to Hong Kong. I then have a night at an airport hotel, before heading out the next morning from HKG to Jakarta, Indonesia. There's about 8 hours on the ground there, enough time to go relax a little at a close-by Sheraton resort (on points, of course), before an overnight flight to Tokyo Narita. Then about twelve hours of daylight time there to go into the city and see a few things, before hopping on the return NRT-DFW-LAX trip back home again. Simple, right?
The flights look like this:
via Great Circle Mapper. Sidenote- the circumference of the Earth is only slightly longer than this run.
What's fun about this run is that it allows some time on the ground in each city, but not so much that the time changes start to get disruptive. I don't have any specific plans of where to go during the stopovers, so I can relax, or not. Secondly, I'm really looking forward to getting back to the NRT airport lounge. Last season I had a great layover there including a nice massage, shower, and some fantastic food and drink. Plus, the premiere lounge in HKG, 'The Wing,' is constantly in the running for the best airport lounge in the OneWorld system.
As for the other bits of intrigue about this run- the outbound is on AA's 777-300er, which I've previously reviewed. It's AA's biggest and shiniest plane, at least in the forward cabins. If you're lucky enough for an upgrade to clear, is a fantastic way to sleep away a 16+ hr trans-pacific flight. The inter-asia flights are on Cathay Pacific and JAL, both of whom offer fantastic service, even in economy. The longer leg on JAL up to Tokyo is being flown on a large plane, and reports from other mileage runners are coming back that it's nearly empty, letting passengers spread out and take rows to themselves- the economy traveler's 'lie-flat suite.'
The second weekend is a simpler riff on the first. It's a two night trip to Hong Kong, with time for a stay at the Sheraton in the city. I'll hopefully have just finished qualifying for SPG Platinum status by then, so hoping for lounge access and a nice upgrade. No actual appointments, so free to stay on my original timezone if I choose. The flight path originates in ORD, so I found some milesaver award positioning flights to accommodate. All in all, the flights look like this:
Since I always see people who are curious about mileage running, or deciding whether it's worth it, or if they're finding good deals, asking about it I'll lay out the nuts and bolts of the 'mileage math' for these runs. They were similar in price, both sub-5 cents per mile ("cpm"), and as I had a $400 voucher from last year when I took a flight change at AA's request, I was able to get a combined 3.5 cpm for the 40,504 elite-qualifying miles these trips will net me. (yes, that number's even a palindrome, has to be good luck!) With the status-based doubling for redeemable miles I'm earning 81,008 at 1.7cpm to put towards future travel or upgrades. Even without the voucher, most people would consider these flights decent mileage runs for status.
'Congratulations, your mileage runs come with a free first class trip to Urubamba, Peru!'
As an example of what this many miles can get you, I took the miles I earned last year and booked myself and Mrs. CruisingAltitude on LAN's 1st class flights to Lima, Peru and onwards to Cusco to go to the Sacred Valley next year at a rate of 60,000 miles per ticket round trip.
Paying cash for these would start at around $4,000. So, in this example those 60,000 miles earned at 1.7cpm means the ticket 'cost' just over $1,000. Even this is over-priced as the mileage runs were also a way to gain all the benefits of Executive Platinum status, which on their own far outweigh the cash spent on the tickets. In a sense, the trip to Peru is a fun side effect of making status.
I booked us at the Tambo Del Inka Resort in Urubamba. Rumored to be one of the most beautiful SPG properties in the system. Also one of the best of this level for cash & points redemptions, making stays here start at $110 per night + points.
Indoor/Outdoor pool and spa at Tambo Del Inka. The resort also features its own train station on the line to Machu Picchu.
Okay....I've probably lost 90% of readers at this point. For the 10% of you who still care, there's more rambling on this subject on [this post] from last year. Good luck.
At this point in my mileage running career, I keep wavering between being a little sheepish about it all, and wanting to share my adventures. One thing that constantly surprises me is how many people actually want to learn about it, even if only to comment on how ridiculous it is. As mileage season generally lines up with the holidays and time spent with family (most of whom we have to fly to see), I usually end up recounting the latest set of adventures on these visits. There was enough discussion of it last year after I got back from my JNB and PVG runs that the first holiday toast (not given by me) was aptly concluded with:
"....And my flight to be with you all tonight cost me $500 round trip, but it came with about 3 new sweaters."
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