Hong Kong Tomorrow..!

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,503

Well, it only seems like yesterday that bmi-star said that he was off to Hong Kong and now it is finally my turn.

Since booking to go almost 2 months ago, I've been very excited about going. It is somewhere I have always wanted to visit. And now, having read bmi-star's reports of the place, I'm even more excited.

On Tuesday, I'll be flying with Virgin Atlantic on flight VS200, scheduled to be an A340-600. So not only am I going somewhere I've always been so keen to visit, I'm also flying with an airline and on an aircraft that I've always wanted to try, too. After dropping me in Hong Kong, it will continue its trip to Sydney, Australia.

As for Virgin, I've heard some very mixed reviews and although I hate to say it - the bad far outnumber the good. They offer dismal legroom in economy and the level of service is not the best in the world, but I'll make my own mind up tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm sticking around in Hong Kong for 5 nights before returning on VS201 next Monday, arriving at London Heathrow at 5.25am on Tuesday morning (the 27th). So if any of you insane photographers who visit Heathrow at 5am in the morning (Wannabe Pilot ;) ) want to snap my arrival... please do!

Once I return, I'll be writing one of my in-depth flight reviews, hopefully with photos from my window seat - 61A. :)

And to finish with, here's a shot of none other than a Virgin A346 landing in Hong Kong: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/848817/L/

Original post

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 4,255

Mate have a great time! Its 2 weeks snice i came back from there :eek:

Have a wonderful time in the city, one hell of a place, and enjoy the airport, a work of art indeed!

Say hello to the Swiss A343 which will depart the same time as you on the way back for me :D

Enjoy!!

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 3,394

Have a fantastic time Michael! :D

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 664

If you can get web access out there in your hotel or whatever, visit this: http://the-wu.org/hkgspotting/

You can normally arrange to hook up with some guys there who will no doubt take you to some good spots at CLK.....

Have a great time.....I used to love there and loved it! And even more ironically I am making the LHR-HK-SYD trip on a Virgin Airboose myself in about a month for work!!!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 854

maybe i'll bumb into you in a bar!!!!!

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 9,401

I dont know if Michaels up for that type of stuff Skycruiser :D.

Have a fantastic time Michael, you lucky sod :).

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 664

Well we could arrange that I imagine!!! somewhere down the Lockhart road perhaps? ;-)

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 929

Have a nice trip mate, bring back some photos!

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 4,255

Well we could arrange that I imagine!!! somewhere down the Lockhart road perhaps? ;-)

Or down one of those dodgy streets i passed on Nathan Road, the street (or motorway) i was staying on :D

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,503

Thanks guys! I'm still here. Just managed to squeeze in 10 minutes before we leave for Heathrow. Going to get there for about 4 hours before as I've got a few things I need to buy and some currency to pick up.

Will post when I finally get there! :)

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 4,255

Ooooh those 1000 HK$ notes are niiiiice Michael!! :D

Have a nice one, and i look forward to hear your thoughts of the place ( to i'll be in uni when you get back!)

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,289

Have a nice time! ;)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 854

Well we could arrange that I imagine!!! somewhere down the Lockhart road perhaps? ;-)

I spend alot of time drinking down there, our football team is sponsered by one of the many bars there! :D

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 664

I bet you do skycruiser!! LOL! The sponsorship is not from Neptune I hope!!! :-)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 854

I bet you do skycruiser!! LOL! The sponsorship is not from Neptune I hope!!! :-)

No, but it might as well as some of the guys spend far too much time in there!!!!!!!! :D

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 664

:-)

Or god forbid Strawberries!!!!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 854

:-)

Or god forbid Strawberries!!!!

Don't forget Laguna..... :dev2:

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,538

...After dropping me in Hong Kong, it will continue its trip to Sydney, Australia...

...indeed it did continue onto SYD flown by yours truly! Sorry I didn't give you a call SC but I bought my mother with me on a jolly (at least it was jolly for her!).

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 9,401

Talk about a coincedence eh!

Hope Michael enjoyed the flight :).

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 4,255

...indeed it did continue onto SYD flown by yours truly! Sorry I didn't give you a call SC but I bought my mother with me on a jolly (at least it was jolly for her!).

:eek: Who would have thought it!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,503

...indeed it did continue onto SYD flown by yours truly! Sorry I didn't give you a call SC but I bought my mother with me on a jolly (at least it was jolly for her!).

Wow... what are the chances of that? Don't suppose you can tell me why on both flights we had a Captain and three First Officers can you? Is this normal?

Well, as you can probably gather, I'm home now, but I'm not too miserable. Hong Kong (I'm afraid to say) disappointed me, but the flights were absolutely brilliant both ways and I think Virgin Atlantic has just pipped Thai to the post as my new favourite airline.

Aircraft outbound was an A340-600 (G-VGOA) and the inbound was another A340-600 (G-VNAP). I had the same seats that were assigned to me when booking. The outbound was about 70% full and the inbound was probably about 95% full, so a bit of a squeeze.

We departed well on time from Heathrow and service on the ground was impeccable and very speedy from the moment we arrived at about 7.30pm. The flight time was 11 hours and 45 minutes. Coming home, we should have left at 11.25pm, but didn't push back until about 12.05am and were not airborne until 12.35am. Landing this morning should have been at 5.25am but due to the late departure of the aircraft and having to hold above London, we didn't touch down until 6.26am. The views were not great, despite having flown in over the capital, landing on 27L. Cloud was at 700ft, so it was little wonder why.

Anyway, a full review is still to come. I've got home and need to have a quick turnaround so that I can be at Unviersity for 11.30am! :eek: