Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

HKG-SIN (2h 45m) Airbus 380-800 ETD: 2.10pm (GMT + 8) ETA: 6.10pm (GMT + 8) Are you excited about the Singapore - Hong Kong travel bubble that's set to launch in the middle of May 2021? I hope it's not going to burst again though. While waiting for that to happen, join me in reminiscing about this particular flight home onboard one of Singapore Airlines' jumbo jets in December 2015. 

OKA-HKG (2h 45m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 11.55am (GMT + 9) ETA: 1.40pm (GMT + 8) It's time for another quick post on Hong Kong Airlines today. Despite it being a short leisure trip in Okinawa, my BFFs and I really had lots of fun discovering the unique heritage of the southernmost prefecture of Japan. We I flew out of Naha Airport to Hong Kong for the second part of the year-end trip in 2015. 

HKG-OKA (2h 30m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 7.25am (GMT + 8) ETA: 11.55am (GMT + 9) Having the slogan 'Fresh and Very Hong Kong', Hong Kong Airlines started off as CR Airways in 2001. It was in 2015 that I flew with it for the very first time from Hong Kong to Okinawa, Japan in the Economy Class. I've also previously written about my experience with its Business Class onboard HX773 and HX768 from Hong Kong to Bangkok, Thailand and vice versa respectively.

SIN-HKG (3h 45m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 7.55pm (GMT + 8) ETA: 11.40pm (GMT + 8) Happy Lunar New Year! May the new year bring unfading joy and renewed hope to the world. To kickstart the Year of the Ox, follow me in a major throwback to my trip to Okinawa, Japan via Hong Kong that happened in December 2015. In fact, that was before the inception of this travel blog of mine. Oh, Happy Valentine's Day too!

HKG-HAN (2h 10m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 5.45pm (GMT +  8) ETA:  6.55pm (GMT + 7) Hi, everyone! I sincerely hope that it's been a wonderful Christmas season for all of us. Now that I'm back in Singapore, I shall finish off writing about my June 2019 trip before moving on to something else. As a recap, I flew with Cathay Pacific CX855 from Vancouver, Canada to Hong Kong before flying with Cathay Dragon KA299 from Hong Kong to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Level 6, Near Gate 65, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Daily: 5.30am - 12.30am During the layover at Hong Kong International Airport, I spent most of the time at The Pier. It's not only the airport's largest, but also Cathay Pacific's most spacious lounge with a total area of 3,306 square metres. Originally inaugurated in 2001, it underwent a major renovation and extension in 2016.

YVR-HKG (13h 20m) Airbus 350-900 ETD: 9.40am (GMT - 7) ETA:  2.00pm (GMT + 8) I really had a blast in Canada, the country I thought I'd be settling down in when I was younger. Well, I'm certainly looking forward to exploring beyond British Columbia and Alberta. I flew back to Hong Kong in one of Cathay Pacific's Airbus 350-900 aircraft. It was my second time onboard its modern equipment, the first being a few years ago from Hong Kong to Jakarta, Indonesia.

HKG-YVR (12h 15m) Boeing 777-300ER ETD: 4.15pm (GMT + 8) ETA:  1.30pm (GMT - 7) To share a bit of history, Cathay Pacific was conceptualised by Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow to fly much-needed goods from Australia to post-war China. In 1982, it became the first airline to fly non-stop from its hub to Vancouver, Canada. It was my turn to fly there with the flag carrier of Hong Kong in June 2019.

Level 5, Near Gate 35, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Daily: 5.30am - 12.30am Cathay Pacific operates four departure lounges at Hong Kong International Airport. The Bridge is the latest addition that was declared open in October 2013. Occupying an area of 2,567 square metres, the lounge is split into two wings, north and south, without segregation for Business Class and First Class passengers.

HAN-HKG (2h 5m) Airbus 321 ETD: 10.25am (GMT + 7)  ETA: 1 .30pm (GMT + 8) It was time for my second flight with the flag carrier of Vietnam in the Business Class cabin, the first being onboard  VN661  from Hanoi, Vietnam to Singapore in late 2014. Till date, I've never flown with any other Vietnam Airlines' aircraft but Airbus 321, thus I've never had the chance to try its personal IFE (In-Flight Entertainment).

HKG-SIN (3h 50m) Boeing 777-300ER ETD: 6.50pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  10.40pm (GMT + 8) As mentioned at the end of the previous post on Hong Kong Airlines HX768 , I'm going to skip writing about sightseeing in Hong Kong for the time being. Have you flown in Singapore Airlines' Premium Economy Class cabin since its introduction on 9 August 2015?

BKK-HKG (2h 50m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 8.25am (GMT + 7)  ETA:  12.15pm (GMT + 8) Pardon for the hiatus as I've just recently come back from my holiday trip. Let's continue from where we left off with regard to my December 2016 trip. I had the chance to try not only the old Business Class cabin on the inbound flight to Bangkok, Thailand ( HX773 ), but also the new one on the outbound flight to Hong Kong as you're about to see in this post.

HKG-BKK (3h 20m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 12.40am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  3.00am (GMT + 7) The first time I flew with Hong Kong Airlines was back in December 2015 to Okinawa, Japan in the Economy Class cabin. For the late night flight to Bangkok, Thailand, my BFF and I decided to try the Business Class cabin out, which turned out to be less than 50% occupied.

Level 6 (Near Gate 23), Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Daily: 6.00am - 1.30am The first thing that my BFF and I did upon clearing immigration and getting our luggage was to go outside the terminal building to enjoy the cold December breeze that's absent in Singapore. We went straight to check-in with Hong Kong Airlines after that for our next flight. As we were going to fly in the Business Class, we had the opportunity to enter the flagship lounge named Club Bauhinia Lounge.

SIN-HKG (4h) Boeing 777-300ER ETD: 1.05pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  5.05pm (GMT + 8) While I aim to try flying with as many airlines as possible in the world, I've always been a loyal customer of Singapore Airlines. I was so excited to soak myself in the atmosphere of the new Business Class cabin. 

CJU-HKG (3h) Airbus 320-200 ETD: 2.05pm (GMT + 9)  ETA:  4.05pm (GMT + 8) Apart from closing the chapter on Jeju Island, this entry shall be the very last on Dragonair as the airline has recently been rebranded as Cathay Dragon. Do note that KA325 is the flight code for the CJU-HKG sector at the point of writing.

HKG-CJU (3h 10m) Airbus 320-200 ETD: 9.15am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  1.25pm (GMT + 9) The next exciting destination that I'm going to present to you is Jeju Island, South Korea, known as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. As I visited the island quite some time back, there has been changes in the flight schedule by Dragonair, which uses KA326 as the flight code for the HKG-CJU sector at the point of writing.