Hong Kong Archives - Triplust.world

Plaza Premium First Lounge – Hong Kong

by ychxk | Oct 16, 2019 | Hong Kong, Trip Reports & Reviews

Plaza Premium First lounge was opened in 2018 at Hong Kong International Airport so is a relatively new addition to the lounge choices in Hong Kong. I received access with Qatar flying in business class but paid access is available at a rate of HK$880 for 3 hours.

Entrance & Layout

The lounge itself is visually impressing. It features curated art by Beijing Poly Art company and has some truly interesting pieces scattered around the lounge that give it an added air of sophistication. When I visited the queue for the regular Plaza Premium lounge was quite literally out the door and around the corrner so it was a nice relief to walk in here and see plenty of space.

Revelation Sculpture by Fan Xiaoyan
The lounge itself is tastfully furnished and is similar to the regular lounge in that it features a central bar with seating to the left then the dining area at the back with an open kitchen but that’s where the similarities end.

It’s quiet!
It’s nice to be in a lounge where the staff are welcoming and you don’t have to hunt for a place to sit. This was the case here, with plenty of seating, both lounge chairs and tables to work at with plenty of power points. At the back of the lounge there are some recliner chairs to get some rest but the area isn’t really darkly lit or would be much quieter than the main part of the lounge if busy

The Bar

The AeroBar has the biggest whisky collection in the airport apparently and it did look like a lot of booze! I’m a gin tonc drinker so was delighted to see Moneky 47 as a choice but unfortunately this is a paid option, the one downside I found in the lounge. I can see where they are coming from that they want to offer more premium spirits than a regular first class lounge but if you’re paying for it the admittance isn’t cheap and charging extra for some drinks would grate.

They have TWG tea and Lavazza coffee and a nice selection of mini cakes at the bar.

Food – Primo

The lounge has an a la carte restaurant called Primo at the back. I was warmly welcome when I entered and shown a table then presented with the menus. I was asked what I would like to drink and was brought a drink from the main bar. Overall I found the menu pretty well thought out for a lounge with breakfast options all day, so if you’re jet lagged and fancy eggs benedict this is the place!

I had the hummus to start which was served with warm bread and delicious followed by the Beyond Meat Burger. I have to admit to being a beyond meat virgin but I was blown away by how much it tasted like beef. In terms of how it was presented they served it with sweet potato fries which were OK, not so many and a bit too fatty with the burger coming with pineapple and cheese and a warm bun, very nicely done!

Other Facilties

They also offer a ten minute head and shoulder massage complimentary which I didn’t take advantage of and have shower facilties.

Overall this is a good addition to the airport and if you’re trying to decide when flying Qatar whether to use your invitation here or visit a OneWorld lounge I would say definitely here. Comparing Plaza First to Cathay or Qantas business lounges in Hong Kong it’s quieter by far with table service and a decent menu to suit most tastes. If you prefer self service though then it will need to be another lounge as the only food is table service.

Beyond Meat Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Primo A La Carte Dining

TWG Tea Selection

AeroBar

Plaza Premium First Lounge

Revelation Sculpture by Fan Xiaoyan

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Hong Kong Airlines Economy Seating on 33T (Ex-Emirates Aircraft)

by ychxk | May 4, 2019 | Airlines, Hong Kong

Hong Kong Airlines has a variety of aircraft including what they refer to as the 33T in the booking engine which is an ex-Emirates aircraft. The airframe itself is pretty old but the interior seating and entertainment systems is new.

Firstly the good. The seats are clean and relatively new and the entertainment system is one of the best we’ve seen on an aircraft. It’s responsive, even maybe too responsive and the screen is clear, sharp and bright. Hong Kong Airlines doesn’t update their entertainment as often as they used to (budget cuts?) but there’s a good selection of movies and TV and the screen is a pleasure to watch. Legroom is also pretty good, I’m 6’2″ and as you can see from the photos I still had knee space to spare.

Unfortunately this is where the good stuff ends. The seats are probably some of the most uncomfortable we’ve ever sat on, they’re as hard as a rock. Even on a short flight to Bangkok of two hours they had us squirming in our seats. They are just about bearable for a short flight but I wouldn’t want to be in one of these to Tokyo for example at 4-5 hours. The padding is either minimal or old through use and time. Also of note is that the overhead bins are a smaller and older variety on this aircraft so if it’s busy it could be an issue with space but it is generally unlikely on an A330.

Finally if you want an exit row plus window be aware that 31H and K have only a partial window view with the seat aligned somewhat in the middle of the window.

EVA Air Economy Quick Review Taipei to Hong Kong

by ychxk | Aug 12, 2018 | Airlines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Trip Reports & Reviews

Here’s a quick trip report on Eva Air Economy on a new A330 equipped with Wifi. If you’re interested in wifi prices then jump straight down to the gallery and view the photo.

Eva air is a 5 star Skytrax airline and was founded in 1989. It’s the alternative to the state owned carrier China Airlines. Here’s my quick review of the pros and cons of Eva Air economy class

Fast check in at online check in counters. Well staffed and no queue
Boarded at end of process so can’t speak for the priority boarding available but boarding was well managed into zones
New A330 with Wifi
Seat comfortable. Same seat on longhaul should be comfortable and not “bum numbing” Pitch was nothing special and OK for short haul.
Snack good for the short haul flight. Other airlines don’t even provide a tray. Metal cutlery on one sector and special Hello Kitty tray and cutlery on their special Hello Kitty themed plane! Organic and filtered water towel included on the tray
Entertainment system was good but limited English new releases. Did also have European new releases though.
Nice cockpit display on moving map
At seat USB
Gate to gate entertainment. Loaded early so no boring taxis and waits on the ground!
Use your mobile device at all times!

Overall a very decent experience in economy on this short flight, you can see why they deserve the 5 star Skytrax rating.

Eva Air Check in Counters at Hong Kong

Online Check In Baggage Drop Counters at Hong Kong for Eva Air

Seat pitch on A330 Eva Air Economy Class

Eva Air A330 Entertainment System

Economy Cabin on Eva Air A330

View of seating and legroom on Eva Air

Eva Air Inflight Wifi Prices

Hello Kitty special meal tray on A330

Plaza Premium Lounge Hong Kong Gate 40

by ychxk | Dec 3, 2017 | Airlines, Hong Kong

The Plaza Premium lounge is the second lounge in Hong Kong airport, the first located near Gate five close to immigration. This lounge is perfect if your flight departs from one of the gates at the transit stop.

Food from Buffet at Plaza Premium

The lounge itself is pretty big but the restaurant area gets pretty packed at peak hours and it can be hard to find a table. There’s a good variety of food for a credit card lounge with Western choices such as meatballs, rice, salad bar as well as cakes and desserts. There’s also a noodle bar and Asian favourites as well on the hot buffet. The food was fresh and reasonably tasty. I’d class it as decent quality canteen food, nothing special but good for a bite before your flight.

View from Dining area across apron

There’s a great view across the apron of the gates and one of the runways, perfect for some plane spotting while you dine. One of the hidden gems is the lounge to the right of the dining area along the corridor. It features some comfy armchairs along with at seat power at every seat which are both worldwide plug compatible and have USB outlets built in. It’s a much more relaxing area than the dining area or the lounge to the left of the entrance. There’s not much food in this area, just some snacks and a coffee machine and drinks fridge.

On the left of the entrance is counter style seating which is perfect for a quick drink and some work on your laptop or tablet. Further to the left Is another quiet seating area with some seating pods. When I visited many people were using these to take a nap but they seem to be more designed for work. Since I last visited a free months ago the lounge had expanded and the area with the pods used to be separated as an airline invitation only section. This has now moved further back and is separated by a rope area, presumably used for airlines that don’t have their own lounge in Hong Kong.

Beer Machine

Although the lounge advertises a bar on the Premium Plaza website we couldn’t find this. Possibly it’s part of the airline lounge only section. There was however a very interesting looking beer machine that fills the glass from the bottom. Unfortunately by the time I found the machine there wasn’t time to try it out before the flight departed.

The lounge isn’t signposted so follow the signs from the first transit stop at gate 40 towards the Emirates lounge. It’s located up the escalator from the departures level on the opposite side from Emirates.

Overall it’s a decent lounge choice if you have access with a credit card or priority pass. However the rate of HK$580 for access for 2 hours isn’t particularly great value. Hong Kong isn’t a bad airport to hang out while waiting for your flight with free wifi in every area of the airport so it may make more sense to grab a proper meal at one of the many restaurants then chill out by your gate.