hkskyline'a 2018 Flight Reports Thread

[hkskyline]

Toronto - Vancouver - Yellowknife

In the hunt for aurora borealis, I have tried Iceland, which failed, and considered Finland, which was too expensive. Until now, I have overlooked that Canada is a great place to see this natural phenomenon, with Yellowknife boasting they see it 240 days a year.

Yellowknife is almost half way from the east coast to Asia already, so when it costs only 25,000 Aeroplan miles to redeem this domestic flight, I jumped at the opportunity.

Winter is a great time of year to see the aurora thanks to cold temperatures and clear skies. Less than a month before departure, I was still able to find availability on Aeroplan's user-friendly web engine for a long weekend trip. As there are no direct flights from Toronto, I had to either transfer in Calgary or Vancouver. The Vancouver flight was available with several hours layover in the city for a walk around town, so I grabbed that happily.

Unfortunately, despite the cheap redemption mileage, extra charges piled up to the tune of an additional CAD $180. This usually only happens on Air Canada redemptions so it was quite annoying. Nevertheless, paying this charge and using miles would still result in significant savings as a revenue ticket could easily cost over CAD $700. This is one of the few great value for points redemptions within the continent.

Welcome to pre-sunrise Toronto T1.





The departures boards worked differently from elsewhere in the airport with flights sorted by time, not by destination. This was where I found out my flight would be delayed by 30 minutes.



Annoyed that my sightseeing time in Vancouver just got shorter, I proceeded to security, which didn't have a very long line. Upon reaching my gate, the previous 7am flight to Vancouver had just closed. My friend who arrived earlier told me they were asking for volunteers from my delayed flight to move to the earlier departure. Had I been a few minutes quicker, I could have gotten on that Dreamliner flight, beat the delay and scored more time on the ground in Vancouver.



When they announce a delay, chances are the actual departure would be later than that. This materialized today. It didn't help that this high-density 777 was also full, so it was a mad scramble to find overhead compartment space for everyone.



Flight deck explained this morning's delay was due to the late towing of the aircraft to the gate, as the same gate was also used for the 7am Vancouver flight. We eventually settled in and pushed back almost an hour late.











I was a bit surprised we didn't need to de-ice and went straight for the runway.









The skies over Toronto were not too good and I turned my attention to the IFE. As we flew over northern Ontario, the skies started to clear but there wasn't much snow cover on the ground.







I don't envy North American passengers. Even for a flight of almost 5 hours over the breakfast hour, all food is for purchase only. The only freebie would be basic drinks such as water, juice, or Coke. At least they came around later in the flight offering us more.









The scenery looked quite different when I flew the same route last summer. This time, I chose the other side's window for some variety. Luckily the winter sun was much further south and east of us so I wasn't against the light so much.



















Snow cover over the Prairies seemed much worse than northern Ontario. This part of the country gets some gruelling winters.







Air Canada's in-flight entertainment system lacks international selections. It is better than nothing but merely a fraction of what Emirates can offer in the sky. On previous flights, I noticed some programming from Fairchild TV, Canada's Chinese channel. This time, I found a travel series with many short episodes to make this uneventful flight pass faster. At least they don't put a lot of ads before the show begins.



However, I liked the flight stats bar that could be easily retrieved by clicking the screen but it does not interrupt the programming













I noticed a few of these city time displays with a distance indicator. New Delhi's population seemed awfully low. I quite like the system's display of both distance from origin and destination to give a perspective on how much more to go besides just a mere time indicator.



The bathroom was in good condition despite being a full flight. No lotion or moisturizer here though.









I was anticipating a busy time photo-taking over the Rockies, so I took some time before the mountains came to check out the in-seat literature.























Connecting flights in Canada can be a confusing affair, especially for international-domestic and international-US flights. This chart in the magazine shows the various steps and bottlenecks involved.



With our late departure, the crew announced alternate connecting flights on the intercom, noting the rebooked flight numbers and departure times. Then there was a disclaimer that if there was no announcement for their connecting flight, either they can make it or talk to the ground crew on arrival.



Air Canada's 777s are industry-leading by being able to sardine cram some 400 passengers. Hence, I have been avoiding this aircraft in cattle class for any long-haul flights unless I could book one of the back seats where the row of 3 becomes a row of 2. For a cross-continent flight like today, it is somewhat survivable, but the narrow seat feels quite evident.

Next part - across the scenic Rockies!

You can access the full report with more photos on my website : http://www.globalphotos.org/ac1038833.htm

[hkskyline]

Avianca 16 Bogota - Medellin
March 3, 2018

The initial numbers looked deceiving. Bogota and Medellin are 250km apart on a straight line but the bus takes over 11 hours through winding mountain roads. Bus travel was not appetizing, so flying would be the way to go. We stuck with Avianca to earn a few meagre points into our Star Alliance awards programs, free checked bag, and for better safety and logistics concerns in case of cancellations or major delays. The price wasn't particularly too much more expensive than LATAM, and I had no appetite to try VivaColombia at all.

Avianca has many flights to Medellin throughout the day, and the search engine showed a duration of just under an hour. While booking my Economy seat, I curiously searched how much would a Business Class seat cost for such a short flight, and was surprised to find it being slightly cheaper. So this is how I got to try Avianca's Business Class product on my first flight with them.

93 Canadian Dollars later and 2 months before departure, the reservation was booked and I was ready to head to Medellin!

Bogota's airport has a new terminal building and Business Class/elite customers can use a dedicated check-in row. There was a short line accummulating but it barely moved as there were so few counters opened. It took a good 30 minutes to finally get served with the boarding pass printed and priority tags attached to my checked bag. No lounge invitations were provided.





Not impressed so far, I headed through the fairly quick security line and emerged at a massive duty free shop. Beyond it are a few restaurants and some construction areas.







I wasn't going to give the restaurants my money today. I was entitled to the Business Class lounge. The Avianca lounge is across from the first gate. The lounge was not crowded, which was probably because of the little food selection available - some finger sandwiches, fruit skewers, peanuts, and drinks. My ginger ale magically came in a sticky glass bottle. There are no washrooms in the lounge so I had to head back out to the gate areas to relieve myself.













Plane spotting was pretty much all Avianca, which was new to me so it looked quite interesting.

Wifi for the airport was spotty, probably due to the large crowds using the facility. The 30 minute limit quickly passed and I had to fight for a spot to log-in again. After having a quick snack and drink, I headed back out to find my gate, which was at the end of the pier downstairs.









With my Business Class boarding pass, I enjoyed priority boarding and found a very comfortable seat in the 3-row premium cabin at the front. These are not the same Economy seats with the middle seat blocked, but nicer leather recliners arranged in a 2-2 configuration. Each seat had a PTV and noise-cancelling headsets were handed out.







Comfortable in my big leather seat, we pushed back for the short flight to Medellin. The in-seat literature had more information about the airline and its routes. The table came out from the side and could befolded into half for a drink and a book.























No movies were available in the IFE but there were some TV shows to help pass the time.





























It was a long taxi then wait to take-off because the runway was also being used for landings. We didn't get into the air until a good 30 minutes after pushback.



More in the next part, or visit my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/av16.htm

[hkskyline]

Taipei - Hong Kong

Hong Kong - Taipei is one of the busiest air corridors in the world. The Cathay group flies over 15 flights on a typical day almost entirely on widebodies.

Taipei is an under-rated city overshadowed by powerful neighbours. This is starting to change as visitors find great value for money and an interesting food scene, and without the crowds.

















Departing mid-afternoon and avoiding early rush hour traffic, it only took about 40 minutes to get from Xinyi District to the airport. There was a short line at the Cathay counters to drop off my bags, and then I had almost 2 hours to roam around in a relaxing way around the airport.

Unlike my arrival, departing from Taoyuan was far more pleasant. The security check didn't take long, and all foreigners could use the automated kiosk that scans your passport and verifies your fingerprints in order to exit Taiwan. There were no lines for the many kiosks either. Hope they can bring this automation to the other side when entering Taiwan ...



Air-side, the renovated Terminal 1 remains well-kept, even the plant walls that line the hallways. If you are in dire need to juice up your mobile, use these boxes just outside the first set of duty free shops after immigration.



The retail selection here has gotten more plentiful and seemingly more upscale.



Terminal 1's structure is a bit odd, with the departure lounges located downstairs, so plane spotting becomes a tiring affair going up and down the stairs at each gate. It probably also costs a lot of money to equip each gate with an elevator for wheelchair accessibility.





Relations with China have soured since the Taiwanese elected a separatist party to power in the last election, so they are trying to entice more Southeast Asian tourists to come to make up for the drastic drop in mainland tourists. This "Go South" policy may explain the Halal menu.



Terminals 1 and 2 are physically connected, with 2 being newer. The gates over there are also more tastefully decorated with a different theme each.







I missed EVA's new Dreamliner in Hong Kong a few days earlier, but it was parked at the gate for as long as I wanted in Taipei today.







Despite the airport's changes, the Hello Kitty store in Terminal 2 remains.









Plane spotting is getting more decent here with special livery jets and more low-cost carriers.





I quite liked some of the artwork and museum pieces scattered around the various gates.



I recall visiting the postal museum in town many years ago. They brought some of the exhibits to the airport as well.





EVA's premium lounges sit upstairs above the busy shops and corridors. This airline is upgrading its hard product to give Cathay a strong nudge.




Satisifed with my long walk, I was soon out of time and needed to head back to my departure gate B4. A long and orderly line snaked from the entry anticipating boarding at the boarding pass time. Well, it didn't happen. Staff kept to the procedure announcing the different stages and directing passengers to the gate. They even asked for Marco Polo Green passengers to board before the general public was allowed in.



Despite the late boarding, we ended up pushing back just 2 minutes behind schedule. By now, it was too dark to photograph the coast and Taipei as we took off towards the north and made a 180-degree turn.



Disappointed with the meal on the inbound although this is more a First World problem, it was proper dinner time on this flight so I got the rice that I was longing for. There was still no drink cart service but a small bottle of water was included on the tray.







Cathay does a good job including Hong Kong content in its IFE. This includes the aviation series it sponsored some 10 years ago, with all episodes available to keep even the long-haul passenger sleepless. They didn't stock up part 2, which was sponsored by a rival mainland-backed airline.



The flight passed by quickly and the captain announced a 12 minute delay due to air traffic control. We made a big loop just east of Hong Kong before continuing a bumpy descent. The weather didn't seem too bad in the city but it was certainly very choppy up here.





Many Taiwanese use Hong Kong as a connecting point not just for China, but also points beyond such as Europe. Transfer information appeared on the IFE as we descended, and for us arriving passengers, the gate number and baggage carousel were already known also.





Despite the holding delay, we ended up arriving right on the dot at 7:45pm. My priority-tagged bag was out already when I reached the carousel after a long walk and train ride from the suburban gates. The efficiency I enjoyed in the early years after HKIA opened are back.

The full flight report : https://www.globalphotos.org/cx405.htm
More Taipei photos : https://www.globalphotos.org/taipei.htm

[ColDayMan]

I love your life.

[hkskyline]

Toronto - Las Vegas

Scanning around for a low-season getaway, I wasn't so surprised Vegas came up in my search. April is a great time to visit - dry and cooler so it is possible to walk outdoors all day. Prices were attractive even for a direct flight, so I was off to the sin city for some sightseeing. Yes, there is a lot of sightseeing around the Vegas area with many beautiful national parks, and oh yea, some casinos to add to the mix as well.

US flights leave from the end of Terminal 1. The security line was fairly short with multiple lanes working and staff directing people around to ease the crowding. Pre-clearance took some time, as usual, although once it was my turn, I was processed fairly quickly. Being a plebian traveller, this was the most worrisome bottleneck that prevents me from arriving at the airport an hour before my flight with hand-carry only.

In the distance, it looks like a special retro livery!





Terminal 1 is the Star Alliance hub, with Rouge designed to serve more low-yielding leisure destinations. Scanning the departure boards, there were a sprinkle of departures to Florida and the US southwest.



Air Canada Rouge flies this route using a 767. With a 2-3-2 configuration, I liked it for easy aisle access from my window seat, although it would be an old plane. You can't have too many expectations for a Rouge flight. There is no in-seat entertainment. Instead, download the airline's app to stream content on board.



But what spoofed me was the vast amount of food debris on the floor wedged between the chair's leg and the fuselage. They clearly didn't clean the plane properly, doing only a superficial job on the obvious areas. I wonder how many flights of food did all this come from?

We departed on-time and roared into the sunny and cold sky for the 4.5-hour flight.









Happily observing the scenery below me, the crew started serving complimentary soft drinks and water. Meals will cost money, but mainline Air Canada also does this for its US flights as well.











As we flew over the middle section of America, the barren landscape started turning interesting. With the snow-capped mountains started coming into view, the flight deck announced we would shortly cross the Rockies and the ride would get bumpy.

With the turbulence calming down, the scenery became quite unique and beautiful. There were dried-out rivers, rocks with the iron-rich fiery appearance, and some greenery here and there.



































Too bad there is no in-flight location map. I wanted to know if I was near the Grand Canyon.





















We landed from the east with the Strip's skyline somewhat visible during final approach despite coming in perpendicular to it. The casinos in the skyline are just a short distance from the airport. Too bad I was behind the wing, so the great views were partially obstructed by the wing.











Welcome to Vegas.





As the plane taxied into the terminal I scanned through the pocket for the old safety card.





Air Canada uses the newer-looking Terminal 3. Arrivals are a bit confusing. You head downstairs to find 2 train lines. 1 goes to Terminal 1 arrivals, and the other goes to Terminal 3 arrivals. With only hand-carry luggage, you can go for either train, but keep in mind the public buses don't always stop at both terminals. For the northern strip, the 108 only stops at Terminal 1, the CX only stops at Terminal 3, while the WAX serves both.









To keep you busy while waiting for your checked bags, there are plenty of slots next to the carousel to you lose your first fortune in Vegas.



Terminal 1's public bus stop is on level 0, 1 level below the baggage carousel. The ticket machine sells day passes and takes credit cards. Alternatively, you can download the RTC app and buy the pass with your mobile.





Air Canada Rouge isn't a scary airline even though it seems more bare bones than the mainline, although the mainline doesn't offer much to begin with anyway. I guess with no expectations, there won't be disappointment. Flying within North America only needs to be punctual and safe.

More photos my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/ac1851.htm
My Vegas gallery : https://www.globalphotos.org/lasvegas.htm

[hkskyline]

Hong Kong - Helsinki

Norway is quite a distance away from Hong Kong. At the peak summer season, I was worried it would be a costly flight even if going the long way through the Middle East. Luckily, Finnair had a very affordable fare of just over HKD$5600 with a short stopover in Helsinki. While I have visited Helsinki before, I was flexible to take a 2-day break here to head outside the city, where I wasn't able to cover last time.

Advertising themselves as a quick way to Europe, the advertised flight times are great - 10.5 hours into Finland and just 1.5 hours more into Oslo. This journey into Europe would be far less punishing than through Dubai.

Finnair used to fly only once a day and it was a red-eye. In recent years, they added a second daily flight, this time during the day.







With a window seat on the right, the sun would be behind me for the duration of the daytime flight, allowing many photo-taking opportunities.



The TV screen is a good size and the reading material pocket is embedded into the seat. There was still a pocket in front and there was already a bottle of water in there for everyone.





Aeroflot offers great value for money and a similar short northern arc to Europe.



The flight timeline gives a good preview of the 2 meals ahead as well as the duty-free shopping start time. Simple and effective.













With many clouds lurking around, it was hard to spot the various cities below. No luck for aerial photos of urban areas today!



The first meal was nothing to boast about. This is Economy Class after all. It tasted all right and looked simple but filling. It's not right to expect too much in Economy Class.



The flight map can be turned and zoomed using the touch-screen.









The northern and western stretches of China are quite arid with many deserts and badlands. Despite being a heavily-populated country, these parts are pretty much empty as far as the eye can see.











Browsing the IFE, the selection wasn't the greatest although they have a wide variety of Asian content to cater for its many routes to the region. They even have an arrival video specific to Chinese travelers. I liked the arrival time counter at the top right of the screen.







While meals are free on this long-haul flight, there was a paid-for food menu as well. The basic items are free, such as white wine, but the heavier stuff such as vodka and gin would cost you.



After finishing the 2nd meal, we were within a stone's throw of Helsinki.



Wifi is also available on the plane, although I preferred the larger PTV screen over my phone. Before arriving, connecting flight information was listed as well as our arrival gate information. Many fly Finnair to connect to the rest of Europe, so all this information is quite convenient.





























My short 2-day visit to Finland would be spent in Porvoo, a small town to the east of Helsinki. As I waited for my bus connection, I explored this relatively small airport a bit more, knowing when I return tomorrow for my flight, I would have far less time and would need to rush through.













The Finnair building next to the terminal has a public observation deck, but this isn't the best airport to find a variety of birds. I liked the historic photo display a lot more than the views outside.







More on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/ay102.htm