CX A350 to Hong Kong, the Mira Moon Hotel, and a Run to Victoria Peak

[yflyer]

Overall J cabin ambience in the main J cabin...



...serene and peaceful, with good privacy...



The 2nd J mini-cabin was quiet and intimate.



I also found out later that while the breakfast menu did not list any alcoholic beverages, there was a full bar available onboard, including champagne, wine, beer and some liquor.

[yflyer]

Time on this flight went by quickly...



Not a lot to see out the window due to cloud cover.

CX has cameras fitted on the A350, and these are visible on the IFE screen as well as the the IFE controller!

[yflyer]

Final approach into Chek Lap Kok on a cloudy day...





On the ground, with thrust reversers deployed...



An on-time arrival and a short taxi to the gate...

[yflyer]

Overall, a wonderful flight on Cathay's A350. The CX team looks to have done a very good job with the hard product on this new aircraft.

The cabin layout and J class seat were very comfortable. Although this was just a 3+ hour sector, I felt that I would be very comfortable in this J seat for long haul flights as well. There was enough space for me to lounge and even sleep, and the fact that you did not have to fold the seat down to go into lie-flat mode was also a plus.

CX cabin service was very warm and attentive. The call bell was answered quickly, and J pax were addressed by name.

I thought catering was pretty good as well for a breakfast service. Both the Asian mains were tasty. The western breakfast selection looked decent as well, although I personally think there are only so many ways to prepare eggs and sausage and it is nearly impossible to differentiate one airline's egg breakfast with another's.

Any minor quibbles or negatives? Just a couple: Regarding the seat, the position of the window seat means that you have to loosen your seatbelt and lean forward, or sit at the edge of your seat, to enjoy the view out of the window. And there is only space for one window per J seat. That said, once you lean forward, you do get a good view out the window.

Also, if you are a very tall (or very wide...) person, then perhaps this seat might not be the roomiest around. But I would leave the NFL and basketball players on this forum to comment on this point after they have tried this seat. Certainly for a person of average height, there was ample room. There was a lot of headroom/legroom remaining after I stretched out, so it is highly likely that you would have enough space to lie flat.

How does the CX A350 J seat compare with SQ's J seat on the same aircraft type? I've not yet tried the SQ J seat on the A350, although on the 77W, I find the CX Cirrus J (Similar to the CX A350 J seat) and SQ's 2013 J seat to be quite evenly matched -- both are top notch J products. I hope to try SQ A350 J some time soon to make that comparison.

The immigration queues at the airport were mercifully short that day. The airport train ticket queue was long within the airside area, so we skipped that and headed outside to another ticket counter, which had hardly any queue, where we bought our airport express tickets and Octopus stored value cards (Like our EZ Link cards) which can be used for subway, bus and tram in Hong Kong.

From there, it was a short airport express train ride to Hong Kong station, and a taxi to the Mira Moon hotel, a delightful boutique hotel ideally located in Causeway Bay.

To be continued!

[alian]

another great TR yflyer - thanks

CX A350 looks good

Tail Camera - SQ please take note !!!

[jammed]

Fantastically detailed TR once again yflyer I have never flown CX before , but heard loads of good reviews of their service, which you have attested here. I appreciate your side-by-side comparison with SQ J.

Looking fwd to yr run report - that has become a regular to be expected feature in your TR hasn't it?

[9V-SIA]

Great TR

My daughter just flew back from JFK with 10 friends for Spring Break on CX

They offered the cheapest flights to SIN

Her American friends ( having flown only domestic previously ) were suitably impressed by CX

[SINFJ]

Great TR. Have been a lurker on your wonderful reports and get wildly fascinated every time one gets posted.

The A350 variant of the Cirrus seat is a step forward the last iteration found on CX's A333 and 77Ws. The seat is better aligned with the shell, providing for better rest space on the side. Also more space to maneuver in lie flat position than the last iteration.

[Lobster]

Thanks yet again for another great trip report. I'm flying the CX A350 on Monday so your report was perfectly timed (although I will only be doing BKK-HKG)

[yflyer]

another great TR yflyer - thanks

CX A350 looks good

Tail Camera - SQ please take note !!!

Thanks, alian!

The hi-res cameras on the A350 are great.

Fantastically detailed TR once again yflyer I have never flown CX before , but heard loads of good reviews of their service, which you have attested here. I appreciate your side-by-side comparison with SQ J.

Looking fwd to yr run report - that has become a regular to be expected feature in your TR hasn't it?

Thanks, jammed! Yes, a couple of interesting runs coming up!

Great TR

My daughter just flew back from JFK with 10 friends for Spring Break on CX

They offered the cheapest flights to SIN

Her American friends ( having flown only domestic previously ) were suitably impressed by CX

Thanks, 9V-SIA! I think anyone who mainly flies domestic US (Or intra-Europe for that matter) will be quite impressed by what we tend to take for granted in Asia-Pacific.

Great TR. Have been a lurker on your wonderful reports and get wildly fascinated every time one gets posted.

The A350 variant of the Cirrus seat is a step forward the last iteration found on CX's A333 and 77Ws. The seat is better aligned with the shell, providing for better rest space on the side. Also more space to maneuver in lie flat position than the last iteration.

Thanks, SINFJ! Yes, I was quite impressed with Cirrus seat, and I can see why so many airlines are choosing to deploy variations of this product in their premium cabins. Unless an airline can come up with an original design that tops the Cirrus (e.g. QR's latest J, which looks amazing) it is probably better for them to save all that R&D/design spend and just go for the Cirrus, and find other ways to differentiate their J offering.

Thanks yet again for another great trip report. I'm flying the CX A350 on Monday so your report was perfectly timed (although I will only be doing BKK-HKG)

Thanks, Lobster! Enjoy your flight!

[loldude333]

QR's latest J is actually a B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seat. Its also available on AC's 77Ws and 787s. If i had a choice, i might prefer the B/E seat as the TV is permanently in front of me (Cirrus has them folded, so viewing stuff during taxi/takeoff/landing will not be allowed) and the B/E seats look like they have more room at the feet area. Haven't sat in either seat (and probably never will), but based on the photos i've seen those might be part of my consideration.

[yflyer]

QR's latest J is actually a B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seat. Its also available on AC's 77Ws and 787s. If i had a choice, i might prefer the B/E seat as the TV is permanently in front of me (Cirrus has them folded, so viewing stuff during taxi/takeoff/landing will not be allowed) and the B/E seats look like they have more room at the feet area. Haven't sat in either seat (and probably never will), but based on the photos i've seen those might be part of my consideration.

Hi loldude333! I believe the QR J you are referring to is the current one on their A350, which is based on the B/E Aerospace Super Diamond (TR on that here).

Any idea what they are using for the newly announced Business Class Qsuite?

[alian]

Hi loldude333! I believe the QR J you are referring to is the current one on their A350, which is based on the B/E Aerospace Super Diamond (TR on that here).

Any idea what they are using for the newly announced Business Class Qsuite?

I'm inclined to believe the new QSuite from QR are a modified version of what Ethiad uses n their A380 which are from Sogerma / Stelia http://www.stelia-aerospace.com/en/p16-passenger-seats/

[yflyer]

I'm inclined to believe the new QSuite from QR are a modified version of what Ethiad uses n their A380 which are from Sogerma / Stelia http://www.stelia-aerospace.com/en/p16-passenger-seats/

Thanks, alian, for the info!

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...

From Hong Kong Station, we took a taxi to our hotel, the Mira Moon.



I stumbled on this hotel by chance, while browsing the SPG hotels available for points redemption in Hong Kong. I expected the usual suspects, the Sheraton's, Le Meridien's, W's (The W in Kowloon is superb), but was surprised to find two Mira properties listed: the Mira Hotel in Kowloon and the Mira Moon in Causeway Bay.

The tripadvisor reviews for both of these looked great, and after a brief consultation with Mrs yflyer, we picked the Mira Moon.

The Mira Moon is is a boutique hotel, one of two Mira hotels in Hong Kong, and part of the Design Hotels' portfolio of very interesting boutique hotels across the globe. This tie-up between Starwood and Design Hotels is quite recent, with a soft launch at the end of 2015/early 2016 and the partnership is being rolled out to a fairly large number of Design Hotels by the end of 2016.



You can both redeem SPG points for stays here, and also earn points and status by staying here.

Not all SPG perks are offered with the Design Hotels partnership: there is no room upgrade for Platinums, and no late check-out, and there is also no lounge. But the basics are there (Earning/Redeeming points) and that to me was sufficient.

On the positive side, this property is quite unique, with amazing rooms and decor, and an intimacy and style that you simply do not get with the major hotel groups even at their upmarket properties.






This hotel is housed in a tall skyscraper with very limited space in the public areas. Just a small entrance area and a lift to the reception on the 5th floor.



The reception on the 5th floor was unlike any other check-in desk I have seen, resembling a bar more than anything else. Almost sensory overload...the opposite of minimalist decor...but very striking and I liked the vibe very much.



Complimentary apple tea as we checked in.



The SPG redemption was for the regular "New Moon" rooms, which were smaller and equipped with rain-shower equipped shower stalls, so we decided to pay a little extra per night for an upgrade to the "Full Moon" rooms, which were significantly larger and equipped with freestanding bath tubs. We would also get a complimentary breakfast with the upgrade.

On the same floor as the reception, there was also a champagne bar...



Apart from that, facilities included a bar/restaurant and a well equipped gym.

Our room was on the 35th floor. This hotel has just 4 rooms per floor. You can get from the entrance of the hotel by lift to your room very quickly, without navigating endless corridors or public areas, and there is no need to change lifts on the reception level either.