Overnight layover in Hong Kong - suggestions?

[deepthroat]

I'm currently booked through Cathay Pacific with a stop at Hong Kong at 5pm, then a flight out to BKK at 10pm arrive after midnight. 

That sucks.

 

I'm trying to fix this by getting the redeye from USA (which ends up with a noon arrival in BKK) but since I was lucky/blessed enough to be able to get First Class reservations using frequent flier miles, it's doubtful that I'll be able to make that change.

 

Other thing I'm considering is asking if they could put me on an 8AM or 10AM flight to BKK the next morning, and then have a layover from 5pm to the next morning.

 

What are your suggestions for things to do with that time? Obviously want to go into Hong Kong via the train, but what are the things to do between 7pm and dawn?

 

Any input appreciated.

[SiamSam]

As mentioned to you the last time we met I find your plan whacky. You use a huge amount of points for the privilege of flying first class from the west coast of the US to Hong Kong and for this you get to endure an overnight in another US west coast city and a 5 hour layover in HKG with an arrival in BKK after midnight. Or you have to spend the night in HKG with nothing much to do. Seems like a huge price to pay for a lot of inconvenience. Personally I'd rather fly economy if the schedule was more user friendly than the one you're facing presently. Nonetheless there are a ton of reasons why I still think you're a smart guy. 

[pentire]

I'd stick to arriving in BKK after midnight, it shall be a gloriously swift and quiet taxi ride into Pattaya, check in to your accomodation and then hit the Marine Disco between 3 and 4am followed by a sun rise drink at JP Bar in Soi Lucky Star viewing the disco diva scantly clad skanks still looking for punters

[SiamSam]

There you go DT. You have your answer from Mr. Tire. An inspired one that I second.

[EyeMahk]

Go on to BKK. 5 hour layover is great in the CX first class lounge. Great food, showers, etc. They have a nap room too, I think.

[deepthroat]

Thanks guys. After doing some serious research - using Cathay's own website to look at current First Class availability for the dates I want to travel, then checking the current availability of code shares for first class through Alaska Air, it appears pretty certain I'll be able to get the itinerary changed to leave SFO on CX873 near midnight and arrive BKK around noon. 

 

The trick is that Alaska Air doesn't get the additional allotment of First Class seats until about 6-7 days before the flight if they haven't been booked full. And Cathay's First Class (although their are only 6 of them) rarely books full.

 

If I wanted, I could fly out on Cathay First Class via Alaska Air FF Miles tonight, tomorrow night, monday night... almost every night until 7 days from now, when they suddenly have no more availability for the next few months.

 

I'm 90% certain I'll be able to get the tickets changed before my departure, and avoid the long stupid layovers in LA & Hong Kong on way over, and SFO on the way home.

[SiamSam]

Good stuff DT. I am happy for you and hope it all turns out well. 

[xyzzy]

Thanks guys. After doing some serious research - using Cathay's own website to look at current First Class availability for the dates I want to travel, then checking the current availability of code shares for first class through Alaska Air, it appears pretty certain I'll be able to get the itinerary changed to leave SFO on CX873 near midnight and arrive BKK around noon.

 

  What does that do to your domestic flight to SFO? In my case I have to purchase a flight on another airline. So a change in that flight would be expensive. Since you book through Alaska do they help you with that one also?

[deepthroat]

What does that do to your domestic flight to SFO? In my case I have to purchase a flight on another airline. So a change in that flight would be expensive. Since you book through Alaska do they help you with that one also?

Yes. The hardest leg to change is Cathay from NAmerica (SFO, LAX or YVR) to Hong Kong. Once I find space on the flight I need it will be relatively simple to change the other 2 legs, or so I hope.

[xyzzy]

Yes. The hardest leg to change is Cathay from NAmerica (SFO, LAX or YVR) to Hong Kong. Once I find space on the flight I need it will be relatively simple to change the other 2 legs, or so I hope.

 

  When Cathay changed my HKG-LAX return filght time drastically this trip it was very easy to change the BKK-HKG flight to better work with that new flight time. Although it was farther out in the future. On my HKG-BKK leg this time, like last, there were only about a dozen people in business class on a 777.  

[deepthroat]

I was able to finally get my flights changed (3 days prior to departure) so I'm in First Class from Seattle all the way to BKK, and no weird overnight layovers. 

 

Originally I was going SEA to LAX Wed. evening, then had a layover until 10AM Thursday morning for Cathay flight to HKG; another few hours layover and then on to BKK to arrive at midnight the 3rd day (Friday evening/Saturday morning) after leaving Seattle.

 

Now I'm on a Wed. 5:30pm flight to LAX, 10:30pm flight to HKG which arrives 2 days later (Friday) in early AMand then on to BKK to arrive 10:30AM Friday morning.

 

The route back was equally screwy - late afternoon flight from BKK, late evening flight out of HGK, arrive SFO 10:30pm, spend the night then fly home SFO to Seattle the next day. 

 

Now I'm booked on 10Am flight from HGK to SFO, and 1pm flight the same calendar day to Seattle arriving 4:30pm. Only problem is they didn't have an AM flight to get me to HGK, so I'm going in a day early (arriving at noon) so I  can spend the day and an evening in HKG, which I've always wanted to do. Oh, and I had to downgrade to Business to find space on the Cathay flight.

 

I'm confident if I try again closer to the return date I can get it all tightened up to avoid the HGK overnight if I chose to, and probably back into First Class as well. Lastly, there are earlier flights SFO to SEA but right now they only have coach, I'm pretty confident I can get that changed to First and arrive home closer to 1pm rather than 4:30. 

 

Overall, I'm pleased. But I think I will try to change the Cathay flight back to First Class, and try to get an earlier first class Alaska flight out of SFO to get home.

 

One thing I noticed is that I had to talk to 2 or 3 different customer service people to find one that could actually see the flights I ended up on. One would tell me "nothing available", then calling back an hour later the next would find availability. I think part of it was the way they searched the Alaska/Cathay system. If they took the lazy route that most of them apparently did, they would just look for "BKK TO SEA" and not look for the hard leg first (HGK to SFO or LAX or YVR) and then put the rest of the pieces together. The only success I finally had was always when the agent would check only for the hard leg first.

[deepthroat]

P.S. to Mr. xzzyzzcc - the number within Thailand to call Alaska Air for award changes is:

 

001-800-252-75200  (yes, 5 digits at the end - I had them repeat it 3 times to make sure i had it right).

[xyzzy]

P.S. to Mr. xzzyzzcc - the number within Thailand to call Alaska Air for award changes is:

 

001-800-252-75200  (yes, 5 digits at the end - I had them repeat it 3 times to make sure i had it right).

 

Thanks and congrats on your flights. Changing my return will probably hose my domestic flight. But since it's on Southwest I do have some flexability.

 

I didn't even know they had first class HKG-BKK. Most of those are two class flights. Cool...

[duke007]

Just out of curiousity has anyone flown with Cathay Pacific cattle class on their 777-300ER's and if so how are their seats?, 

 

I am two minds whether to book with Cathay in the next couple of days as they have a good offer on until the 28th Feb on their Flights from Manchester(UK) to Manila via Hong Kong for £514 (going in June)

 

The problem is that the Flights are 12 hours long direct to Hong Kong and 13 hours direct back to Manchester, (the two HKG=MNL-HGK legs are 2 hour 15 minutes each which is nothing) and Ive read reviews that the Cathay seats are shell bucket seats with no recline and pretty hard, this wouldnt be good with long-haul flights imho, however I have heard that the 777-300ER's on this route are only 1-2 years old

 

Any help would be appreciated

[SiamSam]

Have a great trip DT. 

[xyzzy]

Duke007 I'm under the impression that the shell seats will recline but just within the shell. This keeps anyone else from reclining into your space and limits rangle of motion. It also prevents, in the unlikely event it happens these days, that if you had an empty row to yourself you would not be able to lay down in the whole row. because of the shells. Seatguru.com com says "Seats are designed with their own shell and slide forward instead of reclining into the seat behind". The seats appear to have the same recline as United 777s. But You might want to do a bit more research to verify. I just looked at couple of examples.

[xyzzy]

Here is a link to reviews of the seat. It seems opinions vary wildly on the concept.

 

http://www.airlinequality.com/Product/Yseat-CX.htm

[Hefe]

DT, you will love First Class on Cathay, a real experience.... plus their business class lounges in HKG are very nice with showers & a noodle bar & espresso bar, etc... Not sure if there is a step up to a First class lounge as well.

 

HKG is definitely worth a look if you have never been there, especially if like me, you have seen it in movies for years. I would suggest pick one or 2 things/places to explore rather than trying to see as much as possible. Very easy to spend $$$ very quickly there, which is one reason why i mentioned the nosh at Cathay's lounges, but the city does have amazing food & it may be worth it to research for a great cheap resto or food stand.

 

Could also read The World of Suzy Wong on the flight over...a good read btw

[pdogg]

 

One thing I noticed is that I had to talk to 2 or 3 different customer service people to find one that could actually see the flights I ended up on. One would tell me "nothing available", then calling back an hour later the next would find availability. I think part of it was the way they searched the Alaska/Cathay system. If they took the lazy route that most of them apparently did, they would just look for "BKK TO SEA" and not look for the hard leg first (HGK to SFO or LAX or YVR) and then put the rest of the pieces together. The only success I finally had was always when the agent would check only for the hard leg first.

 

My experience is mostly with United in the days when they had a crappy webiste.  The new website, Continental's old site is actually quite good.

 

Identify the toughest leg and if speaking to a Rep just say you are looking for that leg.

 

And I would suggest specific partner flights that I found on StarAlliance.com.

 

But now on the United/Continental website I can do all the legwork myself though for a really complicated flight plan a phone rep might have to make the actual booking but I've already found all the individual pieces of the puzzle.

[SiamSam]

My experience is mostly with United in the days when they had a crappy webiste.  The new website, Continental's old site is actually quite good.

 

Identify the toughest leg and if speaking to a Rep just say you are looking for that leg.

 

And I would suggest specific partner flights that I found on StarAlliance.com.

 

But now on the United/Continental website I can do all the legwork myself though for a really complicated flight plan a phone rep might have to make the actual booking but I've already found all the individual pieces of the puzzle.

 

Often it is not that the agent is necessarily lazy. It has more to due with inexperience. I have dealt with agents who knew very little and it took them an enormous amount of time to execute the simplest of tasks. Often times I knew infinitely more than they did. Other times I've dealt with agents who were brilliant and knew how to competently sleuth the system and find incredible connections, lay-overs, deals, et cetera. As in any other business, experience counts and it's the luck of the draw when you call an airline booking agent. 

 

Another hint is to access cheap flight sites and they will show your routing that airlines themselves have not figured out. Once you find the routing you like then call the airline and dictate the flight numbers and schedule to them. Most times you will get the same price that was quoted by the cheap flight entity. 

[duke007]

Thanx Jay

[deepthroat]

Thanks guys. Hefe - yes, the Biz Class lounges (The Pier and The Wing) are both amazing in HGK International. And yes, they do have an exclusive First Class portion that I've never been in, so it should really be an experience!

 

Jay - I misspoke - HGK to BKK and vice-versa is business class as they only have Biz and Economy. 

[xyzzy]

Yes the Cathay business class lounge at HKG is a wonderful thing. I probably gain 1kg before I even get to Thailand.

[sustra2]

for those living in italy Cathay ( nobody knows it ) offers a free transfer from every city in north and south italy by train and then by car with driver to milan or rome Airport. 

good to know if going to philippines.