Life can be a bit upside down at times 😎
Welcome to my Posting page
😊 ✍️ This where I will posting my thoughts, and adventures 🥾 🥾
August 2027, have just returned from my 25 day vacation in Hong Kong. If you have ever been to Hong Kong.
I wonder if you found everything you expected? Happy? Disappointed? Amazed? In Awe?
London Gatwick via Beijing to Hong Kong
I left UK on 24th July, flying from LGW (Gatwick) to Hong Kong via Beijing (China)arriving into Hong Kong on Saturday 25th July
I booked through Air China for 2 main reasons, Cost of flight and no charge for seat reservations. Yes of course it means you go via their hub in Beijing, but I feel that is a small inconvenience against the savings in cost.
We flew from Gatwick South Terminal, I was dropped off by my brother John, so no worries with airport car parking. One thing I really like about Air China is you can check in before the “3 hour window” that many airlines insist on. I arrived at around 3:45pm for a 8:15pm flight, there were no queues, just a couple of people in front of me with 2 check-in desks open. I was checked in, bag sent on the moving belt and that was it. Going through security was an absolute breeze, nothing taken out of my rucksack (Drone, batteries, controller cables, GoPro, batteries, cables, MacBook, cables, liquids etc) or my shoulder bag (monies and passport/paperwork, phone, and powerbank charger) Their scanning machines are very modern and therefore no holdups. And that was it!
One thing UK airports do let themselves down is the numbers of seating available and the type of seats, PLUS the lack of charging points for devices. (I know not everyone has devices, but in this modern age, the lack of charging available is noticeable by the people standing waiting for a charging point to be come available.
Food at Gatwick was good with multiple outlets serving a variety of foods from home and around the world. I could have paid to go into the lounge but I was happy in the main terminal area, and found charging points in one of the food outlets.
The gate was called an hour before departure, and I made my way there. Boarding was good with no stampede to a place in the queue, I was in Seat 52A, a window seat, and had a lady and friend next to me.
The flight was scheduled at 20:15, Air China CA852 Airbus A350/900, we lifted off just after 8:35pm
The staff and the flight, food and service was very good, BUT, sadly my entertainment screen did not work (assume that the seat was either empty on the flight out, arrived 6 hours earlier, or a passenger had not notified the staff) the flight was full so there wasn’t an opportunity to move. In any case I had my MacBook which I did some work on, and I slept for 6 of the 10 hours.
I had Chicken veggies and noodles shortly after takeoff and awoke for breakfast of Omelette Sausage, potato and veggies. The quality and standard of the meals was excellent.
Touchdown into Beijing was smooth and uneventful, departing the aircraft and making our way to “Transit” has been in the past a little fraught, and thistle was no exception.
There was around 150 people transiting to Hong Kong, and passing through the “passport control” an officer sat at a desk with a computer too an age, but the next process, security, was slow slow slow. All bags had to be almost emptied, so one passenger had 3 or more trays (this was same for everyone) and every time a tray went through the scanner it was manually checked and then out through again. Very frustrating.
In my case you can imagine the problems I was about to have. With all my vlogging filming and power equipment, my FOUR trays went through and each one was manually checked and put through again, My power banks were checked again and put through a third time (after checking the printed info on the power bank itself) and my drone and batteries went through 4 times (why? you may ask yourself) well it is what it is, was the same the previous year, and the previous trips before.
Moving on into the terminal, time for coffee and a croissant, and wait for the flight to Hong Kong
The Layover was 3 hours (after transit and security it was just 2 hours) and unlike some airports, the facilities were open at 2am, food drinks refreshments and the staff all very friendly and smiling.
Time passed, and here is an interesting fact. You can connect to the free airport wifi, but cannot connect to the internet (I did ask at information, but was told that it was for Chinese citizens and not for oversees transit passengers) how they make that work is beyond me. But again, it was no big deal, being without internet access is quite liberating.
So, onto the flight from Beijing down to Hong Kong, on anAirbus A330/300. Boarding was simple and without drama, I had my seat 18A in a 2-4-2 configuration, the gentleman sat next to me was of a large size and it was a bit of a squeeze, but, such is life, I managed to eat my chicken and rice (just) and the flight being 3 hours it was almost over as quickly as it started. There was no drama, I read my book, arriving into Hong Kong at around lunchtime. We had an airbridge (not always the case) and quickly arrived into the terminal. Going through security was very quick (as Hong Kong always is) Friendly polite and into Arrivals Baggage Claim. First stop was the bathroom, freshen up, shave and out to get my bag.
Again, this was a quick transit through as my bag arrived quickly (2 visits ago travelling with BA via Milan my bag did not arrive into HK-another story)
After topping up my Octopus Card and getting my mobile sim, I took the AirPort Express to Central and spend an hour by Victoria Harbour before getting the Bus to Aberdeen and my Hotel. https://southnesthk.com
And for the next 25 days I can enjoy my stay in Hong Kong. I have been coming here most years for over 40 years and I never get tired of it.
