[Click above for the video review.]
- Flight: AA193
- Route: LAX-HKG
- Equipment: Boeing 777-300ER
- Cabin: Business Class
- Seat: 15J
Happy Friday, everyone! It’s time for another trip report. This time we flew one of American’s new routes from Los Angeles to Hong Kong in Business Class.
We were really looking forward to this flight as this was our first time flying this route with American. There was a bit of bad weather in San Francisco, so our flight to LAX was delayed for about an hour. Initially, we were worried that we would miss our connection, but thankfully we made it with about an hour and a half to spare.
Our flight from SFO arrived at the American Eagle “Eagle’s Nest” terminal at LAX and we had to take the bus to Terminal 4.
Upon arrival at Terminal 4, we went straight to the Admirals Club. This lounge is currently under renovation. A section of the lounge is finished, and I really liked the updated decor, compared to the retro-90’s look of the existing Admirals Club. The food and drink selection at the lounge is kind of blah, but it’s still better than nothing. Personally, the best thing about the Admirals Club at LAX is the sweeping views of the tarmac.
Sadly, the First Class Flagship Lounge, which First Class passengers, AA Executive Platinums and Oneworld Emeralds have access to is still under construction and the temporary space they are using is quite sad. We went into the Flagship Lounge for a few minutes, but sadly they were closing and everyone had to leave the First Class section. Thankfully the Admirals Club was still open, and we could wait there.
About 45 minutes before departure, the lounge attendant announced that our flight was ready to board. We soon made our way to gate 43, which is just right next to the lounge.
We went to the Priority Lane and were promptly helped by a gate agent. Passports checked, and boarding passes scanned, we walked through the long jetway and were greeted at the plane door by the purser.
We boarded through door 2L and were instructed to cross the galley and turn right into the main business class cabin. I’ve already reviewed AA’s business class seats on their 777-300ER in the past here, here, and here, so I won’t go over them again.
I was sitting in 15J, which is the last window business class seat on the starboard side of the plane. I was sad to see that the seat only had one window, but I’ll take that over a middle seat any day.
Waiting at my seat were the bedding, amenity kit, slippers, Bose Noise Canceling headphones, and a bottled water.
After getting settled, Scott, the flight attendant working our aisle came by to offer us a pre-departure drink. I opted for a mimosa. Another flight attendant also distributed the dining menus. Right after boarding, Scott came back to offer news papers (which I politely declined), and another time to offer PAJAMAS – Score!
A few moments later, boarding was complete and the captain came on the PA to announce our departure and our flight time of 14 hours and 40 minutes to Hong Kong.
We soon pushed back from the gate and the safety video started playing. Scott came by to take my drink order and to confirm my pre-ordered meal.
It was a rather long taxi to the end of the runway, and we had to wait a few minutes for the weather to clear up since it was raining. Eventually, we were cleared for takeoff and we had a power takeoff roll down the runway. It was a little choppy as we climbed up, but things got smoother after we flew above the clouds.
20 minutes after takeoff, the Captain switched off the seatbelt sign. The crew then commenced their supper service for our late night (or early morning depending on how you look at it) flight. I also took advantage of the in-flight WIFI offered by American, which costs $19.00 for the entire flight – not bad for a 15 hour long haul!
The service started with a hot towel.
Followed by some champagne and warm nuts.
Since this was a supper service, the entire meal except for dessert was served in one tray. The tray consisted of a chili-seared shrimp amuse bouche, bread service, caesar salad, and the main entrée, in which I pre-ordered the seared beef filet. The shrimp appetizer was served cold, and it was flavorful. The caesar salad looked a little unappetizing, but it was OK. The main entrée on the other hand was delicious! It was cooked to a perfect medium, and was very tender.
After I was done, my tray was cleared right away, and I ordered some ice cream and Baileys on the rocks for dessert.
The entire meal service took about 1 hour and 30 minutes, which is was OK since this was a long flight.
After the meal, I visited the lavatory to change into my pajamas and freshen up. The starboard side lavatory in front of the main business cabin near the galley is the biggest one on the plane, so use that one if you plan to change in and out of the pajamas. The lavatory was pretty basic, but there was plenty of room to move around in. The lavatory was supplied with a 3LAB hand lotion.
Upon returning to me seat, the cabins lights were already dimmed and the mood lighting was in full effect. I made my bed with the supplied mattress pad, duvet and pillow. The mattress pad really made things more comfortable, and I was glad that the crew kept the cabin cool which made it more conducive to sleep.
I slept for about 5 hours and woke up feeling peckish. Within a few minutes, I saw Scott walking down the aisle, and I asked if I could order a mid-flight snack. I have to say that the service on this flight was very attentive and professional. It seemed like every 10 minutes, a flight attendant was walking the aisle to see if anyone needed anything. Anyway, I ordered the wagyu sliders and a diet coke, and Scott brought them to me with a smile.
The sliders came with condiments and some chips. The sliders were delicious and very filling.
After the meal, my tray was promptly cleared. Scott asked if I wanted anything else, but I told him that I would pay a visit to the walk-up snackbar instead. The bar had some fruits, chips, and some sweets on display. I picked up a bag of popcorn and some nuts to bring back to my seat.
I decided to flip through the IFE content. There were plenty of movies, TV programs, music, and games to keep you busy during the long flight. I decided to watch some live TV and catch up on CNN.
I must have snoozed in and out the next few hours, and before I knew it, the cabin lights were turned on and it was time to eat – again!
The pre-landing meal service started with a glass of mango smoothie, which was refreshing. We encountered a bit of turbulence, hence the messy smoothie glass.
Next up was the breakfast service. There was a choice of a continental breakfast, which consisted of a bowl of fruits, yogurt, and granola or the hot breakfast, which was scrambled eggs. I ordered the scrambled eggs with some coffee. Scott said since I was in the last row, I get to have both options! Sweet!
This was obviously too much for me to finish in just one sitting, so I just ate a little bit of everything on my tray. The fruits were fresh, and the scrambled eggs was still moist and fluffy considering we’ve been in the air for the last 12 hours.
After the meal service, my tray was promptly cleared and the Captain soon announced our initial descent into Hong Kong and asked the cabin crew to prepare for our arrival in Hong Kong. The crew passed through the aisles with landing cards for Hong Kong.
I went to the one of the smaller lavatories to change back into my street clothes and freshen up. I went back to my seat, just as the captain switched on the seatbelt sign.
Scott came through the cabin to take away any last-minute service items and thanked everyone for flying American.
It was a cloudy day in Hong Kong, but we still got some good visibility during our descent. We hit a few minor chops on the way down, and had a very firm landing in Hong Kong.
We taxied for a few minutes, and eventually parked right next to a Cathay Pacific A330. We soon bid farewell to the crew and deplaned. It was a long walk and a train ride to immigration and customs, but thanks to eChannel, we were through in no time.
I was very much impressed with the service on this flight. The crew was attentive and professional, yet casual. Our flight attendant Scott really loved what he was doing and it showed with the level of service he provided to passengers. Service was done with a smile, and we were addressed by name throughout the flight. In between meal services, the flight attendants were proactively going down the aisles to check if passengers needed anything. Add that to the already excellent reverse herringbone seats, amenities, and pajamas, and you got a winning flight! The catering on this flight was also very good. The meals were well presented, and the food quality was very good. I just wished that the meal service wasn’t abbreviated, but I guess that’s understandable considering the flight departed around 2:00AM, and they probably wanted people to maximize on sleep. An overall excellent flight 9 out of 10.
TravelingFoody.com 