Trip report CX/VN: AMS - HKG - HAN - HKG - AMS

Business trip to Hanoi. Business class on Cathay Pacific between Amsterdam
and Hong Kong, and on Vietnam Airlines (who code-share with CX ) between
Hong Kong and Hanoi.

Wednesday 24 September 2003, CX 270 Amsterdam - Hong Kong
Scheduled 14:05 - 07:50*, Actual 14:30 - 07:50*
Airbus 340-300

Train to Schiphol, pick up my ticket and proceed to check-in where I arrive
around noon. Many people at economy class check-in, when I go to business
class, a guy who is the queue manager asks to see my ticket and takes a long
time studying it. I am travelling in "I" class which apparently is
discounted C class on CX. A supervisor takes my ticket, and apologizes to
me. Check-in is quick and efficient.

Passport control and security is quick and efficient and together takes no
more than 2 minutes. Buy some chocolate and stroopwafels for my friend and
colleagues in Hanoi, and go to the lounge. Have a few drinks and proceed to
the gate.

Boarding is on-time, and I find myself in seat 15 H which is the first row
of the second section of business class. Seat next to me remains empty. Long
taxi to the new runway and a short wait for take-off in a NW direction. Slow
climb towards IJmuiden, right turn North of Zaandam towards Lelystad, and
further NE across Friesland where a cloud layer blocks the view.

Pilot and co-pilot have - I believe - Canadian accents.

Lunch is:
- Seasonal salad with Italian dressing
- Crab meat on herb marinated beans with rosemary sauce
- choice of chicken breast, salmon fillet, pork ribs or penne with spicy
sauce and mozzarella. I go for the penne that are indeed spicy, yummy. The
garlic bread is great as always on CX.
- choice of cheese board, fresh fruits. (I have the fruit)
- Quark cheesecake
- coffee or tea.

No interesting movies (the choice seems to be Hollywood action or science
fiction, or Chinese fighting movies) so I read some articles and books about
Vietnam.

Off-topic: While reading about the history of Vietnam, it strikes me how
many similarities there are between the 1960's - 1970's US war against
Vietnam and the current war against Iraq. (politicians lying to the public,
more and more troups and money being poured in, unbridled optimism about a
quick victory, etc., etc.) Of course, there are differences also, but it
should be compulsory for every policy-maker in the US now to (re-)read the
history of the US - Vietnam war.

Sleep for a few hours and arrive in Hong Kong on-time, landing from the
East.

At HKG, go upstairs to departures and take a train to the departure gate.


Thursday 25 September 2003, CX 793 / VN 793 Hong Kong - Hanoi (operated by
Vietnam Airlines)
Scheduled 09:00 - 10:00, actual 09:10 - 09:40
Airbus 320-214R

Boarding is quick and efficient and there are just a few people in C class.
I am in seat 1F. (window)

Brunch is served and I have noodles with shrimps and a spicy sauce, and nice
rich yoghurt with very good strawberries and kiwi, and a coffee.

Nice views on approach to Hanoi. Landing is early, I am the first at health
(temperature) check, immigration and customs, I change some euros for dong,
and I am in the taxi at 09:55. The entire process is very efficient and a
big change from my trip to Ho Chi Minh City in 2000.


Friday 03 October 2003, CX 792 / VN 792 Hanoi - Hong Kong (operated by
Vietnam Airlines)
Scheduled 19:10 - 22:00, actual 19:20 - 21:37
Airbus 320-214R

We arrive at Noi Bai airport (about 45 minutes by taxi from downtown Hanoi)
around 17:30. When the taxi stops in front of the terminal, we are the only
people there! No other cars, buses, people, the place looks deserted. Inside
the terminal we find out that just a few international flights are leaving
this evening, after our flight to HKG the next one leaving will be the TG
flight to BKK at 20:45.

Check in is quick and efficient, we pay our USD 14 airport tax, passport
control is quick and so is security. In the lounge at 17:50 and I ask for
wodka and orange which it seems nobody has ever ordered before. Free use of
Internet in the VN/CX lounge.

Hanoi has a brand new international terminal which has, how shall we say
this, room for growth. I look around and go upstairs where there is a HUGE
empty area. In a corner there is a tiny bar/restaurant and that's it.
Downstairs are a few lounges (one for VN/CX, one for EVA Air, and it seems
that most of the other airlines flying to HAN are sharing the third one).
There are also 5 duty free shops with absolutely no customers, which isn't
strange when a carton of cigarettes can be had for 110,000 dong (around 7
USD) in Hanoi and they ask 10 USD at duty free.

3 people in C class only. Same meal as on the way in, I have a white wine
which is nice and my colleague has the red one which he says is excellent.
Quick flight to HKG and smooth landing from the East.


Saturday 4 October 2003, CX 271 Hong Kong - Amsterdam
Scheduled 00:05 - 06:40, actual 00:15 - 06:21
Airbus 340-300

On our way to the departure level we have our temperature checked again. Go
to The Wing, the CX business and first class lounges close to gates 1 to 4.
Busy at the lounge as flights to Europe all leave HKG around the same time.
I love the Long Bar which is really long. Service is extremely friendly and
we have a couple of drinks.

Flight is quite full and I am next to a Dutch lady who is returning from New
Zealand where she visited her daughter for the daughter's 65th birthday. I
ask how "young" she is and she says 85. She tells me her husband is 95 and
doesn't want to travel "too far" anymore.......

Fall asleep 10 minutes after take off and wake up not far from Moscow. 8
hours of sleep, not bad.
Breakfast is OK (fruit, yoghurt, juice, tea, croissants) and soon we land at
the Kaagbaan. At the gate around 06:30, and in the train at exactly 07:00.

Sjoerd

 > - Quark cheesecake

Is that Quark from Star Trek ?

 >
 > Off-topic: While reading about the history of Vietnam, it strikes me how
 > many similarities there are between the 1960's - 1970's US war against
 > Vietnam and the current war against Iraq. (politicians lying to the
public,
 > more and more troups and money being poured in, unbridled optimism about a
 > quick victory, etc., etc.) Of course, there are differences also, but it
 > should be compulsory for every policy-maker in the US now to (re-)read the
 > history of the US - Vietnam war.
 >

And it should have been compulsory for every tech stock trader in the last
few years to have studied the history of the dutch tulip market.