Round The World and other travel

Flight Log 6: OZ722

Hong Kong (HKG) - Seoul Incheon (ICN)

Once boarding had been completed it became clear that there were to be a mere 8 (out of a possible 30) passengers in the Business Class cabin, and for some reason these were concentrated towards the rear. The cabin itself had a light, airy and modern feel, with five rows of seats that converted to angled, lie-flat beds. These were arranged in a 2+2+2 layout, with the middle pairs offset from those at the side. A selection of pre-departure drinks was offered, consisting of water, various juices and champagne; we had the bubbly. Arrival forms were distributed at the gate and there was also a round of hot towels prior to departure. On what was basically a short-haul Business Class flight, the provision of slippers was an unexpected additional touch of luxury.

We pushed back just ahead of schedule and left Chek Lap Kok behind at 1332 local time. The take-off run seemed surprisingly long considering how light we appeared to be based on passenger loading and sector length, but of course I had no idea how much cargo we might be carrying. I advanced my watch by an hour to match the time zone of our destination. The cabin crew handed out copies of the menu and wine list once they had been released from their seats. Not for the first time, I had to pinch myself to ensure that I wasn't dreaming: on a flight covering the same distance as London-Malta, the catering was as follows:

WESTERN MENU	WINE LIST
Starters	Champagne
Grilled shrimp with herb couscous salad and Harissa sauce	Cattier Brut
Mixed greens with mustard cream dressing
	White wines
Main courses	Rully 2010, Burgundy, France
Beef tenderloin steak served with port wine sauce,	Villa Huesgen Riesling Kabinett 2010, Mosel, Germany
cauliflower, red onion and potato
Grilled Chicken Breast served with tomato sauce,	Red wines
vegetables and linguine	Chateau Puygueraud 2007, Bordeaux - Côtes de Francs,
	France
Cheese	Hahn Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, California, USA
Brie, Danish Blue, Cheddar	Artesa Pinot Noir 2009, California, USA

Dessert	Port
Lemon Meringue Tart	Sandeman 20-year-old Tawny Port, Porto, Portugal
Coffee and tea with petit fours
	Dessert wine
	Sawmill Creek Vidal Ice Wine 2008, Niagara, Canada
KOREAN MENU		LEFT: An impressive-looking menu and wine list for a short-haul Business Class flight!
Starters
Chestnut and Jujube

Main course
'Mixed and Harmonizing' - a famous Korean-Cuisine
'Bibimbap': Steamed rice, various vegetables and minced
beef mixed with red pepper paste 'Gochujang', sesame oil,
stewed seafoods, assorted side dishes and soup

Dessert
Fresh fruit
Coffee and tea
Korean traditional cookies

I decided to order the western meal with the steak option for my main course. The meal trays were presented with the prawn starter and salad already present, and the usual selection of bread was offered. The main course was placed onto the tray and, in a similar manner to the first-class service to which I was by now becoming thoroughly accustomed , a choice of condiments was offered. The cheese and dessert plates were served directly on the tablecloth. I went for the full-on experience and enjoyed a small glass of matching wine with each of the courses. I finished off with a cup of my favourite Earl Grey tea, together with a few Korean cookies donated from Bruce's Korean meal. A round of hot towels brought to an end another superb mid-air feast that had been marked by both excellent food and incredibly attentive service.

I read for a little while during what was left of the flight. A final selection of fruit juices was served prior to landing at Seoul Incheon at 1740 local time. As we taxied towards the terminal, I found myself making comparisons with the Singapore Airlines SIN-ICN flight that I had taken some six months previously, even though the Asiana flight from Hong Kong had covered less than half that distance. Both flights had been on quiet and modern A330-300 aircraft with lightly-loaded Business Class cabins, and both had offered outstanding catering coupled with exemplary service that had exceeded the first class offering of many carriers.

More than anything, though, this latest flight demonstrated again why flying around Asia can be an infinitely superior experience compared to an equivalent journey in any other continent of the world.