Is it the current economic crisis getting airlines to go the extra mile or is this typical of Dragonair and I’ve just never noticed?
I just arrived in Taipei from Shanghai via Hong Kong, to surprise my father flying in separately from Los Angeles for his birthday. The first leg of my trip from PVG to HKG on Dragonair flight KA805 and–I might just be crazy here–it was really and unexpectedly quite…well, “pleasant.”
Uh, what the hell does that mean?
To be honest, I don’t quite know how to explain this feeling but I know it is motivating me to write about it. See, I’ve probably flown more than the average person. I’ve been on a good many different airlines and flown a good many routes. However, I have to say that I very rarely bother to remember each experience. Even when the experience is bad, I cant be bothered to remember the airline and thus hold a grudge against them. The only bad experience poignant enough for me to immediately recall involved notorious China Eastern. The flight was repeatedly delayed, without explanation, and when the proletariat started complaining, they conned us into boarding a bus “to a hotel,” effectively abducting us, and then drove us around the Shanghai countryside in circles, for hours. Why? So we could not complain or embarrass them at the airport.
Bastards.
Other than that, I don’t really find my flights to be either memorably wonderful or unacceptably atrocious. In general, I just worry about getting to the airport on time, board, eat the extra meal they foist on me during non-meal times, pat my tummy, land, and that’s about it. As long as I find myself at my destination instead of some island with secret hatches and polar bears, I’m a pretty laid-back happy camper.
So what was it about Dragonair this time?
First, you know how there’s usually a row of flight attendants standing by the door into the cabin when you board, who will greet you, maybe check your ticket, and direct you towards your seat? Yeah, they were there, but…they were extra friendly and extra smiley today. Extra.
Second, after take-off, they handed out a menu explaining what in-flight meal would be and what options I had. A freaking menu. When did airlines start spending money killing trees just to tell you what mass-produced and prepared airline food they’re going to serve you?
Third, the menu included Häagen-Dazs. The part of me that has lived in China long enough to think of Häagen-Dazs as an exorbitant splurge reserved for impressing Chinese dates thought this was mind-blowingly and exorbtantly generous of Dragonair. It was coffee flavored, and delicious.
And…yeah, that was pretty much it. Yes, I understand, you probably haven’t the foggiest idea what I’m going on about being so particularly impressed or pleased, but that is how I felt. Moreover, the second leg from HKG to TPE on Cathay Pacific only reinforced my surprising pleasure with Dragonair. There were no menus, no Häagen-Dazs, and the Cathay Pacific flight attendants? Well, they greeted and they welcomed but, you know what, they just weren’t as…smiley.
Have you had any unexpectedly “pleasant” flying experiences lately?
I actually flew from PVG to HKG less than 2 weeks ago and I was surpised that I got Häagen-Dazs too. It was my first time that I flew DragonAir so I can’t compare how good it is. I did recall that I flew China Eastern from PVG to HKG and I don’t recall that I got a meal on the plane so having a meal in DragonAir is considered a bonus. I think I paid about $210 US RT for PVG HKG trip so it is not so bad. One thing I do want to complain about is about the long checkin line as it took me almost an hour to check in. I think there are some people who missed their flight because of the long checkin line. Frotunately for me, I got into the airport 2 hours before the flight leaves.
Haha! Haagen-Dazs was never anything special before I lived in China, but now when I see it in the US supermarket it seems weird to have constant access to such a luxury product.
I think DragonAir can buy Häagen-Daz ice cream by the bulk and get a discount, and probably paid less than 2 RMB for each 3 oz cup of ice cream. Who knows, maybe Häagen-Daz wants to promote their product in China or HK and what better way to promote their product than by offering it to each customer in a plane flight?
Maybe it is just me, but when I flew DragonAir and Cathay recently, I didn’t notice the smiling flight attendants. I actually thought Cathay Pacific was better because it have pretty good StudioCX entertainment system in its 777 plane. In my DragonAir flight I was in a A330 with a crappy entertainment system. However, I have to say that the flight experience in both airlines is much much better than any American flights that I flew recently, even Jetblue.
@ Meg:
LoL, you’re right. However, we do have constant access to it in China (I think a lot of supermarkets and convenience stores carry it), its just that it isn’t really worth it when compared to the cheaper alternatives here. To be honest, I’d choose Dreyer’s/Eddy’s over Haagen Dasz most of the time.
@ pug_ster:
LoL yeah, the Haagen Dazs was a nice touch and while its surely more expensive than cheaper options, it still probably costs very little compared what we’d pay retail. It could definitely be a promotional gimmick, especially since they handed out a menu that also explicitly highlighted that one of the main course offerings was inspired by some Shanghai restaurant whose name I’ve already forgotten (it wasn’t that good).
You’re right about the in-flight entertainment. I had 40 some channels an a personal seat-back screen on Cathay Pacific while everyone shared a single channel and screen on DragonAir. However, I spent most of my time reading the free Sunday Morning Post and the International Herald Tribune I grabbed entering the cabin, except when I noticed an episode of Friends. Maybe the Friends episode made me laugh so much that it influenced how I felt about everything else on DragonAir? It was the episode where Chandler moves in, tries to do a nice thing by cleaning up, and risks the wrath of Monica. Heh.
In Indonesia Häagen-Daz ice cream is considered a luxury item here, and poor me I’m having trouble to get the ice cream even when I go to the biggest Supermarket in my local town…
I must fly to the Capital of Indonesia (Jakarta) to have one using Indonesian Domestic airline that’s about 100U$, so you can imagine the cost of getting such delicious item :)
Authentic Chinese Recipes / Cuisines:
LoL, poor Jaundy. I think we need to airdrop some Haagen Dazs into her part of Indonesia!
Dragonair is ranked Best Regional Airline – SE Asia by Skytrax Survey and actually owned by Cathay Pacific. Also according to Skytrax Survey, the world’s top airlines (5-stars) include Asiana Airlines (which I fly pretty frequently), Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and a few others.
I remember I got Haagen Dazs as well on either ANA or Korean Airlines. A small cup with Vanilla flavor. Nevertheless, a very nice gesture from the airline.
Well, I’m actually proud to hear something nice about Dragonair, since it’s a Hong Kong-based airlines and I’m from Hong Kong after all. But the services you mentioned aren’t quite that unique if you have flown with Singapore Airlines before. The meal menu is pretty standard and ice-cream is usually a part of the meal (okay, maybe not Häagen-Dazs, but you get the idea). Nonetheless, it’s nice to know Dragonair is actually paying attention to customer services and being competitive with Singapore Airlines, since Singapore Airlines is well known for its customer services in the industry.
Yes, I’ve heard the raves about Singapore Airlines, amongst other things Singapore-related. Experiencing a flight with them is definitely on my to-do list.
By the way, the return flight with Dragonair from HKG to PVG wasn’t nearly as nice, probably because it was a Cathay Pacific plane handling the code-share flight. No Häagen-Dazs this time, boo.
I flew on Dragon Air once, in 2003 I think. Don’t recall being too fuzzy about it. I might have think of it differently if they had given me Häagen-Dazs though. The coffee/vanilla covered w/ almond ones are the best!
Kai, good to see you have you own post. I had read your comments on ChinaSmack, and had made so many plus marks, that I consistantly max out on permitted number of votes :)
Go Cal!
LoL, Go Bears!
Thanks for the compliment. BTW, aren’t you only able to do one plus mark per comment on chinaSMACK? Is there a way to actually “max out?”
Yeah, it’s one check per comment, but think there is a set number per post. Haven’t figure out exactly how many just yet (15-20 maybe), I will try to count next time if I see you there :)
Really? I never knew that, but then again, I rarely vote unless it is obvious spam or something completely (and usually stupidly) hilarious.
Glad I found this site, I love your comments, very witty! I’m coming to Shanghai in two weeks… I’ve heard it’s cheaper to book domestic flights when we get there. Any tips? Am staying on Pudong side, are there any good travel agents near the Oriental Riverside hotel?
Flying Shanghai to Beijing, then Beijing to Shenzhen/Hong Kong, it’s a toss up between cost and convenience.
Thanks!
Hey siantzi, thanks for the compliment! Yes, it is often cheaper booking domestic flights once you get here but you can always try CTrip or eLong for airfare booking as well, even when abroad. Sometimes there are cheaper flights for Chinese people on the Chinese version of those websites though. Your hotel should either have a travel agent who can help you or can refer you to nearby travel agents. I wish I could give you an idea on airline prices but these things change by the day and with demand so there’s no way for me to give you a good ballpark figure to guide you. Your itinerary sounds like a lot of one-way trips though!