SIN-HKG-JFK: Our Long Way Home From a Wonderful Trip

We traveled from Singapore to JFK on Cathay Pacific in Premium Economy class – this is a review of the airports, the lounges and the flights

Overview

Changi Airport

The Jewel

Lounges at Terminal 4

Cathay Pacific Premium Class

Hong Kong Airport

Cathy Pacific Pier First Class Lounge at Hong Kong Airport

Arrival JFK Airport

OVERVIEW

We had a glorious 3 days in Singapore. We loved the Andaz Singapore. This was the last leg of our month-plus trip to South East Asia, and, if you ask me, it was the perfect ending to a perfect vacation.

And then there was the long trip home. It was inevitable. All good things must end. And when you like to travel to South East Asia, it takes a long time to get there, and even longer to get home. To put it succinctly, the return trip was mainly mediocre.

Honestly, the being there part of travel is usually better than the getting there, or getting home, part. Sure sometimes we luck out, we get a nice upgraded flight, or the food and drinks are good, or we are actually able to watch a movie and/or sleep. More often, it’s mediocre food, cramped legs, and crying babies. It’s all a question of degree, and often the goal is to just get through it, if you know what I mean.

The saving grace is often the airport lounges that we go to by virtue of our credit cards or elite status.

Do you remember the Saturday Night Live sketch Father Guido Sarducci’s Five-Minute University? In those sketches Father Guido would teach everything a college grad remembers five years after graduation in five minutes. That’s sometimes how I feel about the details of a long flights, I can summarize everything I remember in about 5 minutes or less.

Flight Details

I booked the flight home from Singapore on Cathay Pacific in Premium Economy. The trip would begin with a late night flight out of Singapore, a very early morning arrival in Hong Kong, and a departure a few hours later for the long flight to JFK. The one-way price was just under $900, It was just impossible this year to find decently priced tickets (in miles or dollars) in business class. So, how bad can PE be? I’ve had some pretty decent flights in premium economy on AA or KLM, but this was pretty bad. Maybe Cathay Pacific had renovated the first class and business class sections, but the PE sections of both flights (particularly the HKG-JFK leg) were old and dismal, to say the least. And of all the meals, there was only one that was decent. But, we had a great trip and got home safe, so c’est la vie, right?

SINGAPORE CHANGI AIRPORT

The Jewel

We arrived early at Changi airport. I was so excited to show Dave the Jewel (I was there in 2019). First, we checked in at Terminal 4, and then we took a rather long bus ride to the Jewel Terminal.  He liked the beautiful fountain that is the centerpiece of the Jewel, but he was pretty bored by the rest of it. Well, thump . . .

He only wanted to find a lounge and relax. That’s my Dave.

Lounges at Terminal 4

So we ventured back to T4. I remember going to lots of impressive lounges the last time I was at this airport in 2019 (e.g., Qantas and British Air). This time the choices were slimmer.  We had access to Cathay Pacific lounges because I have Executive Platinum status on American Airlines (Emerald One World Status). The Cathay Pacific lounge is on a mezzanine level, right across from the Plaza Premium Lounge, the Blossom.

The Cathay Lounge is on the small side and didn’t offer too much, although it does have it’s signature noodle soup bar. Of course I had some of the famed Dan Dan noodles, which did not disappoint.

We took a walk around the mezzanine to check out the Blossom Lounge. Trust me, the Cathay Lounge was light years better.

FLIGHT SIN-HKG, CATHAY PACIFIC, PREMIUM ECONOMY

I don’t know how people remember every little detail from long flights. All I remember is that the red eye flight from Singapore to Hong Kong was not particularly memorable. I think I gave most of my food to Dave (but I kept the red wine in the blue paper cup for myself).

HONG KONG AIRPORT

Cathy Pacific Pier First Class Lounge at Hong Kong Airport

We arrived in Hong Kong very early in the morning. We only had a few hours. The pinnacle of the trip home was our visit to the Pier, the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge at Hong Kong Airport (although I wish I had visited later in the day when I was more awake and feeling better).

The lounge is beautiful. It is exquisite. The space is sprawling, with many different rooms for sitting and eating, as well as a formal dining room.

After about an hour, we went to the dining room for breakfast. After a short wait, we were seated.

This is the menu.

Dave had the Western breakfast. I opted for the Wonton Noodle soup, which was delicious.

FLIGHT HKG-JFK, CATHAY PACIFIC, PREMIUM ECONOMY

And then it was time for the long haul flight from HKG to JFK. The seats were uncomfortable, the upholstery was old and tattered, and my IFE did not work. Other than that . . .

Nice amenity kit.

There was a printed menu for premium economy. That’s always a nice touch.

This was the first meal on the flight, the lunch. I chose the halibut which was surprisingly good.

For the second meal, the dinner, I chose the roast chicken, which reminded me of why we used to joke and call chicken meals in cafeterias rubber chicken. It tasted as bad as it looks! Dave probably ate it.

The rest is a blur.

ARRIVAL AT JFK AIRPORT

Eventually, finally, we arrived in New York.  We were a little concerned because, due to the US government shutdown, we knew there would be no Global Entry. There was one long line, but it moved quickly, and the facial recognition biometric machines were accurate and fast.

And then we were home.

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