Inflight Review : Hong Kong Airlines

Inflight Review by : Gan Yung Chyan
                              / KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone

Airline : Hong Kong Airlines marks 10 years of safety flights in June 2016 but it was formed as early as 28 March 2001 as CR Airways. CR Airways changed its name to Hong Kong Airlines on 27 June 2006 after the holdings of the airline were transferred to Grand China Air, a new holding company of Hainan Airlines. 

Hong Kong Airlines is a full-service airline offering discounted prices on its routes but it is not absolutely low-cost. It depends on the route sector one has chosen to fly. It used to operate passenger flights from Hong Kong to Singapore but insufficient marketing of its service and image to Singaporeans leads to flight cancellation. Nowadays it only operates cargo flights to Singapore using its A330-200F aircraft.

Livery : On the airline livery, the prefix "Hong" is immediately in front of "Kong" without a space in between. The press is used to spell it as Hong Kong Airlines. Until the world is used to spell the city as "Hongkong", the livery should have stated it as HONG KONG AIRLINES so that the airline identity can be easily deciphered. The details of the airline's bauhinia logo on the aircraft body are not clear enough to be noticed.***

 

Routes : Using its fleet of 8 A330-300, 9 A330-200 and 11 A320 passenger aircraft, Hong Kong Airlines operates short-haul, regional routes to China, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and long-haul routes to Cairns, Gold Coast and from 10 November 2016 to Auckland and from December 2016 to Colombo. In this review, the routes are from Hong Kong to Sanya and Haikou to Hong Kong operated by A320 aircraft.*****

Aircraft : The A320 seat legroom is not spacious. Inflight entertainment is available but limited. ***.

Baggage Requirements : Standard requirement. A carry-on baggage measuring 115 cm in total is accepted. *****

Safety Demonstrations : Adequate.  *****

Inflight Service / Entertainment / Onboard Meals and Refreshments : The crew provide very good service for a budget flight. Free fruit juice and bread on the flights to Haikou and Sanya. No full meals. No inflight menu on short-haul routes unlike HK Express.*** 

Postcard / Stationery : None. You can write on the barf bags.*** 

Inflight Magazine  : Complimentary Inflight magazine Aspire is in excellent condition on the Sanya flight but it is in good condition on the Haikou flight. You can take home a hardcopy. It is available on ground in the Bangkok and Hong Kong offices of the airline.*****

Sky Shop : Not Available on the routes to Sanya and Haikou.**

Surcharges :  No. *****

Bookings : The Sanya and Haikou fares of Hong Kong Airlines are extremely low. If you want to avoid paying too high a fare on Jetstar Asia's return flight to Sanya, it is recommended to fly with Tigerair to Hong Kong and from Hong Kong board Hong Kong Airlines' frequent weekly flight to Sanya. It costs me less than 80 Singapore Dollars including taxes to board the one-way Hong Kong-Sanya flight and estimated 60 Singapore Dollars for a Hong Kong Airlines flight to Hong Kong from Haikou. Hong Kong Airlines' special prices can be purchased on-line, at all Hong Kong Airlines' offices, agents and external Chinese air ticketing web-sites like Ctrip. On-line tickets in English bear the IATA logo. Passengers who are Fortune Wings Club members can request Hong Kong Airlines for mileage to be accumulated. *****

Check-In and Departures : Check-in online or at the relevant airports two to three hours before departures. Flights may not depart on time. Hong Kong Airlines' Sanya flight is the most memorable one as it flies over the picturesque Sanya Bay.****

Ground service in  response  to passengers' requests and enquiries : Good.***

Overall Impression :  Hong Kong Airlines needs to improve its public service image. Many call it the "Hainan Airlines of Hong Kong". The tail livery should consider indicating the airline's bauhinia logo. Hong Kong Airlines is a three-star airline.***

** Poor / two-star
*** Good / three-star
***** Very good / five-star
****** Excellent / six-star (the highest category)