Around the world in 8 days

I took an around-the-world trip in 7½ days flying first class on Qantas, American Airlines and Cathay Pacific, Nov. 6-14, ’04. I used One World’s ’round-the-world fare. The ticket cost $9,100. I paid full price — no breaks. The fare was deeply discounted from the price I would have paid buying point-to-point first-class segments.

This was my fifth time using this type of ticket. Most of the major alliances join on these fares, which usually allow the traveler up to a year to complete the journey. Pricing varies from airline to airline; some use mileage for pricing (Star Alliance) and others use number of continents (One World, as an example).

This was supposed to be a 19-day trip, with several business stops plus 10 days of bicycling, but it was cut short by a personal emergency back home and ended up being a whirlwind of a trip — 7½ days, or 186 hours, much of which (83 hours’ worth of the journey) was spent in airplanes and airports.

I was thoroughly impressed by American Airlines’ performance on their flagship 777 from London to Chicago. The food was spectacular, the cabin staff thoroughly congenial and the seating configuration the best of the entire journey. AA held its own against the very best on this leg.

I had two Cathay Pacific first-class legs: Los Angeles-Hong Kong and Hong Kong-Bangkok. On a previous ’round-the-world first-class trip, Cathay was the blue-ribbon winner. This time I was disappointed when comparing them to AA and Qantas.

Cathay’s staff seemed rushed and impersonal. It is rare that I find myself pushing the call button on international-class flights, but it seemed to be the only way to get the attention of a cabin attendant on these segments.

Plastic flowers in the bathrooms were a little tacky. Cathay did, however, hands down, have the best sleeping pajamas: black cotton, with Mandarin-style collar and green embroidery. The shirt part was so elegant, I wore it around Hong Kong all the next day.

Qantas was phenomenal. The Bangkok-Melbourne and Melbourne-London flights were flawless. The cabin attendants were not only extremely attentive but thoroughly entertaining while serving the meals. The attention to detail on Qantas rivaled my experience on early Singapore Airways flights.

In the Hong Kong International Airport, Cathay Pacific’s first-class lounge is second to none — private bathtub rooms festooned with orchids and fruit bowls, a gourmet restaurant and elegant surroundings. I must have counted 60 different magazines and 25 different newspapers. Cathay’s business-class lounge was also a treat.

BILL KIZOREK
Lisle, IL