Ok - sorry for the delay in posting - I've had a really hectic two days in Syd. I am currently sitting in the SYD QP waiting for my QF487 to depart - now scheduled for a 2115 departure - 1:15 late! Oh well, I'll see how much I get done before my battery dies or my flight is called.
I think I might do this a bit out of order, so it might be a bit like Pulp fiction as you read this, but I am very tired and the only thing I can think to put down right now is about the lounge experiences at MNL. I am sure I will think of other things to write after this entry, so if it posts out of order, so be it.
The Airport at MNL as more security than any other airport I have ever been to. On entering the terminal, there is a security point (metal detector and bag x-ray), check in, then pay my 750 peso departure tax, clear immigration (Thanks APEC - queue on the far right), then another security check (metal detector and bag x-ray). After leaving the lounge(s) and arriving at the gate, there was yeat another security check (manual inspection of bags and pat down) - unbelievable.
Anyway - to the business at hand and what you all want to see - the lounges...
First, I figured I would check out the QF lounge. It's small. It's bright and cheery. It's not packed, but it was difficult finding a seat separate from the other pax. Have a look for yourself:
They had hardly any beer in the fridge (San Miguel) and the food and other drinks were fairly lean too. I scoffed a beer, samples the food - nnot so good and decided the grass might be greener in the CX lounge. So off I trotted. Not far to walk though, there are right next door to each other. The CX door attendant dutifully welcomed me and noted down my QFF number on a "Other airlines charge sheet".
The advantage of the CX lounge is that there are in fact two of them - J and F. The J lounge was not packed, but well occupied. I looked over the food and grog - not much different to the QF offering - and decided to head straight into the F lounge. This lounge has a much more relaxed feel to it and was noticeably cooler than the rest of the airport - a welcome relief from the hot and humid weather in Manila. The F Lounge had a steamer with Dim Sum, which was regularly changed, so I helped myself to a nice serve. Here are some photos
As both the CX and QF flights were late and the QF flight quite a bit later than the last CX flight, I had the lounges to myself for the last 30 mins or so - it's a bit of an strange feeling - being the only one there... these photos are after all the CX pax left
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