For those of you familiar with me, you know that Hong Kong has become somewhat of a travel habit.    Last year I took 2 relatively short trips to Hong Kong, each lasting only 2-3 days, which were more or less glorified mileage runs and an opportunity to add suits and shirts to the wardrobe.    It would have likely been three times, but I took advantage of an opportunity to visit Singapore and experience SQ’s First Class Service for the first time (though I did have a 2 hour layover in HKG so does that count as an HKG visit? 🙂 ).

This time, it’s going to be different.   It’s actually going to be a vacation.   Yes, more than 72 hours.

Actually, I’ll be there for 8 days  and this time I’m taking my wife who will be seeing Hong Kong for the first time and it’s an understatement to say she’s excited about it.  We’ll stay at the Hyatt Regency in Kowloon which is where I normally stay when in Hong Kong.  It’s a great property and close to just about everything that you’d want to see in the area.

She’s been elbow-deep in researching all the places that she wants to visit and has drawn up a laundry list of things that have to be accomplished.  So  far it’s been “suggested” that we visit The Peak, Stanley, The Jade Market, Mongkok, The Ngong Ping Gondola and the Temple Street Markets.  Additionally, the harbor light show, Sunday Dim-Sum and a huge time block set aside for Antique dealers and shopping.  At least she’ll have me to act as a personal city-guide.  I’m glad I picked up an extra Octopus Card.   We’re going to need them!

But all is not lost for me.   I have managed to negotiate a substantial block of time for my own pursuit which of course is going to be Plane Spotting.   A trip to Hong Kong for me is not complete without it.  But truth be told, I am really excited that she can finally go with me on one of these trips.

We’ll be traveling to Hong Kong toward the end of April and will come home during the first week of May.   The strange bit is that we are not traveling together on the outbound leg.  My wife will be flying United to Hong Kong via Chicago and it’s unfortunate that United pulled the 747-400 off the route and replaced it with a 777.   She’ll be sitting in the nose of the aircraft and will have little to worry about for the 15 hours it takes to get there.  She’ll no doubt be in good hands with United.

For my outbound leg, I’m parlaying it into an opportunity to fly to Hong Kong eastward on Lufthansa via Frankfurt.   The reason behind it is so that I can visit my friends  in Lufthansa’s Social Media Team, Lounge Services and Cargo.  Having an 11 hour layover in Frankfurt will also give me time to take one or two pictures from the observation deck as well.

I’ll being leaving a day ahead of my wife and will ultimately reach Hong Kong about 3 hours ahead of her.   Once she clears immigration I’ll take her over to the Immigration Office so that she can enroll in the e-Channel frequent traveler program so that she can avoid long queues at immigration/passport control in Hong Kong in the future.

For the return leg, we’ll be flying Asiana from Hong Kong to Chicago via Incheon.   We’re looking forward to trying their new First Class Suite service on their 777-300ER aircraft.  It will be an interesting comparison to make between Singapore and Asiana First Class products.

Something tells me it will not be her last time visiting this fantastic city.  It looks like she’s already invited herself to the trip I’m planning on taking in early November.   She said she’ll need the miles this year.    Did she just become one of us mileage running Avgeeks?!?!?