Good morning from a wet and cloudy Taipei.
Today we're flying back to Hong Kong from Taoyuan International Airport. We're joining the MRT train to the Airport. It's the Express train we're taking.
At under £4 one-way, it's remarkable value and a very comfortable ride.
Before we get into the terminal, just how cool are the Starlux uniforms? I think they look like something NASA would create.
The main terminal has check-in areas to the left on the upper floor in numerical order. We're headed to Zone 11.
And it's here you can check-in or bag drop if required. Just ensure you meet all the requirements of your ticket-type as HK Express are strict with carry-on weights and dimensions.
Lounge access is obviously not included with any HK Express fares but our Priority Pass membership gains us access to the lounge.
Sadly though, it's nothing to write home about and was exceptionally busy.
And the food selection was very poor…
Believe me…!
Taoyuan is a lovely airport. Very modern with good facilities. I really enjoyed our time here.
And all the information desks have little local sweets on a complimentary basis. I tried the Salt Lemon Candy and these were great!
Here's our aircraft, B-LEK, a 7 and a half year old Airbus A321-200.
We were then boarded and again, at the desk, HKexpress staff were checking passenger's carry-on's against their weight/sizing restrictions.
Our seats today are on Row 1 of this Airbus A321, and we have the E/F seats.
Legroom is okay, it's not a huge amount of legroom but more comfortable than being crammed down the back.
There's also this awesome collection of HKexpress merchandise. And how cute are the baby cabin crew uniforms!
Take-off time!
There are no complimentary services aboard HKexpress, but their in-flight services are all at very reasonable prices.
The toilets at the front of the aircraft were exceptionally clean, too. Great to see as some low-cost airlines miss this for sure in favour of super fast turnarounds so it's nice to see this wasn't overlooked.
Through the app when checking-in, I'd also decided to pre-order the Hong Kong style pandan waffle. It was reasonably priced and we thought it would be a fun try.
It was piping hot and although not crispy, it was reasonably tasty.
And it also had that signature pandan green colour!
And that's pretty much it for this short hop. As we approached Hong Kong we noticed these container ships in the shape of a love heart in the bay area.
Thanks for reading/watching as always!
Oh, and just a reminder, it's low-cost. Of course we got dumped on a remote stand!
