Hong Kong (CNN) — I have been on quite a few flights where people clapped when the plane landed. But this was the first time I'd been on a plane where everybody clapped at takeoff.
Hong Kong Express, a low-cost carrier based -- as you may have guessed from the name -- in Hong Kong, has become the latest airline to offer sightseeing "flights to nowhere," which involve planes landing in the same destination they departed from, without stopping anywhere else.
So far, such flights have been popular. Qantas' seven-hour sightseeing flights around Australia, which promised scenic aerial views of Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef, sold out in ten minutes.
As well as giving airlines a chance to recoup some lost profits, these flights also afford aviation geeks the chance to get back up in the sky, and enjoy some little extras.
EVA Air's special Hello Kitty plane may not have gone anywhere, but passengers got limited-edition Hello Kitty swag on board.
Though the idea of these flights initially seemed kind of silly to me -- you have to deal with all the hassle of airport security, and then have nothing to show for it? -- when I found out that a hometown airline was offering one, I just couldn't resist.
The commute
My favorite way to get to the airport is via the high-speed express train that departs from Hong Kong Station.
Like everywhere else in the city, the train station is awash with signs reminding people to keep their masks on. However, I felt daring enough to slip mine off for a bit to drink some water. Mask removal in Hong Kong is currently illegal, and I felt a slight hint of danger even though there was no one around to see me. (After all, it's not hard to socially distance when you are the only person on the platform.)
Though a few other stragglers did board at the train's other stops in Kowloon and Tsing Yi, I had an entire car to myself for the half-hour journey. I availed myself of both the free phone chargers and the free Wi-Fi.
The express train is generally a pleasant experience, but doing it without luggage was a game changer. Or at least a shoulder changer.
Arriving at the airport
Despite the fact that we weren't leaving Hong Kong airspace, everyone on the flight still had to go through normal airport security processes. That meant pulling my passport out of storage and putting a pair of socks in my purse in case I had to take my sandals off.
Temperature screenings have already been a presence at Hong Kong International Airport since the days of SARS and avian flu, but heightened protocols meant plenty of free bottles of hand sanitizer stationed throughout the terminal and constant presence of cleaning crew.
It's a good thing there wasn't much of a security queue, though -- at the last minute, I had to pull stuff out of my pockets and remove my Kindle from its sleeve. It's official: I am out of practice. A year ago, I would have grumbled rudely at someone else for doing the same thing right at the security scanners.
Most of the shops and restaurants at the airport were closed, and there were mo
