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One final highlight of this amazing, incredible trip: putting together this trip report. It genuinely has added to my enjoyment, and the discipline of writing up what has happened in more-or-less real time will give me a genuine memento of this trip which I’m sure I’ll be returning to for the...

Reflections on my trip Phrases such as “dream holiday” or “the trip of a lifetime” are overused cliches – and that’s a shame, because they really do apply to this trip. I find it difficult to imagine having another holiday as good as this one in my lifetime. And I’m OK with that: after all...

As with most of my flights, I had the flight map open for most of my flight. Also on most flights I “binge listen” to whatever on the playlist takes my fancy. For this flight I noticed that Emirates had the entire Beatles catalogue available. It was a no-brainer. Just when I was ready for more...

Compromise #3: One final indulgence. EK404, SIN-MEL First class. Booked with 107,700 Qantas points plus S$87.70. I was pretty chuffed when I saw availability on this flight; it meant staying overnight in Singapore, but I reasoned that Emirates First class was worth the slight inconvenience, and...

You are very kind. The Season Finale is coming up ... but don't forget the Reunion episode after that!

Compromise #2: Overnight in Singapore at the Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen (funnily enough, this the only accommodation on this trip that has not partially been paid for by an AmEx travel credit!). Cost: S$179. When I read that my hotel room measured a mere 18 square metres, I was expecting a...

So what are the compromises? Compromise #1: Slumming it in JAL Premium Economy. JL37, HND-SIN. Booked with Qantas points on the same itinerary as my JL3 First booking. The slightly frustrating thing about this booking was that a few months after I booked it, First class became available on...

Thanks -- I'm about to find out! I'm so sorry you'll not be able to travel to Japan again. Does JAL have any fifth freedom flights so at least you might be able to experience your favourite airline one more time?

I entered the First Lounge at 6am when it opened. Within an hour the main section had become quite crowded… …So I walked over to the amazing, but for some reason little-used, Sushi Tsurutei room. I ordered the “Weekly Sushi Plate” using the QR code on my table, which took me to the Lounge...

My take on the JAL A350-1000 First experience? What’s not to like? It’s a private couch in the sky – I don’t think I’ve even mentioned the privacy doors yet – with an incredibly comfortable bed, a huge high definition (actually 4K, if I recall) screen, and food and beverages that are over the...

Either that or I'd have been in agony for the whole flight. When my leg is supported, or horizontal, there's little-to-no pain at all. But when there's nothing to support it, it becomes very painful very quickly. My next flight is in JAL 777 Premium Economy; I've never flown in that seat before...

On JAL First class they give the option of either a multi-course Japanese, or Western, meal. I’d always been intending to order the Japanese meal but at the last minute I decided that I didn’t feel like leaving my comfort zone any more than I already had, so I ordered the Western meal. In any...

JL 3, JFK-HND First class. I booked this as part of a longer itinerary but on its own it costs 149,000 Qantas points plus about $300. Because I am only transiting through Haneda, I paid $198 in carrier charges. Go figure. There’s a story behind this booking. Soon after I started planning this...

Thanks @RooFlyer and @Quickstatus for your concern and suggestion about the wheelchair. Yes, I've asked for one in Haneda. I was told that because the flight is arriving at 5am-ish they might not be fully staffed but they'll do their best!

A teaser… hopefully my hip will allow me to enjoy it!

The Greenwich Lounge is noticeably larger, but noticeably more down-market. I didn’t partake of any food or drink here (I’m obviously becoming a lounge snob in my old age!). It’s a typical Business class lounge; having said that, it also has great tarmac views!

After a day full of drama of the sort I did not want, and still in some pain, it was time for my final Uber (but not my final rideshare) of the trip – to JFK, Terminal 8. It took about 50 minutes to get there. I haven’t seen this in a while. But that’s not where I was heading. I was heading...

I mainly did my shopping at Houston, Kennedy and Washington. I bought plenty of souvenirs for me and my family (obviously my wife deserved whatever she asked for!). My suitcase weighed 15kg at Melbourne Airport, and 25kg when it was weighed here at JFK a few minutes ago. I bought one or two very...

Time for some reflections on my time in NYC (though actually this post should be titled “Reflections on my time in Manhattan”, given that apart from 5 minutes on Staten Island and the trip to JFK, that’s where I’ve been). And I’m putting the medical episode to one side: I’m so grateful that it’s...

Well that certainly escalated quickly! Or should I say, “deteriorated”? By 3pm it was clear that the pain in my hip wasn’t going anywhere. By 4pm, with just under 9 hours remaining until my first flight home, I was finding it very difficult to walk and could only do so with extreme pain. I was...