RTW in F/J - Hand Carry Only - Iceland, Finland, Washington and a few other places

[PrezRegan]

Today I embark on a First Class Oneworld Award that has been in planning for a few months. The purpose of this trip was to fly as much as possible in F and J, and to go to Iceland (because why not) and to Washington (to visit a mate). I have managed to get the following itinerary:

View attachment 408386

Not included in there is a train transfer from Paris to London, and also a final flight from Singapore to Darwin on Singapore airlines in J booked using 38,000 VA points + taxes.

Graphically this looks like



It's a bit all over the place, but again this was somewhat necessary to secure the elusive F flights on JL and CX. The total cost was 455,000 QF points and approx. $2,000 in taxes. This flight would easily cost in the 10s of thousands had I tried to book in cash so this was an amazing use of my QF points.

As an added challenge, I've also decided to do this trip as hand carry only. Whilst I have not prohibited myself from checking in baggage as required, I have intentionally limited my amount of baggage to a July carry-on suitcase, a garment bag, and a backpack:



I’ve already checked both these items in for my first flight because I know overhead space on the Embraer is limited. For those interested, the July suitcase is 10.7kg and contains all my clothes for the trip, hiking boots and gym gear. The garment bag only contains a giant jacket which I will wear in Iceland.

I’ve managed to fit a fairly significant amount of clothes in thanks to vacuum bags from Amazon. It is a bit of a pain to pack and unpack to get to one item of clothing, but it definitely does compress the clothes down.

In terms of what I’m doing on this trip, I have a few things planned, but rather than spoil the fun I’ll post about it as I experience it. I approached this as a ‘once in a lifetime trip’ so there are a few fancy restaurants, hotels, and experiences on the cards for those who are interested in coming along for the ride!

 

[RooFlyer]

Extra points for beginning in Darwin and then flying all the way south to begin the Int’l

 

[PrezRegan]

Extra points for beginning in Darwin and then flying all the way south to begin the Int’l

Gotta maximise that F lounge experience!

 

[DC3]

Today I embark on a First Class Oneworld Award that has been in planning for a few months. The purpose of this trip was to fly as much as possible in F and J, and to go to Iceland (because why not) and to Washington (to visit a mate)

Enjoy. Certainly a good reason to leave Darwin for a few weeks

 

[Disco]

Today I embark on a First Class Oneworld Award that has been in planning for a few months. The purpose of this trip was to fly as much as possible in F and J, and to go to Iceland (because why not) and to Washington (to visit a mate). I have managed to get the following itinerary:

View attachment 408386

Not included in there is a train transfer from Paris to London, and also a final flight from Singapore to Darwin on Singapore airlines in J booked using 38,000 VA points + taxes.

Graphically this looks like

View attachment 408387

It's a bit all over the place, but again this was somewhat necessary to secure the elusive F flights on JL and CX. The total cost was 455,000 QF points and approx. $2,000 in taxes. This flight would easily cost in the 10s of thousands had I tried to book in cash so this was an amazing use of my QF points.

As an added challenge, I've also decided to do this trip as hand carry only. Whilst I have not prohibited myself from checking in baggage as required, I have intentionally limited my amount of baggage to a July carry-on suitcase, a garment bag, and a backpack:

View attachment 408388

I’ve already checked both these items in for my first flight because I know overhead space on the Embraer is limited. For those interested, the July suitcase is 10.7kg and contains all my clothes for the trip, hiking boots and gym gear. The garment bag only contains a giant jacket which I will wear in Iceland.

I’ve managed to fit a fairly significant amount of clothes in thanks to vacuum bags from Amazon. It is a bit of a pain to pack and unpack to get to one item of clothing, but it definitely does compress the clothes down.

In terms of what I’m doing on this trip, I have a few things planned, but rather than spoil the fun I’ll post about it as I experience it. I approached this as a ‘once in a lifetime trip’ so there are a few fancy restaurants, hotels, and experiences on the cards for those who are interested in coming along for the ride!

Sounds like a great trip and good use of points. Interested in the July (I take it this wasn't because bought in July) carry-on and considering the temp differences the allocation of clothing i.e. warm, cool, tops, pants.

 

[dairyfloss]

Today I embark on a First Class Oneworld Award that has been in planning for a few months. The purpose of this trip was to fly as much as possible in F and J, and to go to Iceland (because why not) and to Washington (to visit a mate). I have managed to get the following itinerary:

View attachment 408386

Not included in there is a train transfer from Paris to London, and also a final flight from Singapore to Darwin on Singapore airlines in J booked using 38,000 VA points + taxes.

Graphically this looks like

View attachment 408387

It's a bit all over the place, but again this was somewhat necessary to secure the elusive F flights on JL and CX. The total cost was 455,000 QF points and approx. $2,000 in taxes. This flight would easily cost in the 10s of thousands had I tried to book in cash so this was an amazing use of my QF points.

As an added challenge, I've also decided to do this trip as hand carry only. Whilst I have not prohibited myself from checking in baggage as required, I have intentionally limited my amount of baggage to a July carry-on suitcase, a garment bag, and a backpack:

View attachment 408388

I’ve already checked both these items in for my first flight because I know overhead space on the Embraer is limited. For those interested, the July suitcase is 10.7kg and contains all my clothes for the trip, hiking boots and gym gear. The garment bag only contains a giant jacket which I will wear in Iceland.

I’ve managed to fit a fairly significant amount of clothes in thanks to vacuum bags from Amazon. It is a bit of a pain to pack and unpack to get to one item of clothing, but it definitely does compress the clothes down.

In terms of what I’m doing on this trip, I have a few things planned, but rather than spoil the fun I’ll post about it as I experience it. I approached this as a ‘once in a lifetime trip’ so there are a few fancy restaurants, hotels, and experiences on the cards for those who are interested in coming along for the ride!

Looks and sounds like fun! Now, what's with this weird entry on the ticket?
A BA flight, operated by AY for QF from IAD To LHR on an A380?

 

[WilsonM]

Love that the itinerary goes up in quality of product - QF E190-737-A330-CX359 and then into the promised land of CX F. Enjoy!

 

[PrezRegan]

Sounds like a great trip and good use of points. Interested in the July (I take it this wasn't because bought in July) carry-on and considering the temp differences the allocation of clothing i.e. warm, cool, tops, pants.

Ahaha, yes July is just the brand. I've heard that some people aren't a fan but I rate them.
You hit the nail on the head for the clothing, essentially I'm going for layering plus one massive jacket for the super cold. Washington and France/London have similar climates, as does Iceland and Finland so I'm hoping I have prepared adequately! Stay tuned to find out if I become an iceblock

 

[PrezRegan]

Looks and sounds like fun! Now, what's with this weird entry on the ticket?
A BA flight, operated by AY for QF from IAD To LHR on an A380?

View attachment 408398

Most observant of you and I also have NFI... I just assume it's some weird ticketing thing on the part of QF - I think AY is involved because its connected to the previous flight from HEL to make it a transit rather than a stopover to avoid the APD out of LHR

 

[PrezRegan]

First flight down – 12 more to go!

DRW-ADL
QF1951
12:32-15:58, dur 3h 26m
Seat: 2A

This flight was on the classic E190 which a lot of flights from DRW tend to be. I quite like this plane, as the 1-2 configuration in J means that if you manage to snag one of the “A” seats you get a fair degree of privacy. I used to be a Row 1 diehard but @Sprucegoose has converted me and now for QF domestic I generally go for row 2 because it means you can shove a bag under the seat in front which is excellent when doing hand carry only.

The flight itself wasn’t super remarkable. I’ve found that the Alliance crew can be more personable than the mainline QF ones and this one seemed to continue that trend. The CSM was very friendly, and I appreciated that she discreetly asked myself and another presumably high status holder what we wanted for lunch before the main service, to ensure we got what we wanted. Sometimes it’s the little things!

The only downside with the E190 is of course the lack of wifi. Sometimes it can be nice to disconnect but I would hate to take this on the 5hr flight from DRW-SIN that QF is introducing shortly! SQ’s 737 Max with its lie-flat seats, wifi and BTC definitely make it the preferred option to QF, even without a lounge in DRW – although QF fliers have to use the domestic Club anyway for any international flights.

In terms of meal options, the choices were an Asian five-spice beef on rice, Asian pork and noodles, or a Caesar salad. I opted for the salad and it was pretty good. It went really well with the Shaw + Smith Sav Blanc from the Adelaide Hills.

I’m now chilling in the Chairmans lounge in Adelaide before my next flight to Melbourne. No, I don’t hold CL status, Qantas is just renovating its lounges at ADL and is inviting all WP and higher status holders to use the CL lounge whilst the club is being renovated. Unfortunately besides the space, you don’t get any of the other CL perks such as a la carte dining – the food and beverage options are pretty much identical to the club but it is free pour spirits so I guess you can go ham if you want. I don’t know where they’re sending the CL members…

The lounge itself is quite nice, a bit quieter than the club with more of a wood and brown theme (very demure). The toilets and showers are quite unremarkable and just like any of the other J lounges in the domestic network. Interesting view of the Dash 8s and the carpark and not much else.


Next flight is on the true QF workhorse, the 737. Ah well, as @WilsonM pointed out, it can only go up from here!

 

[Sprucegoose]

Love that the itinerary goes up in quality of product - QF E190-737-A330-CX359 and then into the promised land of CX F. Enjoy!

And then nosedives in a 737 from SIN to DRW!

 

[PrezRegan]

And then nosedives in a 737 from SIN to DRW!

Yes but it's no qf 737, but rather an SQ one with proper business class seats, wifi and book the cook. I'd say it beats the inevitable 737 or E190 id have to take if I flew back to Darwin from any other Australian city...

 

[Sprucegoose]

Looks and sounds like fun! Now, what's with this weird entry on the ticket?
A BA flight, operated by AY for QF from IAD To LHR on an A380?

Yep, I didn't get this either. It's eerily similar to QF292, in which AY operates for QF on the SIN-SYD route.

BA292 is a codeshare flight for AA/IB/EI/AY (not QF) and BA metal. What have I missed here?

 

[Sprucegoose]

Yes but it's no qf 737, but rather an SQ one with proper business class seats, wifi and book the cook. I'd say it beats the inevitable 737 or E190 id have to take if I flew back to Darwin from any other Australian city...

Ah, that's true - I hope it's not your best flight.

 

[WilsonM]

Yep, I didn't get this either. It's eerily similar to QF292, in which AY operates for QF on the SIN-SYD route.

BA292 is a codeshare flight for AA/IB/EI/AY (not QF) and BA metal. What have I missed here?

It could be the QF internship tech crew - they might have simply coded any flight number which has 292 to show that message (I jest, but also...)

 

[DC3]

It could be the QF internship tech crew

Yeah. Is it school holidays currently? Possibly work experience.

 

[Denali]

I can easily travel for weeks with carry on only but my husband requires all the comforts from home, it drives me nuts.

On the plus side if you need something, eg Iceland, you can visit their Salvo's to pick up something. Before we left Iceland we left a big bag of winter clothing, boots ect there and it looked like a lot of tourist did the same.

 

[PrezRegan]

I can easily travel for weeks with carry on only but my husband requires all the comforts from home, it drives me nuts.

On the plus side if you need something, eg Iceland, you can visit their Salvo's to pick up something. Before we left Iceland we left a big bag of winter clothing, boots ect there and it looked like a lot of tourist did the same.

Good idea! It's pretty much impossible to find cold weather gear in Darwin where I currently live. However, I'm about to move to Canberra where my current outfit of shorts, t-shirt and thongs 365 days a year might not be so feasible :/ Iceland might be a good chance to stock up on some cold weather gear...

 

[PrezRegan]

ADL-MEL
QF 696
1924-2108
Dur: 1h 20m
Seat: 2A

A very quick flight from ADL-MEL, with only about 56mins of cruising time. Service was prompt and everyone in the cabin got a meal and topup of drinks in that time. Options were an Asian pork curry or a chicken salad with beans. I picked the salad (again). However the highlight of the dish, and my personal weakness, is the cake that only appears on the golden triangle routes. Paired with a strong cup of white tea, this was definitely the nicest thing I had that day.


Now, despite doing a carry-on only trip, I did check my garment bag and suitcase for this leg. Waiting for the bags to show up reminded me of the potential advantages of this approach – I didn’t check in any of my bags for my MEL-SIN flight, so I guess we’ll see how generous the crew are in letting me take everything onboard! Thankfully my bags were one of the first to come out (after about 15 mins of waiting along with the everyone else on the plane) so I grabbed them and made a beeline for my hotel.

My hotel for the night was the PARKROYAL Melbourne, conveniently just across the road from Terminal 1. This hotel is part of the GHA chain and was recently renovated. Check-in was smooth and as Titanium member I was upgraded to a better room on the top (9th) floor. The room was nice, quite spacious and the welcome chocolates and wine was appreciated – although I didn’t bother with the wine as it was close to 2200 and a quick google revealed that the wine retailed for about $10 a bottle.


After a good night’s sleep I checked out the gym which was very well equipped in terms of free weights, cardio and multipurpose machines. I didn’t check out the pool or sauna which were around the corner. After a quick post-workout shower, I made my way across to Terminal 2 and the Qantas curbside check-in, which is available for OWE and passengers flying F. It was a smooth process and I got my express ticket which was a godsend as the line for security was quite long. I do appreciate that Melbourne doesn’t require you to anything out of your bags, which makes the process quite efficient. It was about 10 mins in total from check-in to getting to the lounge.


Of course, if you don’t the squid and pavlova have you even been to the Flounge? In addition to these fine items, I also had a very nice snapper with bonito flakes and butter. Honestly, I was surprised by how good it was – definitely restaurant quality and I was half tempted to order more of it as the portion was not massive. However, knowing I still had dessert, and food on the plane, I held off. Not pictured as well is the sneaky bowl of chips I added, justifying to myself that my gym session this morning offset it, whilst also ignoring in my calculus the pavlova and 3 glasses of quite nice Lallier champagne I had with lunch - liquid carbs don't count right!


On arrival I also managed to secure myself a complimentary massage at 1430. I’ve never actually asked before so I’m interested to see how it all goes.
Update: The spa treatment was very nice. I asked for the facial treatment and it also came with a neck and shoulders massage. I didn't realise I had so much tension in my shoulders... The whole treatment went for about 20 minutes.


Tune in for the next instalment where I cover my flight from MEL-SIN on QF.

 

[NoName]

Any chance that LHR-HND leg changes to the A350-1000? JL44 is the next route to get it afaik.