2013 stoopidity: here, there, everywhere.. incl around the world (twice). .

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Apologies for delayed update.

Last Sunday night (01 Dec) I left EK lounge in SIN and boarded QF8355, EK metal. First time on their A380. First impression is very light and open look to the cabin, still looks a bit strange when used to QF having F downstairs at the front.

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I'd chosen 43H. After experiencing it, I'd say don't. It has the narrowest gap to the next seat (narrower than any other gap on the plane). 43G would be a good choice next time, with nothing in front of that seat at all, but that is front row bassinet, so run the risk of being bumped if a family needs it.

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Nearly full in economy (but not oversold so no upgrades). Pushback was 2110, but some delay and off the ground at 2144....

First contact from crew was about 30 min later, handing our menus. There was a little bit of bumpy air (bit nothing at all serious), and the captain all through the flight was very handy with the fasten seat belt at the slightest hint of bumps.

This meant that drink service didn't start til 2240 but was interrupted again, so dinner service didn't restart til 2330 (even though seat belt sign was still on). Ahmed the Y CSM came to say hello.

Meals were not cleared until 2430 (SIN time), and seat belt sign was STILL on.

So not a lot of sleep, particularly as cabin lights came back on not much more than 2 hours later, approx 2 hours out of DXB.

We landed 0044 DXB time, and at the gate 10 mins later.

So tired and grumpy, met by sign that QF1 was delayed. grrr.

So I wandered up to First lounge, and tried not to fall asleep.

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From scheduled 0225 departure for QF1 (VH-OQE), we finally pushed back from that at 0325, and off the ground by 0342.

Roberto Cook is CSM, and skipper is Gatsby.

I sleep soundly for a couple of hours, but CSM has been by and left headset. Sleep was aided by a) being in 32A (actually I think I prefer 32K) and b) my wife's latest creation, made at my request for those seats that require bright socks to prevent trolleys or passengers stepping on feet stuck out.

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I did have some of the breakfast.

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We landed 0708, at the gate 0715 vs scheduled 0620. Immigration hall looked really busy, but I cleared in 15 mins. Out of T3 and to the Avis bus, and on my way not long after.
 
So, after a couple of days in the UK, productive meetings, it's time to head to LOTFAP. LHR-JFK-BOS

Avis car returned to Terminal 5.

A bit of kerfuffle when I try to check in and find out the ESTA is expired. Oops. Oh well, use the other passport instead. I didn't use First check in, but a desk at the complete opposite end of the terminal. Security was so quick, there was no-one in front of me. Amble through T5, admiring the dawn light over LHR.

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Harrods bear gets a hello.

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Then up to BA First, where I find this lovely filly. I still don't understand the significance of horses in lounges, and horses with lamps in their heads at that!

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Some breakfast (good range of bf buffet) then off to gate B45. Only takes a few minutes on the connecting train, and even have time to pop into the lounge in the B gates area. Certainly a match for the QF dom business (can't compare with QF Int business lounges, not having visited).
 
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Forgot to mention, I had originally 33c (front row Y), but was told on checkin that seat was US, so got 45H. On visiting B gates lounge, was printed another one for 33H. Oh confusion!

Nevertheless, we board AA6140, aka BA175. Capt Brian Malone welcomes us, and introduces Carmel Stuart. NO recognition of WP/Emerald, no specail greeting, no visit from CSD, seems to be MO for BA.

33H (or C, which now mysteriously has pax seated in) are seriously good Y seats. Apart from the coughpy outdated IFE (which didn't work until about 2 hrs into the flight), there's plenty legroom, and the way the cut out is, seems very unlikely that trolley will crash into feet.

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Lunch is chicken curry (no choices offered), and later a very palatable chicken sandwich (imho much nicer than the soggy pizza bread things on QF)

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touch down at 1256, at gate by 1310.

Fairly quick through immigration, just a minute or two to collect luggage, then on to Flagship lounge for a couple hours wait
 
Flagship lounge at JFK was quiet when I arrived, but filled up a bit later.
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Food available looked quite pleasant

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Down to gate 33 for scheduled 1725 AA256 JFK-BOS.

Boarded 1650, completed boarding by 1710. Push back 1717.

Then Capt West advises us (at 1735) that BOS ATC have said we need to sit on the ground for 45 min. Ho hum.


1810, engines back on and we taxi. then wait til 1825. Capt advises again that Boston ATC again tells us to shut down and wait some more. Update to come in an hour.

But then engines restart at 1840, and we're off the ground at 1845. Young girl next to me FB ing all through take off, telling her friends how terrible it is, like the WORST thing that could POSSIBLY happen, ya know?

I had a look at weather in BOS just before t/o, and it says "fog in all areas", so I'm happy to go with whatever the skipper and ATC say!

Landed at BOS 1930, and yes it's foggy. But we're safe.

I was in 9D, one of the front of cabin seats (think 5D on dom QF), but AA have these seats with lightly more pitch. good knee room.

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Despite no priority tag (forgot to ask for one at LHR because of the ESTA confusion), bags arrive promptly, and head to hotel shortly after. I do like BOS, so close to town
 
Friday dawns damp and grey, but not as cold as I'd expected it to be.

A couple of meetings in the morning, then I have some time off. Get the subway to Harvard Square and wander around for a little. Some light shopping: my favourite kind of shop, a bookshop:)

Then back to downtown Boston to meet up with some mutual acquaintances before finding dinner. On the way, enjoyed the Xmas lights.

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"Kitchen".
The menu genuinely gave me huge problems deciding what to order. SO many good looking items.
Kitchen – Boston Mass. | Time Honored Cookery at 560 Tremont Street, Boston, MA – 617.695.1250

Tables v close, and music loud (Elvis Xmas special, trad jazz etc). Dim lighting. But it's busy.

In the end, order rack of lamb, with side order of brussels. The latter very disappointing, sauteed rather than steamed, and some almost burnt (see pic..if there had been enough light in the restaurant, maybe would have seen this sooner!), and way too much salt. The lamb while well cooked (medium rare as requested), is not as sweet and flavoursome as I would have liked.

The tarte tatin is pretty good, but frankly dessert menu is less inspiring than mains. Probably won't return given there's so many other restaurants to try in Southside

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A cool walk back to Hampton Inn and Suites Crosstown (only chosen because cheap (for Boston) and near Boston Med where meetings were), and it's very cold rain. Will there be snow overnight to make the weekend SC run interesting?
 
I have yet to get to the East coast of the US. Thanks for whetting my appetite.

You're welcome JT. I have only been to Boston a couple of times, Baltimore a couple, and Miami once, so can't say I'm particularly expert at USA!

More TR to follow, but suffice to say no disruptions to yesterday's BOS-JFK-DCA-MIA-SJU, and currently sitting in SJU Admiral's club.

I have 6 boarding passes SJU_MIA_LGA_ORD_LAX_SYD_BNE. Potential problem is ORD with snow showers forecast all day. And unfortunately I had to check a bag and there's only room for 4 destinations on luggage tag, so even if no delays I'll still have to get bag and recheck it in LAX.

Onwards and upwards.

SJU lounge looks pretty, and there's huge baubles on the tree:look at the size of those balls!

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Saturday 7th Dec
BOS-JFK-DCA-MIA-SJU

Checkin and security adamant that I couldn't take my two rollaboards so had to check one in (note to self, second bag must be backpack next time)

Another early start, another lounge:
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Grey, rainy Boston,
AA1165 B0S-JFK scheduled 0720, window seat 3F on a 737. Capt Brilly, pushed back 0726, off the ground 0737. Uneventful flight, no food service, arrived NY in good time.

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After an hour or so in Flagship, next is JFK-DCA AA1165 on an American Eagle Bombadier CRJ. My first time on one of these, and have to hand in the one rollaboard to "valet luggage" ie take it off you at gate and deliver to gate at other end (bins too small). This is the shortest connection, with due landing and boarding for next flight scheduled to be only about 10 min apart.....

The Bombadier showing its age a little, with frayed carpet and seats a little saggy. I'm in 1A. we get a snack pack (couple crackers, cheese) but it's a really short flight, and we land a little ahead of schedule into DCA.

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Quick walk between gates (DCA not a big airport) sees me boarding another 737, AA 1287 DCA- MIA with just a couple minutes wait. From my window seat, I am glsad to see my checked bag being boarded, so I can relax about that one.

Doro closed at 150, pushed back 1253 and off the ground 10 min later, and a rapid climb out of Washington.
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Cabin crew admired my wife's handiwork (the socks) as I "enjoy" the beef wrap.

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Arrival into MIA is uneventful. I love the inlaid brass organic motifs all through the concourse. Make me smile every time I see them.

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A short time in the bigger lounge near gate 30 (?), admiring the Xmas decorations again.

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Then off to flight number 4 for the day, MIA-SJU on a 757, AA 2242.

The first slight delay of the day, with crew oxygen cylinder needing replacing. Swap my 4A for 3A to accomodate some friends, and 3B is the same man as seat neighbour DCA-MIA.

This is international config, so seats are lie flat (sloped) into seat cut out in front. Not hugely comfortable, but certainly better than the dom config.
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Arrival into SJU was a bit late, off the plane about 2150. Which I then found out was 2250. Got luggage, checked into airport hotel...no photos I'm afaraedi, but room was small and dark, but was celan and didn't smell horrible. My view was of the ATC tower.

Had a bath to relax, then to bed, in time to get up in 6 hrs to do it all again....

Will winter interrupt Sunday's flights...SJU-MIA-LGA-ORD-LAX-SYD-BNE coming up....
 
Gosh Stoopidsteve don't know how you do it, but you do, not sure I could even attempt one of these status runs! But have to say keep them up, as I love the TR. Great socks, Mrs Stoopidsteve must be one gal.
 
SJU-MIA-LGA-ORD-LAX-SYD-BNE

Apologies for long delay, just found the memory card....

For those without elephantine memories, this was weekend of ultra cold/ ultraextreme freeze in USA...

Up at OMG o'clock for SJU-MIA. Unfortunately had to check in second bag...AND they couldn't interline it to QF108, so I would need to pick it up in LAX.

SJU lounge pretty empty at that time, so I thought I'd help add to the festive feel with more red and white....

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Then uneventful onto the SJU-MIA, breakfast pleasant...

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MIA-LGA equally uneventful...

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Obligatory pic of Manhattan...
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LGA lounge a little busy...recall there were massive delays, DFW (AA's major hub) was iced up. Getting a little concerned I wouldn't get to QF108 that night....

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Finally got onto LGA-ORD flight, only about an hour late.
Landed in ORD in the dark, in about 6 inches of snow. Taxied literally for 30 minutes.

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Wandered over to my next flight (ORD-LAX), which the cabin crew said was just about to leave.

Of course Chicago is used to snow, but they were working hard that night de-icing, and shovelling snow
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An hour later we're still sitting. And then our turn is next, according to pilot. Until someone decides to deplane.
We finally left about 2 1/2 hours late.

I think dinner was fish
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We landed into LAX at the scheduled QF108 departure time. But there was a reason I chose QF108 for the transpac flight, and a reason why QF108 is called QF 10Late.

I was not (too) stressed that bag took about 30 mins to be retrieved. Wandered over to t'other terminal, and into the lounge. After a quick shower (SJU seems a long time ago!), I enjoyed the Xmas decorations.
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Final stress for the night...boarding pass said it was gate at the far end of the terminal (and it felt like a long walk)...got there and it was deserted! No plane, no people. Bear in mind I was a little tired by now...confused and stressed
Found a flight board (about half way back)....plane was waiting at the gate nearest the lounge, they'd changed it as it was so late leaving.

I had been hoping for op-up, looking at loads, but it wasn't to be. Just glad to be heading home. I think we left about 2am.

Here's the breakfast shot after a not particularly good snooze...(note CSM had dropped kindly off NC headphones for me).
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And no more pics of SYD-BNE.

So that was a few flights in a few days! I was happy I had got TA to link the SJU-LGA-ORD-LAX-SYD-BNE flights, rather than me booking them separately...I would have been much more stressed with that final trans-pac on separate booking.
 
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Last trip of 2013 was OOL-SYD-OOL 18th Dec. Cheap flight to get me over 2400 SC, reckoned it was worth it for 50k points (and a pleasant day cruising the ferries on Sydney Harbour).

Nothing much to report, except the random stranger behind me bombing my pic. RUINED it, I say. how DARE they choose to be so silly????
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And someone else in OOL I bumped into...

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Here endeth the silliness for 2013.
 
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