6 Days of Luxury for $1200 and some points :)

[Moindardt]

2 weeks ago, I just was looking at all the availability of Etihad F flights to Abu Dhabi, and with the upcoming devaluation, I asked my wife if flights came up, could we ditch the kids and head off to Dubai for a few days. I gave it about a 5% chance. Giving flight to my fantasy and surmising she wouldn't have to deal with the dramas it would cause, she said yes. If you want to see all the dramas everyone had, check out the AA devaluation thread. We ended up with BNE-SYD QF J, SYD-AUH EY F A380 Apartments and AUH-BNE EY F 787-9. Chauffeur is included on landing in Abu Dhabi, leaving Abu Dhabi and landing in Brisbane (we were offered a pickup in Sydney but not Brisbane because of the connection). This Chauffeur is free to anywhere in UAE (bonus!). Total cost $294 +240000 AA points.

While I was waiting for the flights, I booked 2 nights at Grosvenor House, Dubai on a flexi rate and started the BRG process. For those not aware, SPG has a system where you book a flexible rate room, find a price online which is cheaper than their cheapest rate and apply for a best rate guarantee and, if successful, they match the rate and take a further 20% off it, and it still stays flexible. I managed to get the price down to $355/nt. This is the #3 hotel in Dubai according to TripAdvisor so I was pretty happy. Then it turned out we were going to have to stay another night but SPG wouldn't extend my BRG stay so I had to put in another request for the 3 nights but this time I got it down to $292/nt including Breakfast. Bad move SPG Because the original is still flexible, I could cancel it As a SPG Platinum, I receive 10 Suite Night Awards a year, so I applied 3 to my 3 nights and got upgraded to a 68m2 Deluxe Suite. I also used Your24 to get a guaranteed early book in of 9am as our flight lands at 5.45am and then a one hour drive (compliments of the Etihad Chauffeur service) to the hotel, so a 9am check in is nice. The Suite includes Buffet and Breakfast and transfers to Dubai Airport, very nice if you are flying QF or EK. Total Cost for 3 nights in a Suite: $876

Total cost: $1170

This all came together yesterday (Thursday) and we fly out tomorrow (Saturday) so we are in a mad panic. Oldest is going to a friend and the other 3 to my parent, Sorry Mum! We are giving Mum and Dad a few bottles of good red and champers to cope

If anyone had have told me a year ago when I started this frequent flyer stuff, that this is possible, I would never have believed it.

Hopefully I can make this a good report. Any tips for Dubai appreciated but Missus says only if it involves air-conditioning and shopping. Skiing in the mall is a must though.

 

[snabbu]

BP scanned!

 

[Pushka]

You must check out my Dubai trip report in January just past.
In short - book drinks or afternoon tea at Burj Al Arab. Then ask at the front for a free ride to the Souk Madinat - a gorgeous resort and modern souk.
Do a Platinum Heritage Desert safari.
Take the ho ho bus that has the gold souk route.
Go up the top of Burj Khalifa and spend the day at the Mall. That should fill you in.

 

[Moindardt]

You must check out my Dubai trip report in January just past.
In short - book drinks or afternoon tea at Burj Al Arab. Then ask at the front for a free ride to the Souk Madinat - a gorgeous resort and modern souk.
Do a Platinum Heritage Desert safari.
Take the ho ho bus that has the gold souk route.
Go up the top of Burj Khalifa and spend the day at the Mall. That should fill you in.

I didn't realise I had taken out the comment about the desert and camels. She love your mall photos but said she wasn't doing that, referring to the safari, hence the air-conditioning and shopping.

 

[LadyC]

Sounds fabulous - looking forward to reading more.

 

[Pushka]

There are 3 large shopping malls then. It wont be too hot just yet.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Where's the Jealous emojii when you need it, eh ???
:mrgreen:

Post lots and lots of pics please !!!

 

[travelislife]

Definitely go on to the desert and rip around in some dune buggies/4WDs, awesome fun!

 

[travelislife]

Oh and very jealous of the trip. Well done on the booking!

 

[get me outta here]

Are you spending a day in AUH on the way through?

Out of both my 2014 Dubai, and AUH trip last week, the most wonderful thing for me was the Grand Mosque in AUH. I got there at around 4.30 pm and got an abaya as I was not conservatively dressed - take a drivers licence which they keep until you return the abaya. If men are wearing too short shorts etc, they will get a white one.

The is a free 5pm tour and the leader gives you little headphones so that you can hear easily. It was fascinating, and beautiful and takes you into dusk when the Mosque becomes beautifully lit up.

Also, consider the Falcon Hospital. These very valuable birds actually have their own passports. There are tours on some days at 2pm, and it can be done just before the Grand Mosque tour.

 

[Moindardt]

Are you spending a day in AUH on the way through?

Out of both my 2014 Dubai, and AUH trip last week, the most wonderful thing for me was the Grand Mosque in AUH. I got there at around 4.30 pm and got an abaya as I was not conservatively dressed - take a drivers licence which they keep until you return the abaya. If men are wearing too short shorts etc, they will get a white one.

The is a free 5pm tour and the leader gives you little headphones so that you can hear easily. It was fascinating, and beautiful and takes you into dusk when the Mosque becomes beautifully lit up.

Also, consider the Falcon Hospital. These very valuable birds actually have their own passports. There are tours on some days at 2pm, and it can be done just before the Grand Mosque tour.

We are going straight to Dubai and straight to the airport on the return. This is the first time in 14 years we haven't had kids with us, so it is all about "us", and by "us" I mean SWMBO

Another time I will do the trip with more "interesting" things, especially with the kids. This time, I will spend a lot of time sitting on a stool in a shop, but at least I won't have to do it with 4 bored sugar-overdosed kids, so I will get to finish reading other people's trip reports

 

[get me outta here]

The shopping centres are fascinating, you'll find plenty to look at yourself. You could also sit and use the free Wi-Fi. They are little bit quieter in the mornings. I don't think children would appreciate the Grand Mosque!

Bon voyage.


[=Moindardt;1423566]We are going straight to Dubai and straight to the airport on the return. This is the first time in 14 years we haven't had kids with us, so it is all about "us", and by "us" I mean SWMBO

Another time I will do the trip with more "interesting" things, especially with the kids. This time, I will spend a lot of time sitting on a stool in a shop, but at least I won't have to do it with 4 bored sugar-overdosed kids, so I will get to finish reading other people's trip reports [/QUOTE]

 

[Moindardt]

Sitting in our Apartments 3A and 4A about to take off. A little update of the day.

Off to drop off the kids at my parents on the Sunshine Coast. We are all going so MrsMoin can spend her last moments with them in case our plane is blown up by terrorists and they become orphans. Melodramatic much??

Made it to Sydney nice and smooth. Little issue with being refused into QF lounge.

Here are some from the lounge and the plane.

 

[Moindardt]

And the plane

 

[travelislife]

Looks great! What was the issue with the lounge access?

 

[Moindardt]

AA insist that we should have had access to the QF lounge but everyone else seems to agree not. The EY isn't as good but still decent. Need to get in early to get a lounge chair though.

 

[travelislife]

What was the flight? QF flight number? EY flights don't give access to QF lounges.

 

[Moindardt]

Some more from the flight.

 

[Moindardt]

Bedtime


Double bedtime



Nothing like a shower to wake you up.... At 39000 feet

 

[Moindardt]

Breakfast
I had the steak sandwich but they must have run out of steak.


MrsMoin had the omelette. The coffee was real and tasted better than most coffee shops.



Landing


When the plane door opened, they made all the J pax wait until the F pax were out. Always a nice touch.

Once the doors opened, it was 15 mins until we were out on the footpath for the chauffeur. We didn't even use the express path. The car was a beautiful Audi A5. Seemed almost brand new.

Doing 140kph on the way to Dubai was fun. You have to move over if someone is going faster and this car came past as though we were standing still. Would have had to be doing 200kph. Another time there was a car in the left who refused to move over for someone going faster and the guy just went around him in the shoulder and then forced him to move over. I was too shocked to take a video.

Sunrise on the trip from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.