TheRealTMA
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ah exactly as it should be!
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TheRealTMA
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Possibly. But maybe Boscarelli "Il Nocio" - Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or
a Sassicaia!. 
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Keeping mine company, no doubt. Lovely to hear of someone we know actually winning though.
TheRealTMA
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Didn’t enter because of whY!
JohnM
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Righto, we’re back home after a sensational and fun trip. It was truly a blast!
But… you may want to pour a large glass of wine before reading on…
Everything went perfectly to plan… that was until checking in for the ITA (the Phoenix that arose from the never-ending ashes of Alitalia) flight FLR-FCO to connect after just under a 3h layover with our EK flight FCO-xDXB-PER.
The checkin agent starts by saying that the ITA doesn’t recognise our Amadeus QF PNR (I already had the EK Sabre record noted.) God only knows what the shambolic ITA system uses – despite receiving a message directly from ITA a few weeks before travel headlined with out Amadeus PNR to advise a slight schedule change.
Mama mia! Hey… it’s Italia…! Shambolica reigns.
Anyway, she fusses about regarding bag interlining but then proceeds to tag them through to PER.
Her demeanour just seemed odd to me.
Hmmmm… something’s going on – but what…? 
We were soon to find out why.
We get an announcement that our flight will be delayed 1h 45m. Hmmm… that’s going to make our connection TIGHT.
Shambles continue. We hear a rumour that the incoming flight diverted to Pisa because of weather. I look out the window. All seems fairly calm – although I do notice higher clouds scudding.
FLR is surrounded by hills and has a short runway. Windshear passes through my mind. Anyway, the Captain has made his call and he’s in charge and responsible for safety. No qualms with that.
Then it seems there is some uncertainty whether the bird will lift out of Pisa and come to FLR before returning to FCO. Shambolica continues… Hey… it’s Italia…!
Finally, the flight is announced as cancelled and we are to be bussed to FCO.
Hmmm… things start to come together for me. I reckon the checkin agent knew something was likely going to go pear-shaped when we checked in but wasn’t certain, so that why she messed around with us and our bags, expressing some worries about making our connection.
Can we get ITA to let EK know we’ll miss the connection? I was trying to avoid being a no-show without explanation.
No way! They are totally uncooperative – even though our itinerary is on one PNR.
All they would say to us was “Flight cancelled, we’ll get you to FCO, then you are on your own.” Nice… Hey… it’s Italia…!
We got bombed with emails, first saying delay, then cancelled. No mention of the reason why – but a rumour is circulating that it is weather-related.
That’s, of course, very handy for avoiding compensation under EU261/2004…
OK, off we go downstairs to collect our bags that take an age to come back out in dribs and drabs… Hey… it’s Italia…!
But, before that, I phone the QF WP line and explain the situation and that I’m trying to get someone – anyone – to alert EK that we will miss the FCO-DXB flight. Of course, HBA is not open as it’s night in Oz. The agent says she can‘t really do anything as the booking is through a TA, but says she’ll put a note on the system.
Ok, I tried my best to avoid being listed as unexplained no-shows on what I knew were discount whY tix – although whether it would have made any difference is moot.
We get a voucher for a snack and drink, so we grab a roll and a water on the way to the bus and climb aboard for a 3h journey.
On the way, I log into Booking.com and book two rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn at FCO.
There are two hotels right at the terminal, but of course they charge a bomb. The HGI is out near the parking lot and serviced every 15m by a shuttle – that turns out to be an airport, not hotel, bus that plies a circuit around the airport precinct.
It turns out to be brilliant! A highly recommended combo.
OK, we get dropped outside T3 at FCO. Let’s go in to see whether EK has a desk open. Yes – they are checking in for the evening bird to DXB.
We talk to Laura, the senior EK agent. Her immediate reaction is “ITA should have sorted this.” We roll on the floor laughing the proverbial off… Hey… it’s Italia…!
After checking with EK ticketing, and ITA, she confirms that we were listed as no-shows, apparently without any explanation and that ITA are saying it’s weather-related and are therefore washing their hands of the whole thing. Lovely! Hey… It’s Italia…!
It looks like we are now stranded in FCO with forfeited discount whY bookings and our only saviour is the TA contacted by QF Wine to deliver the prize.
We repair to the HGI, get settled in and head to the bar and resto to chill and regroup. It’s night in OZ, so no hurry. We’ve done all that we can up to now.
We get back to our room and I email the TA informing her that we are stranded at FCO and now totally dependent on her to effect a rescue.
Her start time of 0900h EDST is still a few hours away. Bang! At 0856 EDST an email from her wakes us up about 0100h local. Reading between the lines, oh cough seems to be her reaction! Are we all OK!?
FFS! A WP, two SG (me having dropped to my LTG at the end of August after 20 years as WP and poor old PJM tagging along as a NB), don’t you think we know how to handle this…?
Hey, this will teach you to book discount whY, lady…! (Meanwhile, I’m already thinking how this emergency with only full-whY seats showing on EF is going to be a bonus for our FF points balance when she does rebook us…! Hyuk, hyuk…)
Her QF contact section isn’t open, but 15 minutes later another email hits the deck. She can’t get us out the next day as the flights are chockers (EF had already told me that, of course), so she’s booked the day after (EF has also told me that’s tight as well); is that OK?
Yep, we say, and let family know that we’ll be two days later than originally planned and return to slumber.
Next morning, we book another night at the HGI and settle in for a chill day unwinding after a VERY hectic and sensational eight days of the main part of the trip.
Frankly, it’s no problemo! We’re still rockin’ – and someone else is doing all the work. Too easy!
Now that we have flights booked, I scope seating on EF. Hmmm… hardly a pair of unallocated seats anywhere on the birds. I had asked the TA to try to seat us together as far forward as possible.
Strangely, the itinerary is showing us seated in two pairs a few rows apart near the front for FCO-DXB and no allocation yet for DXB-PER, but EF is showing some of those FCO-DXB seats unallocated.
I know, let’s take the shuttle bus over to the terminal and see if EK ticketing is open and see whether we can get some sense of what’s going on. Another really nice and helpful EK agent is at the desk. I give her the story and she scopes the system but it’s been passed from ticketing to airport control so nothing can be done right then.
She says she’ll be supervising at checkin tomorrow, so we leave her with the story and start hoping for the best.
What an angel!
When we check in the next day she’s there at the F counter to oversee her colleague and check with us what’s transpired. They’ve juggled seating and have us together in the middle block of row 50 in the front cabin for FCO-DXB. So far, so good.
For DXB-PER, what they’ve done – quite understandably, and showing someone behind the scenes has been working hard on it – is seat us on the side in the last two rows, but with the aisle seats blocked, which I could see on EF. Of course, there are no guarantees the shadows will hold, but it seems a reasonable gamble to take.
Otherwise, we’d be smeared all over the bird.
As fate would have it, the shadows vanished.
My first experience of the very last seat on the starboard side of an A380 (in fact any bird.) 
Strangely enough, towards the end of the flight and the CSM came around iPad in hand to seek out WPs, there were three in the last four rows on the side! There must have been others in a similar late-booked situation to us.
And, of course what this meant was that I had the distinction of being the last pax off! My sense of humour, as always, was the first thing I had packed.
A grisly sight:
And, finally, off the bird!
Normal TR transmission will resume shortly!
But… you may want to pour a large glass of wine before reading on…
Everything went perfectly to plan… that was until checking in for the ITA (the Phoenix that arose from the never-ending ashes of Alitalia) flight FLR-FCO to connect after just under a 3h layover with our EK flight FCO-xDXB-PER.
The checkin agent starts by saying that the ITA doesn’t recognise our Amadeus QF PNR (I already had the EK Sabre record noted.) God only knows what the shambolic ITA system uses – despite receiving a message directly from ITA a few weeks before travel headlined with out Amadeus PNR to advise a slight schedule change.
Mama mia! Hey… it’s Italia…! Shambolica reigns.
Anyway, she fusses about regarding bag interlining but then proceeds to tag them through to PER.
Her demeanour just seemed odd to me.
Hmmmm… something’s going on – but what…? We were soon to find out why.
We get an announcement that our flight will be delayed 1h 45m. Hmmm… that’s going to make our connection TIGHT.
Shambles continue. We hear a rumour that the incoming flight diverted to Pisa because of weather. I look out the window. All seems fairly calm – although I do notice higher clouds scudding.
FLR is surrounded by hills and has a short runway. Windshear passes through my mind. Anyway, the Captain has made his call and he’s in charge and responsible for safety. No qualms with that.
Then it seems there is some uncertainty whether the bird will lift out of Pisa and come to FLR before returning to FCO. Shambolica continues… Hey… it’s Italia…!
Finally, the flight is announced as cancelled and we are to be bussed to FCO.
Hmmm… things start to come together for me. I reckon the checkin agent knew something was likely going to go pear-shaped when we checked in but wasn’t certain, so that why she messed around with us and our bags, expressing some worries about making our connection.
Can we get ITA to let EK know we’ll miss the connection? I was trying to avoid being a no-show without explanation.
No way! They are totally uncooperative – even though our itinerary is on one PNR.
All they would say to us was “Flight cancelled, we’ll get you to FCO, then you are on your own.” Nice… Hey… it’s Italia…!
We got bombed with emails, first saying delay, then cancelled. No mention of the reason why – but a rumour is circulating that it is weather-related.
That’s, of course, very handy for avoiding compensation under EU261/2004…
OK, off we go downstairs to collect our bags that take an age to come back out in dribs and drabs… Hey… it’s Italia…!
But, before that, I phone the QF WP line and explain the situation and that I’m trying to get someone – anyone – to alert EK that we will miss the FCO-DXB flight. Of course, HBA is not open as it’s night in Oz. The agent says she can‘t really do anything as the booking is through a TA, but says she’ll put a note on the system.
Ok, I tried my best to avoid being listed as unexplained no-shows on what I knew were discount whY tix – although whether it would have made any difference is moot.
We get a voucher for a snack and drink, so we grab a roll and a water on the way to the bus and climb aboard for a 3h journey.
On the way, I log into Booking.com and book two rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn at FCO.
There are two hotels right at the terminal, but of course they charge a bomb. The HGI is out near the parking lot and serviced every 15m by a shuttle – that turns out to be an airport, not hotel, bus that plies a circuit around the airport precinct.
It turns out to be brilliant! A highly recommended combo.
OK, we get dropped outside T3 at FCO. Let’s go in to see whether EK has a desk open. Yes – they are checking in for the evening bird to DXB.
We talk to Laura, the senior EK agent. Her immediate reaction is “ITA should have sorted this.” We roll on the floor laughing the proverbial off… Hey… it’s Italia…!
After checking with EK ticketing, and ITA, she confirms that we were listed as no-shows, apparently without any explanation and that ITA are saying it’s weather-related and are therefore washing their hands of the whole thing. Lovely! Hey… It’s Italia…!
It looks like we are now stranded in FCO with forfeited discount whY bookings and our only saviour is the TA contacted by QF Wine to deliver the prize.
We repair to the HGI, get settled in and head to the bar and resto to chill and regroup. It’s night in OZ, so no hurry. We’ve done all that we can up to now.
We get back to our room and I email the TA informing her that we are stranded at FCO and now totally dependent on her to effect a rescue.
Her start time of 0900h EDST is still a few hours away. Bang! At 0856 EDST an email from her wakes us up about 0100h local. Reading between the lines, oh cough seems to be her reaction! Are we all OK!?
FFS! A WP, two SG (me having dropped to my LTG at the end of August after 20 years as WP and poor old PJM tagging along as a NB), don’t you think we know how to handle this…?
Hey, this will teach you to book discount whY, lady…! (Meanwhile, I’m already thinking how this emergency with only full-whY seats showing on EF is going to be a bonus for our FF points balance when she does rebook us…! Hyuk, hyuk…)
Her QF contact section isn’t open, but 15 minutes later another email hits the deck. She can’t get us out the next day as the flights are chockers (EF had already told me that, of course), so she’s booked the day after (EF has also told me that’s tight as well); is that OK?
Yep, we say, and let family know that we’ll be two days later than originally planned and return to slumber.
Next morning, we book another night at the HGI and settle in for a chill day unwinding after a VERY hectic and sensational eight days of the main part of the trip.
Frankly, it’s no problemo! We’re still rockin’ – and someone else is doing all the work. Too easy!
Now that we have flights booked, I scope seating on EF. Hmmm… hardly a pair of unallocated seats anywhere on the birds. I had asked the TA to try to seat us together as far forward as possible.
Strangely, the itinerary is showing us seated in two pairs a few rows apart near the front for FCO-DXB and no allocation yet for DXB-PER, but EF is showing some of those FCO-DXB seats unallocated.
I know, let’s take the shuttle bus over to the terminal and see if EK ticketing is open and see whether we can get some sense of what’s going on. Another really nice and helpful EK agent is at the desk. I give her the story and she scopes the system but it’s been passed from ticketing to airport control so nothing can be done right then.
She says she’ll be supervising at checkin tomorrow, so we leave her with the story and start hoping for the best.
What an angel!
When we check in the next day she’s there at the F counter to oversee her colleague and check with us what’s transpired. They’ve juggled seating and have us together in the middle block of row 50 in the front cabin for FCO-DXB. So far, so good. For DXB-PER, what they’ve done – quite understandably, and showing someone behind the scenes has been working hard on it – is seat us on the side in the last two rows, but with the aisle seats blocked, which I could see on EF. Of course, there are no guarantees the shadows will hold, but it seems a reasonable gamble to take.
Otherwise, we’d be smeared all over the bird.As fate would have it, the shadows vanished.
My first experience of the very last seat on the starboard side of an A380 (in fact any bird.) Strangely enough, towards the end of the flight and the CSM came around iPad in hand to seek out WPs, there were three in the last four rows on the side! There must have been others in a similar late-booked situation to us.
And, of course what this meant was that I had the distinction of being the last pax off!
My sense of humour, as always, was the first thing I had packed.A grisly sight:
And, finally, off the bird!
Normal TR transmission will resume shortly!
JohnM
Enthusiast
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- Jun 7, 2006
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Welcome back. I look forward to hearing this one over a wine or eight. Row 50 and right at the back of the bus. How the mighty have fallen. Couldn't have happened to a nicer chap too
I was waiting for The Pest to appear and make the usual gratuitous, uncalled for remarks.
Daver6
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I was waiting for The Pest to appear and make the usual gratuitous, uncalled for remarks.
I dislike disappointing you, so I'm glad I didn't
Read our AFF credit card guides and start earning more points now.
JohnM
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OK, back to the beginning.
A few soothing Veuves in the PER EK Lounge before hauling out. The bird up to DXB was very lightly loaded; that to FCO more loaded.
A far less soothing morning Moet in the DXB lounge. OMG, that stuff is ordinary…
Uneventful travel, get to FCO and our driver arrives at the transport pickup point moments after we do. Drive into Rome and settle into our hotel, freshen up and then hit the town. Daylight saving still in place (set to revert on the following Sunday), so plenty of light into the evening.
Trevi Fountain is not far away.
We find a nice spot for dinner in a small piazza off the main pedestrian drag. Delicious Sardinian vermentino to get us into the Roma mood.
Next day and it’s looking very Italian as we wander towards Piazza Navona. It’s many years since PJM has been to Italy. She’s soaking it up as the team clown.
Then on to our cooking class. This turned out to be much better than I expected and was a lot of fun.
First was to knock up some tiramisu so it could go into the fridge while we made pasta from scratch to turn into fettucine and ravioli.
We labelled our own creations and chose a sauce. Each was then cooked separately for lunch.
A few soothing Veuves in the PER EK Lounge before hauling out. The bird up to DXB was very lightly loaded; that to FCO more loaded.
A far less soothing morning Moet in the DXB lounge. OMG, that stuff is ordinary…
Uneventful travel, get to FCO and our driver arrives at the transport pickup point moments after we do. Drive into Rome and settle into our hotel, freshen up and then hit the town. Daylight saving still in place (set to revert on the following Sunday), so plenty of light into the evening.
Trevi Fountain is not far away.
We find a nice spot for dinner in a small piazza off the main pedestrian drag. Delicious Sardinian vermentino to get us into the Roma mood.
Next day and it’s looking very Italian as we wander towards Piazza Navona. It’s many years since PJM has been to Italy. She’s soaking it up as the team clown.
Then on to our cooking class. This turned out to be much better than I expected and was a lot of fun.
First was to knock up some tiramisu so it could go into the fridge while we made pasta from scratch to turn into fettucine and ravioli.
We labelled our own creations and chose a sauce. Each was then cooked separately for lunch.
JohnM
Enthusiast
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- Jun 7, 2006
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- 11,431
- Qantas
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Mmmmmm… delisioso!
What a blast!
On that note, we blasted off after lunch on an open-top bus ride circuit around Roma to relax, orientate and just take in the key sites.
After completing the circuit, we trekked towards the Vatican. Rain was threatening, but we pressed on. The queue to get in was insanely long. Been there, done that; we have much better things to do than stand in endless queues.
Sheesh – there’s always at least one clown at every rodeo…
A decision point came. Do we bail and risk getting drenched, or do we stay where there is shelter? Stuff it, let’s bail.
We walk along the river heading towards Piazza del Popolo at the base of Villa Borghese.
What a blast!
On that note, we blasted off after lunch on an open-top bus ride circuit around Roma to relax, orientate and just take in the key sites.
After completing the circuit, we trekked towards the Vatican. Rain was threatening, but we pressed on. The queue to get in was insanely long. Been there, done that; we have much better things to do than stand in endless queues.
Sheesh – there’s always at least one clown at every rodeo…
A decision point came. Do we bail and risk getting drenched, or do we stay where there is shelter? Stuff it, let’s bail.
We walk along the river heading towards Piazza del Popolo at the base of Villa Borghese.
JohnM
Enthusiast
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We get there as the clouds thicken. Then it begins to bucket; we sprint to the nearest café for shelter and a pick-me-up.
Down comes the rain – but this is the only time during the trip where rain happens during the day. We had sensational, mild weather and when it did rain, it was at night. The Big Fella KWIA…
We are not really sweet-thing eaters, but the display is pretty awesome.
We kill a bit of time before venturing out and heading towards the Spanish Steps, which is in the direction of our hotel. That, in turn, takes us past the Barbareni Palace and IIRC, some sort of former official’s residence, now a government office, with a Romulus and Remus statue in front.
We were pretty stuffed and rain was still threatening, so we opted to eat at a restaurant a few metres from the hotel. Cracking pizzas and a cracking Antinori 2018 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, preceded of course by a zesty white to tickle the taste buds, all to wash the pizzas down and set us up for peaceful slumbers.
First day in Italia knocked off!
Down comes the rain – but this is the only time during the trip where rain happens during the day. We had sensational, mild weather and when it did rain, it was at night. The Big Fella KWIA…
We are not really sweet-thing eaters, but the display is pretty awesome.
We kill a bit of time before venturing out and heading towards the Spanish Steps, which is in the direction of our hotel. That, in turn, takes us past the Barbareni Palace and IIRC, some sort of former official’s residence, now a government office, with a Romulus and Remus statue in front.
We were pretty stuffed and rain was still threatening, so we opted to eat at a restaurant a few metres from the hotel. Cracking pizzas and a cracking Antinori 2018 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, preceded of course by a zesty white to tickle the taste buds, all to wash the pizzas down and set us up for peaceful slumbers.
First day in Italia knocked off!
JohnM
Enthusiast
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Next day is our scheduled Colosseum and Roman Forum tour, but not until the afternoon. We decide on a lazy start, with a rainbow in view out of the breakfast room window, and then a walk back in the sunshine to the Spanish Steps district with all its upmarket and eclectic shopping streets and alleys for an aimless wander.
This time, we approach the Steps from above.
Trinita dei Monti at the top of the Steps.
Bonus! Today’s rodeo has two clowns…
We descend and wander through the shops to Piazza Popolo again, but this time it’s dry. Insufficient time to scope Villa Borghese and we begin to wander back to the hotel which is conveniently on the direct route to the Colosseum, stopping for a coffee and alternative for tea-addict PJM.
Shopping unloaded at the hotel, and we continue on to the meeting point for our small-group (only eight people) tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We have the highly desired but limited tickets to the Colosseum Underground. Fast-track entry and low numbers. Much envy.
Our guide, Sonia, is lovely and highly knowledgeable. She’s a Masters-level archaeologist doing a PhD, which we gather is a little stuck at the moment. We loved her T-shirt slogan: ‘My life is in ruins’!
The tour is scheduled for three hours; it ended up being three and a quarter.
The place is a zoo until we escape into the fast-track lane and deep interior.
This time, we approach the Steps from above.
Trinita dei Monti at the top of the Steps.
Bonus! Today’s rodeo has two clowns…
We descend and wander through the shops to Piazza Popolo again, but this time it’s dry. Insufficient time to scope Villa Borghese and we begin to wander back to the hotel which is conveniently on the direct route to the Colosseum, stopping for a coffee and alternative for tea-addict PJM.
Shopping unloaded at the hotel, and we continue on to the meeting point for our small-group (only eight people) tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We have the highly desired but limited tickets to the Colosseum Underground. Fast-track entry and low numbers. Much envy.
Our guide, Sonia, is lovely and highly knowledgeable. She’s a Masters-level archaeologist doing a PhD, which we gather is a little stuck at the moment. We loved her T-shirt slogan: ‘My life is in ruins’!
The tour is scheduled for three hours; it ended up being three and a quarter.
The place is a zoo until we escape into the fast-track lane and deep interior.
JohnM
Enthusiast
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A massive (40m high IIRC) statue of Nero once adorned the plaza outside. The holes on the masonry are where iron reinforcing was robbed over the years.
This tunnel led some distance to the gladiators’ quarters well outside the Colosseum and was used by them to enter the underground section of the Colosseum before being hoisted to the arena. A new video display emulated what went on.
The floor of the Colosseum arena was actually all timber, with soil on top. A massive network of tunnels serviced men and beasts, with multiple entries to the arena to make for very dynamic performances.
Entry to the arena was facilitated by many wooden elevators, man-powered with capstans and ropes. There were 28 of those for the animals alone.
The sewers, darkness, fierce and tormented animals, blood and gore would have made the underground a grisly place to work.
Throwing Christians et al. to the beasts was the lunchtime entertainment…
Entry was free and highly sought after, but limited spaces relative to the population meant a fair bit of biffo to get in.
JohnM
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Very little of the marble seating remains.
There was a proposal at one point to build a big church in the arena. It obviously didn’t happen.
Then out onto a balcony overlooking the Grand Roman Arch (315 CE), before exiting to head across to the Roman Forum.
Some of Sonia’s colleagues were excavating just across the way.
There was a proposal at one point to build a big church in the arena. It obviously didn’t happen.
Then out onto a balcony overlooking the Grand Roman Arch (315 CE), before exiting to head across to the Roman Forum.
Some of Sonia’s colleagues were excavating just across the way.
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