Erk's Northern Hemiwanderer, June 2014

[erkpod]

Only if your down the road in Saudi Arabia, the UAE has female fighter pilots.

Reading further overnight, women can indeed drive in the UAE. I also didn't know that 80% of the population are non-Emirati.

 

[erkpod]

AUH - SYD VA30
Day 25
Friday 27 June

Y check-in at AUH was busy. Lucky for me, I'm in J which was less busy. I had to get my bags wrapped which added time.

Passport control & security took about 30 minutes in the dedicated F/J lines. I shudder to think about the lines for Y.

I'm in the EY Flounge. Staff seem less attentive today. Lounge noticeably busier on a Friday on an earlier flight.

Upon entry, I was asked if I had a guest & advised that next time, I can bring a guest. I don't have an AFF member I can produce at short notice.

Boarding should start in around 20 minutes. Can't wait to get on the VA bird & see a nice friendly VA FA. It will be nice after being on DL & EY for most of the trip.

 

[erkpod]

Boarding was late & chaotic - not helped by an Australian government mandated LAGs check at the gate. That's the most disorganised I've seen AUH/UAE security.

We missed our slot due to late boarding & was about 60 minutes late taking off.

I went to 5K & saw an attractive lady who would be sitting next to me. She asked me if I wouldn't mind swapping with her fiance in 3G. I didn't want to be stuck next to a lovesick woman sookylalaing for the next 14 hours so I swapped after speaking to a FA. The man was very grateful & I settled in to 3G.

3G wasn't bad but 5A & 5K are the seats to aim for on a VA 777 and that's why I snapped it up months ago.

Some other guy had a sookylala to the Cabin Manager because he wanted a window so he was able to swap with the guy in 3K. Her paperwork was a mess due to the changes (there may have been more than the 2 I knew about) so I wasn't surprised when she called me the wrong name when seeing if I was ok pre takeoff.

I watched Lost In Translation which was relevant due to my recent Japan visit & watched some of Apollo 13 before retiring just west of Sri Lanka.

Apart from some overnight chopiness, 3G wasn't too bad but my first preference in J will always be 5A or 5K now. I was just sleeping with 27 new friends - a little more upmarket than the 21 bed lodge room at Willesden Green.

Plane landed around 25 late into Sydney. Thanks to being second off the plane, in J & with an express pass, I went from plane to street in 15 minutes & plane to SYD Vlounge via VA bus in 50 minutes.

 

[Grooba]

Welcome home!

 

[erkpod]

Interesting thing I learnt in the AUH EY Flounge is that VA30 doesn't appear on the screens in the lounge "because it is another airline" - despite the fact it is an EY codeshare.

 

[erkpod]

I am considering flying SYD - AUH - MIA for next year's 70000 Tons of Metal to avoid LAX.

 

[erkpod]

va30, auh

 

[erkpod]

VA30 at AUH



Boarding





VA30 at SYD.

 

[erkpod]

Thank you for reading my latest TR. I've spent 3 out of 6 months away internationally this year & this will be my last international trip of the year.

I've enjoyed the experiences & the interaction based on a near real time TR.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find a hotdog in the SYD Vlounge before flying to Melbourne...

 

[craven morehead]

Job well done !!

 

[TomVexille]

I am considering flying SYD - AUH - MIA for next year's 70000 Tons of Metal to avoid LAX.

I'd almost rather deal with LAX than MIA

 

[erkpod]

I'd almost rather deal with LAX than MIA

My final destination for the flight to the cruise would be MIA or FLL. US CBP allows preclearance in AUH so that eliminates some of the issues inbound to MIA.

 

[TomVexille]

My final destination for the flight to the cruise would be MIA or FLL. US CBP allows preclearance in AUH so that eliminates some of the issues inbound to MIA.

Excellent point. I completely forgot about preclearance at AUH.

 

[erkpod]

All of my SC are now in for the trip.

Partly due to the DSC, I've done 630 SC since becoming WP in mid May.

 

[kevrosmith]

All of my SC are now in for the trip.

Partly due to the DSC, I've done 630 SC since becoming WP in mid May.

So only 170 away from your WP requalification then... followed by another 500 more for Partner Gold and then another 500 for Partner Platinum. Keep going erk... you've got 11 more months to get there.

 

[erkpod]

So only 170 away from your WP requalification then... followed by another 500 more for Partner Gold and then another 500 for Partner Platinum. Keep going erk... you've got 11 more months to get there.

No Partner anything...