Hancock's Half Holiday

[Princess Fiona]

...
To be continued……

Next TP run stay at the Ali'i Towers at Hilton Waikiki Village. Check-in and out at their own reception, private pool. It's bliss, relatively speaking. Easy to pop over to the ABC shop for supplies

 

[TonyHancock]

“I say old chap” Curruthers-Smythe bleated, “How was your hols?”

I had to think about this, I wasn’t sure “normal” society was ready for an honest answer. After all there aren’t too many people I know who would fly 19 sectors for a three-day break in HNL.

“Jolly decent old chap” I responded in my best Bertie Wooster voice.

Then I cast my mind back to mid August and recalled, inwardly, sitting in my room at the Hilton Resort at Waikiki.

……..so this was what a TP run was like, of course I had picked a few cheap SC’s up in Australia over a weekend, but I was now 10 days into this trip and if I am brutally honest the shine had long since gone. To be precise it had been unceremoniously nicked by the hordes of tourists.

So what had Griselda lined up for me in my return to MEL? Unsurprisingly it was more of the same with the added twist of only one overnight hotel stay in the six days it was to take me to get home.
I shuddered as I realised I was about to take six days to get home from a city that was an eleven hour flight from MEL. :shock:

On the afternoon of my departure I felt like a condemned man. I always feel like that on the last day of a holiday. It is a nothing sort of day. My flight was an evening one and I checked out at 6:00 PM taking a taxi to the airport. Having spent at least two minutes and 37 seconds feverishly searching online for lounge options it was with a deflated spirit I entered the terminal at HNL.

There was to be no lounge access. Well this was a novelty.

Check in was painless and I marched off in the general direction of the gate with my boarding pass for PHX and for the following PHX-JFK sector.

When I arrived at HNL I had marvelled at the outdoor nature of the terminal, it was refreshing and to me quite novel. It seemed less marvellous as I departed. The gate could not have been much further from the check in area and the extreme humidity was, quite frankly, unpleasant. How I yearned for air conditioning.

The battered old 757 departed on time, after another excellent priority boarding experience and I settled into a couple of G&T’s before falling into a deep sleep. (hic) Another on time arrival from US and after a quick visit to the dire lounge it was on the way to JFK.

This time I was prepared and headed straight for Federal Circle and the Hilton shuttle bus. This was to be my last night in a hotel for a while so I wanted to make the most of it. The Hilton played along by upgrading me to a suite. Admittedly the Hilton at JFK would not be at the top of the list of luxurious accommodations, but it served its purpose.



Griselda had carried out the necessary research on check in times for BA2, and although departure was at 7:00PM it was possible to check in at pretty much any time in the afternoon. I decided to check out and spend a lazy afternoon consuming the entire contents of the BA F Lounge bar. (Well, obviously not the soft drinks. )

The Hilton shuttle driver was a little confused by the massive traffic jam we found ourselves in as he tired to work his way around the terminals. He suggested I might want to jump off and walk the remaining distance as we ground to a complete halt. I explained that I had the odd 5 hours to spare and smiled accordingly. We had edged forward another ten yards before he asked again. Now I’m no great reader of other people, it is hard to be when you are a DYKWIA, but it dawned upon me that his desire to offload me was for his benefit rather than mine. I could see where the road curved towards T7 and it was where the source of the traffic jam was – an overturned bus. I relented and disembarked, walking the last 500 yards to the terminal.

What came next I found a little odd. BA had no premium check in desks open, but did have a Y check in desk operating. The options were sitting around with all of the other J and F pax currently making the BA premium check in area untidy or joining the snaking Y queue.

I took the action of a self respecting DYKWIA and approached a BA staff member idly standing by the self-service check in machines. Surprisingly she proved incredibly helpful and escorted me to the IB check in counters and checked me in herself.

Now all I had to do was fight my way through security……….as, of course, the premium security lanes were yet to open.

The BA F Lounge was as underwhelming as all of the FT posts had suggested. I was yet to reach the giddy heights of GGL/CCR so the F dining room was off limits to me. too (I do find this a little odd. BA1, 2, 3, and 4 are marketed as premium services but this is another area where BA fails to deliver that premium.)

Nonetheless the F lounge provided booze, less than optimal food, and a printer to print my UL boarding passes to help speed me through LHR prior to UL's landslide check in opening. So not all bad.

 

[serfty]

Reading with enjoyment ...

---

5 Hours huh?

It's a little known fact, that since last year (May?), one could have taken that BA BP and the train to T8 and use a couple of hours to explore the delights of the two A/C's and the F/L that exist there (or for DYKWIA mode, just the F/L) ... any of which I consider overall better than the BA "F" lounge at T7 ... just take a train in the other direction back to T7 for your flight ...

 

[TonyHancock]

I was unable to secure 1K for the JFK-LCY sector, which of course is disappointing in the DYKWIA stakes. I have no idea what Griselda was up to and made a mental note to chastise her extensively upon my return….assuming I ever got back to MEL.

Griselda had at least got something right and had briefed me extensively on what to expect from my governing flight into LCY on BA3. BA really does fall over in its offering. Yes, I know it is a J flight, but with only 32 lie flat seats on the plane and sense of “exclusivity” no offered by many airlines one would think they might be able to offer pyjamas or a decent amenity kit. I found myself seated next to a QF CL member who was less than impressed.

The service is up there with F service and the food offerings are pretty good too but I just shake my head at the ancient iPads and, quite frankly, awful amenity kits. :?:

Little in my recent travel experiences prepared me for the full horror that awaited me at LCY. Not since my greener days of package holidays to Ibiza , Crete, and Tenerife had I experienced the utter chaos of a crowded claustrophobic terminal simply heaving with people.

There was of course no lounge, and no transfer process. Upon arrival it was out into the landside area and then massive queues through security. Airside was just a mass of people trying to grab fast food and watching the monitors waiting for their gate to come up.

LCY is marketed as the ideal business airport, one arrives, clears security and boards the plane. It is, apparently, much loved by businessmen for its ease of access, compared to LHR/LGW, and convenience. This TP runner hated it with a passion. I had a 90 minute layover that turned into almost two hours. It represents everything I despise about air travel. It was noisy, smelly, crowded and claustrophobic. My flight to DUB could not come soon enough.

I was starting to tire now, and not even my second airline breakfast of the day could energise me, although it cheered me up to see the CSM dispatch a J seat stealer back to his Y seat prior to take off to DUB.

My flight to LHR from DUB was a redemption ticket and I had allowed myself plenty of time at DUB…just in case there were any delays on my inbound itinerary. I was due to land in DUB at 10:05 and my flight to LHR was schedule for 15:20. Now having spent an hour in the DUB lounge I was quite keen to try and get an earlier flight and was very surprised when BA duly obliged. I’d rather spend the time at LHR in the F lounge.

Mid trip BA changed its policies around hand luggage and priority boarding and my flight to LHR was to be my first experience of the new rules. My second hand luggage item was border line in size and I was interested to see how BA would police its new policies.

“Boarding pass please!” the BA ground crew member barked at me as I entered the PB lane.

“Sorry you need to join the general boarding queue.” He said moving to the next person in line.

BA’s new policy is J and GCH first, although OWE, is in there too, but it is not well highlighted.

I was somewhat taken aback and held out my boarding pass again, having scanned it myself again to make sure I wasn’t imagining things.

“…….but…but…but” was all I could muster.

“This lane is for Business Class and British Airways Gold Card holders only” he said quite sternly. :shock:

“….but….but…but” came from my lips again.

I finally managed to point to the relevant part of the boarding pass that highlighted my status - BA GCH, and the fact that I was flying J.

“Oh, it was the emerald bit that confused me” he spluttered as I was finally allowed to board. :shock:

An uneventful flight soon had me at LHR T5. Oddly all I could think about was whether the BA F Lounge at T3 would have Chilli con Carne. (I had taken quite a liking to it at T5) The transfer process was relatively painless although I could see that it could be confusing for the non english speakers out there.

Upon clearing security and reaching the main departures area I was briefly undecided as to whether a lounge crawl was in order. This moment of indecision lasted less than two seconds as the call of the JW Blue Label in the BA F Lounge proved to strong too fight off.

It was an anxious couple of hours as I bunkered down next to the spirits section in the F Lounge. The hot food had yet to appear, but finally at about 5 PM the Chilli materialised and I helped myself to a couple of decent serves, moving to the Malbec as an accompaniment, before returning to the JW Blue Label. (hic)

By this stage I was pretty much exhausted and quite keen to keep moving……..

 

[TonyHancock]

There are many, many worse ways to fly than UL J on its A330’s with flat beds. I covered the experience on the CMB-LHR sector previously and I managed 6 hours or more of sleep on this sector.

As per my previous report the food is not bad, but the cabin crew are not quite as polished as you’d see on QF/CX/BA etc.

I didn’t quite know what to expect upon arrival at CMB, my layover was 13 hours, and Griselda had briefed me on the UL policy of providing accomodation as part of the flight package. I had no great desire to leave the airport, I was pretty tired and could have done without the fuss.

My first thought was to pop into the lounge for a shower and grab a nap in the quiet section but that was soon knocked on the head as the lounge staff confirmed that I could not enter the lounge and had to take the hotel option.

The process was relatively painless and involved obtaining a transit visa (free) by filling out the appropriate form and heading through immigration. Whilst I was filling the form in the chap behind the transit desk was filling the necessary details in for my transit hotel. The hotel in question was the Tamarind Tree Hotel. Once through immigration and customs it was a case of heading to the transfer desk where after a short wait a driver took me the kilometre or so to the hotel.

I wish I could have been bothered to take pictures but I was, to put it bluntly, knackered. After a quick shower I drifted off to sleep. The hotel is a collection of “bungalows” with kitchen/living room, bedroom, and bathroom. The gardens they sit in are very green and pleasant. The bungalows themselves have definitely seen better days, but are perfectly OK for a transit. (Although I suspect some here would not think much of them.) By the time I awoke it was time to head off to the airport so I did not get to sample the lunch and dinner that were part of the deal.

UL takes J travel and its J pax very seriously, and has a seperate check in area for J pax with entry at a different door away from the main airport entrance. Very DYKWIA. After clearing immigration it was straight to the lounge for a spot of dinner.

Did I mention UL takes its J pax seriously? Well yes I did, and priority boarding when boarding from the tarmac was certainly taken very seriously. Once the first bus appeared I edged forward and handed my boarding pass over for inspection, only to be swiftly dispatched and advised there was a seperate bus for J pax. Only after all of the Y pax had been emptied out of the gate area did the J bus appear. It all seemed a bit odd, but I guess it kinda works well. :?:

It was another uneventful and on time flight, I even swapped seats with a chap to allow him and his daughter to sit together.

With eleven hours to kill at SIN I opted for 6 hours in the transit hotel in T3. It is aways nice to stay somewhere that puts curtains up for effect. To be fair it is exactly what is says it is and was just about perfect for the time I had. The one thing that is incredibly frustrating is the lack of in room wifi. :evil:

At this stage my QF number was still in the booking for SIN-MEL which is always fun as the QF lounge staff run around and escort you to a reserved section if you are a P1 or presumably CL. I’m not a fan of the QF lounge in SIN it is too big for me. The BA lounge was to open later in the week but I am hearing very good things about it. BA seems to have set up a seperate enclosed area for its F pax and those with a CCR card.

I had managed to snag 4A on the refurbed A330 and it was my first time in a seat that offered a little more privacy. (I had previously been in 7A twice and 7K once.) the even number window seats put the pax a little closer to the window and feel a little more enclosed. The jury is out for me though I am not sure I like the even number seats, it feels like you get less workspace. I’m sure that can’t be right but it was just a feeling.

So after 19 days and 19 flights I found myself back in MEL and a little closer to BA GGL. Was it worth it? Mmmmmm not sure yet but I think the benefits that come with GGL are pretty damned fine compared to P1.

Now where is Griselda? I need to give her a good talking to!


FIN

 

[serfty]

...
I had managed to snag 4A on the refurbed A330 and it was my first time in a seat that offered a little more privacy. (I had previously been in 7A twice and 7K once.) the even number window seats put the pax a little closer to the window and feel a little more enclosed. The jury is out for me though I am not sure I like the even number seats, it feels like you get less workspace. I’m sure that can’t be right but it was just a feeling....

'tis likely you are right & this is indeed the case.

The even numbered window seats require a short "walkway" to access them while there is no need for such with the odd numbered A/K as the are adjacent to the aisle.

So the opportunity was taken to provide additional bench/work space as well as storage underneath using the spa.

Personally I still prefer the additional privacy of the even numbered seats for night flights as well as being less likely to be bumped by those walking the aisle.

The odd numbered ones may be better for day flights.

 

[love_the_life]

A wonderful read TH - don't be too hard on Griselda

 

[drron]

And I am starting the Poor Old Griselda Fan Club.
But really so when I go to the old dart again I can have a new card-Drron,President POGFC.I am sure a few there will think I own a football club.