QF009 travels the world on a blast from the past: my first DONE4

[Commuter]

QF009, I hope you eventually got off to your destination without too much further delay. It was very nice meeting you.

What was supposed to be an on time departure turned into a bit of a delay due to air traffic, although arrival wasn't far of on-time (strong tail wind).

My opinion of the T1 Flounge (first time I ever used it) was that T4 Flounge is nicer. Better access to drinks (at F4 Flounge you just help yourself to whatever from the bar that is easy to find near the food). Having said that, T4 Flounge tends to be very busy even on a normal day - busier than T1 Flounge was yesterday evening, and sometimes hard to find anwhere to sit (does that remind anyone of QP? ). Food on offer at T4 and T1 are almost identical, although T1 lounge has more sweets than I saw at T4 last time.

One issue I want to whinge about BA T1 is that they don't accept bags until 2.5 hours prior to departure for short haul and 3 hours prior to departure for long haul. If you allow for London traffic and leave for the airport in plenty of time, this can result in you being rather stuck at the airport with lots of bags. I think they should start accepting bags much earlier for premium passengers. Last time I was at BA T4 (only a few weeks ago), F check-in accepted long haul premium passengers' bags basically from pretty early (at least 6+ hours prior, although I don't know the upper limit), so I don't know if this is a universal change, or if BA T1 would have accepted premium passenger luggage if they were flying long haul (I was flying short haul so I forgot to ask about long haul).

QF009, did you try the cooked food at the Flounge in the end? They aren't bad at all.

I felt rather sorry for the lounge staffers. They were very pleasant people, but they must have been quite stressed with all the grumpy people!
They seemed to be handling things rather well though.

 

[paxman]

fantastic report QF009,

you do know your way around a bubble or two (and why wouldn't you) and you seem to know how to work a crew (your trip report should be mandatory reading for all the DYNWIA or as the FA call them 'pigs in space'). with regard to the BA inflight surveys I to get asked to fill these in a lot. they have quotas to fill and seem very grateful. you will also get online/email follow-ups. love your work, keep it up.

 

[Keith009]

Dubai!!

Bling, bling and more bling - Dubai has no shortage of glitz. Though the French champagne flows like water, the city is not exactly a mecca for nightlife. The fantastic shopping makes up for it though. Some parts of Dubai resemble construction sites, but along with that it seems to be a city full of hope, promise and with that - lots of bling to come!

It was raining when I arrived - not the kind of weather I was expecting. Being a Melbournian I suppose I had to take the blame for bringing up the weather with moi. But it cleared up and the weather over the duration of my stay was sunny yet with a comfy chill.

The rather grand lobby of the Sheraton Dubai Creek

Festival City

 

[Keith009]

With local MWer Imran K at a rather upscale food court

Indoor ski slope at Mall of the Emirates

Medinat Jumeirah - nice restos here and there's also a Caviar House & Prunier outlet

 

[Keith009]

A closer look at the Burj!

Dubai Creek

 

[Keith009]

Hard Rock Cafe Dubai - now I've literally 'been there, done that and gotten the t-shirt.'

Next: BA104 DXB-LHR J, BA559 LHR-FCO J

 

[kiwicounter]

great trip report so far QF009!

 

[Commuter]

Dubai looks rather nice. Thanks for posting the pics QF009.

 

[NYCguy]

Dubai looks rather nice.

As in Singapore "nice"...

 

[Keith009]

Sector - DXB-LHR
Flight number - BA108
Class - Business
CANCELLED

Sector - DXB-LHR
Flight number - BA104
Class - Business
Seat - 15D
Aircraft - B777-200

The roads were clear at 0800 and in no time my ride pulled up at DXB, and my foray into the Middle East came to an end. Off to the Eternal City today, via Heathrow. This day however was going to be much longer than I'd imagined...

You have to pass through some form of security no less than 3 times when departing DXB. Once before check in to scan your check in items and all hand luggage, another time after immigration, and finally the annoying shoe/belt carnival at the gate itself which caused a massive bottleneck as not many people were prepared for it.

Upon rocking up to the check in counters I saw from the screens that BA108 was canceled; it was later explained that this was due to crew shortage caused by the BA 777 incident at Heathrow a couple of days earlier. I watched the couple in front of me rebooked on to an LH flight as there was no way their original connection could be salvaged. I'd instead been rebooked on BA104 which leaves 2 hours later, still connecting in good time to my onward flight to FCO. So no need to work out whether I'd need to claim original routing credit or whatsoever... phew!

The only downside was that I'd been kicked out of my nicely pre-assigned seat 10G, and been given a window seat somewhere in the middle of the cabin. I don't mind taking off backwards but I don't like window seats when not riding the upper deck of a 744 (the side storage cabinets are the draw for me) as I often find them too claustrophobic - more so with the BA config due to the rather 'cozy' arrangement. So I pleaded my case for an aisle seat and promptly got one in the last row of the cabin - 15D.

All in I thought the cancelation was handled quite well by BA DXB as people were very promptly rebooked and I couldn't see many tears or dramas. I also got a call from a BA number when I was passing through security, presumably to advise me of my new schedule and to only turn up at the airport 2 hrs later (I'd missed it as my hands were full going through security and only checked it in the lounge and discovered that it was a call from some BA desk) - well too late!

I then headed to the BA lounge where there were free food vouchers for all pax on the canceled flight, and unlike quite a few BA lounges i'd been into there was free wifi in this one which was handy. Drinks wise there was also some French sparkling wine which went well with my breakfast, as well as several reds and whites.

Boarding then commenced and said bottleneck occurred, but that meant the aerobridge was pretty much empty and I simply sauntered to my seat virtually unhindered. And it was another champagne binge from the time pre-take off drinks was served.

View of BA Youth Hostel from seat 15D

We departed on schedule, and this flight had the standard post take off drinks, main meal, and pre landing refreshment routine. It was actually rather unmemorable as, apart from one very animated steward in the opposite aisle, it felt like the crew were simply going through the motions, apart from having ice thrown all over me during the initial bar service. That meant I got even more champers later during the flight though...

I decided to check out the IFE on this flight as The Nanny Diaries was showing and I missed the 2nd part of it on my QF flight. The PTV screen was tiny! Picture and audio quality were average at best unfortunately.

We were then served dinner. Whilst I enjoyed the entree of salmon, I should've known better than to have gone for steak on a flight. And although the menu clearly indicated 2 types of cheese on the cheese plate, we only got Cheddar - which would not have looked out of place in Economy.

 

[Keith009]

I then had a quick nap on the pretty comfy NNCW seat, and thankfully this wasn;t one of those overheated BA flights and in fact the temperature was quite nice and cold, which made for a rather comfy kip. My seat mate had been upgraded from W, but his gf was stuck in W - she chose this time to come up for some PDAs. Ugh. I retreated into the galley for more champers.

Another champagne sipping session, and before I knew it arvo tea was being served. The sandwiches were actually rather tasty, that I even asked for seconds as I didn't finish my steak and hence was feeling a little peckish.

Full menu here.

We then landed in LHR on time, but spent quite a while taxiing and ended up pulling into the terminal 15 mins behind schedule.

 

[Keith009]

Sector - LHR-FCO
Flight number - BA558
Class - Business
Seat - 3C
Aircraft - B757

Transferring to T1 for my flight was relatively painless, for Heathrow anyway. There were no queues at all at fast track and so it was in no time (again in relative terms) that I found myself meeting Commuter from AFF who'd organised to guest me into the BA FIRST Lounge. It was nice to catch up with yet another person from a travel forum, and put another face to handle.

My flight was delayed due to Heathrow operating at 50% capacity with 1 runway shut down. It was a good thing that I am sitting through the delay in the Flounge, the champagne bar in particular made it easier to sit through especially as the delicious Taittinger Millesime 2000 was served and quickly became my favourite spot. The food also looked rather nice, though I didn't get to eat from the restaurant menu as I wasn't very hungry having gorged on sandwiches on my flight. And as I was sitting at the computer terminals I could hear a lot of commotion at the front desks as lots of flights were delayed and the poor BA staffers were getting hell from lots of angry pax. Seriously people - what can the airline or the airport do about such a situation??

After a delay of 1 hr and 45 minutes we finally boarded the flight to FCO, and some dude decided to take out his frustration on the purser. *sigh* I thought regional business class products on European carriers were quite poor compared to what we'd get when flying QF domestically or some of the Asian carriers. The cabin was virtually identical to whY.

 

[Keith009]

Despite all that the crew on this flight were a rather charming lot and did their best to make the short hop to FCO as comfy as possible. Pommery was served on this flight, and we had a choice of prawn salad or chicken bryanie (sp??) for supper. I went for the prawn as the chicken smelt spicy and I was never one for spices. There was also a very nice Hazelnut mousse thingy and decent cheese plate for dessert.

I had quite a few more champers, before a combination of my cold, the altitude, and the repeated hangovers got to me. There was a dull throbbing in my head, which was instantly relieved when we landed and the pressure in the cabin went back to normal.

Next: Hotel Eden Rome, a Royal Meridien Hotel

 

[Keith009]

Dubai looks rather nice. Thanks for posting the pics QF009.

No worries - I too thought it was rather nice. I loved all the new developments, and am glad it isn't some barren desert backwater like what Muscat looks like from the pics I saw or something. They truly put the lux in luxury! And did I mention shopping? I've already had to ship some stuff home as they wouldn't fit into my suitcase and I didn't want to pay BA for exceeding the luggage allowance. I might just return to DXB on my next DONE4 if I can't think of anywhere with better nightlife (not that DXB's is exactly great though) or better shopping in the Middle East.

 

[Commuter]

QF009, what sort of things were great to shop for in Dubai?

I'm seriously thinking doing a DONE4 now, and Dubai is one of the cities I would like to have a look at, but great shopping might be a bonus.

 

[Keith009]

QF009, what sort of things were great to shop for in Dubai?

I bought lots of clothes - and they have the latest seasons of everything way before Australia does. Shopping is good value in Dubai (not that I've ever needed a reason to shop ). I think I might have helped cleaned out all the shirts in that Marc Jacobs' store at Mall of the Emirates...

 

[Commuter]

Ahhh clothes. That's excellent! I shall definitely have to go to Dubai now...



How are you enjoying Rome?

 

[Keith009]

How are you enjoying Rome?

It was magical! In Amsterdam now actually. Will update the TR asap, now that internet access in my hotel here is a lot cheaper than it was in Rome.

 

[Keith009]

Hotel Eden Rome, a Royal Meridien Hotel
Via Ludovisi 49, Rome

I arrived at the hotel at the ungodly hour of 1.30am (oh and yes my luggage had survived LHR yet again!), but the night porter and check in staff appeared to be on high alert for my arrival unlike some other hotels which almost literally shut down at night. The porter sprang out to help me with my luggage, and both staff members immediately identified me as I was the only person yet to check in for the night.

The facade of the hotel and its lobby were simply gorgeous. It has the feel of a cozy and intimate boutique hotel, rather than a huge and impersonal establishment like the Westin around the corner seemed to be.

The hotel is situated diagonally opposite Villa Ludovisi

The hotel is both a Royal Meridien, as well as a member of Leading Hotels of the World. It seemed more keen to tout its latter credentials for some reason, as apart from the tiny 'a Royal Meridien Hotel' fonts in the most discrete of places and the SPG brochures I would be none the wiser that the hotel is indeed a Starwood property if I hadn't booked my room via spg.com.

I'd booked the cheapest Superior Room category they had on offer. As a Platinum I received an upgrade to the Studio Room (their junior suite) on the first floor, but I also had a choice to switch to the smaller Deluxe Room on the 5th floor with 2 balconies and a view of Villa Ludovisi. I wasn't about to trade away size for a view of some big mansion and hence elected to stay with my Studio Room. I then had a choice of my PLT amenities; I'd gone for the 500 Starpoints again even if the wine looked tempting.

Upon learning that I'd had a very long day due to Heathrow delays I was offered some snacks and nightcaps on the house! I arrived at my room to find a big box of chocolates and a nice welcome note from the manager, in addition to the mini chocolate box placed on my pillow during the turndown service. The promised snacks and nightcaps duly arrived - cheese, crackers, gin, tonic water, and a half bottle of Perrier Jouet Grand Brut. Impressive!

That would just about set the tone of the service for the rest of the stay. Every member of staff were super friendly and helpful. I was referred to by name throughout my stay. I find concierges at hotels invaluable and the Eden had concierges with a remarkable level of local knowledge. We even had a Rome 'eating plan' drawn up for me to ensure that I'd checked out the best restaurants in town - alas I don't remember their names, being in a foreign language, or I'd have gone to update the SQTalk Eating Guide thread.

I'd chosen this hotel over the Westin or the St Regis because its decor seemed the least 'Old Europe' as not only do I find 'old' decors cold and uninviting, but they make for a most uneasy night's sleep. And I was glad the pictures on the website are quite accurate. The hotel manages to toe the fine line between 'Old Europe', with antique furniture all over the place and random pieces of art, and subtlety. I had a rather cute room with a massive PINK marble bathroom with separate showers and bath - it truly was marbled everywhere but for the toilet bowl and boudoir. The rest of the room was also rather spacious for an European hotel room with a small sitting area, and the wall behind my bed was painted in artwork. There was also a nice and spacious walk-in closet. The beds were fairly comfy, although I would have liked thicker quilts.

 

[Keith009]

Nice Penhalingon's and Hermes' amenities

Turndown service at this hotel was pretty good - I had a new mini box of chocolates everyday, a note advising of the temperature of the next day, my clothes were hung up, used towels replaced. I was also bemused to note that they'd actually changed the chair at the writing table every so often - it alternated between a velvet red and brown chair and one with green fabric and golden arm rests.

The staff were quite eager for me to check out the restaurant and bar on the 6th floor which offered a great view of Rome. Unfortunately it all looked rather snooty and I wasn't comfortable with the extreme level of formality when I walked in, and I left after a brief walk through. I was surprised they offered me a seat and the menu, and were actually quite eager for me to eat there instead of chucking me out as I was clad in jeans.

The hotel is located in a great neighbourhood just off Via Veneto. It was close enough to Via Veneto and all that stuff (including a metro station) at Piazza Barberini to be convenient, yet tucked well into a nice and quiet area. There were some great coffee houses and restaurants in the immediate vicinity - not more than a 2 minute walk.

Overall, a rather beautiful hotel with amazing service and a great location - one that I'd have no hesitation returning to or recommending to anyone else.

Next: Glimpses of Rome