RTW in F/J - Hand Carry Only - Iceland, Finland, Washington and a few other places

[Sprucegoose]

It could be the QF internship tech crew - they might have simply coded any flight number which has 292 to show that message (I jest, but also...)

No, don't jest, I believe that!

 

[Sprucegoose]

Any chance that LHR-HND leg changes to the A350-1000? JL44 is the next route to get it afaik.

It hasn't changed yet, as JAL only has 3 x 351s and is maxed out doing the US routes.

JL43/44 is still scheduled for the 'fall of 2024' with no specific date.

 

[PrezRegan]

Any chance that LHR-HND leg changes to the A350-1000? JL44 is the next route to get it afaik.

That would be the dream but I don't think it's likely to happen sadly - if one can really complain about flying any version of JAL F haha

 

[Denali]

Good idea! It's pretty much impossible to find cold weather gear in Darwin where I currently live. However, I'm about to move to Canberra where my current outfit of shorts, t-shirt and thongs 365 days a year might not be so feasible :/ Iceland might be a good chance to stock up on some cold weather gear...

Mr Denali reminded me it was the Red Cross we donated to, which was just outside Reykjavík main centre.

 

[PrezRegan]

QF37
MEL-SIN
15:57-21:49 dur. 7h 52m
Seat 2K, A330

The first international flight of this trip. A good flight with a friendly crew, QF at its best. As a data point, the CSM came by and said hello to myself and some other high status passengers onboard before takeoff, and the lead FA for my side of the cabin, Sally, also introduced herself and asked about my travel plans. More importantly (for me), there was ample space in the overhead bins for me to put all my carry-on – it would appear most passengers travelling in J don’t want to carry much with them onboard as most of the bins were only at 50% capacity. More space for me!

Meal service on this flight felt a bit slow, taking about 3hrs from aperitif to dessert. However, given it was a daytime flight there wasn't much of a rush and there was no express option available. After the usual pre-departure offer of water, juice or sparkling wine (I opted for water as I knew the sparkling would be pretty average, particularly after the champagne in the lounge), the service commenced shortly after reaching cruising altitude with an aperitif and nuts. Meal choices were taken on the ground in order of seating and I opted for the dumplings and the fish.

The dumplings were not bad, nothing special, and I paired it with an unmemorable chardonnay. The other white was the Shaw + Smith from my first flight on this journey and I was quick to rectify my previous mistake and have a glass of that when the snapper came around. The snapper was surprisingly good, lots of flavour with a few cloves of garlic camouflaged amongst the potatoes. A pleasant surprise for me, but perhaps a shock for others, as they were whole cloves! Dessert came a little while later and appeared to be served from the rear of the cabin first – maybe to compensate for those who potentially missed out their first meal preference for main and entrée? I managed to get the last panna cotta which the CSM mentioned she had saved for me (or just luck?), and the dessert turned out to be not too sweet, pairing nicely with a coffee and a sweet ice wine.

Below is a photo of the menu, the dinner dishes, and also the pre-landing meal of prawn curry. The curry was quite nice, and one of the FAs very kindly offered me a second helping, which I accepted as I figured this would effectively be my dinner given the 2200ish landing time.



Meal service complete, I changed into the provided PJs and set the seat to bed mode for a short nap. Interestingly, despite pyjamas being provided, no amenity kits appeared to be offered for this flight. I didn’t particularly want one so it didn’t bother me, but I would’ve have thought that if they gave you PJs (despite it being a daytime flight) then surely an amenity kit would be part of the package? I didn’t follow up on it but I remain slightly perplexed.

Disembarkation was quick and being in J I jetted straight out and headed for the immigration gates. After quickly filling out the immigration form online, I passed through the e-gates (there was no line at all) and was free, being HCO and having no luggage to collect! Now all I had to do was find my hotel. I’d picked the Crowne Plaza Changi, a hotel I’d stayed at before. It’s a bit expensive but the greatest draw is the fact that it’s attached to the airport. Unfortunately I’d forgotten where it was, so after a brief muckaround trying to activate my e-sim so I could look up which terminal the hotel was at, I zoomed through the Jewel and to Terminal 3 where I was able to check-in with no difficulty and get to my room.

All up, I think it would’ve taken 20mins from deplaning to being in the hotel, and that would likely have been faster if I’d known where I was going to start with and didn’t have to sort out activating my e-sim. So far, a glowing indictment of the benefits of travelling HCO!

As an Intercontinental Ambassador, I also get Platinum status through IHG. I had been upgraded to a nicer room in the Jewel Wing, which was exactly the same room I had stayed in earlier this year when I was last in Singapore. It was a pleasant room, with a nice separate shower and tub (no shubs for me thanks @Fifa !).


Because of the time difference, my body woke me up at about 0700 local time, so I figured I might as well go to the gym. I didn’t get any pictures as there were a few people in it, but it’s a windowless space with a few machines and free weights but not as nice as the one in the PARKROYAL at Melbourne airport. After a quick shower, I checked out and made my way to Terminal 4 where Cathay departs.

Given how early in the morning it was, I was tempted to try and do a lounge crawl through the other terminals, but a quick google revealed that pretty much none of the other lounges I could’ve accessed were open. It appears that all other O* carriers seem to leave in the afternoon or late at night, meaning that none would be open until after my flight had departed. Slightly saddened, I made my way to the bus transfer to Terminal 4 via the Jewel, with a quick stop to check out the fountain which wasn’t doing anything at the time…


The transfer to Terminal 4 was pretty quick and done via bus. Once there, I checked in, received my boarding passes and lounge invitations, cleared immigration and security and went straight to the one CX lounge available.

As I hadn’t eaten breakfast, I was keen to sample some noodles so I grabbed a seat in the then-quiet dining area where there was only one other person present. I ordered the chicken laksa and it was delicious.



I didn't get a photo of the dining area as it was quite crowded.

 

[PrezRegan]

When I arrived it was pretty empty with only a few other people around, but as I write this it is starting to get much busier – all the booths in the dining area are now full and there are not a lot of free seats elsewhere. After eating I moved to the seating area outside and managed to grab a spot with a view. I really like this setup, with the recliner chair and footrest with a table at hand with charging ports built in. It’s very stylish and convenient.


I ducked back into the dining area for some more food and ordered a prawn noodle and the nasi lemak, which was the dish of the day. The prawn noodle was unmemorable but the nasi lemak was amazing, the rice had a light hint of coconut and the chicken was very tender and flavourful.


Now back in my corner, writing my trip report and waiting to board in next 20 mins. What timing!

 

[Fifa]

Really enjoying your TR thanks @Prezegan