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

 

[PrezRegan]

CX690
SIN-HKG
12:47-16:51; dur 4h 4m
A350-900; seat 14K

Despite taking about as long as a flight from DRW-SYD, my first experience on CX and on an A350 was very nice! The plane itself was quite spacious, and the highlight of course was the window in the bathroom!


The crew were friendly, but perhaps not as social as QF. Boarding was efficient and I had a whole storage bin to myself, which was perfect. Prior to takeoff, a predeparture beverage of water, juice or champagne was offered, as well as a hot towel. Lunch orders were taken shortly after whilst still on the ground from front to back, with the exception of two passengers who I assume had top tier CX status.


The meal service began promptly after cruising altitude was reached. I ordered the beef as the main and it was incredibly tender and still slightly in the centre, an amazing feat for airline catering and much better than the QF beef puck that I’ve had before on the SYD-LAX flight. The rest of the food was pretty unremarkable, the French Medoc I had with the beef was quite good, as was the Sauternes I had with the cheese.



Overall, would definitely fly again.

 

[PrezRegan]

On arrival, transfer was relatively quick, as I already had my onwards boarding pass. Once in the main concourse, I then began a somewhat unintentional circumnavigation of Hong Kong Airport in an attempt to find the QF lounge. A map I’d found online published by someone else who had done a lounge crawl seemed to be mildly misleading, indicating that the QF and CX ‘The Deck’ lounges were towards Gates 15-19 which is most definitely incorrect. An upshot of my meandering was that I did end up getting a chance to check out the view from the impressive SkyBridge.

Whilst the instructions to find the QF lounge by ‘turning right immediately after immigration’ might be clear, the difficulty lay in finding where immigration was as I didn’t have to clear it having transited from Hong Kong. Understandably, because you can’t go back through immigration, it’s not exactly something that a map like the one below (which was conveniently immediately outside immigration) would highlight. Annoyingly, at the start of my wandering I came within a hairsbreadth of the lounge before turning around, thinking that I’d run into a foodcourt with nothing beyond it.


I did make it to the Qantas lounge after a detour via The Deck. Whilst they are nominally adjacent to each other, the means of accessing each is quite different, with the QF one only accessible outside immigration whilst The Deck being accessible from the floor below. The Deck features an outside verandah area which is quite nice; however, I didn’t linger long enough except to grab a quick drink to rehydrate after walking 6,000 steps in what was effectively a big circle. I headed over to the QF lounge where I was welcomed in (despite flying CX and the lounge being quite busy) and went to check out the a la carte options. I didn’t want to order too much as my research had shown that the CX Pier had a tasting menu developed in collaboration with a Michelin starred restaurant so I wanted to save space for that.

The QF lounge featured the following a la carte menu as well as a special gin menu. I opted for the BBQ char sieu pork and Green Apple and Thyme G&S (I find tonic too sweet for me). The pork was barely tepid and the G&S wasn’t anything special – the partnership is with Bombay Sapphire so I had tempered my expectations. Overall, this lounge is definitely more than a J+ lounge rather than a real F lounge despite the uniformed waiters and the same marble countertops that you see in the Melbourne and Sydney F Lounges. Still, it was nice to check it out and I did definitely get a bit of a whiff of home.


My next stop was the CX ‘The Wing First Lounge’. I wandered through and saw the cabanas and asked if there were any available. Surprisingly there was! And wow. These cabanas are something else altogether – I was even able to duck out whilst the bath was filling and grab a bottle of sparking water to rehydrate whilst relaxing in the tub. You can only stay in them for 90 minutes but I left feeling refreshed after a good soak and a shower. Highly recommend swinging by. Afterwards, I checked out the champagne bar which had a very nice Tattinger Brut Millesime 2016. I didn’t bother getting anything to eat from the a la carte section as I knew there’d be food waiting at my next destination.


After this, I made my way to my final stop, Cathay Pacific’s ‘The Pier First Lounge’. This was a good spot to end as my boarding gate was close by and would minimize the backtracking required. On arrival I went straight to the dining room which was quite full. I ordered from the tasting menu below, and whilst it was delicious, the service left a lot to be desired. After the appetizer and entrée arrived, I was pretty much forgotten for 30 mins until a waiter came by and asked if I wanted anything else. I pointed out I hadn’t progressed past the soup, which he interpreted as me not having received the main or the entrée. After a short delay and a apology from the head waiter, I received another abalone and the main, which was admittedly very tasty. After waiting another 15 minutes and not receiving the dessert, I figured I’d cut my losses and left. With an impending flight in First, I didn’t think I would be going hungry over the next few hours.

Unfortunately, all day lounges are fully booked for the evening so there’s nothing left but to chill in the general lounge area for the next 30 minutes until boarding commences. Must remember to factor in the walk back – the board says 4 minutes but I think that’s only if you use the travellaters, which I haven’t been. My legs are getting a bit sore now… but I’ll have 14hrs of sitting on a plane to make up for it!

First world problems

 

[Sprucegoose]

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 have noticed this. If it is the reverse order of the first service, are the last people to be served mains the first to be 'desserted' ? Doesn't that give the front more time to graze?

despite pyjamas being provided, no amenity kits appeared to be offered for this flight.

I don't get that; they have this cough about; I reckon you always need a toothbrush but not PJ's.

So far, a glowing indictment of the benefits of travelling HCO!

So far .....

Overall, would definitely fly again.

I contacted CX, and they were pleased you would travel F with them again.

the partnership is with Bombay Sapphire

Qantas doesn't focus on spirits in the same way other airlines do. Bombay is a quaffer in my books - don't they do a Cambridge Watenshi, Nolets Reserve, or
Anty?

If you are in LHR, there is a Gin (and coughtail) bar in the QF lounge—time permitting, check it out—terminal 3.

Unfortunately, all day lounges are fully booked for the evening so there’s nothing left but to chill in the general lounge area for the next 30 minutes

I believe a massage service is open from 0530 to around midnight in The Retreat (Pier).

 

[PrezRegan]

CX261
HKG-CDG
23:50-07:35, dur. 13h 45m
Seat 1A, B777-300ER

My first ever longhaul flight in F was an amazing experience that lived up to everything I expected and more. From the excellent food, to the quality bedding and premium service, I did feel like there was a step up from J.

Boarding was prompt and I was shown to my seat by a FA. Cathay’s 777 doesn’t have overhead storage bins in F, but they do I have a large storage compartment as part of the suite immediately behind the TV and I was able to fit my roll-on and garment bag in – the roll-on fit perfectly but the garment bag required a bit of squeezing to fit. My backpack went under the footwell without any difficulties. This seat was very spacious, with ample width for two and more leg room than I would I ever need.



Prior to takeoff the CSM came buy and introduced himself whilst asking if I wanted anything to drink. I asked for the champagne (a 2013 Piper Heidsieck Rare Millesime), and this came shortly along with Cathay’s’ signature sparkling tea, warm nuts, and a hot towel. The champagne was very nice, the sparkling tea was quite interesting – something I’ve never had before but was cool and refreshing. I was also provided a set of PJs and an amenity kit as well as the food and beverage menu.





Apologies for the poor quality of some of the photos. There was a bit of turbulence and getting my phone to focus was hard.

After takeoff, I got changed into the provided PJs and told the CSM that my intention was to get changed and sleep, and have supper when I woke up. Whilst I changed, my bed was madeup and it was very comfortable, the bedding was top quality. The cabin temperature was kept quite cool throughout the flight so the long sleeve pyjamas and the blanket ended up being quite welcome. All up, I managed to get a solid 8hrs of sleep before waking up and being served supper – which was a proper ‘dine anytime’ experience. Unfortunately, due to the timing it did mean I didn’t get a chance to have breakfast but at that point I definitely wasn’t very hungry.


With about 3hrs left in the flight I commenced supper. The food overall was very nice, easily on par with what I had in the CX Flounge. As an aperitif I had signature Cloud Nine which was very refreshing. The caviar went well with a Belvedere vodka, and the rest of the mains I paired with the Krug Champagne. I had the Asian set menu, but then decided to have the chocolate entrement for dessert, which was tasty but a bit heavy and I didn’t end up finishing it.



After changing into slightly warmer clothes, we landed in CDG slightly ahead of schedule.

 

[PrezRegan]

Immigration was quick, with a separate express line for travelers in F and J. This was good because I couldn’t see any e-immigration gates for non EU citizens and there was already quite a line growing despite the early hour. I had a bit of a challenge finding the right station to connect to from the airport to get the train to Paris Gare du Nord – it doesn’t help that they refer to the train that takes you from the airport to the transfer terminal as a ‘shuttle’ because in my mind I was expecting a bus – but that aside, I made it to Gare du Nord in the end with a bit of guidance from @Sprucegoose . Once at Gare du Nord, the signage for the Eurostar was pretty obvious, with a nicely placed Union Jack to denote the appropriate terminal. Again, there was an express line for passengers in Business and I was able to bypass a lot of the immigration and security lines before arriving at the lounge with about 1hr before my train.

O/T
As an aside, it was interesting to see a section of armed French soldiers patrolling the station. I knew that France had implemented this years ago but from a professional standpoint I do wonder what legal hoops the French government would have had to go through and what powers they have. In Australia, the ADF (very broadly speaking, and outside certain specific circumstances) has no powers of detention and definite restrictions on the use of force. Can you imagine this happening at Central station in Sydney?
O/T

The lounge is nice, with lots of natural light and views over the terminal. There appears to be a bar but it’s empty, and there doesn’t seem to be any food except for pastries. There is a self serve area where you can grab drinks and make a machine coffee. All in all, a fine place to relax and not too busy.

I’m now onboard the train and we are hurtling through the French countryside at 288km/hr. the view is amazing, but the windows are filthy and I have only been able to capture one picture but it just doesn’t do justice. It’s a beautiful clear day outside, and this part of France is very flat, gently rolling hills, only occasionally interrupted in the distance by a church spire. Much of the land here seems to be farmland, and it being autumn it is a deep green and brown as far as the eye can see. European clouds also seem to be quite different to ones we have at home, fluffier and closer to the ground so that you can make out the individual whisps, like small puffs of smoke captured in a moment of time. My coughpy photography would never be able to do justice but I am definitely glad I chose to take the train instead of flying. Whilst it would have been faster, and arguably cheaper to have flown from CDG-LHR, the train is definitely a much more pleasant way to travel.


In terms of the Business Premier experience, it’s very similar to a Virgin Australia domestic business flight, with similar seat and pitch. Meals and drinks are included in the ticket. Unfortunately, my train departed just 8 minutes before the cutoff for lunch, so I had the breakfast menu which was still quite tasty. However, no alcohol or 3 course meal for me ☹. Food was served approximately 15 minutes after we left the station, with the hot/cold main being served once everyone had finished the cold starter of yoghurt and pastry. The full menu can be found here: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/1wyn2xo2/cms-production/188c1a9baf50a2fbb4dae60308eb77d2edc19dc4.pdf


Now there’s not much to do except sit back and enjoy the trip as we go under the Channel and into Britain. Hopefully the weather across the ditch is as fine as it is here!

 

[PrezRegan]

On arriving at St Pancras I decided to splurge on a taxi as I had no idea where the uber pickup was. My accommodation is at the Victory Services Club (VSC), only 3.2mi away. The taxi ended up costing about 20 pounds, which is around 8 more than what an Uber was meant to – but it was neat riding in one of the authentic black London taxis. Unfortunately on arrival I was informed that my room was ready yet (it was close to midday, and check-in isn’t meant to be until 1500). I was able to drop my bags off but then had to find something to do for the next 1.5hrs before my next event – watching Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre in the West End.

A brief divergence from the story to talk about accommodation. I chose the VSC on the recommendation of some British friends, who observed that there were a number of military clubs in London that provided cheap accommodation for members in prime locations in the city. Whilst Australia also has clubs (e.g. the Royal Automobile Club in Sydney), it does have a few a few military clubs such as the NAVMIL club in Adelaide but membership fees are quite high and they – like broader Mess culture in the ADF and RSLs – are struggling to maintain their relevance in a modern age. Whilst some may offer similar subsidised accommodation, dining and reciprocal access, in my experience, their value proposition in Australia is a lot more limited given their prices end up being almost on par with any standard hotel. Also, you don’t get any status benefits with staying at them, so for me there was never all that much appeal.


This is not the case in London. The VSC offers single ensuite rooms to members for about $200 AUD a night, and is located right next to Hyde Park. This is an incredible value proposition, given that most hotels in the vicinity charge close to $400 a night for some pretty average rooms. Interestingly, the VSC, unlike other military clubs in the city, allow Commonwealth military personnel to join – not just UK military. In addition, it also charges no membership fees! As you can see in the picture below, the accommodation is definitely a step down from my previous hotels, but it is by no means the worst I’ve stayed in (and arguably better than some of the accommodation available on base back in Australia!)
Like clubs in Australia, it also features a dining room, a bar, and other quiet areas where you can relax. I was impressed by how modern and clean everything was but I didn’t take any pictures as there were other people in many of the spaces. Suffice to say, whilst it might not be at the level of the Royal Automobile Club in Sydney in terms of glamour, it definitely doesn’t feel or look like your typical run down RSL which I was expecting. Military memorabilia adorn the walls and a pint of the ‘Victory Lager’ will set you back about $7 for a half-pint – about the same price as a cappuccino!

Anyway, to kill time before my show I took a walk through Hyde Park, saw some geese and squirrels and sat by the lake. The park is quite open with trees more around the edges and parks crisscrossing the space. It’s definitely much larger than Hyde Park in Sydney. I also saw a few of the sights between the park and the theatre in the city. I’ll add more details shortly. There was a heavy police presence in the city and I could hear chanting in the distance – I suspect a rally of some sort.


I’d never seen Les Mis live before and it was amazing. I paid a bit more to get premium seats in Row E and it really made a difference. I picked this instead of watching Phantom of the Opera (which I’d seen before live in Sydney) and I think I made the right choice. As much as I loved the recent movie adaptation, it couldn’t hold a candle to seeing it performed live.


Show complete, I caught the tube back to the hotel and typed up this trip report. Now to take the tube to get dinner!