Son of BEHEMOTH

[simongr]

Journey – HKG-NRT
Flight no. – JL732
Class – Business
Seat – 11A

On board the hard product is a little disappointing – I recognise this is a semi regional product so it should compare to the Dreamtime seats I have on the BNE-DRW flight. This is however a three class 747 and it just looks old and tired. The seats are cradle seats and the pitch is less than I would get on a US Transcon on AA.

I fall asleep on take off (completely not connected to the Moet in the Wing) and wake 20 minutes into the flight. It is interesting to note that no pre-take off drinks were offered (well before I fell asleep at least) and no drinks had been served, offered or even any sight of the cabin crew. However the IFE is AVOD and it works – which is step up from QF on this trip…

There is an amusing moment during dinner as I realise that I have ordered the Japanese meal and the old Japanese gentleman next to me has in fact ordered the western meal The meal is very nice and not too exotic – I know I should be more open to experimentation but I do have to have the fall back position that I must have some food to wash down the wine

I settle down to watch the Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver and the start of Ocean’s 13 (I will watch the end on another flight). I do note a complete absence of cabin crew from the point at which the meal service is over until the end of the flight.

Although the flight is ok, I think I was expecting a little more uniqueness from JL – something to really distinguish it from the other airlines. CX has a very Asian feel but JL just felt bland. Perhaps I was expecting geishas for cabin crew and a teppanyaki grill being rolled through the cabin – I guess it doesn’t matter what the “true” quality of the product is – if it doesn’t match your expectations then you are going to be disappointed.

The arrival into NRT is very smooth and due to my comparatively long legs I am through immigration before any queues have formed – and talking about forms the immigration staff actually point out a mistake I made on the form and correct it for me (slightly different to our friends in LOTFAP).

As I wait for my bus to the Hilton (only a 5 minute wait) I realise that with my JL flight I have reached something of a plateau where the flight itself is no longer a driver for the journey and that does make me a little sad

 

[Keith009]

And that's a whole morning of productivity gone...
Thanks for the effort, simongr!

LOL @ "serftymobile."

 

[serfty]

.... LOL @ "serftymobile."

Had me going for a bit, then I remembered this thread: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/trip-reports/around-world-then-8220.html#post107187

... At HKG I am starting to panic and get excited at the prospect of my first Op-Up. Out of the plane and I have 60 mins door to door. So after the three mile hike to find the transit desk and get my J BP (guess I shouldn’t bank on an Op-Up) I try and find these infamous CX lounges. ...

I shall use that walk this weekend to build up my appetite for the dim sum

Stuff the walk, get some additional Lounge time by taking the "Automated People Mover".

For more information, Click here for a "Virtual Walk" from the HKIA website.

Select "Departures", click on the dot near Gate 10 then click on the "To West Hall" Arrow.

There's an 11 Mbyte video (.wmv) that may be of interest.

I inital though it was a reference to the Airport Express train (as I've been far more an advocate of that) but realised it could not apply.

 

[Keith009]

My initial thought was you operated a telco

 

[simongr]

Hilton Narita Airport

This is very much a flying visit and thus in theory a very short element of the trip report to write (we shall see how that pans out). To say this is “at” the airport is a little misleading – it is roughly a fifteen minute bus ride – which I know is better than the train to the city but it still isn’t that close. It is pitch black as we approach the hotel but do have an overwhelming feeling of size and space as we walk in.

Check in is very, very slow and there is no obvious signs of recognition of status other than a breakfast voucher. I am given a 10th floor room but nothing much else. The room is again surprisingly large but very simple. I certainly don’t mind simple in hotels. I jump online immediately and try to call home but I think it is a little late for mrssimongr to be awake. The broadband speed in the hotel is great so I grab a couple of beers and catch up with AFF and some more laptop TV. By about 11Pm I am starting to crash so I set the alarm and hit the hay. Remembering just as I fall asleep that 4 beers and a bag of potato chips does not a dinner make.

I am awake before the alarm and open the curtains on to a truly fantastic view of Japanese forests. Quite breathtaking and I can even imagine Ninjas from Tenchu Stealth Assassins crawling through those forests…

I have a nice but slightly strange shower – sort of like a tripod alien from War of the Worlds. Knowing I will be fed at the lounge or on board or both I skip breakfast and head straight down to the bus. It is again a slow process checking out – I seem to be behind a heap of Swissair cabin/air crew. It is a reasonable ride to the airport on the bus – although there is a slightly weird passport control security checkpoint that I have not experienced before. The passport check is almost cursory so I am unsure what purpose this check point serves other than “busy work”

At the airport itself F check in is very slow but I can certainly tell that this is an AA flight with the number of people talking about “upgrades clearing”…

 

[simongr]

Journey – NRT-DFW
Flight no. – AA176
Class – First
Seat – 1J

I am quickly through immigration and this time it is straight to the F lounge. I know the AC here is great but it just isn’t an F lounge. I jump online, grab a glass of Moet and relax. Take off is 11:50 so at about 11:15 I start sauntering towards the gate knowing I have plenty of time.

As I cross the Terminal I can here my name being called “mr simongr – please make yourself known to the ground staff as you are the last person to board and we are about to leave without you – thankfully you don’t have any luggage so you are easy to leave behind”. I am in a little shock as it is only 11:20 so I still have 30 minutes???

I start to rush to the gate and am pretty much grabbed by a member of staff and thrown to the gate. It is only as I board that I recheck my boarding passes and note that my DFW-LGW flight departs at 11:50 whereas my NRT-DFW flight departs at 11:30 – oops… See what I mean about my head not being in the game…

I actually walk onboard at 11:25 and everyone is stunned that I actually made it. I sheepishly go to my suite and am pleased that not only am I on board but I am also in a Flagship Suite – my first experience of these.

The staff are fantastic – no surly or negative comments and no admonishments – just an offer of a glass of champagne – which I gladly accept I do however feel like a total rookie

As I said this is my first experience of Flagship suite and I am very impressed. I like the little bit of movement you can – it feels a gimmick but it does give you that little bit of freedom of movement. I am slim (well not as slim as I used to be) 6’ 2” so the narrowness of the seat is not an issue for me. I would rate these seats over the current 744 QF F seats by quite a margin.

As I did board a little late I miss out on the fish option (noting again a lack of menus in F) so settle for steak which looks ok. My initial drink is a Kirin beer with my mozzarella balls canapés- I elect to skip the “fruit of the devil”*

Appetiser is a prawn salad and smoked salmon. The prawn is an incredibly dense meat which is a little surprising. Given I am having steak for main I skip the steak Caesar salad. As I have said on many occasions this is just something that I don’t understand – a salad course between courses. The steak is surprisingly nice** and is joined by more Australian Koonunga Hill Shiraz.

I am pleasantly surprised that there is AVOD on board and no DVD player. It is not clear from the AA website that there is AVOD on the suites. This is “confused” further as F class pax get a “video selection” card of available movies. But it was AVOD so I was able to watch the end of O13 and the whole of “Next” which was a great Nicholas Cage movie. I make further in-roads into Season 2 of Numb3rs which I am starting to really like as a show – brings me back to my days when I used to be a maths whiz – my how times change … I sleep for a couple of hours after lunch but not much more than that. I either needed to fall asleep for the full flight – kind of tough with a late morning flight or at least get 4 – 5 hours…

Shortly after the beer service stops , about 3 hours out from DFW breakfast is served – there is some confusion as I end up with both omelette and cereal – which to me amounts to a single breakfast rather than some form of extra breakfast…

Towards the end of the flight I utilise the “working position” of the seat which is really good – obviously not much work is done but it is nice to sit directly looking out of the window as I read a book – it helps to break the journey.

[excessively long aside]

A quick comparison of F

Ok I now have experience of three four five versions of F on a decent long haul flight – Old CX (Airbus and 747), Current QF, Old AA and new AA so it might be time for a bit of a league table based on the key components of what makes a good F class for me: seat, booze, segregation from the hoipolloi, service, food and the soft stuff

Seat

AA new
QF
CX 747
CX Airbus
AA old

The new AA seat is the obvious winner for me. I like the movement (if that wasn’t clear above), there seems more available space than QF and CX (unless you have the bassinet positions). The CX seat feels smaller and on the airbus I felt very close to the pax next to me – so have a window seat (I have had all window seats on QF) was a big step up for AA. The AVOD worked and the screen was a decent size.

Booze

QF
CX 747/Airbus
AA/AA

AA is the clear loser here due to starting off by serving Champagne in a plastic cup. Also the G&T is a little overly strong. QF makes a good stand with good simple wines and beer rather than stellar and risky wines (I only drink ANZ wines if I have the chance with the exception of Champagne of course. The CX G&T is the best but QF gives it a run for it’s money.

Now although there is a ranking in this section the graduations between carriers is minimal – the plastic cup is a bit downer for AA though.

Segregation from the Hoipolloi

QF
CX 747
CX Airbus
AA New
AA Old

Now this will be a slightly obvious order here as the 747 has you turning left always so you don’t ever get battered as the herd as they troop off to weigh down the back of the aircraft.

AA new almost sneaked in here as I did turn left on boarding due to using the 2L door being used.

Service

CX Airbus
CX 747
AA new
AA Old
QF

Now this might be a little controversial. CX takes this out comfortably with the Airbus edging out the 747 simply virtue of the cabin crew being able to serve quenelles of sour cream with the smoked salmon and caviar during turbulence so bad that I held onto the trolley for them to stop it taking off. Generally attentive staff with nice little touches that make a difference.

I guess the controversy will be QF. Now I have to admit that my last two QF F flights have been fantastic – perhaps even better than CX. The problem is that I have had one flight where the service was average and one where the service was poor. Now I don’t get aggrieved at that in J but in F I want a consistent standard especially when they set the benchmarks so high. That is why AA edges out QF. On AA I know I am going to get a fairly friendly but casual service standard but on QF I either feel like a rock star or interference to their busy schedule.

Food

Now this is a tough one and one that I am overall most disappointed with. By the reports from SQ and things like “book the cook” with plates of lobster being splashed everywhere I was really expecting something special when I flew in F but in general I am not blown away.

There have been nice touches – the caviar service on CX, the steak sandwich on QF (although I think now the relish is referred to as a “spicy relish” so that is off the menu), the Thai beef rolls on QF and the hot (well not always hot) fudge sundae on AA - these were all great. But the main courses in general have been a let down – over cooked beef and lamb (QF and CX), tasteless pasta (QF), random vegetables (CX), repetition of appetisers (AA) – frankly a litany of mains that I look back without fondness. Now I know all of my F seats have been points/certificate upgrades so I can’t complain that I didn’t get what I paid for – but it has made me think that when I can pay for F (on an AONEx for our Anniversary one year) I know I wont be paying for the food – just for the seat.

The Soft Stuff

This is the things around the flight – the pyjamas (or lack thereof), amenity kits, greetings on boarding – and frankly AA is left for dead in this regard. Amazing that on my last flight they didn’t even have an amenity kit and when they do it is the same as the J kit. Overall in F on AA you are not paying for the soft stuff. CX and QF would be for me on a par – neither are a quantum leap above J (except for the PJs) but I would be interested to benchmark CX/QF against EK or SQ – mind you that would need a quantum shift in my travel patterns...

Conclusion

FLY F WHENEVER YOU CAN USING WHATEVER DEVIOUS METHODS YOU CAN – EVEN THE WORST F IS BETTER THAN J​

But seriously for me I am lucky in a way that there isn’t a choice in a way. Into and out of Oz I will try and fly QF on a 744 so that I can points upgrade. TATL and TransPac I will try to get on an AA flight and eVIP. At any other time if I have the opportunity I will fly F on any OW carrier that I can.

Now if only I could get that elusive Op-Up to F on BA….

[/excessively long aside]

[narrator]

If our readers will recall simongr was just regaling us with his journey from NRT to DFW on AA in a Flagship Suite. When we last left him he was sat looking out the window using the “working” position of the flagship suite – obviously not working but we have made our judgements regarding his work ethic. As we rejoin him I sense that we may be about to land

[/narrator]

We begin our descent into DFW and I slide my suite into the landing mode and keep reading as we have a slowish descent. I only have an hour and a half or so of layover here so it will be a dash to the AC and then boarding almost. As we are in F I employ the usual NM style of airport travel and am quiet surprised that I am not outpacing everyone else – I guess I was really on a road warriors’ flight. Thankfully they are mostly Americans so they don’t beat me to the immigration queue. I am the very first non-US national from our flight to get to the immigration queue and the ponderous understaffed US immigration process strikes again. I am in the queue for over thirty minutes – behind the previous flight. The staff are incredibly slow to get set up when they start to open more booths and for the love of god people – can you please organise your visas BEFORE you arrive. The number of people who seem to have to be taken off for further processing is staggering and it means that we are frequently down to 1- 2 immigration staff

Finally I am through immigration into customs where I am selected for random screening Perhaps because I was honest and said I was on my way to Cyprus after the US? The customs staffer who rifles through my bags is actually pretty good and friendly. He takes great interest in my travel notebook and comments on my opinions of the last F flight After 10 minutes of this (heaven help anyone who was travelling with anything but hand luggage only) I am finally on my way to the AC.

Obviously nothing is that simple as I have to negotiate a painfully slow (even with the express lane) security process to get into the Terminal. I then take the long way round on the skytrain the correct terminal (might have been quicker to walk almost…)

At the AC I am given a drinks voucher – I assume due to the international itinerary – and then book the shower. I just have time to grab a cold beer and check AFF before I am called for the most pathetic shower of the journey But I am refreshed as I check my BP about 10 times to ensure I have the correct boarding time …

*also known as olives

** Remember guys we are discussing food on an American carrier – the benchmark is set pretty low

 

[serfty]

Good reading

... At the AC I am given a drinks voucher – I assume due to the international itinerary – and then book the shower. I just have time to grab a cold beer and check AFF ...

I guess so - a quick flash of your SG card would have had a similar result.

 

[simongr]

Journey – DFW-LGA
Flight no. – AA728
Class – First
Seat – 3A

I head to the gate a little early as I need to grab some cash for the taxi ride to the city when I get to NYC. This is probably the hardest part of the journey – some terminal maps indicate that the ATM is at Gate 28 and others at gate 25, the “helpful” chap at the info desk says that the ATM is at gate 30 and I finally find it at gate 26!

Boarding actually starts a little early (but I am here on time so no issues there) and as I board I realise this is an S80 and I have booked the left side of the cabin so my carry on take up a good chunk of the overhead. Thankfully my seat buddy who normally travels with hand luggage this time due to various circumstances is travelling with checked luggage.

As ever there is only water and orange juice offered as a pre-flight drink and the joys of US domestic travel come rushing back to me. Boarding early does mean however a slow and lengthy boarding process so I have plenty of time to write up some notes getting me up to date pretty much. I even stopped writing the notes on this flight as I had gotten to the point where I was writing about the notes I was writing about this flight.

For once I make a bold move after take off – I start a conversation with my seat buddy. I guess 18 hours without human interaction other than cabin crew and ground staff makes even the lone gunman twitchy. We actually had a decent chat about flying and travel – he was an extensive Hiltonian as well (ok so I am not an extensive Hiltonian – just a recently frequent Hiltonian). Thankfully and finally he asks for a beer after take off so I don’t feel too bad to be the only one drinking again… most of my seat buddies seem to have “taken the pledge” and often look at me with disdain when I sip a glass of wine

Lunch is served and I foolishly gamble on the Turkey sandwich and a glass of white “wine” – let us never mention the “wine” again. The service is however great – at least on a par with the international first I just left. We are asked how many beers we think we might like to have on the flight as they only have a small number of our choices up here and they will need to go and get more from down the back and put it on ice for us (hmm I really should carry those applause stickers with me). As usual the warm gooey cookie is a tasty messy treat – and I pass on the offer of a second.

This is on reflection a really bad seat choice – window seat bulkhead. Admittedly I have no recliner but it is really pretty uncomfortable. I do really need to review my approach to seat selection for future trips. I think I have over thought some of them and not actually worked out what is the important part of the seat selection…. You know I think it is time for a little exercise in seat selection.

[aside]

When I were a lad and we had to walk fifteen mile through fog and snow just to see a sign post to the airport you had to turn up 7 hours before the flight the day before yours just to avoid being stuck in row 632 between Martin Ruane and Shirley Crabtree and you took what you were given and were grateful for it. Now it’s all “forward aisle” this and “5E for FEBO” that. The pressure I am put under by the rest of the FF community to choose the official best seat in the house is quite daunting. It takes phone calls, logging into MMB on the BA website, FEBO and even then it’s a gamble. Have you checked the type of aircraft, who was it leased from, is it mid, lo [sic] or high J, are you sleeping or peeing, is it a domestic flight on an international flight number? So many potential pitfalls – and then some of the guidance can’t even agree. Seat Guru lists some seats as “this is a great seat but also a bad seat” – I mean c’mon guys throw me a bone here!

And then you have my non-OCD friends who I say “Have you requested a seat yet?” to respond with “No, but my booking says 3C – seems ok”.

Q. Am I overthinking this?
A. Yes – probably

Q. Does it matter?
A. Based on this trip – very much so. I made some horrendous mistakes – mostly around being in the front row.

Anyway – here is the logic I sort of applied to this trip:

- No matter how bad the food is it is always important to have a choice
- If food is not a question then forward is better – I don’t want to be responsible for death or injury of pax that might get trampled as I sprint for the immigration queue
- For a night flight where I want to sleep window is good
- Anywhere I really want to see the view coming into the city the window is good
- Day flights where views are not important it has to be the aisle

Now these sound like great concepts but the outcomes were horrid – too many bulkheads, window seats when I was awake, the left side of the S80 with the only saving grace being 64K on a NNCW which was great apart from the non-functioning AVOD at my seat

So what is the outcome – will I be less picky? I think not, looking at my upcoming trips the seat selection will be key (unless the F upgrade comes through ) I just need to work smarter, not harder

[/aside]

My seat buddy offers to share a cab and ordinarily I would say no but this time I am more relaxed about it. However as he has checked bags and I am free and easy the cab share doesn’t happen.

After the meal service the flights drags a little but eventually we are landing at LGA with my specially selected window seat. This is my first day time landing into New York and I am really excited about looking at …. clouds over New Jersey…

It is however a beautiful day in Manhattan – it is warm and sunny without being humid like China. I am off the aircraft like a Whippet chasing a piece of fur on a mechanical track in the misbegotten belief that there is a rabbit there, poor poor whippet how badly we mistreat you…

The queue for the cab resembles the Friday night melee in Sydney but without the neat lines of cabs – on the upside though unlike the Sydney melee this cab queue flows like mischief of rats sliding through the greased pipes of the local [name of fast food outlet redacted to avoid potential litigation].

In the can the meter goes on which always unnerves me in foreign cities. I was sure that there was a fixed fee from LGA to the city but I am proved wrong. It is a pretty speedy cab ride to the city but we hit gridlock as we hit Manhattan. Unsurprising given that it is 5 pm on a Friday night. Eventually I get out about 100 metres from the Doubletree Suites – another advantage of hand luggage only and I walk to the hotel….

 

[simongr]

The Doubletree Suites Times Square

I am not sure what I was expecting from the DTS TS. I had of course been to the DT on Lexington so the benchmark should have been set pretty low. Check in is painfully slow and I am not given many Diamond benefits other than complimentary breakfast – no exec lounge or evening coughtails…

[aside]

Just a quick one here – I am sure I have read about how the Diamond benefits are not recognised outside of the US and this is not matching my limited experience – the Conrad and Hilton Shanghai had great Diamond benefits and the DTS TS has basically nothing.

Obviously this is not an exhaustive sample but I will update as time progresses on.

[/aside]

The room itself is pretty small and drab. It does have three discrete rooms – lounge, bedroom and bathroom – but in total floor space I would estimate that it is pretty close to the DT on Lexington room that I had. My first impression is not one of awe and if I recall correctly a lot of people had rated this hotel pretty highly.

10 minutes after debagging (that means unpacking rather than the UK boarding school interpretation of the phrase ) I find that there is free wi-fi in the room and I am able to check the opening times of the Apple store on 5th Avenue (24/7 365 days a year if you are interested) so it is offski to the Apple store to get my iPod Touch

On the relatively short walk there I stop by the Tumi store as part of my plan to get a new garment bag whilst I am here. The same chick serves me as the last time I was here enquiring about the same thing. I am informed that they will deliver the bag free of charge to my hotel if I want – very tempting.

But back to the main objective of my New York quest – the Apple store.

[aside]

Just for the record I love New York. I have always been a bit of an Americanophile. I grew up watching Dallas and Hill Street Blues (perhaps not the greatest reflection of American life) rather than Emmerdale and Z Cars (although as I grew up in Birmingham I did watch Crossroads). I lived on an American Air Force base in the UK as a teenager, visited American military recreation centres in Germany and Italy when I lived in Germany and played American Football at an English University – I think you might be seeing a theme here.

When I was looking to change jobs just before I moved to London I actually explored the possibility of moving to New York (my other grand idea was to go to work for Microsoft – kind of ironic as I am now a die hard Apple fan…) so when I took my current job with the offer of two NY trips per year I almost pulled their arm off accepting the job.

I have now been to NY five times and as soon as I get there/here I still and filled with a feeling of satisfaction and comfort. I now know my way around, know exactly how quickly I need to walk to make across streets without stopping for the lights to change and even have particular diversions that I take just so that I can my favourite store or building.

I just can’t wait to bring mrssimongr here next year!

[/aside]

Normally I love the 5th Avenue Apple (just for the record I am not on a Commission from Apple for each time I use the word Apple in this report – but just in case they are reading and are feeling generous – apple apple apple apple apple apple apple apple apple store but tonight it is a total Zoo – I guess partially because the new iPod range has just been released. Knowing that I will be paying by card and can skip some of the queues I do my usual trick of paying some random Apple staffer for the iPod and with a spring in my step it is off back to the hotel – via the Tumi store to collect the garment bag – c’mon admit you knew that I wouldn’t pass up on opportunity to get didn’t you Hmm I have been in Manhattan an hour and I have already spent A$1,000 – perhaps I shouldn’t think about bringing mrssimongr here.

Now for those of you concerned that the purchase of second garment is going to derail The Great Hand Luggage Challenge – don’t be afraid, not very afraid at all. I am going to offer my existing garment bag to one of my colleagues when I meet them in NY.

I refrain from skipping back to the hotel but I certainly do have that happy shopper glow. The glow is somewhat diminished by the room service – a thick soft soggy pizza - I thought a New York pizza was thin crust and Chicago was thick????

I catch up on a little more Numb3rs,c all mrssimongr and crash out on schedule at about 10PM. The only slight problem is the 3AM wake up – hmm that wasn’t suppose to happen. But it did so I watch more Numb3rs, call mrssimongr and prepare myself for a day in NY.

Now here is the problem I may have peaked too early in my NYC shopping. As I am travelling with just hand luggage there isn’t much I can buy. Also with mrssimongr spending like a demon in my absence in Sydney and my spending on glasses, iPod and luggage, Tiffany’s and Bloomingdales are off the menu on this trip! I do however mange to get some smarttips for my Kensignton power adapter and some CDs for sisterofsimongr (availability of CDs in Cyprus is poor and they are expensive).

I am intrigued that a large number of stores are closed on Saturday as it is Yom Kippur – not something that one sees in Sydney that often.

A little more relaxing and my colleague arrives a little later than planned from London so it is a late dinner but a fairly early night with not much drinking going on (given the last time we met for dinner we went to bed at about 3AM this is a very tame event).

Sunday is planned to be a very exciting day for me – my first baseball game – going to see the Yankees play the Blue Jays. After another 4AM wake up it is with some trepidation that we catch the subway up to the Bronx to watch the game. The train doesn’t seem actually to be running on our platform but eventually a train does roll up and we are on our way. It is a pretty long journey but eventually we are coming up out of the subway at Yankee Stadium!!!!!

We make our way to our seats, stopping to get mrssimongr a T-shirt and simongr a cold cold beer. Our seats have a fantastic view of the field and I am in heaven! The game is great but reaches crisis point in the fifth innings when they stop serving beer direct to your seat! Thankfully the relief team steps up to the mark and we can still buy beer at the concession stands inside the stadium. It was touch and go there for a few minutes.

I have a truly fantastic fascinating day – both watching the game and watching the fans. I get to see foul balls flying into the crowd, eat baseball hot dogs, drink beer and am amazed to see people moving seats during the game – something as an Englishman I would never contemplate. This does have its merits as a nice couple move next to us and explain some of the nuances that we might have missed and have an interesting discussion on the merits of the science behind global warming. This is a truly awesome day!

Back at the hotel we agree to meet for dinner at about 8PM and I grab a couple of hours sleep and then go to meet my colleague – only to get an email at 9:15 that he has only just woken up. Another quiet cheap night for our boss!

We have an intense and productive 3 days in the office (no bloodshed but close at one point which required me to take a walk around the block). By Wednesday morning I am feeling the effects of a cold that one of my colleagues was just shaking as he got to New York so Wednesday is not a fun day for me and I have a quite night in. Strange for me that I now no longer feel like I have to get out and see New York any more – and I know I am coming back in six months potentially and definitely in twelve months.

[aside]

Rugby in the East Village

[narrator]

For reference, these events take on the morning of 22 September, just before the lack of shopping and after the purchase of the iPod touch

[/narrator]

One of the more amusing parts of my trip was trying to find somewhere to watch the England/Samoa Rugby match. Given my travels on this trip I have not been able to see any games . The concierge at the hotel directs me to a bar in the East Village – somewhere I have never really explored – so I get a cab there only to find that they aren’t showing the game and I have to walk another 6 blocks to somewhere they are showing it. There is a US$20 fee just to watch the game but it is worth it.

I sit down to a couple of cold beers and decent brunch and watch a sub-par England team get through the game. Quite depressing really.

I decide then to walk from Soho to Times Square along Broadway as it is a really nice day. Sadly the weather turns as I turn onto Broadway and the heavens open – so it is a cab ride back to the DTS TS.

[/aside]

[aside]

The Un General Assembly and Visit of the Iranian President

Another interesting part of the New York visit was the impact of the UNGA and the visit of the Iranian President. Our office are on Lexington Ave, not far from the Waldorf and the security was huge! It was interesting so see the differences between APEC in Sydney and UNGA in NY. Sydney was turned into a virtual ghost town, whereas NY was exactly the same – just with road closures and a million cops and guys with ear pieces. I am stunned by the attitude of some of the Americans – they are fuming that the roads are closed and they have to route via a different block. They way they are talking you would think that they were living in a police state.

[/aside]

It is with a little sadness on the Thursday morning that I check out of the hotel – I have made the decision that for the same number of points for the trip next year I will book the Waldorf. Yes the DTS TS are in a good location for things and the room is a decent size – but I think for a special trip a little more elegance might be the go. And the Waldorf is closer to Bloomingdales and Tiffany’s

I grab lunch with my Boss and Eurocolleague at Good Burger – Home of the Good Burger – a truly great lunch. The burgers are really tasty without the meal as a whole being over-filling. I grab my bags back at the office and finally commence my journey home.

A Town Car picks me up outside the office and it takes 75 minutes to get to Jfk at 3PM in the afternoon! As ever I get my wry smile as we turn onto the Van Wyck expressway when I see the towers at Flushing Meadows from the MIB movie.

In my head I am convinced that I am leaving from T9 but as we pull up at T8 I look over and see the derelict T8. I cant believe that flew form there only a couple of months ago.

 

[drron]

For the fourth time i will try to post.Somehow thailand doesnt seem to like AFF.
Simon in NYC it is price that is paramount.It is not the greatest place for Hiltons.On price the DTS suites often wins.
Waldorf-Astoria.As a diamond on your first stay lounge access is very unlikely.Over a hundred diamonds may be staying any night and getting lounge access goes to those who have stayed the most.My one stay as a diamond got me the 10th floor on the Lex side and hence as noisy as DT metropolitan.Also if you do go they wont tell you that the continental breakfast coupons can be upgraded to a full breakfast for about $4.
Lounges at Hiltons in US however are not great and in most alcohol is not free.Even if it is you are expected to tip.The NYC hilton especially has a lounge that is a zoo-though diamonds now hardly ever get lounge access.

 

[simongr]

Thanks for that - I will have to wait and see what the Waldrof comes up with. Obvioulsy lounge access would be nice but not the be all and end all for me. I wonder if travelling in low season (as defined by the award redemption) will make any difference to that ...

 

[simongr]

Journey – JFK-LHR
Flight no. – AA100
Class – First
Seat – 3J

Using on the 8 eVIPs that I claimed I would never need I am in F again on this flight. As above this is my first departure from the new T8 (in fact it isn’t as I have departed from here a couple of times – I just haven’t checked in here) and am pleasantly surprised by the F check in. It is like a bigger version of the QF F check in at SYD. It is a segregated area walled off from the other Pax. The main difference between SYD and JFK T8 is that there is no real difference between F and J pax here as opposed to the very clear distinction between F and J at SYD. I guess this reflects the nature of the two products – F is very much “upgraders choice” I believe in the US whereas for QF it is still a premier product (and getting better next year I hope).

The joy of hand luggage has me in the security queue pretty quickly but that is the start of my frustration. The premium security line is horrendously slow – so slow in fact that the main line is moving faster – a problem exacerbated as TSA staff direct non-premium pax to the WTMDs in front of the Premium pax.

Finally I am through security and I am a little disorientated. I can see sign posts to the AC but nothing to sign post the F lounge. Up and down the terminal a couple of times and I decide to head into the AC only to find that the F lounge is hidden in the AC – no signs at all. I guess the reason for my disorientation is that I thought I would be going to the AC I went to before when I did my crazy US tour on BEHEMOTH. I am quickly into the lounge and am handed a free wireless card and told that the service will be complimentary from October onwards.

After a couple of glasses of Chandon and a quick catch up with AFF and a call to mrssimongr I make my move to the gate for a very confusing boarding process. Initially we are told that the flight will be delayed (which is somewhat unnerving given I only have 2 hours transfer in LHR)

[aside]

Just picking that apart for a few minutes. It is a very sorry state of affairs that we have to think that 2 hours is not enough time to transit at an airport. Now that is for someone travelling first class inbound, no immigration delays expected, business class outbound and access to all elite speed privileges - how on earth could an economy passenger hope to get through???

[/aside]

Immediately after we are told that boarding will be delayed the doors to the Gate are opened and we are called for boarding. Confusion continues to reign supreme as I am first through the gate and on may to board about 10 metres ahead of the nearest other pax. The cabin crew are then out of the aircraft and stopping pax from boarding for some reason. So I am stood at the entrance to the aircraft by myself whilst everyone else is 10 metres back…

I am able to see as I look through the door that we do indeed have suites again and I am very pleased Onboard we are advised of further delays and my concerns about my connections are stating to prey on my mind. I know that there is nothing I can do about this but given the lack of connecting flights from LHR to Cyprus and the fact that my parents are meeting me at the airport which is 90 minutes drive from their house I just want everything to run smoothly.

We are advised that we will delayed for a little while I am able to catch up on some TR notes, listen to some music and finally we get menus on this flight. We however do not get an amenity kits – which to be honest given their quality compared to QF and BA in J/F is no great loss. The delay is now really starting to weigh on my mind and as the Captain tells us we are able to turn on electronic devices as we will be the ground for a further hour as the taxiway is completely full – and looking out of the window I see what he means. The Captain also turns on the IFE system! Although this is great it is not filling me with confidence…

Finally we begin take off and looking around you can see that the taxiway is almost as busy as the expressway I took to get here! In the air meal service begins pretty soon and I am served the strongest G&T in the air – and that is not necessarily a good thing The meal itself is lovely – a fall apart lamb shank. However for some reason – either the bubbles or the muse – I just have to get stuck into typing up the trip report so I only pick at the meal. The service is pretty good if as ever a little casual. I ask them if I can have my sundae a little later as I am really enjoying writing up the report and don’t want to be distracted. It is a great plan until I crash out that is and then doze for the rest of the flight.

I am half asleep for the last hour of the flight so I am little rushed putting my gear away for landing. As we begin descending I note that it is 7AM and I am meant to be boarding for LCA at 08:20 and I still have two bags with no guarantee of being able to get two bags through security on a transit at LHR. We are told we have 10 minutes to landing – which I know means at least 20 mins until the gate.

Deplaing I rush to get to FCC and given the little sleep and a little alcohol I find the walk a little draining. I almost miss the bus to FCC but use the “short connection” excuse to squeeze on board.

So we finally reach the final hurdle for The Great Hand Luggage Challenge – FCC at LHR! As I round the corner to FCC I see a guy being pinged for a bag that looks smaller than my garment bag so a little nervously I keep ploughing towards the WTMD and no-one looks at me. Through pre-screening for fast track and I have no trouble. Finally the last hurdle the screening itself – again no challenge to The Challenge. Then that is it, free at last – thank the Lord I am free at last.

After the WTMD it is a little rushed as I try and get out of the way of the people behind me whose flight was boarding 10 minutes ago. All packed up I am off to see if I have time to get a bacon sandwich in the lounge as this has in fact taken less time than I had expected. There is no gate listed for my flight and as I have 15 minutes before official boarding so I head to the F lounge for my first LHR F lounge experience. I am stunned at how small the lounge actually is – but it is large enough for me to get a seat, a bacon roll and a glass of Piper! A quick call on the mobile to mrssimongr (I can be bothered to boot the laptop up and use Skype – a mistake I will expand on later). I actually think I had enough time to get a shower as our outbound flight is a little delayed as a small team of Nepalese Sherpas have to be recruited to bring the aircraft up from the south coast or it is towed to the gate – one of the two…

 

[drron]

Sorry Simon my stay was in January 2005.definitely low season then.Now there is no such thing as low season for hotels in NYC.
Hopefully a better connection today.My experiences on JAL certainly different as regards service.Topped off on last NRT-BNE segment when the same cheif purser that had been on 2 of my previous segments.Good evening drron without even looking at my BP and then asking if I wanted a better seat after he had looked.
However my letdown has been CX.High expectations on all the info I had from here.At least this year got the near flat bed but found it too hard for my liking.Of the 9 sectors so far(4 AA domestic A,the rest international D) my ratings are AA,AA,QF,AA,CX,AA,CX,IB,IB.

 

[simongr]

Journey – LHR-LCA
Flight no. – BA662
Class – Club Europe
Seat – 1F 1D

I wander to the gate in advance of the call – a fear of repeating NRT is still strong with me. I am told that they are boarding small and infirm people but not J. I do note that there are a number of people who are child free and under the age of 90 who are boarding so I wander up to the gate – just slightly in advance of the call for rows 26-40. Now I am not 100% familiar with the Club Europe product but I am sure that J doesn’t start at row 26…

On board I am pointed to my seat by the cabin crew and in my daze I do not notice that I have sat in 1D rather 1F and as my seat buddy arrives I have to apologise but no seat change is requested – which is a surprise as 1D has faster access to exit than 1F. Perhaps my BA Gold seat buddy is not quite as obsessive about seating as I appear to be.

Finally we are preparing for departure and the only thing I can think is that I now only have 4 more flights until I get home!!!!!!!!! The lack of sleep kicks in and I sleep through the breakfast service – not even stirring for an initial glass of Champagne.

After they have cleared the breakfast service I decide to grab the laptop and do some more SOB writing. I have my Tumi arranged so that I don’t need to open the bag fully to get my laptop out – I can just slide my hand in through the zips. As I slide my hand in there seems to be more space in the bag than usual and I can’t feel the hard shell of the laptop!! I quickly pull down the Tumi and no matter how many times I move things around there is a horrible lack of laptop

In classic movie style a la Next I rewind my journey back in high speed trying to work out what had happened. I get back to FCC and my hurry to help the guys behind me who were rushing for their aircraft. I see myself put my laptop into a tray and my liquids and stuff in another tray. After the X-ray the liquids tray goes on top of the laptop tray….

I guess is it true that no good deed goes unpunished. Now I am normally quite pale skinned – amusing given that I live in the land of the sun but also not so surprising given I spend my life in an office, a train or a plane – but on this occasion I believe I went so white that the other passengers thought they were being visited by the ghost of William Spooner *

A quick chat with the CSM and all is ok – they have found my laptop at security. I am asked if I want it brought to LCA so I can pick it up there. Given the risk of missing it I elect to collect it when I get back to LHR on Monday as lost property is airside so I wont even have to go out and check back in. What a relief - or at least so I thought…

As I am a little stressed I succumb to accepting a glass of Champers followed quickly by a G&T (only Gordon’s). I am surprised at how long the flight takes without any personal IFE (I wouldn’t classify a 10cm screen as IFE). So I sit back and read more of my book and try to chill. The pax across the aisle from me take more than a little pleasure giving me some stick for my laptop loss which I take in surprising good humour. A brief chat to the CSM about the flights and Cyprus and the interesting revelation that they actually like this flight as there is 24 hours between the inbound and outbound flight for the crew so they can go out and get trollied** . I am informed that the temperature is 31 degrees in Cyprus so it is a quick visit to the lavs to switch into my shorts and a fresh t-shirt so I am feeling a little fresher as I ready myself to deplane.

Finally we are landing and then as light follows day we land. It is of course a bus ride to the terminal and within 5 minutes of landing I am through immigration, customs and waiting outside for my parents to arrive!!! Aside from the minor issue of losing my laptop, the hand luggage only bizzo is working a treat.

I think though I have surprised my parents by being so quick and I am left baking in the sun for a few minutes until they eventually arrive. It is great again to see the little fella (my nephew) – he has grown up so much already in the few months since I last saw him. This is such a massive ancillary benefit of my travels – being able to see my little nephew growing up through his first couple of years – something I was convinced I wouldn’t be able to do when he was first born in Cyprus 3 months premature…

I spend a very hot few days in the mountains (ok maybe foothills) of Cyprus having relaxing dinners and sipping G&T’s with my dad looking out over the vineyards. If only mrssimongr was here this would be perfect.


* OK so that is officially my most obscure reference – sorry about that. William Spooner was for the record an albino and thus his ghost might be described as whiter than white flag that has been left out in the sun for a little too long after having been bleached white more than a few times.

** Also referred to as: Ankled (Bristol) Badgered, Banjaxed, Battered, Befuggered, Bernard Langered, Bladdered, Blasted, Blathered, Bleezin, Blitzed, Blootered, Blottoed, Bluttered, Boogaloo, Brahms & Liszt, Buckled, Burlin Cabbaged, Chevy Chased, Clobbered Decimated, Dot Cottoned, Druck-steaming, Drunk as a Lord, Drunk as a skunk Etched Fecked, Fleemered (Germany), Four to the floor Gatted, Goosed, Got my beer goggles on, Guttered (Inverness) Had a couple of shickers, Hammer-blowed, Hammered, Hanging, Having the whirlygigs, Howling Inebriated, Intoxicated Jahalered, Jaiked up (West of Scotland), Jan'd - abbrev for Jan Hammered, Jaxied, Jeremied, Jolly Kaned Lagged up, Lamped, Langered (Ireland) [also langers, langerated], Laroped, or alt. larrupt, Lashed, Leathered, Legless, Liquored up (South Carolina), Locked, Locked out of your mind (Ireland), Loo la Mad wey it, Mandoo-ed, Mangled, Manky, Mashed, Meff'd, Merl Haggard, Merry, Minced, Ming-ho, Minging, Moired, Monged, Monkey-full, Mottled, Mullered Newcastled, Nicely irrigated with horizontal lubricant Off me pickle, Off me trolley, On a campaign, Out of it, Out yer tree Paggered, Palintoshed, Paraletic, Peelywally, Peevied, Pickled, Pie-eyed, Pished, Plastered, Poleaxed, Pollatic Rat-legged (Stockport), Ratted, Ravaged, Razzled, Reek-ho, Rendered, Rosy glow, Rubbered, Ruined Saying hello to Mr Armitage, Scattered, Schindlers, Screwed, Scuttered (Dublin), Shedded [as in " My shed has collapsed taking most of the fence with it"], Slaughtered, Sloshed, Smashed, Snatered (Ireland), Snobbled (Wales), Sozzled, Spangled, Spannered, Spiffed, Spongelled, Squiffy, Steamin, Steampigged, Stocious, Stonkin Tanked, Tashered, Tipsy, Trashed, Trollied, Troubled, Trousered, Twisted Warped, Wasted, Wellied, With the fairies, Wrecked Zombied

 

[Shano]

That is a dreaded feeling - realising that you have left something behind.

I caught a taxi from Johor Bahru to Changi a few years ago and had my travel wallet out of my briefcase to do the immigration thingy between JB and Singapore. When I go to the check-in counter at Changi and couldn't find my ticket and passport I realised that I had left it inside the cab. I race back outside but the cab had left. I then started to get that sickly feeling in my stomach - wondering what the hell I was going to do.

About 5 minutes later I heard my name paged and when I arrived at the information counter, there was the driver with my wallet. Needless to say this was a huge relief. I tried to offer the driver some money for being so honest (and observant - something I was lacking that day), but he wouldn't accept a cent.

So I am a little obsessive now about checking for wallets when I get out of taxis.

 

[simongr]

Journey – LCA-LHR
Flight no. – BA663
Class – Club Europe
Seat – 1F (no seriously this time it is 1F)

I have a relaxing but exceptionally hot day travelling to LCA from PFO (and I actually plan for this and wear a throw away t-shirt on the journey to the airport and dump it in the lounge). My mind is not 100% in the game as a couple of last minute purchases are left in the car to be forwarded on to me. I remember the last time I transited through LCA-LHR-HKG-SYD (BA-CX-CX) I had trouble with getting boarding passes all the way through. This time I am pleasantly surprised to get BPs all the way to the SYD (although the J BP on QF HKG-SYD is hopefully going to have a fairly short lifespan ). I wonder afterwards is the combination of BA-BA-CX is the trigger for that.

LCA has a much improved exterior over my prior visits there but that does not extend to the check in area which is as ugly as ever. I am quickly through immigration and security – I do feel a little out of place with my focussed experienced* passage through check in compared to the lobsters in shorts and flip flops . The LCA makeover doesn’t extend to the Cyprus Airways lounge which is still a stinker. Sadly the smoking section of the lounge seems to have been expanded rather than eliminated I jump on line using the lounge computers (of which there are 4 or 5 which is not bad) to catch up with AFF and FT and to PM Kiwiflyer regarding my experience of LHR transfers.

Boarding is scheduled for 16:30 but “starts” at 16:10 so I make my way to the gate to join the large queue to go through the gate into the holding pen before catching the bus to the Aircraft. This time my rollaboard doesn’t fit into the overhead end on over seat 1G (it fitted end on over 1A outbound) so again I feel a little guilty about my hand luggage challenge – but again thankfully there is sufficient space in the overheads for everyone**.

Again I fell asleep on take off and missed the “hot” towels but I was at least awake for drinks The Pomery is actually quite nice and is served with some delightful little canapés – a vol au vent, pork on bread and some brown thing. It is as I look at the canapés that I realise I have left the gift from my mother in car – a Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker.

They are showing OOTP on the 10cm main screen which does slightly devalue the cinematic experience. Dinner is chicken with tortellini but strangely drinks are served once all meals have been served. Which basically means that I have finished my main before a glass of wine is served???? Now it is not about getting jeremied it is just that I don’t have anything to drink with dinner at all – not even water….

I continue to watch the movie which thankfully (despite the reduced cinematic experience) is over 2 hours long. I reflect that although the screen is small I am actually more comfortable than when I watched it at the Odeon Marble Arch when it was first out at the movies. I mentally prepare myself for the transit/lost property reclaim/ F lounge and then sleep for about an hour. As with other seating choices on this journey this choice leaves a little to be desired. The bulk head is not great for my 6’ 2” frame but I will concede that I am this time not subject to recliners!

After landing I am thinking of being first off but as I reach back to grab my rollaboard someone pushes past me so my careful plan of 1F getting me out first is slightly scuppered As we deplane I am sublimely confident and relaxed. I know I will have two bags through FCC and will be picking up my laptop and will be in the F lounge shortly.

I see that FCC has no queues and politely enquire about the location of lost property….

TRAUMA!!! TRAUMA!!! TRAUMA!!! ​

I am told that lost property is landside so I will have to immigrate, find lost property and then – horror of horrors check one of my bags through to SYD! So it is off immigration behind some very large queues and after some difficulty I find lost property – or at least what I thought was lost property…

TRAUMA2!!! TRAUMA2!!! TRAUMA2!!! ​

Lost property actually turns out to be the left luggage area as lost property closes at 7PM. Did I arrange for the item to be left here – umm no. Ahh then I will have to call lost property in the morning or call back the next day to collect it – a little tough to do when I live in SYD…

So with that knowledge I troop back to check in, safe in the knowledge that I just immigrated and am about to check a bag for absolutely no reason at all With more than the occasional curse muttered under my breath I pass through the very nice R zone (a first for me) which I see takes you directly to the lounge – a nice touch.

In the lounge I am so depressed that I almost don’t bother with a glass of champagne – but I manage to force one down (the options of white or pink are given – and looking down, noting that I am not wearing a skirt or dress I opt for the white). I jump online and update AFF and FT with my latest baggage trauma.

I duck out of the lounge for a few minutes to grab book three of the Wheel of Time as I forecast that I will finish book 2 probably about an hour outside of HKG***. Back in the lounge I check whether my QFF points balance has reduced and sadly at the moment it is still on 75K which means no sign of an upgrade yet…

There is just time to force down some shiraz before heading to the gate



* Ok based on current performance I will accept some element of debate on my interpretation of “experienced…

** That is not to say that everyone was actually in the overheads just a small Albanian family that seemed to be smuggling their uncle into the UK. I wasn’t sure it was politically correct to advise the Cabin Crew of this so in typically English style I just pretended that nothing unusual was occurring.

*** Yes I lead an incredibly sad existence that I plan my life like that but that is who I am and the forecast is unsurprisingly accurate…

 

[simongr]

Journey – LHR-HKG
Flight no. – BA27
Class – Club World
Seat – 62A

The walk through LHR T1 reminds what a toilet LHR is and what an embarrassment it is for the British people that visitors to Britain are welcomed here and this will be their last memory of the country. At least this problem might be solved by T5 – even if everything else isn’t.

Thankfully boarding is a smooth process although sadly my BP is not rejected at the gate. I am very pleased to see that we have NNCW and it nice to see a more modern interior on an aircraft after a couple of weeks of older tireder planes. It is certainly a dramatic improvement over NCW.

As I take my pre-selected exit row seats, my seat buddy vanishes which I think is either that his wife has been given an op-up from WT+ or he has taken a voluntary downgrade to be with her. Either way it is another flight with no seat buddy. This is my third in a row (if you count the flagship suites on AA).

The cabin crew serve me a nice glass of bubbles but he has the strangest accent I have ever heard – kind of Porto meets Cardiff. It is all I can do to stop myself from chortling. We take off on time and I decide to give the IFE a go – slightly nervous that it is supplied by Rockwell Collins. Three reboots later and it is another less than stellar performance by RC. I have not AVOD only AV. At least I have movies on a cycle which is better than nothing.

The food is ok but not memorable and in an effort to make myself stay awake I ask if I can defer my dessert until later. This however works against me as I crash out shortly after the main course and do not have the joy of sampling the cheese selection. I actually think I slept as much as six to eight hours which although restful for me – does not bode well for my HKG-SYD flight and the potential for sleep there which is my target to assist with resetting my body clock.

About 2 hours out of HKG a third baggage trauma hits as I realise I have four(ish) hours at HKG and could have collected my luggage and gone through security with two bags – thus avoiding delays at SYD. Really simongr you need to make a better effort at being in control of your flying destiny!

I decide to skip breakfast as I know I can eat in the lounge or on board my next flight. Finally we are landing into HKG and the flight has been surprisingly smooth (except for the IFE of course). As we begin the process to deplane my mind is pretty focussed on getting in contact with the UK to get my laptop shipped to Oz. IU am very quickly through security and find myself at about gate 30. It is at that point that I realise I have left Book 3 on the aircraft – my mind really is not in the game today

I head to the BA/QF lounge to see if they can contact the aircraft to see if my book has been found. I then head over to the Wing managing to stop for a little shopping on the way but I am not in the mood for full enjoyment of the Wing today after the calamities that have befallen me.

I manage to get through to Lost Property at LHR and co-ordinate the couriering of my laptop so that is one less worry for me (although there is no indication of price during my discussions with the courier company and as I don’t have many options I will have to wait and see what happens). I clear a few emails via Webmail and check on AFF using the iPod Touch . I then grab a shower and decide to skip food as I am pleased to find that my F upgrade has come through – finally some good news on this trip. Also checking my emails I have come up with a solution for an issue at work which alleviate some of the trauma of not having had the laptop for a few days and checking Facebook I find that one of my friends is now engaged!

I leave the Wing and wander through the shopping plaza, picking up a replacement for the Cross pencil that was misplaced JFK-LHR and head to the QF lounge as that is closer to the gate and I would like to see if I can get my new BP…

 

[simongr]

Journey – HKG-SYD
Flight no. – Qf128
Class – First
Seat – 3A

It’s the final countdown!!! Well at least I am officially on the way home. I ask at the lounge if I can get my new BP but am informed that can only be done at the gate so I grab a glass of Piper and catch up on more AFF on the computers in the F section of the lounge. It is amazes me how much of a broadband addict I have become. I was lost in Cyprus without broadband and now without my little lappie! I really need to wean myself off this techno dependency.

Talking of which I was quite surprised/annoyed that the iPOd Touch could happily connect to PCCW (free wifi at HKG Airport) in the CX lounge but I am semi-forced to try and used BTOpenzone in the QF/BA lounge…

A minute before the flight is called I start to wander to the gate knowing that I need to sort out BPs etc. The whY queue is horrendous – I am so glad that I choose to travel in J or choose not to travel at all. Getting my new BP does not seem to be the simple process that I was expecting and I become a little nervous as multiple calls are made to sort it out.

Finally my F BP is handed over and I wander to the gate itself. I see a heap of BPs on the gate so I assume (rightly or wrongly) that there are a heap of Op-Ups or points upgrades coming through. My 3A seat is finally a great seat I think. Sure not as much space as 4A but still a decent window seat and not too close to 3E.

On board I am greeted with a glass of Charles Heidseck 1996 which is very nice and some dip that could be tuna or hommous or eggplant – but no almonds it seems. I get half a feeling that the Cabin Crew are not that interested in me as after asking what size PJs I want they then forget to get them. The couple in front of me seem to be taking up quite a lot of the crew’s time. After a second request for PJs (with no apology for missing me) I am the second person to get changed and in fact for once I note that pretty much the whole full cabin gets changed before take off.

We are soon airborne and shortly after take off they come round to take the meal orders. I am asked what wine I would like with my meal but put in a G&T request for before dinner first. I note that I am the only person to receive a pre-dinner drink! This is what I mean about the variable service in F on QF.

I decide to take a punt on the IFE which to my surprise seems to work acceptably after a little prodding. Dinner is very nice – possibly one of my best choices on this trip. The soup is very nice pumpkin and coconut with a sprinkle of fried shallots – 100% yum! I forget what the main course was (and given the state of my house at the moment the likelihood of finding the purloined menu is slim) but do recall being adequately satisfied. I watch a couple of movies and finally manage to grab about 3 hours of sleep waking just in time for breakfast.

Breakfast is a little disappointing – just a continental option There is quite a queue for the change out of PJs but I manage to relax for the last 20 minutes of the flight. I have some great views of Manly as we land and note that the city side views are for the K pax.

We land and finally I am nearing home. I do my usual shimmy through duty free to pick up the Bombay Sapphire and Champers but am relatively slow going through immigration as although the queue is only 2 people they seem to be the slowest two people on earth. The bag wait is frustrating after such speed through arrivals on my other flights but in retrospect it isn’t as long as it seemed.

Quarantine though is the usual schmozzle and it takes at least 25 minutes to get through but eventually I am through and meeting my driver and then the car ride home.

This is only a brief visit home as we are off to Darwin this weekend…

 

[simongr]

Journey – SYD-BNE
Flight no. – QF500
Class – Business
Seat – 2A

After a crazy couple of days in the office without a laptop, it arrives at about 2PM on the Friday just before I am heading home after a lunch with my colleague who is returning to the US – a very frustrating turn of events him being in Oz when I was overseas

The evening before the flight is again hectic as we prepare our house to be taken over by my in-laws as they look after the dogs whilst we are away. We can’t leave much until the morning as the car is arriving at god awful o’clock. At about 10:30PM a very tired simongr heads to bed only to wake at 1AM and 2AM in advance of the 3AM alarm given our 4:15AM departure for the airport. It is all systems go and our little hand luggage only trip to DRW begins.

If you hadn’t realised I am not using the royal “we” on this trip as mrssimongr is the driving force behind the trip to DRW as one of her friends has moved there recently and also just had a little baby. I booked her an AAward flight and added my flights to my DONE4. The problem was that I booked her a straight SYD-DRW-SYD return and I was on SYD-BNE-DRW-SYD. We were on the same flights DRW-SYD (with a quick stop in ADL) but my flight was about 4 hours earlier to BNE and I arrived in DRW about 90 mins before her. She decided she wanted to come with me to the airport so she wouldn’t have to deal with that alone. I realised on the way to the airport that I probably could have arranged for her to be on the flight with me as the points on AA would have been the same as there is no stopover. This is where my inexperience with being a FFer really shows. I had done OLCI so we walked straight through security and up into the lounge.

Mrssimongr snacked on some toast and muesli whilst I sorted out the iPod touch and checked the overnight rugby results. Just before boarding I saw some good friends of mine who were also flying up to BNE that day – I was about to offer to use points to upgrade them but they were already in J I make my friend quite jealous with a flourish of the iPod (he is another Mac aficionado) but I made a little nervous when his wife borrows it and it looks like I might not get it back! This is a good distraction for mrssimongr so that she doesn’t have to think about me boarding without her and she is not as upset when I walk off to board (she is nervous flyer who gets terrible ear pain whilst flying so doesn’t really enjoy it).

On boarding I think I might have a free seat next to me as it empty up until the last minute when a family of five arrive and take every last seat in J. What a performance though getting them boarded – debating which seats and where hand luggage goes – it takes them about 10 minutes to get seated!

We push back on schedule and we are quickly in the air with the seat belt sign off so I boot up the laptop and get on with some work. I decide to skip breakfast knowing I have another breakfast flight coming up later. I am quite surprised when the Captain turns on the seat belt sign – where on earth did that flight go? I am just not used to these short flights now!

We seem to have a very slow landing followed by a hand brake turn into the gate. Thankfully there is no security screening so I am in the QP within 2 mins of landing It is a sad thing to be in a QP when there is no booze being served – I am again just too used to travelling internationally now.

There is a last minute chance of meeting an AFFer at the QP but that is scuppered so I get on with a bit more work and wait for boarding which happens relatively soon and thankfully the gate is pretty close to the QP

 

[simongr]

Journey – BNE-DRW
Flight no. – QF824
Class – Business
Seat – 1A

As I board I am thankful that there are Dreamtime seats so it will be a quite comfortable flight to DRW. In my mind I compare the Club Europe product on a much longer flight to this product and QF win hands down!

I am amused that even though it is a different aircraft I have the same crew to DRW that I had to BNE! The flight is uneventful so I do a little work and watch a little laptop TV and do indulge in just a little glass of bubbles (after the second request for a top up they leave the mini-bottle behind).

The remainder of the flight is uneventful but I know that I have a fairly unpleasant 90 minutes ahead of me in the airport without lounge access. As I deplane I am quick not to go out into arrivals and actually turn back into the departure area and wonder if it is worth trying my luck with the lounge. I walk in and with my most deferential voice admit I know that I am not allowed in but ask if it is possible to chill here as I am waiting for my wife – and I am allowed in

I set myself up at one of the laptop stations and continue watching some laptop TV. I wonder why there is a throng of people around the bar area and realise that it is 2 minutes to 1PM and the booze bus will be leaving soon. After about 10 mins I decide to grab a cold Crown and am quite comfortable waiting for mrssimongr. I keep checking the arrivals board and mrssimongr finally lands.

I meet her in the departure area and she had a great flight – no ear pain at all thanks to the “earplanes”. We have a great few days in DRW and she is very keen to come back again next year!

We stay with her friend for a couple of days and in the Holiday Inn Esplanade for a couple of days – a very relaxing time is had by all – although the 3AM wake up for our 3:45 cab is less than welcome.