The FLounge Run TR Thread

[medhead]

He'll be called whatever I want and he'll like it.

Fair enough then, lass o' the law

 

[oz_mark]

He'll be called whatever I want and he'll like it.

Lawless has spoken

 

[connieguy]

Lawless has spoken

What you only just worked that out? Law less LawLass = SWMBO.

 

[nlagalle]

Ok so I am finally able to sit down and write my my end of the TR!

I had forward planned this trip by using a free night at the Crown Metropol which was booked for the saturday night, so with that in mind I took the train to Southern Cross to meet Lawlass and catch the Skybus to the airport. I was on QF420 at 9.30.

As Lawlass pointed out she was able to guest me into the Virgin Lounge (although I could have flashed my WP card). certainly different to the old Gold wing lounge! or even when it was the blue room!

Anyway despite what some of you might think, I was not dragged in there kicking and screaming!

My impressions of the lounge we that the design was nice, but it felt cramped (i am sure that lounge was much wider). The coffee was good, and they do beat the J lounge here.. I think though for the sake of lawlass they should offer coffee intranvenously! She had about 3 coffees to my single one. while we were admiring the view we saw a different sight.. the was a jetstar plane parked along with the Virgin ones. Now we couldn't work out if the pilot got lost trying to park (perhaps he just started at JQ from VA??) or what, but it was funny seeing it look so out of place!

Anyway I scooted off to the safety of the J lounge to eat some breakfast and ran into samiam as he was off to board his flight. i was on the lookout for Wayne bourke but never saw a gold scarf... i found this out later and i think he was on the same flight as me.

My flight up to SYD was uneventful in J (double SC promo thank you!), but when i turned my phone on my day changed! firstly there was the power outage and i figured i was not going to wait in queues, so headed to the J lounge. at the same time I had 3 messages from the real estate agent ringing me about a townhouse I wanted to buy but the buyer knocked back my low offer. so i figured I could deal with it in the comforts of the J lounge before heading over to T1. after serveral calls I left the agent to go away and come back with something and made my way on the bus to T1. Again i discovered that Wayne Bourke was in the J lounge organising a flight home on QF.. missed him again!!

Found it very easy to get through immigration and security and was in the lounge by about 1.30pm and back on the phone to agent. So to everyone I saw but didn't sit down with (thank you Lawlass for saving a seat too!) I do apologise but I took up drewbles offer of the suite so i could go back to negotiating with the agent.

The JQ35 flight itself was uneventful. was sitting next to a girl from Ireland who was a bit scared of flying and i disctracted here with saying she had to go see an AFL game at the MCG.

Upon landing there was another 2 messages from the agent and I was back to bargaining again. I'd left a firm verbal offer with him and joined everyone for the photo (mus post names too) then for some beverages in the Virgin lounge. My only complaint about the Virgin bar is no spirits! they do have a great beer selection, but sometimes a boubon and coke hits the spot better! I do like some of what Virgin are doing. and if it means that QF and VA are working harder for our business then it can only be good for us.

So after the bus ride back to Southern Cross I farewelled ewing, samh004, acockwilson jdlover23 and lawlass and headed to the hotel to freshen up before heading off to a birthday dinner.

Great day overall, and unfortunately I didn't get the townhouse (yet) the husband wanted to sell it but the wife wanted more money! so I walked from it!

 

[Lawlass]

You know, this whole thread should really be in the Trip Report forum. What idiot started it in here?

 

[markis10]

You know, this whole thread should really be in the Trip Report forum. What idiot started it in here?

It seems to have moved there now.........

 

[anat0l]

Another TR... (yes, late to the party)

Here's my TR of the weekend: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....tos/just-another-july-weekend-trip-32196.html

Now some have decided to be brief (perhaps to brief for some), others tried poetry (of Shakespearean and Japanese styles) and many did prose.

Whilst I can't match the eloquence or elegance of the entries so far, I have tried something tricky. That is your challenge, dear readers.

There is something peculiar about how I've written the attached trip report. You may like to call it a "rule" which I had to follow in writing the report. See if you can guess it.

I'll offer a hint at least once a day until someone guesses it. Good luck....


Oh... and BTW yes there could be many things peculiar about it, but I will only take the answer according to what I've in mind. To be honest, if you are very, very, very strict with the report, I've actually broken my own rule...... now there's a hint...

 

[anat0l]

For those that want to remember what was on offer in the FL that day...

Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney (Terminal 1)
Winter Menu 2011


Daily Specials

Tuna sashimi with mixed herbs, macadamia salad and pomegranate dressing

Blackmore beer braised wagyu with potato puree, broccolini and beans

Wild mushroom risotto with crispy sage and eschallots

Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla gelato


All Day Dining – available from midday

Soup of the day

Buffalo mozzarella with vine ripened tomatoes and basil

Smoked salmon with creme fraiche, pickled onion and salmon roe

Blackmore wagyu bresaola with goat's curd, braised leeks and truffle potatoes

Crisp pork belly with spicy eggplant, coriander and shallot

Salt and pepper squid with green chilli sauce


Pappardelle with lamb ragout and aged pecorino

Grilled fish with beetroot risotto, fennel and dill

Chicken laksa with golden eschallots and chilli sambal

Duck confit with braised red cabbage and 20 year old balsamic

Rangers Valley 300 day grain fed tenderloin with cafe de Paris butter and chips


Our Signature Sandwiches

Club with chicken, slow roasted tomatoes, Schulz bacon and aioli

Beef burger with Schulz bacon, gruyere, Zuni pickle and tomato chilli relish


Side Dishes

Bowl of chips

Our signature mixed leaf salad

Wild rocket and parmesan salad

Green beans with roasted almonds and brown butter


Dessert and Cheese

Seasonal fruit plate

Pavlova in a glass with strawberries and cream

Chocolate lava cake with rhubarb and vanilla bean ice cream

Gelatomassi sorbet and gelato selection

Cheese hand selected by Will Studd - Cabot clouthbound cheddar, Brillat Savarin, Papillon Roquefort


Beverages

Champagne

Taittinger Brut Reserve

Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin

Bollinger Special Cuvee


White Wine

Carlei Green Vineyards Pinot Gris 2010 Cardinia Ranges, Victoria

Squealing Pig Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Marlborough, New Zealand

Heemskerk Riesling 2010 Coal River, Tasmania

coughfighter's Ghost Semillon 2009 Hunter Valley, New South Wales

Yering Station Chardonnary 2008 Yarra Valley, Victoria

Rockford Alicante Bouchet 2010 Barossa Valley, South Australia


Red Wine

Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir 2010 Yarra Valley, Victoria

Torbreck "Woodcutters" Shiraz 2010 Barossa Valley, South Australia

Wynn's Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Coonawarra, South Australia

Devil's Lair Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Margaret River, Western Australia

Penfolds Seventy Six Shiraz Cabernet 2010 Koonunga Hill, South Australia

Parker Estate Terra Rossa Merlot 2006 Coonawarra, South Australia


Dessert Wine

De Bortoli Noble One 2008 Riverina, New South Wales

Stell Bella Pink Muscat 2010 Margaret River, Western Australia


Beer

Crown Lager

Cascade / Cascade Light

Heineken

Peroni Leggera

James Squire Amber Ale

James Squire Pilsner


Coffee

Our espresso blend is Cinque Stelle by Vittoria

Short Black

Long Black

Cappuccino

Flat White

Cafe Latte

Vittoria Hot Chocolate


Tea

Our tea selection is by T2

English Breakfast

Earl Grey

Peppermint

Chamomile

Sencha

Chai Tea

Green Tea with Jasmine

 

[moa999]

A late addition.

Got stuck having to go into work and saw the problems that all were having at Sydney Airport. Was thinking about pulling out but after getting the all clear dived into a cab at about 1pm from the CBD.
Arrived at the airport to Row H to see a pile of bags stacked up and a queue of 30+ people. Luckily having done web check-in it was no wait for me and I was quickly on my way.
No wait with the D sticker but then I wished I had brought one of my spare fast track passes as it was a 20 min queue to get scanned (eating into my FLounge time).

Walked into the lounge, saw two clear AFF tables that were well onto the mains and with limited space and no spare tables decided to pull up a chair at the bar and watch the kitchen in action (Actually quite an experience and I had recently seen the Masterchef episode so understood a bit more of where they were preparing various dishes).

Bollinger was the choice today, the two specials looked very good (and were), switching to the always good Torbreck Shiraz with the main, and dessert was washed down with some Noble One.

Then joined samh004, trippin_the_rift, Taezar where a few Pellegrinos and cheese platters were had as we waited for the flight to be called. I had to shift a few rude people out of the galley area when I went to the ablution department mid-flight, but stayed around to join them for a while. Was one of the first off the aircraft and caught up to the members flying StarClass who were busy chatting to two lovely girls who were off to Bali on the continuing flight, one of whom was wheeling an empty suitcase (its Bali she commented).
Only managed two beers in the Virgin Lounge before my flight was called - was however quite impressed, although I wonder how well some of the all-white fixtures and fittings will hold up.
Had not bothered to check my seat and scored very badly -- seat 10A (no window) in a rogue (no IFE) 737.
SO it was out with the ipod and snooze back home.

Now my JQ flight was bought with a TT match, DJ on points so to complete the trifecta I did the 20minute balmy walk to Mascot station to avoid the gate fee and get a $3.20 fare back to Kings Cross.


And for the food critics out there:
Tuna sashimi with mixed herbs, macadamia salad and pomegranate dressing


Blackmore beer braised wagyu with potato puree, broccolini and beans


Pavlova in a glass with strawberries and cream