The hot and cold Xmas/NY break

[RB001]

LUZIA, in Sydney until the 9th of February.

 

[Scarlett]

LUZIA, in Sydney until the 9th of February.

I’ve had that tickets page open since I watched the doco! Have asked the family if they’d like to go.

 

[RB001]

I’ve had that tickets page open since I watched the doco! Have asked the family if they’d like to go.

Ha! My schedule is undergoing closer inspection to determine LUZIAn compatibility.

 

[Scarlett]

GA402 CGK-DPS
B777-300
PK-GIF
On time

To get home from my main international ticket I could have booked the reverse of what I did on the way here, QF Y to SYD or MEL and put in for a points upgrade to J. Instead I chose to go with a little more convoluted routing to get some VFF SCs relatively early in the year, but importantly, before the VFF changes take effect. These flights should get my current and planned total to about 60% of the WP requal mark.

So what I have booked is a domestic flight in Indonesia, a quick transit in DPS and then DPS-BNE-SYD-ADL-CBR in VA J. This was booked as two tickets as getting the Bali to ADL ticket was not much more expensive than going direct to other capitals. Then I booked an ADL-CBR ticket at sale J price.

I’ve done probably over 50 domestic flights in Indonesia (querying Openflights confirms this will be my 61st), with GA, QG, ID, JT, IW, IU and SJ. The majority have been on those first two, Garuda and its LCC arm Citilink. GA often flies its wide bodies on CGK-DPS and on this occasion it was a 777–300.


The airport was busy at 0545 as I was checking in. Indonesians are early risers with most getting up for fajar (dawn prayers) just before sunrise. Had a 25 minute wait in the Y queue to check in, which is always annoying to me and using the shorter J line is one of the things I value most from airline status.

There was also a relatively long line at security, which given how little interest the security staff are paying, is unusual. (I’ve very rarely seen a bag pulled for additional checks at an Indonesian airport…)

T3 is a large modern terminal and is usually a pretty pleasant place, more so now that they’ve installed additional cooling.


My aircraft at the gate.

Boarding was so swift and easy compared to the US flights I’d recently taken. Golf clubs travel for free on GA and I was able to select an extra legroom bulkhead seat at the front of whY for no cost.

It was a 90 minute flight to DPS and a drink and then cooked breakfast was served. I had the chicken rendang with lontong which was nice. Had to laugh when the FA serving the meal asked me if I wanted chicken with lontong, then tried to remember how to describe lontong in English …rice cake. So I answered her in Indonesian explaining that as I’d lived in Bandung I always prefer lontong! Got a side eye from the elderly Indonesian gent seated beside me, which is always fun.


Climbing out of the Jakarta smog.


DPS arrival near a Timor-Leste jet.

Another solid GA flight. Then it was downstairs for a 15 minute wait for bags and a walk across to the international terminal. As I was arriving domestically I saw no signs reminding me to pay the Bali tourist tax and as I was just transiting I wasn’t going to volunteer.

 

[Scarlett]

VA48 DPS-BNE
B737-Max8
VH-8ID
Scheduled dep 1500 / Actual 1535
Scheduled arr 2255 / Actual 2320

I'd allowed almost five hours for the separate ticket connection in DPS and as GA got me in on time that meant a 1.5 hour wait at the international terminal before check in opened. I waited at the coffee club outside the check in area and had a coffee and snack. For those thinking of connecting in Bali, these were my timings and I'd suggest they're pretty normal.
GA402 arrived at gate: 0:00
At baggage claim +10 mins
Waiting for baggage delivery +20 mins
Walking to international terminal +10 mins
Security to get to check in +5 mins

Check in closes 45min-1hr before departure for most airlines so I'd suggest a minimum two hour connection here. How much more you add to that would depend on your tolerance for risk and consequences of mis-connecting.

Note that waiting for check in to open at DPS International generally means waiting in the open air (non-air conditioned) space at the terminal. It's undercover but still quite warm and humid, even with rotating fans circulating air.

Priority check in was quick enough; dropped my golf clubs at the end of the check in counters with all the surf bags and strollers and headed through security and departing Indonesian immigration smart gates. All pretty quick.

As VA doesn't have international lounge access (with a few exceptions) for J or status pax I chose to wait at this bar/cafe, read some news and wrote up some more trip notes.





Headed to the gate as advised on the boarding pass.



Lots of waiting at the gate area and boarding didn't start until close to departure time. Full flight. Standard VA J seats, meals and service. No J divider, so plenty of pax coming forward to use the front toilet, especially whilst the service cart was in the aisle. Internet access was patchy throughout the flight.

Some great views of the Kimberly coastline as we crossed. These images can’t do it justice.

 

[Scarlett]

We arrived late into BNE at what was already going to be a late evening arrival. I’d booked the airport Ibis near the domestic terminal as my first continuing domestic flight was at 0805.

The late arrival was compounded by an EK 777 and CX wide body having arrived shortly before us. Immigration was easy as the computers and smart gates were clear. About 30 minutes waiting for the bags to appear. Then the problems. The line to get to the customs chaps snaked multiple times back and forth along the whole luggage hall. Then because I had one tick on my arrival form (I had been in the Caribbean in the past six days!), I got sent to join the Biosecurity line. It was also snaking. Showed the DAFF Bio lady my nice clean golf shoes (they and the club heads were cleaned with a toothbrush that lives in my golf bag - I’ve done this many times before!) and I was allowed into the terminal.

Walked straight to the transfer bus to the domestic terminal and had an 8 minutes wait for the next bus (according to the displays - seemed accurate). Alighted at the QF stop and then walked the ten minutes around to the Ibis (and Pullman) hotels. Quick check in, shower and then as it was 0130, I had only five hours of sleep to look forward to.

 

[Scarlett]

VA924 BNESYD	VA418 SYDADL	VA580 ADLCBR
B737-700	B737-700	B737-800
VH-NBP	VH-NBP	VH-IJU
On time	On time	30 min delay

I figure I'll just combine these last three flights as J on VA is pretty commonly reported on. I may also include some comments from the VA international flight yesterday evening that I forgot above.

Early check out from the Ibis BNE, walk over to the terminal, re-check bags (as they were already tagged to ADL by the DPS staff rather than being short checked) then up to the lounge.



The cabin crew were fantastic on all of the flights, regularly checking on the J cabin pax and being proactive with offers for extra drinks, food, or anything else. The CSM on VA48 was tireless: always there but not being obtrusive and when she did head down to the back galley, she told us to use the call bell if anything was needed and she’d be right back.

One funny thing this morning was that the CSM on the first flight (and same crew for the second) forgot my breakfast request, probably because most others in the cabin didn’t want anything. When I realised we were over half way through the flight I used the call bell to ask if anything was coming. He apologised profusely as had forgotten to note it down and one of the other crew members had eaten it. I was offered the other breakfast option, something from the snack basket etc, but didn’t actually need to eat anything. I’d already eaten in the BNE lounge and was going to spend an hour in the SYD lounge so it wasn’t a problem. On the next flight he was going to offer me a bottle of wine as an additional apology, but as I don’t drink he came by with an amenities kit instead. It was something I didn’t need but felt it would have been ungracious to also turn that down.

The 737-700 I flew two legs on had this sticker on the tray table arm-rest, uncannily similar to the AA problem.



Once in the cruise I tried it and everything worked normally, so not sure why the sticker was there.

Another thing about the -700 was that it didn’t have wifi internet access. Whilst boarding there was a cabin message and apology that the inflight entertainment wasn’t working (not just wifi) and that pax should download something for themselves if they wished. I’d actually received the same info about 48 hours earlier from VA via email. However, once on board I could connect to the wifi fine. On the first flight I only used it to monitor the inflight map, but on the second, I tried one of the TV shows and it played with no issues, so a bit mystified what the email and announcement were supposed to be about.

An image from BNE-SYD as we flew over the Hunter Valley ‘coal country’.


One from the hold point prior to departure from SYD. Pop-quiz: who will get to depart first after the landing aircraft clears the runway, us or the A380? I figured that with the extra wake turbulence waiting time required after an A380 departs, that we’d be off first.


.

No more bets.

.



Not only was it the A380, but after two minutes the VietJet A330 also departed, then a Rex Saab340, then us.

No feet on seats or bulkheads noted. No offloading of cabin bags due to overhead lockers being full.

The CSM on the BNE-SYD and SYD-ADL flights gave a longer (and more detailed) than usual spiel about the toilets for rows 3 and back being at the back of the aircraft. Even with no cabin divider that did appear to dissuade most Y pax from trying to come forward.

It was a beautiful day in Adelaide for my transit there, although the whole region all looked quite dry. A very pleasant 22 deg C according to the pre-landing update from the flight deck. It was another easy transit, although it was a break between tickets, so I did have to collect bags, check-in and then head to the VA lounge. Quite busy ahead of the Aus Day long weekend and maybe a few international guests already in there as I spied both a QR and SQ jet land after we had boarded, but were still waiting at the gate.



Well it was a lovely day at ADL, until this thing showed up.

The Hellship.
Let us all pause and give a moments silence for the poor unfortunate souls on board that thing during the photo, and to those who would have to board it for their nearly three-hour journey to PER.



A safe arrival in CBR, luggage returned quickly and then collected by the family.

 

[Scarlett]

I started this trip report with a pic of a VA 737 at CBR so I suppose I should finish with something similar.



VA and QF flights were all as expected.

My first time flying on NH and I’d say it was okay rather than being great. Maybe influenced by the regional J product on the B787-8 I had for both flights. Staff excellent and transits in Japan are of course well organised.

Flights to/from/within the US with UA and AA were mediocre. As expected.

My inter-island flights in the Caribbean were mostly on time and fine for the one hour in Y, with nice views of the various islands, cays, lagoons and inviting beaches.

Jamaica was nice but accompanied but always feeling slightly on edge, or at least needing to keep wits about you and doors locked. Quite the haven of rum, reggae and solicitation if that’s your thing.

Grand Cayman was also nice, with lovely beaches and I’m sure those living there in their zero tax jurisdiction have found a way to get over just how small the island is. Maybe they just take their private jets or yachts off other places when they want to see something different.

Nassau was equal parts gaudy and concerning and seemed to even out-capitalism the USA. Not a place I ever need to return.

Turks & Caicos (Provo) was the highlight for me, with a slightly confused blend of the UK, US and The Caribbean. Much like the Caymans it’s probably just too small to imagine wanting to live there, but I can see why people return regularly for their ‘slice of paradise’.

I can’t forget Washington DC, which was great to have a look around for the first time. Much that felt familiar from being seen on ‘the box’ but also with some really interesting museums. I think I could go back for a week and still not feel like I’d seen enough.

All were expensive, due to the AUD/USD rate. I note, with no great surprise, that yesterday there was a news comment that the AUD had regained some ground against the Dollar: of course it will do so now.

Some new souvenirs to join the 87 others on the pantry door.


The last things to do are to cancel the 28Degrees card and apply for the Bendigo Bank replacement; update my global golf map; and Openflights map.

I do hope some have found a few useful nuggets along the way, or may have been swayed, one way or t’other, if they have their own plans to visit the western Caribbean.

IMPORTANTLY: no misconnections or delayed flight drama! No travel insurance claims to submit!

 

[Scarlett]

Openflights updated! Thank goodness for the zoom function when reviewing as it is getting nicely cluttered.


Should be about 670 different golf courses marked on there. Must get to South America one of these days.

 

[VPS]

Thanks for an interesting TR - I do want to go to the Caribbean but think that it will likely be a cruise