Ticking all the Boxes in Noumea

[Jacques Vert]

Sitting at home one morning and the phone rings. It’s @Fifa. “Did you see QF has a double status credit offer?” Yes, I reply. She suggests +1 (@Gem56) and I join her and Mr Fifa for a status run to Noumea. “$2,600 return and you’ll earn 880 SCs if we start from ADL. We’ll go ADL-BNE-MEL-SYD-NOU-SYD-MEL-BNE-ADL.”

I’m not normally one to do a pure status run but this one isn’t a bad deal. I suggest we stay in NOU for a few days and make a holiday of it. Fifa is OK with my suggestion but I point out that it’s still a fair bit of $$ when paying for two. I tell her to let me think about it over night and knowing what a cheapskate I am, Fifa agrees.

Next morning QF puts the NOU flights on sale at 50% off! $1,345-12 for 8 flights in J, 880 SCs with the DSC offer; that’s 1.53 per SC.

OK we’re in.

 

[Jacques Vert]

0900 Saturday and our taxi arrives. A 5 minute ride to CFS and this trip starts like all our others: a Q400 flight CFS-SYD. An uneventful flight but like the previous time we passed through Sydney airport, the airbag suspension on the QF bus is faulty and we run aground just before reaching the terminal. Reminiscent of my career in the Maritime industry.

Once inside the terminal, it’s a short walk to Gate 3 where we wait for our positioning flight to ADL. I’ve run out of paper lounge passes but have a few of the electronic ones. However, as we only have about half an hour I decided not to bother attaching them to our flight. For once, Priority Boarding is being enforced and with only sliver status currently, we have to join the end of the queue…Oh the shame.

 

[LadyC]

Next morning QF puts the NOU flights on sale at 50% off! $1,345-12 for 8 flights in J, 880 SCs with the DSC offer; that’s 1.53 per SC.

OK we’re in.

I like the way you think! Unfortunately MasterC is a bit young to do this sort of thing yet. I'm interested in going to Noumea at some point so look forward to reading more.

 

[kermatu]

I’ll take 1K for this trip.

 

[I love to travel]

Happy with 2C (assuming its a 737)

 

[Daver6]

I'm in in for this ride

 

[Fifa]

Our trip started with an Uber ride from our new home on the Gold Coast to Helensvale Station, then a train to Varsity Lakes and finally a bus to OOL! (Soooo much easier and cheaper than accessing airports from our previous home in country NSW!)

A quick coffee and snack in the crowded QC (my +1 reminded me not to book flights during school hols in the future!) then it was onto the 12:45 flight to MEL in Y. After a brief visit to the newly refurbished MEL J lounge we boarded our flight to ADL where we met up with @Jacques Vert and @Gem56 at the new Atura Hotel.

Let the holiday begin!!!

 

[Major]

A combined TR...looking forward to it.

GC weather is a bit different to Jindy

 

[Jacques Vert]

Of course all good status runs should include a mattress run and this one’s no different.

Our first night is at the Atura Hotel at Adelaide airport on an opening special $130 per night. Atura is part of Rydges PGR program so I flash my Black card and get one (and only one) drink voucher. But it’s happy hour so +1’s drink is only $5 and I get 50% off; I can live with that for now.

We were upgraded to a runway view room but I forgot to take a picture; I’ll try to remember to get one when we return at the end of the trip.

For now, here’s a couple of pictures of the bar/lounge area:

 

[Fifa]

Atura is part of Rydges PGR program so I flash my Black card and get one (and only one) drink voucher.

TKWIA - as a PGR Black member I received 2 x drink vouchers (any drink!), an upgraded corner runway view room and complimentary breakfast for two!!!


You win some, you lose some JV!

 

[Jacques Vert]

A funny conversation upon our arrival in Adelaide from Sydney. The guy sitting in my Silver Shadow offers to get my bag down from the locker:

I say: “It’s OK, I’ve got plenty of time; we’re only going as far as the Atura.”

He says: “Just staying the one night; where are you off to tomorrow?”

Me: “Noumea.”

Him: “Do they have direct flights to Noumea from here?”

(I can see where this conversation is going…..)

Me: “No, we have to connect.”

“Where do you connect?”

“Sydney!”

“You’re bullshitting me! Couldn’t you overnight in Sydney?”

“Why fly direct when you can connect?” He looks a little bewildered.

“So you’ve flown from Sydney to Adelaide so you can fly back to Sydney tomorrow?”

“Actually we flew from CFS via SYD”.

(At this stage I’m wondering if I should tell him we’re actually flying ADL-BNE-MEL-SYD tomorrow, then NOU-SYD-MEL-BNE-ADL and the AFF12 gathering before flying to India via New Zealand and Dubai? I think not.)

So I just say: “We got some cheap flights.” He still looks bewildered.

+1: “It’s about the Status Credits.” He is now completely bewildered.

Obviously not a member of this community.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Sunday morning and it’s a pre-dawn start as our first flight QF660 (ADL-BNE) leaves at 0700.




It’s a 738 and we have one of the best CSMs going around, Julian. Excellent service, good chat and a great sense of humour.

During the flight I overhear Julian tell another passenger he is from Melbourne. I wonder…..

So I ask: “Do you go back to Adelaide after this?”

J: “No, I’m going to Melbourne.”

“What flight?”

“615”

“Oh; so are we! Then SYD and NOU tomorrow.”

“Topping up the credits, are we?”

Now there’s a CSM who knows his stuff.

Then my first visit to the new BNE J lounge, very nice; much improved on the previous model (forgot to take a photo, maybe on the way back).

 

[Jacques Vert]

QF615: BNE-MEL

“Hello Julian, we’ve flown with you before haven’t we?”

Now on the previous flight I had the water for my pre-departure drink. I told Julian it was nice but not as good as Krug.

When Julian brings the breakfast trolley out (my second omelette for the day) there are two bottles of Grant Burge Pinot Noir Chardonnay on top, just for +1 & I.











Well it’s after 12:00 in Noumea so why not.

After a couple of hours in the renovated MEL J lounge its:

QF442: MEL-SYD

On this flight I had the pork & vegies and a red.

I’ve been surprised by the meals on all three flights. I’ve read about the enhancement of meals on QF so I wasn’t expecting much but our flights have all had hot meals and been quite tasty.

This was our third 738 for the day and the Status Credits are posting on arrival straight after each flight.

Since leaving CFS: 390>400>410>470>530>570. Any guesses as to how long before the Double Status credits post?

 

[drron]

Just after your Requal date?

 

[Jacques Vert]

Just after your Requal date?

Unfortunately we all have different requal dates.

 

[Jacques Vert]

We stayed the night at Rydges Sydney Airport. Did I mention this was a mattress run?








NO, not that kind of mattress run.

Another pre-dawn start…



There's plenty of photos of Rydges Sydney Airport on this site; here's another....

 

[Jacques Vert]

After checking out we visited the F lounge (thanks to Fifa and Mr Fifa)....

 

[Jacques Vert]

Then it was QF91 SYD-NOU:

Flight time: 2h, 30m
CSM Tom (another great CSM; we have been blessed with the CSMs/crews on this trip, as good as any I've had previously).




Approaching La Tontouta International Airport:

 

[Jacques Vert]

Tontouta

 

[Jacques Vert]

NOU to Noumea

I've read on other threads that the shuttle from the airport to the city costs about $A40+ per person or $A100 for a private transfer. We decided to hire a car instead.

Fifa found a Peugeot 208 through EasyRentCars at a good price. However, to sweeten the deal, if you refer a friend both you and the friend receive a $US30 credit. So Fifa referred me and I booked the car.

After applying the credit, the Peugeot cost $A361-69 for 7 days. Anyone wanting further details can start a conversation with @Fifa and/or myself.

Driving into town....