Tooner
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- Nov 7, 2006
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A brief trip report of my recent journey from SYD – LHR (via SIN) (QF) and return LHR to HKG (BA), then HKG to SYD (QF) at the end of February, returning mid-March.
This was my first trip in J for some years, as my most recent journeys have been in discount whY with Mrs Tooner and the Junior Tooners with all of us occupying the bassinet rows.
This trip was a business trip though, the result of some work requirements in our London office, and 2 weeks was decided as the duration. As I missed out on visiting the HK office about a year ago (due to lost luggage; another story), a stopover in HK was added – duration then 2.5 weeks.
While our domestic policy is Y for every trip (domestic = all of Australia, New Zealand and Trans-Tasman), for international travel, J is the order of the day (although D is preferred and sought wherever possible).
To the planning: A mid-week departure was selected (maximise availability of D class business fares), however I wanted to be back in Sydney on a Saturday morning, so that meant the overnight flight from HKG – no D available so J it was.
The flight from LHR – HKG was a small problem, as the lone QF flight leaves LHR around midday, getting in at around 7am (or at least early morning). The Tooners flew this flight a year ago and found lobbing in HK early in the morning with a long day ahead was hard to take, and didn’t assist our jet-lag at all. I wanted an afternoon or evening flight to put me in HK later in the day – luckily BA have them, so the 8:25 pm flight to HK, getting in late afternoon was booked.
So, the final itinerary was
QF31 SYD – SIN – LHR (D)
2 weeks London
BA31 LHR – HKG (J)
1 night + 1 Day Hong Kong
QF128 HKG – SYD (J)
Overall I felt it would be a good opportunity to see if I can sleep in the QF J slopey flat beds, versus the BA CW Flat Flat beds. I had experience the CW bed before, but never up against the QF beds, which were not fitted in any aircraft when I last flew J on QF.
Seat allocation prior to the flight seemed a little odd, given my preference was loaded, and normally you are allocated a seat. Given 24K was allocated to me for the HKG – SYD leg, it did seem strange. I hadn’t registered for BA at that stage, so didn’t expect to see a seat allocated, but I had no allocated seat on the SYD – LHR leg. Checkmytrip showed nothing as well. A quick call to QFF resulted in an assurance that I was up for one of the front seats on main or upper deck, but they wouldn’t be allocated until the day.
In the meantime, following the tips in this forum I registered for ba.com, and then with seatguru open, selected 62K, one of the better seats in the upper deck according to seatguru. At this point I have to say, for all the cough sent BA’s way over customer service, the ability to choose your own seat prior to an international flight is simply gold!
A couple of days before my flight, the final itinerary arrives, with nothing unusual except a seat number for the flight to London – aarrggh! 26E. No, not the middle seat! :evil: I will need to get there early!
I didn't consider putting in upgrade requests to F - I was OK with J, and in any event, I have a special meal, so wouldn't be able to experience the full F service with a last minute upgrade. I'll come back to this later!
This leads me to my strategy for the trip. The Tooners will be dropping me at T1, around 2.5 hours before the flight. After check-in and farewells, head to F lounge for G & T, maybe shower, and final calls / emails before boarding flight. I had my suit-pack with me (given this little pleasure will disappear this weekend, I thought I’d take the opportunity), so resolved to change out of my suit at the lounge, and rest it until London.
On board, I had the old reliable trakky dacks for sleeping, plus change of clothes for later. My Creative Zen + laptop had vision to keep me entertained if the AVOD wasn’t working, and I had plenty of work to do. Sleep not in the frame on this leg.
A quick shower in the Singapore QF F lounge was the mission in Singapore, then back to the plane and attempt to sleep for as long as possible between SIN and LHR.
In London, around 6:45 am head for the BA Arrivals lounge for shower (and pressed trousers), before meeting the car and driver to head into the City and the apartment by the Thames, then to work for a full day.
That was the plan. It didn’t work out that way! :shock:
More later.
This was my first trip in J for some years, as my most recent journeys have been in discount whY with Mrs Tooner and the Junior Tooners with all of us occupying the bassinet rows.
This trip was a business trip though, the result of some work requirements in our London office, and 2 weeks was decided as the duration. As I missed out on visiting the HK office about a year ago (due to lost luggage; another story), a stopover in HK was added – duration then 2.5 weeks.
While our domestic policy is Y for every trip (domestic = all of Australia, New Zealand and Trans-Tasman), for international travel, J is the order of the day (although D is preferred and sought wherever possible).
To the planning: A mid-week departure was selected (maximise availability of D class business fares), however I wanted to be back in Sydney on a Saturday morning, so that meant the overnight flight from HKG – no D available so J it was.
The flight from LHR – HKG was a small problem, as the lone QF flight leaves LHR around midday, getting in at around 7am (or at least early morning). The Tooners flew this flight a year ago and found lobbing in HK early in the morning with a long day ahead was hard to take, and didn’t assist our jet-lag at all. I wanted an afternoon or evening flight to put me in HK later in the day – luckily BA have them, so the 8:25 pm flight to HK, getting in late afternoon was booked.
So, the final itinerary was
QF31 SYD – SIN – LHR (D)
2 weeks London
BA31 LHR – HKG (J)
1 night + 1 Day Hong Kong
QF128 HKG – SYD (J)
Overall I felt it would be a good opportunity to see if I can sleep in the QF J slopey flat beds, versus the BA CW Flat Flat beds. I had experience the CW bed before, but never up against the QF beds, which were not fitted in any aircraft when I last flew J on QF.
Seat allocation prior to the flight seemed a little odd, given my preference was loaded, and normally you are allocated a seat. Given 24K was allocated to me for the HKG – SYD leg, it did seem strange. I hadn’t registered for BA at that stage, so didn’t expect to see a seat allocated, but I had no allocated seat on the SYD – LHR leg. Checkmytrip showed nothing as well. A quick call to QFF resulted in an assurance that I was up for one of the front seats on main or upper deck, but they wouldn’t be allocated until the day.
In the meantime, following the tips in this forum I registered for ba.com, and then with seatguru open, selected 62K, one of the better seats in the upper deck according to seatguru. At this point I have to say, for all the cough sent BA’s way over customer service, the ability to choose your own seat prior to an international flight is simply gold!
A couple of days before my flight, the final itinerary arrives, with nothing unusual except a seat number for the flight to London – aarrggh! 26E. No, not the middle seat! :evil: I will need to get there early!
I didn't consider putting in upgrade requests to F - I was OK with J, and in any event, I have a special meal, so wouldn't be able to experience the full F service with a last minute upgrade. I'll come back to this later!
This leads me to my strategy for the trip. The Tooners will be dropping me at T1, around 2.5 hours before the flight. After check-in and farewells, head to F lounge for G & T, maybe shower, and final calls / emails before boarding flight. I had my suit-pack with me (given this little pleasure will disappear this weekend, I thought I’d take the opportunity), so resolved to change out of my suit at the lounge, and rest it until London.
On board, I had the old reliable trakky dacks for sleeping, plus change of clothes for later. My Creative Zen + laptop had vision to keep me entertained if the AVOD wasn’t working, and I had plenty of work to do. Sleep not in the frame on this leg.
A quick shower in the Singapore QF F lounge was the mission in Singapore, then back to the plane and attempt to sleep for as long as possible between SIN and LHR.
In London, around 6:45 am head for the BA Arrivals lounge for shower (and pressed trousers), before meeting the car and driver to head into the City and the apartment by the Thames, then to work for a full day.
That was the plan. It didn’t work out that way! :shock:
More later.
Talk about keep us in suspense. 
I accepted the offer of yoghurt with honey and fruit salad, and some slightly odd rice cakes (savoury flavour), plus the wonderful smoothies and coffee and I was done.
