Your 2024 year of travel in review

[Mattg]

It's time for the annual AFF "year in review" thread. (For reference, this was last year's: 2023 - Year In Review)

This year, a lot of companies including Qantas have emulated Spotify with their "2024 wrapped" emails. So it's only fitting that AFF members do the same. This thread is an opportunity to share your travel stats and your new, best and worst flight experiences for 2024!


Here are my stats for 2024:

• Number of flights: 94 (63 Y, 5 PE, 26 J)
• Countries visited: 43 (including 21 new ones)
• New airports visited: DUB, LCY, LEJ, IGU, EZE, FTE, REL, AEP, UIO, PBM, PTY, AUA, MDE, SJO, GUA, FRS, XPL, SAL, MGA, TPE, UBN, SJJ, SKP, BLQ, RNS, NTE, NCE, BRE, KEF, LPQ, VTE
• New airlines flown: FlyArystan, Flybondi, Aerolineas Argentinas, Copa Airlines, Wingo, TAG Airlines, EVA Air, MIAT, Scoot, Air France, Icelandair
• New aircraft type flown: Boeing 787-10
• Best flight: KLM from AMS-PBM on a Boeing 777 in J
• Worst flight: SAL-MGA on an awful Avianca A320 in Y which was completely full and ran late, arriving in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm

 

[SYD]

TripIt does some of the heavy lifting for stats! It produced a few individual screens and this summary (although I’m still travelling!).

1. four new countries
2. New airports: MVD, PRG, BUD
3. New airline: Ryanair! (Flew yesterday PRG-BUD)…
4. New cruise line: VV

Must try harder for 2025!

 

[gaz0303]

Happy this thread has started as I still don’t have my QF year in review email.

Here are my stats for 2024:

• Number of flights: 98 (91 Y, 1 PE, 6 J) for 94,463 miles, all but 2 work funded.
• Countries visited: 4 (1 new)
• New airports visited: LAX, MIA, GND, OOL, CFS
• New airlines flown: American
• New aircraft type flown: Boeing 787-9, a321neo
• Most aircraft type flown: Dash8 - 55
• Best flight: J on AA LAX-SYD
• Worst flight: Y on NZ, AKL-SYD
• 29hrs lost in delays, not including cancelled flights that caused overnight delays.

Record most number of flights in a year for me.

 

[mbell1510]

This year was my busiest year for travel due to an increase in work trips on top of a few international trips.

• Number of flights: 44 (40 Y, 0 PE, 4 J) for 107,834km
• Countries visited: 7
• New airports visited: NOU, GLT, TSV, CNS
• New airlines flown: N/A - First time on VA, AC and AA in 8 years
• New aircraft type flown: Boeing 787-9, Boeing 787-8, Fokker 100, Embraer E170
• Most aircraft type flown: Boeing 737-800 - 24
• Best flight: J on QF SYD-YVR and Y on QF LHR-SIN (50 people in Y due to overnight delay so very empty and super quiet).
• Worst flight: Y on AC, YVR-YUL (old, cramped, full 3-4-3 B777 with cushioning so worn you could only feel two plastic supports in seatback
• Longest delay: QF2 LHR-SIN delayed till following day and then 21 hours at SIN due to missed BNE connection and our new QF52 delayed itself by 8 hours

 

[Harrison_133]

• Number of flights: 105
• Countries visited: 2
• New airports visited: HIJ, NRT, ICN, GMP, CJU, PUS
• New airlines flown: All Nippon Airways, ZIPAIR, T'Way Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines
• New aircraft types flown: Airbus A220-300, Airbus A321neo, Boeing 737-900 (the non-ER version), Boeing 767-300, Fokker 70
• Best flight: finally getting to add the 767 to my flight log (Asiana from Jeju to Seoul)

 

[elanshin]

My stats for 2024

• Number of flights: 54 (34Y, 1PE, 19J). I still have 5 flights left. (3Y, 2J).
• Countries visited: 10 (3 new)
• New airports visited: TPE, ICN, GMP, KCH, DFW, DCA, LGA, YYZ, BUF, ORD, SEA, YVR (KUL soon)
• New airlines flown: AA, AK, D7, EK, AS
• New aircraft type flown: A220, A321N, E175,
• Most aircraft type flown: B738
• Best flight: J on CX, although we'll see if JL36 upcoming will beat it.
• Worst flight: QF to ICN. In flight itself was regular QF but we were delayed at the gate (after boarding) for 2.5h which caused us to miss the last trains out of ICN and get scammed by a taxi driver.
• Still have a SYD - MEL - KUL - SIN - HND left right before the end of the year (KUL - SIN - HND) will be starting a new OWA.
• Nov 2023 was my partner's first time flying J ever in her life and now shes done 17 this year and a F flight (i was in J). This was mainly from a OWA we already completed this year.

 

[RooFlyer]

• Number of flights: 58 (41 domestic, 17 international)
• Number of km: 135,537

• Countries visited: 16 (cleared immigration), 6 new
• New airports visited: TPE, CTS, NGO, DUS, WPU, BGI, CTG
• Airlines flown: QF, VA, AA, SQ, CI, AY, JL, 4Z, Charter
• New airlines flown: Airlink, China Airlines
• New aircraft type flown: A220, A321neo
• Most aircraft type flown: B738
• Best flight: 2 x J on Finnair A350s; BKK-HEL and HEL-MIA. Honourable mention for SCL-WPU on a charter - scenery was sensational.
• Worst flight: None stand out.
• The above counting CTG-DFW to come (and DFW-SYD-HBA on 1/2 Jan)

 

[VPS]

Some of you are much better at record keeping than me

No new countries

One new airport GLA

Best flight was EK F from SYD to DXB

Worst flight was Virgin from ADL MEL in row 29 - I don't think I've sat that far back in over 20 years

 

[BrianQQ]

• Number of flights: 36 flights (all in Y)
• Countries visited: 5 (1 new)
• New airports visited: IND, HKG, OAK, CLT, ORD, JFK
• Airlines flown: American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS), Cathay Pacific (CX), Qantas (QF)
• New airlines flown: Cathay Pacific (CX)
• New aircraft type flown: B789
• Best flight: QF292 Singapore to Sydney, A330. Finnair's hard product in Economy is top notch. Dare I say better than Qantas.
• Worst flight: QF12D LAX to Sydney. Flight was delayed for 24 hours. Had to wait two hours for hotel allocation, then another two hours to check in.

 

[wandering_fred]

Flights: 24 (9 in Y) QF JQ 3K MH JL AA IB QR 43056 miles
Other countries (none new): transit Singapore Japan Qatar on the ground Malaysia USA Spain
New airports HND LPA

Best flight comment: AA domestic 787 business DFW-PHL and QR MAD-DOH-KUL business flights

Happy wandering
Fred

 

[Scarlett]

It’s only page one of this thread and my overwhelming thought is: Oh to be retired!

 

[Cossie]

Well Q reckons I flew with them on 22 flights. Others included MH (4), Thai (1), Lao Airlines (1), Lao Skyways (1), Jetstar Asia (1), Cathay Pacific (1), Turkish (8), Iberia Regional Air Nostrum (2), Air NZ (2), Air Asia (1).

New airport, DUD (Dunedin). Istanbul's mega new airport IST.

Countries visited, 18, I think. New countries, Romania, Serbia, to keep ahead of swmbo......

Worst experience, arrivals, Sydney International. Best experience, going to Dunedin to watch Rally Otago.

Next year? who knows......

 

[MEL_Traveller]

232,000kms (~144k miles) for me. 105 flights across 16 airlines. Two new ones… Ethiopian and Air Dolomiti.

Also my first 717 flight and A220 flights!

Funniest moment… the Ethiopian flight was the tag between HKG and BKK. After dinner I really enjoyed the Ethiopian coffee and keen to have another cup I approached the galley to ask for one. The FA opened the draw, pulled out a jar of Nescafé and asked if I wanted milk!

 

[MelbFlyer]

My stats for this year:

• Number of flights: 7 so far (4 Economy, 3 Business), 3 to go (2 Economy, 1 Business)
• Countries visited: 3, no new ones
• New airports visited: XMN and PVG
• New airlines flown: Japan Airlines, XiamenAir
• New aircraft type flown: A350-1000, CX
• Best flight: MEL to NRT, QF, A330-300, business - Overall a great experience, hard product good as usual, food exceeded expectations, service good
• Worst flight: NRT to MEL, JL, 787-8, business - By far the worst business class experience Ive had - Terrible and outdated hard product (2-2-2 Apex Suites), average food, soft service okay

 

[Tiki]

I squeezed in the last one to Chile and Brazil returning via the USA because I was worried about the effect of the incoming administration on US passports and the USD-AUD exchange rate. I wanted to use my US passport to avoid having to get a visa for Chile.

• Countries visited: 9, none new. Singapore, Philippines, USA, Guyana, Peru, Turkiye, Qatar, Chile, Brazil
• New airports visited: DVO, CGM, CEB, SJI, GEO, IQT, CJA, TPP, GZT, PMC, AFL, MAO (what can I say, bird watchers have to go to tiny airports in the middle of rainforests)!
• Airlines flown: SQ, 5J, AA, CP, LA, TK, QR, QF, AD, G3
• New airlines flown: None were new to me
• Worst airport experience - LIM, even a J ticket on a *A carrier can't access any lounges.
• Best flight: TK - J PTY-IST-GZT
• Worst flight: The Philippine domestic flights were pretty cramped but to be expected.
• Best lounge: IST domestic lounge had great food!
• Most disappointing lounge: PTY, Copa Club, the food was pathetic. I had planned to go to the city but it was pouring rain and I had already been birding in Panama anyways.

 

[Warks]

My stats for this year:

• Number of flights: 36 domestic, 11 international (all in Y).
• Countries visited: 4, Vietnam and Cambodia new ones.
• New airports visited: Hanoi, Danang, SGN, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap (new airport).
• Airlines flown: VA, Qantas, Jetstar, Singapore, Vietjet, Cambodia Angkor
• New airlines flown: VietJet, Cambodia Angkor.
• Best flight: probably SIN-HAN, couldn't really find fault with any of them.
• Worst flight: actually a pretty good year, very few delays and no cancellations. EDIT! I forgot the awful OOL-SYD flight delayed by weather back in August. Left an hour late, spent an hour circling the Hunter, attempted a landing, aborted, went back to circling, headed off to CBR for fuel which took ages, finally getting back to Sydney after a mere five hours on board. All in the company of the Gold Coast Titans (NRL team).

 

[Flyfrequently]

Number of flights : 6 domestic 6 international
Cabin class : 5 Y. 7 J.
Countries : 2 (3 if you count Queensland!)
New airport: USM
New airline : Bangkok Airways
Airlines : QF, PG
Best lounge: Qatar Changi
"Not so good" lounge: Melbourne International
Best/ worst flight : nothing stands out either way

With thanks, some of what I have achieved this year with knowledge gained from AFF :

Green tier
PC+
Accor Gold
Refund from downgraded flight
DSC has me on track for WP

Happy and safe travels in 2025
Christmas wishes to all

 

[exceladdict]

Also my first 717 flight and A220 flights!

I thought it was my first A220 this year, with a MEL-CBR trip being my first time on the new QF 220, but turns out we took one on AF in 2023!

A much quieter year for me, down to 37 flights - mostly domestic qf, down from my 2023 record of 50, which had a lot more work travel (and long haul Y). Very weird to finish the year with no future flights booked for 2025.



2024 Summary:

• Countries visited: 2 (Philippines, Singapore); none new.
• New airports visited: CBR (!), BME
• Airlines flown: QF, PR, VA
• New airlines flown: PR (have always flown 5J in the Philippines previously and will probably continue to do so again)
• Worst airport experience: MNL T2 - was just really busy trying to get a coffee after a very early start.
• Best flight: QF domestic J - hard to pinpoint but had a couple of lovely 332 flights with the bed MEL-PER.
• Worst flight: Didn't enjoy my first post-covid VA flights PER-MEL-SYD, which ran quite late and was very busy. Altogether uncomfortable.
• Best lounge: QF F SYD/SIN - will miss these when my WP runs out.
• Worst Lounge: QF Club BME - the "lounge dragon" after security wouldn't let us bring in our allowed pax due to capacity - WP was limited to 1 each, despite us having sufficient status members to grant access to all travellers in our party. It was a small regional lounge anyway, with not much to see or eat, and we had a better time in the gate lounge, but the experience of being denied is never fun.
• Hotel Highlights:
  • IHG: We had a really nice stay late in the year at the IC SYD using the ambassador free night.
  • Hilton: Earlier in the year we really enjoyed the Hilton Manila (on points) and would definitely stay there again. Beautiful hotel and amazing service. Hilton Cairns was also a great break, as was Melbourne LQS (though I didn't enjoy the limited breakfast selection for diamonds). Diamond expiring shortly but I enjoyed the lounge access and breakfast while it lasted.
  • Little National: Tried this chain in Canberra and also Newcastle. Loved it. Perfect for work travel and love the lobby. Will look for these when competitively priced.

 

[blackcat20]

A quiet year, but with one trip to the US, the KMs added up.


One domestic trip and two OS. It was a pretty standard year, much less travel than we would have liked.
Eight flights. No new airports. But our first time on a QF Dreamliner (and in J which was nice).

 

[Nate-Dawg]

Number of flights: 45 (including 3 to go). 1 international F, 7 international J (some were intra-Europe, but technically they are J), 0 PE, not sure as to how many of the domestic were J vs Y, probably 1/3 J and 2/3 Y.
Countries: 8 (including transit)
Best Flight: BNE-DOH in QR J (first time in international J). Although I have SYD-SIN in BA F to go, so we'll see how that goes.
Worst Flight: None were too bad, so I suppose one of the VA or QF golden triangle Y flights.
Best Lounge: Al Mourjan Business Lounge at DOH (although I do have my first visit to QF F lounge at SYD still to go, so it could be dethroned).
Worst Lounge: Temporary cafe lounge at AMS wasn't great.