Asia 2010 - A trip of epic proportions

[thewinchester]

Well, with less than 48hrs until this trip starts I thought it best to get this TR underway to give you an insight into the insane level of planning and supposed thinking which goes into my trips.

I'll be posting the actual TR's to the blog section, and posting updates in this thread as I complete each entry.

So, to kick things off, let's head over to Chapter 1 - Airline and route selection. With this, and the next chapter, I'm trying to give a bit of an insight into the thought and thinking behind the process of planning travel. I'll also be showing off some of the technology we've used to plan this trip as well as we have.

More updates to this report soon.

Read the TR

• Chapter 1 - Airline and route selection

 

[thewinchester]

Next installment...

• Asia 2010 - Chapter 2 - Selecting where to go

 

[Princess Fiona]

Good stuff so far, I'm not half as organised for any of my trips !

 

[straitman]

I'm not half as organised for any of my trips !

I resemble that remark.

 

[Grooba]

very interesting thewinchester, will be looking forward to each update. Enjoy the trip!

 

[drron]

I agree thewinchester that is an insane level of planning.my trips are researched AND booked 12 months out.how can you leave things until so late!
The technology seems to me a bit of overkill-Google is my friend.
Interesting you chose Atlassian-may tell you why one day.

 

[markis10]

Hopefully the taste of CX J will wet the appetite for more adventures down the track, in the meantime enjoy the adventure, nothing like counting down the days, they seem so slow compared to the time flying when you are finally on your way!

 

[thewinchester]

Good stuff so far, I'm not half as organised for any of my trips !

I resemble that remark.

LOL at the both of you

very interesting thewinchester, will be looking forward to each update. Enjoy the trip!

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed these intros as I didn't know if anyone would like them or find them of value. Wanted to do something a little different and give an insight into my travelling mind.

I agree thewinchester that is an insane level of planning.my trips are researched AND booked 12 months out.how can you leave things until so late!
The technology seems to me a bit of overkill-Google is my friend.
Interesting you chose Atlassian-may tell you why one day.

With the type of friends I travel with, using a wiki to collate all the information works very well for us. While Google's services are more than OK for a single traveller, I find they are generally limiting and don't give the extensibility and flexibility needed for my group of three.

As noted in one of the entries so far, we've tried various tools for trips before. Simple collaboration sites, Google Wave, more basic wiki products, Wikia, and other ideas - but none of them were ever up to scratch.

The Asia trip is the first one we've constructed using Confluence as a platform, and it simply exceeded each and every one of our expectations. Usability and feature set sealed the deal with using Confluence, and the ability to construct advanced layouts with relative ease and the plug-in architecture set Confluence apart from the rest of the wiki products out there.

Another advantage is that Confluence is cheap as chips and extremely robust. A 10-user community license will set you back a one-time cost of AUD10, and the infrastructure required to maintain and run is so cheap it keeps it very cost effective particularly when planning for a trip is long-tail like this one.

Will no doubt catch you around drron, and we can talk more about your thoughts on Atlassian

Hopefully the taste of CX J will wet the appetite for more adventures down the track, in the meantime enjoy the adventure, nothing like counting down the days, they seem so slow compared to the time flying when you are finally on your way!

I'm looking forward to trying another carrier's J product, as well as trying out as many of the CX lounges that I can fit-in while xHKG. They'll be a few photos if I can sneak them in too, specially from The Cabin.

 

[thewinchester]

Time for the next instalment:

• Chapter 3 - My beef with TripIt

I've been using TripIt for quite some time now, specially with this trip to keep track of bookings and land transport.

Sadly, it has proved to me once again just how lacking it is in a lot of areas. And despite giving good, detailed feedback in a timely manner - the people behind TripIt simply don't/won't improve things to deliver a great customer experience.

Again, it's a long report - but bear with me as I prefer to include relevant detail so you understand what I'm on about and why it's a problem.

Hope you enjoy this instalment, and I'd love to know what you think about TripIt. Do you use it? Do you find the same problems? If you're a free user, is it good enough for you to upgrade? Do my issues sway your opinions of the site?

 

[thewinchester]

A quick update, with full post to follow tomorrow morning.

QF21 SYD-NRT cancelled at 2130, servicing metal could not reach SYD due to weather and curfew. Have been rescheduled to 1005 tomorrow, and accommodated overnight at the Formula 1 Homebush and supplied with the usual cabcharge vouchers.

I feel sorry for all the QF, CX and EK staff handling the delays. Flight transfer and baggage hall was bedlam, and despite QF sending down every staff member they could that wasn't needed in back office to help make arrangements, it still took nearly 90min from cancellation before I was in a cab and out of the airport.

Guested sikeveo into the T1 J, very interesting guy and worth meeting. Was my grasshopper for the evening, as I educated him in the dark arts of frequent flying.

His QF87 was also cancelled and rescheduled due to same weather information, lost track of him in the baggage hall but will no doubt catch up tomorrow as he's rescheduled around the same time as well.

Needless to say, a bugger of the evening, but I at least get to enjoy the pancake machine tomorrow morning in the lounge. Night all.

 

[drron]

As they say-the best laid plans....
Hope the trip gets better from here.

 

[thewinchester]

As they say-the best laid plans....
Hope the trip gets better from here.

It has thanks. Y+ op-up from Y on an X class YASA points plus pay. Nice little reward.

 

[markis10]

It has thanks. Y+ op-up from Y on an X class YASA points plus pay. Nice little reward.

I would be after at least a skybed after being put up at a Formule1 , shows how bad it was in SYD last night!

 

[VirginiaF]

A quick update, with full post to follow tomorrow morning.

QF21 SYD-NRT cancelled at 2130, servicing metal could not reach SYD due to weather and curfew. Have been rescheduled to 1005 tomorrow, and accommodated overnight at the Formula 1 Homebush and supplied with the usual cabcharge vouchers.

Great TR - I've downloaded the QFF calculator and look forward to updated version and more TR episodes.

Whoa - Fomule 1 Homebush is a big ask. No doubt hotel accommodation would have been stretched in SYD last night, but even so, I would have checked the travel insurance and then called around to some of the hotels - maybe QF could have offered you a voucher and you paid to upgrade and claim the upgrade against the insurance.

 

[thewinchester]

Two new instalments now available for your reading pleasure:

• Chapter 4 – The life and times of Qantas
• Chapter 5 – A review of Qantas passenger technology - includes bonus video demonstrations of the Next Generation Check-in systems at Perth, and the Panasonic IFE being deployed on newer aircraft such as the A330's being used for PER-SYD/MEL operations.

I would be after at least a skybed after being put up at a Formule1 , shows how bad it was in SYD last night!

Well, it's funny you say that. When I'm finished collecting all my pics I'll be uploading Chapter 6. Let's just say that karma paid up nicely - with my "Double Rainbow op-up" from Y to Y+ to J. And yes, the 744 SYD-NRT was equipped with Skybed.

Great TR - I've downloaded the QFF calculator and look forward to updated version and more TR episodes.

Whoa - Fomule 1 Homebush is a big ask. No doubt hotel accommodation would have been stretched in SYD last night, but even so, I would have checked the travel insurance and then called around to some of the hotels - maybe QF could have offered you a voucher and you paid to upgrade and claim the upgrade against the insurance.

Thanks for the feedback, glad you've enjoyed it so far. Keep an eye out for the next edition of the QFF calculator, as it will include some major improvements.

And yes, the Formula 1 was a real stretch. However, I knew the absolute hell QF staff were going through trying to secure rooms. Add to the fact I was on a ASA ticket and that it was approaching 11pm, I wasn't in the mood to ask for a better class of property. It was as good as could be achieved given the circumstances.

All that aside, I was happy with the provided location. It was super clean, comfortable enough for a good nights sleep, and I was in the room within five minutes of arriving.

 

[oz_mark]

Well, it's funny you say that. When I'm finished collecting all my pics I'll be uploading Chapter 6. Let's just say that karma paid up nicely - with my "Double Rainbow op-up" from Y to Y+ to J. And yes, the 744 SYD-NRT was equipped with Skybed.

Good lord, there's that phrase again. After being referred to the Urban Dictionary with regard to that phrase, I am not sure how to read this :shock:

 

[markis10]

Good lord, there's that phrase again. After being referred to the Urban Dictionary with regard to that phrase, I am not sure how to read this :shock:

We cannot blame Sam for this instance though

 

[totalk]

Great TR. Looking forward to the next one.

 

[Paddy55]

Awesome trip report. Very insightful. Love your planning and wiki / intranet use.
Agree on usability deficiencies with NGCI @ Perth - stupidly confusing.

Paddy

 

[bjm76]

Can I ask a dumb question (well I will anyway)....
How did you get into the J lounge at T1 when you are a QF NB and were travelling in Y for the flight to NRT?

(runs for cover due to embarassment at the dumb question)