The game is afoot, the race is on!

[simongr]

OK - in a slight deviation from the norm this TR is being done quite simply on the run - the status run that is. I am currently sat in the J lounge at SYD T3 and am planning to update this report as I progress back and forth between SYD and CBR over the next two days.

I am not sure how this will turn out but it is at the very least a different form for me to be writing like this. I also would like this to be interactive so comments, questions and suggestions are appreciated.

So here is the background - for those of you who are not following my personal travel statistics in some bizzarre stalkery sort of way. I am an AA EXP who in 2007 racked up 170K qpoints but this year I have only managed 96,365 qpoints - and am thus 3,635 qpoints short of requalifying.

I am also changing jobs so next year I will have much less international travel and a lot of domestic travel - possibly. I also now have one personal trip to the UK in J for me, mrssimongr and babysimpending so havign weighed up teh pros and cons I have decided to take a punt on a pure indulgent status run.

There were a few parameters to keep under control. Firstly it had to be relatively cheap, then it couldnt be overnight or too late in the day. As I was also waiting to see how the job offer panned out I was pretty much restricted to syd-cbr-syd - four times in 2 days.

So here we are a man literally on the run with the following flights:

28/12 syd-cbr 09:15 - 10:05 QF 1467(schedule changed now 30 mins late!)
28/12 cbr-syd 11:45 - 12:30 QF 1474
28/12 syd-cbr 14:35 - 15:25 QF 1485
28/12 cbr-syd 17:00 - 17:55 QF 562

29/12 syd-cbr 09:20 - 10:10 QF 1471
29/12 cbr-syd 11:45 - 12:30 QF 1474
29/12 syd-cbr 14:35 - 15:25 QF 1485
29/12 cbr-syd 17:00 - 17:55 QF 562

Now many people thnk on this as wasted time but here is the rub, a few months ago I bought the new Terry Pratchett book. I have been redaing his books now for 25 years and hearing the news of his early onset Alzheimers was a bit of a hammer blow for me and I haven't been able to bring myself to read this book, knowing it is one of the last that he will write (but not the last!) so I am taking this chance to read the Book in the same way that I would if I sat at home in a corner and read it. Mrssimongr is having a lie in then visiting friends so it is not like I am missing time with her.

So here we are on stage 1 of the run - currently sat in the QP having a "coffee". It was a pretty early start this morning after a very restless night. I was up around 5:45AM - quick shower and grabbed my bag that was prepacked. I have various products to keep me entertained today: the Book of course, a few comics I need to catch up on, my laptop (could never travel without my trusty steed) and a 1.8in drive stuffed full of Merlin, Legend of the Seeker and a couple of other passenger friendly shows (no Californication watching in the QP I think).

I jumped on the train (really doing it touigh today - no driver, no J and no champagne in the lounge - what is the world coming to??) got stuck into the Book and enjoyed the ride slightly more than my usual commute. A quick change a Central and onto the Airport line through the maze of escalators and finally up to security. Though there in about 20s and quickly into the QP.

Then we have the first derailment of the day - my original 08:45 flight is now 09:15 - thankfully I did not opt for the 40 minute connection in CBR. At least I can grab some toast for breakfast in the lounge here.

OK - that's it for now - see you in about 90 mins in the CBR J lounge!

 

[simongr]

Hmm - my 9:15 flight is now delayed to 9:35... thank god for buffers - althoughthat buffer is now getting smaller and smaller...

 

[munitalP]

Hey Simon

What a Nation we live in. I guess if we were to colour our live's with some magic every now and again by skipping the light fantastic onboard a 737 between Sydney and Canberra, we would have a feeling of equal rites amongst our peers and wouldn't be mortified with Terry's ailment. A little sourcery now and again will help (especially if you include your wyrd sisters) get over the feeling of loss - think how king TUT would have felt when first seeing the Pyramids and yelling "Guard's Guard's - is that Eric over there?"

I went to the moving pictures last night and saw the new movie with Keanau in it - the day the earth stood still - never saw the reaper man in it but he should have been featured. Witch brings me to travel abroad, in some small way (god's help us), people seem to think that while flying they are lords and ladies! I also saw men at arms (or is that men at work) on a flight who were creating beautiful soul music and it was intresting times... talk about a maskerade...

Darn, my computer is operating like it has feet of clay, it's a real hog at the moment and father needs to help me fix it. By jingo! I have just realised we are on the last continent discovered, perhaps gravity or something is affecting it... I did load a new game the other day called carpe jugulum - its a juggling fish game and I was playing it till I started seeing elephants the other night (or should I say morning...)

When I saw the fifth elephant - I knew it was bed time, but the truth is, sleep is just a thief of time an when was the last hero you seen on a movie seen asleep?


.... I'm getting bored - have fun with your quest simon

Mr!

 

[munitalP]

oin a serious note - I have hog father and colour of magic on DVD if you want to borrow them

very good movies!

Mr!

 

[2muchplastic]

oin a serious note - I have hog father and colour of magic on DVD if you want to borrow them

very good movies!

Mr!

(This is seriously going to sound like a Terry P fan club get together rather than a travel related post)
Colour of Magic? When was that released? I know it was in the pipeline for many years. Not a patch on the original book I bet though...

Simon, may your delays be short, and the book be good.

 

[Skoogle]

Simon, may your delays be short, and the book be good.

QF1467 just appeared as 'completed' on Sydney Airport departures search.

Maybe the updates could indicated the page reached.

 

[munitalP]

(This is seriously going to sound like a Terry P fan club get together rather than a travel related post)
Colour of Magic? When was that released? I know it was in the pipeline for many years. Not a patch on the original book I bet though...

Simon, may your delays be short, and the book be good.

The movies were released by the BBC 2008 and 2006 - both are great and don't detract from the books at all

MSG me if you would like to "borrow" a copy

The have a raft of famous actors - see this link for colour... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1079959/

see this link for the hogfather - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765458/




Mr!

 

[simongr]

Thanks MunitalP - shoudnly you be making money or is the daily drudge making you go postal?

So far page 160... should be finished by my return to CBR I think.

OK I am now in CBR in teh J lounge - nice and quiet. I was getting increasingly nervous when after having been rescheduled we were then delayed by about 45 mins :shock: However all is well and I have 30 mins in the lounge - just enough time for a juice and a quick "sanger"

OK - onto the flight. I left the QP a little earlier than required as I was not sure where gate 17 was - I followed the signs and then missed a turning so a quick double back and a right turn had me going down a long dark corridor to gate 17. There were quite a few people waiting - at one point I had felt like I was the only one going to be on the flight.

There was no real indication of a boarding time and I was getting increasingly nervous about my connection back to SYD. I had also worked out that I would not be going back on the same a/c as originally there had been at least one other flight between outbound and return.

Eventually we started to board and I found that the forecasts regarding seating were pretty much correct. No-one was seated further forward than row 5 and in fact I had an empty seat next to me

We did seem to take a fairly long time to board and seat everyone even though we only had 29 pax on board. The flight itself was painless and very very short. We had a long wait to take off as we had to wait for a couple of other aircraft. But up, up and away and shortly after take off we are served our snack - a lemon and lime biscuit with a choice of beverages. having been caught out by the coffee in the QP I opted for water.

Not long after finishing the water the seatbelt light came on and we were starting to land. I kept reading of course

We had a fairly smooth landing but a very long taxi to the terminal. At this point the ridiculousness of what I was doing struck me. I walked in through the arrivals door and within 20 secs was back at the security screening point. My shoes which had not set off the WTMD in SYD decided to set them off here.

Off came the shoes which gave them a chance to wand me for explosives and ask me "which Nation is the book about?"

It was then turn right for the J lounge, open the laptop and get the wireless running and here we are!

Call home to confirm no death from a mid air incident and time to grab a plate of ham and cheese. Now I am sure that this plate of ham and cheese is no different to what I have had in the QP - I know it is not quite lunch so it will be interesting to see what is available back in SYD when I am there for lunch.

OK - that's it for now - see you in SYD.

 

[2muchplastic]

Simon,

So you met the Monstrous Regiment that is CBR security? You felt no need to shout "Only you can save mankind" to them in appreciation of a job well done? Thankfully you don't have to worry about Quarantine on a DOM flight, you know how it is, you go wandering up to them patting your pockets furiously, thinking "Where's my Cow?"

At least the flight was uneventful, no small child in the seat behind playing Thud! with the tray.

Keep the updates coming.

munitalP,

Have seen Hogfather several times, but will take up your kind offer for Colour of Magic. PM on it's way.

2MP

 

[simongr]

Ahh - cold beer and view of the tarmac no view of the truckers and diggers around the various building sites at the airport but plenty of undamged wings - now I feel like I am actually flying! Page 232 for reference.

Thankfully no security check required passing through T3 from flight (arriving at gate 17 - teh one from my departure). Almost quickly into the lounge although my way was blocked by someone having itinerary issues and no other staff available to tick me in.

Thankfully extra staff arrived and I was soon into the lounge. Sadly I can see that my flight out is delayed - must be the knock on effects from this morning. It has a scheduled 14:50 boarding now which I hope will get me to CBR before say 16:30 so I can make the final flight home!

A different aircraft this time and much much more full. I had kids behind me - no thud thankfully and kids in front - minor tears but no trauma. I actually ha dmy first very interesting experience - the first time I have seen a guide dog on an aircraft - sat in row 3 I might add :evil:

As this was a lunch time flight we got the lunch snack - a cheese and spinach loaf. Now I have eaten cheese and I have eaten spinach and on occasion I have even been known to eat a loaf and I can categorically say that with no shadow of a doubt - QF have managed to combine three somewhat tasty treats into what can only be described as piece of dry flaky lump of bleh.

It is is time to see what vittals the J lounge can supply for with my Pure Blonde beer. Well the food selection is a slight improvement with the standard cheese btu also some bacon and turkey sandwiches and a Goulasch (which I will be sampling later).

In other news there is that bloke off the telly who does the health spots on Sunrise - he has a mo and receding hairline - dont ask me his name.

So it is back to wordtwist on facebook, a cold beer and a bite of lunch.

Back later...

 

[munitalP]

you should have included a MEL flight in there somewhere - we could have met up for a beer...

Ahhh beer, had a few last night. Watch out for them Heineken kegs!

Ahhh, I think all of the diskworld novels are covered now

Mr!

 

[simongr]

I did try to score a MEL flight. The outbound prices were ok ($10 more than CBR) but the return flights were $120 more :shock: and the increased flight time made it sticky.

Anyway time to move seats to watch the cricket and of course grab another cold beer

 

[docjames]

Row 3 hey - so you're worth less to QF than a labrador!

Interesting reading.

 

[simongr]

OK the nervousness is slightly increasing - I now have a 15:40 departure scheduled with the a/c arriving at 15:15 - going to be a tad tight in CBR...

 

[simongr]

Talk about tight!!!!!!!!!!! Landed in CBR at 16:40 with a 17:00 departure to SYD. And no staff at the bar to give me a cold beer

I think we will be a few mins late out of CBR as the earlier flight is just boarding...

Page 388 of 404... not sure what I am reading tomorrow...

 

[2muchplastic]

Talk about tight!!!!!!!!!!! Landed in CBR at 16:40 with a 17:00 departure to SYD. And no staff at the bar to give me a cold beer

I think we will be a few mins late out of CBR as the earlier flight is just boarding...

Page 388 of 404... not sure what I am reading tomorrow...

simongr,
Glad that all your conections more or less happened, just a shame about the lack of cold beer.
So what are you reading tomorrow? Besides the last 16 pages of Nation?

And munitalP - there were 3 Discworld books missing - excluding the supplementary ones like Nanny Ogg's cookbook. I won't be so sad as to point out which ones they were though.....

 

[simongr]

Mini update - made it home ok and just planning tomorrow. I finished Nation which is a whole different topic - every time I turned the last few pages it was heartbreaking thinking that this was another page less I would read again.

Tomorrow is comics and CoM on the iPod ...

 

[munitalP]

...I finished Nation which is a whole different topic - every time I turned the last few pages it was heartbreaking thinking that this was another page less I would read again....

Tis a heartbreak - I watched the colour of magic again yesterday with Mrs! arriving home from shopping finding me in the home theater with a Heineken in hand and Rincewind on screen riding a dragon...

Reading your previous posts - your total acheivement will be 80SC yesterday and today (assuming you are on redE or low cost fares...)

I am guessing each fare would have been in the range of $100 to $120?

so...

4 jetflex SYD/AVALON RET @ $249.900 each $996.00 = 80SC
or
8 redE SYD/CBR @ say $100 each $800 (possibly more) = 80SC

I know what I would be doing (although I would never personally finance the event)

Mr!

 

[simongr]

I am an AA EXP getting qpoints rather than SCs and the minimum qpoints for discount fares are 500 - so even getting the more expensive fares to MEL I would have earned only 2000 qpoints rather than the 4000 I needed.

Looking back I could have easily scared more out of my start of year DONE4 - but then I wasnt changng jobs or facing a massive reduction in company travel in the second half of the year. If things had gone to plan I would be sat on close 140K qpoints

 

[munitalP]

Ahhh - I don't understand the AA thing anyway...

Hope you have another adventure packed day!

Mr!