Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaijan

[RooFlyer]

Today starts a bit of a jump into the unknown; a week in the Republic of Georgia and a few days in Azerbaijan. Fortunately that jump will be eased by going SYD-AUH on Etihad's A380 in one of their F apartments, claimed using AA miles .

This trip came about in a way completely appropriate to AFF. One of the best lessons I learned here was to buy AA miles during bonus periods and I gorged a bit when the dollar was close to parity. Then I felt they were burning a hole in my pocket, a target for devaluation, so I thought I better use some of them. Obviously the best use would be on EY F to the gulf, but then what? Having loved eastern Europe, and gotten as far east as Romania, the map suggested that Georgia and Azerbaijan should be next. A bit of research showed that Georgia, south of the Caucasus mountains was one of the claimed birthplaces of wine. Sold!

I got hold of Caucasus Travel in Tbilisi and they came up with what I hope will be a great private tour, focusing on historic places, scenic vistas of the Caucasus and, of course some wine. Only a few days in Azerbaijan but some history there too of course. No visa required for Georgia and I got an e-Visa for Azerbaijan from the travel agent.

So today its VA up to Sydney, then EY455 tonight to AUH.

From there, its an Etihad limo down to Dubai for a night (Novotel World Trade Centre), then on flydubai (talk about going from the sublime to the ridiculous) to Tbilisi. Coming back, its QR to Baku (Hilton Baku) and then QR to Doha (Oryx Rotana) for another night, then a short flight to AUH and another night (Fairmont) and back to Melbourne. Could only get J on the return leg, unfortunately, but I'll suck it up.

There is a lot of padding in this itinerary (all those nights around the Gulf). This is partly as a result of when I could get my EY flights on miles and also that I don't believe in taking chances with pre-paid tours and hotels.

And just as well. EY455 on the 1st was delayed by 11 hours (left on the morning of the 2nd) and this has had knock on effects, obviously. The return flight AUH-SYD is late and I expect my flight tonight will be late. But it is a A380 on the way, so I think I'll avoid aircraft substitution (cross fingers till I'm on board).

 

[TomVexille]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Yes! Been waiting for this one

 

[Fifa]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Looking forward to a good read.

 

[blackcat20]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Following.

 

[boomy]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Enjoy your trip RooFlyer!

Hope you're doing the Georgia tour on 4x4, it's a good way to visit some remote areas outside Tbilisi. The roads are bad but the people are very nice
Looking forward to your opinion on the local wine.

 

[Danger UXB]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Signing up for the ride

 

[LadyC]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Sounds fabulous RooFlyer - look forward to reading more.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Sitting in the EY lounge at SYD. The flight's going to be an hour or so late, which appears to be normal.

I got to SYD international about 4:30pm. Call to EY reveals check-in opens at 6:00, but they helpfully advised that there is a printer place on arrivals place where I could print my boarding pass to go through immigration etc, if I wanted. I am HLO, so yes to that!

With new electronic exit gates, BP not even needed (nor the green form, it seems); security is amost deserted. Unfortunately the lounge only opens abt 6pm, so I had to cool my heals for an hour.

Great lounge! Greeted by about 4 staff before I hit the lounge floor; offered a dates on a platter on entry.

Its a medium sized lounge; seats about 50, not including dining area.



Lots of staff here - must be 10 all up. A decent bar (but the Champagne being poured I hadn't heard off, but I'm not a great partaker). One pair circulating with hot towels, dates and cardamom coffee.






There's a buffet, as well as a la carte (menu):




I'm hanging out for the meal on board, but as we are going to be late, I had the mussel chowder.



Credit to biba for the pic presentation idea

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

As I mentioned above, I have booked a EY limo to take me from AUH to my digs in Dubai. When I called to book (because I had an AA issued ticket) and request a departure about 3.5 hrs after arrival (10:30am), the guy said no worries, there is no fixed departure time, you go when you turn up. Sweet.

But not so! After an original confirmation e-mail without a pick-up time, I got another one this morning with a pick up time about 6:30am, immediately after scheduled departure. One of the reasons I wanted a delayed pick up was that I wanted to visit the arrivals lounge and freshen up, plus arriving at Dubai ridiculously early would see me hanging about in the hotel lobby for hours.

So I asked at the lounge desk here in SYD. They e-mailed the limo mob in AUH asking for my original 10:00am departure. Answer came back - strictly, you have to depart soon after arrival - they meet you with a sign on immigration exit, but as a one-off, they will allow a departure at 8:30am!!

So about 10 mins later, I get an e-mail 'confirming' the 8:30 pick-up time at AUH. Followed shortly by another one, with 6:30 pick up.

It'll be OK, I think (hope). We'll see how the 'F' effect lasts after landing .

The lounge and dining room is now chokkers (8:50pm; boarding in 40 mins) and there are 2 guys competing to have the loudest phone conversation on their mobile. Situation normal . I just wish they could be talking about some deal I could take advantage of!!

 

[JohnM]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

BP scanned .

 

[amaroo]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Happy travels. Delicious smorgasbord of TR at the moment

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Currently above India and watching RSA vs Scotland live

So here we go on board. I'm in 3K, which is the middle of the cabin, with seat next to the window and its rear facing. Others are forward facing, with the seat next to the aisle. I was quite happy with my selection. As usual, rows at either end of the cabin have toilets and galley closer.

The opening view and then view from the seat.




Started off with Champagne (Bollinger la grand annee 2005). Looking through to the adjacent 'apartment':




Vanity; the amenity kit case is rather poor (fabric) - its probably the worst I have ever seen in F. But then, all the stuff you'll need is in pockets in the Vanity and they are meant for on-board use . RH is a legroom shot a la drron. Adequate, but there's always the bench to put your feet up on.




'Minibar' (water and soft drinks). They were chilled on take-off but the cabinet isn't powered or chilled. RH view to 'The Residence' (wistful sigh). its unoccupied this trip.




RSA have just scored again. All over.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Menus (repetition in second shot, sorry)

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Soon after take-off, the on-board chef comes to discuss dinner options while a pre dinner bev is served with some snacks. Table is laid.





Started off with the chefs amuse bouche, seared tuna. Then my appetiser, the bay lobster. I had a glass of Nautilus Estate sav blanc from NZ then went with a cab sav blend from Bordeaux. Went down well and poured in a decent red wine glass!




Raspberry sorbet, then mains of lamb shanks, roast veges and fondant potatoes. The lamb was terrific, but I could have done with more of it!




No desert - by this time it was 12:30am Sydney time and it was time to turn in. Took the steward about 5 minutes to make the bed! The bench slides out and onto it goes a thin, leather .... not sure what you'd call it ... it was better than a mat but you couldn't call it a thin mattress. Then a quilted cotton cover, much like Qantas puts over their seats for J beds. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that the whole affair wasn't a bit softer - with the padded bench as a base, you'd think they could put more in. (But then again, I am a 'heavy' guy ). It was a great bed though.




If there is a couple, the patterned panel to the left of the pillow in the LH pic can be lowered.

There are no forced air vents in the set-up and it got a bit warm, as the air doesn't circulate that well with the doors closed. I got about the same amount of sleep as usual - not very much, but at least I was very comfortable!!

Interesting that the electric blinds got closed automatically as soon as we took off and then they were locked closed until just before we landed!

 

[TomVexille]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Interesting that the electric blinds got closed automatically as soon as we took off and then they were locked closed until just before we landed!

That would annoy me.

 

[defurax]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Soon after take-off, the on-board chef comes to discuss dinner options

Does the first page of the menu still mention that you can ask the chef to "tailor-make your dining experience"?



I did this last year and somehow the chef made me an excellent beef stroganoff (which wasn't on the menu). It's amazing to look at the chef in the galley working with ingredients kept in what seems to be hundreds of small compartments!

 

[Danger UXB]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Love the comprehensive menu shots. Many thanks. Can't believe the mini bar isn't chilled. I think it is on the 787

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Does the first page of the menu still mention that you can ask the chef to "tailor-make your dining experience"?

I did this last year and somehow the chef made me an excellent beef stroganoff (which wasn't on the menu). It's amazing to look at the chef in the galley working with ingredients kept in what seems to be hundreds of small compartments!

Yes ... expressed in terms of 'made-to-order'. I would have loved to have a sticky-beak in the galley while she was cooking it all up, but I thought that might be stretching a friendship ...

The galley between F and J is certainly the biggest I have seen, on any aircraft!

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

And so to brekkie. After I got up, and invited some-one to take an order of a cuppa by opening the suite doors, the chef came by and asked what I'd like etc etc. It was still only about 2am in Abu Dhabi so I wasn't sure whether to go the full breakfast or only a holding pattern, so I went half way. Eggs sunny side up, snags, mushrooms and asparagus, with some pastries and a latte.

Had it while watching Japan beat Samoa in the RWC .




Then to the shower. To be honest, I didn't even realise there was a shower on board until saw it when I went to the loo . There are 2 toilets for F, and they are very well 'guarded'. The stairs down have 2 rope barriers across then, and coming from business you'd have to go through the galley, right through F and then bag a toilet. No-one appeared to succeed, if they tried

The bathroom with the shower is tiny - really hard to get a shot which shows the lay-out. The shower system is the same as Emirates; 5 minutes of water flow, which you turn on and off by pressing a button. An illuminated dial lets you know how much time left. The other loo is a good size for getting changed.




Then - touchdown! at AUH, dead on time - we made up about 90 mins in flight. Through the murk I could see the new AUH terminal complex under construction. We taxied for ages, with about 8 or 9 major turns, before docking at terminal 3.




I got a fast track card for immigration, but that was slow - 3 ?Korean businessmen ahead of us were each given the third degree, but it only took about 10 minutes in all. Then to the Arrivals Lounge where I planned to spend a few hours as I didn't want to arrive in my Dubai hotel too early. However the lounge was quite small. There were showers, but I didn't bother. I had the remainder of my breakfast and then headed for the Etihad chauffer desk.




Ah! The chauffer service. Recall in Sydney the lounge people re-requested by 8:30 service, which was confirmed by e-mail from Chauffer people (begrudgingly, it seemed) , then one saying 6:30am came. I got yet another overnight saying 6:30!! The Arrivals Lounge people at AUH confirmed what the booking guy told me originally - just turn up to the desk when ever you want a car (but don't be more than 3/4 hour after your 'booking' (??) time). All the "6:30" confirmations must be auto-generated, no matter what time you want it, but what good is that?

So I fronted up to the chauffer desk at 7am. My booking there, no worries, but no car available right now. 5 or 10 minutes - give the card to the guy outside. So I joined the dozen or so people waiting outside in the humidity. (RH pic above). Just as well I didn't have that shower. After about 15 mins it was my turn and we zoomed north to Dubai, at 140km/hr where the traffic permitted it. Arrived Novotel, World Trade Centre (near Burj Khalifa ) about 8:15am. Happy days, my room is ready!

Standard room, more Mercure standard then Novotel, but I'll take it!!

 

[amaroo]

Re: Uncorking the Caucasus. EY F Apartment to Georgia (birthplace of wine) & Azerbaij

Looks terrific. Great use of points...