An awesome Grand Prix of Awesomeness

[simongr]

Best wishes with that... Not a fun time at all...

Thanks - horrid time.

I'm really pleased that you both had a good day.

Was a total pleasure to see the tickets go to people who really appreciate F1.

Thanks again BR - I am already planning when to take boygr to the F1 (only four at the moment). I am taking some time to write this as obviously a bit down at the moment and I want to make sure the enjoyment I had on the day is not tempered by the current sadness.

 

[bossreggie]

Thanks - horrid time.



Thanks again BR - I am already planning when to take boygr to the F1 (only four at the moment). I am taking some time to write this as obviously a bit down at the moment and I want to make sure the enjoyment I had on the day is not tempered by the current sadness.

I totally get that. Have had my share of sadness lately too.

Hope your next month, is 10,000 times better than your last.

Shaun

 

[simongr]

Lovely Luncheon

Back in the Fangio retreat for lunch and a delightful lunch awaited us.



I picked the chicken (with the obvious irony that the options were chicken or beef



We sat across the table from one of the serious P1s we met earlier – he seemed very appreciative of the QF offers he was getting and really liked the P1 service – it was very tempting to suggest trying AAnother cAAriers program but felt that might not be appropriate in this setting. I quickly downloaded some pics onto the iPad to have a quick look. This was the first time I had used a DSLR (or for that matter an SLR) and was impressed with the pics (planning to look for one later in the year now). Must...Fly! was also impressed it seemed. We washed the chicken down with a cold beer (finally) and a glass or two of sauvignon blanc (just to be polite you know). W then still had over three hours to go until the face started so it was off to walk the circuit with hoipolloi!

 

[simongr]

A walk in the Park
This being my first F1 I followed Must...Fly!’s lead and we just wandered around about half the circuit. I am not sure what I expected – after the glamour of the pit lane the circuit itself seemed a little barren. There was the obligatory music stage playing bands I had either never heard or never wanted to hear in the first place.

I was surprised at how little memorabilia was for sale – it might be that most of it had been sold already over the previous few days and this was just what was left. I ended up getting boygr a slightly out of date Mclaren shirt. It was bright and siny and at four he wouldn’t know that Hamilton now drives for Mercedes.

There were random clumps of interesting cars but for me they sort of lacked order (Obsessive Compulsive [-]sufferer[/-] Personality here). My favourite car was however this one:



I am renowned within my circle of friends for my impeccable gastronomic demands and high standards in restaurants and hotels. Quite how budweisser is my favourite beer confounds them – but it does ensure they always BYO when then come to visit.

In a slightly unexpected twist we also met Sequel who was here with one of the Porsche teams (I understand they broke the car over the weekend). It was nice to meet yet another AFFer – and I think it was his first meeting with one of the forum.

The walk continued on for quite a while back through the various paddocks which was all very nice but it was getting warmer and I hadn’t had a beer in ages...

 

[simongr]

A chat with the P1 team
So back to the Fangio retreat and with the weather improving we sat outside for a couple of drinks – or at least that was the plan! I called over one of the crew who went off to get us our drinks (I was on the white wine now). In the interim I had a chance to chat with one of the P1 crew who had taken us on the pit lane tour – Amanda.

Those who have met me will know I am a fairly straight talker – and I talked straight. Straight about my view of the EK alliance (it has been great for me), straight about the lack of information about the SIN lounges, straight about priority boarding and straight about the inconsistency of service (I will come back to that later).

It was a good opportunity to talk frankly – and positively about the program – although I did need a few more refills during the conversation - Must...Fly! was probably wondering what had happened!

 

[simongr]

Planes, plane and two engines short of excitement
Just as I finished speaking to Amanda the Roulettes started their display – and what a display!





Although I enjoy the Grand Prix, and I enjoy flying, what I really wanted to do growing up was fly... Hence 90+ photos of the Roulettes were taken. It was almost if the display had been laid on just for us. It was right over us. I tried to take some shots with the iPhone but the DSLR was so much better. As an older model it couldn’t take video (which will be a consideration when I buy a camera later in the year).

I was mesmerised for the next 10 – 15 minutes!

After the planes came the familiar noise of a fighter jet (yes I know the FA 18 is considered both a fighter and a ground attack aircraft) over us. On came the FA18 and boy was it loud. We were treated to a rip roaring and very noisy display by a pilot who seemed to be enjoying himself...



After that we decided to wander over to the track to see the QF flyover and get settled in for the race. We had been promised an A380 but not long before we sat down I was advised it was going to be an A330. I didn’t see any point sharing photos of that.

 

[simongr]

Isn’t there a race as well

Surprisingly for a TR about a Grand Prix the bit about the Grand Prix itself is going to be surprisingly short. We nicely ensconced in our fantastic seats and it was amazing just looking down at now just the cars but the mass of humans still on the track:



As race time got closer people drifted away until all that was left were 20 men in cars waiting for the lights to out...

[video=youtube_share;Ji3MH2tub34]http://youtu.be/Ji3MH2tub34]start - YouTube[/video]

In the immortal words of Murray Walker “We are Go! Go! GO!”

The noise, the speed, the challenges of trying to keep track of what was going on in the race, ducking out for a beer, trying to get the internet working so I could use the official F1 timing app (didn’t work in the end due to lack of signal) and finally the race outcome (yay Vettel didn’t win!). It was an awesome experience!

Some of the fans did seem to get over excited at the end of the race though...

 

[simongr]

There is no escape

So the race was over and we wandered back to the retreat. Must...Fly! tried to steal one of the banners around the track and was one of the only spectators not to be successful. We saw the throng of people at the gates so decided to hang in the retreat for a while.

Finally I decided to make my farewells and push my way out. Battling the crowds was ok – queuing for the bus did not look like so much fun. So I decided to walk back to the hotel. It didn’t take me long and I just made it back to the hotel in time to visit the exec lounge.

Phew what a day!

 

[simongr]

QF464 MEL-SYD

Seat 4D

Talk about inconsistency

After a fairly intense day at the office the next day it was time to head home. I had booked a 7PM flight knowing I was going to be in whY. This way I could enjoy Island dining in the lounge and at least have some decent food. Flights ex-MEL had been delayed earlier in the afternoon and the lounge had been very busy.

I knew this as not only was my flight a little delayed but when I enquired at 6:15 as to the location of Island Dining I was told as they had been so busy they had decided not to do it... Probably not the best phrase to use to me.
Given I was going to be delayed I knew I had time to eat. First I wandered around to the main desk to ask them to register a complaint about this. It is an advertised benefit and I don’t think it is acceptable to just decide not to do it. They were fairly aghast and called the lounge manager. Next an email to the P1 team – I had been highlighting to them yesterday about service consistency being an issue. Shortly after, a dinner plate was brought out to me and I got my Island dining. Great service recovery from the front desk team (who are always a delight) but they shouldn’t have been put in that position.

Finally to cap off the inconsistency I boarded the flight sat in 4D with a CL in 4F and was then surprised to see someone without status end up in 4E (the flight wasn’t full). OK that is life – blocked seats are not a benefit (although quite what you need to ensure a blocked seat if a P1 and CL can’t get one??). What tipped me over the edge was again the lack of greeting from the CSM (the CL also didn’t get one) coupled with her loudly announcing to the crew in the J section (loud enough for us to hear) “I am just going to ask Mr and Mrs [insert name] if they want a drink from the front”. Mr and Mrs [insert name] were sat in 5EF... It seemed like a bit of a snub.


Another email went to the P1 team – again highlighting inconsistency...

 

[simongr]

A final thank you

Rather than finish on a sour note I must finish by again thanking bossreggie for the generous gift, Must...Fly! for his excellent company and the P1 team for helping make this truly an awesome Grand Prix of awesomeness!

 

[Arrow29]

This has been an awesome thread, I am a huge F1 fan and am so glad to see you both having a great time! There's nothing quite like the sound that they make in person, is there Thanks for sharing!

 

[JessicaTam]

Fabulous photos. And you are right; F1s are loud, very loud!

*scurries off to check roster against F1 calendar*

 

[KLN]

great read. have always enjoyed reading other people's first time F1 experiences. saying that, i have just clocked up by 32nd race............ have to comment that really Melbourne is not loud..........should try purpose built tracks that are just big cement barriers and the sound just bounces off at a far higher noise level. Ms KLN Junior and i just back from doing Melb/Malaysia back to back, yet again.........the last 6 out of 8 years, took KLN Senior-Nanny,who's 70 this year and it was her first race experience, she's not a fan, but enjoyed the whole event experience, and of course KL too. thanks to MH 50% points redemption offer last year, we all went J too of course. left Mr. KLN home for KL, "it's too $%$#$ hot". not sure about the rest of the year as went a bit overboard to Catalunya and Monaco last year. Mr.KLN wants Spa and Monza, might have to send him with friends in Europe, MS KLN junior will be doing Yr 12 exams not long after that, might have to stay home and be a responsible parent for a couple of months, after the end of this year, bugger her!
thanks to BR for providing the experience to the F1 virgins. bring on Shangai, am missing it this year. have done that 6 times since 2005 and is my favourite out of all of them!

 

[JohnK]

Very nice trip report simongr!

 

[smit0847]

You seem to enjoy complaining to the P1 team!

 

[simongr]

Actually the P1 team asked to me to provide feedback on things like inconsistency as if no-one tells them they can't make service improvements. I don't like having a reason to complain to them. I also email them thanks when they help me out.

 

[bossreggie]

Actually the P1 team asked to me to provide feedback on things like inconsistency as if no-one tells them they can't make service improvements. I don't like having a reason to complain to them. I also email them thanks when they help me out.

In business. All feedback can be used constructively. As corny as it sounds. As a business owner, I saw complaints as opportunities to learn from. Sure there are going to be your "chronic complainers" but you can even learn from them.

I have made just 3 complaints in all my years I have flown with Qantas. I see delays as part of travel so I don't get too worried about that. Nor do I complain about it.

I have complained just 1 time to Virgin. That was after about my 10th J flight with them, and my 10th cheese platter! Could not fault the service though.

 

[simongr]

I too don't complain about delays - but I do complain about how they handle them - communication, attitude etc.