Sleeping in Airports

[Skyring]

I'm off again next week. My TA, bless her heart, understands what I want out of my DONE4, and has booked me a bunch of flights. However, there are some bits where things don't quite match up.

Perth (Domestic). I fly in at 2210 and out again two hours later. The QP gives opening hours as: "0430 to last departure". I imagine that this means I can spend an hour or so before my flight to Sydney in the lounge. If not, I guess I can just hang around what is probably going to be a fairly quiet terminal.

Narita. The next night I arrive (via Sydney and Cairns) at 2000 and leave for HKG at 0945. Is there some sort of relatively cheap place I can sleep airside (or even nearby, landside)? Otherwise, I am informed that security herd the leftovers into a room, check that everyone has a flight the next day, and then keep watch over them until the morning.

Changi. Arrive from HKG 2000, leave (for HKG) 0805. I've made a booking request to the transit hotel, and received a somewhat cryptic note in reply, "Due to our volume of traffic, kindly allow us to revert on the status of your booking within the next 7 days." I've ordered a budget room for twelve hours, which I figure will be ample. Otherwise I understand that Changi is a great place to spend a night.

 

[Danger]

Perth (Domestic). I fly in at 2210 and out again two hours later. The QP gives opening hours as: "0430 to last departure". I imagine that this means I can spend an hour or so before my flight to Sydney in the lounge. If not, I guess I can just hang around what is probably going to be a fairly quiet terminal.

If it's the domestic terminal you're referring to (which I think it is) the Qantas terminal will be very busy. Because Perth airport doesn't have the noise restrictions of a number of other airports in Australia, and because of our distance from the otherside of the country, the last direct flights for the day (or the first, depending on the way you look at it) all leave late night. There are all direct flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra after 2210. The QP is often very busy at this time also.

 

[Skyring]

In Perth I arrive on QF 719 (a 737 from Canberra) at 2200 and depart on QF 518 (a 743 to Sydney) at 0010. If it's busy at that time of night, so be it! All I want is a place to sit in comfort for an hour or so. I have to make a transfer in Sydney from T3 to T1 in 1:50, which probably means I won't have time for much more than a cuppa in the First lounge.

 

[serfty]

Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in the Tokyo airport

Some info may be out of date (even though the reports are recent).

 

[Skyring]

Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in the Tokyo airport

Some info may be out of date (even though the reports are recent).

Thanks - a useful source. There seem to be dayrooms available, but not at night, which is when I want a few hours kip. What I was really looking for, in lieu of an airside hotel like Changi's, is some modest establishment just outside the entrance.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

As has already been posted, PER domestic is busy that time of night. The QP will certainly be open and most likely fairly full.

Narita has a curfew overnight. AFAIK it is possible to stay airside, although I haven't tested it out. The nearby Hilton (unfortunately not walkable due to the motorways) often has good deals for paid or award stays. There are several other airport hotels in the same area as the Hilton. All have free transfer buses.

 

[Skyring]

There are several other airport hotels in the same area as the Hilton. All have free transfer buses.

It looks like I'm set now. I found the cheapest of the hotels listed on the airport's official page and booked a room for 4 400 yen. Sounds basic, but that's all I want. Breakfast I can get on the plane - I'm sure Cathay Pacific will stuff me full of good tucker! The free shuttle is a bonus.

Waiting on confirmation from Singapore for the airside room.

Perth will be a matter of coffee and internet in the QP, and I'm sure that I can catch up on sleep on the flight to Sydney.

 

[clifford]

It looks like I'm set now. I found the cheapest of the hotels listed on the airport's official page and booked a room for 4 400 yen. Sounds basic, but that's all I want. Breakfast I can get on the plane - I'm sure Cathay Pacific will stuff me full of good tucker! The free shuttle is a bonus.

Waiting on confirmation from Singapore for the airside room.

Perth will be a matter of coffee and internet in the QP, and I'm sure that I can catch up on sleep on the flight to Sydney.

You won't have a problem with the Ambassador airside hotel at Changi, I use it all the time (but 12 hours, it's quite a long time, really).

 

[Skyring]

You won't have a problem with the Ambassador airside hotel at Changi, I use it all the time (but 12 hours, it's quite a long time, really).

Mmmm, but it's the same price as nine hours, and 5 AM is a little too early to be kicked out for an eight o'clock flight, when I don't have anything much to do in the meantime.

 

[Sequel]

Can I be so bold as to ask what is the purpose of the trip? It seems to be a long way around.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Can I be so bold as to ask what is the purpose of the trip? It seems to be a long way around.

The OP is on a RTW ticket and is taking an indirect routing to improve mileage and status earning. There is lots of info on AFF about RTW tickets in general, and especially xONEx (One World Explorer RTW).

 

[d15.in.oz]

Can I be so bold as to ask what is the purpose of the trip? It seems to be a long way around.

To understand that, is to understand the AFF community. Most regular people would view a CBR-SYD flight with horror if routed via PER… but not here!:mrgreen:

 

[Sequel]

I understand status runs, but spending 3 consecutive nights in airports does seem a little bit extreme. And I initially thought it was just a straight out status run, but if it is part of a RTW then that makes more sense.

My best was flying BNE-MNL, via MEL & HKG!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

My best (worst?), which wasnt a mileage run per se, was New York to San Francisco over 6 flights.

No, not a US domestic multi-segment run. I went EWR-SIN-BKK-SIN-AKL-LAX-SFO continuously without leaving airports (and only landside was change of terminals at LAX), although I didn't actually sleep in any airports - I had 3 consecutive nights on board a/c.

This was in the middle of a AKL-SIN-BKK-SIN-EWR-SIN-BKK-SIN-AKL-LAX-SFO-AKL trip, with only 1 day in San Francisco.

 

[Skyring]

I understand status runs, but spending 3 consecutive nights in airports does seem a little bit extreme. And I initially thought it was just a straight out status run, but if it is part of a RTW then that makes more sense.

My best was flying BNE-MNL, via MEL & HKG!

Although I regard my little bit of platinum plastic with fondness, I'm not going to spend many thousands of dollars for the sole purpose of having it ride around in my wallet for a year.

The objects of the RTW trip are:
1. To attend a convention in Charleston. I'm a reasonably senior member of the specific community and it is important to me that I be there.
2. To meet as many of my online friends as possible.
3. To maximise the rewards from the trip.
4. To document the journey with blog posts and photographs.

OK, doing a DONE4 instead of a LONE4 (or even cheaper option) is a bit of an indulgence. A lot of an indulgence, I guess. But it's my money and that's the way I want to spend it.

Maximising the rewards means taking those Asian sectors. It could probably have been done a lot better, but that's the arrangement my TA came up with (on the second go). It gives me a chance to sleep and relax without tying up two nights at each location, which is my usual minimum for looking around a new city. Much as I enjoy flying, I usually don't get a really great quality of sleep on planes, and besides, I prefer to be awake for a flight.

In Europe, I'm getting my four flights, but I'll also have friends to see in London and Frankfurt, and I've elected to spend a night in Istanbul instead of a day in London. I could have done LHR-IST-LHR in one day, but I thought, bugger it, I've seen London, and I haven't seen Istanbul - I'll actually leave the terminal, maybe get a few photographs of my co-driver in front of the landmarks.

In the US, I'm wimping out. Friends and convention are the main objectives, and my flights are relatively short ones, with days set aside for visits.

It's a pretty full itinerary for twenty days, it gets me WP for another year, and it even gets me within a shout of PG. and it will be fun.

 

[Skyring]

My best (worst?), which wasnt a mileage run per se, was New York to San Francisco over 6 flights.

No, not a US domestic multi-segment run. I went EWR-SIN-BKK-SIN-AKL-LAX-SFO continuously without leaving airports (and only landside was change of terminals at LAX), although I didn't actually sleep in any airports - I had 3 consecutive nights on board a/c.

Once again, I raise my cap in salute! You are an example and an inspiration to us all.

I don't have a theme for this trip, though taxicabs is going to be a notable undercurrent, but I'm planning to write a comprehensive trip report, with details of flights, seats, lounges etc.

 

[Sequel]

Mine wasn't a status run either, just had to leave BNE on a Thursday night and be in MNL on Friday moring, and that was the only way - and I dont mind flying.

Skyring, it makes more sense now, sounds like you will have a great trip.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

My best (worst?), which wasnt a mileage run per se, was New York to San Francisco over 6 flights.

No, not a US domestic multi-segment run. I went EWR-SIN-BKK-SIN-AKL-LAX-SFO continuously without leaving airports (and only landside was change of terminals at LAX), although I didn't actually sleep in any airports - I had 3 consecutive nights on board a/c.

This was in the middle of a AKL-SIN-BKK-SIN-EWR-SIN-BKK-SIN-AKL-LAX-SFO-AKL trip, with only 1 day in San Francisco.

For anyone who is interested, I did 2 trip reports on that trip.

some FTers do the inaugural worlds longest flight SIN-EWR vv

7 crazy days

 

[Skyring]

For anyone who is interested, I did 2 trip reports on that trip.

some FTers do the inaugural worlds longest flight SIN-EWR vv

7 crazy days

And what reports! KF - you set the standard!

Looking forward to that A380 trip report. July 2006, wasn't it?

 

[simongr]

OK, doing a DONE4 instead of a LONE4 (or even cheaper option) is a bit of an indulgence. A lot of an indulgence, I guess. But it's my money and that's the way I want to spend it.

If you can afford then its not an indulgence - I cant imagine doing a monster DONE4 like yours and not be in J. I have a BA club europe ticket tomorrow and am dreading the mini-J seat - I will survive though