D
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Guest
This is my first trip report so apologies if detail is a little patchy.
Mercure Sydney Airport
Checkin was smooth and the staff member looking after me was friendly. We were upgraded from a standard room to a 'superior room' although I'm not sure what the difference is and I have a suspicion not very much. I had booked the Drive and Stay package which includes up to 7 nights parking and transfers to and from the airport. We booked a 6:30am transfer not knowing how long it might take to get to the terminal and how easily I could find my way around the checkin area at T1. We were also given 2 vouchers for a free glass of house wine, beer or soft drink.
Having gotten our room key we took the lift up to the seventh floor. The room seemed big enough for a couple for an overnight stay. Unfortunately I didn't take photos of the room or hotel but the exterior seemed tired and the interior seemed like most Mercure properties I've stayed in - not futuristic but not massively dated - middle of the road. One of my quibbles about the room was that there was a slight (2cm) step up in to the bathroom so one would want to be careful when it's dark and you're half asleep. The usual shower over the bath which while I can understand why hotels might do it still annoys the **** out of me. My only other issue with the room and this is where it really is a 'first world problem' was that there was no easy way of connecting my iPad to the tv to view movies. I'm sure I've stayed in Mercure properties where there is at least the capability for composite input. I guess they think it might lose them some revenue.
After unpacking a bit we headed back downstairs to the bar where we exchanged the drink vouchers for the house red which was surprisingly good. No idea what it was though and didn't think to ask. As we couldn't be bothered heading out to find food we ordered a chicken tikka pizza from the bar and a couple of glasses of Wyndham Bin 555. The pizza was delicious, the wine good but I think I preferred the house red.
After dinner it was back to the room to iron a shirt and shine shoes for the next day. The iron worked okay for a basic shirt, I wouldn't try and iron anything complicated with it. The bed was medium firmness and I regret not having ordered a firmer pillow as the ones on the bed provided no support. Sleep was restful enough and we were up at 05:30 and checked out by 06:15. Check out was quick and the staff member wished us a pleasant trip. There was a bit of a false start with the shuttle bus as it was already there when we were checking out and we waited outside while the driver had a cigarette. He jumped back in the minibus and took off while we were standing just outside though he thankfully returned around 8 minutes later. We were dropped off at T1 around 06:40 which meant we had a little under an hour to kill before checkin opened. There's an okay range of shops land side not that I needed or wanted anything they were offering.
Checkin for LAN is handled by Qantas and we were among the first to checkin. The lovely lady handed us our boarding passes and a couple of express path cards and then we were off to breeze through immigration and security. I like to think that after all of my domestic travel I know how to get through security quickly - no metal on my person and nothing sus in my bag. I realize I'm in for a whole load of fun next year when I get to meet the TSA.
A short cut through the Duty Free maze and we are passing through the frosted glass doors of the Qantas First Lounge.
The ladies at reception scanned my boarding pass and card and we were welcomed to the lounge. After waiting a few minutes we got a table in the restaurant. I ordered the eggs Benedict, the other half went with the pancakes and English breakfast tea. We both had a glass of Bollinger since it was my first time there.
The eggs Benny were delicious, the eggs soft with the right amount of runnyness (if that's a word). The other half's pancakes I'm told were quite nice and all I will say about the Bollinger is I like it (given there's a thread devoted to discussing the champagne in the First Lounge. After breakfast we relaxed in a couple of the comfy armchairs facing the windows where I took this photo of an A380 parked at the gate our flight would use.
We headed to the gate a few minutes before boarding was called and people were milling about. When the boarding call was made, business passengers were asked to use the queue that was marked economy, at least according to the sign at the entrance. A minor quibble but it seemed to confuse people and I daresay the priority boarding wasn't enforced. That said we were processed quickly and soon boarding.
I was seated in 2J, the other half in 2L. You can hopefully see from the photos what the seating is like.
So far my luxury travel has been limited to Qantas domestic business in 737s or 767s so needless to say I was blown away by the leg room. One of the crew came by and introduced herself and said she would be looking after us during the flight. A pre departure beverage of orange juice or water was offered and I went with the OJ which was tasty and thankfully not pulp free.
Once boarding had been completed and we pushed back around 15 minutes behind schedule which was due to the late arrival of the operating aircraft. Taxi was quick, safety briefing somewhat more amusing with the CG animation and the takeoff was smoother than what I've experienced in a 737 or 767. Only the A380 seems smoother.
After the seatbelt sign was turned off newspapers and magazines, none of which appeared to be in English, were offered.
Around half an hour into the flight lunch was served.
The focaccia was filled with chicken and melted cheese, the rye bread (?) was salmon, cream cheese and some sort of salad leaves. There was also toast with butter and a small jar of a tasty fruit preserve. Wine was offered and I went with an argentinean malbec which I found to be quite nice. Dessert was akin to a panna cotta with strawberry pieces and a berry coulis. A second glass of wine was offered and this time I went with a Chilean blend of cabernet sauvignon and carmenera, not a grape I had heard of before. I preferred it to the malbec.
Once the trays were cleared away I settled back to continue watching the latest Transformers movie. I was using the supplied headphones which were comfortable and while not noise cancelling seemed to keep out a reasonable amount of noise. The seat was comfortable and I played around with the controls a bit. They seemed reasonably responsive.
About half an hour out of Auckland the crew started preparing for landing. Headphones and remaining service items were collected. The crew member looking after us stopped by to thank us for flying with them and wished us a pleasant weekend.
The landing in to Auckland was relatively smooth and after a quick taxi we were at the gate. Being among the first to deplane we were through customs/immigration and quarantine quickly. Unlike border staff at Heathrow, the NZ staff were pleasant. We caught the air bus express from the airport into the city centre. At $26 return it seems fair value.
We stayed at the Bianco Off Queen serviced apartments which were nice. Having prepaid for a studio, on checkin we were upgraded to a standard apartment. It's nice enough and what one would expect. Thankfully the tv allowed composite video input so I could hook up my iPad if I wanted.
After a wander around the city centre and a nice dinner at a restaurant down on one of the wharves we wandered back to watch some tv before turning in for the night. The bed was comfortable and pillow provided decent support. Being on the 1st floor road noise was noticeable but it didn't seem to stop me from getting a decent nights sleep. The room rate included a light continental breakfast which consisted of cornflakes, proper milk (not UHT), yoghurt, a seeded bread roll, butter, a snack bar, banana and orange juice.
Sunday was spent wandering around the city centre window shopping and stopping at a few cafes to make use of the free wifi to catch up on email and twitter. We skipped dinner as we weren't feeling hungry and I wanted an early night given the OMG departure out of AKL. Sleep was somewhat more broken and wasn't helped by the road noise and the proximity to the lift. If staying here ask for a high floor and an apartment that doesn't face the road. The sound proofing wasn't adequate and was duly mentioned on the feedback form.
After waking up and having a quick shower we checked out and proceeded to the nearest airbus stop and caught the 3am service. Around 30 minutes later we were at the international terminal and checking in. Check in for LAN in AKL is handled by Air New Zealand and the agent took their time and it was only after handing us our boarding passes and passports back that he explained there had been some sort of system issue. It would have been nice if he had let us know earlier. After heading upstairs we waited until after 04:30 for Customs to open despite a staff member telling us it would open at 04:00.
We made a beeline straight for the Qantas First lounge which is pleasant enough given there can't be that many F flights out of AKL. The yoghurt with berries was nice and the coffee acceptable.
After catching up on email and twitter I noticed the monitor in the lounge was displaying final call for the flight so we headed to our gate. When we got there however the flight wasn't even open and the crew were waiting at the gate. The other half asked the gate agent why the monitor said final call and the reply was that it was apparently part of their procedure to get everybody at the gate before commencing boarding. Some 10 or so minutes later they finally begin boarding and made a call for business and passengers requiring assistance to board first. It seemed like priority boarding was handled better here than on the outbound sector.
Being among the first on the plane my bag was quickly stowed and I was sitting in my seat. The aircraft was the same type and possibly even the same operating aircraft as the one from SYD to AKL though this time I was seated in 2D and the other half in 2H. We were offered a pre departure beverage and I went with the orange juice.
After boarding had been completed and the door was closed there was a safety briefing by the crew as the IFE seemed to be powered down. As we were taxiing the system came back on so we got to watch the CG animation version as well. After a relatively short run down the runway we were airborne.
Once the seatbelt sign had been switched off service started with magazines being offered followed by a hot towel. A short time later we were offered breakfast with a choice between an omelette or a ham and cheese plate. I went with the omelette, coffee a croissant and another orange juice.
I found the omelette to be reasonably tasty if a little plain and the croissant wasn't too bad either. I had earlier given up on trying to use the IFE as the select button on my remote wasn't working so I watched the Terminal on my iPad. The tray was cleared a short time after I finished eating and I reclined my seat and settled in to watch the rest of the movie.
One thing that I noticed about this flight there wasn't an individual welcome after boarding so I don't know if the one on the way over was a one off or if it's normally part of the routine. The cabin this time did seem to be reasonably full and the crew, while polite during service, didn't seem as overly friendly as the previous crew.
We landed in SYD on time (I think not that I really cared since it was a public holiday for those in the ACT) and sped through immigration and customs/quarantine. We located the shuttle bus that would take us back to the Mercure and then we were on our way for the interminably long drive back to CBR.
Would I fly LAN again? Yes, the price seems reasonable, the seat comfortable enough for me and the service on the whole was pretty good. A few minor annoyances such as the lack of clear priority boarding in SYD weren't enough to spoil the whole experience.
SCL is now on my list of destinations to visit.
Mercure Sydney Airport
Checkin was smooth and the staff member looking after me was friendly. We were upgraded from a standard room to a 'superior room' although I'm not sure what the difference is and I have a suspicion not very much. I had booked the Drive and Stay package which includes up to 7 nights parking and transfers to and from the airport. We booked a 6:30am transfer not knowing how long it might take to get to the terminal and how easily I could find my way around the checkin area at T1. We were also given 2 vouchers for a free glass of house wine, beer or soft drink.
Having gotten our room key we took the lift up to the seventh floor. The room seemed big enough for a couple for an overnight stay. Unfortunately I didn't take photos of the room or hotel but the exterior seemed tired and the interior seemed like most Mercure properties I've stayed in - not futuristic but not massively dated - middle of the road. One of my quibbles about the room was that there was a slight (2cm) step up in to the bathroom so one would want to be careful when it's dark and you're half asleep. The usual shower over the bath which while I can understand why hotels might do it still annoys the **** out of me. My only other issue with the room and this is where it really is a 'first world problem' was that there was no easy way of connecting my iPad to the tv to view movies. I'm sure I've stayed in Mercure properties where there is at least the capability for composite input. I guess they think it might lose them some revenue.
After unpacking a bit we headed back downstairs to the bar where we exchanged the drink vouchers for the house red which was surprisingly good. No idea what it was though and didn't think to ask. As we couldn't be bothered heading out to find food we ordered a chicken tikka pizza from the bar and a couple of glasses of Wyndham Bin 555. The pizza was delicious, the wine good but I think I preferred the house red.
After dinner it was back to the room to iron a shirt and shine shoes for the next day. The iron worked okay for a basic shirt, I wouldn't try and iron anything complicated with it. The bed was medium firmness and I regret not having ordered a firmer pillow as the ones on the bed provided no support. Sleep was restful enough and we were up at 05:30 and checked out by 06:15. Check out was quick and the staff member wished us a pleasant trip. There was a bit of a false start with the shuttle bus as it was already there when we were checking out and we waited outside while the driver had a cigarette. He jumped back in the minibus and took off while we were standing just outside though he thankfully returned around 8 minutes later. We were dropped off at T1 around 06:40 which meant we had a little under an hour to kill before checkin opened. There's an okay range of shops land side not that I needed or wanted anything they were offering.
Checkin for LAN is handled by Qantas and we were among the first to checkin. The lovely lady handed us our boarding passes and a couple of express path cards and then we were off to breeze through immigration and security. I like to think that after all of my domestic travel I know how to get through security quickly - no metal on my person and nothing sus in my bag. I realize I'm in for a whole load of fun next year when I get to meet the TSA.
A short cut through the Duty Free maze and we are passing through the frosted glass doors of the Qantas First Lounge.
The ladies at reception scanned my boarding pass and card and we were welcomed to the lounge. After waiting a few minutes we got a table in the restaurant. I ordered the eggs Benedict, the other half went with the pancakes and English breakfast tea. We both had a glass of Bollinger since it was my first time there.
The eggs Benny were delicious, the eggs soft with the right amount of runnyness (if that's a word). The other half's pancakes I'm told were quite nice and all I will say about the Bollinger is I like it (given there's a thread devoted to discussing the champagne in the First Lounge. After breakfast we relaxed in a couple of the comfy armchairs facing the windows where I took this photo of an A380 parked at the gate our flight would use.
We headed to the gate a few minutes before boarding was called and people were milling about. When the boarding call was made, business passengers were asked to use the queue that was marked economy, at least according to the sign at the entrance. A minor quibble but it seemed to confuse people and I daresay the priority boarding wasn't enforced. That said we were processed quickly and soon boarding.
I was seated in 2J, the other half in 2L. You can hopefully see from the photos what the seating is like.
So far my luxury travel has been limited to Qantas domestic business in 737s or 767s so needless to say I was blown away by the leg room. One of the crew came by and introduced herself and said she would be looking after us during the flight. A pre departure beverage of orange juice or water was offered and I went with the OJ which was tasty and thankfully not pulp free.
Once boarding had been completed and we pushed back around 15 minutes behind schedule which was due to the late arrival of the operating aircraft. Taxi was quick, safety briefing somewhat more amusing with the CG animation and the takeoff was smoother than what I've experienced in a 737 or 767. Only the A380 seems smoother.
After the seatbelt sign was turned off newspapers and magazines, none of which appeared to be in English, were offered.
Around half an hour into the flight lunch was served.
The focaccia was filled with chicken and melted cheese, the rye bread (?) was salmon, cream cheese and some sort of salad leaves. There was also toast with butter and a small jar of a tasty fruit preserve. Wine was offered and I went with an argentinean malbec which I found to be quite nice. Dessert was akin to a panna cotta with strawberry pieces and a berry coulis. A second glass of wine was offered and this time I went with a Chilean blend of cabernet sauvignon and carmenera, not a grape I had heard of before. I preferred it to the malbec.
Once the trays were cleared away I settled back to continue watching the latest Transformers movie. I was using the supplied headphones which were comfortable and while not noise cancelling seemed to keep out a reasonable amount of noise. The seat was comfortable and I played around with the controls a bit. They seemed reasonably responsive.
About half an hour out of Auckland the crew started preparing for landing. Headphones and remaining service items were collected. The crew member looking after us stopped by to thank us for flying with them and wished us a pleasant weekend.
The landing in to Auckland was relatively smooth and after a quick taxi we were at the gate. Being among the first to deplane we were through customs/immigration and quarantine quickly. Unlike border staff at Heathrow, the NZ staff were pleasant. We caught the air bus express from the airport into the city centre. At $26 return it seems fair value.
We stayed at the Bianco Off Queen serviced apartments which were nice. Having prepaid for a studio, on checkin we were upgraded to a standard apartment. It's nice enough and what one would expect. Thankfully the tv allowed composite video input so I could hook up my iPad if I wanted.
After a wander around the city centre and a nice dinner at a restaurant down on one of the wharves we wandered back to watch some tv before turning in for the night. The bed was comfortable and pillow provided decent support. Being on the 1st floor road noise was noticeable but it didn't seem to stop me from getting a decent nights sleep. The room rate included a light continental breakfast which consisted of cornflakes, proper milk (not UHT), yoghurt, a seeded bread roll, butter, a snack bar, banana and orange juice.
Sunday was spent wandering around the city centre window shopping and stopping at a few cafes to make use of the free wifi to catch up on email and twitter. We skipped dinner as we weren't feeling hungry and I wanted an early night given the OMG departure out of AKL. Sleep was somewhat more broken and wasn't helped by the road noise and the proximity to the lift. If staying here ask for a high floor and an apartment that doesn't face the road. The sound proofing wasn't adequate and was duly mentioned on the feedback form.
After waking up and having a quick shower we checked out and proceeded to the nearest airbus stop and caught the 3am service. Around 30 minutes later we were at the international terminal and checking in. Check in for LAN in AKL is handled by Air New Zealand and the agent took their time and it was only after handing us our boarding passes and passports back that he explained there had been some sort of system issue. It would have been nice if he had let us know earlier. After heading upstairs we waited until after 04:30 for Customs to open despite a staff member telling us it would open at 04:00.
We made a beeline straight for the Qantas First lounge which is pleasant enough given there can't be that many F flights out of AKL. The yoghurt with berries was nice and the coffee acceptable.
After catching up on email and twitter I noticed the monitor in the lounge was displaying final call for the flight so we headed to our gate. When we got there however the flight wasn't even open and the crew were waiting at the gate. The other half asked the gate agent why the monitor said final call and the reply was that it was apparently part of their procedure to get everybody at the gate before commencing boarding. Some 10 or so minutes later they finally begin boarding and made a call for business and passengers requiring assistance to board first. It seemed like priority boarding was handled better here than on the outbound sector.
Being among the first on the plane my bag was quickly stowed and I was sitting in my seat. The aircraft was the same type and possibly even the same operating aircraft as the one from SYD to AKL though this time I was seated in 2D and the other half in 2H. We were offered a pre departure beverage and I went with the orange juice.
After boarding had been completed and the door was closed there was a safety briefing by the crew as the IFE seemed to be powered down. As we were taxiing the system came back on so we got to watch the CG animation version as well. After a relatively short run down the runway we were airborne.
Once the seatbelt sign had been switched off service started with magazines being offered followed by a hot towel. A short time later we were offered breakfast with a choice between an omelette or a ham and cheese plate. I went with the omelette, coffee a croissant and another orange juice.
I found the omelette to be reasonably tasty if a little plain and the croissant wasn't too bad either. I had earlier given up on trying to use the IFE as the select button on my remote wasn't working so I watched the Terminal on my iPad. The tray was cleared a short time after I finished eating and I reclined my seat and settled in to watch the rest of the movie.
One thing that I noticed about this flight there wasn't an individual welcome after boarding so I don't know if the one on the way over was a one off or if it's normally part of the routine. The cabin this time did seem to be reasonably full and the crew, while polite during service, didn't seem as overly friendly as the previous crew.
We landed in SYD on time (I think not that I really cared since it was a public holiday for those in the ACT) and sped through immigration and customs/quarantine. We located the shuttle bus that would take us back to the Mercure and then we were on our way for the interminably long drive back to CBR.
Would I fly LAN again? Yes, the price seems reasonable, the seat comfortable enough for me and the service on the whole was pretty good. A few minor annoyances such as the lack of clear priority boarding in SYD weren't enough to spoil the whole experience.
SCL is now on my list of destinations to visit.
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