The Frozen Frequent Flyer: Chasing the Aurora from an Ice Bed to the Olympic Flame

Notyourbag · 2026-01-26T07:23:00+1100

Welcome to my first ever AFF Trip Report. After 10+ years of being a keen reader of all things Trip Reports I’ve decided to give back with my next adventure. This one has been in the oven for a long time - 361 days, to be precise.

As any self respecting points enthusiast knows, if you want the "good seats" on Qatar Airways for peak European winter, you don’t wait for the crumbs to fall to partners. I was at the keyboard the second the Avios clock hit zero, burning a healthy stash of Qatar Avios (171000 for 2) to lock in QSuites from MEL-DOH-BUD before the Velocity and Qantas crowds even saw them on their screens. Although I live in Sydney there weren't any J flights available for the dates I wanted so a SYD-MEL status run (booked during DSC was in order!)

The Itinerary: The "Cold-Core" Pentathlon I’m covering some serious ground over the next three weeks:

The Warm-up: Thermal baths and goulash in Budapest (4 nights)
The Sprint: Quick stop in Krakow for some history and pierogi (3 nights)
The Arctic Slalom: Flying north to Rovaniemi for the Northern Lights and what I hope is a high-speed Husky ride (fingers crossed for a Gold Medal performance from the dogs) (5 nights)
The Transition: A design-focused pitstop in Helsinki. (1 night)
The Main Event: Milan and the Italian Alps (Livigno) for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. (6 nights)

The "In-House" Advantage: Logistics wise, I’ve handled the ground side of things myself. Last year I turned my 20+ years of booking all things travel for friends, family and myself into my “5 to 9” job. No longer the days of getting excited to collect 1 free room for 10 hotel stays via Hotels.com to get a crummy room, restrictions on a slightly earlier check-in, etc! Wearing my TA hat for this trip, I managed to book our stays through my own professional channels. It’s always satisfying to see those "industry-only" perks kick in including some fantastic room upgrades, daily breakfast, and a few welcome surprises that have definitely elevated the baseline for the trip.

Cabin Crew arm doors and cross check. We’re about to begin!

RooFlyer · 2026-01-26T08:31:37+1100

What, no luge?

Maybe a Ryanair dash across Europe?

offshore171 · 2026-01-26T09:04:45+1100

Following

Notyourbag · 2026-01-27T07:29:39+1100

The journey truly begins at SYD T3. Now, usually, I’m a fan of a seamless transit, but today I decided to test the "Oneworld Through-Check Roulette." I had two separate tickets - one domestic, one international - and a hope that the Qantas ground crew could work some magic.

The QF website suggests that through-checking on separate PNRs can be done "case by case.” or "^ Exemptions apply for customers travelling on a oneworld separate PNRs when using a combination of award travel and revenue travel. Note: This is a Qantas exemption and may not be supported by all oneworld airlines." Unfortunately the "case" today was met with a polite but firm, "That was stopped after Covid." My suitcase was destined for another check-in experience at Tullamarine.

SYD – MEL | QF463 | B737-800 | Economy A very rare appearance for me in the front of the Y part of the bus. I’d put in for a classic rewards upgrade, but the "Upgrade Gods" were not smiling. The flight was a standard domestic hop, highlighted by a snack that can only be described as "Guacamole-Wannabe" It featured rice crackers, cheese, and a substance that tasted like it had never actually met an avocado.

The Melbourne Pitstop Touchdown in MEL.

Bags collected? Tick.
Celeb spotting? Tick. Saw a few dejected-looking tennis players heading home after an early exit from the Australian Open.
The Check-In Drill: Qatar usually lurks in Zone M, but they decided to keep us on our toes by moving to Zone N. At T-3.30, the "Menzies Pep Talk" commenced - ten minutes of intense briefing for the ground crew while we stood like eager beavers waiting for the check in desks to open.

By T-3:20, the check-in area opened and soon afterwards my bags were finally tagged all the way to Budapest. The check-in agent gave me a wink and some very honest advice regarding the Marhaba Lounge: "Please, don't go there. Go to the Qantas First Lounge. We have to send people to Marhaba, but... well, you know."

Now, I’ve read a lot of debate on these forums about Neil’s hamburger. Can a lounge burger really be better than his "mixed leaves" Michelin-standard dishes? Well, the verdict is in: it was actually pretty bloody good. Juicy, well-seasoned, and exactly what I needed. I paired it with a Saltbush Margarita, which provided a nice Australian twist on a classic. Other highlights included the braised lamb (exceptionally tender) and a custom duo of coconut and sour cherry sorbet. They were originally from two different desserts, but the staff were more than happy to play "mix and match" for me.

The Boarding Dash "Go to Gate" flashed on the screen, and it was time for the main event. A quick apology to Alexei Popyrin—if you’re reading this, mate, sorry for nearly bowling you over in the boarding line. I assume he was heading home (or somewhere in Europe) after a tough week at the Open.

The Product: Qatar Airways Qsuites Stepping into the Qsuite cabin never gets old. It really is a sanctuary. Waiting for me at the seat was a bottle of water, headphones, menus, and the "older style" amenity kit (still a solid collectible). The crew were around shortly after with the "F1 style" White Company pyjamas and the first crucial question of the flight: Duval-Leroy or Taittinger Prestige Rosé? I went with the Rosé to start the holiday off in style.

The Dinner Service Given the late departure, I decided on a "dine and dash" strategy to maximise sleep. I opted for the Queensland Barramundi with kung pao sauce.

The Presentation: 10/10.
The Taste: The fish was perfectly cooked and flaked at the touch of a fork.
The Kick: If I’m being picky (and this is AFF, so I am), the kung pao didn’t exactly pack the "Olympic-level" spicy punch I was hoping for. It was more of a gentle jog than a sprint, but delicious nonetheless.

With the door closed and the "Do Not Disturb" light on, it was time to turn this suite into a bed and see if I could get some solid rest before the Doha transit.

Photos to follow...