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

[craven morehead]

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!

Looking forward to following this TR

 

[Scash]

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!

Cool (pun intended)!

 

[Notyourbag]

Please excuse this trip report is a bit behind which I guess is natural when you're going a million miles an hour on holiday!

Okay! Time to leave the Goulash behind and head north. For this leg, I leaned into a classic frequent flyer "trick of the trade" using Avianca Lifemiles to book LOT Polish Airlines business class. It’s often the best-value way to traverse Europe without getting stung by high fuel surcharges. Unfortunately I've been sitting on over 200,000 Lifemiles points with limited use for the last 6 years. Thankfully I've managed to keep them active through one of the "refund" hacks. IYKYK! The redemption was 16,330 miles and $92 USD.

The Flight: BUD – WAW – KRK in Business Class. The flight from Budapest to Warsaw was on a nifty Embraer regional jet. While "European Business Class" is usually just an economy seat with a blocked middle, LOT actually puts in a bit of effort. The meal was a plate of smoked salmon with an egg spread and bread. This was accompanied by a porridge which was actually quite tasty and a Brut.

The Transit: A quick dash through Warsaw (WAW). I spent about 60 minutes in the LOT Polonez Lounge - just enough time for a quick espresso and snack before boarding the short hop to Krakow. I was surprisingly impressed.

The Soft Product: On a flight that barely lasts 50 minutes, they managed a full meal service and a refill of the bubbles. They also offered blankets and an inflght magazine.

Arrival: The Big Freeze Stepping off the plane in Krakow, the "Olympic Winter" finally decided to show its teeth. The temperature had plummeted to -10°C. It’s the kind of cold that doesn't just sit on your skin; it actively tries to get into your bones. Thankfully, the Queen Boutique Hotel was only a short transfer away.

I picked this hotel as its located perfectly between the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter (Kazimierz), the Queen Boutique is a gem. Thanks to my industry booking, we were greeted with a warm welcome and an upgrade to a room with a stunning view of Wawel Castle.

After walking around in -10°C, the hotel sauna became my best friend. There is no greater feeling than defrosting your toes after a day on the Polish pavement!

Okay. Here's where this trip report gets a little heavy. We dedicated a full day to a tour covering both Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka Salt Mine. I booked this one through GetYourGuide. Before leaving Australia, I had read "The Happiest Man on Earth" by Eddie Jaku. Highly recommend this read! Eddie survived Auschwitz before moving to Sydney, and his words on the "unimaginable cold" were ringing in my ears as the wind whipped across the camp.

Standing under the Arbeit Macht Frei gate in the biting cold brings a perspective that no book can offer. The tour was very respectful as was the small group ( was worried in the era of influencers some folks might have been disrespectful) but our guide was exceptional - meticulous with the history and deeply respectful. I did walk around with a lump in my throat and eyes getting watery. Seeing the room filled with thousands of battered suitcases hand-painted with names and addresses is haunting. But it’s the display of two tonnes of human hair and the mountain of children’s shoes that truly stops your breath. Moving to Birkenau, standing on the selection platform where Eddie was separated from his family, the silence of the vast, frozen landscape is deafening. It was an emotionally draining experience that made the warmth of our return to Krakow feel like a profound privilege.

After the emotional weight of the morning, we headed 135 meters underground into a different kind of history. The Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the world's oldest operating salt mines, with roots stretching back to the 13th century. For 700 years, this was the backbone of the Polish economy. Salt was so valuable it was literally "white gold." Commercial salt mining only officially ceased here in 1996, though they still produce salt today by evaporating brine to protect the mine from flooding. This isn't just a few tunnels; it’s a labyrinth of over 2,000 chambers. During its peak, it was a fully functioning society:

The tour had fake horses to represent the horses that lived down here for years at a time, powering the massive treadmills used to haul salt to the surface.

There was also a chapel replica as the miners were deeply religious, carving entire cathedrals out of rock salt so they could pray before their shifts. The Chapel of St. Kinga is the masterpiece—54 meters long, with every floor tile, altar, and even the chandeliers carved from salt!

Coming back to the surface, we were in desperate need of some Pierogi. Stayed tuned for all the food and drinks recommendations!

 

[Notyourbag]

Breakfast is served on the Budapest to Warsaw leg.



The plonk wasn't too bad. Came in a heavy mini glass bottle.



It's no Al Safwa but the lounge was comfortable and had a decent selection of food and drinks.



First experience watching deicing!


Second intra Poland leg was just a Plum Bun snack. It's not going to win any culinary awards (and the expiry date was the next day!)



Apparently their Christmas celebrations and decorations stay up until early February to recognise the Polish calendar.



German for "Work sets you free" which was not the case! An orchestra would also play music the PoW would have to march to each day.




Confiscated bowls and plates



Each suitcase has a story and person or family behind it.



The train station where the "selector" would decide and seperate those who would be kept alive and those would be sent to the gas chamber.



Chandelier from the salt mine



Snowy streets of Krakow

 

[drron]

I was born at the right time and was able to look after many prisoners at Auswich, Buchenvald etc. Many incredible stories. But the fellow I got to know best was one that was the father of a fellow who was in my year in University. He was a very fit young fellow when the Germans invaded Poland. He was given the option of physical work or being in prison for the rest of his life.

However the work he was given was cleaning the gas chambers at Auschwitz. He was depressed for the rest of his life.
But worse was to come. He was put into a German work battalion when they invaded Russia and went all the way to Stalingrad.

There captured by the Russians and went all the way back to Warsaw. He said that the Russians were far worse than the Germans. So when they arrived in Warsaw he managed to escape. He feared that when the war ended they would all be killed.

 

[Notyourbag]

It was time to cross the Arctic Circle. For the jump from Poland to Finnish Lapland, I’d booked Finnair via Helsinki as I also was chasing status credits with QF. On paper, it’s a seamless way to reach the north; in practice, Finnair decided to add a "survival" element to my trip before I even reached the ice.

Transiting through Helsinki is usually a breeze. Since Poland and Finland are both in the Schengen Area, there were no passport control hurdles to clear. As a OneWorld Emerald I headed straight for the Finnair Platinum Lounge in the Schengen lounge near Gate 21.

• The Lounge: The Platinum Corner is a dedicated haven for Emeralds. It’s sleek, quiet, and far more refined than the main Business Lounge. While the famous sauna is located in the non-Schengen Platinum Wing, this "Corner" still offers excellent barista coffee and a high-end buffet. It also has the famous Finnair Ultima Thule glassware.
• The "Fumble": Whilst I made the connection to Rovaniemi, my suitcase - containing pretty much thermal layer I owned - decided to stay in Helsinki for an unscheduled holiday. Unfortunately it was the only bag on that flight that didn't arrive. Thankfully I did have a thick jacket, gloves, beanie and balaclava to keep warm.
• The Ground Experience: Arriving in -20C temperatures of Rovaniemi only to find an empty carousel is a special kind of dread. The Finnair "support" was essentially a shrug and a "check the baggage status email once you receive it." No proactive help, no emergency kit—just a "good luck in the snow" vibe. As an agent, I was fuming at the lack of duty of care for passengers arriving in an Arctic environment without their gear. I also wear contact lenses so I was debating to try and sleep with them in or use water to put them in. Either way it was going to get uncomfortable!
• I looked at Bolt and Uber for ride share options - both were around the 25 Euro mark which I thought was good value (given private transfers were coming up over $100 AUD).

A Night on the Rocks: Arctic SnowHotel​

My first stop was the famous Arctic SnowHotel. While many choose the glass igloos, I wanted the "Full Arctic" experience: a night in a room made entirely of literal ice.

The "Hard" Product (Literally) The SnowHotel is an architectural masterpiece, rebuilt every year from the lake water up. It’s a gallery with a permanent -5°C thermostat. Outside it hit -28C with a 'feels like -34C'. Compared to the 42C day we had in Sydney before we left it made me realise how large the temperature difference was.

• The Themed Rooms: Each room is uniquely carved by ice artists. My suite featured an intricate wall sculpture of a ladybug that glowed with embedded LED lights stunning, though it’s a strange feeling knowing your bedroom will be a puddle by April.
• The Amenities: The hotel features a silent, beautiful Ice Chapel (perfect for a sub-zero wedding!) and an Ice Bar. Here, the glassware is made of ice. Pro tip: you're encouraged to throw your glass against the wall once you're done!

Dining at Kota Restaurant While there is an Ice Restaurant (where you eat on ice tables), we opted for the warmth of the Kota Restaurant. A "Kota" is a traditional Lappish tepee-style hut, and sitting around a massive open fire was exactly what I needed after the bag debacle.

• The Menu: We had a delicious Celery-apple soup, spruce bud oil and roasted onion followed by traditional sautéed reindeer, Lappish potato mash, pickled cucumbers and lingonberry jam. They also were cooking salmon right over the central fire pit on wooden planks. The smokiness of the fish and the flickering flames made the missing suitcase feel like a distant problem - at least until I had to go back to my ice room.

The Sleep Test How do you sleep in a freezer? They provide a "polar-grade" thermal sleeping bag and a fleece liner. You bury yourself deep, leaving only your nose exposed. Surprisingly, I slept like a log. There is a profound, heavy silence in a room made of ice - no hum of air-con, no traffic, just pure frozen stillness.

So what's my verdict? For me it's a "must-do" once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s uncomfortable, beautiful, and slightly ridiculous all at once.

One night was enough for me. It was time to move onto Apukka Resort and continue my desperate hunt for my missing suitcase!