The No Trip Report

[E Shirley]

This is a trip report for a journey that has been cancelled.

In previous years I have flown the same sectors to visit a friend while she was receiving treatment for bone cancer in her skull. This year’s trip was booked last year before she went into hospital for the last time in December. She passed away at the start of the year, before any of us had heard about Covid-19. Ironically this year as well as visiting our friend we were also attending a ‘Cleaning in Healthcare’ seminar so when we first heard that she had passed away we didn’t cancel our trip. Then Covid-19 took off and our flights and the seminar were cancelled. We will watch a webinar instead.

Today’s flight would have been QF51 BNE-SIN it is the first leg of a multi-city booking of carefully selected daytime only flights in Y BNE-SIN-DXB-AMS-DXB-SIN-MEL (I can’t sleep in an economy class seat) and MEL-BNE a J award seat at the cost of a few carefully selected cases of wine with bonus points.

I woke this morning with a dreadful feeling of sadness. There was no suitcase in the spare room, packed and ready to go.

QF51 is normally operated by an A330, it leaves around mid-day, for me that means - no early start, just breakfast as normal and a leisurely drive to the airport after those in the rush hour traffic have mostly arrived at their destination.

My view from the BNE lounge would probably look like this:



I like the upstairs seats that look over at the Emirates A380 parked at her usual remote stand, post the cancellation of Emirates Trans-Tasman flights. Gee I do miss those Emirates A380 Trans-Tasman flights – but that is probably worthy of a thread of its own.

There are very few times when I feel grateful to be 5’4” (in the old money) but sitting in Y on a Qantas A330 on a daytime flight is perfectly comfortable for me. This would be time to relax and read whatever I choose. For me, that’s part of the fun of a holiday. When I’m flying I love to read about flying. I read books written by Chesley Sullenberger, Bill Anderson, Richard De Crespigny or Mark Vanhoenacker. They love to fly, I get it, that’s me too. So much that I can’t read their books when I’m on the ground without it causing me to pine for the air.


This would be a good day...

 

[E Shirley]

For some reason I have always enjoyed travelling through Changi Airport. Even on a busy day I sense the calm and orderly manner of the airport staff while they get about their daily work.
I’m not sure how long the trolley boys have had their electric airport-scooter to quietly and effortlessly collect the trolleys around the airport, but last year they were happy to show it off for my camera.


To travel to Europe on day time only flights means an overnight stop in Singapore both ways. My new favourite hotel is the Village at Katong. Every room has a balcony where you can access fresh humid air, perfect after a long flight.

It’s half-way between the airport and downtown. Has a reasonable shopping centre across the road, a small supermarket in the hotel building (handy if there is a thunderstorm around), and good access to the East Coast Park for exercise (before a thunderstorm arrives).

They have a nice enough Satay in the lounge as well. It’s not grand it’s just good.

 

[OZDUCK]

We have stayed at the Village at Katong 4 or 5 times for the same reason as you. Perfect spot for a break between flights. Nice large rooms and plenty of good food close by.

 

[E Shirley]

This morning’s cancelled flight is EK405 departing Changi, Terminal 1 at 9.40am.

Flying from Singapore to Amsterdam means flying with the Sun, it can be done in one long day. I find it a good way to reset to the European time zone. That means leaving Singapore on the early Emirates flight to Dubai and a quick connection to the flight to Amsterdam. On the Qantas multi-city booking engine this is entered as SIN-AMS, so if there is a cancellation or delay the connecting flight is automatically changed.

I like the Emirates Lounge at Changi Airport with the big windows looking over the tarmac. This morning’s cancelled flight was schedule to operate as a 777.


One of the best things that ever happened to me was the Qantas and Emirates code share agreement. That’s brilliant for a Qantas Goldie.

But the lounge with its big windows and classic Emirates décor has new competition from the new shopping mall attached to Terminal One. It’s ‘The Jewel’ and now there is a dilemma, do I spend more time soaking up the mist from the waterfall and the aroma from the trees, or go through to the lounge. If only the Emirates lounge was in the Jewel with the big windows on one side and the waterfall on the other!

If (or when) I fall back to LTS, Changi will be one airport where I won’t have to use a Lounge Pass.

SIN-DXB is scheduled as 7 hours and 20 minutes. That’s a meal service, a movie, and extra time for watching some of the Emirates IFE TV programs – like coughnal World – or a Coldplay concert – or something completely different, there is so much to choose. I have some favourites and this is usually my first Emirates sector so this is the flight that whizzes by.

Later in the flight I start to watch the colour of the ground. As we approach Dubai the ground changes from ochre to bone.




The IFE will start to show our DXB arrival gate and the departing gates for connecting Emirates flights. In the past I have been pleased to see that my connecting flight is leaving from the gate next to my arriving flight – 'cushdy' – I thought – I’ve got loads of time – I might even get some duty frees. But no, the security transfer point closest to our arriving gate was closed so quick march half way down the terminal to go through security and quick march back again to the next door gate. Oh well, seven hours really is enough time to spend sitting and there’s another 7 hours ahead...

 

[E Shirley]

This year my cancelled trip had some extra excitement because Mr ES was scheduled to meet me at DXB. While I will board an aircraft seemingly at the drop of a hat, Mr ES requires a little more coercion, unless there is the possibility of catching an enormous fish. So while I had booked my flights many months in advance, Mr ES didn’t get over the line until much later. He is a lot taller than me and he quite simply refuses to fly in economy unless there is no option. (Economy class on a Dash 8 heading to Lord Howe Island or Weipa is of course, a completely different kettle of fish, you could say).

Good fortune would have it that Mr ES needed SC - paid J one way and using points the other would put him across the line – he decided to join me. He couldn’t find discount J on my BNE-SIN-DXB flights, so he booked to leave Brisbane later and fly directly to DXB to join my connecting flight from DXB to AMS.

We will never know if this plan had worked. Would his flight be delayed and miss the connection? Could any of my flights be delayed?

I don’t mind economy class, it means that I can fly more often, but I do manage to squeeze in the occasional business class special. The last time that I flew the DXB-AMS sector was on an EK issued ticket (I already had enough SC for the year) and I was able to successfully bid for an upgrade. Whoever the magical anonymous upgrade wizards are, I hope that they know that they have my deepest and most sincere gratitude for this upgrade. That is not an exaggeration, after seven hours sitting, my hip hurt, thank goodness for a fully flat business class seat.
Cheers to the upgrade wizards



For me the best thing about upstairs on the Emirates A380 (other than the space, comfort, good sized tray table, linen table setting for the meal service, champagne, port…) is having a window seat with direct aisle access.

Today’s cancelled EK149 was scheduled to leave DXB at 2.45pm and by magic of the Earth’s rotation it would arrive in Amsterdam at 8.00pm local time.

In the past I have travelled from Schiphol to Utrecht by train. It is simple because the train station is attached to Schiphol airport. I’m not entirely sure where the train station stops and the airport starts, they sort of merge together.

With Mr ES in business class on this year’s cancelled flight, he had a chauffeur booked. We will never know if I could have joined him in the car as extra baggage.

 

[E Shirley]

I suspect that I am like most people that travel to see friends and family – I don’t have many photographs of Utrecht that would be interesting in a trip report! Looking back through my album they are pictures of people, lunch with friends and that sort of thing.

But my daily photograph from the Hotel Mitland of the morning’s weather (that I would send home to Mr ES) might have just enough car park for TonyHancock, I hope that this will receive his approval.

 

[Major]

Nothing like a good car park photo

 

[E Shirley]

Back in Brisbane, the Amsterdam ‘Cleaning in Healthcare’ webinar was good. There were a few things that might be of interest to the general community that I will mention. But a webinar, while convenient, doesn’t replace the face to face experience. Being able to see the other attendees and their nods of agreement or looks of doubt, all the indicators that help you to get at sense of how close the presenters experience is to your peers is part of the participation experience. I miss that.

Of interest to the general population might be the observation that some people are overlooking the important step of washing their hands thoroughly before putting on, adjusting or taking off their face mask, and accidentally brushing their face with potentially infected hands when they touch the mask and their face is a big problem. Especially as the people choosing to wear a mask are often some of the most vulnerable or working in vulnerable situations. It did make me wonder how we could get that message out. I watched exactly this action on my next shopping trip.

Also mentioned was the television news clips showing disinfectant being sprayed in outdoor areas. Does anyone know the expert opinion that leads to this practice? We were told that this is just bad for the environment with negligible benefit.

Friday’s cancelled flight was EK146 AMS-DXB leaving Schiphol at 11:40am.

Schiphol airport has some interesting diversions and the largest quantity of Dutch made goods that I have seen anywhere but I do find it a little difficult to navigate and I’m never entirely sure how long it will take to get to my departure gate.



The lounge, like many, is out of the way, crowded and with minimal food choices, but water and a clean glass is free (that’s the most important thing to me). It does have a nice view:

The flight time AMS-DXB is only 6 hours and 35 minutes but because the Sun is racing against us it arrives in Dubai at 8:15pm. It’s a short day and the journey home requires two overnight stops instead of one. Allowing time to de-plane, the walk and train ride to immigration, collect luggage, find a taxi, journey the short distance to Deira City, check-in, there is just time for a short stroll before bedtime.

I like the Pullman at Deira City because it is attached to the shopping mall – and I’m a supermarket tourist – I just can’t resist having a look at what is on the shelves in other cities. On a stopover it’s a mini glimpse at the locals. Conveniently the supermarket is open until midnight This one has a Tony Hancock car park view:


And I also like the Ramada at Deira Dubai Creek because every room has a balcony and the warm late evening air is very pleasant.

 

[E Shirley]

Mr ES’s late decision to travel to Amsterdam with me was in part assisted by his sister deciding to travel from her home in the UK to join us in Utrecht. She had found very affordable seats on an Easyjet flight and Mr ES was to travel with her back to the UK to visit his family. Mr ES was not looking forward to this economy class flight. He might be the happiest person in the world to have had to cancel this flight. They say that every cloud has a silver lining.

Saturday’s cancelled flight was EK352 DXB-SIN it leaves Dubai at 9:20am which is quite a shame because it requires an early start to get to the airport and have sufficient time to enjoy the Emirates lounge. This is what an airline lounge should be – a lounge at every gate – a good variety of good quality food – and lounge staff that are eager to help. If you want to test this, pick up a plate and hover around the food for a while, don’t put anything on your plate just look, it didn’t take long before someone came up to ask me if there was something that I needed. I just needed to check the ingredients in a few dishes.

For those that are familiar with the Emirates lounge in Brisbane, you will know that this isn’t a gate at DXB:



But the décor is very similar. I haven’t managed to get a photo of the lounge at DXB when it is empty like this.

As well as having similar décor the lounges in Dubai and Brisbane both have direct boarding onto the aircraft. I love that.

The flight time from Dubai to Singapore is 7 hours and 35 minutes. But again, the earth is spinning in the opposite direction producing another short day with scheduled arrival at 8:55pm.

Often the weather around Singapore can produce some substantial thunderstorms. This was one that looked more like a UFO as we approached it. It’s a shame that the picture is taken in the late twilight using my ipad, if I had known that a photo opportunity like this was going to appear I would have packed a decent camera:



I do hope that on your screen you will be able to decipher the large black ‘flying saucer’ just above the curve of the aircraft engine. We were able to skirt around and admire it from afar without it having any effect on our smooth flight. It is likely that most other passengers didn’t even know that it was there.

The scheduled arrival time for my outward flight from BNE to SIN was 6:15pm, the arrival time flying from DXB to SIN is 8:55pm, so I decided to pay the extra cost to stay at the Crowne Plaza next door to the airport and
‘The Jewel’. I haven’t done that before, but the chance to take a late evening stroll around the new mall made it an easy choice. As they say - there’s always next time.

In previous years my next flight would be the 3pm flight from SIN that used to arrive BNE just after midnight. But Emirates don’t have a daytime flight on the SIN-BNE route anymore. So today’s cancelled flight was EK404 SIN-MEL leaving Changi at 10:25am. It was scheduled to arrive in Melbourne at 7:35pm and I had booked a night at the Melbourne Airport Parkroyal. Then home to Brisbane tomorrow morning.

Today I have a Qantas Travel Credit for the multi-city booking – most likely that will be used for a BNE-AKL or BNE-CHC visit to friends (plus status run). Foolishly I decided to cancel the BNE-MEL J reward seat, cancelled online in March, the points aren’t back yet but I’m in no need of them at the moment, I do hope that they will be back soon.

Some of the hotel bookings were non-refundable and they have been non-refunded. But I must mention that the Hotel Mitland non-refundable booking was refunded, thanks to Qantas Hotels for their help with that.

Next up is in late July – a visit to friends in Cairns plus Double Status Credit weekend and Mr ES flying onward to Weipa on another quest to catch enormous fish – hope we’re all back in the air soon.