Your 2025 year of travel in review

[JessicaTam]

It's time for the annual AFF "year in review" thread. (For reference, this was last year's: 2024 - Year In Review)

So what have you managed this year? More than you were expecting, or not as much. Any firsts, likes or dislikes?

Here are some of mine:

Number of flights: 73 (31 Y, 1 W, 40 J, 1 F)
New countries: Andorra, Estonia, Portugal, South Africa, Poland (now up to 51 in total)
New airports: BCN, MAD, OPO, TLL, CPT, WAW, BER, YYZ
New airline: Iberia
Shortest flight: TLL-HEL 63 miles (one day I will get to PPY)
Longest flight: YYZ-HKG 7810 miles
Dislike: No lounges in the non-Schengen part of BER airport
Like: EU261 made sure I made it to OPO in good time, despite an aircraft going tech

[mod hat]
Permission to brag ... granted
[/mod hat]

 

[AIRwin]

Total flights: 48 so far + another 2 to go before year end (35 in 2024, 38 in 2023, 36 in 2022, 27 in 2021, 22 in 2020 and 62 in 2019)
New countries: Laos, Canada
New airports: VTE, YVR, YUL
New airlines: VN, AC
New aircraft: A220-300 (QF), E190-E2 (Scoot)
New lounges: PNH, DOH (QR), ADL (QF Business)
Milestones and Memorable Moments:
- LTG
- big bruise after slipping and sliding all the way down a flight of icy stairs at the St Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal
- 2 back to back fifth freedom flights VTE-PNH-SIN on VN and EK
- Mangoes in PNH lounge

- Jacuzzi in DOH lounge

Post in thread 'Overview of all the Qatar Airways Lounges in Doha'

May 3, 2025

Jacuzzi in Al Safwa:

• AIRwin

• 

 

[kpc]

Number of flights 53 (25 Y, 37J, 1 F)
Flown: 125139 kms
New countries: 13 (Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Romania, Moldova, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Timor Leste). Total now : 88
Nights away from home: 11O
New Airlines. Air Mauritius, Madagascar Air, Tarom, Air China, Shenzen Airlines:
Best F: Ek for shower food and wine
Best J: Qr Q suites (private cabin with +1)
Best Y: ZH (Shenzen Airlines) from Xian to Guangzhou...as a *Gold, given 1st row in Y, PB, slippers, blanket, Chinese newspaper, lounge access and bags first out!

 

[AIRwin]

Best F: Ek for shower food and wine

No massage?

 

[Tiki]

Number of flights: 22, 18-Y, 4-J
New countries: Timor Leste, I can give Kuwait as a long time no see, it had been around 20 years.
New airports: DIL, AMQ (Ambon), NAM (Namlea), SXK (Saumlaki)
New airline: None
Shortest flight: AMQ-NAM 74 miles
Longest flight: BNE-DOH 7660 miles
Dislike: Took forever to clear customs at DIL, you have to wait in line to get a computer to do a declaration and others were slow. Wings Air (tiny airline part of Lion group) cancelled return NAM-AMQ so had to take the ferry, luckily I managed to get a cabin.
Like: QR Suites, lounges in DOH and IST

 

[RooFlyer]

Number of flights: 57 (9Y, 2PE, 44 J); domestic 28, international 29
Distance: 142,192km (88,354 miles); 4,154,467 km total to date (2,581,528 miles)
New countries: Montenegro (108 total to date - its getting more difficult!) plus Greenland if you count it (got a passport stamp)
New airports: BCN, SFL (Kangerlussuaq), LYR (Longyearbyen). 19 in total for year, 203 grand total to date
New airline: EnterAir (charter). 8 airlines in total for the year, 67 grand total to date,
Shortest flight: EDI-LHR 354km (332 miles)
Longest flight: DFW-SYD 13,804km (8,578 miles)
Dislike: Having to renew my USA visa just to transit from South America to Home
Like: Seeing the Arctic (with polar bears) and Greenland

 

[AIRwin]

Dislike: Having to renew my USA visa just to transit from South America to Home

No flights from South America on your map?

 

[RooFlyer]

No flights from South America on your map?

Very end of 2024. Flew DFW-SYD on new years day.

 

[AIRwin]

Flew DFW-SYD on new years day.

At least you didn't have to submit social media history then?