Skyring
Established Member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2005
- Posts
- 2,216
- Qantas
- LT Silver
April was a busy month for me. Squoze as much out of a DONE4 as I could, consistent with where I needed to be and the (somewhat limited) imagination of my TA.
31 Mar 1915 Canberra-Perth QF 719
Due to work on the Canberra main runway we couldn't take a full load of fuel and stopped for half an hour in Adelaide. We sat at a gate and remained seated. My first ever trip in Business class, very enjoyable.
02 Apr 0900 Perth-Melbourne QF1216
02 Apr 1600 Melbourne-Sydney QF 446
I made sure that I at on the starboard side so I could look out the window to see Canberra. I often look up at those contrails and wonder, but of course as I live in Canberra, I don't usually get to fly *over* it!
02 Apr 2155 Sydney-Hong Kong CX 138
Wow! Business Class on Cathay Pacific is wonderful. Move over, Qantas, I've found a new love! Followed up by a shower and lounging around in The Wing. Love it!
03 Apr 1005 Hong Kong-Osaka CX 506
Flying up the coast of Japan watching "Memoirs of a Geisha" on the AVOD system and eating the great tucker was an experience I'll not forget in a hurry.
05 Apr 1810 Osaka-Hong Kong CX 507
05 Apr 2355 Hong Kong-Paris CX 261
Another three hours in The Wing followed by a supremely comfortable night flight into Paris. Once on the ground a lot of the magic vanished.
Hostel in Paris, train to Caen, hire car around Normandy to St Malo, Ferry to Guernsey.
11 Apr 0935 Guernsey-Jersey BCI 306
Non-oneworld, but it saved a lot of hassle and let me spend a day with Jenny Kendall-Tobias of BBC Radio Guernsey rather than take the evening ferry the night before. A cramped and rattly Trislander on a 20 minute flight from one island to the other.
11 Apr 1325 Jersey-Gatwick BA8038
Overcast the whole way, and BA's three abreast Business class on a 735 wasn't all that impressive.
13 Apr 0905 Heathrow-Dublin EI 153
13 Apr 1250 Dublin-Birmingham EI 272
One class airliner no frills flights. But I was met by a mate in Dublin and we spent the two hours drinking in the airport bar.
14 Apr 1410 Birmingham-Frankfurt BA1766
Little Embraer job, lovely bird. I caught the wrong train in Shrewsbury and headed into Wales two hours before take off. Cab from Welshpool to the airport cost me 75 pounds, plus 15 as a tip to the keen driver who got me there with a few minutes to spare!
15 Apr 1055 Frankfurt-Dallas/Fort Worth AA 71
777 nice and comfy in Business again, flew right over St Petersburg on the Mississippi, which is where Mark Twain set Tom Sawyer. They had to haul me back in the window before I joined Huck and Jim on their raft!
15 Apr 1740 DFW-Charleston AA3483
Another Embraer, DFW was chockers with them. And everything else. Asked for spiced tomato juice, they gave me plain tomato juice with a packet of spices (salt AND pepper) to stir in. Humph!
19 Apr 0747 Charleston-DFW AA3484
Running late for this plane, wouldn't you know it, I got a SSSS! Made it by skin of teeth.
19 Apr 1058 DFW-Toronto AA1252
Booked in Economy, nobody wanted to upgrade me. Spent the flight feeling grumpy, because there were seats spare up front.
24 Apr 1017 Toronto-Chicago AA1311
More Economy. Spitting chips because Business cabin only had ONE passenger. And it wasn't me.
24 Apr 1244 Chicago-San Francisco AA1655
First class on this leg. On an MD-83 that's nothing special, but I'm hoping Qantas gives me the bonus points for it.
26 Apr 0900 San Francisco-Honolulu AA 39
First class again, meaning Business. Nice comfy ride in a 767
29 Apr 1130 Honolulu-Sydney QF 4
743 with Dreamtime seats. Not bad.
30 Apr 2050 Sydney-Canberra QF 807
The cabin crew were serving a light meal as the plane was climbing out of Sydney and they still hadn't finished by the time the captain ordered them to prepare the cabin for landing! But they weren't slacking. I asked the stew "Is this the Cabin Service Olympics?" and she smiled and replied, "Sometimes it's a case of 'Here's your indigestion, enjoy it!'"
And home again. Had a blast. This will take me to Gold, no worries, and if my calculations are correct, Platinum by 10 points. Still waiting on the missing points to turn up - email to QF yesterday.
31 Mar 1915 Canberra-Perth QF 719
Due to work on the Canberra main runway we couldn't take a full load of fuel and stopped for half an hour in Adelaide. We sat at a gate and remained seated. My first ever trip in Business class, very enjoyable.
02 Apr 0900 Perth-Melbourne QF1216
02 Apr 1600 Melbourne-Sydney QF 446
I made sure that I at on the starboard side so I could look out the window to see Canberra. I often look up at those contrails and wonder, but of course as I live in Canberra, I don't usually get to fly *over* it!
02 Apr 2155 Sydney-Hong Kong CX 138
Wow! Business Class on Cathay Pacific is wonderful. Move over, Qantas, I've found a new love! Followed up by a shower and lounging around in The Wing. Love it!
03 Apr 1005 Hong Kong-Osaka CX 506
Flying up the coast of Japan watching "Memoirs of a Geisha" on the AVOD system and eating the great tucker was an experience I'll not forget in a hurry.
05 Apr 1810 Osaka-Hong Kong CX 507
05 Apr 2355 Hong Kong-Paris CX 261
Another three hours in The Wing followed by a supremely comfortable night flight into Paris. Once on the ground a lot of the magic vanished.
Hostel in Paris, train to Caen, hire car around Normandy to St Malo, Ferry to Guernsey.
11 Apr 0935 Guernsey-Jersey BCI 306
Non-oneworld, but it saved a lot of hassle and let me spend a day with Jenny Kendall-Tobias of BBC Radio Guernsey rather than take the evening ferry the night before. A cramped and rattly Trislander on a 20 minute flight from one island to the other.
11 Apr 1325 Jersey-Gatwick BA8038
Overcast the whole way, and BA's three abreast Business class on a 735 wasn't all that impressive.
13 Apr 0905 Heathrow-Dublin EI 153
13 Apr 1250 Dublin-Birmingham EI 272
One class airliner no frills flights. But I was met by a mate in Dublin and we spent the two hours drinking in the airport bar.
14 Apr 1410 Birmingham-Frankfurt BA1766
Little Embraer job, lovely bird. I caught the wrong train in Shrewsbury and headed into Wales two hours before take off. Cab from Welshpool to the airport cost me 75 pounds, plus 15 as a tip to the keen driver who got me there with a few minutes to spare!
15 Apr 1055 Frankfurt-Dallas/Fort Worth AA 71
777 nice and comfy in Business again, flew right over St Petersburg on the Mississippi, which is where Mark Twain set Tom Sawyer. They had to haul me back in the window before I joined Huck and Jim on their raft!
15 Apr 1740 DFW-Charleston AA3483
Another Embraer, DFW was chockers with them. And everything else. Asked for spiced tomato juice, they gave me plain tomato juice with a packet of spices (salt AND pepper) to stir in. Humph!
19 Apr 0747 Charleston-DFW AA3484
Running late for this plane, wouldn't you know it, I got a SSSS! Made it by skin of teeth.
19 Apr 1058 DFW-Toronto AA1252
Booked in Economy, nobody wanted to upgrade me. Spent the flight feeling grumpy, because there were seats spare up front.
24 Apr 1017 Toronto-Chicago AA1311
More Economy. Spitting chips because Business cabin only had ONE passenger. And it wasn't me.
24 Apr 1244 Chicago-San Francisco AA1655
First class on this leg. On an MD-83 that's nothing special, but I'm hoping Qantas gives me the bonus points for it.
26 Apr 0900 San Francisco-Honolulu AA 39
First class again, meaning Business. Nice comfy ride in a 767
29 Apr 1130 Honolulu-Sydney QF 4
743 with Dreamtime seats. Not bad.
30 Apr 2050 Sydney-Canberra QF 807
The cabin crew were serving a light meal as the plane was climbing out of Sydney and they still hadn't finished by the time the captain ordered them to prepare the cabin for landing! But they weren't slacking. I asked the stew "Is this the Cabin Service Olympics?" and she smiled and replied, "Sometimes it's a case of 'Here's your indigestion, enjoy it!'"
And home again. Had a blast. This will take me to Gold, no worries, and if my calculations are correct, Platinum by 10 points. Still waiting on the missing points to turn up - email to QF yesterday.
CX's AVOD is great, and makes you wonder why QF has taken so long to get their systems upgraded.
)
