BKKROP
Aug 22, 11, 10:27 pm
The day prior to the heart attack, I arrived in Australia fresh from an Asian buying trip. During that month I had been to Paris, Bangkok, Denpasar, Hong Kong, Shenzen and Saigon, so I was sitting on some nested fares ex Vietnam and Hong Kong, all 30day expiry, which could pose a problem. The irony is once you collapse like a pack of cards, and all you remember are overhead flouro lighting and people faces staring at you telling you to hold in there, pre paid hotels and expiring airtickets are the least of your problems.
To the airlines' credit and the exceptional care of Hyatt, everything was worked out finally, and today I arrived home after a nine day break, using the most urgent of the air tickets.
How did it go?.
The flying was alright bar for one sector on CX, in their herringbone fashioned seating, which I found confining, which in turn caused shortness of breath and the need to get upright and wander around a little. The seating on Garuda was perfect as their planes have the most spacious business section, the lie flat beds however I had to keep elevated a smidge. Thai International was great, the 772 IMO was perfect and the feature I loved and had never appreciated before is the extra large toilets. After a major operation the room to move your arms around changing items and not banging your head on the door when sitting, is appreciated. Food on all carriers was not appealing, and after a 8 week period of eating healthy meals, I found them all disgusting, but this will be a temporary concern.
Airports were not a problem with the possible exception of incoming HKG where the delay in the immigration was 45 minutes. Incoming Bangkok with no fast track open, was 20minutes and was not difficult, whereas all departures with status were a breeze.
The use of lounges until the last minute, experience in picking the right business class seat coupled with the most comfortable train/cab/limo for the often laborious task of transferring to the hotel, are the main criteria.
The loyalty to airlines and hotels I was to find, works both ways. Whilst I was laid up, they were advised to cancel all further bookings. Within days bunches of flowers and fruit baskets arrived at the hospital and notes saying, don't worry about a thing, contact us when you are better.
My advice is if you feel OK to drive, you are sleeping alright, and that initial recovery pain in the chest is limited to body movement, you will be alright. At all times check with your specialist or GP. The spa/fitness staff at Hyatt I found very educated in the heart cardiac exercise regime, so each morning they supervised and organised a 60-90 minute session, which I followed by breakfast then a long walk. This was a trial run, September I will try Paris, but it will be late September, I still don't fancy a 12 hour hop;)
To the airlines' credit and the exceptional care of Hyatt, everything was worked out finally, and today I arrived home after a nine day break, using the most urgent of the air tickets.
How did it go?.
The flying was alright bar for one sector on CX, in their herringbone fashioned seating, which I found confining, which in turn caused shortness of breath and the need to get upright and wander around a little. The seating on Garuda was perfect as their planes have the most spacious business section, the lie flat beds however I had to keep elevated a smidge. Thai International was great, the 772 IMO was perfect and the feature I loved and had never appreciated before is the extra large toilets. After a major operation the room to move your arms around changing items and not banging your head on the door when sitting, is appreciated. Food on all carriers was not appealing, and after a 8 week period of eating healthy meals, I found them all disgusting, but this will be a temporary concern.
Airports were not a problem with the possible exception of incoming HKG where the delay in the immigration was 45 minutes. Incoming Bangkok with no fast track open, was 20minutes and was not difficult, whereas all departures with status were a breeze.
The use of lounges until the last minute, experience in picking the right business class seat coupled with the most comfortable train/cab/limo for the often laborious task of transferring to the hotel, are the main criteria.
The loyalty to airlines and hotels I was to find, works both ways. Whilst I was laid up, they were advised to cancel all further bookings. Within days bunches of flowers and fruit baskets arrived at the hospital and notes saying, don't worry about a thing, contact us when you are better.
My advice is if you feel OK to drive, you are sleeping alright, and that initial recovery pain in the chest is limited to body movement, you will be alright. At all times check with your specialist or GP. The spa/fitness staff at Hyatt I found very educated in the heart cardiac exercise regime, so each morning they supervised and organised a 60-90 minute session, which I followed by breakfast then a long walk. This was a trial run, September I will try Paris, but it will be late September, I still don't fancy a 12 hour hop;)