Trip Reports - Vancouver-Adelaide on CP/QF YVR-YYC-HNL-SYD-ADL hopefully in business most of the way

Background:

When CP was acquired by AC, the first thing AC did is to sever CP's relationship with oneworld. One oft he first casualties was the Canada-SYD flight which used to be operated jointly by CP and QF where pax changed planes at HNL (QF 747s to/from SYD and previously BNE, CP DC-10s to/from YVR/YYZ).

A special N fare (C$999 ex-YYZ r/t!!) was introduced as the two airlines started 767 service across the big pond. At least 4 flyertalkers have taken advantage of this ex-YYZ and at least 2, myself included, via YVR. The other motivation was a double mile bonus though those of us flying ex-YVR may end up being screwed.

My first live report since I know I can access the Internet for free en route. Writing from the CP Empress Lounge at YVR.

Arrived at the check-in counter at 0920 for a 1000 flight. Had upgraded on the 72 hr time line YVR-YYC-YVR-SYD. Got the agent here to take a white (2000) sticker for the YVR-YYC leg. The 2000 stickers are rather restrictive as to applicable fares since Milton and AC got their grubby hands on our beloved CP.

21 Aug. CP 690 YVR 1000 YYC 12xx 737-200 C-XXXX seat 3F

Saw the a/c. A 737-200 painted in the mutant colours. Have to go board now.

Writing from the Mapleflot Lounge in YYC

First, over the Rockies....

21 Aug. CP 690 YVR 1000 YYC 1218 737-200 Seat 3C

Boarded CP 690 which is AC codeshared at 0945 through gate C-30.

No pre-flight drinks offered in line with the AC regime dictate. Newspapers are offered though. Doors close at 1000 exactly and pushback is within the minute. Airborne from 26L at 10:12.

Once in cruise, FA comes through offering juice and hot beverages from a trolley served on CP Noritake-made-in-Sri-Lanka china mugs. Milk for the tea is poured by the FA from a silver heavy server as is the tea itself. Nice touch as usual. Snack service may have been downgraded. A plate, no tray cloth, is passed over and then baskets containing some sort of donut and blueberry muffin. Both stickey but not sweet. Drink refills are offered at this time. A hot towel is offered before the service ware is cleared.

Flight path takes us over the Gulf of Georgia and a turn to the west providing a view of the coal terminal at Tsawassen and the international border. Light spotty clouds provides a fine view of the many mountain ranges right up over the Alberta Rockies and into the foothills. Almost no turbulence until the descent into Calgary and it's remarkably light (for YYC). Descent begins over the Rockies at 1055. Approach is from the south with touchdown at 1212 and getting to the gate at 1216. As I disembark, notice this a/c is going to IAH. Interesting thing is that a CO flight leaves at the same time. Bags not spat out and intermittently at that until past 1230. Mine comes out near the front at 1236.

Seats: As you may know, they're the old pre-Cradle BA Club World seats. Pitch is, I think, slightly more than F on US though the seats are upholstered in cloth. The leg rest is a nice touch though.

Return flight to YVR will be more of the same.

See a lot of tourists lining up to checkin. It's European day as Balair and Martinair both have flights from/to Zurich and Amsterdam respectively. Both 767-300s. Balair flight has advertisement for some Swiss web site painted on it.

Checked in after my meeting at 1345. Agent checks my passport and issues the BP for SYD. Takes out my SYD-YVR coupon because 3 BPs were spat out due to a seat/aircraft change in HNL (coupon is for YVR-SYD but have YVR-HNL and HNL-SYD BPs). Point this out to her and she apologises profusely.

Asks for my upgrade sticker )(hoping she wouldn't) where I start offering her a whole plethora. Says I probably know more than her as to which one to use. Of course I hand her the applicable one. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

2 PCs in the Mapleflot Lounge here (connection is slow unlike CP's).

And back over

21 August CP 649 YYC 1500 YVR 1525 737-200 3F again

Went to the gate to find the plane wasn't there at 1440. Asked the agent who told me it would be in just before 1500 and leave 1520. Went back to the lounge.

Came back to see C-GGPW, a 737-200 painted in the mutant colours. Boarding started at around 1510. Early boarding isn't offered to lowest level elite (AC Prestige or CP Presidents Club). Don't know why I am flying CP as a result other than the upgrade as I won't make 2nd level elite next year.

See my bags being loaded. It's actually held back and loaded last or 2nd last. Pays off as it is 2nd off the belt at YVR. Pushback at 1532 and takeoff to the south at 1540. Cloud cover had come and winds presumably had changed.

FAs did make an order for after TO drinks but no pre-TO drinks. Only service offered was drinks and nuts/savoury snacks in the little porcelain dishes. Was expecting a snack but it's the new reality.

Uneventful flight. Had a good view of the sprawl of Banff, Shuswap lake and the Fraser Canyon. Flight came straight down the Fraser Valley landing onto 26R landing at 1539 and getting to the gate at 1544.

Went to the Int'l side. Went to the CP Int'l lounge to find it closed. Went to the Int'l Mapleflot lounge instead. Asked and found out the CP lounge is only open from 1000-1400 daily. Just for the flights to Asia. Mapleflot lounge is nice enough to have red wines and liquors, draught beer on tap, coffee machines, snacks (mainly packaged biscuits, "freshly-baked" cookies among other things) all available on self-serve. What I don't like are the fridges which do not have a glass front so you don't know what is inside until you open it. Most of the pax are waiting for the European flights and most disappear when the London flights are called (since it serves both AC and CP flights o London). The business area, sponsored by Steelcase, has 2 internet PCs but the connection is slow (must be by modem).

Note on the Maple Leaf Lounges. They're all decorated in a new modernistic style but rather cold and austere fashion. The YYC lounge has armchairs and a fire place which is nice.

See the QF 767-300 waiting on the apron and see 5 QF cabin crew wandering through the terminal. Note that the 2 male FAs (one asian, one of mediterrenean descent) would still be shorter if the 3 females FAs were in bare feet. Also a DC-10 belonging to a SkyJet. What is this airline? Can't make out the reg but it is XX-XX format.

I'll save your eyes until I get to the QF domestic lounge at SYD.

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At the QF domestic lounge in SYD Had typed up my YVR-HNL-SYD trip report but IE 5 blew it up (that's why I used Netscape 4.7). I'll rewrite it later.

Terenz .. not sure how often you check this board. Give me a call if you have time to catch up for a drink whilst here. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

FYI Canadian just released Olympic "backfill" fares SYD-YVR for $A969 round trip, which is about $C825 I think!


www.travel.com.au (http://www.travel.com.au)

------------------
~ Glen ~




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2nd attempt at writing the YVR-HNL-SYD trip. Writing from the CP domestic Empress Lounge in YVR (doing the motions for the YVR-YYC-YVR legs).

Across the Pacific

21 August CP133 YVR 2000 HNL 23XX 767-300 C-FCAF(?) 5A

Went to gate 50 at around 1930. See an AC A340 headed for London. It's oversold and the staff are offering C$200 (vouchers or cash, I am not sure) for a flight just 40 minutes later on CP.

Boarded at around 1940. Get the papers, preflight drinks (OJ, water or champagne), post TO drink orders. Blankets (the old thick maroon ones), headsets and pillows already there and wash kit (will describe contents later). Seems like chaos but the cattle are seated quickly as the flight isn't completely full.

J is 25/25 and Y seems pretty full. most fo the pax are headed to HNL.

Get 5A which is the flight crew rest seat for long haul flights. It reclines much farther than the other seats, more than 90 degree recline in fact but uncomfortable due to the seat contour. Good enough so that one can sleep on one's side. Very nice. After dinner, I had a 2 hour or so sleep, waking up just before descent into HNL.

Doors close 1958, Pushback 2004, TO on 26L at 2019

FAs distribute menus, then bring drinks and mixed nuts/kibbles.

Featured chef is Normand Laprise of Toque! in Montreal.

To begin

Fresh cod and candied tomato salad served with sorrel sauce

Crew lay linen and bring out tray with the cutlery, appetiser and bread plate. Thick cod slices, rather nice if slightly stale/dry, with sun-dried tomatoes. Don't remember any mushrooms in the sauce. It is nice.

Moulded butter served on its on little dish. S & P in clear plastic shakers. FAs offer bread (at least 2 types of rolls) from a basket at least twice.

Entree Selections

Braised veal shanks with lentils and wild mushrooms

Grilled chicken breast accented by red wine sauce

Fillet of salmon accompanied by dill cream sauce, capers & parsley

Accompaniment options

Saffron rice or Parisienne potatoes

carrot and brocolli medley or cauliflower florets

Chose the veal which is the chef's creation (along with the appetiser) accompanied by the potatoes and veg assortment. The entrees, veg and starch are all heated and served seperately ("French" style) and are perfectly reheated so nothing is overcooked or too dry. Delicious meal with generous portions. Sorrel mushrooms appear in the dish.

Cheese and dessert

Selection of fine cheeses

cappuccino mousse or fresh seasonal fruit

Trio of cheeses. Canadian origin I think so not overly tasty. Accompanied by water crackers and grapes.

Mousse (it was served in a sponge cake shell) was gone by the time the dessert cart came to me so I had the fruit salad. Never not had my selection before on CP. Would be PO'd if I was paying full fare but since I was not....

Had a good sleep after the meal trays were cleared and woke up about 1/2 hr before landing at HNL.

There was some movie/show but I ignored it and the duty free cart.

TD (8L?) 2249 and gate at 2256.

US INS there to greet transiters. Not sure why they are there but they weren't there in 1996. Looking for asylum claimers, draft dodgers or suspicious types (so glad I don't look Arabic not that Oriental is any better these days). Only looked at my passport and asked where I was born. Go to the Empress Lounge which is still the same and very reminescent of a Hawaiian house.

Gotta go for my run to YYC now.

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22 August HNL 0025 SYD 0700+1 767-300 Seat 4G

Reboard the 767 and take seat 4G which is a window pair (CP operates 1-2-2 in J). Only 8 pax initially then the cabin fills up. The delay is due to a delay of the YYZ flight. I learn from my seatmate who is flying on an employee friend's pass that someone had boarded at YYZ screaming "we're all gonna die" so they had to deplane the person and its luggage. Most pax seem to be employee-related standbys though 2 are bounced to the back after being seated for 2 last-minute revenue(?) pax.

See 3 differently-painted CP 767s here. Mine must be an old plane though it is in the mutant logo (AC tail, white fuselage and red CANADI>N logo) as the seats are upholstered in blue. The flight in from SYD is a goose-logoed a/c while the YYZ flight is a old Wings logo one. Also see an Air Pacific 737 which wll be flying to YVR before long.

Doors close at 0032 and the a/c leaves gate around 0033. The QF bird has long gone for SYD although it arrived after my flight (QF doesn't have to wait for connections). TO is at 0047 9long taxi to 08R).

After post-takeoff drinks are served, a snack is offered. No menu distributed for this flight but I managed to snag one on the return flight.

Light Meal

Minestrone

Marinated Scallops, shrimp and calamari

Chocolate

A big bowl of hot minestrone though the veg was rather coarsely chopped. Had large pasta shells too. Quite good. The seafood dish, which came with sliced potatoes and some veg, was also very good though it seems too many Canadians won't touch the seafood. Tray was garnished with an orchid. Butter moulded in waves and seashells. Chocolate was 2 pieces in a box.

Tried to sleep the best I could on the 10-odd hour flight to SYD. 4G doesn't recline quite as well as 5A which was curtained off for the pilots. Didn't watch the movies or raid the snack cart or borrow a personal video. FAs make periodic sweeps for refreshments as well as offer bottled water.

Washrooms stocked with toothbrush and also CP's usual premium hand soap and hand lotion.

Eventually took the shades up to watch dawn which was from behind the aircraft, lighting up the red skies (dust?) you see off the coast of Australia.

Lights on for breakfast came at 0500 EAST. Juice and hot drinks served before the trays came.

Breakfast

Fresh fruit plate

breakfast pastries, preserve

Entree selections

Cheddar cheese omelette

crepe with ham and chives complemented by Mornay sauce

chilled option featuring a ham and cheese croissant

Accompaniment options

Grilled breakfast ham
herb breakfast potatoes

Moulded butter slabs again and an orchid on the tray. As with the snack served after leaving HNL, no salt and pepper shakers but paper-packaged sachets instead.

Fruit plate was a half papaya with two strawberries. Barely enough meat on the papaya so I request a spoon so I can scoop out the flesh.

Breakfast is served french style. Had the omelette which was good but wasn't very cheesy and could have sworn it was scrambled eggs as the other choice and not crepes. Had some 3 thick slices of ham and diced herbed potatoes which were sauteed. Very good and substantial given that the meal was at least some 12 hrs old. FA passed out warmed croissants (real flaky ones) and something else but forgot the preserves until I had finished my first so I had a second.

No ATC delays arriving into SYD. The flight steered right towards due west for a bit before turning sharp left to go for a southern approach onto 34L.

Touchdown at 0651 and getting to the gate at 0658. Gate wasn't on the QF pier but not on the AN one either. Just about right in front of the immigration counters.

Before anyone could get off, a/c had to be sprayed (first time in 4 flight arriving into Australia). Inspector came aboard while the FAs opened the overhead bins and did two passes down each aisle. Took about 7 minutes in all. Was first off the plane and was shocked to be greeted by name. It was the CP concierge, Robyn. Accompanied me through immigration (no one there so I was the first through with no questions at all). Gave me her card and asked me to call if there was anything she could do for me. Not that kind of guy. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif No checked luggage so I went through customs and took the long walkaround (or walkabout) to the QF transfer desk. Checked in the bag and got my BP for the SYD-ADL flight. Was in the QF Club (admission courtesy of a comped AA plat card) on the domestic side within 1/2 hr of landing. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cool.gif

Both legs (YVR-HNL and HNL-SYD) were very smooth at 31-37k?) with the barest murmurs of turbulence.

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23 August QF571 SYD 1010 ADL 1145 737-400 Seat 7F

When I checked in at SYD, asked the agent to link my friend who had flown into SYD 2 days earlier and was making her way to the airport. They put her in 7E.

Went to the QF Club to get the stuff for a shower. Domestic shower rooms are not as nice as the International lounge ones. Rather crowded but it is a weekday morning. Usual good aussie continental breakfast provisions.

Made my attempt to write the YVR-HNL-SYD trip report but IE4 or 5 blew up on me http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif (the CP terminals use Netscape).

Go out to the domestic check in and wait some 10 minutes before my friend arrives from Bondi. Take her to checkin at the elite queues (They don't use the fairer/more efficient single queue here) which are almost as long as the riffraff ones. All done so we retire to the lounge before heading to the gate at 0945.

No priority boarding or by rows. I think you just board when called. Not too chaotic however. QF supplies headsets for pickup at the gate.

Seats are the european convertible style for domestic travel (the first 2 rows are the real seats which used to be domestic first). Legroom but not much elbow room as I give my friend the window.

Flight pushes back right on schedule with takeoff on 34L 15 minutes later. While waiting for clearance, a CX A340 comes in. Due to crosswinds, it looks as if it's aimed right at our a/c.

Flight is rather uneventful. The snack is morning tea. QF is deluding itself if it makes pax think it is serving something substantive by having the tray, and 3 dishes along with the full cutlery package (metal knife, fork & spoon, plastic stirrer, salt & pepper and wipee sachets) for:

prepackaged orange juice
2 packaged biscuits
small package of cheese and package of 2 crackers.

They could have put the whole thing in cardboard boxes and save some $$$ like BA does.

Cup supplied too for hot drinks (QF makes quite good tea) and a package of UHT milk.

Flight lands ahead of schedule at 1136 and gets to the ADL domestic terminal where covered airstairs are brought for front and then back. As Violist says, a nice quaint airport. However, the SA government is spending A$220m to build a new one, or rather, guaranteeing and topping off $11m p.a. profits for a private corporation to do it as one of the airlines won't break the current 25 year lease unless it got great terms on a new lease. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif Great thing I'm not an Aussie taxpayer.

Get to baggage claim and discover the value of priority tagging on QF. My friend's bag was priority tagged and it comes off soon. I had to wait an extra 10 mins as mine wasn't (and I am the elite member! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif )! It seems QF will unload the priority baggage first, deliver it to the belt, before going back to unload and deliver the rest!

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Miscelleneous notes

CP wines

Forgot but no wine lists were distributed ('cellar secrets' has been in the past). I've been drinking the Eaglehawk shiraz which is a 2nd label of Wolf Blass. I think it's a '97 vintage (not that great for Barossa reds). Had a NZ Sauvignon Blanc but I forget the label.

Didn't get around to Wolf Blass when i was in SA but did get to Glaetzer Wines which is run by John's brother, Colin and even talked to him (John is head wine maker at Wolf Blass).

Cabin noise

After the trans-oceanic flights on the A330 and 767s, I really have become appreciative of the noise-reducing headphones that US supplies. Think I will have to buy me a set soon.

Amenities

FAs distributed socks, eyeshades and ear plugs (not the latter on the return leg). Lavatories had toothbrushes as well as some "premium" hand soap and hand lotion which is rather nice.

Freshen up kit (in a small cloth bag) contained a toning mist (used to be by Aveda. No name now but it uses the same packaging), a small bottle of breathdrops, small aloe vera lip balm container. Another small cloth bag within contained a wooden toothbrush and a small tube of Colgate toothpaste.

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Thanks, terenz: looking forward to a report on Grange! See if Cheong Liew remembers "the Chinese guy with the black woman and assorted South Australian disreputables including a drunken vintner, party of 6."

Eventually my bags do cme and we're off to the city to pick up a car at Delta 9best deal i could find - $39/day inc. 500 free km/day). They picked up the taxi tab. Car was a Toyota Echo which is what I hired from them at the MEL location in February (and they remember me through their system http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif ), Different from the N. American version. The aussie one is shaped similarly to the M-B A car. This one is aligned better than my one in MEL and is quite peppy even going up the hills in the area with 2.

Anyway, off to the Barossa Valley where we stop at the Lyndoch bakery (a germanic one) for lunch. L orders the goulash and I have the beef roulade. Goulash is good but the cabbage is rather strongly spiced with nutmeg or cloves. My beef roulade is too thick (L's parents are from Austria so she is familiar with what this stuff should be like). Start quaffing the Coopers (best beer in Australia?)

Then the wineries. Do just 2 today. Grant Burge and Penfolds. The good folk at Burge are good enough to let me try everything (well, just their reds). Despite '95 supposedly being a bad year, try the Meshach (old vines Shiraz) which I find to be full bodied (my style) but very well integrated. Just a bit closed I think. (Note: whipped out my Riedel Vinum tasting glass that I bought in Nurnberg he week before which does a wine a lot more justice than the little glasses). Pick up a bottle of this to cellar and the Cameron Vale cabernet sauvignon to BYO somewhere else.

Go to Penfolds and Tanunda. Their selection of wines for tasting is limited to the lower ranges. hardly try anything.

Go to the lodgings (an old cottage in Angaston called Fig Tree). Nice and cosy but insulation leaves a lot to be desired (general observation in Australia). Too jet lagged to do anything else that day.



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After making breakfast the next day (SA b&bs are mainly self-contained/cook units), hit more wineries, More memorable ones include Henscke, Charles Melton, Glaetzer and Rockford. Rockford produces a wine with a cult following called the Basket Press Shiraz. Picked up a magnum of the stuff w/o even tasting (magnums are all they have left) based purely on reputation and the fact I love big shirazs. Went to Henscke to try some of their offering and see if I could pick up a case of '96 Hill of Grace for a friend. No go but I did get a bottle of the well-integrated but still fruity Johann's Garden grenache shiraz mourvedre (typical lower Rhone valley blend)

Only so much i can bring back

The funny laws in B.C. make it difficult and expensive to bring too much wine back and there was so much I wanted to buy and cellar. 1.5l is all we're allowed duty-free. I test it with 3l and get away even though I did try to pay duty. My friend got away with 2.25l and a bottle of beer. I got dinged C$80 for 4 excess bottles (duly declared at that) last year,

After all that wine tasting, our appetites were whetted so we went to the Vintners restaurant near Angaston. Deciding on the food, we had the Cameron vale cabernet sauvignon with our course. L had a leek and potato soup (huge bowl) while I had the duck rillette. Next, she had the (roasted) guinea fowl (very nice but rather blend and overwhelmed by the wine) while I had the grilled rare kangaroo which was absolutely divine. Very tender, very pleasant taste (not gamey at all - hats off to the Aussies for havng come to grips with slaughtering and cooking kangaroo so mch better than 4 years ago) and, after L tried a piece of it, said she couldn't tell it from very good beef.

After lunch, we got some meats from the Linke butcher in Tanunda and bread from the Linke bakery. Latter was o.k. but not worth a repeat visit. Bratwurst at the former was blend but the ham was really smokey. Off to yet another self-contained B&B, this tme near the Clare valley in Burra.

It's a great report so far Terenz... I love the way you tell us what you did everyday of your trip.. !

Rest of the report

Drive the short drive to the Clare valley and visit Tim Adams, Tim Knappstein, and Jim Barry wineries among others. Nothing too impressive but I am not a big Clare fan. Drive back to Adelaide and find the Hilton and checked in. Impressed by the unique uniform the door man here has (grey-blue Akubra rabbit felt hat and matching colour oil skin duster coat).

Side Note on wine tasting

I find I can't taste or smell wines when they're served in those small tasting glasses, or worse, the small plastic tumblers. So I whipped out my Riedel tasting glass which impresses the staff. The glass holds a 20 ml shot in the hollow stem. You can then put the glass on its side and roll it to coat the bowl thus allowing the wine to evaporate. It really does a good wine justice. BTW, I don't drink and drive. I smell, taste, spit (mostly) and drive.


Initially given a room on the 5th floor. Was dissatisfied so ask for and given a room on the 14th floor. Room is a business floor product. Same size as the lower floor but redone. Nice bath with the big overhead shower (water comes from the showerhead mounted on the ceiling). Take a walk and then go to the Grange for dinner.

Will summarise as too much food and wine for the jetlagged/light weight (or at least me). Wines paired with meals are generous and I am sure 1 ½, if not 2 standard wine glasses are poured for each entrée. The wines are, typical of South Australia, a meal in themselves.

Started with a complimentary hors d'oeuvre of snook dumpling (a fish served in a rice pastry steamed dumpling).

My friend had the barramundi while I had the abalone. Forget the description but all the courses were very tasty, very rich and very filling. I have to do a full day of exercise to build up an appetite!

Went on to a duck course and a lamb course earlier described by Violist in his trip there.

Finished with the Kangaroo island Beggars chicken. A whole chicken baked in a pastry shell was wheeled out on a trolley which the waiter, with assistance of the head waiter, proceeded to carve. The chicken was extremely moist, tender and succulent. Delicious and heavenly. Stuffed vegetables ("fresh" and pickled) from the chicken and some of the pastry was served along with an extremely rich broth (from chicken entrails). This course is a meal in itself. Wine paired with this was the one paired with the beef.

Finished with a complimentary small green salad.

Too full to eat dessert so went to the room and crashed.

Drove to the beach the next morning after checking out and came back to check in at the Hyatt. Got a room on the gold passport floor. Hotel is divided into 4 atriums with the lowest for the lobby, the 2nd for the main guest rooms, 3rd for the gold passport floors and 4th for the Regency floors. Room is nice if not a bit confusing and slightly dated. Only had a fine view of the city but the room was free (5k points a night - lowest cash rate was AUD 260).

Went to Glenelg in the evening and found some place called the Strand Café on the main strip were the food was very good (had kangaroo again). Find the Australian cuisine rather bold and strong as far as flavours go. Fine cuisine in N. America is much blander by comparison. BYO'd a red from some small winery I wanted to try. Went well with the food.

Went to Adelaide Hills the next day. Went up to Mount Lofty and had a view of the city or whatever the rain clouds would let pass. Went to the Cleland reserve to see the delectable local fauna. Lunch in Stirling at the Rennie Cafe before visiting Petaluma and Ashton Hills wineries. Go to Charlick's Feed Store for dinner (originally booked Saturday (day before) but apparently the reservation was in error and it was full). Took out my Henscke grenache shiraz mourverde (Rhone-style blend) as it matched our courses of chicken, kangaroo and lamb. Friend's lamb is chunks of it instead of a rack as advertised. My chicken is wrapped in pancetta. All very good. Service was slow so clearly Sunday had the B-team.

Check out and go to McLaren Vale the next day. Visitied d'Arenberg, one of my favourite wineries, as well as Kay Bros. Amery, Edwards & Chaffey among a few others. D'Arry's Veranda was closed so went to the Limeburner café in town. Friend overcame aversion to kangaroo here and orders it, and finds she loves it. Also go to the wine centre to ask about some smaller wineries. See Riedel was here to give a wine glass appreciation seminar a few days earlier.


All good things come to an end

29 August QF516 ADL 1425 SYD 1745 737-300 Seat 6B

Drop the rental car into one of the Delta (car rental, not airline) parking spots at 1230 and return the keys to the newsagent (don't ask - there's an arrangement). Actually checked in first, to, of all things, a totally empty check in area. As we have an operatic performance to go to, ask for forward seats and get 6B and 6C. Also request priority baggage tagging. This flight is affected by the Olympics. Normally, eastern Australia doesn't go into daylight savings time until October but did by more than a full month early so ADL is 1 ½ hours behind instead of just ½ now.

Go past security and into the QF Club. Called CP to see about upgrading again and found out that I had been upgraded all the way! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cool.gif Thought Empress had worked some magic but seems it wasn't - he had just reasoned with them but it was good enough. There's an internet PC there so I check messages. No bar so only juices and coffee/tea available, as well as fruits and an antipasto bar. Fills the stomach quite well until a real meal comes along. Boarding is called at 1705. They don't give you much time here and the flight is officially closed but still loading when the pax in the QF Club get there.

A/c is named "Daring" (after a town, river or an adjective or what?) but didn't get the registration number. Boarding is through the front or rear covered mobile stair depending on where you are seated. When did the 737s lose their self-contained stairs? With the 2nd gen series?

Flight is uneventful. Doors close 1420 (early!) and pushback is at 1421. Notice that the a/c engines are started up during pushback and with a short taxi, take off is at 1427. Good tail winds and only some turbulence coming into SYD due to a strong westerly. An afternoon tea is served and is overpackaged like that morning tea served from SYD-ADL. Substitute the biscuits for a dutch apple shortcake (more like a pie) and apple juice for OJ and you have the same snack.

A/c approaches from the south landing onto 34L at 1726 and gets to gate at 1730. Made sure the luggage was tagged priority and they were the first 20 off.

Some wait for the Airport Hilton shuttle which comes a few minutes late. Goes to the international terminal next where the driver walks off for 10 mins. Seems the new system is to have the drivers park some distance away and see if there are any pax waiting inside the terminal!

Get to the Hilton at around 1810and am given a 6th floor room. Ask for an upgrade but the check in person wasn't too helpful (see Empress's rants about this property) but I wasn't combative as it was only for a night. Room was o.k. if not a bit tired. Windows shut well (didn't notice any a/c noise despite the proximity to the north end of the main runway) but couldn't be locked tight! Mattress was very tired with a big sag in the middle.

Ordered a taxi, driven by an immigrant from the island of Hainan in China, to the Opera House. Took all of 15 minutes and AUD30. Won't say much about Capriccio as people have different tastes but I would advise not sitting in the last 3-4 rows of the stalls at the Sydney Opera House if you want to read the surtitles.

Took another cab to Surry Hills to meet Ozstamps. Got to the address he gave and found absolutely nothing! Asked some locals for the place and it's just up the road. His friend who lives literally a few blocks away just didn't know what intersection the pub was on! We all had a good evening though he derided me for drinking Coopers (best beer in Australia according to the winemakers, I have you know).


30 August CP134 SYD 1035 HNL 2 -1 1A

Take the 0900 shuttle from the Airport Hilton (very/completely full) and get to the international terminal about 10 minutes later. Go to the designated AN counters to see almost no one at the elite check in. Get there to find my BPs already printed out on AN stock for the SYD-HNL leg and CP stock for HNL-YVR. Have the agent only check me in as far as YVR. She doesn't take the most valuable commodity. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif Get an invitation card to the AN Golden Wings lounge (which SQ also uses) which I get to after a no-delay/wait process through immigration and security. Lounge is much quieter but also smaller than the QF International one. No view (well, only of the customs/immigration area). Most pax are on various *A flights to Asian destinations. Lounge hasn't got much in the way of facilities, namely an internet-attached computer. Do take some breakfast snacks and see AN is classy enough to use nice and heavy WMF (German) cutlery. I guess since QF uses Noritake, they have to.

Go to gate around 1000. Do some window shopping and am one of the last to board. Couldn't see the registration of this aircraft but it was a goose-logoed one. Hs the grey upholstery but no individual air vents. Toiletry kit already there as is blanket and pillow (seems CP matches the old tartan blankets with the old blue seats and the new lighter weight beige blankets with the grey seats). Canadian newspapers offered (no Australian ones). Think flight is full in economy as one rather attractive female pax gets upgraded to HNL but goes in the back from HNL-YVR). Usual pre and post t/o drinks service with menu distributed.

DC 1037
PB 1039
TO 1101 from 34L (after landing of a CI M11)

Lunch

Still a Normand Laprise menu.

To begin

Jumbo prawn and fennel salad served with black olive puree

3 prawns. A bit overcooked. Wouldn't have known the salad was fennel (grated) if I hadn't read it. Olive puree was more of a paste (can't remember the name) used in Italian antipastos but it was good enough to mop up with the bread rolls. No wine menu so I have the Eaglehawk shiraz as well as a NZ sauvignon blanc.

Entrée Selections

Grilled salmon accented by red grapefruit vinagrette and braised endive

Charbroiled beef tenderloin offered with grilled mushrooms and tomato concassée

Chicken supreme accented by claret wine sauce, stuffed with grilled vegetables and fontina cheese

Accompaniment Options

Mixed pasta alla panna or parmentier potatoes
Yellow squash and carrot medley or stir-fried broccoli florets

Choose the salmon which is a disappointment. Bit too overcooked and stale. Vegetables and pasta (spiral ones) o.k. if not a bit plain.

Cheese and dessert

Selection of fine cheeses

Espresso and sambuca ice cream or chocolate and raspberry cake

Cheeses are o.k. but not all that fine. A gouda (square edges!), camembert (definitely not AC) and a blue. Water crackers and red grapes. Port was on the trolley but not offered (not that I like it). Had the ice cream (o.k. but not all tht great) as the cake looked too much like supermarket bakery cake.

Try to sleep. Go to the snack cart to get some Nabisco cookies (Oreo and something else) and a banana. Didn't watch the movies except for the car chase from 'Bullitt' and the SFO/Pan Am scene. Pity there is no separate channel for Air Show.

2 hrs out of HNL, a light is served.

light meal

Fruit bowl

Chicken breast with spicy tomato sauce
or
Vegetable moussaka with spinach and carrots

They run out of chicken before they get to me and the other pax on the A side. And this is with a 14/24 in J. Moussaka is rather tasteless. Brotto cut backs in full evidence. Fruit bowl is a few slices of cantaloupe, honey dew and 2 other fruits. Have to give the thumbs up to '96 QF food service. Wonder if it is just as good?

Unincidental rest of flight to HNL. TD 2251 on 08L and gate at 2259 with INS meet 'n greet. Off to the Empress Lounge.

30 August CP134 (cont'd) HNL 0040 YVR 0926 3A

Delayed departure as there was a pax who had checked-in w/o luggage but hadn't boarded. Full in J except for 3C opposite the aisle from me. DC 0057, PB 0058. Long taxi to 08R for To at 0109. After takeoff, plate of 3 sandwiches are offered (o.k.) following the beverage service. Try to sleep despite the movie and some noise. Note no toothbrushes in the washrooms or amenities kit.

Lights on for breakfast the usual 2 hrs prior to arrival though J class service didn't start until later.

breakfast

Fresh fruit plate

Breakfast pastries, preserve

Entrée selections

Gouda cheese omelette

Crepe stuffed with scrambled eggs complemented by Alfredo sauce

Chilled option with turkey & cheese croissant

accompaniment options

grilled back bacon

oven-browned potatoes

barely memorable breakfast. Quality seems to have gone down from the week before though the omelette was good and more cheesy. Croissants were the bready type for croissantwiches and had next to no layers (something I have sadly also encountered in country artisanale boulangeries in France).

Cloudy on landing and only some breaks in the cloud on the west shore of Vancouver island. A/c headed almost dead in for 09L

Something special. It seems it's the 35th service anniversary of the 4-striper and this was his retirement flight. Wonder if that mystery passenger was his wife as she was seated in 3C when I woke up? CSD announces this and asks the pax for an applause after landing at 0920 which is duely given. Get to gate at 0924. No flights from Asia arriving immediately before so no queue at immigration. Bags take about 10 minutes to come out. Try to pay my excess 1.5 l of wine but am waved away by customs.

Go to stow my bag as I don't want to take it to YYC and back. Stumble across the AC Arrivals Lounge hidden between a Burger King and Starbucks in an area where arriving pax would rarely stumble across it.. Go and ask the agent at the desk if I could use it as a CP Gold member (yes after showing I had flown in from SYD and not just HNL). No one else there so perhaps few know about it. Bathroom stalls are nice in the AC minimalist modern (shades of Scandinavia?). Get a big sink/mirror area, head and glass shower stall. Double door to allow pax to hang suit/shirt and shoes for pressing/shining while showering. Shampoo/conditioner/shaver/moisturiser/comb/razor/shaving cream all provided. Go to the breakfast area for some cereal, yoghurt and juices. Still wish AC would use glass door refrigerators.

30 August CP 648 YVR 1200 YYV 1422 737-200 Seat 3A C-GGPW

Go check in at the domestic terminal for this pretty boring flight out to YYC for the miles. A/c is the same as the one I flew back from YYC on 9 days earlier. A switch in the cockpit is defective so the engineers have to fix it causing a delay. DC 1225, PB 1232. TO 1254 on 27L See a CP 747-400 that taxis into takeoff position and then does a slow run before pulling off the runway. Must have been some problem. Cloudy so not much of a view. Lunch served which is a plate of cold slices of gravy-covered roast beef (barely edible), some salad, scoop of unedible potato salad. I wonder if it was Cara that did the catering vs. LSG Sky Chefs? Save the House of Brussels chocolates for later.

Saw 4 classic passenger rail cars being shunted by two CP diesel electric locomotives in a Calgary rail yard. Figure these must be the deluxe rail cars that the Canadian Pacific Railway has brought back into service as supposedly the ultimate in luxury railway travel (unless you have your own). Check out www.cprtours.com/Guide/Equipment/wentworth.htm (http://www.cprtours.com/Guide/Equipment/wentworth.htm) Found it sort of ironic that I was on a plane that may have started its service life with Canadian Pacific Air Lines. TD 1459 and get to the gate at 1506. Fire trucks around and a wet runway. Wonder if some a/c had an engine fire. See the Martinair 767-300 and a Canada 3000 A330. Flight deck announces it is a balmy 8C (this 2nd last day of August in Canada.

30 August CP 649 YYC 1500 YVR 1525 737-200 Seat 1A C-GGPW

Glad to see it isn't the same cabin crew on this flight back but it is the same flight crew. Flight deck apologies for the delay and outlines the reason. Nothing to report other than a change in wind at YYC (landed from the south, now took off toward the south). DC 1529 PB 1533 TO 1541 TD 1552.

Mileage Summary

Got 1,000 AA points/miles + 1,000 Platinum bonus miles for the 2 legs for a cost of about US$0.10 a mile. About CP 18,010 miles (all but 500 qualifying) for the CP flights. Cost US$0.063/mile. Am trying to get the HNL-SYD-HNL miles double (adds 10,000 miles) as this is supposed to be a new service.


[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 09-05-2000).]

Great report terenz and a great trip even if some aspects were not quite up to expectations.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by terenz:
Won't say much about Capriccio as people have different tastes but I would advise not sitting in the last 3-4 rows of the stalls at the Sydney Opera House if you want to read the surtitles.

Please do tell .... how was Yvonne Kenny?

Originally posted by Non-NonRev:
Please do tell .... how was Yvonne Kenny?


Don't know the music well enough (i.e., never heard it before) to make a judgement but she and the rest of the ensemble performed o.k. (My taste in opera is limited to those where the music is strong enough to stand on its own).

You [and EMPRESS before you] have saved me from writing a report of my own about this similar routing from Canada to Sydney and back, thank you. I thought there was a light meal service out of HNL to SYD after take-off [according to the menu brochure in J], but I was so tired, it seems I fell right off to sleep and missed it! If you send the appropriate paperwork off to CP you should get the bonus miles posted within a day or two. Same thing happened to me on the HNL-SYD portion, while the double bonus on the SYD-HNL-YYZ flights posted with the flights.

Equally important is the fact you had some fine experiences on the ground, and I understand also met up with OZ STAMPS. And in spite of new reports back here in Canada, it did not snow while you were in Sydney!

Addenda on upgrading

Might have noted that I called just 72 hrs before my first flight YVR-YYC(-YVR-SYD) to upgrade. Found it had been done already. Think the travel agent did this for me.

It was very different on the way back. Called the 72 hrs in advance and was told nothing was available and that J inventory was sold out. Called Canada a few hours to find rather unhelpful staff. Dispatched an S.O.S. to Empress 48 hrs in advance. After some calling, he got them to upgrade me (telling them there was lots of empty seats Monday afternoon EDT). Found this out with < 22 hrs to go when I got to the QF Club in ADL.

There were plenty of seats available (10 empty leaving SYD) but it seems that AC was withholding them for whatever reason. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif Shareholder had this rather worrying experience too on his trip but all was well in the end. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

What a report Terenz! I really wonder where you find the time .... you must have been tap-tap-tapping all the way back to YVR!

Great meeting up with you and Linda - and of course Shareholder a few weeks before. (David did you get that question by email I asked?)

Hope my demented driving on the "wrong" side of the road back to the Hilton did not upset your stomach too greatly for the flight back! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Roz and I enjoyed hearing of your travels and having a meal and a drink - both you guys certainly get around. Having dinner with Randy Petersen tomorrow evening ..... a lot of FT'ers are in or about Sydney with the Olympics nearly upon us. I am out of here to Mexico and Utah etc and will watch highlights on CNN!



------------------
~ Glen ~

Superb report terenz!

If our itinearies coincide (for me most likely within the European continent) It would be great to do some joint wine tasting and sampling of good food/wine combinations!

At last I got to read about the beggar's chicken! Made me hungry, even at this hour of the morning.