Trip Reports - Vacation in OZ/business in SEL

Well, my new company acquiesced to 2 weeks off for a long awaited trip to Australia with friends, one of which just passed his FSA (Fellow of the Society of Actuaries) after 10 years of slogging through tests etc. I'm staying 2 weeks in OZ, minus one day for a business meeting. They're staying an extra week and going out to New Zealand as well. Used my miles for 1C on UA ATL-SFO-SYD, SEL-NRT-ORD-ATL, and bought SYD-SEL from travel.com.au in biz on SQ for appx $1100 USD. Friends on Air New Zealand using my miles (award levels in biz using the LAX-SYD nonstop are the same as UA) so they're going ORD-LAX-SYD.

Had some awful booking problems with the flights--stupidly had let a ticketing deadline slip in December, so had to start over (originally we were all on the same outbound flights), but finally got everything sorted. Thank you to the ladies at the ATL CTO for UA.

ATL-SFO in F

Full F cabin on the A320. Unfortunately the "thin" nonstops from the East (ATL, TPA, MCO) all leave early in the AM in order to hit all the N. Asia flights, leaving those connecting to the S. Pacific in the city all day. First start to think that we might have a problem---I forgot my wallet (luckily discovered before boarding MARTA), so I zoomed home and then drove to the airport ($8/day will be bad getting home!) Get to ATL about 35 mins before flight time. Not enough time to go to the (unmanned on weekends) RCC.

Flight normal--usual "hot or cold" first meal choice, then a rather substantial second meal of fish chowder in a bread bowl plus a Cobb salad.

Wandered around the Int'l terminal while luggage arrived--very nice, tidy and new.

Snagged a Budget car using UA certificates (after the booking problems I had a big handful) so got a free Taurus. Explored the coast (Half Moon Bay), then hung out around Palo Alto for awhile, then decided to head down to Gilroy to see what all the fuss was about (just a dusty railroad town that figured out the Garlic gig, far as I could tell.

About 8 PM (11 PM by my body clock) headed back to the airport, to a rather deserted UA area (the SYD flight doesn't leave until 1130). Checked in in a few minutes, then headed down to the First Class lounge.

Was frustrated by the "concierge"--asked the simple question "where is the Arrivals facility at SYD". She didn't know and seemed befuddled by the question. She said the daytime crew was more knowledgable about these things (!) I was looking for a place to meet my friends in SYD...

All 3 of us in the F/C lounge...get walked up to the plane at about 1045, where we get on the 747-400. (there were Suites) There ends up being all seats filled in F, 70 in C and only 170 in Y. (They filled F with nonrevs, including a husband, wife and son with a hire date in 1997, much to the surprise of the flight attendant, who indicated that was unusual.

Buttoned up, and started out on the taxiway--hearing some odd noises out of the ceiling--sounded like some grinding. We get to the end of the runway...and immediately power down and head back to the gate. There was a problem with flight control, and they were going to get another plane (!) for us in about 1 hour.

They troop all of us in F back to the F lounge, where we sit and vegetate for another 1 1/2 hours (watching some strange western on the television). They let us get any cold drinks we liked, but no coffee or booze.

Back on the plane to leave 2 1/2 hours late. New plane didn't have suites (da**). 14 hour flight time. Will fill in details later

Arrived 2 1/2 hrs late...my friends were there waiting at the exit.

Next installment--to Perth, overland on the Indian Pacific train

Originally posted by jamiel:
...New plane didn't have suites (da**). 14 hour flight time. ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Waiting for the rest of your trip report http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Train was very interesting from SYD to PER--67 hours. We stopped for 4 hours in Adelaide, then from 1-3 hours in other places for H20 (Cook, pop. 2, Kalgoorlie, etc). Cabins were nice but a bit tight and claustrophobic, food good. Clientele was different that I'd expected--I anticipated Asian visitors but it was strongly Aussie retirees--only about 10% foreign. Excellent experience, probably less memorable to someone from the USA than from somewhere more crowded, though.

In PER stayed at the Saville Suites--nice place with plenty of room. Nice day of sightseeing--ferry to Fremantle, wandered around Fremantle (not too much to see, though--it's a working harbor).

Next day, flew QF to Ayers Rock. Very exciting b/c although it's scheduled for a nonstop PER-AYQ, they needed to gas up in Kalgoorlie b/c of bad weather in AYQ. We stayed on the Avro at the refueling stop, but the flight attendants were very firm:

--all seat belts off and on your lap
--everyone in your seat
--no one in aisles
--doors open

in case of mishap, they wanted to get people off of there! (Later I asked the pilot--he said that PER-AYQ is right on the edge of the fuel capacity, and that they get one try to land, then must divert to Alice Springs. Given the rainy, cloudy weather in AYQ, they thought better safe than sorry.

Full hot lunch (!) on the flight--lasagna. Only about 1/3 full.

Ayers Rock is quite a place, but once is quite enough. Interesting resort in the middle of nowhere--essentially the only habitation of any size for 150 miles (to Alice). We walked around the rock, and had the buffet 2x at the resort (really all that was there). We stayed at the Emu Plains apartments (akin to time share condos), which have laundry facilities. Avis rent-a-car (for which I still have not received a receipt...)

Sunday we flew together to Alice, where my friends went to Cairns and I to Melbourne. AYQ-ASP was on a EMB120, with a small snack served at 8 am...then I had a 2 1/2 hour wait for my flight to MEL (my friends literally walked onto their flight). Amazing--a really nice Ansett lounge at Alice Springs. Caught up on newspapers--had some snacks...much more civilized than in the USA.

ASP-SYD-MEL

Was on Ansett A-320. Full (flight orig. in Darwin) on both legs, although change of a/c in SYD. Lunch to SYD, snack SYD-MEL. Sat next to a couple (he doctor, she nurse) who were pleasant to talk to. They were in a meeting at the Ayers Rock resort. About 1/2 hr late arriving SYD, 3/4 hour late into MEL.

Luggage came out quickly.

More later.

nice trip report!

Ah the train ...

We did per-adl in FC on the Indian Pacific and had an interesting time. I was reluctant, but it was much more interesting than I expected. I would have expected mostly asian tourists in FC too, but it was primarily australian retirees (they get a nice discount) and a few americans. We (in our mid 30's and 40's) were the youngest folks at our dinner seating.

Due to an earlier derailing and some other stops, we were unable to get out for long at kalgoorie or cook. Kind of a bummer, since I wanted to see more of the area.

The feral camels, eagles and kangaroos were entertaining though.

Your australian itinerary was the reverse of ours. Its interesting to see how others did the trip.

I loved Uluru the natural wonder, but really could have done without the resort. We stayed in the hostel part and it would have been definitely worth the extra 50-75 usd to spend a night in a room that 1. did not have some strange creature scrabbling on the roof 2. an ensuite bathroom. I have to admit, they certainly have you by the b**ls when you stay there.