Fairbanks To Geelong - The Long Way
Aug 11, 2004, 7:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: @65°N. FAI, TAL, PDX, SEA, and sometimes SAN.
Programs: MVPG, VX-Silver
Posts: 278
Fairbanks To Geelong - The Long Way
This all started with a thought in the back of my mind... " I want to do what Seat 2A does; He's always writing trip reports about the fantastic journeys he goes on..." and after 2 or 3 years of waiting, well: I've done it! 
So - "Where is Geelong? And why and the heck would I want to go there...?"
Geelong, Victoria is about one hour southwest of Melbourne on the Princes Highway, which continues on to Adelaide. It is also the start of the Great Ocean Road, a fantastic drive with views you've never seen before in your life.
Geelong is home to approximately 150,000 wonderful aussies - some of the most laid back and easy going people that i've ever met!
Geelong is home to Deakin Uni - where i'll be studying for the next 6 months; quite the change from the University of Alaska Fairbanks - but a good one nonetheless! Snow is hard to come by in Geelong, and I doubt that i'll even get the chance to search it out in the Southern Alps, alas - I do reckon that Australia gets a bit of snow. I left the smoke-filled interior of Alaska during the Peak of Summer to head into the Dead of Winter here in the southern hemisphere -albeit a lot of rain, and a few fierce windstorms - it really hasn't been that bad! It can only get better from here, as spring, and summer will soon turn up throughout the semester!
So how did I get here... Well, I used the wonderful thing known as the 150,000 Alaska Airlines Oceania Award aboard British Airways. I'll let you
know that I had never flown outside of North America, let alone international
First Class - so this will be quite the treat! Having had my fair share of Alaska Airlines upgrades - being an MVP Gold at the age of 18... (that's another story). Now I could have used 135,000 and flown down aboard Qantas, but I was highly encouraged by SEAT 2A to splurge and use the extra 15,000 miles and go around the long way. What a treat it was too...
My routing, from Fairbanks via Anchorage, Seattle, London, Singapore, and on down to Melbourne... 5 flights and 17,018 miles aboard Alaska and British Airways! I didn't know you could spend so much time in the air - but alas, I had Seat 2K 'all the way' and it was quite the adventure.
PREFACE
The week before this trip began was more or less the most hectic time of my life: moving my father and sisters back to Alaska, finishing the remodel job on the house, getting my stuff packed into boxes, deciding what I wanted to take to Australia, attempting to sell my truck (which I failed at), and so many other things... Alas, I managed -and only forgot a few things...
05 JULY:
Went to bed @ 130AM and woke up at 515... so not much sleep to begin a very long day... but I figured that I would be able to get some sleep aboard Alaska Airlines, so as not to miss out on the British Airways flight that I would get to enjoy this evening; and so we begin:
FAI-ANC Alaska 884 First Class
737-700 N625AS Seat 2F
831a-929p Flight time: :44
We took off heading south, up through the clouds... I looked down to say
goodbye, shedding a tear - As I would not be seeing Fairbanks for another 6 months! Service was short and sweet - you don't really expect too much other than a quick drink and a packet of nuts on the Fairbanks - Anchorage run, as once your up at cruising altitude, it isn't 10-15 minutes that you start your decent. Landing was smooth, and to my surprise we would be taxing to the new C concourse! YAY! I had heard that it had opened and was hoping I would get to check it out!
The new carpet smell filled the jetway, and the layout of the new Alaska Airlines terminal in Anchorage is quite impressive - well at least I was impressed. Honestly, it's about time they got out of the old and gloomy terminal B, I for one won't miss it! They have a wonderful viewing platform which gives a good view of all the cargo planes, as well as provide a nice and quiet area to sleep for those late night layovers... that left trying to find a comfy spot in Terminal B a pain. In any case, I snapped a few photos on my new digital camera and made my way to Gate 5.
[NOTE: I will continue to update this in the coming days, I have menu transcripts to write up... it's nearly midnight here in Geelong, so I must get some sleep... but check back! Cheers- Wheresdg!]
So - "Where is Geelong? And why and the heck would I want to go there...?"
Geelong, Victoria is about one hour southwest of Melbourne on the Princes Highway, which continues on to Adelaide. It is also the start of the Great Ocean Road, a fantastic drive with views you've never seen before in your life.
Geelong is home to approximately 150,000 wonderful aussies - some of the most laid back and easy going people that i've ever met!
Geelong is home to Deakin Uni - where i'll be studying for the next 6 months; quite the change from the University of Alaska Fairbanks - but a good one nonetheless! Snow is hard to come by in Geelong, and I doubt that i'll even get the chance to search it out in the Southern Alps, alas - I do reckon that Australia gets a bit of snow. I left the smoke-filled interior of Alaska during the Peak of Summer to head into the Dead of Winter here in the southern hemisphere -albeit a lot of rain, and a few fierce windstorms - it really hasn't been that bad! It can only get better from here, as spring, and summer will soon turn up throughout the semester!
So how did I get here... Well, I used the wonderful thing known as the 150,000 Alaska Airlines Oceania Award aboard British Airways. I'll let you
know that I had never flown outside of North America, let alone international
First Class - so this will be quite the treat! Having had my fair share of Alaska Airlines upgrades - being an MVP Gold at the age of 18... (that's another story). Now I could have used 135,000 and flown down aboard Qantas, but I was highly encouraged by SEAT 2A to splurge and use the extra 15,000 miles and go around the long way. What a treat it was too...
My routing, from Fairbanks via Anchorage, Seattle, London, Singapore, and on down to Melbourne... 5 flights and 17,018 miles aboard Alaska and British Airways! I didn't know you could spend so much time in the air - but alas, I had Seat 2K 'all the way' and it was quite the adventure.
PREFACE
The week before this trip began was more or less the most hectic time of my life: moving my father and sisters back to Alaska, finishing the remodel job on the house, getting my stuff packed into boxes, deciding what I wanted to take to Australia, attempting to sell my truck (which I failed at), and so many other things... Alas, I managed -and only forgot a few things...
05 JULY:
Went to bed @ 130AM and woke up at 515... so not much sleep to begin a very long day... but I figured that I would be able to get some sleep aboard Alaska Airlines, so as not to miss out on the British Airways flight that I would get to enjoy this evening; and so we begin:
FAI-ANC Alaska 884 First Class
737-700 N625AS Seat 2F
831a-929p Flight time: :44
We took off heading south, up through the clouds... I looked down to say
goodbye, shedding a tear - As I would not be seeing Fairbanks for another 6 months! Service was short and sweet - you don't really expect too much other than a quick drink and a packet of nuts on the Fairbanks - Anchorage run, as once your up at cruising altitude, it isn't 10-15 minutes that you start your decent. Landing was smooth, and to my surprise we would be taxing to the new C concourse! YAY! I had heard that it had opened and was hoping I would get to check it out!
The new carpet smell filled the jetway, and the layout of the new Alaska Airlines terminal in Anchorage is quite impressive - well at least I was impressed. Honestly, it's about time they got out of the old and gloomy terminal B, I for one won't miss it! They have a wonderful viewing platform which gives a good view of all the cargo planes, as well as provide a nice and quiet area to sleep for those late night layovers... that left trying to find a comfy spot in Terminal B a pain. In any case, I snapped a few photos on my new digital camera and made my way to Gate 5.
[NOTE: I will continue to update this in the coming days, I have menu transcripts to write up... it's nearly midnight here in Geelong, so I must get some sleep... but check back! Cheers- Wheresdg!]
Last edited by wheresdg; Aug 12, 2004 at 12:13 am Reason: Undo my fancy font change - minor edits...etc
Aug 11, 2004, 2:33 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Sweden
Posts: 562
Looks like a great start to your TR, and I will make sure to read the rest when you post it.
Just one comment though. Using a different font from the standard may look nice, but personally I find the font you chose a bit difficult to read. You can feel free to keep using it, since it is your report after all, but you may wish to consider the ease of reading as well as the look. Remember that many of the "fancy" fonts are more intended to be used in headlines and other shorter pieces of text while the bulk text should be in a standard font made for ease of reading.
I remember a worst-case example of font abuse from when some of my friends in school used a word processor for the first time and handed in reports written completely in the most absurd font they could find set to bold and italics.
Just one comment though. Using a different font from the standard may look nice, but personally I find the font you chose a bit difficult to read. You can feel free to keep using it, since it is your report after all, but you may wish to consider the ease of reading as well as the look. Remember that many of the "fancy" fonts are more intended to be used in headlines and other shorter pieces of text while the bulk text should be in a standard font made for ease of reading.
I remember a worst-case example of font abuse from when some of my friends in school used a word processor for the first time and handed in reports written completely in the most absurd font they could find set to bold and italics.
Aug 12, 2004, 12:15 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: @65°N. FAI, TAL, PDX, SEA, and sometimes SAN.
Programs: MVPG, VX-Silver
Posts: 278
Computer Crash
I just spent 2 hours working on my second post, but the computer crashed... sorry, i'm not really up to typing for another 2 hours.. but i'll pretype in word from now on! Keep an eye out for my post... i'll try to get it up within the next couple days. Cheers - Wheresdg 
Aug 14, 2004, 11:26 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: @65°N. FAI, TAL, PDX, SEA, and sometimes SAN.
Programs: MVPG, VX-Silver
Posts: 278
Post 2: Fairbanks to Geelong - The long way
ANC-SEA Alaska 94 First Class
737-400 N791AS Seat 2D
1035a-303p Flight time: 3:17
Boarding Commenced at 1015a starting with MVP Golds, followed by MVPs and Other Airline Elites - I am sure seating by row was called after that as the flight was said to be completely full, but I was long down the jetway getting settled into Seat 2D... 2 waters were placed in between the seats and the flight attendant asked if I would like my jacket hung, "Yes Please" - I would like to mention that my experience with this is off and on... Sometimes they offer to hang your jacket, other times it is up to you to hang it. Depends on the flight attendant and their feelings towards company image, I assume.
I picked up my copy of the July Alaska Airlines Magazine, that I should mention wasn't available on flight 884 down from Fairbanks, and glanced through. Nothing overly important to mention, other than their showcasing the Los Angeles to Reagan National flight. About 20 minutes after boarding began, or departure time, the boarding door was closed and all electronic devices were asked to be turned off... Goodthing, as I almost forgot to turn off my phone; though I do doubt that this would have any effect on the instuments - as i've realized 2-3 hours into flights at times that i've forgotten to turn it off... But alas, i'd rather follow the rules these days.
The main cabin was entirely full, but alas, 1 First Class seat was open, and it was 2F... Wonderful... A little extra room for me! We took off at 1055, and about 30 minutes into the flight, as we were passing over Cordova and heading towards beautiful southeast Alaska; Lunch was served!
LUNCH
To Begin
A packet of peanuts and your choice of beverage.
Entrees
Salad
Romaine lettuce accompanied by shredded carrots and cabbage, olives and a tomato slice. Served with Italian Dressing
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Strips of chicken breast and provolone cheese on Sourdough bread, with
light mayonaise and mustard
Ice Cream
A Vanilla Ice Cream cup (only choice available from the 3 options Alaska has)
** *** **
I had the Grilled Chicken, which was surprisingly tasty, but unagreeably small.
Alas - it took the edge off my hunger, and I would get a decent meal in SeaTac in addition to the munchies available in the Alaska boardroom and the BA Lounge.
Decent into Seattle was quick, and soon after we were parked at our gate in Terminal C. I deplaned and made my way to take advantage of the free internet in the Alaska Boardroom, as well as have a cappuccino - or two to liven me up for the excitement to come!!
July 5th, 2004
SEA-LHR British Airways First Class
747-400 G-CIVF Seat 2K
640p-12 Noon Flight time: 9:08
After an hour in the Alaska Boardroom, I decided to check in for my flight to London-Heathrow! I made my way out through security and down to the British Airways Check-In counter, which is a good 10-15 minute walk from the Alaska Airlines Board Room! I waited on the red carpet for about a minute and was then graciously asked over and for my tickets and id. No worries - wait- where is my passport!!!
"I'm sorry sir, but I can't check you in without your passport" - but I just had it... I must have left it in the Alaska Boardroom... wonderful, "Ma'am, is there anyway that I can get back through security?" " I can attempt to issue you a gate pass, but their is no guarantee that security will let you through..." So I gave it a shot... I waived my MVP Gold card and and my gatepass at the D Concourse Security checkpoint, and was waived through - going good so far...Luckily, my passport was still there right next to the phone at the workstation I had been at. So 25 minutes later, I arrived back at the BA check-in, time was now 445p, by the time I had checked in and made it to gate S10, it was 530.
So much for enjoying the BA Lounge... I had about 20 minutes before boarding was called; but I did manage to get a drink and a view sandwiches before heading down. My impression of the lounge was that for what it is, it was quite enjoyable, with a nice view of the aircraft and runway. I made may way down the stairs, taking a glimpse of the BA 747-400 model, and then heading over to the podium - alas, my check-in agent! Hello again! She happily scanned my boarding pass and pointed me towards the boarding gate.. ta ta Seattle! As I made my way down the jetway, towards my first flight on the 747, my first international flight, my first flight over 7 hours in length, my first real flight in First Class - as from now on i'll only refer to Alaska Airlines First as Business class..., Needless to say I was very excited!
At the aircraft boarding door, I was greeted by two BA staff, one who introduced himself as the purser, the other a FA - The purser glanced at my boarding pass and said "Across the galley and to the left Sir " - yeah, i'm liking this allready. So I made that elusive turn left and headed towards 'First Class.' Club world looked full, and quite impressive. Video screens and lots of children... I kept walking! Another galley, 2 FA's who gave me a nod, I continued... WOAH! Awesome... BA First Class... "background music and dimmed lights..." 14 Seats appeared in front of me.. The nose of the aircraft... Impressive sight! Excuse me as I lift my jaw back into place...
I made my way to Seat 2K... I opened the overhead bin, placed my bag in, and before I had the chance, the FA offered " Let me get that for you Mr. Grant " - Allready knew my name... goodness! This is too good to be true, "Can I take and hang your jacket?" Why yes... "...and can I get you something to drink?" I'll take a glass of Champagne, thanks! I made my move to get seated before I could be surprised again... 3 windows all to myself, an IFE screen with remote, Seat Controls, an adjustable reading lamp, and a Guest Chair -or- Ottoman. At the base of the Ottoman was a duvet, a blanket, the BA Blue and Maroon Pillow, earphones, and a BAg - A delightful amenity bag which included: the general basics of socks, eyeshades, Carmax lip balm, Eve Lom eye gel, Aroma Therapeutics sleep enhancer, Aroma Therapeutics moisture mist, toothbrush, Elgydium toothpaste and D R Harris mouthwash. On the outside of this taupe and white zippered bag was a photograph of a Short C-Class Flying Boat, as operated by predecessor BOAC in the 1940s. When the FA returned with Champagne and a plate of warmed cashews, I was informed that extras such as razor and shaving cream are available upon request. Hmm, was she hinting that I needed to improve my self image. I shaved this morning... but alas, I might take advantage in the morning!
A few minutes later the First Class menu was provided, a very professional looking thing, with pictures of the BOAC airgroup, and BA's First Emblem below in Silver colored lettering. As I glanced through, I was overcome with hunger.. all the selections looked thoroughly scrumptious - and I couldn't wait to endulge myself! So lets see what BA has to offer on their North America to London route:
Seattle to London-Heathrow
DINNER
Starters
Smoked Salmon
Scottish smoked salmon with Creme fraiche
Asparagus
Warm fresh asparagus with lemon mayonnaise
Soup
Cream of carrot soup
Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette,
blue cheese dressing or extra virgin olive oil
** *** **
Main
Steak
Grilled entrecote steak with mustard mash salsa verde
Turbot
Pan-searead turbot with Pesto, baby root vegetables and
fingerling potatoes
Pasta
Penne pasta with your choice of pmodoro or wild mushroom sauce
topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salad
Char-grilled chicken Caesar salad
** *** **
Snacks
Bacon roll served with tomato Ketchup
Cream of Carrot Soup with a side salad
A selection of cheese and fruit
** *** **
Dessert and Cheese
Tart
Lemon Tart
Pudding
Winterberry pudding with Mascarpone cheese
Fruit
A Basket of fresh fruit
Cheese
A selection from our cheeseboard
Your choice of...
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
** *** **
WINE LIST
Champagne
Perrier Jouet Belle Époque Brut 1996
White Wines
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 1997, Jean-Marc Brocard
Pouilly-Fume Vielles Vignes 2001, Grand Cuvee Fournier
Saint Supery Meritage 2001, Napa Valley
Red Wines
Chateau Cantenac-Brown 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux
Chateau Lynch-Bages 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac
Piedra Feliz Pinot Noir 2002, Valle de Casablanca
Carmenet Dynamite North Coast Merlot 1999, California
Rodney Strong Symmetry 1999, Alexander Valley
Dessert Wines
Chateau de la Mulonniere, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000
Warre’s, 1986, Reserve Tawny Port
737-400 N791AS Seat 2D
1035a-303p Flight time: 3:17
Boarding Commenced at 1015a starting with MVP Golds, followed by MVPs and Other Airline Elites - I am sure seating by row was called after that as the flight was said to be completely full, but I was long down the jetway getting settled into Seat 2D... 2 waters were placed in between the seats and the flight attendant asked if I would like my jacket hung, "Yes Please" - I would like to mention that my experience with this is off and on... Sometimes they offer to hang your jacket, other times it is up to you to hang it. Depends on the flight attendant and their feelings towards company image, I assume.
I picked up my copy of the July Alaska Airlines Magazine, that I should mention wasn't available on flight 884 down from Fairbanks, and glanced through. Nothing overly important to mention, other than their showcasing the Los Angeles to Reagan National flight. About 20 minutes after boarding began, or departure time, the boarding door was closed and all electronic devices were asked to be turned off... Goodthing, as I almost forgot to turn off my phone; though I do doubt that this would have any effect on the instuments - as i've realized 2-3 hours into flights at times that i've forgotten to turn it off... But alas, i'd rather follow the rules these days.
The main cabin was entirely full, but alas, 1 First Class seat was open, and it was 2F... Wonderful... A little extra room for me! We took off at 1055, and about 30 minutes into the flight, as we were passing over Cordova and heading towards beautiful southeast Alaska; Lunch was served!
LUNCH
To Begin
A packet of peanuts and your choice of beverage.
Entrees
Salad
Romaine lettuce accompanied by shredded carrots and cabbage, olives and a tomato slice. Served with Italian Dressing
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Strips of chicken breast and provolone cheese on Sourdough bread, with
light mayonaise and mustard
Ice Cream
A Vanilla Ice Cream cup (only choice available from the 3 options Alaska has)
** *** **
I had the Grilled Chicken, which was surprisingly tasty, but unagreeably small.
Alas - it took the edge off my hunger, and I would get a decent meal in SeaTac in addition to the munchies available in the Alaska boardroom and the BA Lounge.
Decent into Seattle was quick, and soon after we were parked at our gate in Terminal C. I deplaned and made my way to take advantage of the free internet in the Alaska Boardroom, as well as have a cappuccino - or two to liven me up for the excitement to come!!
July 5th, 2004
SEA-LHR British Airways First Class
747-400 G-CIVF Seat 2K
640p-12 Noon Flight time: 9:08
After an hour in the Alaska Boardroom, I decided to check in for my flight to London-Heathrow! I made my way out through security and down to the British Airways Check-In counter, which is a good 10-15 minute walk from the Alaska Airlines Board Room! I waited on the red carpet for about a minute and was then graciously asked over and for my tickets and id. No worries - wait- where is my passport!!!
"I'm sorry sir, but I can't check you in without your passport" - but I just had it... I must have left it in the Alaska Boardroom... wonderful, "Ma'am, is there anyway that I can get back through security?" " I can attempt to issue you a gate pass, but their is no guarantee that security will let you through..." So I gave it a shot... I waived my MVP Gold card and and my gatepass at the D Concourse Security checkpoint, and was waived through - going good so far...Luckily, my passport was still there right next to the phone at the workstation I had been at. So 25 minutes later, I arrived back at the BA check-in, time was now 445p, by the time I had checked in and made it to gate S10, it was 530.So much for enjoying the BA Lounge... I had about 20 minutes before boarding was called; but I did manage to get a drink and a view sandwiches before heading down. My impression of the lounge was that for what it is, it was quite enjoyable, with a nice view of the aircraft and runway. I made may way down the stairs, taking a glimpse of the BA 747-400 model, and then heading over to the podium - alas, my check-in agent! Hello again! She happily scanned my boarding pass and pointed me towards the boarding gate.. ta ta Seattle! As I made my way down the jetway, towards my first flight on the 747, my first international flight, my first flight over 7 hours in length, my first real flight in First Class - as from now on i'll only refer to Alaska Airlines First as Business class...
, Needless to say I was very excited! At the aircraft boarding door, I was greeted by two BA staff, one who introduced himself as the purser, the other a FA - The purser glanced at my boarding pass and said "Across the galley and to the left Sir " - yeah, i'm liking this allready. So I made that elusive turn left and headed towards 'First Class.' Club world looked full, and quite impressive. Video screens and lots of children... I kept walking! Another galley, 2 FA's who gave me a nod, I continued... WOAH! Awesome... BA First Class... "background music and dimmed lights..." 14 Seats appeared in front of me.. The nose of the aircraft... Impressive sight! Excuse me as I lift my jaw back into place...
I made my way to Seat 2K... I opened the overhead bin, placed my bag in, and before I had the chance, the FA offered " Let me get that for you Mr. Grant " - Allready knew my name... goodness! This is too good to be true, "Can I take and hang your jacket?" Why yes... "...and can I get you something to drink?" I'll take a glass of Champagne, thanks! I made my move to get seated before I could be surprised again... 3 windows all to myself, an IFE screen with remote, Seat Controls, an adjustable reading lamp, and a Guest Chair -or- Ottoman. At the base of the Ottoman was a duvet, a blanket, the BA Blue and Maroon Pillow, earphones, and a BAg - A delightful amenity bag which included: the general basics of socks, eyeshades, Carmax lip balm, Eve Lom eye gel, Aroma Therapeutics sleep enhancer, Aroma Therapeutics moisture mist, toothbrush, Elgydium toothpaste and D R Harris mouthwash. On the outside of this taupe and white zippered bag was a photograph of a Short C-Class Flying Boat, as operated by predecessor BOAC in the 1940s. When the FA returned with Champagne and a plate of warmed cashews, I was informed that extras such as razor and shaving cream are available upon request. Hmm, was she hinting that I needed to improve my self image. I shaved this morning... but alas, I might take advantage in the morning!
A few minutes later the First Class menu was provided, a very professional looking thing, with pictures of the BOAC airgroup, and BA's First Emblem below in Silver colored lettering. As I glanced through, I was overcome with hunger.. all the selections looked thoroughly scrumptious - and I couldn't wait to endulge myself! So lets see what BA has to offer on their North America to London route:
Seattle to London-Heathrow
DINNER
Starters
Smoked Salmon
Scottish smoked salmon with Creme fraiche
Asparagus
Warm fresh asparagus with lemon mayonnaise
Soup
Cream of carrot soup
Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette,
blue cheese dressing or extra virgin olive oil
** *** **
Main
Steak
Grilled entrecote steak with mustard mash salsa verde
Turbot
Pan-searead turbot with Pesto, baby root vegetables and
fingerling potatoes
Pasta
Penne pasta with your choice of pmodoro or wild mushroom sauce
topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salad
Char-grilled chicken Caesar salad
** *** **
Snacks
Bacon roll served with tomato Ketchup
Cream of Carrot Soup with a side salad
A selection of cheese and fruit
** *** **
Dessert and Cheese
Tart
Lemon Tart
Pudding
Winterberry pudding with Mascarpone cheese
Fruit
A Basket of fresh fruit
Cheese
A selection from our cheeseboard
Your choice of...
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
** *** **
WINE LIST
Champagne
Perrier Jouet Belle Époque Brut 1996
White Wines
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 1997, Jean-Marc Brocard
Pouilly-Fume Vielles Vignes 2001, Grand Cuvee Fournier
Saint Supery Meritage 2001, Napa Valley
Red Wines
Chateau Cantenac-Brown 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux
Chateau Lynch-Bages 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac
Piedra Feliz Pinot Noir 2002, Valle de Casablanca
Carmenet Dynamite North Coast Merlot 1999, California
Rodney Strong Symmetry 1999, Alexander Valley
Dessert Wines
Chateau de la Mulonniere, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000
Warre’s, 1986, Reserve Tawny Port
Aug 15, 2004, 12:38 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: @65°N. FAI, TAL, PDX, SEA, and sometimes SAN.
Programs: MVPG, VX-Silver
Posts: 278
Post 2: Part 2
We pushed back from the gate at 655, a little late, but I wasn't worried a bit... I had a 3 day layover in London, before my LHR-SIN segment... not to mention the fact that I assumed we would make up time on this trans-atlantic flight. As we taxied for takeoff, which I might add was quite a long taxi - but I can assume, being the largest passenger aircraft *for the time being* you need alot of runway to get this massive tonnage off the ground! Being so far in front of the engines, I only heard them during takeoff... and as soon as the front nose-gear had retracted, the ambiance of 'First Class' was truely appreciable.
Dinner was served about 40 minutes into the flight. The wonderful FA came and pulled the table out of it's hiding place and placed linen and dinnerware. Plastic I might add... which took a little out of the experience, but alas - what can you do! My salad was soon after presented, along with salt and pepper shakers. 10 minutes later, my salad bowl was removed and I was presented with the pan-seared turbot, which was delic! Absolutely cooked to perfection; I don't think it could have been any better! As I sat in my First Class Suite, enjoying a meal in the sky, a view of the canadian rockies, and having the time of my life! If only I could just fly around in First Class the rest of my life - or at least be privy to the option at least once a year!
After Dinner, I was presented with the 'First View Video Library', which
offered a wide selection of feature films as well as other titles - Heres the list:
Video Choice Titles
Movies
1. Kill Bill: Vol 1
2. The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King
3. The Last Samurai
4. Torque
5. Cheaper by the Dozen
6. Love Actually
7. Paycheck
8. The Gathering
9. 21 Grams
10. Big Fish
11. Dirty Pretty Things
12. Mona Lisa Smile
13. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the life of Robert McNamara
14. Brother Bear
15. Catch That Kid
16. The Wizard of Oz
17. The Wild Bunch
18. Risky Business
19. The Bridge on the River Kwai
20. Chariots of Fire
21. The Shawshank Redemption
22. High Society
23. Ocean's Eleven
24. My Best Friends Wedding
25. The Pelican Brief
The News:is also available on tape by request
** *** **
I was quite impressed with the list; however - on the IFE channel
selection were quite a few good sitcoms and other movies available
to the entire aircraft, and I opted to wait to watch some of these films
for my London-Singapore flight. By 10pm, I was quite tired, and wanting to attempt to derail the effects of jetlag, decided to make my bed!
Within the matter of a minute, my seat had turned into a flat bed! I laid out
the duvet, blanket, and pillow - and headed to the Lavatory to change into my sleeper-suit. A gray two-piece set with BA's First logo blazzened on the top. The lavatory was quite different than any domestic aircraft I had ever been on; it has mahogany wood inlays, a window, and changing bench! Again, quite impressed. I headed back to Seat 2K, and layed there contemplating the concept of everything that had occured today; leaving Alaska for 6 months of an exchange overseas - changing my perspective on the world - leaving America; heading to another country that I had never been to before - it was all so unreal! We have to love the jet-age! I glanced at the IFE screen, noting that we were almost past Hudson Bay, and soon drifted off to sleep.
** *** **
I woke up over Iceland and the vast Atlantic Ocean... goodness, were still flying after 5 hours of sleep! I must add that I slept wonderfully, the First Class Sleeper Suite was plenty comfortable and provided ample room. I then changed into some fresh clothes and was soon greeted by the FA, " Can I get you some breakfast this morning, sir?" Why yes, let me have a look at the menu again:
BREAKFAST
Starters
Chilled Fruit Juice
An energising fruit smoothie
A selection of fruit, plain yoghurts, and cereals
Fresh season fruit plate
Bakery
A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
Main
Scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sauteed mushrooms,
gilled tomato, and hash-brown potatoes
** *** **
I opted for a fruit smoothie, a croissant, and the traditional english
breakfast of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, and potatoes! MMMM good!
Can I have another smoothie - that was delicious! I looked out the window to see clear skies and a vast ocean below... most of the rest of the First Class passengers were still sleeping, so I reluctantly closed my window shade. By the time I had finished breakfast, we were about an hour from London. I pulled out my London Planning Guide, attempting to plan out the 3 days ahead of me. So much to do, so much to see... But alas, I came up with a plan for the rest of today.
Our landing at London-Heathrow was eventless... and our taxi to our gate at Terminal 4 took about 15 minutes. I bid farewell to the First Class FA's and headed up the jetway. We parked close to the walkway to Customs and Immigration; after a quick 5 minutes at Customs... and receiving the first stamp in my passport, I headed down to collect my luggage. Hmm, I didn't think we were that far away, but 20 minutes later the conveyer belt started turning, and off came my bag. I had 2 new bag tags, each said BA First Class -which I assume attributed to my bag being one of the First on the luggage belt!
I soon went through immigration, which consisted of walking through the gateway which stated: "Nothing to Declare," and ended up in London-Heathrow's Terminal 4 Arrivals Hall. I soon located the entrance to the BA Lounge for Arriving Passengers, dropped off my luggage, and took a long refreshing shower in the 'Shower Suites' that BA provides. A very nice luxury, while in the shower, I had my pants and shirt pressed, and departed upbeat and fashionable. I headed upstairs in the lounge to find out that the Molton Brown Massage closed at Noon... I didn't get to the arrivals lounge until about 1pm... No worries though, I grabbed a cappuccino and a muffin and watched the London news. I then headed down to the staffed counter and enquired as to finding transportation to my accomodations and was soon on my way. Overall, my BA First Class experience was excellent! Well done BA!
LONDON
To reach the Hotel Bus transfers station, I had to head to Terminal 3, which
required riding the Heathrow Express Train. It took about 20 minutes, but I was soon awaiting my Shuttle, and 15 minutes later, was standing in front of the Sheraton Skyline that I booked via Priceline for $65US a night.
Check-In was short and sweet, and I was soon in my room. I was pleased with my accomodations for the next 2 days, it would be a good base for checking out the City of London. I changed into some less formal clothes, and
headed down to the concierge to find transport downtown. I was informed that the best way was to get back on the airport shuttle, which cost 3 British Pounds each way, and then hop on the Underground Subway system, which cost 6 Pounds for unlimited travel. Ultimately, if I were to stay in London again, I would have just booked a Hotel in downtown London, to avoid having to travel into and out of the city everyday. But alas, being my first time, I learned my lesson and didn't let it affect me to much.
Over the 3 days, I visited Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Hyde Park, the new Princess Diana Memorial, Kings Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge, London Eye, and the Tower of London. It was good fun, it was...and I managed to take about 100 pictures with my digital camera. (If anyone is interested in pictures from this trip, send me a flyertalk message and i'll provide you with my travel diary/photo site)
[Note: I'll be back with Post 3 here in the next day or two, with my LHR-SIN and SIN-MEL trip report! Hope your enjoying this so far; Please let me know if there is anything additional you would like to hear about from the trip! Thanks! Cheers - Wheresdg!
]
Dinner was served about 40 minutes into the flight. The wonderful FA came and pulled the table out of it's hiding place and placed linen and dinnerware. Plastic I might add... which took a little out of the experience, but alas - what can you do! My salad was soon after presented, along with salt and pepper shakers. 10 minutes later, my salad bowl was removed and I was presented with the pan-seared turbot, which was delic! Absolutely cooked to perfection; I don't think it could have been any better! As I sat in my First Class Suite, enjoying a meal in the sky, a view of the canadian rockies, and having the time of my life! If only I could just fly around in First Class the rest of my life - or at least be privy to the option at least once a year!
After Dinner, I was presented with the 'First View Video Library', which
offered a wide selection of feature films as well as other titles - Heres the list:
Video Choice Titles
Movies
1. Kill Bill: Vol 1
2. The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King
3. The Last Samurai
4. Torque
5. Cheaper by the Dozen
6. Love Actually
7. Paycheck
8. The Gathering
9. 21 Grams
10. Big Fish
11. Dirty Pretty Things
12. Mona Lisa Smile
13. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the life of Robert McNamara
14. Brother Bear
15. Catch That Kid
16. The Wizard of Oz
17. The Wild Bunch
18. Risky Business
19. The Bridge on the River Kwai
20. Chariots of Fire
21. The Shawshank Redemption
22. High Society
23. Ocean's Eleven
24. My Best Friends Wedding
25. The Pelican Brief
The News:is also available on tape by request
** *** **
I was quite impressed with the list; however - on the IFE channel
selection were quite a few good sitcoms and other movies available
to the entire aircraft, and I opted to wait to watch some of these films
for my London-Singapore flight. By 10pm, I was quite tired, and wanting to attempt to derail the effects of jetlag, decided to make my bed!
Within the matter of a minute, my seat had turned into a flat bed! I laid out
the duvet, blanket, and pillow - and headed to the Lavatory to change into my sleeper-suit. A gray two-piece set with BA's First logo blazzened on the top. The lavatory was quite different than any domestic aircraft I had ever been on; it has mahogany wood inlays, a window, and changing bench! Again, quite impressed. I headed back to Seat 2K, and layed there contemplating the concept of everything that had occured today; leaving Alaska for 6 months of an exchange overseas - changing my perspective on the world - leaving America; heading to another country that I had never been to before - it was all so unreal! We have to love the jet-age! I glanced at the IFE screen, noting that we were almost past Hudson Bay, and soon drifted off to sleep.
** *** **
I woke up over Iceland and the vast Atlantic Ocean... goodness, were still flying after 5 hours of sleep! I must add that I slept wonderfully, the First Class Sleeper Suite was plenty comfortable and provided ample room. I then changed into some fresh clothes and was soon greeted by the FA, " Can I get you some breakfast this morning, sir?" Why yes, let me have a look at the menu again:
BREAKFAST
Starters
Chilled Fruit Juice
An energising fruit smoothie
A selection of fruit, plain yoghurts, and cereals
Fresh season fruit plate
Bakery
A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
Main
Scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, pork sausages, sauteed mushrooms,
gilled tomato, and hash-brown potatoes
** *** **
I opted for a fruit smoothie, a croissant, and the traditional english
breakfast of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, and potatoes! MMMM good!
Can I have another smoothie - that was delicious! I looked out the window to see clear skies and a vast ocean below... most of the rest of the First Class passengers were still sleeping, so I reluctantly closed my window shade. By the time I had finished breakfast, we were about an hour from London. I pulled out my London Planning Guide, attempting to plan out the 3 days ahead of me. So much to do, so much to see... But alas, I came up with a plan for the rest of today.
Our landing at London-Heathrow was eventless... and our taxi to our gate at Terminal 4 took about 15 minutes. I bid farewell to the First Class FA's and headed up the jetway. We parked close to the walkway to Customs and Immigration; after a quick 5 minutes at Customs... and receiving the first stamp in my passport, I headed down to collect my luggage. Hmm, I didn't think we were that far away, but 20 minutes later the conveyer belt started turning, and off came my bag. I had 2 new bag tags, each said BA First Class -which I assume attributed to my bag being one of the First on the luggage belt!
I soon went through immigration, which consisted of walking through the gateway which stated: "Nothing to Declare," and ended up in London-Heathrow's Terminal 4 Arrivals Hall. I soon located the entrance to the BA Lounge for Arriving Passengers, dropped off my luggage, and took a long refreshing shower in the 'Shower Suites' that BA provides. A very nice luxury, while in the shower, I had my pants and shirt pressed, and departed upbeat and fashionable. I headed upstairs in the lounge to find out that the Molton Brown Massage closed at Noon... I didn't get to the arrivals lounge until about 1pm... No worries though, I grabbed a cappuccino and a muffin and watched the London news. I then headed down to the staffed counter and enquired as to finding transportation to my accomodations and was soon on my way. Overall, my BA First Class experience was excellent! Well done BA!
LONDON
To reach the Hotel Bus transfers station, I had to head to Terminal 3, which
required riding the Heathrow Express Train. It took about 20 minutes, but I was soon awaiting my Shuttle, and 15 minutes later, was standing in front of the Sheraton Skyline that I booked via Priceline for $65US a night.
Check-In was short and sweet, and I was soon in my room. I was pleased with my accomodations for the next 2 days, it would be a good base for checking out the City of London. I changed into some less formal clothes, and
headed down to the concierge to find transport downtown. I was informed that the best way was to get back on the airport shuttle, which cost 3 British Pounds each way, and then hop on the Underground Subway system, which cost 6 Pounds for unlimited travel. Ultimately, if I were to stay in London again, I would have just booked a Hotel in downtown London, to avoid having to travel into and out of the city everyday. But alas, being my first time, I learned my lesson and didn't let it affect me to much.
Over the 3 days, I visited Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Hyde Park, the new Princess Diana Memorial, Kings Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge, London Eye, and the Tower of London. It was good fun, it was...and I managed to take about 100 pictures with my digital camera. (If anyone is interested in pictures from this trip, send me a flyertalk message and i'll provide you with my travel diary/photo site)
[Note: I'll be back with Post 3 here in the next day or two, with my LHR-SIN and SIN-MEL trip report! Hope your enjoying this so far; Please let me know if there is anything additional you would like to hear about from the trip! Thanks! Cheers - Wheresdg!
]
Last edited by wheresdg; Aug 15, 2004 at 12:42 am
Aug 16, 2004, 2:16 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Hey Now, DG!
Your enthusiasm for the First Class experience - indeed, travel itself - is positively infectuous. Great report so far! I eagerly anticipate the next segments ^ ^
Your enthusiasm for the First Class experience - indeed, travel itself - is positively infectuous. Great report so far! I eagerly anticipate the next segments ^ ^
Aug 21, 2004, 11:34 pm
#10
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Great job on your first report! This coming from one of the few Yanks who knew about Geelong before you wrote this report!
Aug 22, 2004, 4:52 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: @65°N. FAI, TAL, PDX, SEA, and sometimes SAN.
Programs: MVPG, VX-Silver
Posts: 278
Fairbanks to Geelong - The Long Way Part 3 LHR-SIN
July 8th, 2004
LHR-SIN British Airways First Class
747-400 G-CIVD Seat 2K
925p-520p Flight time: 13:25
I had a wonderful time in London, my first experience of Europe. Visiting all the old buildings and parks and what have you. On my father’s recommendation, I dedicated one day to the British Museum of Natural History – You wouldn’t think that they could fit so much into the space they have, alas I spent 6-7 hours wandering about the Greek and Roman’s, Asia, and Africa. Wonderfully spent – History is a very interesting subject!
Thursday the 10th of July began with a 30-minute ride on the ‘Underground’ – London’s mass transit subway system. I was heading to Harrods’s department store and Hyde Park; after a short 30 minutes of browsing I decided to wander over to check out the newly dedicated memorial to honour Princess Diana. It was more or less a wading pool, which has since been closed because of danger to the public – someone slipped and bumped their head on the sloping part of the circular pool.
I made my way back to the Hyde Park ‘Underground’ Station and hopped aboard the next train to the Airport. Apparently it was rush hour and everyone had just gotten off of work, the train was packed, and slow – we stopped at every station between Hyde Park and Heathrow; the ride took an hour. I then had to catch the shuttle back to the Hotel, change into ‘First Class’ attire, check-out, and catch the shuttle back to the airport. By the time this was done, it was 645pm. I apparently overlooked the fact that transportation would be slow on a Thursday afternoon, go figure.
*** **** ***
7pm at London-Heathrow’s British Airways and Qantas First Class check-in was quite crowded and after a 25 minute wait, I was graciously being checked in for my flight to Singapore. I was informed that my checked luggage was a bit heavy, 32kg, but that this would not be a problem going down to Australia, but that it would be on my return from Australia and that I should pack 2 bags. A BAA Heathrow Fast Track sticker was placed on my boarding pass, and I was off to security at 715… This line moved at an unimpressively slow rate, this was what they called the ‘Fast Track’ – the regular security line was moving faster, but of course I could not head over there or I would be tagged for additional security screening! After 30 minutes and watching countless times as crew and other passengers were escorted to the front of the line I made it there myself; apparently their were not enough staff to operate both screening stations and the ‘Fast Track’ was being handled by 4 professional security screeners. So with about an hour and a half before my flight, I headed down to the Concorde Lounge.
While the Concorde has been retired (I was able to tour one at the Seattle Air Museum in June!), the fabulous Concorde Room lives on to serve British Airways International First Class passengers. It is a great facility with a superb view of the tarmac and on this night: Four 747-400’s, one of which I would be boarding this evening. The Concorde Room also offers a menu from which you can order anything from sandwiches to a snack or salad. I settled for a tuna sandwich with glass of red wine and sat myself down near the windows and picked up the phone to make a few calls before I would be unreachable in the skies over Eurasia! It wasn’t long before my flight was announced and I was encouraged to ‘hike’ over to Gate 22.
Boarding for Flight 17 to Singapore was to take place from Gate 22 at 9:05pm. Gates 22-25 are located in an annexed wing from the main Terminal and it’s a good ten minute walk to them. I arrived at the gate lounge about 20 minutes before departure to find a large crowd and no sign of an on-time departure. I continued through the masses to the boarding podium where I was informed that the flight would be departing at 10:30; I bit discouraged, I ‘hiked’ back to the Concorde room and had a chat with the BA agent at the desk. She apologized for the false announcement, but made it clear that the flight had not been designated ‘delayed’ when she made the announcement.
I spent the next 45 minutes typing away at the workstation, catching up on emails and reading up on world news. At 955pm, an announcement was made that Flight 17 would begin boarding and that it was recommended that any passengers on the flight begin to ‘hike’ on over, again… As a approached Gate 22 for a second time there were only a couple dozen people still in line to board the aircraft. Boarding was through door 2L and as I entered the aircraft I took that fabled left hand turn towards the First Class cabin, only for the 2nd time ever. Club World looked to be filled to capacity this evening. A woman was having trouble lifting her excessively large carry-on into the overhead bin, so I offered to help, dropping my bag in the process. A bit disgruntled, I continued forward, settling into my ever so comfortable area for the next 13+ hours.
Hmm – No offer to hang my coat, no drink orders, no Bag… No worries, we were only delayed 1 hour. After about 20 minutes the FA approached and offered apologies for the delayed service and flight. I placed my drink order and looked out the window, noticing the clock below the gate sign. It was 1045… We didn’t actually push back until 11, and takeoff wasn’t until 1125. It was about 20 minutes after takeoff that I received my glass of Champagne and warmed nuts. This being one of BA’s longest flights and more or less in a competitive Europe-Asia market, I thought that there would have been a bit more prestige. The flight continued on with problems, the IFE system had to be rebooted 3 times and still didn’t work. The channels would play for about 3-4 minutes before going fuzzy; you could then change the channel, and immediately change back to see what you had been watching, but it would just repeat itself, and after 15 minutes of this I gave up. The dinner menu was presented soon afterwards:
London-Heathrow to Singapore
DINNER
Starters
Lobster
Lobster and crayfish with pink grapefruit
Timbale
Gruyere cheese and red onion timbale with red pepper coulis
Soup
Pea and mint soup
Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of roast garlic vinaigrette
or Pommery mustard dressing
** *** **
Main
Steak
Michel Roux’s grilled fillet of beef marinated in red wine
Chicken
Stir-fried lemon chicken with spicy noodles
Pasta
Fresh pasta with your choice of tomato, artichoke and smoked paprika
sauce or roast mushroom and thyme cream sauce
Salmon
Poached salmon with cucumber and potato salad
** *** **
Snacks
Garlic chicken Manoucher sandwich
Pea and mint soup with a side salad
A selection of cheese and fruit
** *** **
Dessert and Cheese
Shortbread
Strawberries with crème fraiche and shortbread
Chocolate
Bitter chocolate and orange delice
Fruit
A Basket of fresh fruit
Cheese
Shropshire Blue, unpasteurised Cooleeney, Worcester Gold, St-Nectaire
and Butler’s Secret cheese
*Unpasteurised cheese may pose a health risk to certain groups of people
including pregnant women, the elderly, the very young and those whose
systems may be immunocompromised.
Your choice of...
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
** *** **
WINE LIST
Champagne
Perrier Jouet Belle Époque Brut 1996
White Wines
Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Cortons, 2001, Roux Pere et Fils
Corton Charlemagne 1996, Laboure-Roi
Sancerre “Les Chasseignes” 2002, Domaine Fouassier
Starve Dog Lane Chardonnay 2000, Adelaide Hills
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2000
Red Wines
Chateau Petit Village 1994, Pomerol
Cornish Point Pinot Noir 2001, Central Otago
Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001, Domaine du Pere Pape
Heartland Director’s Cut Shiraz 2001, Limestone Coast
Dessert Wines
Chateau de la Mulonniere, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000
Warre’s, 1986, Reserve Tawny Port
Didn’t it all sound so good…? I thought so too…Alas, when the flight attendant came to take my order, I was informed that approximately one-half of the First Class food carts had in-fact not been loaded in London, and in there place – Main Class meals! Go figure. I asked if the Bag’s had been forgotten as well – The FA said she would bring me one after dinner, with a smirk on her face. I was getting a headache – is this supposed to happen in First Class; what had happened to that First Class experience I had had not 3 days before? Alas, I ordered the Lobster starter and grilled fillet of beef, both –fortunately were available! They were brought by a different FA and nicely presented, along with a glass of 1994 Pomerel. Desserts were not available, not that I was in the mood.
Somewhere over the Black Sea, I converted my seat into a bed and, after placing the duvet atop the seat cushions, covered myself with BA’s fine wool blanket and dropped off to sleep. I didn’t awake until almost seven hours later; and I might add in a much improved mood. The Air-map indicated that we were flying along the coast of Thailand, cruising at 41000 feet. Just about two hours were left in the flight and the wonderful smell of breakfast filled the forward First Class cabin from the galley. A different FA appeared, I assume the crew changed, and I was informed that all of the breakfast options were available! Hurray... Here is the transcript from the breakfast menu:
BREAKFAST
Juice
Chilled fruit juice
Smoothie
An energising fruit smoothie
Yoghurt and Cereal
A selection of fruit, plain yoghurts and cereals
Fruit
Fresh seasonal fruit plate
Bakery
A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
Traditional English Breakfast
Scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomato, sausage, and bacon
Pancakes
Pancakes with apple compote
Omelette
Creamed haddock omelette
Beverages
Your choice of coffee or tea
*** **** ***
The cabin was dark as about half the passengers were still sleeping. I raised my window shade a bit and looked out to see a sunny Thai coast, with the apparent jungle and deep blue Indian Ocean. If only I was down there, lying on the beach… but being at 40,000 feet and in a First Class wasn’t bad either; even though the flight hadn’t been quite par. Before Breakfast orders were taken, the Purser approached each First Class passenger and provided them with a ‘Customer Relations’ Disruption form and asked us to please fill them out and hand them back to him, so that if BA decided to do so, could contact us and possibly provide something to make up for the poor flight.
(Note: It has been over one and a half months and I still have yet to hear back from BA…)
I briefly considered the Traditional English Breakfast, but thought I’d have a go at the pancakes along with a smoothie and some yoghurt. The pancakes were small but quite tasty. By the time I’d finished breakfast, we were less than an 30 minutes out of Singapore so I began filling out the Singapore Immigration Form. Looking out the window we appeared to be following a Qantas ‘red tailed’ 747 into Changi, we then made our turn for landing, and I peered out the window for the rest of the flight looking forward to exploring Singapore.
Our landing at Changi was nothing out of the ordinary, and as we taxied to the gate we passed numerous Singapore 747’s and 340’s, another BA 747, which I could only assume was BA 15 heading on down to Sydney, and a Qantas 747 which I took to be the one we had followed in on landing. Even though we had departed almost 2 hours late, we made it to Singapore only 20 minutes late.
SINGAPORE
Immigration was a breeze and customs was nonexistent. I was greeted at the baggage claim and given a ‘Welcome to Singapore’ bag which contained a stuffed crab and numerous pamphlets about things to do while in Singapore. I had done a little pre-trip planning and made my way to the shuttle service, which for $7 would deposit me at my hotel within an hour and much cheaper than the $35 cab fare.
With Priceline, I’d booked a night in the 4 Star Concorde Hotel for $45, including taxes. The room itself was everything I’d imagined it would be. Situated high on the 11th floor, it had a wonderful view of the financial district as well as the harbour. I was more concerned however that I had a comfy bed and a hot shower when I was ready for it. I quickly changed my clothes and freshened up, heading downstairs to have a drink and listen to the live band from the Philippines. After about 20 minutes of listening to this groups shoddy attempt at a few American songs, I made my way over to the gift shop and grabbed a few postcards, figuring that I would pen a few of these out before bed. I meandered around the hotel lobby and found that for $25 US I could get a Full Body massage and I had every intention of taking full advantage of it in the morning before I headed to the airport. I decided that I’d have a quick bite to eat at the hotel’s restaurant which served a wide variety of Asian foods, amongst others and for $15 SIN; I was filled to my hearts content.
I wasn’t going to be in Singapore very long, as I would be departing the following day on BA Flight 17, continuing on down to Melbourne – which departs at 720pm; or so I thought . After penning off 5 or 6 postcards, I made my way to bed… looking forward to the rest of the adventure that I had begun…
[Note: I’ll continue with Part 4 of the Post: SIN-MEL soon… Thanks and Cheers – Wheresdg]
LHR-SIN British Airways First Class
747-400 G-CIVD Seat 2K
925p-520p Flight time: 13:25
I had a wonderful time in London, my first experience of Europe. Visiting all the old buildings and parks and what have you. On my father’s recommendation, I dedicated one day to the British Museum of Natural History – You wouldn’t think that they could fit so much into the space they have, alas I spent 6-7 hours wandering about the Greek and Roman’s, Asia, and Africa. Wonderfully spent – History is a very interesting subject!
Thursday the 10th of July began with a 30-minute ride on the ‘Underground’ – London’s mass transit subway system. I was heading to Harrods’s department store and Hyde Park; after a short 30 minutes of browsing I decided to wander over to check out the newly dedicated memorial to honour Princess Diana. It was more or less a wading pool, which has since been closed because of danger to the public – someone slipped and bumped their head on the sloping part of the circular pool.
I made my way back to the Hyde Park ‘Underground’ Station and hopped aboard the next train to the Airport. Apparently it was rush hour and everyone had just gotten off of work, the train was packed, and slow – we stopped at every station between Hyde Park and Heathrow; the ride took an hour. I then had to catch the shuttle back to the Hotel, change into ‘First Class’ attire, check-out, and catch the shuttle back to the airport. By the time this was done, it was 645pm. I apparently overlooked the fact that transportation would be slow on a Thursday afternoon, go figure.
*** **** ***
7pm at London-Heathrow’s British Airways and Qantas First Class check-in was quite crowded and after a 25 minute wait, I was graciously being checked in for my flight to Singapore. I was informed that my checked luggage was a bit heavy, 32kg, but that this would not be a problem going down to Australia, but that it would be on my return from Australia and that I should pack 2 bags. A BAA Heathrow Fast Track sticker was placed on my boarding pass, and I was off to security at 715… This line moved at an unimpressively slow rate, this was what they called the ‘Fast Track’ – the regular security line was moving faster, but of course I could not head over there or I would be tagged for additional security screening! After 30 minutes and watching countless times as crew and other passengers were escorted to the front of the line I made it there myself; apparently their were not enough staff to operate both screening stations and the ‘Fast Track’ was being handled by 4 professional security screeners. So with about an hour and a half before my flight, I headed down to the Concorde Lounge.
While the Concorde has been retired (I was able to tour one at the Seattle Air Museum in June!), the fabulous Concorde Room lives on to serve British Airways International First Class passengers. It is a great facility with a superb view of the tarmac and on this night: Four 747-400’s, one of which I would be boarding this evening. The Concorde Room also offers a menu from which you can order anything from sandwiches to a snack or salad. I settled for a tuna sandwich with glass of red wine and sat myself down near the windows and picked up the phone to make a few calls before I would be unreachable in the skies over Eurasia! It wasn’t long before my flight was announced and I was encouraged to ‘hike’ over to Gate 22.
Boarding for Flight 17 to Singapore was to take place from Gate 22 at 9:05pm. Gates 22-25 are located in an annexed wing from the main Terminal and it’s a good ten minute walk to them. I arrived at the gate lounge about 20 minutes before departure to find a large crowd and no sign of an on-time departure. I continued through the masses to the boarding podium where I was informed that the flight would be departing at 10:30; I bit discouraged, I ‘hiked’ back to the Concorde room and had a chat with the BA agent at the desk. She apologized for the false announcement, but made it clear that the flight had not been designated ‘delayed’ when she made the announcement.
I spent the next 45 minutes typing away at the workstation, catching up on emails and reading up on world news. At 955pm, an announcement was made that Flight 17 would begin boarding and that it was recommended that any passengers on the flight begin to ‘hike’ on over, again… As a approached Gate 22 for a second time there were only a couple dozen people still in line to board the aircraft. Boarding was through door 2L and as I entered the aircraft I took that fabled left hand turn towards the First Class cabin, only for the 2nd time ever. Club World looked to be filled to capacity this evening. A woman was having trouble lifting her excessively large carry-on into the overhead bin, so I offered to help, dropping my bag in the process. A bit disgruntled, I continued forward, settling into my ever so comfortable area for the next 13+ hours.
Hmm – No offer to hang my coat, no drink orders, no Bag… No worries, we were only delayed 1 hour. After about 20 minutes the FA approached and offered apologies for the delayed service and flight. I placed my drink order and looked out the window, noticing the clock below the gate sign. It was 1045… We didn’t actually push back until 11, and takeoff wasn’t until 1125. It was about 20 minutes after takeoff that I received my glass of Champagne and warmed nuts. This being one of BA’s longest flights and more or less in a competitive Europe-Asia market, I thought that there would have been a bit more prestige. The flight continued on with problems, the IFE system had to be rebooted 3 times and still didn’t work. The channels would play for about 3-4 minutes before going fuzzy; you could then change the channel, and immediately change back to see what you had been watching, but it would just repeat itself, and after 15 minutes of this I gave up. The dinner menu was presented soon afterwards:
London-Heathrow to Singapore
DINNER
Starters
Lobster
Lobster and crayfish with pink grapefruit
Timbale
Gruyere cheese and red onion timbale with red pepper coulis
Soup
Pea and mint soup
Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of roast garlic vinaigrette
or Pommery mustard dressing
** *** **
Main
Steak
Michel Roux’s grilled fillet of beef marinated in red wine
Chicken
Stir-fried lemon chicken with spicy noodles
Pasta
Fresh pasta with your choice of tomato, artichoke and smoked paprika
sauce or roast mushroom and thyme cream sauce
Salmon
Poached salmon with cucumber and potato salad
** *** **
Snacks
Garlic chicken Manoucher sandwich
Pea and mint soup with a side salad
A selection of cheese and fruit
** *** **
Dessert and Cheese
Shortbread
Strawberries with crème fraiche and shortbread
Chocolate
Bitter chocolate and orange delice
Fruit
A Basket of fresh fruit
Cheese
Shropshire Blue, unpasteurised Cooleeney, Worcester Gold, St-Nectaire
and Butler’s Secret cheese
*Unpasteurised cheese may pose a health risk to certain groups of people
including pregnant women, the elderly, the very young and those whose
systems may be immunocompromised.
Your choice of...
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
** *** **
WINE LIST
Champagne
Perrier Jouet Belle Époque Brut 1996
White Wines
Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Cortons, 2001, Roux Pere et Fils
Corton Charlemagne 1996, Laboure-Roi
Sancerre “Les Chasseignes” 2002, Domaine Fouassier
Starve Dog Lane Chardonnay 2000, Adelaide Hills
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2000
Red Wines
Chateau Petit Village 1994, Pomerol
Cornish Point Pinot Noir 2001, Central Otago
Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001, Domaine du Pere Pape
Heartland Director’s Cut Shiraz 2001, Limestone Coast
Dessert Wines
Chateau de la Mulonniere, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000
Warre’s, 1986, Reserve Tawny Port
Didn’t it all sound so good…? I thought so too…Alas, when the flight attendant came to take my order, I was informed that approximately one-half of the First Class food carts had in-fact not been loaded in London, and in there place – Main Class meals! Go figure. I asked if the Bag’s had been forgotten as well – The FA said she would bring me one after dinner, with a smirk on her face. I was getting a headache – is this supposed to happen in First Class; what had happened to that First Class experience I had had not 3 days before? Alas, I ordered the Lobster starter and grilled fillet of beef, both –fortunately were available! They were brought by a different FA and nicely presented, along with a glass of 1994 Pomerel. Desserts were not available, not that I was in the mood.
Somewhere over the Black Sea, I converted my seat into a bed and, after placing the duvet atop the seat cushions, covered myself with BA’s fine wool blanket and dropped off to sleep. I didn’t awake until almost seven hours later; and I might add in a much improved mood. The Air-map indicated that we were flying along the coast of Thailand, cruising at 41000 feet. Just about two hours were left in the flight and the wonderful smell of breakfast filled the forward First Class cabin from the galley. A different FA appeared, I assume the crew changed, and I was informed that all of the breakfast options were available! Hurray... Here is the transcript from the breakfast menu:
BREAKFAST
Juice
Chilled fruit juice
Smoothie
An energising fruit smoothie
Yoghurt and Cereal
A selection of fruit, plain yoghurts and cereals
Fruit
Fresh seasonal fruit plate
Bakery
A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
Traditional English Breakfast
Scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomato, sausage, and bacon
Pancakes
Pancakes with apple compote
Omelette
Creamed haddock omelette
Beverages
Your choice of coffee or tea
*** **** ***
The cabin was dark as about half the passengers were still sleeping. I raised my window shade a bit and looked out to see a sunny Thai coast, with the apparent jungle and deep blue Indian Ocean. If only I was down there, lying on the beach… but being at 40,000 feet and in a First Class wasn’t bad either; even though the flight hadn’t been quite par. Before Breakfast orders were taken, the Purser approached each First Class passenger and provided them with a ‘Customer Relations’ Disruption form and asked us to please fill them out and hand them back to him, so that if BA decided to do so, could contact us and possibly provide something to make up for the poor flight.
(Note: It has been over one and a half months and I still have yet to hear back from BA…)
I briefly considered the Traditional English Breakfast, but thought I’d have a go at the pancakes along with a smoothie and some yoghurt. The pancakes were small but quite tasty. By the time I’d finished breakfast, we were less than an 30 minutes out of Singapore so I began filling out the Singapore Immigration Form. Looking out the window we appeared to be following a Qantas ‘red tailed’ 747 into Changi, we then made our turn for landing, and I peered out the window for the rest of the flight looking forward to exploring Singapore.
Our landing at Changi was nothing out of the ordinary, and as we taxied to the gate we passed numerous Singapore 747’s and 340’s, another BA 747, which I could only assume was BA 15 heading on down to Sydney, and a Qantas 747 which I took to be the one we had followed in on landing. Even though we had departed almost 2 hours late, we made it to Singapore only 20 minutes late.
SINGAPORE
Immigration was a breeze and customs was nonexistent. I was greeted at the baggage claim and given a ‘Welcome to Singapore’ bag which contained a stuffed crab and numerous pamphlets about things to do while in Singapore. I had done a little pre-trip planning and made my way to the shuttle service, which for $7 would deposit me at my hotel within an hour and much cheaper than the $35 cab fare.
With Priceline, I’d booked a night in the 4 Star Concorde Hotel for $45, including taxes. The room itself was everything I’d imagined it would be. Situated high on the 11th floor, it had a wonderful view of the financial district as well as the harbour. I was more concerned however that I had a comfy bed and a hot shower when I was ready for it. I quickly changed my clothes and freshened up, heading downstairs to have a drink and listen to the live band from the Philippines. After about 20 minutes of listening to this groups shoddy attempt at a few American songs, I made my way over to the gift shop and grabbed a few postcards, figuring that I would pen a few of these out before bed. I meandered around the hotel lobby and found that for $25 US I could get a Full Body massage and I had every intention of taking full advantage of it in the morning before I headed to the airport. I decided that I’d have a quick bite to eat at the hotel’s restaurant which served a wide variety of Asian foods, amongst others and for $15 SIN; I was filled to my hearts content.
I wasn’t going to be in Singapore very long, as I would be departing the following day on BA Flight 17, continuing on down to Melbourne – which departs at 720pm; or so I thought . After penning off 5 or 6 postcards, I made my way to bed… looking forward to the rest of the adventure that I had begun…
[Note: I’ll continue with Part 4 of the Post: SIN-MEL soon… Thanks and Cheers – Wheresdg]
Aug 29, 2004, 2:24 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: @65°N. FAI, TAL, PDX, SEA, and sometimes SAN.
Programs: MVPG, VX-Silver
Posts: 278
Fairbanks to Geelong - The long way Part 4: SIN-MEL
July 10th, 2004
SIN-MEL British Airways First Class
747-400 G-CIV_ Seat 1K
7:20p-4:30a Flight time: 7:29
Singapore, continued…
Allowing my circadian clock to adjust itself to my new time zone, I slept in – waking around half past nine to a beautiful day in Singapore. I soon made my way down to the Concorde Hotel’s breakfast lounge, and enjoyed a delightful breakfast for $7 SIN. I then decided to take it upon myself to have a leisurely stroll about downtown area; covering about 4 miles in 2 hours… and while I’m sure there was a lot more to see… I was only here for a few more hours – so I headed back towards the hotel. Just as I arrived under the covered entrance, the darkened skies began to lighten their loads – and the afternoon showers had begun. I decided to take a load off and live a little, heading towards the massage parlour. Yahoo! 2 hours later I was refreshed and ready to take to the skies:
Changi International Airport
I checked out around 3 PM, knowing that I would have plenty of time to make it to the airport and enjoy the BA/Qantas Lounge. Soon after arriving Terminal 1, via city taxi for $15 SIN – I made my way to the ‘Premier Check-in’ area used by both Qantas and BA for their ‘Premier’ customers! With the customer agents seated at desks, this made for one of the more elegant touches to the First Class experience. I was informed that Flight 17 would be departing Late this afternoon, and that departure time was scheduled for 9:40 PM. Instead of being 4 hours early, I was now 6 hours early – What to do… I graciously accepted the free meal voucher for select restaurants within the terminal area and allowed my baggage to be checked. I decided to explore Changi International Airport, with its arrivals and departure area, as well as its own grocery store in the basement; this made for a good 45 minutes of wondering, but that sound of the Lounge kept calling my name… and around 4:30 PM I made my way through Customs and upstairs.
I was greeted by the agent serving the lounge, who informed me that if I decided to leave the lounge, I could not leave my bags – but alas, hoped I enjoyed the lounge! The ambiance was ten-fold that found outside the entrance, the lounge complete with waterfalls and flowing water, sleeping areas, free computer access, showers, as well as complimentary food and beverages. I soon found myself a corner, called it mine, and made my way for some lunch! Snacking on cheese and crackers, wontons, a mixed variety of sandwiches, and a Tiger beer in hand – I was enjoying this lap of luxury!
At 5pm, the lounge was quite empty, and I enjoyed the quiet atmosphere, using the time to write letters and finish off some postcards. After discovering the computers, I knocked off a few emails and caught up on the news. I then made my way to the lounge desk, asking if stamps were available – I was informed they weren’t, but that I could purchase them downstairs… When I got downstairs, at the shop next to the Mail Bin, they said they no longer sold stamps, and that I would need to go to Terminal 2 to the Changi International Post Office. So I took the tram that connects the 2 terminals, mailed my letters and post cards, and headed back to Terminal 1. I decided to stop and grab dinner, using my BA meal voucher, at an Italian restaurant… where it turns out I wasn’t the only one attempting to use my voucher. I was pleasantly pleased with the portion, as well as the 2 Snapple’s that I was allowed to have in addition to just dinner.
I made my way back up to the BA/Qantas Lounge, inquiring at the desk if it would be possible to switch my seat assignment from 2K to 1A; I had to settle for 1K, but alas, still in the nose! The lounge had filled considerably in the last hour, I was glad to see that my corner was still unoccupied – possibly because I had left my jacket! Oops, don’t tell the Lounge agent on me… I grabbed another Tiger beer, and watched a good match of soccer on the telly. Even though I spent a good part of my afternoon at the airport, it was quite enjoyable, but even the best of times must come to an end… so I gathered my belongings and made my way towards Gate 25.
Singapore to Melbourne - Tullamarine
After going through another set of security checks, and a lengthy pre-boarding process, I was able to distinguish myself as a First Class passenger, and was invited to board the aircraft. Alas, the fabled ‘Left hand turn’ and the passing of Club World… This was it, the final leg of my long way around the world! I began to take my seat, when I was asked by name if I would care to have my jacket hung! Yes – the BA service had returned! An assortment of sushi in accompaniment with a chilled glass of Champagne was soon presented; ah yes… the enjoyment of First Class. I snapped a few digital photographs, introduced myself to neighbour 1A, and then grabbed my copy of Michael Crichton’s latest novel: Prey.
Approximately a half hour later, around 930 PM, the boarding doors were closed, and BA 17 pushed back. The Captain came on the PA system and apologized for the late departure out of SIN, relating the matter to a flight that had left London two days prior that aborted and returned to London – which sent the system into a series of delays, including BA 17 on July 10th! The crew that was supposed to be on this flight had in fact never made it to Singapore, and the resting crew in Singapore had instead been assigned the task. After the Captain had wished us a ‘Good Evening’ the Purser came on announcing for passengers to look out for BA’s new uniform, which was being progressively introduced across their airline, which was followed by his spiel about purchasing duty free items aboard the flight.
Takeoff commenced at 10PM Singapore time, and we were soon on a southerly flight path, heading towards the land ‘Down Under’. The lovely young flight attendant approached about 20 minutes into flight, presenting the Dinner menu, a sleeper suit, and a BAg! So why don’t we check out what’s for dinner:
DINNER
Starters
Chicken
Smoked Chicken on minted tabouleh with red pepper salsa
Veggies
Buffalo Mozzarella cheese, roast vegetables, and olives
Soup
Hot and sour prawn soup
Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette
or roast tomato and pepper dressing
** *** **
Main
Lamb
Loin of lamb with potatoes dauphinoise, roast garlic and tarragon jus
Chicken
Chicken penang
Pasta
Fresh pasta with your choice of creamy pesto or tomato and basil sauce
Salmon
Barbequed salmon salad
** *** **
Snacks
Grilled fillet steak sandwich with relish
Grilled prawn salad
A selection of finger sandwiches
Bacon baguette
Hot and sour prawn soup with a side salad
A selection of cheese and fruit
** *** **
Dessert and Cheese
Ice cream
Baileys ice cream
Tart
Chocolate and hazelnut tart
Fruit
A Basket of fresh fruit
Cheese
A selection of cheese
Your choice of...
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
** *** **
WINE LIST
Champagne
Perrier Jouet Belle Époque Brut 1996
White Wines
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 1997, Jean-Marc Brocard
Pouilly-Fume Vielles Vignes 2001, Grand Cuvee Fournier
Saint Supery Meritage 2001, Napa Valley
Red Wines
Chateau Cantenac-Brown 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux
Chateau Lynch-Bages 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac
Piedra Feliz Pinot Noir 2002, Valle de Casablanca
Carmenet Dynamite North Coast Merlot 1999, California
Rodney Strong Symmetry 1999, Alexander Valley
Dessert Wines
Chateau de la Mulonniere, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000
Warre’s, 1986, Reserve Tawny Port
[Note: Wine List is the same as LHR-SIN]
*** **** ***
After a delightful fare of a salad, Lamb, and the accompaniment chocolate and hazelnut tart with a cappuccino, I was ready to dawn my sleeper suit and sod off. I was in-fact, quite pleased the flight had become delayed out of Singapore, because this now allowed for a decent hour welcome to Melbourne at 730, as opposed to the scheduled 430 AM… I knew however, that if I wanted to function at all during my first day in Victoria, Australia… I really needed some rest.
I awoke a half hour out of Melbourne, the morning sun just beginning to light up the skies. Good to know that I didn’t miss anything! The FA’s were politely waking up the First Class passengers and inviting them to a quick breakfast; here were our options:
BREAKFAST
Starters
Chilled Fruit Juice
An energising fruit smoothie
A selection of fruit, plain yoghurts and cereals
Fresh Seasonal fruit plate
Bakery
A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
*** ** ***
I graciously accepted a fruit smoothie, looking forward to being energised – along with a bowl of yoghurt and a croissant. After my tray was cleared and stowed, I made my seat and headed towards the wash closet to change into some formal attire – wouldn’t want to be seen in my sleeper suit! After a quick tidying up, I made my way to my seat, opened the shade, and enjoyed the last 10 minutes of my First Class experience. Landing at Tullamarine was eventless, and a short taxied followed. 3 Qantas 737-800’s, 2 Virgin Blue 737-800’s, and a few other International carriers were parked at various places along the terminal.
I grabbed my belongings, bid farewell to the cabin crew, and made my way towards Customs… after a short 5 minute interrogation of why I was in Australia; I made my way to baggage claim. Drug Enforcement dogs were avidly sniffing various peoples luggage, but this morning didn’t appear to offer any drug smugglers... Alas, my bag finally made its way around and I was off to the Immigration line! After patiently waiting for a good thirty minutes in the ever growing line, when I finally did make it to the immigration officer, I was merely waived on – what on heavens was taking so long then… Regardless, I made my way through the black doors and was in Australia! Many people had filled the arrivals hall; I quickly made my way over to exchange some currency, and was then whisked down to Geelong on the Princes Highway by one of Deakin Uni’s Greeting officers! Sure beats Taxi fare!
British Airways First Class
While at times it wasn’t top mark, I give BA a pat on the back because for the most part I had a very enjoyable journey around the world! The meals, the miles, and the presentable British manners were toppings on the cake, and I can honestly say I had the time of my life flying around the world the long way! Thanks BA!
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Geelong and Travels Down Under
I’ve currently been in Geelong for a little over a month now, enjoying the latter part of the Australian winter and looking ever forward to the coming Spring and Summer. Studies are going well down under, yet I am looking forward to a few trips that I have planned on Jet Star, Virgin Blue, and Qantas! So keep a lookout for some Australian Trip reports! I hope you enjoyed my TR about Fairbanks to Geelong – The Long Way. Geelong to Fairbanks will be in December, and i'll be glad to share the adventure! Thanks for reading, Cheers Mates! Ta - Wheresdg
SIN-MEL British Airways First Class
747-400 G-CIV_ Seat 1K
7:20p-4:30a Flight time: 7:29
Singapore, continued…
Allowing my circadian clock to adjust itself to my new time zone, I slept in – waking around half past nine to a beautiful day in Singapore. I soon made my way down to the Concorde Hotel’s breakfast lounge, and enjoyed a delightful breakfast for $7 SIN. I then decided to take it upon myself to have a leisurely stroll about downtown area; covering about 4 miles in 2 hours… and while I’m sure there was a lot more to see… I was only here for a few more hours – so I headed back towards the hotel. Just as I arrived under the covered entrance, the darkened skies began to lighten their loads – and the afternoon showers had begun. I decided to take a load off and live a little, heading towards the massage parlour. Yahoo! 2 hours later I was refreshed and ready to take to the skies:
Changi International Airport
I checked out around 3 PM, knowing that I would have plenty of time to make it to the airport and enjoy the BA/Qantas Lounge. Soon after arriving Terminal 1, via city taxi for $15 SIN – I made my way to the ‘Premier Check-in’ area used by both Qantas and BA for their ‘Premier’ customers! With the customer agents seated at desks, this made for one of the more elegant touches to the First Class experience. I was informed that Flight 17 would be departing Late this afternoon, and that departure time was scheduled for 9:40 PM. Instead of being 4 hours early, I was now 6 hours early – What to do… I graciously accepted the free meal voucher for select restaurants within the terminal area and allowed my baggage to be checked. I decided to explore Changi International Airport, with its arrivals and departure area, as well as its own grocery store in the basement; this made for a good 45 minutes of wondering, but that sound of the Lounge kept calling my name… and around 4:30 PM I made my way through Customs and upstairs.
I was greeted by the agent serving the lounge, who informed me that if I decided to leave the lounge, I could not leave my bags – but alas, hoped I enjoyed the lounge! The ambiance was ten-fold that found outside the entrance, the lounge complete with waterfalls and flowing water, sleeping areas, free computer access, showers, as well as complimentary food and beverages. I soon found myself a corner, called it mine, and made my way for some lunch! Snacking on cheese and crackers, wontons, a mixed variety of sandwiches, and a Tiger beer in hand – I was enjoying this lap of luxury!
At 5pm, the lounge was quite empty, and I enjoyed the quiet atmosphere, using the time to write letters and finish off some postcards. After discovering the computers, I knocked off a few emails and caught up on the news. I then made my way to the lounge desk, asking if stamps were available – I was informed they weren’t, but that I could purchase them downstairs… When I got downstairs, at the shop next to the Mail Bin, they said they no longer sold stamps, and that I would need to go to Terminal 2 to the Changi International Post Office. So I took the tram that connects the 2 terminals, mailed my letters and post cards, and headed back to Terminal 1. I decided to stop and grab dinner, using my BA meal voucher, at an Italian restaurant… where it turns out I wasn’t the only one attempting to use my voucher. I was pleasantly pleased with the portion, as well as the 2 Snapple’s that I was allowed to have in addition to just dinner.
I made my way back up to the BA/Qantas Lounge, inquiring at the desk if it would be possible to switch my seat assignment from 2K to 1A; I had to settle for 1K, but alas, still in the nose! The lounge had filled considerably in the last hour, I was glad to see that my corner was still unoccupied – possibly because I had left my jacket! Oops, don’t tell the Lounge agent on me…
I grabbed another Tiger beer, and watched a good match of soccer on the telly. Even though I spent a good part of my afternoon at the airport, it was quite enjoyable, but even the best of times must come to an end… so I gathered my belongings and made my way towards Gate 25.Singapore to Melbourne - Tullamarine
After going through another set of security checks, and a lengthy pre-boarding process, I was able to distinguish myself as a First Class passenger, and was invited to board the aircraft. Alas, the fabled ‘Left hand turn’ and the passing of Club World… This was it, the final leg of my long way around the world! I began to take my seat, when I was asked by name if I would care to have my jacket hung! Yes – the BA service had returned! An assortment of sushi in accompaniment with a chilled glass of Champagne was soon presented; ah yes… the enjoyment of First Class. I snapped a few digital photographs, introduced myself to neighbour 1A, and then grabbed my copy of Michael Crichton’s latest novel: Prey.
Approximately a half hour later, around 930 PM, the boarding doors were closed, and BA 17 pushed back. The Captain came on the PA system and apologized for the late departure out of SIN, relating the matter to a flight that had left London two days prior that aborted and returned to London – which sent the system into a series of delays, including BA 17 on July 10th! The crew that was supposed to be on this flight had in fact never made it to Singapore, and the resting crew in Singapore had instead been assigned the task. After the Captain had wished us a ‘Good Evening’ the Purser came on announcing for passengers to look out for BA’s new uniform, which was being progressively introduced across their airline, which was followed by his spiel about purchasing duty free items aboard the flight.
Takeoff commenced at 10PM Singapore time, and we were soon on a southerly flight path, heading towards the land ‘Down Under’. The lovely young flight attendant approached about 20 minutes into flight, presenting the Dinner menu, a sleeper suit, and a BAg! So why don’t we check out what’s for dinner:
DINNER
Starters
Chicken
Smoked Chicken on minted tabouleh with red pepper salsa
Veggies
Buffalo Mozzarella cheese, roast vegetables, and olives
Soup
Hot and sour prawn soup
Salad
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette
or roast tomato and pepper dressing
** *** **
Main
Lamb
Loin of lamb with potatoes dauphinoise, roast garlic and tarragon jus
Chicken
Chicken penang
Pasta
Fresh pasta with your choice of creamy pesto or tomato and basil sauce
Salmon
Barbequed salmon salad
** *** **
Snacks
Grilled fillet steak sandwich with relish
Grilled prawn salad
A selection of finger sandwiches
Bacon baguette
Hot and sour prawn soup with a side salad
A selection of cheese and fruit
** *** **
Dessert and Cheese
Ice cream
Baileys ice cream
Tart
Chocolate and hazelnut tart
Fruit
A Basket of fresh fruit
Cheese
A selection of cheese
Your choice of...
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
** *** **
WINE LIST
Champagne
Perrier Jouet Belle Époque Brut 1996
White Wines
Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 1997, Jean-Marc Brocard
Pouilly-Fume Vielles Vignes 2001, Grand Cuvee Fournier
Saint Supery Meritage 2001, Napa Valley
Red Wines
Chateau Cantenac-Brown 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux
Chateau Lynch-Bages 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac
Piedra Feliz Pinot Noir 2002, Valle de Casablanca
Carmenet Dynamite North Coast Merlot 1999, California
Rodney Strong Symmetry 1999, Alexander Valley
Dessert Wines
Chateau de la Mulonniere, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000
Warre’s, 1986, Reserve Tawny Port
[Note: Wine List is the same as LHR-SIN]
*** **** ***
After a delightful fare of a salad, Lamb, and the accompaniment chocolate and hazelnut tart with a cappuccino, I was ready to dawn my sleeper suit and sod off. I was in-fact, quite pleased the flight had become delayed out of Singapore, because this now allowed for a decent hour welcome to Melbourne at 730, as opposed to the scheduled 430 AM… I knew however, that if I wanted to function at all during my first day in Victoria, Australia… I really needed some rest.
I awoke a half hour out of Melbourne, the morning sun just beginning to light up the skies. Good to know that I didn’t miss anything! The FA’s were politely waking up the First Class passengers and inviting them to a quick breakfast; here were our options:
BREAKFAST
Starters
Chilled Fruit Juice
An energising fruit smoothie
A selection of fruit, plain yoghurts and cereals
Fresh Seasonal fruit plate
Bakery
A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
*** ** ***
I graciously accepted a fruit smoothie, looking forward to being energised – along with a bowl of yoghurt and a croissant. After my tray was cleared and stowed, I made my seat and headed towards the wash closet to change into some formal attire – wouldn’t want to be seen in my sleeper suit! After a quick tidying up, I made my way to my seat, opened the shade, and enjoyed the last 10 minutes of my First Class experience. Landing at Tullamarine was eventless, and a short taxied followed. 3 Qantas 737-800’s, 2 Virgin Blue 737-800’s, and a few other International carriers were parked at various places along the terminal.
I grabbed my belongings, bid farewell to the cabin crew, and made my way towards Customs… after a short 5 minute interrogation of why I was in Australia; I made my way to baggage claim. Drug Enforcement dogs were avidly sniffing various peoples luggage, but this morning didn’t appear to offer any drug smugglers... Alas, my bag finally made its way around and I was off to the Immigration line! After patiently waiting for a good thirty minutes in the ever growing line, when I finally did make it to the immigration officer, I was merely waived on – what on heavens was taking so long then… Regardless, I made my way through the black doors and was in Australia! Many people had filled the arrivals hall; I quickly made my way over to exchange some currency, and was then whisked down to Geelong on the Princes Highway by one of Deakin Uni’s Greeting officers! Sure beats Taxi fare!
British Airways First Class
While at times it wasn’t top mark, I give BA a pat on the back because for the most part I had a very enjoyable journey around the world! The meals, the miles, and the presentable British manners were toppings on the cake, and I can honestly say I had the time of my life flying around the world the long way! Thanks BA!
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Geelong and Travels Down Under
I’ve currently been in Geelong for a little over a month now, enjoying the latter part of the Australian winter and looking ever forward to the coming Spring and Summer. Studies are going well down under, yet I am looking forward to a few trips that I have planned on Jet Star, Virgin Blue, and Qantas! So keep a lookout for some Australian Trip reports! I hope you enjoyed my TR about Fairbanks to Geelong – The Long Way. Geelong to Fairbanks will be in December, and i'll be glad to share the adventure! Thanks for reading, Cheers Mates! Ta - Wheresdg
Sep 2, 2004, 9:23 am
#15
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A nice first effort, dg! Have a great time in Oz and we'll look forward to anything you may wish to post on your local travels. ^