dragonman

Dear reader, this report comes to you from the F lounge in Sydney as I wait for the BA 16 flight to Singapore. It starts here but was born months ago when I discovered AFF and FT. Now armed with the advice of the many I will travel this route: SYD–SIN-NRT-FCO-LHR-DXB-LHR-TXL-LHR-HEL-ROV-HEL-JFK-DFW-YUL-MIA-ORD-LAS-LAX-SYD.

The eagle eyed will have noticed that this cannot be a DONE4 alone. Thanks to the advice of Simon, KiwiFlyer and QF009 and many others the DONE4 originates in NRT on Xmas day. Today the trip to SIN is using points (in F as it was the only way to get there on points). LHR-TXK-LHR is also on points and HEL-ROV-HEL is a paid for flight. There will be 7 legs left in SWP and Asia to be done some time in 2008.

Check-in was completely painless and Express exit through customs/security took maybe 5 mins total. The F lounge is great (as usual) and for lunch the bacon and zucchini soup was great. Sadly the schnitzel and roast potatoes are no more and the hamburger instead was just ok. If you choose to endure the trip reports you will see a sad lack of commentary on grog (I am allergic to alcohol) but the coca-cola is fine.

So I ask some questions as it nears time to board. Do you wish to read hotel reports along the way? Is it cool to report on the cruise (5 days from Singapore around the Straits of Malacca).

The hand-luggage only is as result of figuring out that I might have to spend 24 hours of my trip all-up hanging around baggage carousels. That and the fact that BA lost my daughter’s luggage on a DONE 4 last year. It will take some creativity but I think I have it under control.

Kiwi Flyer

Looking forward to the report dragonman

7 weeks on hand luggage only, and only 1 piece for UK draconian rules, is mighty impressive. I thought I was doing well with my wee 4 week double RTW effort.

Gatwick Alan

Please do include hotel and cruise reports. I get my inspiration from reading reports like yours, have a great trip.

lucky9876coins

Sounds very exciting, can't wait to read the report!^

Rejuvenated

Looks like this is going to be a good one. Can't wait to hear the rest.

dragonman

I had been looking forward to my first F for quite a while now and in the end it was very good if not great. Flight boarded on time. Seat 2A was chosen after reading SeatGuru and at the seat were blankets pillows a sheet and shortly after arrival pjs and a nice sort of soft cube that unzips around the middle with toiletries.

I knew that there were better F services around but when I came to book this was it. The BA staff were super professional and obliging without being servile if you know what I mean. Coke (and hereafter remember not cocaine just a soft drink) and canapés arrived, and the half-full F cabin got fed oh maybe 1 and a half hours after take off. Having eaten not that long ago in the F lounge, I chose smoked salmon as as entrée and braised chicken as a main. Both were good. I delayed desert (apple crumble and ice cream) until much later. There was no sign of anything approaching a caviar service. Drinks were refilled continuously and the offer of pastries sandwiches was always there.

Having heaps of room is the great novelty I guess but being oldish BA there are a few minor issues for me. The IFE is considerably inferior to the QF avod system. The screens are small and in bright daylight almost impossible to see. The other thing that I found odd is a halogen reading light on a stalk that kind of hangs over your left shoulder. Sort of imagine a one armed drunk Dalek and you get the picture.

Anyway off the plane at 9:40 through immigration (no queues) at 9:45, money from an ATM by 9:50 and arrived at PAN PACIFIC Hotel by 10:25pm.

Teacherflyer

Excellent. I'm going to love every second of the report.

dragonman

Almost all my hotels were chosen by reading reviews on tripadvisor.com and then booking on expedia.com. The Pan Pacific is close to the action had excellent reviews and at $180 (incl taxes) a night seemed like a good deal.

It’s a great deal. Large rooms with huge bathrooms separate shower and bath. Flat screen tv with plenty of channels and most importantly a dedicated soccer channel. Good service and an extended 2:00 pm check out – great king-size very comfortable beds. It’s a four star hotel abut pretty close to 5 stars I think. Highly recommended.

dragonman

This was a five night cruise with stops at Phuket, Penang and Kuala Lumpur. The ship is enormous holds nearly 3000 people and attracts a clientele which is roughly 70% Asian (Singapore, Hong Kong and China predominantly) and 20% Indian and 10% Australian, UK and US.

So this is not a “party boat”. I chose it because its very favourably reviewed on cruisecritic.com and at $1600AUD for 5 nights in a cabin with bathroom and balcony its very good value indeed. The ship has 7 restaurants of which 3 are “inclusive” meaning that they are included in the cost for every one. There are 4 premium restaurants but balcony-class passengers get a $400 SD credit towards food and beverages.

Shore excursions at approx $50SD a piece were good value, the restaurants in particular the Japanese and Chinese were excellent. What impressed most was the organisation. These guys can load and unload 2800 passengers with great ease, and the facility at the cruise terminal was able to cope fairly easily as well.

Given that you could pay as much for 5 nights in many hotels, and you get fed and fed well I would recommend this cruise to anyone really.

l etoile

By all means, feel free to include your hotel and cruise reports.

I usually travel with just hand luggage too, but four weeks has been my max. I hadn't thought about adding up total time potentially spent waiting at a luggage carousel over so many weeks/flights...pretty surprising when you look at it that way.

dragonman

The last leg before the DONE4 starts from NRT and a rare chance to sample the wares of Singapore airlines. Check in was painless maybe a 5 minute wait, been a while since checking in with no status at all. Through immigration in another 5 so that leaves 2 hours before the flight, enough time to visit the QF F lounge in the other terminal.

Its pretty uninspiring at breakfast time, caught up with some oz papers an apple juice and a croissant and back to terminal 2 for the flight. Security at the gate no great hassle and in no time in 34K (having changed from 33K the day before as 34J appeared to be vacant) and scored that vital unoccupied seat next to me. In Y that’s the difference between relative comfort and pure hell in my experience.

On this flight lunch is served:
Appetizer: marinated prawns with lettuce
Main course: Beef goulash with roasted veg and pasta
Dessert: a cornetto
Prawns were good, goulash was cooked maybe 3 times as long as it should have been, passed on the cornetto.

Drink service was good and FA’s were attentive. The AVOD system worked but in the 747’s the screens are tiny and glare makes them almost unwatchable at times. Overall I guess SQ offered a slightly superior Y service to QF but my last few QF flights have been chockers so I am not sure the comparison is entirely fair.


Getting through NRT customs was easy (quick exit from plane and mst passengers in transit to LAX) although I have never filled in as many forms as Japan seems to require. 2900Y and the bus takes me straight to the TCAT which is adjacent to the Royal Park hotel and I am in my room 1 hour after landing. Not too bad at all.

dragonman

Royal Park Hotel , Kanto Tokyo Dec 22 to Dec 25

Great value hotel, less than $800 for 3 nights, large rooms, free internet. I would have like to stay in the Hyatt but its twice the price and your humble author here is self-funded.

I had been warned about the price of eating out here. If I ate in the hotel its about $100 a head and up. Walk out of the hotel and head for a variety of noodle (ramen) and sushi prices and it is so cheap it beggars belief. A Sushi Train fan in Sydney I walked up the road until I found "Sushi Otaru" ate more than I should have (8 plates) total bill less than $10 . Taxis around town cheapish as well.

Its a great place if you are occasonally prepared to step from your comfort zone. Cheers and a merry xmas / happy holidays to all.

dragonman

Caught the Airport bus from the TCAT to Narita. This takes about 45 mins and was painless on xmas day since there was not much traffic around. This is the first leg of the DONE4 and with some trepidation and an e-ticket I approached the JAL ticket counter. I had pre-booked seat 1A and this was all good, the flight to Rome is a 2-class 747 so boarding pass in hand I head for the Sakura F lounge clearing immigration and security in about 5 minutes on the way. It has a nice selection of food and drinks and the famous beer pouring machines. The lounge has a great view over the airport, and the service, as it always is in Japan, is impeccable.

The flight JAL 409 is 12 hours and 45 minutes long and knowing this I had my laptop and some dvd’s to read so no problems (or so I thought).

Boarding and turning left the business cabin is in two sections, I assume that the upper deck is part of the economy configuration. It turned out that the cabin was one third full at best. I score the luxury of having nobody in seat 1B so I can really spread out.

No pre-takeoff drinks are offerred. The amenities such as they are pick and choose from a basket. The headphones are cheap and not noise reduction. Curiously I was offered a cardigan (no pjs this is a daytime flight).

Shortly after take-off I wonder where the power outlet is. There is none but they do offer batteries, but alas my macbook is not catered for so that reduces the dvd time. This leads to profuse apologies from the CSD. The AVOD is Magic II, the older set-up but works well. The seat is of the old non-lie flat type. Not an issue for me this time as the flight lands at 6:50 pm so I aim to stay awake and sleep once I get to the hotel in Rome.

The food and drink service is outstanding. Half – finished soft drinks are replaced often. The menu has two categories – Western and Japanese. I opt for the western option and luch and dinner are served on the flight.

Lunch

Amuse bouche
Terrine of lobster
Cold Carrot soup

Fillet of Beef with piquant sauce or Seafood Bouillabaisse
Fresh Salad
Bread or Steamed Rice

Cheese, Fruits and Petit Fours.

The meal was very good and I accepted the offer of some miso soup After the meal sandwiches were offerred at regular intervals until dinner:

Dinner

Barley and lentil risotto
Fried conger eel
Fresh salad
Fruit
Bread

Overall it was a good experience with great service. I was the first to get to immigration and nobody was looking like they cared at customs. Down to the airport express train all ticket offices shut (its xmas) took about 20 mins to get a ticket from a machine, and about 30 minutes into the Rome Termini station. A 10 minute walk to Hotel Diocleziano and a very long day comes to an end.

dragonman

Nothing in Rome seems to be very well organised. The idea was simple - go to Termini (Rome’s central station) catch the train to the airport, check in and go. Not easy to figure out the ticketing system on the trains, but finally matters resolve and 40 minutes or so later I am at Fiumincino Airport.

The BA counters are a nightmare. Nobody seems to pay any attention to who checks in where, and by going to the wrong line, I check in Italian style. Passport queue 20 minutes, security another 20 and find the BA lounge, no computers, mediocre food quality but its peaceful.

Go to the gate at boarding time (3:00 already 30 minutes late) and nothing happens until 3:20 then there is a stampede - no pre-boarding of anyone. On the plane in seat 3A and happy to find nobody in 3B. No pre- takeoff drinks offered but orders taken for post-takeoff. The food is two sandwiches, a mini cornish pastry and a scone with cream and jam. No audio or video available but attentive staff in a half-full cabin. It’s a long way from what even premium economy should be.

First off the plane and in transit fast-track security with my carry-on and laptop stuffed into it until the I take it out at x-ray and it has stayed out since. 5 minute wait for a bus and then its off to T4. This report comes to you from the computers outside the BA F lounge, where I enjoyed Broccoli and stilton soup and now I am off for a shower to help kill the 3 hour wait.

dragonman

LHR-DXB Club World
DXB-LHR Club World

This was my first ever mileage run and to be honest would have preferred to stop-over at least one night but for a few reasons this could not be. This flight leaves at 9:40pm and boarding was on time. BA109 is uses the older Club World in a 777. The seating is in a yin-yang arrangement and I had the same seat in both directions.

I had been assigned a boarding pass to Dubai but could not get the return leg at either FCO or LHR, and I was a little worried about getting one at Dubai.

The service in both directions was good. LHR-DXB offered dinner and a light breakfast.
I had Loch Fyne smoked salmon, Shaun Hill’s smoked haddock and prawn fish pie and apple and blackberry pie with custard.

The entertainment system is not on demand but was adequate. I had seen most of it so watched stuff on the laptop for a while and slept until breakfast (it’s a 7 hour flight).

Breakfast was a choice of fresh fruit or yoghurt with honey and a selection of breads and pastries. I declined knowing that I would soon be on the return leg.

Landed on time around 8:15 am and then off to get boarding pass for next leg back. I find the transit desk but can only see Emirates staff. I ask them and they say “you must ask men in blue jackets”. None to be seen. They turn out to be 4 seats along seated on very low chairs and invisible if you are 2 metres from the counter. The questions start “why are you not staying in our country?” I eventually persuade him yes it is bizarre and I would have liked t stay and he gives me a BA boarding card and off to the BA lounge. Nice assortment of drinks and sandwiches and off to board the return leg.

Flight BA 108 leaves on time at 10:10 am. Lunch is poached prawns with coconut and green salad, followed by grilled fillet of beef and then a strawberry tart. I would say that on this flight about one quarter of the cabin was less than five years old, boy was I thankful to have my Bose noise-reduction headphones.

Immigration and fast-track card in hand I head off to find fast-track closed and a 45 minute wait at immigration. Its 2pm on sat 29 Dec but between xmas and new year anything to do with transport in London is likely to be reduced.

On the tube and I have been travelling for a long time but I console myself with SC’s earned and to be honest for a day and a half I sit and people feed me. Life could be worse.