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Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Sampler

Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Sampler

Old Jan 30, 2008, 1:05 pm
  #76  
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Sydney transit annoyance - take two

Again the, by now familiar, dash between the two domestic terminals. At transfer desk I try to check in for my onward flight. A very half hearted attempt was made then "sorry I can't do it". Uggg, not what I want to hear when I'm short on time.

In the monitor behind the desk I could see a crowd below waiting for the transfer bus, so I figured the next one is due soon. However, we waited for 20 further minutes before the next bus showed up. I took my usual position by the rear bus door and bolted once we arrived, turning right instead of left for immigration.

The first class check in desk took a while to check me in and I started to relax. I wasn't going to miss the last flight back today after all.

There was a moderate queue at immigration so I took the express lane. At security there were several people faffing about with their bags so I swept past neatly depositing my carry on and liquid bag into the x-ray machine while I walked through the WTMD without missing a step. I got pulled again for the explosives check. Dang - 4 times in one day must be some kinda record

I had enough time for a quick drink in the F lounge. It seems I have now visited often enough to no longer need to show my boarding pass or card at the entrance on both shifts By my reckoning that makes 5 international lounges in 3 countries that I can do this on all shifts (plus other domestic lounges and at some it depends on who is at the entrance).

Last edited by Kiwi Flyer; Feb 1, 2008 at 10:45 am
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Old Feb 1, 2008, 11:03 am
  #77  
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SYDNEY to AUCKLAND (SYD-AKL) on Qantas 767-300 in economy class

Just one boarding call for the flight, rather late in the process. So on arriving at the gate I was asked if I was a connecting passenger with late arrival.

We departed slightly late. The flight was very empty - less than 20% I would guess. Somehow they'd managed to stuff up seating so all the single passengers were seated together. However onboard we were encouraged to spread out. Even with the light load service was minimal - I've had much better on a 45 minute domestic flight (that is supposedly no service).

Dinner after take off a choice of a gluggy pasta or a tasteless beef(?) which was supposed to be a curry but something went wrong and it was inedible.

I dozed much of the flight. With our delayed arrival, instead of being the first of the late night Australia flights we arrived in the middle of the bank. So there were moderate queues at immigration - but freely moving. I got a new officer who couldn't recognise my stamps from Australia (pointed at US stamps and asked if they were from today's trip)!

For the second time today the immigration officer coded my card wrongly which was spotted at x-ray. Unfortunately no quick check to clarify, but instead a go by the book inspection. Fortunately the customs officer realised it was silly (the circumstances and the file they have on me) and so sped through as fast as he could ^

I fell asleep in the cab before we even left the airport grounds and awoke a couple of corners from home.
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Old Feb 2, 2008, 12:08 am
  #78  
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MELBOURNE to DEVONPORT (MEL-DPO) on Qantas Dash 8-100

For a nice change I didn't get selected for the explosives test when going through security (but on my previous flight I did ), and had enough time to visit the Qantas Club before the flight.

Boarding was called. As with most calls from here it is made at the last possible minute. Even leaving immediately and walking fast to the gate they are already looking for the last couple of passengers.

I notice I have the same aircraft that I flew to and from Dubbo just a few days earlier! The flight is fairly full with a handful of empty seats. Somehow my status didn't give me one of them. My theory is that on these flights if the load is above a certain percentage no seats are blocked.

We took off quickly and did a long circuit three quarters the way around Melbourne before following the coast. The views were great on this side of Bass Strait but thick low cloud near Tasmania obscured all views of the other side until close to landing.

A light refreshment was served - chocolate brownie slice, water, tea and coffee.
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Old Feb 3, 2008, 12:27 pm
  #79  
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DEVONPORT to MELBOURNE (DPO-MEL) on Qantas Dash 8-100

A short transit, just long enough to see to a couple of things before reboarding. I didn't have enough time to visit the small lounge (touted in the QF Australian Way magazine as improved now with 16 seats! - yup it is a small lounge in a small airport).

The flight back was almost exactly the same - almost full load. Same chocolate slice. Same lack of views until close to the Victorian coast. We arrived on time. Isn't it odd that on these short hops flown by props the schedule does not appear to be padded yet on the main city routes flown by jets there is substantial padding?

On arrival back at MEL we have to clear security to re-enter the terminal. This is because the prop flights arrive airside not landside.

I forgot to mention but on arrival at Devonport we're met at the terminal and asked if we have any produce to declare due to inter-state quarantine rules.
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Old Feb 3, 2008, 1:34 pm
  #80  
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MELBOURNE to LAUNCESTON (MEL-LST) on Qantas Dash 8-100

I have enough time for a quick lounge visit, a drink and to check my messages before the next flight is called.

I get the same aircraft but different crew of course.

The 4th trip of the day across Bass Strait (my flight into MEL also was along Bass Strait) was much the same as the flight to Devonport. The main difference was being woken midflight when my seatmate spilled coffee on me despite smooth level flying conditions
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Old Feb 3, 2008, 2:11 pm
  #81  
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LAUNCESTON to MELBOURNE (LST-MEL) on Jetstar A320

As QF refused to book me on the return QF Link flight I had an hour or so to wait until the Jetstar flight. I was unable to OLCI because of the QF segment in the booking but had plenty of time to check in at the airport.

The small terminal was bustling at this time of day with flights on Qantas, Virgin Blue and Tiger all within a few minutes of each other. Add in Jetstar not that much later and that is a lot of competition on the route to Melbourne.

Check in was quick and I was handed a supermarket check out style boarding pass in two copies - one to hand over at the gate and the other to show on boarding. There was enough time to use the lounge next to check in. This had maybe a dozen seats, a modest drink selection (a few beers and wines, water, soft drink, spirits), a small offering of snacks but no real food. One computer terminal with burnt in images on the monitor and glacial speed. A tv in the corner, some newspapers and magazines.

The flight is called early - well before even the aircraft arrives. As a jet flight there is security screening at the gate. Boarding is in one mass - no priority or preboarding here. Forward rows use front stairs and rear rows the rear stairs. Boarding is rather quick, although in part this is due to the light load (perhaps half full).

The 30" pitch is rather tight and I angle my legs and knees into the empty middle seat.

We take off on time. I wondered if 5 crossings of the same piece of water in a day is some personal record, until I remembered I also have had 5 crossings of the waters between Singapore and Jakarta on the same day.

As a low cost carrier there is no free water, tea or coffee. Everything is for sale. The 4 FAs spend much of the flight going back and forth in pairs - first with the carts selling food and drink, then again to collect the rubbish. For those "served" last they had maybe 5 minutes to eat/drink before handing back the rubbish - so it was surprising to me just how many people did buy food/drink.

We landed slightly early but as I was seated towards the back (no forward row preference on account of my status) it was after scheduled arrival time before I disembarked.

Overall my first Jetstar experience was not too bad, although I would not want to have a 4 hour flight with them. Probably the most painful bit on this short flight was the loss of FF points.
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Old Feb 22, 2008, 8:01 pm
  #82  
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BRISBANE to FRASER COAST HERVEY BAY (BNE-HVB) on Qantas Dash 8-300

With an FT meet planned for the afternoon I took the opportunity to arrive in Brisbane early enough for a quick turnaround somewhere I haven't been before. Schedule constraints limited the options somewhat so I settled on Hervey Bay.

In various places (even within the Qantas website) the destination is sometimes referred to as Fraser Coast and sometimes as Hervey Bay. Confusing if you aren't aware of the dual names.

I'd come across from international terminal. Thanks to the inefficiencies that make up most major Australian airport this simple exercise took nearly an hour after arrival, despite use of express immigration and xray. I already had my onward boarding pass thanks to OLCI and PYOBP, and had no bags to check. Thus I did not need to head to the Qantas domestic transfer desk at the far right hand end of landside arrivals level.

For the unacquainted on reaching landside you cannot simply walk to domestic terminal which is a couple of kilometers away. Cab fares are high thanks to airport charges. The airtrain from the city travels between the terminals. Like Sydney, it is free for connecting Qantas passengers and a charge for everyone else. Up a level to the walkway over to the station. I got a ticket stub for the train good for 1 int->dom transfer, to be handed in on leaving the domestic airport station. Then I waited along with dozens of others for about 30 minutes in the sticky heat for the next train to come along.
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Old Feb 22, 2008, 8:24 pm
  #83  
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Once at domestic, a walk over the bridge, down the escalator, along the length of the terminal to security. Security is busy this time of day. Then upstairs to the lounge to await my flight.

I was aware boarding time approached and made my way out. As I approached the exit the boarding call was made. I barely got halfway down the escalator to the prop gates (ie not very many metres from the lounge) when I was paged. Oh please. At the gate a minute or so later and while I was the last to have boarding pass scanned at the gate I caught up with the rest of the passengers out on the tarmac waiting to board. Still, my "lateness" did save a couple of minutes out in the hot sun.

The flight was not very full. We left a couple of minutes early. Nice views out both sides but especially out the right of the beaches, bays, islands, and yes also urban sprawl along the Queensland coast.

We had a few turns before landing. The airport is in a picturesque setting. Quickly inside to escape the heat.
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Old Feb 22, 2008, 8:34 pm
  #84  
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FRASER COAST HERVEY BAY to BRISBANE (HVB-BNE) on Qantas Dash 8-300

While screening stations are set up at the entrance to the only gate they are unmanned as only needed for Virgin Blue's flights (being jet vs prop). The flight back is slightly fuller but still very low load. I forgot to mention on this short flight a light refreshment of chocolate slice plus water tea and coffee is served. Exactly the same going back.

More stunning views. We arrive early and get a bus gate, but there is little wait - the bus arrives soon.
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Old Jun 1, 2009, 2:22 pm
  #85  
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Far north Queensland and Papua New Guinea
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Old Mar 30, 2010, 7:26 pm
  #86  
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Auckland to Cairns

Cairns to Auckland
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