goodo

Presenting my first FT thesis… I mean trip report. If you could be bothered reading through it all, some constructive criticism would be very welcome. The whole routing was MEL-SIN-BKK-SIN-AMS-CPH-GOT-FRA-TLV-FRA-YYZ-YUL-LGA-IAD-LAX-AKL-MEL. It was certainly a long 16 segments, especially when the whole trip was only 16 days.

My first stopover was to be TLV. I know airlines, even within the same alliance can’t always check you in for other airlines flights but I thought at least luggage could be checked in all the way. Nope! (Well not for 8 segments anyway.) There were QF staff manning the check-in for SQ 218 in MEL. The agent couldn’t believe my ticket. Four tickets stapled together, with 8 segments to check in for at once. It took me long enough to get to the front. Then I stood there while she tried to figure out my ticket. I explained to her about the Star Alliance 55k bonus. She went to ask her supervisor some questions. After a while she tried again, and then went back to her supervisor. I explained to her that even though the flights spanned 3 days, there was never a 24 hour stopover, so she could check me in all the way. But eventually she told me (after a few more staff meetings) that the computer couldn’t accept more than 5 segments. She wanted to check me in till GOT but I didn’t think that there would be enough time to check in there. So we decided that she would check me in till SIN. From there, there would be 5 segments remaining which the computers in SIN (she told me that they had the same system as those in MEL) could handle. So she tried to check my bags in MEL-SIN-BKK-SIN, but the computer wouldn’t accept that either. She said that when she typed in destination SIN it wouldn't let her add the segment to BKK and back. (Well that wasn’t the end of the world – my bags don’t need to get lost on the way to BKK if they’re going back to SIN anyway!)

Anyway, once that was done she told me to put my carry-on on the scales. It read 10 kg, and she told me that SQ will only allow 7kg, and I’d have to remove some things. I told her that I’d never heard of such a thing, and she replied that once I try to go through immigration I would be sent back when they weighed it. I told her I’d take my chances.

After changing some currency, I went through the doors and of course was asked to weigh my carry-on. It showed 10kg, and I was let through. Security and X-raying didn’t take long, even with only one machine operating and I was soon on my way.

I had a while to wait for my flight, so after giving the agent at the gate my MX number (she’d never had an MX number before and asked if I knew MX’s 2 letter designator), I sat down, relaxed and enjoyed the wait.

When boarding was announced, instead of calling for First, Business and Star Gold passengers first, they had economy entering on the right (boarding by row of course) and First, Business and Star Gold only on the left.

The flight was uneventful. The Singapore Girls really are friendly. I was given seat 36D which is an aisle on a 747-400. Not a bad seat, especially for someone who needs to stretch his long legs. For once hot towels are just that – hot towels. I watched a movie and played some Nintendo on the PTV – I love PTVs! The late departure meant that only a snack was offered before I settled in for a nights sleep. Upon waking there were more hot towels and a hot breakfast was served. Special meals ex-MEL are pretty good!

We arrived in SIN on time so I took the Skytrain to Terminal 1 and headed for the transfer desk. Of course the agent there didn’t know what to make of my ticket either. “You’re going to BKK and then coming back?” But at least it didn’t faze her. She decided it’s probably easier to just leave my luggage in SIN, so she gave me my boarding pass and I was on my way. I checked out a camera store in Terminal 1, so I would have something to compare duty-free in BKK with.

I was given seat 38C on TG 402 on a 777-200. No PTVs, and I had found SQ’s seats to be more comfortable, but it was only a short hop. My special meal was pretty good – Apple Pancakes from Sydney. And the flight attendants were what I had come to expect from Asian airlines.

Upon landing in BKK I went straight to the transfer desk. Again the agent was more than a bit confused. “What is your destination?” “Singapore – TG 413”. “Where did you arrive from?” “Singapore”. She repeated what I just told her. She went to speak to her supervisor, as they all do. She came back to repeat her questions. When I responded in the affirmative, she asked me what I was doing in BKK, to which I responded “I’m just in transit”. She asked me why I flew to BKK and I told her for the mileage. She then asked to see my passport again and then needed to make some phone calls. (It turned out she called security on me). Reluctantly she gave me my boarding passes, upset at missing the opportunity to capture a mileage...err drug runner.

I browsed through BKK duty free, glad that I was returning to SIN. While waiting in line to enter the gate lounge, a few official looking people entered. One was Thai, the others were Western looking who bypassed the line and went inside. (Later on I realized it was these men that had been called when the agent at the Transfer desk voiced her suspicions about me).

Once I was seated in the lounge the Thai official came up to me and asked to see my passport again. He took it back to the desk where the others scrutinized my passport from cover to cover. Finding nothing wrong with it, they came over to me and asked to see my ticket, which I handed over to them (No they didn’t flee with my ticket and passport ) Seeing nothing wrong with it, they asked what I was doing, so I told them about the 55k bonus Star Alliance was offering by flying 5 airlines. I did tell a little white lie, that TG was booked out of from BKK to Europe so I had to return to SIN to catch SQ.

Waiting in the lounge CNN had a story on about the horrific midair collision between a DHL 757 and a Russian airliner over Germany. (What is it about me and plane crashes? In 1998 a day before my RTW trip, a TG A310 crashed near Surat Thani, and now this. I think you better keep an eye on my itineraries on FT!). Boarding was called - First, Business and Star Gold first, and then coach.

I was in seat 35A on a TG A330. The flight was ok, but the food was pretty bad – not that I needed my 3rd meal in as many hours. Upon arrival in SIN I took the Skytrain to terminal 2 and went to the Transfer desk. Of course, my luck is that I get stuck with the trainee agent. I tried to check in for all 5 remaining segments. After all, according to the agent in MEL I could because they used the same system. After more supervisor consultations, the supervisor agreed that he couldn’t check the bags more than 4 segments, and myself no more that three. At least I didn’t have to check-in at AMS for my SK flights.

Once all this was done, I took my carry-on to storage while I went to catch my first glimpse of Singapore outside of Changi. I went to the taxi rank which was deserted, and took a trip to Orchard Street. My first task was to buy a camera. The taxi driver took me to a place – I think it was called Lucky Plaza. After moving from store to store I finally bought one and moved on. I tried the MTR, which was quick and easy to use. After walking around, I caught a cab back to the airport. Once there I picked up my carry-on and checked out the departure terminal. Very impressive. Marble, a giant goldfish pond, and internet. $4 SGD for half an hour, $1 US for 10 minutes. I went online as I had quite a lot of time to pass.

Eventually I sauntered over to the gate which yet to open, so I sat down with the rest of the passengers outside and waited. Finally the gate opened and the plane boarded. I managed to get an exit row – seat 39J - on SQ 24 SIN-AMS, and I can tell you, such legroom on a 13 hour overnight flight is to die for! Such are the advantages of checking in at 3pm for a midnight flight. A couple ended up seated in 39H and 39K so I swapped with one of them and got the aisle seat too.

I managed to sleep for 8 hours, though not in one stretch. I was up every 2 or 3 hours. The SQ cabin crew were their usual self, extremely friendly and ready to help at any time. After waking, watched some CSI (woohoo, one of my favorite shows), and brought back some old memories playing Super Mario Brothers on the Nintendo. Breakfast was served, and we finally landed in rainy AMS.

After landing I exited and after passing through customs I made it to gate B17, down at the other end of the airport to catch my connecting flight SK 550 to CPH. I gave my UA card to the agent who told my SK number was already in the system (though I’m not a member of Eurobonus, I wonder who would’ve ended up with my miles had I not changed it). Boarding began after around 20 minutes, and the MD-80 was full. Funny how I checked in first, yet got seat 24C, one of the last rows on the plane. The breakfast was still half frozen, but how many times can I eat breakfast already anyway?

After landing in CPH I exited the gate and found the monitor indicating that SK flight 434 to GOT departed from the same gate. So I sat down in the empty lounge, and that’s when my perfect trip began to unravel. I watched them unload the bags and it didn’t appear that my bags were unloaded. I knew that with so many segments something was bound to happen, but I had hoped it wouldn’t. Anyway, what could I do about it? About 20 minutes before boarding was due to start, the lounge still looked empty. I walked out and my flight to GOT had disappeared from the monitor.

I almost ran to the main monitors and couldn’t find my flight listed. I was near palpitating, as I ran to customer service desks. Suddenly my flight appeared with a new gate number. I was in 11C for this short 35 minute flight. After serving a chocolate bar and a drink, we descended and landed at GOT.

Finding no-one at the departure gate for LH 3071 to FRA, I decided to tour a bit, even exiting the terminal, and then going to check-in for my remaining flights. Although they couldn’t do anything about my luggage, and 8 hours in FRA would be ample time for that. After adding to my foreign currency stash I went to SK customer service. It turned out that my UA number had been recorded for my previous segment, so I got them to change it to my MX number (surprisingly, this was the first and one of the only flights to post to MX so far). I also had my UA number put in my reservation once the gate opened. I was in the 2nd row in economy, but no-one was in the first row so I moved. Although the armrests wouldn’t rise up all the way so I couldn’t stretch out much. The recline wasn’t good either. And no special meal .

Arriving in FRA passengers disembarked using stairs and were then bussed to the terminal. I went to baggage claim, but of course my suitcase wasn’t there. I went to LH baggage services who could barely fit in the details about what flights my bag had traveled on for the report. They managed to track my bag down though. After it had missed the connection in AMS to GOT, they put it on the next flight on KL to GOT. I’ve course I had already left GOT and arrived in FRA by this time. Why they didn’t think to bypass GOT and fly it straight to FRA from AMS is beyond me. They sent a telex to baggage in GOT, telling them to send it on the next flight to FRA which was to arrive that evening. If they did, it would make my flight to TLV. I spent the next few hours doing nothing. I bought a book to read, and added Euro to my Swedish Kroner, US dollars, Singapore dollars and Australian dollars I had on me.

That evening I went back to LH baggage services who confirmed that my bags did not make the flight to FRA. Which meant my bags would arrive in TLV the next afternoon at the earliest, if I was lucky. They gave me a Star Alliance toiletry pack for my trouble, and sent me on my way. Eventually my flight made it to the main board. LH 690 to TLV Gate C8. After waiting for all the security to get ready for entry to the gate (that’s right), I went through the screening process, having my shoes X-rayed just like they had done in LAX earlier on in the year (is it me or just my shoes?). At long last, boarding. I grabbed my free newspapers (that was a nice touch in the FRA gate lounge – is it every lounge or just this one that gets them?). I climbed the stairs to the jetway, and sat down in my aisle seat 23G. This was good. I had 4 seats to myself, that was until someone decided to take the aisle on the other end off my hands. At least I had 2 seats so I could stretch out a bit. Though this was, my 3rd night on a plane in a row. I was out like a light straight after takeoff, and didn’t wake up till after we had begun our descent. (This must be an easy flight to be an FA on!)

Arriving in TLV buses transported us to the arrivals hall. The immigration official informed me that my visa was for 3 months only, and that my previous trip had lasted 8 months – on another 3 month visa. So I told her I was only staying for 3 days, and she let me through.

Upon arriving at the house I was staying at, I called LH, who of course could not find any of record of my bag needing to be sent on the next flight to TLV (which was to leave in a couple of hours). So the agent sent another telex to FRA, and she would call me back on its status. I had a shower and conked out on my bed. I had been traveling for nearly 3 days without a good nights sleep and was exhausted. I woke up in the evening, and went to the Barmitzvah I was in town for.

The next day I went into TLV proper, to check my email and of course logon to FT! On Saturday night I left for the airport at around 2am in time for my 5:30 flight to FRA. It seems that they didn’t like my passport there either (but at least it wasn’t like my last visit where they asked me for another form of photo I.D!). But alls well that ends well, I was let through to check-in and LH could check me on LH 691 to FRA and well as all my connecting AC flights. The airport was starting to fill up, even at 3 in the morning, when some of the stores were still closed.

I was in 32A on an A340. The LH service was as it had been with my previous flights – nothing to write home about. A call for a doctor over the P.A. did bring some excitement to what was an otherwise boring flight. One thing I did like was that just before arrival in FRA, on the movie screen they listed all LH flights departing in the next 1.5 hours with their respective gates. For those with a short connect it could be a godsend. Upon arrival I went to transfer area until they had decided what gate my connecting flight AC 877 to YYZ was to depart from. Once boarding started, I was planning to go ahead once they called coach, even though were boarding by rows. That was until I saw people being turned back at the gate if they weren’t in the rows that were being boarded at that time.

I was in 26A, but the passenger in 26C moved, so I had some more room. There was a group of Canadian kids returning from a European trip on this flight. The service wasn’t bad, but nothing like my past AC experiences. The landing in YYZ was extremely smooth. Once in YYZ, they had disinfectant mats to walk across to protect from Foot and Mouth Disease. I picked up my suitcase and went through immigration before depositing my suitcase on the conveyor belt. I went through a tunnel for my domestic Rapidair connection on AC 416 to YUL – I was in 23K. At security they decided to ‘swipe’ my carry-on. Of course this was all random. After putting the piece of cloth into the machine, they decided to swipe the insides of my carry-on as well.

My flight was boarding shortly, so I didn’t have long to wait. I spotted one the FAs from my flight from FRA on this flight but as a passenger. The flight was around half empty. On departure I saw 2 massive Antonovs parked in YYZ and I spotted my first Tango and Jazz planes. As we were coming into landing in YUL there was absolutely no visibility due to smoke from forest fires in Quebec.

Upon landing I again found my luggage and put it on the conveyor belt and proceeded through US immigration and customs. Then another security check and I was on my way to the gate for my next flight, AC 750 to LGA where I was in 16A. I was there early enough that the previous flight to LGA was still at the gate.

That flight was overbooked, and so was my flight. As soon as an agent came to do boarding with my flight, there was already a long line of people who were trying to get on this flight. The agent was so busy he refused to change my MX number to my UA one, and told me to board. They were looking for 2 volunteers to go on the flight departing at the same time to EWR. Whoever took that flew in first class, and got a 300 CAD voucher on AC. One woman was furious. Apparently the previous agent had promised her a seat on this flight and but now there was no room. Finally the plane boarded and I was in the exit row, perfect. Not only did we depart late from YUL but there was congestion around LGA and were put into a holding pattern for half an hour.

Exhausted upon arriving, I grabbed my baggage and took a cab to Brooklyn, NY where I was staying for the next week. After doing the usual shopping and visiting family and friends, my time in NY came to an end. I took a car service to LGA - $25 in a Lincoln, now that was a nice ride. I checked in at LGA for UA 7295 to IAD, after having security rifle through my 2 suitcases. I was early and saw the plane from the previous flight to IAD at the jetway. So the J41 isn’t so small, or so I thought. (It turned out that it was actually a CRJ). I was seated in 5A for the flight to IAD.

The FA had an interesting way of doing the drink service. She took orders and placed the cans in pockets of her apron. My gate for my connecting flight UA 191 to LAX wouldn’t open for another 2 hours so I went for a stroll around the terminal. I had been given an aisle seat but it was towards the rear of the A320 I was to fly on. So I asked what was available closer to the front. No aisles or windows. “What about middle seats?” I asked. She offered me 9B which I knew was Economy Plus (thanks SEATGURU), so I took it and she handed me my lovely gold boarding pass. I then went to wait at the gate.

The flight was overbooked by 25 passengers, and they were offering a free trip on UA anywhere in the 48 states plus a seat on the next flight to LAX (which left 50 minutes later), to anyone who volunteered. I would’ve if not for the fact that I had a connecting flight to catch from LAX, plus I didn’t really want to relinquish my seat in E+. I boarded with the rest of cattle class, and sat down in my wonderful E+ seat. My first flight actually, where my knees didn’t hit the seat in front of me! And Channel 9 was working! What a flight. If only all my flights were like this. (I loved Channel 9 on my previous UA domestic flight, way back in 1998). I followed our path from IAD to IND to KAS to DEN and then to LAX. There was actually a plane from Omaha, NE that diverted to LAX and requested a flyby at LAX as some tires had popped on take-off. When we landed I saw all emergency trucks and crew ready for it.

I transferred to terminal 2 for my NZ flight to AKL. At the check-in line, there was an NZ employee explaining to all passengers about to check in that the flight was overbooked. If anyone was willing to go on the next day’s flight, they would get hotel for the night and 400 USD CASH. I was tempted to take it, but I needed to get home. My seats were pretty much at the rear. 55H on a 747-400 on NZ 1 to AKL, and then 27J on a 767-200 on NZ 121 to MEL. The flights were full and couldn’t do anything about it. The service was pretty darn good, as was the food, and I actually managed to get a good nights sleep after watching a few movies. Even though we were delayed half an hour on departure, we managed to arrive 15 minutes early. The next flight boarded, and a short 4 hours later, I was back home. The only delays experienced in MEL was the line for the ‘Nothing to Declare’ channel, which snakes its way around the arrivals / baggage claim area.

Whew, it’s all over. Let me know what you think.

goodo

-Edited for spelling and a few minor changes-

[This message has been edited by goodo (edited 08-01-2002).]

[This message has been edited by goodo (edited 02-25-2003).]

I miss CDN

Great report.

You must have gained a few pounds

------------------
I miss Canadian Airlines

couscous

awesome report, get some rest !!!

Soonerman

Whew, even I am exhausted now!

I thought my recent LIT-MEM-EWR-MSP-SAN-MSP-EWR-MEM-LIT over a weekend was bad, but your trip was pure insanity. Love it. Never have been able to sleep more than 20 to 30 minutes at a stretch on a flight, I'm jealous of those than can sleep for hours.

bagold

nice report! how many miles did you earn overall?

chichi

wow, very exciting and interesting report.

Wiirachay

This is the craziest trip that I've ever heard of. Good job! Now, I'm going to check out the Star Alliance-related forums to read up on the Star Alliance 55,555 miles promo.

- Pat

[This message has been edited by Wiirachay (edited 07-31-2002).]

Delta141

Great report!

kawoh

Great report goodo! very enjoyable read.

goodo

Bagold, I earned 18000+ regular miles on UA, plus another 9000 or so is still to post (which would make me Premier) + UA's 55555 bonus miles posted too. I should have earned around 5-6000 miles on MX plus the 55k bonus although not much has posted yet.

goodo

Canista

goodo excellent report mate! What a trip!

The-Longhauler

Great Report Goodo,

So this is how a RTW works in real !!
Great...

goodo

Having just booked 2 tickets MEL-JFK, one using UA miles and one using MX miles, I can tell you the trip was darn worth it! And I had the time of my life .

goodo

Seat 2A

Nice report there, Goodo! Good On Ya!
Now go take another trip! Please!

goodo

Seat 2A, I intend to, and might even be crazier than this! I'll keep you posted.

goodo