One sexy itinerary: Round the world in 89 hours: The long awaited TR
Feb 9, 2011, 10:09 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
One sexy itinerary: Round the world in 89 hours: The long awaited TR
Introduction
Hello and welcome to my trip report entitled ‘Around the world in 89 hours’. First of all you’ll be pleased to know it was a great birthday trip and I survived the trip and I’m back to work and not too tired.
The idea was that for my 24th birthday (1st Feb 2011) I’d like to fly around the world stopping at a few cities along the way that I’ve never been to before, collecting loads of BA miles and getting back home before work the next Monday. After a few weeks of researching destinations and various OW routes I came up with this: London – Los Angeles – Auckland – Hong Kong – London.
Since I’d never been further west than NYC or further east than Eygpt this was a very exciting trip for me indeed. Also I wanted to try and get 4 different airlines and 4 different aircraft on the way round just to experience them all. On the 14th November I booked the following on ba.com:
Tuesday 1st Feb BA283 12:00 London – Los Angeles _ British Airways B744
Tuesday 1st Feb QF26 23:30 Los Angeles – Auckland _ Qantas A332
Friday 4th Feb CX118 08:55 Auckland – Hong Kong _ Cathay Pacific A343
Friday 4th Feb BA28 23:45 Hong Kong – London _ British Airways B744
All in Y at a cost of £1300.05. This allowed 9 hours in Los Angeles, 23 hours in Auckland and 9 hours in Hong Kong.
I also booked:
Monday 31st Jan BHD – LHR, Saturday 5th Feb LHR – BHD (both with bmi), Travelodge Heathrow Terminal 5 for the Monday night and Jet Park Airport Hotel in Auckland for the Thursday night.
[disclaimer]: The following sections are labeled Day 1, Day 2 etc.. however because of the different time zones I was never really sure what time/day it was so the labeling isn’t really that relevant.
[2nd disclaimer]: I’m not the greatest story teller so I will just present the facts and lots of photos and let them tell the story.
Hello and welcome to my trip report entitled ‘Around the world in 89 hours’. First of all you’ll be pleased to know it was a great birthday trip and I survived the trip and I’m back to work and not too tired.
The idea was that for my 24th birthday (1st Feb 2011) I’d like to fly around the world stopping at a few cities along the way that I’ve never been to before, collecting loads of BA miles and getting back home before work the next Monday. After a few weeks of researching destinations and various OW routes I came up with this: London – Los Angeles – Auckland – Hong Kong – London.
Since I’d never been further west than NYC or further east than Eygpt this was a very exciting trip for me indeed. Also I wanted to try and get 4 different airlines and 4 different aircraft on the way round just to experience them all. On the 14th November I booked the following on ba.com:
Tuesday 1st Feb BA283 12:00 London – Los Angeles _ British Airways B744
Tuesday 1st Feb QF26 23:30 Los Angeles – Auckland _ Qantas A332
Friday 4th Feb CX118 08:55 Auckland – Hong Kong _ Cathay Pacific A343
Friday 4th Feb BA28 23:45 Hong Kong – London _ British Airways B744
All in Y at a cost of £1300.05. This allowed 9 hours in Los Angeles, 23 hours in Auckland and 9 hours in Hong Kong.
I also booked:
Monday 31st Jan BHD – LHR, Saturday 5th Feb LHR – BHD (both with bmi), Travelodge Heathrow Terminal 5 for the Monday night and Jet Park Airport Hotel in Auckland for the Thursday night.
[disclaimer]: The following sections are labeled Day 1, Day 2 etc.. however because of the different time zones I was never really sure what time/day it was so the labeling isn’t really that relevant.
[2nd disclaimer]: I’m not the greatest story teller so I will just present the facts and lots of photos and let them tell the story.
Feb 9, 2011, 10:10 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
Day 1 – Monday 31st January 2011
The day had finally arrived and I was off to BHD to catch the 13:40 to LHR. I left my flat and headed for the airport bus. Entered the very nice BMI business lounge and was in Heathrow on time. Got Hoppa bus H57, checked into the Travelodge and got a good nights sleep (after a nice steak and a few beers of course).
Leaving the flat
BMI lounge BHD
View from the lounge
Lounge again
And again
Dash 8 at BHD, they make them just across the road at work
My desk in the lounge
My chariot awaits
Obligatory leg room shot
B744 coming into land at LHR
My Travelodge room at LHR T5
The day had finally arrived and I was off to BHD to catch the 13:40 to LHR. I left my flat and headed for the airport bus. Entered the very nice BMI business lounge and was in Heathrow on time. Got Hoppa bus H57, checked into the Travelodge and got a good nights sleep (after a nice steak and a few beers of course).
Leaving the flat
BMI lounge BHD
View from the lounge
Lounge again
And again
Dash 8 at BHD, they make them just across the road at work
My desk in the lounge
My chariot awaits
Obligatory leg room shot
B744 coming into land at LHR
My Travelodge room at LHR T5
Feb 9, 2011, 10:10 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
Day 2 - Tuesday 1st February 2011
I got to the airport about 9am and checked myself in all the way to Auckland. Boarded G-CIVP and departed 35 minutes late at 12:35. I was seated at the front of economy in 28G. Economy was only 1/3 full and there was only 3 passengers in Club from what I could see. Lunch was served about an hour in and was a lovely chicken something something with some disgusting red wine (BA need to sort this quick sharp).
Boarding passes to Auckland
Legroom at front of economy, vodka and IFE screen
Yummy
After lunch I ventured to the galley with a photo of a BA B744 which I wanted the crew to sign and possibly ask the flight crew to sign it also, just as a memento of my trip. The crew were just as excited and impressed about my trip as I was and one particularly enthusiastic crew member, Zen said she would be only too happy to go on a trip to the flight deck.
Zen, myself and cabin crew member who’s name I can’t remember (sorry)
20 minutes later as I was flicking through the IFE a crew member appeared from behind the curtain and asked if I was Oliver, I said I was and he informed me I’d been upgraded to Club World! I quickly grabbed my stuff and followed him to seat 20A. I asked him why I had been moved and he said the captain had requested it!! My luck was in and my excitement is reflected in the number of photos I took while in CW (I wont post them all here, this thread would be 50 pages long ) Zen soon returned with all 17 crew signatures including Captain Ian Bowles and I began my 8 ½ hour journey across the Atlantic in Cluh World! She also said I could head up to the flight deck after we land for a chat with the flight crew. I was very impressed (overwhelmed more like) with the club world experience and a few vodka and oranges and many episodes of 24 we landed in LA 10 hours and 15 minutes after leaving London. I waited until Zen came and got me and we headed up to the flight deck for a few photos and a quick chat.
Signatures
That’s more like it
Club cabin empty
Chillin’ in biz class
Even more comfortable when it’s free
Qantas A380 at LAX
Captain olybeast!!
Would you trust this pliot? I think not
Myself and Captain Ian Bowles in the cockpit of G-CIVP
G-CIVP
I got to the airport about 9am and checked myself in all the way to Auckland. Boarded G-CIVP and departed 35 minutes late at 12:35. I was seated at the front of economy in 28G. Economy was only 1/3 full and there was only 3 passengers in Club from what I could see. Lunch was served about an hour in and was a lovely chicken something something with some disgusting red wine (BA need to sort this quick sharp).
Boarding passes to Auckland
Legroom at front of economy, vodka and IFE screen
Yummy
After lunch I ventured to the galley with a photo of a BA B744 which I wanted the crew to sign and possibly ask the flight crew to sign it also, just as a memento of my trip. The crew were just as excited and impressed about my trip as I was and one particularly enthusiastic crew member, Zen said she would be only too happy to go on a trip to the flight deck.
Zen, myself and cabin crew member who’s name I can’t remember (sorry)
20 minutes later as I was flicking through the IFE a crew member appeared from behind the curtain and asked if I was Oliver, I said I was and he informed me I’d been upgraded to Club World! I quickly grabbed my stuff and followed him to seat 20A. I asked him why I had been moved and he said the captain had requested it!! My luck was in and my excitement is reflected in the number of photos I took while in CW (I wont post them all here, this thread would be 50 pages long ) Zen soon returned with all 17 crew signatures including Captain Ian Bowles and I began my 8 ½ hour journey across the Atlantic in Cluh World! She also said I could head up to the flight deck after we land for a chat with the flight crew. I was very impressed (overwhelmed more like) with the club world experience and a few vodka and oranges and many episodes of 24 we landed in LA 10 hours and 15 minutes after leaving London. I waited until Zen came and got me and we headed up to the flight deck for a few photos and a quick chat.
Signatures
That’s more like it
Club cabin empty
Chillin’ in biz class
Even more comfortable when it’s free
Qantas A380 at LAX
Captain olybeast!!
Would you trust this pliot? I think not
Myself and Captain Ian Bowles in the cockpit of G-CIVP
G-CIVP
Last edited by olybeast; Feb 10, 2011 at 1:06 am
Feb 9, 2011, 10:11 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
I spent the rest of the daylight hours taking pictures around LAX and eating in the encounter restaurant before clearing security and heading for gate 48b in Terminal 4 for my next flight.
View from Encounter
Steak at the Encounter Restaurant
I grabbed a couple of hours kip at the gate and still the 1st Feb boarded the flight and departed on time at 23:30 (I had extended my birthday rightly). The plane was very new and comfortable in a 2-4-2 configuration. I had seat 47K at the window, which wasn’t as cramped as I thought it was going to be. Again just after dinner I asked cabin crew member Georgina if she could sign my Qantas A332 photo and possibly get the rest of the crew and flight crew to sign it. I showed her what BA had done for me and I’m sure she felt Qantas should match it (that wasn’t my intension but whatever gets the job done). She came back about a half hour later with 11 signatures including the captain’s and first officers. Then she appeared again with gifts!!! A business class overnight kit with pyjamas , socks and headphones, 2 qantas pens and the cabin manager’s silver kangaroo pin/badge! I thought that was pretty cool (little did I know I would now be on a crusade to obtain the cabin managers badges from the other flights!)
Qantas cabin
Legroom on A330-200
It’s a long way down
Somewhere over the Pacific
Again
Bit foggy that day
Thanks Qantas crew
Cabin Manager’s badge
After all the excitement I slept for 8ish hours and landed in Auckland at 10:00am Thursday morning (3rd Feb). Total flight time 13 hours 3 mins.
View from Encounter
Steak at the Encounter Restaurant
I grabbed a couple of hours kip at the gate and still the 1st Feb boarded the flight and departed on time at 23:30 (I had extended my birthday rightly). The plane was very new and comfortable in a 2-4-2 configuration. I had seat 47K at the window, which wasn’t as cramped as I thought it was going to be. Again just after dinner I asked cabin crew member Georgina if she could sign my Qantas A332 photo and possibly get the rest of the crew and flight crew to sign it. I showed her what BA had done for me and I’m sure she felt Qantas should match it (that wasn’t my intension but whatever gets the job done). She came back about a half hour later with 11 signatures including the captain’s and first officers. Then she appeared again with gifts!!! A business class overnight kit with pyjamas , socks and headphones, 2 qantas pens and the cabin manager’s silver kangaroo pin/badge! I thought that was pretty cool (little did I know I would now be on a crusade to obtain the cabin managers badges from the other flights!)
Qantas cabin
Legroom on A330-200
It’s a long way down
Somewhere over the Pacific
Again
Bit foggy that day
Thanks Qantas crew
Cabin Manager’s badge
After all the excitement I slept for 8ish hours and landed in Auckland at 10:00am Thursday morning (3rd Feb). Total flight time 13 hours 3 mins.
Last edited by olybeast; Feb 10, 2011 at 12:55 am
Feb 9, 2011, 10:12 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
Day 3 – Thursday 3rd February 2011
Going through immigration was a bit of an experience as I tried to explain why I wanted to take this insane route. She couldn’t understand why I didn’t just go from USA to Hong Kong. After showing my itinerary, my passport, my signatures and my hotel booking she let me into Auckland with a sarcastic “Enjoy your one day in New Zealand”.
Auckland is a beautiful, young city, very warm and very cloudy on this particular day. I spent a few hours walking around the city, taking photos and sending a postcard to myself (which arrived at my house on the 8th Feb) before heading to the airport hotel for 14 hours sleep!!!
Hotel room at the Jet Park Airport Hotel
Mini bar
Going through immigration was a bit of an experience as I tried to explain why I wanted to take this insane route. She couldn’t understand why I didn’t just go from USA to Hong Kong. After showing my itinerary, my passport, my signatures and my hotel booking she let me into Auckland with a sarcastic “Enjoy your one day in New Zealand”.
Auckland is a beautiful, young city, very warm and very cloudy on this particular day. I spent a few hours walking around the city, taking photos and sending a postcard to myself (which arrived at my house on the 8th Feb) before heading to the airport hotel for 14 hours sleep!!!
Hotel room at the Jet Park Airport Hotel
Mini bar
Feb 9, 2011, 10:13 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
Day 4 – Friday 4th February 2011
I woke up at 4am (although it took minutes of panic to find a clock with the right time (dual time watch, iPad, iPhone all showed different times!)) spent a couple of hours watching 24 then went for a nice NZD25 cooked breakfast. Got the hotel’s free shuttle bus to the airport at 6.30am and checked in through to London. I took a few more photos and boarded the 08:55 to Hong Kong. This was my first time on Cathay pacific and an A340 and I was very impressed with the space in the cabin. The seats don’t recline and each seat has a plug socket!
Auckland airport board
Here I come
Couple of big birds
Boarding passes
My next carriage
Nearly ready
Business class seats
Economy seats
Cabin
A long way
My new office
Somewhere over the Tasman
I woke up at 4am (although it took minutes of panic to find a clock with the right time (dual time watch, iPad, iPhone all showed different times!)) spent a couple of hours watching 24 then went for a nice NZD25 cooked breakfast. Got the hotel’s free shuttle bus to the airport at 6.30am and checked in through to London. I took a few more photos and boarded the 08:55 to Hong Kong. This was my first time on Cathay pacific and an A340 and I was very impressed with the space in the cabin. The seats don’t recline and each seat has a plug socket!
Auckland airport board
Here I come
Couple of big birds
Boarding passes
My next carriage
Nearly ready
Business class seats
Economy seats
Cabin
A long way
My new office
Somewhere over the Tasman
Last edited by olybeast; Feb 9, 2011 at 11:27 am
Feb 9, 2011, 10:13 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
Once again after dinner I asked a member of the cabin crew to sign my photo and pass it around. Then the cabin manager appeared and was very impressed with my journey, we chatted for a while and she offered me some champagne! At 10am! I declined, being offered it was enough excitement. My photo soon appeared with many signatures and well wishes.
Thanks crew of CX118
Half way through the flight I went to the galley to ask if they had any spare badges or any other mementos I might be able to have (and another vodka and orange). They said they didn’t have any but did let me have a writing set and business amenity kit.
Just before landing the cabin manager appeared again and asked if I wanted to sit in business class for the landing! Obviously I did, and what do you know she gave me her badge! Which was awfully nice of her I thought and we chatted again for while before I nicked the menus and we landed. Total flight time runway to runway was 10 hours 42 minutes. It was now 15:00 Hong Kong time. I cleared through immigration and got on the train into the city.
More legroom is always nice
Now sitting in Business class
Nicer than economy
TV big enough sir?
IFE
I now have two badges
View from business class over Hong Kong
Hong Kong airport
Busy place
IFC
Thanks crew of CX118
Half way through the flight I went to the galley to ask if they had any spare badges or any other mementos I might be able to have (and another vodka and orange). They said they didn’t have any but did let me have a writing set and business amenity kit.
Just before landing the cabin manager appeared again and asked if I wanted to sit in business class for the landing! Obviously I did, and what do you know she gave me her badge! Which was awfully nice of her I thought and we chatted again for while before I nicked the menus and we landed. Total flight time runway to runway was 10 hours 42 minutes. It was now 15:00 Hong Kong time. I cleared through immigration and got on the train into the city.
More legroom is always nice
Now sitting in Business class
Nicer than economy
TV big enough sir?
IFE
I now have two badges
View from business class over Hong Kong
Hong Kong airport
Busy place
IFC
Feb 9, 2011, 10:14 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
I spent a few hours in Hong Kong but didn’t venture too far. I did find a bar on the pier so that was a nice place to take photos and recharge my camera battery. Then got back on the train to the airport and cleared security buying some jasmine tea and B&H for mum on the way through. Hong Kong is huge! really lovely but huge. I’m glad I had a long wait before my flight because I got lost more than once. I had bought a pass into the travelers lounge a couple of weeks before so I spent the first while looking for that for food, drink and a nice shower.
The travellers lounge near gate 35
My ride home
Soon it was time to go to gate 17 for BA28 back to London; one of the 5 flights to London leaving that night (two BA, one Virgin and two Cathay). On boarding I realized it was G-CIVP again!; the same aircraft that brought me to LA a couple of days ago. It has flown the other way around the world and met me in Hong Kong!
Same plane? Yup
After a double vodka and orange and two bottles of red wine (I think the cabin attendant appreciated I was the only English person in his cabin so he was being friendly) and a nice beef dinner I asked a crew member about my fourth and final photo and the signatures she could get. I soon fell asleep after I realized she wasn’t coming back for a while.
Double this time
Day 5 – 5th February 2011
I woke up just over Copenhagen and breakfast was being served. After which the CSD Francesca appeared with 15 signatures on my photo including 2 captains and the first officer. We had a good chat about the trip and what an experience it was. I cheekily asked her for a badge/pin showing her the two I got from the other cabin managers. She said she didn’t think there was any on board but she’s have a look.
Where I woke up
Signatures
A little after she appeared and gave me her own wings! Saying she had a spare one at home! She also gave me a survey to fill in, nice play on her part; I was definitely not going to complain about anything after that treatment She said I can head up to the flight deck after we land, which I did and I had a nice chat with Captain Ken Beattie and co about my trip, their trip, G-CIVP and what their next destinations were. I left the plane after thanking Francesca again and headed for my long wait in Terminal 1 for the flight back to BHD.
OneWorld indeed
Total flight time 12 hours 57 mins, it was 05:00 on the 5th February.
As I write this I am in the BMI business lounge in T1 waiting for my delayed flight home.
The travellers lounge near gate 35
My ride home
Soon it was time to go to gate 17 for BA28 back to London; one of the 5 flights to London leaving that night (two BA, one Virgin and two Cathay). On boarding I realized it was G-CIVP again!; the same aircraft that brought me to LA a couple of days ago. It has flown the other way around the world and met me in Hong Kong!
Same plane? Yup
After a double vodka and orange and two bottles of red wine (I think the cabin attendant appreciated I was the only English person in his cabin so he was being friendly) and a nice beef dinner I asked a crew member about my fourth and final photo and the signatures she could get. I soon fell asleep after I realized she wasn’t coming back for a while.
Double this time
Day 5 – 5th February 2011
I woke up just over Copenhagen and breakfast was being served. After which the CSD Francesca appeared with 15 signatures on my photo including 2 captains and the first officer. We had a good chat about the trip and what an experience it was. I cheekily asked her for a badge/pin showing her the two I got from the other cabin managers. She said she didn’t think there was any on board but she’s have a look.
Where I woke up
Signatures
A little after she appeared and gave me her own wings! Saying she had a spare one at home! She also gave me a survey to fill in, nice play on her part; I was definitely not going to complain about anything after that treatment She said I can head up to the flight deck after we land, which I did and I had a nice chat with Captain Ken Beattie and co about my trip, their trip, G-CIVP and what their next destinations were. I left the plane after thanking Francesca again and headed for my long wait in Terminal 1 for the flight back to BHD.
OneWorld indeed
Total flight time 12 hours 57 mins, it was 05:00 on the 5th February.
As I write this I am in the BMI business lounge in T1 waiting for my delayed flight home.
Feb 9, 2011, 10:15 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: MAN
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue, IHG Gold
Posts: 1,402
Summary
Total time taken: 89 hours - 12:00 tues – 05:00 sat
Total time flying: 46 hours 57 mins
Total time sleeping: 30 hours
Total miles flown: 23627
2 flight deck visits on the same aircraft
Met 3 captains
Loads of signatures from crew members
3 cabin manager’s badges
3 cities I hadn’t been to before
600+ photos
2 Business class experiences
3 different airlines
3 different planes
116mph tail wind
100mph head wind
Beautiful weather
So many chats with excited and enthusiastic cabin crew (which made the trip to be honest)
24 episodes of 24, 17 episodes of House
My passport now says I can stay in USA till May 2011, New Zealand for the next 6 months and Hong Kong for the next 180 days even though I was home before the ink dried on the stamps!!!
Lots of miles
All in all one great birthday!
Future plans
How will I top that trip? I don’t know. Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry the photos are a bit big.
On the way home
Total time taken: 89 hours - 12:00 tues – 05:00 sat
Total time flying: 46 hours 57 mins
Total time sleeping: 30 hours
Total miles flown: 23627
2 flight deck visits on the same aircraft
Met 3 captains
Loads of signatures from crew members
3 cabin manager’s badges
3 cities I hadn’t been to before
600+ photos
2 Business class experiences
3 different airlines
3 different planes
116mph tail wind
100mph head wind
Beautiful weather
So many chats with excited and enthusiastic cabin crew (which made the trip to be honest)
24 episodes of 24, 17 episodes of House
My passport now says I can stay in USA till May 2011, New Zealand for the next 6 months and Hong Kong for the next 180 days even though I was home before the ink dried on the stamps!!!
Lots of miles
All in all one great birthday!
Future plans
How will I top that trip? I don’t know. Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry the photos are a bit big.
On the way home
Last edited by olybeast; Feb 9, 2011 at 11:27 am
Feb 9, 2011, 10:34 am
#11
Moderator, Hertz; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: KRK
Programs: UA 1MM, BA GGL, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond and others
Posts: 12,690
Very nice trip report, and it seemed you had a nice time (and so did the crew) 
BTW, I noticed your working thru 24 also. What season?
BTW, I noticed your working thru 24 also. What season?
Feb 9, 2011, 10:40 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA CCR/GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,483
Wow - mad but impressive 
I recognise the BMI lounge from BHD (one of my regular haunts) but the photos do bring the story to life really well. I trust you're not planning to get on a plane for a few weeks?
I recognise the BMI lounge from BHD (one of my regular haunts) but the photos do bring the story to life really well. I trust you're not planning to get on a plane for a few weeks?
Feb 9, 2011, 10:46 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Brussels
Programs: BA Gold. Mucci Diamond Hairbursh & Mucci des Sacs Exotiques
Posts: 757
Great report olybeast
It was an insane, utterly mad idea, but memories like this last far longer than a fancy watch or designer clothing. I love your child-like enthusiasm, which shines through in the report.
Well done ^
PS: As mentioned in the other thread, for your own security, please block your BAEC number in the photos of the boarding passes.
It was an insane, utterly mad idea, but memories like this last far longer than a fancy watch or designer clothing. I love your child-like enthusiasm, which shines through in the report.
Well done ^
PS: As mentioned in the other thread, for your own security, please block your BAEC number in the photos of the boarding passes.