Live (award) TR : 51.5 hours
Aug 4, 2014, 3:32 pm
#1
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Northern England
Posts: 1,531
Live (award) TR : 51.5 hours
51 hours 35mins, that's the total flight time for this family vacation.
It starts tomorrow with the shortest flight, MAN to LHR on a 320. This is likely to be as dull as they come -mid week mid afternoon and no breakfast panini will not set the pulse racing. However our next flight will. FIRST on a 380 to HKG. We expect all the trimmings!
Five nights at the intercontinental in HKG before cathay pacific 330-300 overnight in business to Sydney. This was supposed to be virgin UC, but they canned the route after I booked using virgin miles. With a bit of fuss I got CX, and happy I am as this now appears as a revenue flight complete with TPs and avios (x3). We connect on to LAN 340-300 business to auckland and some chill time with family in NZ for a week.
A shortish qantas economy flight on a 737-800 gets us to Sydney and the intercontinental there for a couple of nights. Onward to Singapore with qantas again, this time business and a 330-300. Our choice of lodgings is the Conrad for four nights.
Finally a really really long flight back to blighty. BA is doing the honours and 64a awaits on a 747, followed by the 320 back to manchester.
Total distance is 24239 miles plus a few on the road. Amex 241 + avios + virgin miles + hilton points + holiday inn points have provided the component bits. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly and our luggage does not take a detour.
I'm an engineer so don't expect great prose or elegant writing, and I've yet to figure out how to embedded photos.
Checked in and ready to go.
It starts tomorrow with the shortest flight, MAN to LHR on a 320. This is likely to be as dull as they come -mid week mid afternoon and no breakfast panini will not set the pulse racing. However our next flight will. FIRST on a 380 to HKG. We expect all the trimmings!
Five nights at the intercontinental in HKG before cathay pacific 330-300 overnight in business to Sydney. This was supposed to be virgin UC, but they canned the route after I booked using virgin miles. With a bit of fuss I got CX, and happy I am as this now appears as a revenue flight complete with TPs and avios (x3). We connect on to LAN 340-300 business to auckland and some chill time with family in NZ for a week.
A shortish qantas economy flight on a 737-800 gets us to Sydney and the intercontinental there for a couple of nights. Onward to Singapore with qantas again, this time business and a 330-300. Our choice of lodgings is the Conrad for four nights.
Finally a really really long flight back to blighty. BA is doing the honours and 64a awaits on a 747, followed by the 320 back to manchester.
Total distance is 24239 miles plus a few on the road. Amex 241 + avios + virgin miles + hilton points + holiday inn points have provided the component bits. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly and our luggage does not take a detour.
I'm an engineer so don't expect great prose or elegant writing, and I've yet to figure out how to embedded photos.
Checked in and ready to go.
Last edited by Tim_T; Aug 4, 2014 at 3:54 pm
Aug 4, 2014, 3:59 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In the sticks
Programs: VS FC Gold, BA EC Gold, Amex Centurion, EK Gold, ex-G-ATVK driver
Posts: 1,827
Biz on CX prolly better than VS anyway, and if your flight gets in outside the SYD international morning rush hour even better.
I recently switched to Photobucket for my snaps, it seems that I had to give the least away to be able to host photos easily using their service. I used to manually upload photos to various websites I own and post links, but it's fraught with hassle and doesn't work at all well from mobile devices.
I recently switched to Photobucket for my snaps, it seems that I had to give the least away to be able to host photos easily using their service. I used to manually upload photos to various websites I own and post links, but it's fraught with hassle and doesn't work at all well from mobile devices.
Aug 4, 2014, 4:57 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Gold, AF Gold, some hotels...
Posts: 547
Aug 5, 2014, 5:14 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold & GGL & CCR, HH Diam, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Spire, Tastecard
Posts: 7,549
looking forward to this!
I am also on HKG - SYD on 330 with CX later in the year.
Need to connect to WLG from there and had forgotten about the LAN option to AKL. I might just look into that for variety sake (either on way out or way back).
I am also on HKG - SYD on 330 with CX later in the year.
Need to connect to WLG from there and had forgotten about the LAN option to AKL. I might just look into that for variety sake (either on way out or way back).
Aug 5, 2014, 5:17 am
#7
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Northern England
Posts: 1,531
Live (award) TR : 51.5 hours
After a 3hr drive to our local airport (Newcastle is a little nearer but the flight times were not as good), arrived at Manchester. Meet and greet parking was easy, quick over to the terminal for bag drop. The desk person did not smile or say anything other than ask what time our flight was and how many bags.
Security was quick. The fast track at Manchester t3 inc children in push chairs and those in wheelchairs. This can make it slow but we were lucky this time.
Now in a very warm BA lounge looking out on the runway and the dish of jodrell bank in the distance.
Security was quick. The fast track at Manchester t3 inc children in push chairs and those in wheelchairs. This can make it slow but we were lucky this time.
Now in a very warm BA lounge looking out on the runway and the dish of jodrell bank in the distance.
Aug 5, 2014, 5:21 am
#9
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Northern England
Posts: 1,531
Live (award) TR : 51.5 hours
The LAN option only came available about 4 months before travel. Everything else was booked in mid October when BA bulk released summer availability.
^
Aug 5, 2014, 6:10 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold & GGL & CCR, HH Diam, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Spire, Tastecard
Posts: 7,549
just had a look on the LAN website. If I put down OZ as country of residence, it only gives me QF codeshare options (but at half the price it would cost with QF (in J)). If I put down UK as country of residence, it shows the LAN flights but says unavailable which I find hard to believe for flights in December and January.
Is it likely that the LAN "seats" haven't been released then (as per your 4 month comment)? these are revenue seats I am looking at, i.e. I'll be paying cash rather than avios (though thinking about it now, might be tempted to look at avios - is that an option?).
Aug 5, 2014, 6:45 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 159
Presumably due to this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28662561