UA_Flyer

Travel can be exciting, but travel can also be boring! When I first started traveling for work over 20 years ago, there were a lot of anticipations and excitements about what plane to fly, where to stay and interesting places I could visit. Most of all, taking photos. I love taking photos. Ever since my dad gave me his camera when I was a boy, I got hooked. Over the years, I have taken many photos using my cameras or phones on many subject mattes during my trips.

Business travel, in substance, is no different from one’s daily commute to work. It could take the form of subway, bus, driving or biking. It becomes routine. Flying to places far away for work gets glorified attention, because it involves flying to places people usually don’t go regularly. It also involves hotel stays and sampling foreign cuisines. However, when one has to travel frequently to faraway places for work, it can become a grind, especially when you are not in the right frame of mind or have obligation at home or don’t want to leave your love ones.

I am in the middle of such a trip. On surface, it looks like a great vacation itinerary with fine airlines and interesting locations. However, it is far from the truth…..it is a grind and I am experiencing it. It was not my intention to do a trip report on my current trip, but I need an escape instead of getting depressed on this journey.

Here come Singapore, London, Madrid and Fort Lauderdale.......Stay tuned!



My other photo trip reports can be accessed by click on the titles below:


SQ-Bento Box, VIE-Schnitzels, NYC-Mac Bar and MIA-Tony Roma's - *A RTW in J
From Sea to Shining Sea-Land of the Free/United Airlines of America
MBS@SIN, Hyatt@KUL & Pepper Crabs- SQ Intra-Asia Business Cabins
Oh Prague! The Pearl of Europe - More LH Business Class Flying!
I AMsterdam - Walking through the canal City /LH Business Class
Colorlessly Stuck in a *A RTW Time Trap-1st Time on BA ClubWorld
RTW On *A -First Time in Australia- Featuring Brisbane!!
Escape to Paris/Mt.St.Michel via LH/A380(PEK-FRA)/EuroStar(LHR-BRU)/Thayls(BRU-PAR)!
Work Visits in Kuala Lumpur & Singapore-A Galore of SQ Flights!
Glimpse of Niagara Falls and Toronto - Experience Air Canada!
Rainy Night at Union Square! Experience UA & CO Premium Products!
The German Odyssey! Berlin/Mainz/Munich/Neuschwanstein/Rhine River
1st Time in Delhi! Experience 4 Different SQ 777 J Seats/Cabins
Colorlessly Stuck in A Time Trap - Another LH Asia-EU C Trip!
Discover Malta's Past and Present! LH C & 1st Time on Air Malta!
The Macau Differences -Turbojet Across the Mouth of Pearl River!
This is London! - Inaugural LH A380 Frankfurt-Beijing Service!!
Hi Seoul, Soul of Asia! - First time flying Asiana!
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg:EU-Asia on LH F & 1st time on Lux Air
Shanghai – An Old City with Modern Make-Ups; LH C from EU to Asia!
Guinness, Trinity, Walking around Dublin- Another LH C Trip Report!
Sleepless in Taipei - Cattle Class over Taiwan Strait on CA/CX!
Colorlessly Stuck in a Time Trap - Not Another UA F/C Transpac Trip!
Plaza Mayor/Heldenplatz, MAD/VIE, LH & 1st time on Austrian/Adria Airways!
Time Square Loses its Colors...Not Just Another UA Trip Report!
Godiva, Neuhaus - Sweeties of Brussels, LH/KA C, CX Wing & SAS Lounge
iPhone Photo Report:PEK-FRA-ZRH-MUC-PEK on LH/LX Business Class
Round-the World on UA (new F Suite), SQ A380/77W (Business), LH 744 (Business) and BD A320 (Business)

UA_Flyer

To catch the 8:45 am flight to Singapore, I had to get up before 5 am. I could take over an hour to the Beijing International from downtown Beijing where I am staying. I had a long day the day before and worked well into the night, and just was not in the mood to travel. I had just got back from a quick Dublin/Istanbul trip lasted less than a week, then had to do this work trip three days later.

Beijing can be a miserable city for expats. Pollution is the worst during this time of the year and it is windy and cold. I arrived at the Beijing Airport before 7 am, and the airport is already packed. There are tons of flights taking off in the morning. Traffic was backed onto to the departure drop off area. I was half-asleep and basically was just going through the motion to get checked in and going through immigration and security and hoping to get enough time at lounge to send out a few work emails before getting on the plane.

UA_Flyer

This is one of the great mystery that I don't quite get about SQ. Why does it bother to be in Star Alliance. It hardly codeshares with any *A members other than LH and NZ, and it does not use its partners' lounges at some key airports around the world. Beijing's Air China Lounge is actually decent, and SQ's contract Premium Lounge is not.

The morning food offerings were a bit better because there were JAL flights departing around the same time as the SQ's morning flight, and JAL uses the same lounge. I noticed Udon noodle and packaged sushi were available which were not during other hours.. Even the Japanese doll made an appearance at the noodle bar.

Mentally I was still half asleep and my stomach was empty. I quickly ordered the local dish: Beijing Zha Jang Noodle (noodle mixed with soybean paste, minced pork and threaded cucumbers) and grabbed a few pork shao mais (dumplings) before I spread my computer and belongings out to do some work.

chongl

The black and white makes it so drab

Hope you can get out of the grinding feeling!

UA_Flyer

You are correct! The reason to use B&W photos is to show the drab feeling or a tired business traveler....much in the same way I did in other four previous trip reports:


Colorlessly Stuck in a *A RTW Time Trap-1st Time on BA ClubWorld
Rainy Night at Union Square! Experience UA & CO Premium Products!
Colorlessly Stuck in A Time Trap - Another LH Asia-EU C Trip!
Colorlessly Stuck in a Time Trap - Not Another UA F/C Transpac Trip!

UA_Flyer

It was pretty bad day pollution-wise. Apparently 8 out of the ten most polluted cities in China are near Beijing. There are factories and power plants near Beijing that rely on burning coals to generate heat and energy. On top of that, Beijing can be world's biggest parking lot during certain times of the day. All the carbon emission makes me depressed every time I travel to Beijing or wake up in Beijing.

aw

Thanks for sharing this report. I think you have become jaded and your initial posting of B&W shots is a direct reflection of that state of mind.

I have never lost my sense of excitement whenever I embark on a trip, whether it is to another continent or just a short hop like SFO-LAX. Then again, I never had to travel for business and all my trips are paid on my own dime and for pleasure.

UA_Flyer

While the plane was on its way to runway for take off, I did a last minute check of my incoming emails, and it got even more depressing.

Someone who I have known for over 25 years just passed away, and the funeral services was going to be in Miami in a couple of days. I was really down after reading the email, and wished I could have flown to attend the funeral. He was instrumental in my development when I was young in school, and felt really sad he is no longer around and also felt the pain and sorrow for his wife...... as I looked out the plane window, I see nothing but blurry vision...everything just seemed to be gloomy and lifeless as the plane took off into the polluted air.

mag

Keep writing.
Thanks for sharing your mood.

aw

Sorry to hear about that. I always enjoy your reports and you know that. This one is no exception and in a way feels more "personal".

One aspect of your reports that make them so compelling to me is that you take the time to show the local feel of your destinations taking us along as companions on your journeys. Travel is not about flying up front in luxury (although that helps with jet lag ) but about new discoveries and giving us a sense of who we are and seeing the whole picture.

UA_Flyer

My mind went blank for awhile after the plane took off. I did not know what I was thinking about and my brain was numb. I guess I was shocked by the sad news and all I did was starring at the something. In the end, hoping to pick my self up, I decided to go to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face. Unfortunately, I ended up staying there for a good ten minutes just starring in random direction aimlessly.

UA_Flyer

Thanks for your comment. I do hope this trip report will brighten up later.
Appreciate your following my TRs over the years.

UA_Flyer

After hiding myself in the bathroom to get my emotion in check, I went back to my seat to focus on getting this long business trip started.

I enjoyed flying SQ over the years. It is consistent and keep its premium cabin to high standard by limiting upgrades. Planes are always clean and I have always felt I get good value for the fare paid. Unlike UA, I do feel cheated for what I get versus the fare I paid. Of course Global Services is a different story but I have felt GS services has a bit of gimmicks. With SQ, I don't get surprises. Unfortunately, I was not in the mood to enjoy this flight.

UA_Flyer

EnLasNubes

Yep, travel can be a real grind sometimes no matter how much luxury surrounds it. Although I think your trip would have been a shade more depressing if you had to deal with the insults of being in coach. A premium class seat won't bring back our departed loved ones, but at least you had some space to think.