Kiwi Flyer

In transit in Tripoli

On arrival I noticed the roped off screening station and assumed this was for the rare (perhaps not so rare amongst FTers given the ex-TIP pricing) transfer passengers. Someone was stopping people and checking their passports before they walked up to immigration. I asked about transfers. He went away and got someone over a few minutes later to turn on the machines, and unlock the door to the departures area. A second person then took my ticket and passport away to check me in landside.

While I waited I had a look around. The terminal was functional but hardly modern. Still I've seen far worse airports. It had the basic amenities - email, duty free, plenty of seating for the handful of flights, several tvs, and a couple of lounges. Judging by how many passengers were waiting in the general public area and how many in the lounge (when I later got to visit it), the proportion of lounge-accessible passengers is rather higher than normal in Australia or NZ for example. The airside area is not particularly large.

The guy returned and I had a funny looking boarding pass for today's flight. It has just a stamp with the flight number and a sticker with my seat number. No name. No date. Hopefully my miles post correctly or my FFP may have a hard time believing this is a real boarding pass. Oddly, I was also checked in for my next flight tomorrow. And this was on a normal boarding pass. So why not a normal boarding pass for the flight from Tripoli?

I had a lounge invite card. The entrance to the lounge is a bit hidden in the corner. A choice of a lift (very slow to respond - I think it may be programmed to not move without people) or up a few flights of stairs.

The lounge was a pleasant surprise. It is used by several airlines and would not look out of place anywhere. Flash computers with several gizmos, but unfortunately the internet connection was down today. Plentiful food and non-alcoholic drink. A smoking room. Some newspapers. Several tvs. Bathroom, but no shower. Lots of chairs of all types - many very comfortable. Attentive service.

Eventually it was time to head for the gate. The set-up here is slightly reminiscent of London Heathrow terminal 2, with a passage to/from the gates shared by arriving and departing passengers. There is a BP check outside the gate and another security screening. The gate lounge is stark. Lots of chairs, a couple of windows and bathrooms. But nothing else.

Kiwi Flyer

Tripoli to Vienna business class menu

Salad of buffalo mozzarella
tomato / grilled zuccchini and fennel

---

please choose

chicken teriyaki
steamed rice

or

homemade ravioli
sauteed mushrooms

---

selection of cheese

---

Do & Co's nougat tart

ovenfresh bread selection

freshly brewed coffee or tea

Kiwi Flyer

Tripoli to Vienna (TIP-VIE) on Austrian arrows (operated by Tyrolean) Fokker 100 in business class

Apologies for the interruption. I have a few minutes before my next flight so hope to bring this wee report a little closer to being up to date.

The little Fokker was of course too small to use the airbridge directly. However the design includes a spiral ramp to the ground with the entrance just a few metres from the steps to the aircraft. There was a passport check at the ground, with a look that the visa has been properly stamped for exit. I just said I was in transit and that ended the check for a visa or stamp in my passport. Clearly this guy is used to odd people who transit or turnaround in Tripoli.

While not yet summer it was still rather hot - in the mid 30s C. Still this dry heat is much more pleasant than the same temperature in the tropics.

This flight was almost full up. The 2-3 seating was utilised in business class as 2-2 with middle seat free. We were handed out menu cards, offered newspapers and magazines (limited selection of both).

It didn't take long after take off before we were again in the midst of the thick haze.

Lunch was served at a leisurely pace. There were a few rounds with the drinks.

The view en route was okay but a bit intermittent. Here we had great views of Sicily before encountering cloud up against the lower west coast of Italy's mainland. Then clear views of hills and valleys before more cloud over the Adriatic. Then clear for the Croatian islands and the northern Balkans, more cloud again in the hill country before clear again in the Danube plains.

We landed early but had a very long taxi from the furthest end of the furthest runway, all the way past the entire length of the terminal before pulling into a gate at the end of C pier. No queue at immigration.

Kiwi Flyer

Vienna

As I had no euros on me I searched for a bank or exchange bureau. Unfortunately both airside ones were closed but luckily there are some more by baggage claim. I almost missed the next CAT trying to find an open one airside.

I was staying at the Hilton Vienna (am Stadtpark). While there are cheaper options than CAT (16 euros return) you can't beat it for convenience as the Hilton is literally just a few metres away from the CAT station.

Once again, despite being on an award I was upgraded to a nice executive room with a view over the park and city.

cstead

I stayed at the Hilton Vienna last summer, and you're right about the location. Its great to be a quick walk to the station. Great report so far; I can't wait to read up more on the Axis...I'm guessing a visit to Tehran is coming up?

Kiwi Flyer

Off to Iraq/Kurdistan
Vienna to Erbil (VIE-EBL) on Austrian Airlines A319 in business class

A couple of years ago Austrian Airlines announced they were starting flights to Iraq and immediately I was interested. Fares seemed rather high and so thoughts turned to awards or including as part of a round the world. A year or so ago I had booked the flights as part of a round the world, but before I ticketed Austrian Airlines converted the flights from regular scheduled passenger flights to charter flights, thus making them ineligible for that round the world. But I did not give up hope. So it came to be when planning for this round the world that I again noticed the flights in the schedule and again booked them. I hoped for better luck this time.

By the way, if searching for information about the destination, I have come across at least 3 spellings that seem to be accepted - Erbil, Arbil and Irbil. Makes it a bit harder to find the little information available. It isn't as if this is one of the major tourist destinations!

Visa and Entry Requirements

The flight booked my next step was to work out visa requirements, if any. Timatec had some information but also had a note that rules are subject to frequent changes and so the information cannot be relied upon. Helpful. Still, it did suggest a visa on arrival would be possible. There is no Iraq embassy, funnily enough, near me. But through the visa company I use I managed to get a little more information from the nearest Iraq consulate - based a few timezones away. Their advice was that, for my itinerary, I should not need a visa. But they were less than certain. They also thought that if a visa is necessary then I should be able to get one on arrival. I understand the requirements for arrival in Kurdistan differ from the requirements in the rest of Iraq, eg Baghdad. So those taking the Royal Jordanian flight Amman to Baghdad may need a visa. AFAIK these 2 flights are the only regular scheduled passenger services into Iraq at the moment. Obviously with the ongoing war, civil unrest and calls for separation of Kurdistan, the situation could change very rapidly.

While not ideal for the lack of a definitive answer, this was good enough for me. I hoped the rules wouldn't be changing too much between booking several months before the trip and the actual flights. Still, there is nothing I can do about it and so no point worrying unduly.

Fast forward to the airport. Check in didn't bother looking for visa requirements or whether I had one. At the gate there is a passport and visa check. Unfortunately, while lots of countries are listed on a sheet of paper as being eligible for visa on arrival, my country was not. The checker asked a supervisor who said I was okay to go. The impression I have is that Iraq/Kurdistan have very free rules for entry as they want as many visitors as possible. Certainly I've seen some western countries with more restrictive entry requirements.

On arrival at Erbil I was given a 7 day entry stamp, which appeared to be the default option, and cautioned to register on day 10 if I intended to stay longer.

While this information may not be of use to many FTers, I posted far more detail than normal about visas and entry rules because of the lack of hard data available. I certainly would have appreciated this information had I had it before the trip.

Now, back to the flights.

Kiwi Flyer

Vienna to Erbil (VIE-EBL) on Austrian Airlines A319 in business class

I checked out of the Hilton Vienna rather later than I intended. I had been busy on one of the 2 executive lounge computers catching up on emails and posting a bit more of this trip report (unfortunately I have had so little internet access the past few days that I am rather behind in the updates), and lost track of the time.

While I already had a boarding pass for the flight to Iraq, issued in Libya as you may recall, I had a couple of requests to make and so proceeded to check in. First I changed my FFP number for at Tripoli they had not made the change I had requested there. That done, I enquired about checking in for the return flight.

Yes, this is going to be a turnaround trip. While I preferred to have a stay in Iraq, my tight schedule (there are currently just 3 flights a week soon to become 4), logistics (there didn't seem to be any accommodation available for online booking and I'm sure this would have stumped my travel agent), and total lack of affordable insurance cover (normal policies were void because the country is at war), all worked against me. So I booked the turnaround, less than an hour on the ground.

I didn't know how easy the transit would be and thus preferred to have the return boarding pass in hand for peace of mind. In practice I hoped they would be unlikely to leave without me, but if I have the boarding pass already it should be easier all round.

The first answer by the check in agent was "not possible". Oh dear. Then he noticed the short transit and worried they would not be able to check me in there as I might miss check in cut-off (I don't know the check in cutoff for Erbil but I probably would miss it if the transit requires passing through immigration or even if just the flight is a little late). A call to a supervisor brought the welcome information that he would give it a try. Sure enough, out comes a boarding pass. A bit of fluffing around to fix up the FFP number on that one, and to print out a boarding pass for my third flight of the day and I was set.

Through immigration quickly, yet another stamp in my passport. I had a few minutes to visit the lounge and finish off the messages I ran out of time to deal with at the hotel. Then it was time to board.

As mentioned already there was a small delay in letting me into the gate. Then screening and I breathed a sigh of relief. I was now really going to be heading to Iraq. Of all the things that could have happened over a period of months to foil this second attempt, none had eventuated. I had a keen sense of anticipation. The gate lounge was fairly empty. I had previously checked the availability and it looked like load was light. However, I did not expect it this light - just a couple of dozen passengers - especially as Austrian Airlines is increasing the number of flights.

We boarded. The business cabin was 9 rows, so quite a high proportion for business-class, which did not surprise me in the least. Doors didn't shut on time and more passengers kept pouring in. Ah, there are lots of connecting passengers on the flight (which makes sense now I think about it as there are no other flight options) and many of these were late arriving. The flight ended up with perhaps 30 business class passengers and 70 economy class passengers. Not too bad I suppose (given fare levels) but hardly jammed full.

Kiwi Flyer

Unfortunately it is time to board another flight, and I am not sure where I will next have computer access. Apologies for the delay. I'll post some more when I get a chance.

daveinsf

Great trip report! Out of curiosity (not because I'm planning on duplicating your RTW ) I was checking the fare from Vienna to Erbil on ITA and noticed that the flight to EBL is 2 hr 40 min while the flight back to VIE is 5 hr 5 min. But I imagine we'll find out why this is in due time.

AJO

The ITA times may be because of a time difference of 1 hour which isn't recognized properly by the software. When you add / distract an hour, the flight times are 3h40 and 4h05, respectively, which sounds more plausible.

Swanhunter

Good stuff. ^ Look forward to hearing more about Erbil - flight times are good for a weekend break from London. I wonder what zone it is for BD DC.

Kiwi Flyer

Correct. Interestingly even the flight map onboard got the destination time wrong

Kiwi Flyer

At the moment the flight has the European product. However a little brochure that Austrian has included with their meals says

Now that sounds more like it. Shame I missed out by a few months.

I forgot to mention about the Austrian Airlines (animated) safety video earlier. There is this poor guy who is made out to be a fool. He catches his tie in the tray table when putting it away. The flight attendant has to turn his safety card right way up when he goes to look at it. And at the end there is a horrible noise just after he runs off the screen, as if he has run into something hard.

We have 2 policemen onboard. They come with the flight and make sure there is no trouble with reboarding (I saw them checking visas but I don't know if they have other duties also ).

Even though this is only a shorthaul flight, we are given a little amenity kit - socks and toothbrush and toothpaste. No fancy bag though - just a plastic wrapper.

IFE was 10 audio channels plus the little overhead screens. A video commemorating 50 years of Austrian, the friendly airline, was shown first, then a news tape, then the movie August Rush.

While there was a bit of cloud over eastern Europe, for the most part we had great views. Our path took us loosely down the Danube, over the southwestern corner of the Black Sea, across the middle of Turkey, and then along the edge of the mountains. It was odd having one side's view filled with massive snow-covered peaks and the other flat desert landscape with a few snow-fed rivers wending their way across a seemingly abandoned land.

From other trip reports on Flyer Talk I had read about the famous spiral descent into Baghdad. However I was not expecting this at Erbil and it was somewhat disconcerting. We basically dropped from almost 30,000 feet to land in a long series of turns overhead the city and suburbs. At the centre of Erbil is a massive rock on which sits the old town. It is hard to describe but it looks like a large mesa filled tightly with lots of small old buildings. It is a modest height above the surrounding plains, and the city spreads out all around it. This Google Maps link doesn't really do it justice IMO.

The city is very low rise, but with clear signs of a building boom and prosperity or at least some serious money flowing in. The runway is small and so we use all of it to come to a stop.

Kiwi Flyer

In Transit in Erbil

The airport looks new and not quite completed. We are taken by a bus to the arrivals terminal - yes there are separate buildings for arrivals and departures. There was barely enough room in the bus for us. A few people (maybe HONs or VIPs) were taken by minivan to the terminal to beat the queue.

Naturally there was no setup for transits. Quite possibly I am the first to deliberately do a turnaround here (ie not counting those rejected from entering). There were about 5 immigration booths. Processing was done effeciently. It seems the default visa given is 7 days, which is really 10 because you have 10 days until you need to register. A picture is taken, but no fingerprints. The officer was really polite and friendly. He did seem to be genuinely happy that people were again coming into the area.

Bags were xrayed before we could leave. Signposting is nearly non-existant, but the airport is so small you cannot go wrong. A short walk out in the afternoon heat (temperature close to 40C) to the departures terminal. Before you reach check in there is a security screening, much like at St Petersburg. Then, as I already had my boarding pass, and assumed I would not need to reprint or pay any departure taxes, I went directly to immigration. I was quickly stamped. The officer did a double take on seeing the date of my arrival stamp and I was allowed through. There was another screening to enter the gate lounge.

Before I went through I had a quick look at the main departures area. A cafe, plenty of seating, some vending machines. I can't recall if there was any internet stations, but definitely no airport lounge. I had barely gotten through the gate screening and boarding commenced.

One guy blocked the way while debating on whether or not he needed a Schengen visa to transit in Vienna (I'm not sure where to). It must have been resolved as I later saw him board. The gate agent seemed not to understand the coupon attached to my boarding pass was the ticket she was asking for. After a few moments she accepted I didn't need to hand anything else over.

No bus to the aircraft, instead a short walk over the hot tarmac.

Kiwi Flyer

Erbil to Vienna (EBL-VIE) on Austrian Airlines A319 in business class

We were late leaving Erbil and with strong headwinds did not make up any time en route.

IFE was the 50 years video, the movie The Game Plan and a Just For Laughs program.

The views were much the same. The load was similar. Really just the same as the flight out, but minus the anticipation of going somewhere new.

We got a bus gate on arrival. Isn't it always the way, when you have a tight connection the flight is late and get a bus gate. Yet when you have a long connection the flight is early and get an airbridge.

Edited to add - like the descent, the takeoff was a spiral ascent.