Tuesday, 26 May 2009

With the first flight of the day leaving at 0930h, I woke up at 0745h and it only dawned on me slowly that "anat0l, do you realise you have a non-refundable booking this morning?!" I guess the proximity from the city to the airport had dulled my sense of judgement. I showered and got dressed quickly and prepared my back pack for the day before heading out the door and off towards the tram stop. I had to wait about 8 minutes until the next tram arrived; about 5 minutes later at Currie St, I strided to the Jetbus stop. The Jetbus timetable isn't printed on the bus stop signage (only a notice saying that there is at least one bus every 15 minutes); I think I ended up waiting the full 15 minutes for the next bus to arrive! When I finally got to ADL airport, it had taken anywhere between 45 min and 1 hr for me to get from accommodation to airport.

Luckily I only had carry-on bags for the day and had OLCI'd for my flights, because as I started moving through security my flight was being called, which meant there was not even any time for me to head into the QP to grab a bite to eat for breakfast, although I did stop at the front desk to grab my BPs for the day, then it was off in full stride to gate 21 for boarding.

Flight: Qantas Airways QF738 Adelaide (ADL T1) - Sydney (SYD T3)
Depart: 0930h Sched; 0929h Actual
Aircraft: VH-VZB "Lake Macquarie" Boeing 737-800
Distance: 725 mi (1,167 km)
Class: Economy
Seat: 4C

All my flights for the day were marked as "Refreshment" flights, which meant no breakfast until I arrived in SYD two hours later!

After take off, the morning refreshments were handed out, once again featuring a choice of either National Breast Cancer cup cake or apple tea cake, served from the elaborate box. I chose the tea cake and a cup of black tea and as I was regaling to the FA that I was quite tired and hadn't had a bite for breakfast as of yet, on her suggestion I also requested an apple. Upon returning to clear the rubbish, the FA asked if she could get me anything else. She suggested another apple or pretzels, but I just replied to her that some more fruit if there was any (besides another apple). She disappeared for a bit and some minutes later returned with a small side bowl of fruit from one of the J refreshment trays. It wasn't a lot more to eat nor was it any sort of standard practice, but I thanked the FA all the same for going through the hassle.


Morning refreshment of tea cake and apple


Fruit bowl from a J refreshment

I caught up with a bit of sleep on the flight and woke up just as the seat belt sign was reactivated. We landed into SYD; as we passed by SYD T1, I noticed a parked QF 744 which had been repainted with oneworld livery. Eventually, we pulled up at T3 at gate 8.


Qantas Boeing 747-400 in oneworld livery

I disembarked the aircraft and did a round of the airport before making a bee line to the J Lounge. Once inside, the all-day menu had already been put out, so I heaped on a plate of ham, salad greens and cous cous salad plus a glass of water with lemon. I couldn't find a table next to a window with a spare power socket, so I had to use one of the bench areas where there are telephones. Luckily this was also near a coffee machine, so I made myself a cup of green tea, whipped out the eeePC and plugged it in. I eventually managed to find another way to get photos off my camera, which annoyed me heartily because it would have meant a lot less stuffing around (although it was not an obvious solution at the time), plus now I still had a bricked Windows to deal with.

I decided to leave some time before boarding calls were made because I needed to get some steps for the day, so I did a couple more rounds of SYD terminal before heading down to gate 16 to board my flight to CBR. (Gates 16 and 17 of SYD T3 are used for the QantasLink Dash 8 shuttle services between SYD and CBR; they are the only QantasLink (indeed, Dash 8) flights to leave from T3).

Flight: QantasLink QF1479 Sydney (SYD T3) - Canberra (CBR)
Depart: 1255h Sched; 1259h Actual
Aircraft: VH-QOM Dash 8 Q400
Distance: 148 mi (238 km)
Class: Economy
Seat: 5C

I tried to get a more forward seat than 5C, but OLCI wouldn't let me select anything else. When I got onto the aircraft, the load seemed fairly light, more so when only a peppering of passengers assumed the seats in rows 1-4. Then just before I thought it was time to depart, a whole bunch of people clamoured on board and the first four rows filled up without so much as a blink. Only one conclusion: they must be CLs...

There isn't enough room at SYD for the Dash 8 aircraft to simply turn out of the parked position, so aircraft need to be pushed back. Our pushback was slightly delayed, much to the annoyance of some of the operational vehicles attempting to cross the tarmac (who ended up having to line up and wait whilst pushback procedures were being organised). Luckily, there wasn't too much more dramas after that so we took off soon after for the short hop to CBR.

SYD/CBR flights are always small refreshment flights; in this case, we were offered a "light lunch", served in the usual elaborate travel box made by the Sydney Biscuit Company (sbc). The contents of the box ended up being a small sundried tomato and cheese loaf, accompanied by a mini-tub of chilli jam (and an obligatory plastic knife). The texture of the loaf was not unlike that of a scone, but being that it had to be stored before serving it was still a bit cool and moist, which isn't completely a bad thing. The chilli jam had a bit of zing in it, thank goodness.




QantasLink and sbc lunch box with sun dried tomato and cheese loaf with chilli jam

A 55 minute flight doesn't exactly leave one a lot of time to eat and appropriately enough after tea and coffee service the rubbish was cleared and we touched down into a rather cool CBR and parked at one of the far stand-off bays, entering the terminal at arrival gate G.

Instead of heading straight for the J Lounge, I decided to walk a bit and do a little exploring. I strided off to the non-Qantas end of the terminal (where DJ and TT have check-in and gates). I went through security to an area which looked larger and more open than the waiting area at the Qantas end of the terminal. I found the Virgin Blue The Lounge near the far end of the terminal on the upper floor, just beyond one of the few aerobridges on the non-Qantas side of CBR terminal.

The Lounge was...how should I say this simply...deserted, save for a couple of people. The lounge attendant was on the phone but she still greeted me as I glanced around. I said I was just having a look and I wasn't a member, but she said if I wanted to I could have a better look and wander around (I assume this means welcome in but get out soon). So I went inside to survey the facilities. The bar and food offerings weren't any more exciting than the QP or QF J Lounges; computer workstations were located in a compact, separate room with dividers between workstations. I snapped a few photos inside, then went out back to the terminal.






Images taken of the Virgin Blue The Lounge in CBR

I had a wonder in the upper floor of the non-QF end of the terminal, which sported a cafe (supposedly for those who wished to pay a little less for refreshments than that on board), which the QF end did not have. In any case, it was getting close to boarding for my return to SYD, so I headed back to the QF end and up to the J Lounge.


Ramp walkway leading up to QF J Lounge at CBR

Once in the J Lounge, I asked the desk agent whether I could improve my seat from the one I had been given at OLCI; when she looked at my current BP, she gave me a very odd look and replied that I had already got a fairly good seat for such a flight and a further check on her part confirmed this fact. I went into the lounge and grabbed some food and a cup of green tea. I then spent the rest of my time in the lounge on my eeePC trying to get Windows going again from a backup, eventually without success . Just as I was about to leave, I saw the first bits of some hot food come out - it was a Malay curry that could be eaten with rice. I grabbed a small bowl to try and washed it down with a sparkling water with lemon from the bar. I could only manage a bit of it because it came out so hot and time was not on my side. I left the lounge and headed down to gate 16 with still a decent boarding line extending out from the gate. Then it was down the stairs and out of the terminal onto the tarmac.

Flight: QantasLink QF1476 Canberra (CBR) - Sydney (SYD T3)
Depart: 1455h Sched; 1505h Actual
Aircraft: VH-QOH Dash 8 Q400
Distance: 148 mi (238 km)
Class: Economy
Seat: 6B

I had seen VH-QOH parked at SYD earlier; VH-QOH is a special DH4 due to it being painted in a special pink livery supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Our flight was quite full, and as usual some fat cats (in some cases, literally, except for the cats part...oh, wait a minute ) decided to board fairly close to the flight closing. Perhaps it was for this reason that our flight departure was slightly delayed.


QantasLink Dash 8 Q400 VH-QOH as seen earlier in the day at SYD T3

Once everyone had been located and seated, we taxiied out and took off without fuss (as it should have been since there were virtually no other aircraft at CBR at the time). Refreshment on the flight was a couple of small sbc lemon and lime biscuits. Many people must have had a case of the afternoon sleepies, because plenty of people (my fellow pax in 6A included) simply slept most of the flight. A quick flight (and/or a quick nap) later, we thudded into SYD again (waking up the sleeping pax in the process) and parked at gate 16.

Given that my connection was only 50 min, there wasn't a lot of time to do much, but I did manage to go to the J Lounge to get a green tea and surf the web. Then it was back out of the lounge and onto gate 9 at the far circular concourse to board my flight back to ADL. Well, it would be as straightforward as that if my BP didn't red-beep me at the gate....

Flight: Qantas Airways QF765 Sydney (SYD T3) - Adelaide (ADL T1)
Depart: 1625h Sched; 1626h Actual
Aircraft: VH-VYK "Moree" Boeing 737-800
Distance: 725 mi (1,167 km)
Class: Business (operational upgrade from Red e-Deal)
Seat: 1A

I was sent to the gate desk and with a bit of fiddling behind the counter, new BPs were issued and found myself with, to quote the desk agent, "a much better seat" . I was greeted on board warmly by the CSM and accompanying FA as I took my seat and thankfully managed to find space in the smaller row 1 overhead locker for my bag. It's always nice to fly the longer domestic flights in J; this flight being just under two hours in flying time (and according to the captain, a bit faster that day due to favourable conditions).

Once we were airborne, orders were taken for pre-meal drinks. I asked for a sparkling water with lemon, which came back with a packet of nuts. Once again I opted for the warm refreshment on this flight, which turned out to be a lamb curry pie, sided with a wholegrain roll and the usual small tea cake from Manna from Heaven. The pie was actually quite good, with the lamb curry having a bit of spice in it (although I also did empty my sachet of pepper into it as well). I took up the offer of a glass of red wine to go with the meal, and a pleasant glass of Innocent Bystander Shiraz-Viognier 2005 was poured and imbibed.


Pre-meal drinks on the way to ADL, served with a packet of almonds and cashews




Business refreshment of lamb curry pie


Innocent Bystander Shiraz-Viognier 2005

Trays were cleared soon after and I opted for a few more cups of tea. Before we had to prepare for landing I went for a bathroom break and on the way back to my seat I thanked the CSM and her fellow FA for their immaculate service during the flight. They were both attentive and friendly from boarding, but I wanted to let them know rather than at disembarkation, when it would be almost too difficult to thank them.

By the time we landed in ADL, it was already dark. The aircraft pulled up at gate 21 and as soon as I got back into the terminal, I made a bee line for the ADL QP so that I could catch up on more emails and OLCI for my flights the next day. I managed to get 4C for every flight the next day except for my MEL-ADL flight of which I selected 4A, as well as my ADL-CBR flight which I had to settle for 6A (obviously a 734 which had 5 rows of J configured). I managed to stay in the QP and get some emails sorted out before closing time.

Once back at my accommodation, I thought about the next day: 0605h was my first departure . Although the first Jetbus would get me to the airport on time, there wasn't a tram that would get me to Currie St in time to catch it. The idea of walking 1.5 km with a ~20 kg bag at around 3.30am - 4.30am in the morning was balk-worthy, so I asked at the front reception to book a taxi for me the next day, as well as a wake up call. Although I had the wake up call, just for extra insurance, I set my phone alarm before packing up as much of my stuff as I could, followed by drifting off to sleep.