December 13 2017
WY667
MCT - DOH
Oman Air
Boeing 737-800
A4O-BE
3F Business Class
Actual flight time: 1:12hr
Another delayed departure. During the boarding card check before they let you on the bus, I was told that business class bus will leave next. It's ok, I'm tired and want to seat in the plane.
This plane had old business class product. The seats reminded me of old US Airways business class.
After everyone boarded we were offered Arabic coffee and dry date. Later OJ or lemonade. The load in business class was 7. So everyone had both seats to themselves, besides some husbend and wife which were seating together.
After take off I was offered food. I couldn't hear FA what he was saying, but I overheard word 'sandwich'. Ok, that's what I'll have.
The food that was served was one sandwich with some meat and one sandwich with tuna salad. Plus fruits and cucumber/tomato salad.
Before I knew we were landing in Doha. Another first for me - Qatar.
After leaving the plane I met with a guy whom I met on another aviation forum. He was asking me about places in Washington DC. It turned out that I came to Qatar before he came to USA
He's working at the airport and by luck he was working night shift.
He walked with me to the baggage claim and after all bags were out, my bag was missing.
Nice. I'll be meeting my customer in jeans. We went to the baggage service place and I've submitted my claim. I was told that my bag will arrive in my hotel around 2pm. After a while, my friend had to go back to work. I went to coffee shop and had double espresso shot.
Then I took Uber and went to my coworker's hotel. He was staying at Millennium Hotel, about 20 minutes from the airport.
He arranged with the manager and front desk the night before, that when I show up in the morning they will give me key to his room so I can come up and we can do little work before the meeting. As soon as I appeared in the lobby, the front desk lady called me by my name.
Mr. BWIADCA, welcome to our hotel. Can I see your passport please? Sure. I gave her my passport, she made copies and then she said that it's against hotel's policy to give away keys to rooms to people not staying in the hotel. ...??? Then why did you take my passport and made copies? Manager came and started telling me that because my coworker made the request with him last night, they will let me up, but I have to wait few more minutes. At the same time my coworker texted me asking where I was. I supposed to be in the hotel already. I've told him what's going on and he came downstairs pissed off. He asked manager why last night it wasn't a problem and now they make big deal out of it?
Now I was cleared to go up to his room.
View from his room
Outside of the hotel looking at some office building
We've wasted a lot of time downstairs so we started preparing for the meeting. He wanted to make coffee in room, but then he realized that all the coffee bags are for decaf. He called front desk for some coffee. The guy brought fist full of decaf coffee!
My coworker was pissed
Few minutes later, the same guy brought two fists full of regular coffee
Went to the meeting. I was half asleep, but apparently the meeting went well. Around noon I was taken to my hotel DoubleTree Old Town.
I wanted to check in this early. They've told me that if I'm willing to wait couple of hours they will upgrade me to a nice suite.
Just asked them for any room with bed and shower. I was exhausted. They still gave me nice room on the 10th floor. Asked for wake up call at 2pm which surprised them
At 2pm? In 2 hours? Yes please
I was amazed when I entered my room. Definitely the best DoubleTree hotel that I have ever stayed at. It had living space, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom with showers and nice bathtub. It was very nice. I took quick shower and hit the bed.
View from the room
At 2pm I had wake up call, and at the same time my friend told me that unfortunately he can't meet up with me in the afternoon as he got called to work. That's fine. My bag should arrive soon and I can venture on my own.
But before that I hit the bed again and slept until 4pm.
I went downstairs to check if they received my bag. Still nothing. I kept calling baggage office but nobody was answering.
As I was starving I've called room service and ordered seafood appetizer and fish as my main course, with the rum and coke as a side
My food was very good. It hit the spot.
Made few more calls to the airport and finally got someone on the line. They were claiming that they keep calling me but I wasn't answering so my bag is rescheduled to be delivered between 11pm and midnight! I'm leaving from hotel at 1am!
I was pissed. I took Uber and went to the airport (about 10 minutes away). I went to the office and picked up my bag. Took Uber back to the hotel and that's how I wasted most of my time in Doha.
Instead going to the city (as I had 4 more hours) I went to the roof top bar. Before I was let in, unfriendly bouncer was grilling me if I was actually guest in the hotel (???).
I've got two double Jamesons. The damage was $60. That's how I ended December 13th, not Friday, but 13th.