Four days before I was scheduled to depart Bali, I received an email from Sri Lankan Airlines informing me that my flight from Jakarta to Colombo on April 8th had been cancelled. Four days out! In its place, I had been rebooked on the same flight the next day, April 9th, which would leave me with a 45 minute connection to my previously scheduled onward flight to Kuwait.

I went over to the Sri Lankan Airlines website and plugged in Jakarta to Kuwait for April 9th. The two flights involved (UL 365 and UL 229) did indeed show up, complete with a 45 minute connection in Colombo. Hmm… 45 minutes is pretty short and pretty surprising for an international connection.

I went over to Flightradar24 and checked out the history of onward travel for the aircraft assigned to the Jakarta to Colombo flight, UL 365. Did it continue on to Kuwait each day as UL 229 or did it go elsewhere? Some days it went to Kuwait. Other days it went to Dubai, while some days it sat around Colombo for a few hours before being assigned to another, later flight.

Hmm… I was really excited about these two flights with Sri Lankan. Its Business Class service had reviewed quite well, and I was looking forward to leisurely stays in both Colombo and Kuwait. Did I want to risk booking a 45 minute connection with an airline that would cancel an international flight four days out?

Additionally, what were my options to get home if I cancelled these award flights? Well, for sure there were no other awards available except via Qatar Airways bearing a price tag of 255000 miles. No thanks. An hour or so of research on straight revenue flights showed a couple of decent options out of Denpasar to Seattle via China Airlines and EVA, both of them offering one way Business Class fares of about $2350.00. Philippine was even cheaper, but no way was I flying an airline with a Business Class as poorly regarded as PAL’s, especially with a 13 hour layover in Manila. At least I had viable and affordable options with CI or BR, so that’s a relief.

I thought on the tight connection option with Sri Lankan for a day, and then decided NO. Although the Jakarta to Colombo flight showed a seven day history of flights mostly close to on time, two of them had arrived within fifteen minutes of the Kuwait flight’s scheduled departure. While Colombo’s airport is not a huge facility, what would happen if we were remotely parked? Would Sri Lankan hold the connecting flight? I kept coming back to the four days out cancellation. It just didn’t set well with me, and ultimately I simply wasn’t comfortable risking getting stuck in Colombo or Kuwait due to late flights, missed connections or further cancellations, with no guarantees of Business Class (much less any class) awards being available on replacement flights.

And of course, by cancelling the flights to Kuwait, I had to also cancel my British Airways award from Kuwait to San Francisco via London. This hurt a lot, because I was really looking forward to flying First Class aboard BA’s A380 between London and San Francisco, not to mention spending a couple of leisurely hours in the T-5 Concorde Room.

Sigh…

So be it. I contacted Alaska Airlines and cancelled the Sri Lankan and British Airways awards. Then, I went over to Expedia and booked a one way Business Class itinerary using China Airlines to Taipei and San Francisco, connecting to Alaska Airlines up to Seattle. It’s worth noting that I tried to book this directly through the China Airlines website, but it wouldn’t accept my credit cards.

Keep in mind, I had a choice between EVA and China Airlines. In terms of service, from both personal experience and multiple reviews, I knew EVA’s Royal Laurel Business Class was superior to China Airlines’ Dynasty Class, particularly with regard to in-flight catering.

The deciding factor for me was simple. I’d never flown with China Airlines before. How inferior could its meal service be compared to EVA? Well, I guess we’ll find out. In the meantime, I could go to bed secure in the knowledge that I had just booked flights – in Business Class, no less – aboard my 207th different airline flown.

As an added bonus, since I wouldn't be flying back via the Middle East to get home, but rather onward across the Pacific, this entire itinerary became an Around The World trip. Here's A Map

Also, the more direct schedule offered via China Airlines meant that I could spend an extra three days on Bali.


* * * < + > * * *


Wednesday April 10, 2024
China Airlines Business Class
Denpasar to Taipei – 2360 miles
A330-300 ~ 340p – 905p

I was dropped off at Bali’s impressive Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and made my way up the people mover equipped ramp and into the terminal. I’ve noted this before in previous trip reports, but for those of you who may have missed them, the terminal building at DPS is absolutely stunning, inside and out – truly one of the most architecturally striking airport terminals I have ever seen.

The new International Terminal building opened in November 2013, and by 2015 it had been named by the Airports Council International as the third best airport terminal in the world among 30 airports with a passenger capacity of 15-25 million per year. That group includes such well-regarded airports as Kansai International Airport (Osaka), Auckland International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and Brisbane International Airport.



Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport


Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport


Unfortunately, the terminal is not very well air-conditioned – at least not by this Alaskan’s standards. Once you clear the outer entry area, the air conditioning is marginally better, with an emphasis on “marginally”

Thankfully, the line at China Airlines’ Business Class counter was dreamlike, i.e. there was no line when I arrived and the agent there quickly established eye contact, smiled and beckoned me forward. Beyond that, the check-in process went smoothly, my wheelchair access request was acknowledged and soon I was being wheeled through an expedited version of security and immigration. This was great for me, because the line for security was pretty long, and while I can walk/hobble a few hundred yards, standing for long periods becomes problematic.

My wheelchair handler then took me on a tour of back hallways that ultimately ended in the commons area closer to the elevator that led one floor above to the mezzanine level where the Business Class lounge was located.

I’ve been to this lounge before, back when I flew out of here via KLM Business Class back in 2017 and last year when I was flying out in Business Class with Singapore. It used to be known as the Premiere Lounge, but had now been renamed as the Tujuwan Lounge.

While the interior and food offerings were essentially no different from what I’d experienced during past visits, the air-conditioning had definitely taken a turn for the worse. I remember walking into this lounge on past visits with my reaction essentially being “Ahh…..” as that first refreshing ambiance of nice, cool air enveloped me. Alas, the lounge was now air-conditioned via about ten portable air-conditioning units placed in various locations around the lounge. I saw on one that it was set to 23°C which is about 74°F. That’s pleasant I suppose, but not cool. I put my hand down next to one and it felt like room temperature air blowing out. So basically, they’re just fans.

Maybe it’s me. I mean, for the average traveler who lives in this part of the world, 23°C might seem blissfully cool. Per my tastes however, I’d prefer it about 68°F or even a degree or two lower – a temperature that from my experience actually feels cool and refreshing – especially upon emerging from the mugginess of approximately 80°F in the terminal.

Other than the air-conditioning, I found the layout, the furnishings and over all ambience to be just fine. Comfy single chairs and small couches were arranged in small, intimate groups - often around a low table. The lighting was pleasant – not overly bright - and the foods on offer looked varied and tasty.



Denpasar’s Tujuwan Lounge


Denpasar’s Tujuwan Lounge


The buffet island was well stocked with Javanese rice, spicy noodles, a hot beef dish, a variety of sandwiches, a cold broccoli salad , quiche and a tureen of tomato soup. However, when I tested a small portion of the beef dish, it was warm but not hot. Many years ago, I managed a restaurant and I well remember our health inspections. Hot items like soup and buffet style dishes like the aforementioned beef are supposed to be maintained at a minimum temperature of 140°F .That is hot to the initial taste, and the beef was definitely not. I also well remember the Campylobacter bacteria I contracted last year, possibly from some tepid sausages I ate at an airport lounge in Jakarta. With no desire to relive that experience, I decided to pass on all food items and instead try to cool off with a well chilled bottle of water from a self-serve fridge.

I found a seat nearby one of the air-conditioning units and positioned it so that its air would wash over me a bit. Combined with the cold water, it helped me pass 45 minutes before my wheelchair arrived promptly at 3:00pm for the three to four hundred yard journey through the terminal and down the concourse to gate 7. I kid you not when I say it’s a good one hundred yards between each gate. Many of the aircraft serving the 9 gate International concourse are widebodies, so perhaps that explains the large amount of space between gates. Along the way, I noted that both the terminal and concourse were pleasantly illuminated (i.e. not too bright) and well populated with a nice variety of shops and restaurants. The warm colors and fabrics reminded me of Singapore’s Changi, making it that much easier to appreciate how this airport could garner such high regard amongst travelers and industry analysts alike.

Our arrival at the gate couldn’t have been timelier. No sooner had we arrived than a uniformed China Airlines employee waved us forward through the throngs of standing passengers and up to the gate entrance. Unlike most gates, this one required an escalator ride down one level to a small foyer in advance of the jetway door. No elevator was in evidence, but I assured my wheelchair handler that I could make my way down the escalator, on through the jetway and on to the airplane.



China Airlines A330-300


And so I did, hobbling my way down the jetway whilst encouraging a couple behind me to pass me by. The usual reception committee was waiting at the door and, after a perfunctory inspection of my boarding pass, one of them led the way to my seat in the fifth row on the aisle, left side. She couldn’t have been more helpful, lifting my rollabord up into the surprisingly small overhead compartment with ease and then enquiring if she could bring me any juice or water. The juice was said to be a plum cocktail – something I’d never had before as plum juice is not commonly served or available in North America. Hmm… sure, a juice sounds great.

Taking a moment to check out the cabin, I was generally impressed given the nature of our flight – a five hour, 2360 mile jaunt up to Taipei. Thirty-six recliners upholstered in a burgundy and purple patterned fabric and leather combination were configured six rows deep in a 2-2-2 arrangement. The seats were angled rather than lie-flat, but again, for a daytime flight of this length, I thought they were fine. Having grown up in the sixties and seventies, I was particularly appreciative of any color other than the drab, businesslike blues and grays that dominate so many aircraft interiors these days. I also liked the framed picture mounted on the wall at the rear of the cabin. I wish more airlines would do this as opposed to presenting passengers with a plain, staid white wall, devoid of any welcome or warmth.



China Airlines A330-300 Business Class
Photo credit to Jet Photos


China Airlines Pre-Departure Plum Cocktail


My juice arrived momentarily, followed shortly thereafter by both the menu and wine list presentation. I had pre-ordered my entrée, and so had to ask for a copy of both the menu and wine list. Surprisingly, the Flight Attendant had just one copy left of the wine list, but she promised to return with another, which she did in short order. Let’s check it out!


WINE LIST

Champagne
Charles Ellner Carte Blanche Brut, France

Red Wines
Château Ducluzeau 2016 Aoc Listrac-Medoc, France
Wither Hills Vineyard Taylor River Pinot Noir 2017, New Zealand

White Wines
Santa Julia Torrontés 2018, Argentina
Attems Pinot Grigio Friuli DOC

Dessert Wine
Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal

* * * < + > * * *

DINNER
Denpasar to Taipei

Canapé
Indonesian Sate Chicken Skewers

Appetizer
Prawn and Pineapple Salsa Lettuce Salad

MAIN COURSE

Stir-Fried Garlic Chicken Thigh
With Egg Fried Noodles

Grilled Filet Mignon
With Honey Black Pepper Sauce and Roasted Baby Potatoes

Indonesian Pudang Fish Fillet
With Kaffir Lime Leaf Rice


Bread
Kraftcorn Cheese Bread
Garlic Bread

Dessert
Seasonal Fresh Fruit
Premium Ice Cream
Creamy Custard Mille Feuille with Mango Sauce


Hmm…. Sate always rocks my boat, so we’re off to a good start there. I’m not a big fan of the appetizer course being merged into the salad course, though. I’ve seen this done on a couple of US carriers over the years, and from my perspective it represents little more than cheap cost cutting. I’d pre-ordered the Stir-Fried Garlic Chicken Thigh with Egg Fried Noodles, but all three mains looked pretty tasty. I have no idea what a Custard Mille Feuille is, but anything with mango sauce ought to be pretty tasty.

Parked next door was EVA’s Taipei bound A330-200, wearing the Hello Kitty livery. I’ve heard that even the inside of the Hello Kitty liveried airplanes have plenty of references – artistically or otherwise - to the brand. It was tempting to grab a photo of the plane, but with an unsightly jetway cutting off the forward fuselage and all of the assorted service vehicles distracting from the rest of the plane, I decided to hold off.

Besides, I’ve got plenty of postcards of various EVA aircraft bearing various Hello Kitty liveries. That’s something many of you may not know about me. I collect – and have been collecting – postcards of commercial airliners since I was about 12 years old. I have over 30000 postcards in my collection and thousands of spares.

I was fortunate to grow up during a time when both the airlines and the public were excited about airplanes and flying. Here in the U.S., between 1960 and 1970, we saw the introduction of the 727-100 and -200, 737, 747, DC-8-60 series, DC-9-10 and -30, the Convair 880 and 990, and the foreign built Caravelle and BAC-111. These are in addition to the 707s and 720s already flying.

For their part, the airlines celebrated and promoted these new aircraft with colorful brochures and postcards, many of which used to be available in seat back pockets or special postcard holders mounted on the bulkhead. I didn’t get to fly very often as a kid, so the bulk of my postcards came as a result of writing hundreds of letters over the years to the airlines requesting postcards and brochures about their airplanes and in-flight services. As a young teenager visiting my grandparents in New York City, I would walk miles up and down Fifth Avenue hitting up all the airline sales offices. Some of these offices were street level while others were up higher in the building. Some buildings were home to four or five different airlines. By the time I graduated high school, my collection numbered over 500 postcards.

In the summer of 1979, I was flying around the eastern U.S. via an Allegheny Airlines / USAir Liberty Fare, which allowed two weeks of unlimited flights over the airlines’ network for about $225.00. I had stopped in Dayton, Ohio overnight to catch an Allman Brothers concert and, while passing through the Dayton airport terminal the next day noticed a display carousel housing a couple dozen postcards of different airliners. These were not produced by the airlines, but rather by a private company called Aviation World, owned by the famous Jon Proctor and his partner Pete Black. There was an address on the back of each card for those desiring a list of the company’s other postcards.

Well of course, I immediately purchased all of the available postcards in the Dayton airport’s gift shop, and then fired off a letter to Aviation World requesting a list of their available postcards. This also opened a dialogue with Jon Proctor himself, whom I had the pleasure of meeting on numerous occasions at various airline collectible shows and even his home in Bethel, Connecticut.

To make a long story shorter, Jon tipped me off to another airline postcard collector who was looking to sell his collection. His numbered over 3000 cards and included many valuable older airline issued cards, including a good number of linen types popular in the 1940s. I purchased that collection and in the process also got turned on to many additional producers of airline postcards. Over the ensuing forty some odd years, my collection has since grown to where it now is housed in over 120 school book type binders. Lord only knows how much I’ve spent on the sheet protectors I use to display and protect the cards.



Bankers Box of British Postcard Binders


2.5” Binder of Thai Airline Postcards


2 Postcards per Page
4 of twenty-some-odd different Bangkok Airways cards


Postcards
4 of forty-some-odd different Nok Airways cards


4 More Colorful Nok Airways Postcards


Alas, collecting airline postcards is very much like a dying language these days. So far as I know, very few people still collect them, and of those that still do, most of them are all older guys. The last time I went to an airline collectibles convention – Europe’s largest in Amsterdam, back in 2019 – I lugged a big suitcase along full of shoeboxes filled with a few thousand spares – and sold all of five cards that day, despite offering prices as low as $0.25 on some cards. Newly published cards online sell for anywhere from $0.75 to $1.50 USD on average. It was a disappointing day, but a sign of the changing times. These days most airline oriented collectors are into models and – oddly enough – those plastic cards found in each seatback pocket detailing emergency exits and procedures.

As for me and my collection, who knows what will happen to it. God forbid I should unexpectedly perish in a car accident tomorrow, I’ve no interested parties in mind to pass my collection on to – be they an individual or a museum. It’d be cool if there were some kid out there that had a real and sincere appreciation for something like this (“OMG! An East African VC.10!! How cool is that?!!”) but again, it seems this hobby is for the most part relegated to the dustbin of history.


* * * < + > * * *


Getting back to the flight at hand, here I was sipping a plum cocktail while comfortably sat in a nicely padded recliner aboard a 17 year old China Airlines A330-300. Eventually, the doors were closed, the emergency procedures gone over, drink glasses collected and push back commenced.

The initial pushback is one aspect of sitting in the nose of a 747 that I really miss. Depending upon how far forward you were sat, the nose wheel may have been behind you, placing the powerful tractor attached to it directly beneath you. For those of us like myself who truly enjoy flying, the whole process from pushback to takeoff can be a very sensory experience. I miss the sound of that tractor roaring to life directly beneath me, but then I also miss the unique turbine whine of those old Pratt & Whitney JT3Ds that powered 707s and DC-8s as they powered to life. Anybody remember when 727s and DC-9s used to employ reverse thrust to power them back from the gate? Sure, you can look out your window and see that you’re moving backward, but sound is part of the whole experience as well.

Taxiing out to the runway, we rolled past the Domestic terminal and its many A320s and 737s belonging to the many Indonesian domestic carriers. At one point, we taxied past an impressive lineup of four different domestic jetliners parked away from the terminal, each operated by a different airline. I thought it made for a nice picture:



A Good Looking Set of Indonesian Regional Airliners


DPS is a relatively busy airport with all manner of flights to destinations near and far, but there was no line at the head of the runway when we arrived, so the captain wasted no time in pausing briefly before goosing his twin GE CF6-80E1A4 engines, thereby generating approximately 130000 pounds of thrust – more than enough to send our 500,000 pound aircraft hurtling down DPS’s 9800 foot long runway and, after thirty seconds or so, up into the rainy gray skies above Bali.

Service commenced fairly soon after take off. Within twenty minutes I had a Screwdriver and a plate of nut mix in front of me, followed shortly thereafter by the canapé plate, bearing a pair of skewered chicken sates.



China Airlines Drink and Canapé


The descriptive write up on the Charles Ellner Carte Blanche Brut Champagne was alluring enough that, despite the fact that I’ve never been a big aficionado of Champagne, I wanted to try a small taste just to see if it justified all of the flowery prose. It didn’t – at least not to me – but then I’m a guy who’s every bit as satisfied with the taste of a $17.00 Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut as I am a bottle of Dom Perignon. Indeed, I might even like the Freixenet a bit more!

The sate was tasty enough, but it was served at room temperature and the sauce was more bland than spicy. And while I hate to sound like such a Negative Nellie, the Screwdriver tasted like it was made with orange drink rather than orange juice.

The overall service was generally quite good, though. The Flight Attendant serving my side of the cabin was friendly and efficient, not to mention very pretty. It helped that the Business Class cabin was only about half full, but she smoothly proceeded through the various courses of the meal, clearing off used plates and delivering new ones in a timely manner. She was also very attentive to our wine glasses. In short, she was as polished as any Flight Attendant I’ve been fortunate to fly with, regardless of airline or class flown.

I wish I could be as effusive in my praise of the meal as a whole. The appetizer/salad consisted of a single small prawn – more of a shrimp, really – and just a smidgen of lettuce offset by a couple slices of green and red pepper, two halves of a cherry tomato and a spoonful of pineapple salsa. The container of vinaigrette was almost an afterthought given the paucity of salad ingredients.



Stir-Fried Garlic Chicken Thigh
With Egg Fried Noodles


As for the garlic chicken main course, it was actually pretty good, if a little less flavorful than I would have preferred. The portion size was surprisingly nice and I especially liked the accompanying seedy dinner roll. Kraftcorn Cheese Bread and Garlic Bread were listed on the menu, but neither was ever mentioned nor offered during the meal.

Alright then, let’s find out what exactly a Creamy Custard Mille Feuille is. Not being a gourmand of the first order, I was expecting something akin to a bowl of custard or a Crème Brule. What I was served was per my tastes much nicer and especially delicious with the addition of the flavorful mango sauce.



Creamy Custard Mille Feuille with Mango Sauce


I could have easily eaten two or three of these delectable little pastries, but I’m proud to say I exercised admirable restraint in limiting myself to just one.

No cheese course was offered with this meal, so I closed it out with a small glass of the Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port. It was quite acceptable, but as any fan of good ports knows, twenty year old tawny is just that much nicer, particularly when accompanied with a nice, musty Stilton or a gooey and flavorful soft cheese like a fromager d’affinois. And thirty year old…. Ah….

By the way, can any of you remember the oldest port you’ve ever been served on an airplane? For some of you, it might be the Graham’s 30 Year Old Tawny Port that Japan Airlines used to (and may still) serve in its International First Class. That is one delicious Port! However, the oldest port I have ever been served in-flight came courtesy of Emirates Airlines (Who else?) on a flight between Singapore and Melbourne in 2018. That Port was a Graham’s Colheita Single Vintage Tawny Port with a vintage date of 1963. Fifty-five years old!

Well now, all this talk of cheese and port is making me hungry for some good cheese. I’d love to pair that with a good port, but here in the Interior of Alaska, those aren’t easily come by. I should imagine that the Brown Jug Warehouse on the other side of Fairbanks probably has a few twenty-year olds, and maybe even a thirty year old port – but at prices far higher than I’m willing to pay at present. Still, the more I think on it…

Alright then, I’m going to pause here and make a run into town to purchase some Fromager d’Affinois with Garlic and Herbs along with some Milton’s Original Multi-Grain Crackers, Bridgeport Turkey Pepperoni (It’s got waaay less fat than the real thing and is still surprisingly tasty) and Blue Diamond Lightly Salted Roasted Almonds. You cut the cracker in half, place a piece of pepperoni on top, then a blob of the cheese, on top of which you place one or two almonds. Mmmm Mmmm! So good! In lieu of a nice port, I think I’ll wash it all down with some Makers Mark or Woodford Reserve on the rocks. Alright then – be right back!.


* * * < + > * * *


Following the completion of the dinner service, there were still three hours left in the flight so I turned my attention to China Airlines’ Inflight Entertainment System, viewed via an approximately 13” screen mounted in the seatback in front of me.

Well, first of all, having recently flown in Business Class with Qatar Airways, I’m a bit spoiled when it comes to Inflight Entertainment Systems, not to mention seats and meals. Today’s A330 is a twenty year old airplane and its IFE clearly reflects that. Indeed, Google reviews of China Airlines’ A330-300 Business Class show that this aircraft is outfitted with an older generation of seats that quite possibly might be the very same ones that the airplane was delivered with. The small screen and a comparatively limited variety of movies, television shows and music was clearly not on a par with the best airlines out there. Indeed, compared to the IFE’s of airlines like Qatar, Emirates, Singapore, EVA, Cathay Pacific, et al, the system on this A330 feels like something out of the 1990s.

In any event, I didn’t see anything particularly alluring, so I plugged in my trusty laptop and set to work trying to catch up on this trip report. I might add that doing so is certainly not a disappointing second choice for me. It’s rare that I watch movies on airplanes, anyway. Generally, the smaller the screen, the less likely I am to watch, regardless of the popularity of any particular movie or show. I mean, I’ve got a 50” flat screen back home and a recliner more comfortable than any airplane seat. That said, I remember some most enjoyable inflight movie experiences while flying First Class aboard Emirates with its huge 30” screens. Japan Airlines also offers a nice big screen in its First Class suites. And what the heck, I actually really enjoyed the good old days – as in back in the 70s and 80s - when a single large screen mounted on the bulkhead (about the equivalent of an 85” screen – or larger) was our only option. Back then, there weren’t any movie choices, of course, but the overall viewing experience was actually quite acceptable.

I remember the first movie I ever saw on an airplane. It was “Jeremy” with Robby Benson, enjoyed while flying aboard a United 747 between Los Angeles and New York JFK in February of 1974. Wow! Fifty years ago! The return flight was aboard a United DC-10 and the movie was “Westworld” with Yul Brynner. They still had those plastic pneumatic headphones back then, but as I recall, I had no complaints with the sound quality. I even remember seeing Eddie Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop” aboard an Eastern L-1011 back in the early 1980s. What was memorable about that movie was how much the censors had cleaned up Eddie Murphy’s language. Any of you who’ve seen this 40 year old classic will recall that Murphy’s character – Axel Foley – has some pretty colorful language throughout the film. Ha! By the time the censors had cleaned it up to be suitable for Grandma Moses and the kids back there in row 32, Murphy’s character sounded like a graduate of Oxford University!

As they say, time flies when you’re having fun and when I get into a writing groove, putting together these trip reports is a lot of fun. I’m much more word oriented than I am photographically so, which is why I don’t submit the vastly more popular photo reports. Indeed, I’ve gone on record with my complaints about the sheer volume of pictures and types of pictures that are so popular in today’s photo/trip reports. Per my complaints back then, pictures of things like ticket counters, crowded gate lounges, walking down the jetway, seat controls, hot towels, etc. were just overbearing and unnecessary.

In retrospect, I accept now that my statements were misguided, uncalled for and not fair to those who submit these types of reports. I see now that on the whole, each of these pictures – no matter how seemingly mundane they may appear to me – contribute to the story as a whole, and together are every bit as important as the seemingly mundane periods, punctuation marks and paragraphs in a written report.

So here’s to all of you who do take the time to grace our Trip Report Forum with presentations of your travels – in whatever form your reports may take. Not everybody has the time, patience or ability to write like eight black or submit photo reports like SFO 777, the long time and reigning favorite trip reporter of the Trip Report Forum. All of you deserve our thanks and appreciation for making the effort and contributing to our entertainment and education.

As for my reports, I know I’ve got a few fans out there who really enjoy them, and to all of you I extend a hearty “Thank You!” Outside of FlyerTalk, my rather “wordy” trip reports (This one is 28000 words so far) have no real audience. They’re way too long for magazine publication and they are of little to no interest amongst most friends and family, who are more interested in reading about what I actually did Bali, Argentina, Namibia, Finland or wherever else I’ve traveled.

My position has always been that in terms of what I do and how I enjoy these various destinations, I’m really no different than anyone else who’ve written dozens of travelogues and blogs before me. Sure, I could write about visiting the National Museum in Helsinki or eating camel at some restaurant in Alice Springs, but as a longtime fan of commercial flight and in particular Premium Class in-flight service, I have so much more fun writing about my air and rail travel experiences for those of you who are so inclined to read them. I am such a nerd! Thank you so much for validating my “nerdiness” through your comments and the considerable amount of time taken to assumedly read my trip reports as opposed to just scrolling through and just looking at the pictures.

Uh, right! Back to the story at hand…

It was a dark and stormy night (I’ve always wanted to use that phrase in my writing!) when we landed at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport. Seriously, it actually was raining pretty good – not an uncommon phenomenon in this part of the world. I haven’t flown through here since flying in aboard an EVA 747-400 from Shanghai back in April of 2017. TPE is a large, busy airport that looks every bit as busy as it was seven years ago, but with the glaring absence of 747s except for freighters, and the addition of a few A321s and A350s from new boutique carrier Starlux.

We taxied briskly around a couple of crowded concourses before finding an open gate between another China Airlines A330 and a smaller CA A321. A pair of wheelchairs were parked in the jetway awaiting me and a fellow Business Class passenger. And, as luck would have it, we were both headed for San Francisco. The only downside of it – at least for the wheelchair aides - was that we were currently parked on the A Concourse and our flight was departing from the D Concourse, way over on the other side of the airport.

What is it with these connecting gates and me? Over the years, it seems like more often than not, my connecting flight is usually located at the farthest possible gate from my inbound flight. Domestic or International – it doesn’t matter. I kid you not – it’s amazing how often this seems to happen! And, as some of you veteran readers may remember from my past trip reports, my usual response is… Sigh… Better get walkin’!

So I’ve gotta say that on this trip, and for this connection in particular, I am particularly appreciative of the wheelchair assistance. At the same time, I’ve got lumbar fusion surgery coming up in about three weeks, and so as nice as it is to have wheelchair assistance around these big airports, I’m looking forward even more to once again walking from gate to gate, however far that distance may be. It’s gonna be a tough summer, but here’s to a successful surgery and rehab. I can’t wait to get walking about with vim and vigor once again – or at least walking around without a cane.

Given my 9:05pm arrival and 10:35pm departure, it would seem that I had a very comfortable connection. And, for the most part, I did, but when you factor in the time involved in loading me and my Business Class wheelchair buddy up, pushing us all the way across the expanse of the sprawling airport terminal (including another security check point) and getting us to our departure gate in a timely fashion, we were left with only about a half hour to enjoy the China Airlines Business Class Lounge. Unfortunately, we were deposited in a separate, smaller section of the lounge, fully equipped with comfy chairs, a small hot and cold food buffet, a small self service bar and a couple of nearby men’s and women’s toilets. It was nice, but it lacked the visual impact of the main lounge which, from the reviews I’ve seen, looks like a very pleasant facility indeed.

Rather than hobble about with my cane and camera in order to provide you all with pictures of what likely was a fairly busy lounge – what with a bank of flights going out over the next couple of hours to U.S., Australian and European destinations – please accept my apologies and enjoy this link to a nicely produced video highlighting the China Airlines Business Class Lounge at Taipei Airport Terminal 1:

CHINA AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE AT TAIPEI


With dinner being served on the ten hour flight to San Francisco, I held off on any of the offerings from the buffet – including a very tempting soup – and instead had a double Bailey’s Irish Cream on the rocks. Mmmm! That was soooo tasty! And yet all that sugar! But not to worry! On my pre-operation health check of a couple days ago, my glucose level was 89 with cholesterol at 49 (Thanks, Rosuvestatin!) and BP 118 over 78. Looks like I’m good to go despite however many spoonfuls of sugar must be in a double -serving of Bailey’s.