FlyerTalk Forums - Trip Reports

FlyerTalk Forums - Trip Reports https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ en Wed, 13 May 2026 16:11:20 GMT vBulletin 5 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg FlyerTalk Forums - Trip Reports https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ JAX-ORD-YVR-PVG (AC with the first segment on UA) https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217768-jax-ord-yvr-pvg-ac-first-segment-ua.html Mon, 11 May 2026 18:54:24 GMT Last week, I flew from JAX to PVG via ORD and YVR.

While this is a rather mundane itinerary, I don't recall reading about similar tripe here, so here's a report.

I originally booked it in premium economy for $1,173, knowing that I would need a hotel near YVR for $300. The other PE options were DL via ATL and DTW, UA/NH via IAD and HND, and AA via DFW. I strongly considered the latter because it was only one stop, but it was $800 more than AC, and I thought that breaking the trip up in YVR was a pretty good idea.

I originally bid $740 to upgrade YVR-PVG to business class for $740, which was close to the bottom of the permissible bidding range. At 8 days out, I received an instant upgrade offer for $1152. I jumped on that because J and C inventory were down to 5 at the time. In the end, business went out full, so I'm pretty sure my $740 offer would have been rejected.

The JAX-ORD flight on an E175 wasn't very good. In fact, it was sufficiently off putting to prompt me to start a thread about it in the United forum:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ua-3610-a.html

I had a 1.5 hour layover at ORD, and spent the bulk of it at Wicker Park Sushi. The food was just okay, but I think the calm atmosphere justified the $120 price tag (I ordered a bunch of stuff; this is the only picture I have):

ORD-YVR was on an AC A220. There is a thread in the AC forum focusing on seat selection. I ended up going for a bulkhead window in the first row of economy. I was not inclined to upgrade that sector; the starting price was $400, the business seats weren't much better than economy, and I don't think I would have cleared unless I had bid much more than $400. The views on that flight were fantastic. After departing ORD, the plane made a bee line for Fargo, ND and then headed due west.

Kootenai River

Mt Baker, I think

I posted this snippet about the YVR Hilton shortly after I arrived in Shanghai:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/37742489-post73.html
No complaints. For those of you that don't click on that link, note that I went for a swim, ate a club sandwich in the restaurant, and slept like a baby.

The next morning, I took the 825a shuttle from the hotel to the airport, which is about 10 minutes away. I checked in at the business class counter, but if I had do it again, I would have used a counter closer to security checkpoint D because it is the most convenient and that's where the shuttle dropped me off. The airport was not busy.

I went to the Maple Leaf Lounge and stayed there until 15 minutes after boarding began. I only had water so I can't comment too much on it, but it is not as nice as a United, Delta, or American business class lounge. No big deal because I found a comfortable seat with a view of the 787 that was going to bring me to Shanghai.

Boarding was quite efficient (i.e. no buildup in the jetway).

My seat (5K) was comfortable, and they provided a mattress pad.

The food was not very good. Once again, I'm going to refer you to other post I made on this topic because of the picture uploading issue:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/37740087-post140.html

I slept for about 4 hours after picking at that lukewarm and sad meal.

For the pre landing meal, I decided to go with instant ramen instead of trying out the egg dish. It was hot, at the very least.

My only other recent business class benchmarks are JL, UA, DL, and AA. Sadly, I have to rank AC below all 4 of these. That having been said, it was still a civilized experience.

]]> Trip Reports moondog https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217768-jax-ord-yvr-pvg-ac-first-segment-ua.html Oman Air Business Class - Muscat to Paris Charles de Gaulle - Boeing 787-9 (Video Onl https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217409-oman-air-business-class-muscat-paris-charles-de-gaulle-boeing-787-9-video-onl.html Mon, 04 May 2026 18:35:00 GMT Back in the pointy end again, this time with Oman Air from Muscat to Paris, on what turned out to be one of the more interesting (and surprisingly impressive) Business Class experiences I’ve had in a while. Oman Air has fairly recently joined the... Back in the pointy end again, this time with Oman Air from Muscat to Paris, on what turned out to be one of the more interesting (and surprisingly impressive) Business Class experiences I’ve had in a while.

Oman Air has fairly recently joined the oneworld alliance, but their premium product has had a strong reputation for years. I’d been meaning to try it for a long time particularly given how often it flies under the radar compared to its Gulf neighbours.

Route: MCT–CDG

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (A40-SI)

Flight Time: 7h 27m

Cabin: Business Class

Fare: 68,500 Avios + £72.90

The journey starts well before the aircraft. Oman Air offers a dedicated Business Class check-in wing at Muscat, which immediately sets a more premium tone. It’s calm, efficient, and a noticeable step up from the usual airport experience. Muscat International Airport itself is modern, spacious, and easy to navigate — not the busiest hub in the region, which definitely helps with the overall experience. The Oman Air lounge is solid. Plenty of seating, a decent food and beverage offering, and generally a relaxed atmosphere. Not the most extravagant lounge in the Gulf, but perfectly comfortable and more than adequate before a mid-length overnight flight.

Boarding was well organised and called on time. The aircraft for this flight was a Boeing 787-9, and the Business Class cabin immediately stands out. The seats are arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration, which won’t be to everyone’s taste in terms of privacy but the trade-off is space. And this is where Oman Air really differentiates itself.

The seat converts into what is genuinely one of the largest fully flat beds I’ve experienced on an aircraft. Width and overall space are excellent, and for a 7.5 hour flight, it makes a real difference when it comes to rest. Pre-departure service was prompt, with a welcome drink offered shortly after boarding.

Pushback and departure were on time, with a smooth climb out of Muscat. Service began not long after take-off, and this is another area where Oman Air impressed. The crew were attentive, warm, and professional throughout. The service began with a bowl of mixed nuts and a lemon and mint juice. The meal service was well-paced, with a good selection of options. Presentation and quality were both strong comfortably in line with what you’d expect from a top-tier Business Class product. The starter service was the largest I've ever seen and the main course was delicious. Dessert followed, along with a glass of Sauternes.

The cabin itself felt modern and clean, and the overall onboard environment was calm and conducive to rest. This is really the standout feature. Once converted into bed mode, the seat offers an exceptional amount of space. It’s wide, long, and genuinely comfortable, closer to what you might expect on some First Class products rather than Business.

For me, this was easily one of the best sleep experiences I’ve had on a mid-haul flight.

A lighter second service (afternoon tea-style) was offered before arrival into Paris.

Descent and landing into CDG were smooth, arriving on schedule.

For those interested, I also filmed the full experience — happy to share if that’s useful alongside the write-up:

Would be interested to hear how others think Oman Air compares, particularly against the other Gulf carriers.
]]> Trip Reports jameswarrenolivertravelexpert https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217409-oman-air-business-class-muscat-paris-charles-de-gaulle-boeing-787-9-video-onl.html Breakfast in Helsinki, Dinner in Sydney (And a Few Days in Between): A Four-Continent https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217323-breakfast-helsinki-dinner-sydney-few-days-between-four-continent.html Sat, 02 May 2026 18:46:24 GMT It is allready two weeks since my last TR. Time to start a new one. It will be last one for the first half of the year. The next planned trip(s) are in September. Last year in June Finnair announced a new route from HEL to YYZ (aka Toronto). Back... It is allready two weeks since my last TR. Time to start a new one. It will be last one for the first half of the year. The next planned trip(s) are in September.

Last year in June Finnair announced a new route from HEL to YYZ (aka Toronto). Back in 2009 I stayed five month in Toronto to improve my english skills and it was very enjoyable time. I had time to explore the city, visit all kind of Sports game (NBA, MLB, NFL in Buffalo, CFL, NHL). Last trip to YYZ is 3 years back. So time to visit the city again. Therefore, it was a nobrainer for me to book a ticket for the first flight from HEL to YYZ. So, here we are.

Since I know Toronto very well I don't need to do the touristy things but maybe for you all guys I will do some of them. I didn't wanted to stay two weeks in Toronto, so, I was long time thinking about what I'm doing. Ideas were going to Calgary, Vancouver or Montreal but also thoughts about going to Asia to cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul or others.

But then came Black Friday and CX offered a good deal in PE travelling to Sydney. I knew it is a short time available and result would be that I would stay just a couple of days. Well, no risk no fun. Ticket booked. Despite that a coule of days ago I openend a bid for the YYZ-HKG-YYZ legs als they are the longer ones. Based on Expert Flyer there are still availability in C. The flight from HKG to SYD and back is getting full.

Tomorrow I have my positioning on the evening flight from ZRH to HEL. This flight I booked during the double TP promo AY offered last year and could also use my EU261 voucher as payment. I wanted to stay in the Holiday Inn near Vantaa Airport but that closed a month ago and is becoming a Scandic. Rebooked to the Hilton which is closer to the Airport.

Monday morning will be a slow start as the flight is leaving short to 5pm. It will be my first time in the Platinum Wing. I need to ask if they have some kind of celebration before the flight to YYZ. Anyhow, I can tick off something from my bucket list. To be on a inaugural flight to a new destination.

In Toronto I'm staying at the Westin near the airport. It was quite cheapter than any Hotel in the city and I had to choose a brand which I haven't stayed during the Marriott Promo.

Then see you tomorrow afternoon starting with a train journey to ZRH and flight to HEL. ]]> Trip Reports BMarkus https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217323-breakfast-helsinki-dinner-sydney-few-days-between-four-continent.html Justice for goulash (not a trip report) https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217197-justice-goulash-not-trip-report.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:19:18 GMT Longtime lurker here (man, this could appear as a strange post, but these MUC-SFO flights are long in economy especially over Greenland when the headwinds make you feel like you are in a standstill, but I don’t think I can get you very excited... Longtime lurker here (man, this could appear as a strange post, but these MUC-SFO flights are long in economy especially over Greenland when the headwinds make you feel like you are in a standstill, but I don’t think I can get you very excited talking about that, but at least I have something to do).

The FT community is right in most cases. Still, there is a huge confusion about goulash as lounge/restaurant/on-board catering item that I would like to clarify. Goulash (gulyas in native Hungarian) is a SOUP. It is not stew; it is a soup.

Gulyas in Hungarian means a herdsman. Hence the name of the corresponding soup. Typical ingredients are shank (originally beef, now rather pork) onions, carrot, potato and turnip.

There are a couple of variants.
‘Gulyasleves’ meaning goulash soup is typically a lighter variant, more vegetables, less meat. There is even a variant called fake goulash without any meat at all. There was a reason before 1990 while this variant needed to be created. Sometimes you simply could not buy any meat as everything was out of stock.

Gulyas can mean multiple things depending on the region of the country even within Hungary. Sometimes with pasta, sometimes without any vegetables at all (which is close to the Western stew interpretation of Goulash, that would be called ‘pörkölt’ in Hungarian). The ultimate version is called ‘Bogrács Gulyás’. For this version, you need open fire and a cauldron.

Typical cooking times for a goulash or a ‘pörkölt’ are 2.5-3.5 hours. That means if you order that in a restaurant, and get it delivered sooner, you can be sure it is a reheated version. Most of us familiar with plane food are fine with that, I just wanted you to be aware.

In a traditional Hungarian setting, you would eat goulash soup with bread and strong paprika. Typically more than one serving, depending on your appetite, 1.5-2 portions. It would be served as a dominant course, so you may expect some pancakes or other dessert afterwards, but not another dominant course.

Strangely enough, ‘porkolt’ which is known as goulash in many other countries, on the other hand would be served as a dominant second course, often with pasta or potatoes and even sour cream.

While you would be happily pouring sour cream over a ‘porkolt’, this would be a disaster over a traditional goulash. Also unlike similar stews in other countries, you would never find any vegetables in a Hungarian ‘porkolt’. We leave it to goulash.

I hope you enjoyed this short introduction into Hungarian cousin and the origin of goulash. Feel free to ask any questions about anything related to Hungary.

Happy travels. ]]> Trip Reports gerilege https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217197-justice-goulash-not-trip-report.html Toulouse for (two!) Airbus Factory Tours https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217167-toulouse-two-airbus-factory-tours.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:03:15 GMT Having done the Boeing Everett Factory Tour last October and the Airbus Hamburg tour in March (trip report here (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2215008-hamburg-airbus-factory-tour.html)), it was only natural to head to Toulouse for the... Having done the Boeing Everett Factory Tour last October and the Airbus Hamburg tour in March (trip report here), it was only natural to head to Toulouse for the Airbus factory tours there! With two days off between work on football and F1 resuming, I booked tickets on the A321 and A350 tours, plus the discounted Aeroscopia ticket you get when you book a factory tour. I then booked two economy class flights on BA and used IHG points to book one night in the Holiday Inn Express Toulouse Airport.

With a meeting at lunchtime on Monday I had a choice: get to the airport really early, find somewhere to join the call and then do a mini lounge tour, or join the call at home and then dash to the airport. I chose the latter - well obviously?

First stop was drive to the airport and park in the T2/3 Park & Ride, which cost me just over £50. Considering train or bus one-way and a taxi home would've cost more than that, it was worth doing. Onto the shuttle bus which took us to the terminal...

As I was travelling with hand baggage only - just my rucksack - it was straight off the bus and up through Fast Track security in a matter of minutes. From parking my car at 10:27, I was in the Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge in just under half an hour.

I sat at the back of the lounge for a few minutes before a seat opened up overlooking the apron, and I managed to snag it.

Snacks in hand and meeting on iPad, I engaged in some planespotting whilst listening to the latest updates and news for my department.

Virgin A330-300 G-VWAG pushing back for JFK

Austrian A320neo OE-LZN taxiing in from Vienna

BA A350-1000 on tow

BA A320 G-EUUZ pushing back for Gibraltar

Virgin B787-9 G-VSPY pushing back for Seoul

After my meeting was over, I decided it was time to go and explore some of the other lounges. In this order... Qantas and then American Airlines.

Onion rings and peppers in the Qantas lounge

What a lovely staircase!

Salad bits and chilli chicken wraps in the American lounge - the "chicken" could've fooled me, it was definitely minced

BA G-EUYB on stand having operated the previous Toulouse flight and waiting to operate to Sofia

Nice little self-serve drinks island in the American lounge

After some time in both lounges it was time to trek over to gate 39 where BA370 was awaiting. Today is was operated by G-EUYE, a 17 year old Airbus A320-200 about to fly "home".

Interesting stand display screen system

Heading down to the end of Pier 5

BA A350-1000 preparing for departure to Phoenix

Gate 39 for us today

Boarding not boarding, but thankfully only for a few minutes

The view from the exit row!

Today I was sat in seat 11F, the starboard first exit row window seat. The middle seat was empty - score!

Soon we were pushing back and taxiing out to 09R for a reasonably-on time departure.

Three BA A320-family in one frame, a regular occurrence if you pass through Heathrow enough

Three BA A320-family in one frame, a regular occurrence if you pass through Heathrow enough

Three BA A320-family planes in one frame, a regular occurrence if you pass through Heathrow enough

In the air and the crew were promptly handing out a small bottle of water and a packet of milk chocolate Hobnobs - no napkins, which meant that anyone who ate the biscuits got chocolate all over their fingers!

Today's complimentary snack

Soon we were landing at Toulouse, and on-stand 8 minutes early. With three booths open for all passports and only fingerprints taken, I was stamped through immigration and outside the airport by 18:27, 7 minutes after the scheduled gate arrival time. My hotel was just over 1.1km from the airport, so it made sense to walk.

AirbusBus

The tram connection is currently closed and being remodelled I believe

There was a yellow thunderstorm warning from Météo France, and these clouds bubbling up to the south were an indication of that

A very red shared cycle and footpath

This sign had seen better days...

Underpass under the M902

The hotel!

According to Wikipedia and Google Translate, this is "The Pyramid of the Bicentenary of the French Revolution"

Hotel check-in was pleasant and quick, and I was soon in my room. It was a little on the older side, but clean and seemed well-maintained.

I regretted my choice of dinner. I went to the fairly highly-rated on Google Maps Black Angus Steak House and sports bar in the adjacent Holiday Inn, where I discovered that the French are also prone to putting cheese on things which don't need cheese putting on, such as a chicken burger?! The bartender was very apologetic and tried to take the full thing off the bill, but I insisted on paying something as I ate the salad and chips.

I then spent the next half an hour or so walking up to the nearby park, Parc du Grand Noble, and the surrounding area.

Storms still brewing off to the south

Nice water feature

Trams run down the middle of the street in this neighbourhood

After that, I returned to the hotel and headed to bed - the next day was going to be very busy! ]]> Trip Reports emworksintv https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217167-toulouse-two-airbus-factory-tours.html Quick 3 nights in Paris, mostly to relax https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217142-quick-3-nights-paris-mostly-relax.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:42:22 GMT Hi again!

With not much days off to spend, I decided to take a quick trip to Paris. I've been there, but always I rushed through the city. So, this time I decided to slow down and try to get the vibe and energy of the place. Mostly, I hope to walk, do some shopping, eat and relax. Only scheduled place to visit is Louvre, which I missed all the times. Maybe I will also check the Norte Dame.

Flights:
Warsaw to Munich with LOT
Munich to CDG with Lufthansa City, so I'm happy that it was not cancelled. And it will be technically new airline for me. And - if I count properly - my pre-last Miles and More airline in Europe, with only Luxair left.
Flight back will be the same, so boring, but also a good test what both airlines offer for now. Of course, lounges involved.
If you have any recommendations where to go and have a nice meal, I would appreciate them. I have one reservation for lunch, but the rest will be rather go-with-the-flow. ]]> Trip Reports tanin https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217142-quick-3-nights-paris-mostly-relax.html Soviet mosaics and modern architecture - Easter in Astana and Almaty https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217093-soviet-mosaics-modern-architecture-easter-astana-almaty.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:10:42 GMT Up until last Easter, I never set food in Central Asia. The region does attract me, specially the cities, their mix of Soviet and modern architecture, the heritage of the Silk Road, this mysterious land which is the junction between Russia and South... Up until last Easter, I never set food in Central Asia. The region does attract me, specially the cities, their mix of Soviet and modern architecture, the heritage of the Silk Road, this mysterious land which is the junction between Russia and South East Asia, with a mix of nomadism and Persian culture. But I considered I needed to be more experimented as a traveler before going there, maybe (probably) wrongly. Last year in November I decided to take the plunge and to book a trip over Easter 2026 in the region. After looking at prices, possibilities and spending way too more time on the Trip Report section of Flyertalk, I though Kazakhstan would be a good way to tip my toes into Central Asia and see if I like it, see if I want more.

So I booked a short trip there, leaving Maudy Thursday for a flight to Astana with a technical stop in Almaty, then a domestic flight Saturday to from Astana to Almaty, up until Tuesday at stupid o'clock where I would leave Almaty back to Frankfurt. LH having direct flight with a wide body and premium Eco to the region without the need to transfer somewhere was a big factor in my decision. I had a bunch of Hilton points to use so I could book an hotel there.

Final plan was:
Maudy Thursday : FRA-(ALA)-NQZ in PE, arriving Friday at 3 AM
2 nights (well one and a quarter really) at Hilton Astana booked with points
Saturday : NQZ-ALA in C, revenue ticket (and quite affordable, 150 EUR for a flex ticket)
3 nights and a half in the Novotel Almaty
Tuesday at 3 AM : ALA-FRA in PE, upgraded to C for 500 EUR one week before departure

Let's go. ]]> Trip Reports fransknorge https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217093-soviet-mosaics-modern-architecture-easter-astana-almaty.html In which we go full Steve and Alicja and float home https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217070-we-go-full-steve-alicja-float-home.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:26:48 GMT Those stalwarts who followed my 15 remaining months of BA GGL (now just about done) will know that one of my modes of travel involves Katie, a rather eccentric Pole, and the trips we do are rather in the same vein and relationship style of Steve... Those stalwarts who followed my 15 remaining months of BA GGL (now just about done) will know that one of my modes of travel involves Katie, a rather eccentric Pole, and the trips we do are rather in the same vein and relationship style of Steve Marsh and his espective rather eccentric Polish companion Alicja, youtube vloggers. The videos are amiable and hugely enjoyable, and because we can relate directly to them we do watch them a lot. Sometimes we're ahead of them, sometimes we get inspiration from them, we hike a lot less and fly more.

Anyway we watched their last but one trip on the Queen Mary 2, when they cruised to New York and flew back, and this piqued Katie's curiosity and she decided she'd like a cruise too. She did a practice run on a solo trip to Miami where it turned out the cruise and food was much cheaper than any hotel; I did a practice in the Antarctic, and we both enjoyed the experiences. It turns out that the QM2 is roughly the same cost - in an inside cabin - as a business class fare for a flight, but with luxury food and activities for a week. And because something was possible around her birthday, we booked a passage from New York home.

This is of course a flying board, and even with a lot of imagination and a heaving swell, a ship is not an aircraft. So there had to be some flying content as well. For the getting there, I had initially thought of Virgin in economy, having not flown with Virgin since the 1990s. But it was relatively expensive the week we needed, I had Avios and a couple of upgrade vouchers to burn, and so I used my fading GGL powers to book a redemption in BA in World Traveller Plus, upgraded to business class in Club Suites, and all for just about the same cash outlay as Virgin Economy. Katie isn't generally a business class kind of girl - she's more usually to be found on Wizz - but was quite excited by this idea and I've been having to explain such things as you don't get PJs in BA J, and you have to make your own bed up, and they don't bring you limitless food, and fielding the resulting slightly disappointed pout.

There once was a deal, of which which my Father availed himself a couple of times, where you flew out to New York on Concorde and came back on the QE2. So this is also something of a nod to that, although not quite as swish.

As we get a couple of days in New York, I also booked a helicopter flight around the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson river, plus we'll head to Ellis Island to which I've neve been despite a few stays in New York. The ferry itself leaves from Brooklyn, so we'll be staying there.

We're not the most sartorial of people, and the QM2 does seem to require a bit of dressing up, so I will be visiting Dickies in Hove (trying to keep "suit you sir" out of my mind) to hire a tuxedo. Meanwhile Katie is knitting an evening dress from silk yarn, with very encouraging results so far.

Updates as we go along.
]]> Trip Reports bisonrav https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217070-we-go-full-steve-alicja-float-home.html Chasing new airlines - working towards airline #100 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217042-chasing-new-airlines-working-towards-airline-100-a.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:33:35 GMT Last year (2025), back in September, I set myself the challenge to get to 100 airlines flown on. I had read a report from a prolific contributor on this forum who reported that he had flown on 200 different airlines; I was curious to know how many... Last year (2025), back in September, I set myself the challenge to get to 100 airlines flown on. I had read a report from a prolific contributor on this forum who reported that he had flown on 200 different airlines; I was curious to know how many that I had flown on and when totalled up, reached the fairly low number of 65. In my defence, although I have been flying for about 50 years, the majority of my flights have been with British Airways because I live fairly close to their main hub at London Heathrow and when I needed to be somewhere, the flight timings were convenient.

I made a decent start last year in November logging 3 new airlines (Vueling, Singapore and ITA) on a little jaunt down to Barcelona, Spain; along to Milan, Italy and back to the UK. You can read all about it here if you haven’t already done so:-

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2208536-fifth-freedom-fun-frivolity-sia-airbusA350

I envisage this report journaling my progress throughout this challenge, it might get a bit long with a lot of photos of my adventures but we will see. If it’s not working out, I might switch to individual reports.

Now that I am retired, I only fly for leisure purposes, so it might take me some time to reach my goal. However, where I just used to automatically book BA when I wanted to go somewhere, now I look for an itinerary where I can add new airlines. Case in point, I recently attended a large aviation trade fair in southern Germany; Aero Expo in Friedrichshaven. The most convenient airport to fly to from the UK is Zurich in Switzerland and then drive.

How to get to Zurich from London? Well, the most obvious choice would be either BA or Swiss from Heathrow or easyJet from Gatwick. Done all of those in the past; anything else?

I had read some months ago that Condor airlines of Germany would be starting a new route from Gatwick to Frankfurt in April 2026; was it possible to connect in FRA down to ZRH on one ticket? Yes it was. Hurrah! Ticket bought. Now for the return; obviously not a reversal of the outbound route, need something a bit different. Swiss fly from ZRH into London City but the route is operated by Helvetic with Embraer 190s, I have seen them in there on previous visits. Decent afternoon/evening departure and arrival time and not too expensive for business class (okay so it’s Euro Business but it includes lounge access at ZRH and I will get fed on board).

The other thing is, I write the words for my reports on an iPad but I have had difficulty in the past getting photos from this device into the report, no idea why. So I have to circumvent that by submitting photos from my phone into the report and then write around them. I could just do it all from the phone and might do that in future; I might also do some live reports but usually I am too busy living the moment to be bothered/able to report on on what I’m up to.

Feel free to make comments as I go along, I hope that this report will be interesting and entertaining. ]]> Trip Reports Nimrod1965 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217042-chasing-new-airlines-working-towards-airline-100-a.html Some Catching Up - A Compilation of 2025 Trips in Y/Y+/J/F https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217031-some-catching-up-compilation-2025-trips-y-y-j-f.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:57:40 GMT I’ve been slacking on the trip reports. After my epic round the world food tour in F, I had little desire to continue grinding out posts so I decided to just let time pass until the mood struck to write again. In the meantime, I made sure to snap... I’ve been slacking on the trip reports. After my epic round the world food tour in F, I had little desire to continue grinding out posts so I decided to just let time pass until the mood struck to write again. In the meantime, I made sure to snap pictures during trips, albeit not at the same pace, so that once the desire returned, I could at least put together a cursory report. When I look at the pictures accumulated, I see some noticeable gaps where I just enjoyed the time abroad without documenting every moment. So as to not let a backlog grow unmanageable, here was the rest of my 2025 starting with a trip to Bora Bora before my 40th, followed by a summer vacation and ending with some Christmas markets. My apologies in advance that this report won’t be as detailed as usual

Itineraries
LAX-PPT on AF Y
PPT-BOB on VT Y
St. Regis Bora Bora
BOB-PPT on VT Y
PPT-LAX on TN Y+

LAX-CLT on AA Y+
CLT-IAD on UA F
IAD-DXB on EK J
DXB-MLE on EK J
Waldorf Astoria Maldives
MLE-SIN on SQ J
Conrad Singapore
SIN-TPE
W Taipei
TSA-HND on JL Y
Conrad Tokyo
NRT-LAX on SQ J

LAX-LHR on AA Y
Park Hyatt London
Sheraton Grand Park Lane
LHR-LIS on TP Y
Hyatt Regency Lisbon
LIS-FRA on TP Y
Hilton Frankfurt Airport
FRA-JFK on SQ F
JKF-LAX on AA Y

If you enjoy this report, here are some of my previous trips that I've posted:
Chasing Stars – A RTW Food Tour in JAL F/SQ Suites/Air France La Première/Emirates F
A Roundabout Way to a Reunion - BA Y/J, TK J, and SQ F
Chocolate and Fondue - Swiss F and Singapore J
Summer Vacation Time - Singapore, KL, Koh Samui, and Tokyo in SQ J, MH Y and JL Y+/F
10 Year Anniversary Trip - Bali and Kyoto/Osaka/Tokyo on SQ/JL J and JL F
A Rapid Lifestyle Downgrade - ANA The Suite to SQ J to Air Asia Y (and QR F and J)
A Ramen Run to Tokyo - JAL First Class and ANA "The Room"
Making Portuguese Egg Tarts a Reality - SQ J and Virgin Upper Class
Always Recycle - New York, Zagreb, and Frankfurt in SQ F
The COVID Contingency - Seychelles, Maldives, and DXB in EK First and QR QSuites
Chasing Cheap Michelin Stars in Tokyo - JAL Business and First Class
Good Things Come in 3s - Emirates, Qatar, and Singapore First Class
Czeching In and Jetting Out - LH F/J, FR Y, and BA F
Spring, Fall, and Hopefully Sakura in CX F, SQ NEW and Old Suites, CZ J, and OZ J/F
3 for the price of 2? RTW Babymoon to Japan, Maldives, UK (JL/EY/LH J/F/Apartment)
Slummin' it to Spain - BCN, PMI for some Park Hyatt, and MAD
Christmas in Vienna with a Splash of Porsche and FCT - LX/OS Y, OS J, LH F
The Journey is Half the Fun; RTW in SQ Suites/CX F/JL J/EK F/EY Apartment/AA F
Escaping to the Southern Hemisphere: A Bora Bora Getaway
Honeymoon In Europe (UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, etc.) - AA/LH/EK F

After a redeye flight on AF from LAX, where the exit row didn’t do much for my ability to rest thanks to the light from the bathroom shining directly into my face, we arrived in Tahiti

After a quick bite of McDonald’s we proceeded through a very simple security screen and waited for our flight over to Bora Bora

Boarding our plane

And a view of our inbound ride

Once airborne, we were greeted by some light clouds as we climbed out of PPT

Sitting on the left side, I was anticipating seeing the glowing turquoise waters from above, but mother nature had other plans with a nice morning rain shower

Once on the ground, we were welcomed and transferred our bags onto the boat for the short ride to the resort

Upon arrival, the rain really picked up and we were guided to the lobby under some umbrellas. While we waited for the rain to die down and our room to be ready, we were offered to pass some time having breakfast. Eventually, our room was ready and we were upgraded to a lovely overwater bungalow

Some snacks

Dated bathroom

Some room service

The views that we know Bora Bora for

Such beautiful colors

It was a nice, short trip with some small milestones. Mini-ChongL #2 started riding the bike on training wheels trying to chase after his older brother. Mini-ChongL #1 was speeding along on his own and trying to lead the way to breakfast and to the pool. The flights back were slightly more comfortable, with the BOB-PPT hop being on a few months old plane that didn’t have the AT livery yet. The economy plus seat on Air Tahiti Nui also felt infinitely better than the Y seat on AF. At this point, I had already been counting down the days to my F-fest that was coming up in 2 short months ]]> Trip Reports chongl https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217031-some-catching-up-compilation-2025-trips-y-y-j-f.html A quick guide to FKB (Karlsruhe Baden-Baden) https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217028-quick-guide-fkb-karlsruhe-baden-baden.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:19:39 GMT It's not so much a full trip report, more of a guide to a secondary airport punctuated with my bad jokes and jabs at Ryanair.

There's a few ways to reach the North of Alsace, flight wise your can aim for Strasbourg (Easyjet, Volotea), accept the 2h drive from Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Euroairport (BA, Easyjet, Swiss, and 3 airport codes of MLH, BSL and EAP), or fly Ryanair to Baden-Baden. It's not a very big airport, but it's a lot better than the little shed it was when I first flew to/from there.

Pilot from another airline, deadheading.

I'll get onto it in a minute, but just to summarise the way out, we had an uneventful Ryanair flight. That means that we were herded like cattle through Stansted Airport, but a lot more politely than the Manchester Airport Group signage would have you think. There's a mile and a half of shops after security before you're decanted into an area that's too little for the amount of people that they're trying to cram into there. In this age of Health and Safety gone mad, I'm not sure it's safe for so many people to be there. But it does feel like a bit of a slaughterhouse so maybe you'd just meet your end another way...

Anyway, enough moaning (for this post).

Even the legroom seems acceptable.
]]> Trip Reports alex67500 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2217028-quick-guide-fkb-karlsruhe-baden-baden.html <![CDATA[New Zealand's South Island via AA/DL J]]> https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2216918-new-zealand-s-south-island-via-aa-dl-j.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:16:26 GMT

Mount Cook

We just returned from a great but short trip to New Zealand's South Island. We were extremely fortunate that we had no major security or flight delays and everything pretty much went as planned. In fact, including our quick visit to Vegas for a wedding at the end of the trip, we checked bags seven (!) separate times and none of the bags were lost or delayed.

We flew to Dallas on Delta then visited the American Airlines Flagship Lounge (and I snuck in a quick visit to the Capital One Lounge) before flying on the brand new AA 787-9P Flagship Suites on the 15+ hour flight to Auckland. We then took a domestic flight on Jetstar to Christchurch and rented a car.

We spent the first night in Christchurch at the Crowne Plaza then headed out to explore the South Island, stopping in Lake Tekapo and Wanaka each for one night. We took a Milford Sound fly/cruise/fly tour from Wanaka before continuing on to Queenstown where we spent one night at the Sofitel (which was booked the day before when we changed plans) and three nights at Eichardt's Private Hotel, an amazing Small Luxury Hotels property. There was lots of sightseeing, hiking and wine involved.

For the return trip, we flew from Queenstown to Auckland on Air New Zealand then visited the Strata Lounge before boarding the 12 hour flight to LAX on the updated A350 Delta One Suites. At LAX, we had time for a brief visit to the Delta One Lounge before heading to Vegas for a wedding on the way home.

I'll have reviews of the flights, hotels and lounges and some of our NZ activities so stay tuned. ]]> Trip Reports pjs https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2216918-new-zealand-s-south-island-via-aa-dl-j.html VIE-LHR - “1845” - actually a lot later. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2216662-vie-lhr-i1845n-actually-lot-later.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 21:35:26 GMT 1600 After a lovely day walking around the beautiful city in the glorious sun, I make my way to Vienna airport. Sad to leave the city but I do really like the lounge with its decent food, great bar, cake & views…. Even better that there is a roof top terrace.

1630 In worser news: the plane from England hasn’t taken off yet. Not sure why, but so far it’s 1hr behind schedule.

1645 Checked again: inbound returned to gate. BA sent some helpful messages to keep me updated and some compo. I got €15 to spend… that’s about 1.5 packs of airport Pringles…. I just spoke to another delayed traveller who got €8. Same flight, same delay…what’s up with that? Hopefully not a status or cabin thing as the delay is affecting us all in the same way.

1700 2hour delay to my flight so far. I’ve booked a cancellable hotel just in case…! At least the views are good. I’ve made myself at home on the terrace.

Seems like non-headphone users in lounges isn’t restricted to BA lounges. Sadly it’s the 1 language I don’t speak so I can’t participate in this Family FaceTime :(

1730 flight delaying and delaying. I sent messages to my pilot friends to find out what’s going on.

1800 I hear the aircraft had changed but flight radar not updated. 15,000 people are watching a united airlines flight from Chicago to New York divert to Pittsburgh after an hour though which is pretty exciting.

1840 a new plane is on its way! Due to land 2030… better start downing drinks!

1940 still an hour to go before the inbound lands. Sun has gone now too so I went inside for dinner.

2040 lots of food & drink later, I think I see that the inbound has landed. One last drink before I head to immigration.

2100 on board in my seat in row 1 and 4 mins later a lovely greeting from one of the crew. Made me fewl at home….2.5 hours later (issue not addressed).

2115 boarding complete. Pilot says the old aircraft had an issue so we got a better one to do the job now. 2 hour journey. That’ll mean an unfortunate delay of 2:30.

2125 we push back. Given we should have landed 1:20 ago, they’re now trying to speed everything up with crew trying to save time. OMG- I forgot to use my €15!!!!! Devastated.

2136 zooming down the runway. It was bumpy but we made it. The kitchen is cooking something super garlicky!!

2150 drinks trolley wheeled out. May as well continue with bubbles. Bottle was defo the open one from way in

2200 food trolley time. Chili chicken seems like a good option. Other choice is cheese pasta or roast beef salad. We have to eat with spot lights only as this plane is also broken & “the lights flicker dramatically” according to then head CC.

Chili chicken was… chili... And not very chickeny. Luckily I like spice but I can imagine some people had burning mouths.

It’s taken quite a while, although only 7 rows.

2230 I can finally get a top up when they do a tray clear up.

2255 I allow myself one last fizz, if I want to make it to the gym tomorrow. Also my insides are bubbly AF.

2315 20 mins to landing. I’m hungry again, but this time no treats (for some reason we had a Lindt/crisps/popcorn basket on the way in). This crew were also nowhere near as customer-service focussed as the way in.

2320 10 mins to landing. London’s saturday night lights are glowing.

2330 touchdown LHR. I’m praying not for a bus gate.
]]> Trip Reports TPRun https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2216662-vie-lhr-i1845n-actually-lot-later.html Korean Airlines First - Not Good Enough (brief report) https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2216658-korean-airlines-first-not-good-enough-brief-report.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:19:25 GMT A few weeks ago I unexpectedly had a few flights in F on Korean Airlines, due to the cancellation of my Etihad flights (was supposed to be first time in the Residence -dang!). I bought a new ticket which had me flying SIN-ICN in C and then ICN-LHR... A few weeks ago I unexpectedly had a few flights in F on Korean Airlines, due to the cancellation of my Etihad flights (was supposed to be first time in the Residence -dang!). I bought a new ticket which had me flying SIN-ICN in C and then ICN-LHR in F return and what turned out to be a ICN-SIN in F with C service due to a aircraft swap. I also flew BA in F from SYD-SIN return (see the end of the report)

TLDR: there are things to like about KE in F but it's just not good enough to compete with the better airlines.

My Etihad flight was cancelled (which was to be in the Residence for the first time, dang!) and the only option to get me from Singapore to London in F was on Korean Air. Things started off disappointing in that despite paying 2x the usual price no airport services were offered due to the flight leaving (just) within 48 hours. Given that we're talking about KE's home base (ICN), that's not impressive. No other services (e.g. airport transfer in Seoul) were available either.
The flight from SIN was on the new 787 and the business cabin was excellent - the seats remind me of of Qatar Airways' best seats. Food was good with an acceptable but uninspired wine selection.
There was a 1:30 wait at immigration. ICN never fails to unimpress me - I really don't know why people rave about it.
No STPC was offered by KE so I stayed at the Paradise Art Hotel - a kitschy Disney-like impression of a a luxury hotel.
In the morning I headed to the airport. The **** hotel does not offer a shuttle to the terminal so that meant a 45 minute trip just to get to the checkin desk. There is a dedicated business class checkin area which is rather dark and gloomy, but at least it's quiet. However, after that you are on your own - there is no 'fast track' of any kind at ICN. Security/immigration took nearly 30 minutes.
While the new F lounge is being constructed, F passengers use the 'Miler' lounge. Quite a nice space with a decent food offering, a barista and massage chairs. The showers are excellent with lots of space and Aesop amenities (a good product, just strange they don't use a Korean beauty brand). Oddly I was approached at some point by a KE staff member offering me a gift for flying in F - a Christofle salt and pepper set or a Baccarat (IIRC) glass. I don't think I've ever had this happen before - I like it :-)
I walked to the gate (which took a good 15 minutes) for my flight to London - no escort or buggy was offered (unlike on my return). Boarding was good in that F passengers are given clear preference for boarding. I wonder what would happen if you arrive at the gate 'late' though.
Service on board was efficient and polite - if impersonal. There is a nice Graff amenity kit, with a good selection of products. The pyjamas are very comfy too. Champagne was 2017 blanc de Millenaires (Charles Heidsieck). As good as this was, the rest of the wine menu is not worthy of a first class cabin (think $30 wines), apart from a Ch Haut-Batailley. There was a small tin of caviar (which was not on the menu) but without any condiments - not even break or crackers. When I asked for some I was given some crisps (?). There was bread served later (tons of it) but it was poor. The food was not great - the fish I had was overcooked and the pancakes were lukewarm.
Shockingly, internet access is not free for F passengers.
The seat is fine, without being particularly special. It has doors but these are very low. Unfortunately the cabin was insanely hot and I slept fitfully.
Service throughout the flight was fine in a deferential sort of way, but without any noticeable personality. Language barriers were an issue but beyond this there was just no attempt at connecting with passengers - not the sophistication you get on long-haul in F with other carriers (e.g. Swiss).

The return was similar but with the use of the decidedly un-premium Plaza Premium lounge. Waiting in a line of six people arguing that their Amex Platinum-Plastic card should really give them access, felt particulary unluxurious.

Things got worse when the staff told me there would not be any Champagne served on the ground, due to 'taxes'. No attempt was made to get some to me after departure and I had to ask for it.

In ICN a gentleman waited for me at the gate to walk me to the lounge. Although I was carrying two bags, he did not offer to help with either. He asked if I wanted to be escorted to the gate and I noticed a buggy and asked if I could have that - I am glad I did as departure was as far away as I think would be possible - a good 15 minute walk. My flight from ICN back to SIN was delayed and we had an equipment swap - one that was to my advantage as this had an F cabin - albeit with C service/food.

Overall, I would not go out of my way to avoid Korean. The seats are good, the service is polite, and there is premium champagne and caviar. But there are many better options out there so I also would not go out of my way to fly them again.

---------

British Airways First
BA flies from SYD-SIN and on to LHR. I flew the first part after a hop on Qantas from Auckland in business class - appreciating the much improved lounge in AKL.
I had a short layover but just enough time to enjoy a quick shower in the QF F lounge.
BA need to work on efficiency - it took well over 10 minutes for someone to greet me once seated and another 5 to get a drink (2017 Charles Heidsieck blanc de millenaires) with Piper Heidsieck Rare also on offer (nice), along a Nyetimber sparking and a rose. I love this range of options. Service throughout was friendly but quite slow.
The seat is nice and has doors although these are very low.
There is a nice set of amenities but in a rather crappy bag.
Food was good with particularly nice cutlery/table setting. Butter was rock hard and coffee was poor. A glass of blue label made me forget about that, though.
The return was similar - friendly but slow service. Sadly no caviar. ]]> Trip Reports Fliar https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2216658-korean-airlines-first-not-good-enough-brief-report.html LHR-VIE BA PM flight https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2216548-lhr-vie-ba-pm-flight.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:27:53 GMT In a last chance bid to use my gold card one last time I booked a trip to Vienna for work. I’ll also maximise the time in the T3 first lounges and say goodbye properly (weirdly I’m not too bothered about saying goodbye at T5, although I’m certain... In a last chance bid to use my gold card one last time I booked a trip to Vienna for work. I’ll also maximise the time in the T3 first lounges and say goodbye properly (weirdly I’m not too bothered about saying goodbye at T5, although I’m certain I’ll miss the first wing on my next flight from there). As a side note: I did the status match & got Senator gold & having been through the T2 lounges last month I’m looking forward to my flight to Poland next month.

Anyway I arrive at T3 at 11:30 & make my way up to the fast track. It seems like super speedy track today, silent & empty. 2 mins later out the other side I head to the Cathy pacific lounge in hopes for one last throne seat & LP pic.

From Lizzie line to CX in 10 mins is prob a record for me. Thrones taken, but I got a few hours to nab it. Having not eaten today, I asked if they’d be happy to do me a breakfast still & got a very decent meal by 1150.

By 12 I was full but still made sure to check out the food menu for later on…

1pm and a few champers more later I need to stretch my legs & go for a walk into the main terminal. I really want to pay it forward to someone with a lounge access, but any single people I find seem to have earbuds in and I get nervous 😅 I did enjoy seeing these driverless wheelchairs on my walk.

I did a loop of the lounges & whilst I couldn’t eat any more, I did take pics.

1345 I’m starting to get a headache so I head back to the lounge to top up my LP buzz. As always, however, I zig zag and go for a EM:

1405 I don’t really want to start on gin yet but I do have an urge to visit Quantas. I refrain, for now, and top up with a chilled LP. Got my throne for the last time, too.

1450 time for a little lunch

1505 an hour early boarding has started… well “started” coz it’s a bus gate 24 A. They were boarding 24A and B at same time, sharing a sign for group 1-3 which was mad confusing. Almost ended up in Oslo.

1530 get on a bus speeding to get us to T5C area where our taxi with wings is parked.

1600 boarding completed but doors still open, so I don’t see us moving at 1605….

1615 push back. Captain says 2 hour driving time.

1630 now they’re in a rush. We side stepped a number of planes to get to the front of the queue.

1640 we got the skies. That’s been a long wait in the seats to be fair. Headache had kicked in. Quite a bumpy ride up, too.

1650 drinks trolley out.

1700 food. No bread rolls though.

1710 clear up but no top up offered. I waited until someone walked past to ask (couldn’t bring myself to press the button!).

1745 got up for my own refill & a chat with the crew. Seeing how much I’m enjoying the champers the head CC offered a bottle for a takeaway.

1800 snack basket with crisps & Lindt went around. Had to really say no now, as I’ve put on 5kg today alone…. And a Viennese schnitzel probably awaits!

1923 touchdown in Wien, 7 mins early. A lovely trip, and knowing what’s on the menu on the way home - and how now the Vienna lounge is - I’m already looking forward to the return leg on Sat (except for the potential immigration queues…..).

1930 doors open and we are gone.
]]> Trip Reports TPRun https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2216548-lhr-vie-ba-pm-flight.html