Most ridiculous journey you've done/heard of?
Sep 13, 2018, 1:18 am
#16
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Qatar, Turkish, Aeroflot
Posts: 546
I flew from Riyadh to Hong Kong and back for a long weekend (circa 10 hours each way), buying the ticket about 8 hours before departure...thankfully I was upgraded both directions! Premium Economy and Business 
(turned out I booked a ticket in Premium Economy on the return part)
I flew Moscow - Riga - Warsaw (spent a night at a friend's place due to long layover) - Heathrow - JFK (night in the terminal) - San Fran...about 50 hours from SVO to SFO...cheapest way to do it!
Flew from Moscow to Cusco via Frankfurt and a night stop in Bogota where I spent the night with my ex-students, did the usual exploration of Cusco and Machu Picchu in 2 days before continuing to La Paz and Salar de Uyuni (by bus) also in 2 days before flying from La Paz via Lima to Santiago de Chile for about 18 hours then on to Easter Island and back for a total of 30 hours on the island...(spending a couple more days in Santiago afterward)
JFK - Guadeloupe - Dominica - Antigua - St Kitts - St Lucia (via Antigua) - Barbados - St Vincent - Grenada (via Barbados) - Trinidad - JFK: spending only a night on each island, in the cases of Guadeloupe, 12 hours, and Antigua, about 15, in about 10 days. All the others were around 24. ALL WITH LIAT!
Took the train from Bishkek to Almaty at a grand total of 17 hours, despite minibusses running between the two 3 times quicker and cheaper, spent a night in Almaty airport, flew to Dubai, spent the day in Abu Dhabi then flew via Doha back to Riyadh.
Flying from Moscow via Istanbul to Ho Chi Minh for 16 hours (due to me booking the wrong dates..) before heading to Siem Reap, and on the same trip, taking a bus from Vientiane to Nong Khai (which abandoned us at the Thai border forcing us to walk to the train station...which was 15 minutes away lol), before getting the overnight train to Bangkok then waiting several hours for a flight to Kuala Lumpur. The irony was that the train we took actually stopped at Don Mueang airport where we were flying from...
Going by (Mega)bus from Birmingham via London to Paris and back for a grand total of 36 hours purely to see a Stravinsky ballet performance (in fairness, it was the centenary of its world premiere which is even today considered postmodern)
Going to Stansted by train, flying to Brussels Charleroi, then taking the bus to Luxembourg to stay for about 24 hours before doing the same journey in reverse
Gatwick to Reykjavik and back for 48 hours about a year after the eruption before other LCCs other than WOW Air flew there.
(turned out I booked a ticket in Premium Economy on the return part)I flew Moscow - Riga - Warsaw (spent a night at a friend's place due to long layover) - Heathrow - JFK (night in the terminal) - San Fran...about 50 hours from SVO to SFO...cheapest way to do it!
Flew from Moscow to Cusco via Frankfurt and a night stop in Bogota where I spent the night with my ex-students, did the usual exploration of Cusco and Machu Picchu in 2 days before continuing to La Paz and Salar de Uyuni (by bus) also in 2 days before flying from La Paz via Lima to Santiago de Chile for about 18 hours then on to Easter Island and back for a total of 30 hours on the island...(spending a couple more days in Santiago afterward)
JFK - Guadeloupe - Dominica - Antigua - St Kitts - St Lucia (via Antigua) - Barbados - St Vincent - Grenada (via Barbados) - Trinidad - JFK: spending only a night on each island, in the cases of Guadeloupe, 12 hours, and Antigua, about 15, in about 10 days. All the others were around 24. ALL WITH LIAT!
Took the train from Bishkek to Almaty at a grand total of 17 hours, despite minibusses running between the two 3 times quicker and cheaper, spent a night in Almaty airport, flew to Dubai, spent the day in Abu Dhabi then flew via Doha back to Riyadh.
Flying from Moscow via Istanbul to Ho Chi Minh for 16 hours (due to me booking the wrong dates..) before heading to Siem Reap, and on the same trip, taking a bus from Vientiane to Nong Khai (which abandoned us at the Thai border forcing us to walk to the train station...which was 15 minutes away lol), before getting the overnight train to Bangkok then waiting several hours for a flight to Kuala Lumpur. The irony was that the train we took actually stopped at Don Mueang airport where we were flying from...
Going by (Mega)bus from Birmingham via London to Paris and back for a grand total of 36 hours purely to see a Stravinsky ballet performance (in fairness, it was the centenary of its world premiere which is even today considered postmodern)
Going to Stansted by train, flying to Brussels Charleroi, then taking the bus to Luxembourg to stay for about 24 hours before doing the same journey in reverse
Gatwick to Reykjavik and back for 48 hours about a year after the eruption before other LCCs other than WOW Air flew there.
Sep 13, 2018, 3:08 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Lincoln, UK
Programs: BA Gold, TK, DL, IHG Diamond, HHonours Gold, Hertz Presidents Club
Posts: 497
This could be the phallus measuring thread to end all phallus measuring threads......
I've done LHR-AKL (stop in DOH) for a 2 day work visit but I'll be a rank amateur compared to a lot on here.
I've done LHR-AKL (stop in DOH) for a 2 day work visit but I'll be a rank amateur compared to a lot on here.
Sep 13, 2018, 4:45 am
#18
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: OTP/KRK
Programs: M&M FTL, Miles+Bonus Gold
Posts: 664
upcoming this weekend:
OTP ✈ SXF on Friday
TXL ✈ BCN ✈ CMN ✈ YUL ✈ CMN on Saturday
CMN ✈ BCN ✈ OTP on Sunday
in the past:
OTP ✈ CDG ✈ JFK, stayed there for 2 days
JFK ✈ FRA ✈ OTP
Ticket booked 24hrs before the departure
OTP ✈ SXF on Friday
TXL ✈ BCN ✈ CMN ✈ YUL ✈ CMN on Saturday
CMN ✈ BCN ✈ OTP on Sunday
in the past:
OTP ✈ CDG ✈ JFK, stayed there for 2 days
JFK ✈ FRA ✈ OTP
Ticket booked 24hrs before the departure
Last edited by GBobon; Sep 13, 2018 at 4:54 am
Sep 13, 2018, 5:27 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Belgium
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 146
One of my previous neighbours had to do a lot of travel for his job, attending conferences, giving presentations. Most crazy trip I remember of him was arriving back home in Belgium from San Francisco and the next day he had to leave for Tokyo.
Sep 13, 2018, 5:47 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: England - UK
Posts: 512
Breakfast in Helsinki airport, lunch in Munich airport, dinner in Madrid airport. Husband works for a private aircraft refurbishment company and had to collect an item from each airport and I went with him. Actually quite nice as a one off adventure :-)
Sep 13, 2018, 5:47 am
#21
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 581
You talk to your neighbours !
Sep 13, 2018, 7:04 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: BRS
Posts: 336
I'm not really in the same league as some here, but earlier this year flew BRS-AMS-TPE-NRT, had a business dinner, slept, had a four-hour meeting then reversed the journey. Since it was Golden Week I did get into the zoo for free (for about 40 minutes) before starting my return, though!
Sep 13, 2018, 7:10 am
#24
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SJO - MAN - LAX
Programs: MileagePlus Gold, Avis PP, National EE, Lifemiles Silver, ConnectMiles Gold
Posts: 532
SJO-EWR-MAN to stay in MAN for 5 hours. Picking up a piece of paper for my dog that was held in customs due to a skewed stamp 
. Only the owner could pick up in person in the UK and had to be back before 72 hours or dog would get put down. After the 5 hours I flew MAN-ZRH-SJO. About 29 hours of travel to be there for 5 hours.
. Only the owner could pick up in person in the UK and had to be back before 72 hours or dog would get put down. After the 5 hours I flew MAN-ZRH-SJO. About 29 hours of travel to be there for 5 hours.
Sep 13, 2018, 8:35 am
#25
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: OTP/KRK
Programs: M&M FTL, Miles+Bonus Gold
Posts: 664
OTP ✈ MUC at LH press event (first A350), on the same day I flew on redeye MUC ✈ OTP (arrived at OTP at 2am, delayed) then got home to bring my baggage and at 8am I hopped on OTP ✈ MAD to fly from there on LATAM's B787 to FRA. then from FRA ✈ CDG (all same day)
a day off in CDG
CDG ✈ LHR on the first AF B787 flight on the route, then LHR ✈ HEL on Finnair's A350
a day off in HEL
HEL ✈ LHR A350 Finnair, then LTN ✈ OTP
+
BOB ✈ PPT ✈ AKL ✈ SIN ✈ LHR ✈ OTP with up to 3hrs layover between every flights
all Y...
Sep 13, 2018, 8:48 am
#27
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA Gold (.85 MM), HH Diamond, SPG Platinum (LT Gold), Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 5,656
Only once, but I did COS-DEN-SFO-SYD, a few hours on the ground, visited the city and even took a boat over to Manly Beach, then did the reverse on the way home. Pure Mileage Run, and thankfully in Business Class.
Later, with clients in HNL I would often fly COS-xxx-HNL, conduct my meetings and catch the redeye back to the mainland. Did that about 20 times over the course of 2 years, always in first class.
Now that I'm older, just thinking about the above makes my body hurt, no way I would subject myself to this again.
Back when Continental joined *A, but before the merger: DEN-CLE-LAX-ORD-DEN in about 23hrs, for something like $120. I did 3 of these, spread out though. Lots of people took advantage of this, and somewhere I have a photos of about 10 people, hanging out in each airline club along the way. One guy from South America did 5 of these back to back.
Later, with clients in HNL I would often fly COS-xxx-HNL, conduct my meetings and catch the redeye back to the mainland. Did that about 20 times over the course of 2 years, always in first class.
Now that I'm older, just thinking about the above makes my body hurt, no way I would subject myself to this again.
Back when Continental joined *A, but before the merger: DEN-CLE-LAX-ORD-DEN in about 23hrs, for something like $120. I did 3 of these, spread out though. Lots of people took advantage of this, and somewhere I have a photos of about 10 people, hanging out in each airline club along the way. One guy from South America did 5 of these back to back.
Sep 13, 2018, 9:09 am
#28
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Trenton NJ
Programs: UA Gold MM, Honors Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hertz President’s Circle
Posts: 3,668
Let's see...
Is it the 4x LAX-SYD weekend turns with about 9 hrs in SYD?
Or the Easter Holiday CLE-IAD-MUC where I was opupped on IAD-MUC and MUC-IAD and spent my time in MUC in the Senator Lounge eating pretzels and drinking beer?
Or the epic EWR-IAH-HNL-ORD-IAD-SEA-ANC-SEA-IAH-GRU-ORD-LGA then back to EWR for EWR-DUS for a business trip? This was time mostly spent on a plane and a bump resulted in IAD-SEA instead of IAD-DEN-SEA. The return was originally scheduled ORD-EWR but that leg got cancelled and nearly threw me into apoplexy because EWR-DUS was the first business trip overseas for my new employer at the time.
Is it the 4x LAX-SYD weekend turns with about 9 hrs in SYD?
Or the Easter Holiday CLE-IAD-MUC where I was opupped on IAD-MUC and MUC-IAD and spent my time in MUC in the Senator Lounge eating pretzels and drinking beer?
Or the epic EWR-IAH-HNL-ORD-IAD-SEA-ANC-SEA-IAH-GRU-ORD-LGA then back to EWR for EWR-DUS for a business trip? This was time mostly spent on a plane and a bump resulted in IAD-SEA instead of IAD-DEN-SEA. The return was originally scheduled ORD-EWR but that leg got cancelled and nearly threw me into apoplexy because EWR-DUS was the first business trip overseas for my new employer at the time.
Sep 13, 2018, 9:12 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,193
quite a few, unfortunately my memory is not has great has my wifes
ATL-LHR left Saturday to watch Arsenal vs. Man U at old trafford (we lifted the Cup there)
Flew back Monday
ATL_BOM arrived 12.30 am left BOM to ATL 2.20am the following day
(was there basically 25 hours for a meeting
ATL-LHR left Saturday to watch Arsenal vs. Man U at old trafford (we lifted the Cup there)
Flew back Monday
ATL_BOM arrived 12.30 am left BOM to ATL 2.20am the following day
(was there basically 25 hours for a meeting
Sep 13, 2018, 9:33 am
#30
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,508
Not quite as exotic as some of the stories above, but still plenty ridiculous.
I bought a car in Nashville, back when I lived in Seattle. I flew Seattle to Nashville Friday morning. Picked up the car in Nashville that evening. Saturday morning, drove to South Dakota. Spent the night in S. Dakota. Sunday, drove from S. Dakota to Seattle. 2400 mile drive in a weekend.
I bought a car in Nashville, back when I lived in Seattle. I flew Seattle to Nashville Friday morning. Picked up the car in Nashville that evening. Saturday morning, drove to South Dakota. Spent the night in S. Dakota. Sunday, drove from S. Dakota to Seattle. 2400 mile drive in a weekend.