Australia & Fiji *PHOTOS* 29k Miles / 5 Carriers - WN Y, VA J, QF Y & J, FJ J, & KE J
#46
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,352
Thank you for a wonderful trip report!
I enjoy it thoroughly and Virgin Australia looks very impressive! They maintain their 77Ws very well. The Loft definitely has the best view of LAX R/W24s.
Fuji Airways' Boeing 737-800s look surprisingly very good and the seats look a bit more comfortable than other airlines' 73H. Maybe FJ uses it for longer flights too.
Thanks for putting together such a beautiful, detailed, and fascinating trip report!
Carfield
I enjoy it thoroughly and Virgin Australia looks very impressive! They maintain their 77Ws very well. The Loft definitely has the best view of LAX R/W24s.
Fuji Airways' Boeing 737-800s look surprisingly very good and the seats look a bit more comfortable than other airlines' 73H. Maybe FJ uses it for longer flights too.
Thanks for putting together such a beautiful, detailed, and fascinating trip report!
Carfield
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
I'm glad you enjoyed it - we definitely put in a fair bit of planning and coordinating to be able to visit as many places and take in as many sights as possible during our short available vacation time.
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
Thank you for a wonderful trip report!
I enjoy it thoroughly and Virgin Australia looks very impressive! They maintain their 77Ws very well. The Loft definitely has the best view of LAX R/W24s.
Fuji Airways' Boeing 737-800s look surprisingly very good and the seats look a bit more comfortable than other airlines' 73H. Maybe FJ uses it for longer flights too.
Thanks for putting together such a beautiful, detailed, and fascinating trip report!
Carfield
I enjoy it thoroughly and Virgin Australia looks very impressive! They maintain their 77Ws very well. The Loft definitely has the best view of LAX R/W24s.
Fuji Airways' Boeing 737-800s look surprisingly very good and the seats look a bit more comfortable than other airlines' 73H. Maybe FJ uses it for longer flights too.
Thanks for putting together such a beautiful, detailed, and fascinating trip report!
Carfield
The cabin and seats on VA were great. I could certainly just sit and plane watch all day at VX's LAX Loft lounge!
I found FJ's 738 business class seats much better than expected. Although, I would avoid the bulkhead row (because of the lack of legroom), if possible.
#49
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 91
Just curious, were there lots of kids at the Hilton property?
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
I'm a Sydneysider and do stay in Sydney hotels. I have never been to the Radisson Blue there. It doesn't look very glamorous at all. Strike that off my list.
Love the report. Lots of pics. Well done.
Love the report. Lots of pics. Well done.
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
I didn't think so - there were some children; but, we certainly didn't notice too many. When we visited the Intercontinental at Natadola beach, I noticed many more children around that resort compared to the Hilton.
Yes, I wouldn't consider the Radisson Blu glamorous - just a nice upscale hotel.
Wonderful to hear you loved the report - I certainly enjoyed Sydney and the rest of the trip! ^
Wonderful to hear you loved the report - I certainly enjoyed Sydney and the rest of the trip! ^
#52
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bargara Australia
Programs: VA, SQ, IHG, HH,ALL, Europcar
Posts: 1,530
Great TR
an awesome read - good to see some airlines that are not often reported on here
particulary the VA 777 service - it gets very good feedback.
Nice to see the new Fiji and also KE
Awesome
an awesome read - good to see some airlines that are not often reported on here
particulary the VA 777 service - it gets very good feedback.
Nice to see the new Fiji and also KE
Awesome
#53
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
Thanks for the compliments! We really enjoyed the VA 777 Business Class service!
#54
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA
Posts: 2,066
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
Thanks! Yeah - the whole time our Korean plane was taxiing to the gate at LAX we were doubting whether we would make our connection...we really thought our chances were slim-to-none until our bags came out and we noticed no line in the Global Entry customs line.
#56
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Emirates Skywards, Mileage Plus, OneWorld, Qatar Airways Privilage Club
Posts: 301
Amazing TR, fellow Chicago fliers! Love the pics, and reading this in my downtown Chicago office, can't help but feel a lil bit jealous Great pics and hope one day to put together an awesome itinerary like that.
#57
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 99
A great report! Good mix of flying and destination pictures.
Also appreciated your detailed breakdown of spent points, miles and cash.
Shifting from KE biz to WN economy is tough at the end of a marathon trip, but at least you had the middle free!
Also appreciated your detailed breakdown of spent points, miles and cash.
Shifting from KE biz to WN economy is tough at the end of a marathon trip, but at least you had the middle free!
#59
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: Accor PLT,Thai Silver, HH Dia, SPG Titanium (LT Gold), Aegean Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 5,120
Thank you for putting this epic journey down in writing and pictures.I honestly do not know how you manged to do this trip in the time allocated but it looked wonderful.
Thank you
Thank you
#60
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
Glad to hear you liked it! It took an immense amount of planning to squeeze everything in. We would have loved more time in each place (and to visit more places); but, unfortunately, it is tough for me to take that much time away from work in one go...so, we fit in what we could (and, as much as we could).