aks120

Another great trip report in the making!

"Other than the champagne (2000 Billecart-Salmon and Henriot Brut Rosé), the wine list was the most disappointing list and worst selection of cheap swill of all the major international carriers I've flown in years." - I never get past the champagne list

Thanks

aks120

SFO777

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US.
Sorry for the delay in responding. Just woke up Friday morning.
Wow, that was one long trek even in F. But well worth it to get to one of the most idyllic places you can image.

The view from our Beach Villa at 6:50A Friday morning:



Thanks FlyIgglesFly. OMG, EWL-OSL in Y? As the jaded Mrs. SFO says, "I wouldn't go".

Thanks amolkold. Yup, the old status match. Not that it means a lick on this airline. Unlike on EK, where they know my status every time and welcome me back every time. The Purser asked my if I wanted to join the Etihad Guest program.

Thank you MAH4546.

Indeed. Thanks thesly.

Thanks yerffej201.

Thanks LLM225. amokold is correct. I booked this just before CMB ticket just before AA canceled/changed the rules. So our CMB-KUL-LHR-LAX-DEN and next June's DEN-DFW-LHR-CDG-KUL-CMB was roughly $4,200 total per person for about 30K EQMs (or 45 EPQs) and 75K RDMs (less than 6 cpm).

Thank you flyhen.

Thank you sellouts. O&O is gorgeous. Hope you enjoy.

Thanks sfoactuary.

LOL. Thanks very much JohnRain and for your kind comments. This year, Mrs. SFO has really caught the travel bug so much so that I've had to nix a couple of additional ones she suggested. I do have to work sometime.

Thank you darthlemsip. Indeed, I do still work but don't need to be in the office all the time. As long as I have my laptop and Wifi, we can get away for a week or so pretty regularly.

Thanks so much LH4116. DEN-IAD is beyond "cheap coach ticket" range. Plus, I have lots of LM miles and used miles & $ features so it only cost 10K miles plus $250. Better than the $500 UA wanted.

Thanks Digital01.

LOL. Thanks Tony.

Thank you calvinoeh. I'm usually half drunk when I work on them as well.

Thanks Polomarc. Indeed, EY did a great job on the IAD lounge.

Thanks so much themapelligroup.

Thank you thespeedskater and sky303!

Thank you FlyingBald. When we have more time, that would be great. Mrs. SFO has this Gordon Ramsey thing, from before he was an empire and we ate at his Hospital Road resto about a year after it opened.

I tried my best but just can't keep up with SHF anymore.

Now, now. We do occasionally.

No UA status but DEN-IAD is probably a tough upgrade for anyway other than a 1K.

LOL. Good one.

Thanks zainman.
DEN-IAD was 25K LifeMiles
IAD-AUH-MLE was 90K AA miles
MLE-CMB was $245
CMB-KUL-LHR-LAX-DEN and DFW-LHR-CDG-KUL-CMB next June was $4,200

Thanks very much Francis. You are so right... no way I could even come close to your records. And Mrs. SFO eats like a bird.

PETER01

Love the TR SFO777.^^^^^

Not a lot of room on that first United flight !

Etihad looked very nice indeed including the lounges but I was surprised to hear they had a poor IFE system. Seems like a good overall experience though and I loved that Dessert

If Mrs SFO777 ever tires if travelling with you to these wonderful places and in premium cabins etc. and you need a travelling companion............ I'm your man

Will we ever get to see how beautiful she really is?

Pete

SFO777

1st celeb citing of the trip as tennis star Novak Djokovic and GF (apparently fiancée) at lunch this afternoon two tables away at the One&Only Rah Bar.

LOL. Thanks MPScan. I appreciate it.

Thanks so much harusadu.

Thank you eliteraveler.

Ha. Thanks krazykanuck.

Thanks Purim. Yeah, hoping for the best with BA. Although with my BA luck, just wait and we'll have a mechanical and an old F 744 will be subbed for the A380.

Thank you flyr16.

Thanks very much CXtoQF. Was really impressed with EY food. ^

Thanks amaroo.

Thank again FlyIgglesFly. You made me look twice... just to make sure I didn't include a butt shot.
I assume you still have to fly home the same way you arrived? And of course you do realize that it will take at least an hour longer, maybe 2 on the westbound return.

Thank you aks120. Agree. Other than a few sips of my wine, I stayed with the Billecart.

Thanks so much Pete and for the offer. Well, she has informed my that she has no interest in Nepal or Tibet... so I'll be on my own for that one. Also, no more Thailand. Although that's one that I may just go on my own and see what happens.

SFO777

Two calls to EY before we left and on both occasions I was told that, Etihad Guest Gold notwithstanding, chauffeur service during our transit was not available and that I would have to call AA to "change the ticket". No idea what that meant or why transfer service for Golds was not available on this ticket. I declined to pursue it figuring we'd just take a taxi. But on the way to the taxi, I figured I'd give it one last shot. Strike three and we head for the taxi line.



After a 20 minute 52 AED ride in a beautiful late model Mercedes van, we were at our hotel.

Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Still needing 3 more nights for my 50 Starwood nights, I booked an inexpensive room at the closest SPG hotel to the airport. Very attractive new facility on the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.













Modest Platinum upgrade to a golf course (or more like driving range) view room. All for less than $160 including buffet breakfast which we didn't have.







The view from our room.







And in the morning before we left, a tour of the lower level.







And impressive buffet spread.







Very nice hotel. We would definitely stay here again.

ConcordeOrphan

Thanks for the great TR.

I was one day and one class of service behind you on EY. Was on the EY 130 IAD - AUH on Wednesday, 27 Nov in J class. But my winter break next March will be IAD - AUH - MLE in F on EY, so I eagerly await future installments on this thread! The current trip, however, is for business and my company only pays for J so I'm slumming it.

I was very tempted to buy an "Instant Upgrade" at the airport to F, but decided not to and have no regrets. The EY flight in J was excellent. One slight disappointment, on the 27th there was a mechanical problem with the aircraft scheduled to operate the trip before departure from AUH so they substituted a hot spare which was an A340-500 instead of the usual A340-600. I've never flown the -600 & was looking forward to it, but hopefully I'll get it going home.

No regrets about saving my $800 & not buying the Instant Upgrade . . . even though the a/c Wednesday night was the "old" hard product J class rather than the "new" hard product they have on the -600, after dinner I slept continuously for more than 6 hours, which never happens, and when I woke up we were already flying over Turkey. Figured I'd better hurry up & order breakfast or we'd be landing! Really appreciated the toasted bagel with smoked salmon for breakfast. Maybe it helped that there were only 9 pax total Wednesday night in both F & J classes. At least that's what they told me in the lounge at IAD. Not sure anyone at all was in F on Wednesday night.

A few comments in response to your report . . . most of the wines offered in F are the same as in J. To accompany my starters I chose the Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Torrantes and was quite satisfied. With the main course, which was lamb, I chose the Bordeaux, which in J was different from the one on your menu in F, it was a Margaux, Chateau Rauzan 2008, but again I thought it was excellent.

I haven't flown EY first yet, the trip coming up in March to the Maldives will be my first time, but have been in F on EK and quite enjoyed it. The suites/cabins look similar. I'm really surprised/disappointed though that EY doesn't offer caviar. My last trip on EK a few months ago, I had 3 orders of it! Also, while I'm sure the Billecart Salmon is a great champagne, I don't think it really compares to the Dom Perignon they serve on EK. Not to mention an incredible St. Estephe red Bordeaux they offered on my EK flight in F. Agree with you the IFE on EY could definitely be improved.

Had no problems with the chauffeur service upon arrival in AUH. Of course I'm on a full revenue ticket, but when I got to the transfer desk they had a voucher already printed, I walked out to the area of waiting cars, and was off immediately to my hotel in Dubai. 7:05 pm, stepping off the plane into the jetway, 7:25 pm out of the airport and headed to Dubai. 8:25 pm, checking-in at the Fairmont The Palm.

Again, look forward to further instalments on the Maldives!

md25

Thanks as always for your incredible report SFO777. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

Bretteee

What hotel did you stay at in the Maldives?

Thanks.

I was told by someone that she found it boring because all you have is 1 hotel on a deserted island.

allset2travel

Another great read! as I am waiting for my last segment (lax-sfo) of a 16-flight rtw on ow.

Joely

Oh goody, another SFO777 TR to make everyone's holiday feel inadequate.

Must say though, slightly disappointed but only a couple of lines of United based ranting, I always look forward to your tirades on that subject!

NYBanker

Enjoying the report. Thanks for posting.

dat4life

After reading your report, I stuffed my face with a 100 pounds of Thanksgiving leftovers in a fit of pure jealousy. In fact, I think my personal trainer wants to have a word with you. You see, Thanksgiving with the girlfriend's family isn't quite as fun as Thanksgiving in MLE.

Great stuff as usual, SFO777. And fortunately for you, AA doesn't allow international stopovers. I'm sure Mrs. SFO be more than eager for round 2 in Dubai.

SFflyer123

Very nice, SFO777. I am really enjoying this report. It looks fantastic. If you're gonna do a mileage run, this is the way to do it!

Madone59

Another SFO777 TR. Wonderful, and great photos!

Enjoy the trip.

Short hair Francis

Bahaha, can't keep up with the SHF.
Don't forget that record will be always moving, moving up that is
Well I won't be a contender for that 8 bottles of Dom, but I'm sure someone else could
Maybe the Mrs. is pulling an Obama and sparing "Popcorn", the 2013 Thanksgiving Turkey

I think we need to get the whole gang together again for another 3 class First next year, you and jfkeze on the alcohol front, and leave the food front to me.
The new FT Policy is "No Catering Left Behind"


Is SFO777 taking a downgrade , ya we all needed stay credits but thought the Mrs. would've at least demanded this view at the minimum






Keep it going, interested in seeing the 1% paradise, I meant Maldives