ironmanjt

Insanity. I can't believe it's almost finally here. I started booking this trip well over six months ago - and I never plan that far in advance. I didn't expect it would actually come to happen, but figured that I should spend the United miles before they were devalued...so I booked it. So far...everything is still on track.

Then, I realized I return home the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I sort of forgot that and booked a trip to Israel...over Thanksgiving. Yes, I'm going on a 33 day South Pacific trip, and then after 3 days home going to Israel for 5 days...plus an overnight in Zurich on the way back. I get home Tuesday night.

Then, I realized I was a bit short re-qualifying on United next year...over 12,000 miles and a few dollars short. Europe wouldn't cut it. It was already going to be early December...I'm out of time. I have a Friday off...so yes, I arrive home from Israel on Tuesday night..and Wednesday night fly right back out to Lebanon.

6 weeks of traveling with a total of 4 nights at home. 73,100 miles. 24 countries, of which 12 will be new for me. 5 flights across the Atlantic Ocean. One across the Pacific. Numerous shorter flights in between. Then, it's a whole two weeks at home before going to Africa for two weeks as part of my annual new years trip...and 8 more new countries.



If you'd like to check out my other trip reports first:

I. London to Iran and Afghanistan in a mix of C, F, and LCCs
II. Above the Arctic Circle with UA/CO/LH and SK in whY, C, and F
III. Around the World in 40 Days for 40 Years
IV. 8 Places People Who Are Right in the Head Do Not Spend New Years
V. 12 Countries, 10 Airlines, 4 Islands, 27,080 miles, 11 Days
VI. 6 Countries in 6 Days - Caribbean Island Hopping and first AA Experience
VII. Guyana, Suriname, and French Guyana with an unexpected sidetrip to Caracas!
VIII. To Haïti - for vacation and a milage run!
IX. Around Senegal and West Africa
X. 4th Annual New Years in Dangerous Places - Libya Edition
XI. Kosovo and FYR Macedonia - Milage Run in United Business + TK/LH
XII. Washington to Peru and Machu Picchu on COPA and TACA
XIII. To Johannesburg...for 36 hours!
XIV. Here a Stan, there a Stan, everwhere a Stan Stan....
XV. Air Burkina, Air Cote d'Ivoire and 7 countries in West Africa
XVI. Turkey for Thanksgiving....with a side of Tajikistan, Serbia, Montenegro, and Moscow
XVII. Into the Heart of Darkness... Congo, Angola, Gabon, OH MY!
XVIII. HI! Four Islands, Lots of Planes, Beaches, and Convertibles
XIX. Plenty of Salt, Not Enough Oxygen...a Trip to Boliva, Colombia, and Ecuador
XX. Learning to Relax - Long Weekend in St Christopher and Nevis
XXI. You're spending New Years WHERE? IRAQ? (2009-2010)
XXII. Pineapples, croissants, and neon OH MY! A trip to Hawaii, Paris, Andorra, and Vegas

24 countries to be visited:

Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Korea, Germany, Israel, Palestine, Switzerland, Netherlands, Lebanon, Kuwait

Cool/Unusual flights:

ANA 777-300ER in First
Sriwijaya Air 737-400/500 in Business
Air Nauru - formerly "Our Airline" on a 737-300
Polynesian Airlines from Apia to Pago Pago
Emirates A380 in First
Air New Zealand 777 in Business
Asiana 747-400 in First
Kuwait A310

As a cool side bonus: I've been to Sydney a few times, and driven all over Tasmania. This trip I'll get overnights in Darwin and Cairns (any recommendations VERY welcome) and two overnights in Brisbane. I also have two overnights in Auckland and have been advised to go sea kayaking.

The trip report will be split into the following roughly 47 easily digestible sections:

I. Washington Dulles to Tokyo in ANA First, and ANA First Lounge, Tokyo
II. Tokyo to Singapore in United First, and Singapore Transit Hotel and lounges
III. Singapore to Bali in Singapore Business and 24 hours in Bali
IV. Bali to Dili, Timore Leste in Sriwijaya business
V. Dili, Timor Leste, and diving with Dive Timor
VI. Dili to Darwin, Australia on Air North and overnight in Darwin
VII. Darwin to Cairns (via Brisbane) in Qantas business, overnight in Cairns
VIII. Cairns to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Qantas Link, overnight in PNG
IX. Port Moresby to Melbourne (via Cairns and Sydney) on Qantas
X. Two nights in Melbourne
XI. Melbourne to Brisbane in Qantas business, overnight in Brisbane
XII. Brisbane to Nauru on Air Nauru
XIII. Overnight in Nauru
XIV. Nauru to Tarawa, Kiribati (via Majuro, Marshall Islands) on Air Nauru
XV. Overnight on Tarawa, Kiribati
XVI. Tarawa to Nadi, Fiji on Air Fiji, overnight in Nadi

DRAMA! - CANCELED!
XVII. Nadi to Funafuti, Tuvali on Air Fiji via Suva
XVIII. Two nights in Tuvalu
XIX. Funafuti to Nadi via Suva on Air Fiji, overnight in Nadi

NEW PLAN!
XVII. Nadi to Funafuti, Tuvali on Air Fiji via Suva - FAIL!
XVIII. Two bonus nights in Nadi
XIX. Daytrip to Funafuti for lunch on Air Fiji...maybe!

XX. Nadi to Port Vila, Vanuatu on Air Fiji
XXI. Two nights in Vanuatu and diving with Big Blue
XXII. Vanuatu to Honiara, Solomon Islands with Air Solomons
XXIII. Two nights in Honiara, Solomon Islands
XXIV. Honiara to Brisbane with Virgin Australia, two nights in Brisbane
XXV. Brisbane to Auckland on the Emirates A380 in first
XXVI. Two nights in Auckland
XXVII. Auckland to Tonga with Air New Zealand
XXVIII. Tonga
XXIX. Tonga to Apia, Samoa via Fiji with Air Fiji aka Air MESS
XXX. Two nights in Samoa and diving with Aqua Samoa
XXXI. Daytrip to American Samoa with Polynesian Airlines
XXXII. Apia to Auckland with Air New Zealand
XXXIII. Two more nights in Auckland
XXXIV. Auckland to Tokyo with Air New Zealand, overnight in Tokyo
XXXV. Tokyo to Seoul in Asiana business, overnight in Seoul
XXXVI. Seoul to Frankfurt in Asiana 747 First, overnight in Frankfurt
XXXVII. Frankfurt to Washington, Dulles in United First
XXXVIII. Washington to Tel Aviv, Israel in United Business
XXXIX. Two Days in Tel Aviv
XL. Daytrip to Ramallah, Bethlehem and the West Bank
XLI. Daytrip to Jerusalem Old City
XLII. Tel Aviv to Zurich in Swiss business, overnight in Zurich
XLIII. Zurich to Washington in United business
XLIV. Washington to Beirut, Lebanon in United business and Lufthansa
XLV. Two nights in Lebanon

DRAMA! - CANCELED!
XLV. Lebanon to Kuwait on the Kuwait Airlines A310
XLVI. 6 hours in Kuwait
XLVII. Kuwait to Washington in United Business

NEW PLAN!
XLVI. Beirut to Washington via...Kuwait?

I'm already exhausted. I should probably pack.

Less than a week away...any and all suggestions welcome!

zeltergiset

Goodness me. Looking forward to it.

Fredrik74

This part will be interesting to hear more about. I hope you have two passports.

zcat18

Israel doesn't stamp passports anymore, so he will have no trouble getting into Lebanon.

EuropeanPete

The South Pacific bit is fascinating. Would love it if you could give us an indication of the logistics and dimensional cost. I'm hoping to do a month long trip through the region at some point, but I've been put off up to now by cost and availability of flights.

FlyIgglesFly

Game on. ^

DanielW

Awesome!

When will you be in Bali & Timor Leste?

ironmanjt

It's not cheap...by any stretch. I used lots of AA and AS miles, as well as SPG and Hilton points for hotel. But unfortunately, it'll still be north of 10k USD

^ see you in Israel!

Next week!

avneeshj

Another ironmanjt epic TR coming up! Subscribed and waiting. Especially looking forward to the Lebanon/Israel/Kuwait bit.

BTW I have always wondered that how do you cope up with jetlag in all of these trips of yours? Are all those venti iced coffees enough to keep you going?

durberville

Sounds amazing. I'm doing TBU in May, but island hopping is prohibitively expensive in the Pacific. NZ barely releases award space, and you can't really use AS on FJ to go island hopping, just for NAN.

worldtraveller73

Curious about the travels around the South Pacific.

It's off the radar for most with reward points and miles simply because of limited capacity - and I'm not talking about the majors like Nadi, Rarotonga or Papeete. ^

Looking forward to it.

AhogZ

Subscribing with great expactations

hauteboy

Crazy! Wish I could join you in Nauru... what days will you be there?

ironmanjt

Yup caffeine for the win! ...and I have the good fortune to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime, as long as I'm tired.

Correct. The only award ticket I used is using QF miles to get from DRW to POM to MEL back to BNE. I just accepted this was gonna be a giant cash suck. Actually, I used AS miles too for a FJ ticket from TRW-NAN.

I really hoped to find SUV-FUN space with AS miles, but no dice on any day. That ticket alone almost killed me.

Nov 1 BNE-INU and Nov 2 INU-TRW

Gripevo

Awesome!

So excited for another epic trip report from you. Been following your blog for a while now...living vicariously through your travels lol.

So yea im guessing my work/school productivity will be going to sh*t the next few weeks