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A quick RTW in First on One World
This is my first trip report, so I hope you guys enjoy it. I’m not all that comfortable (yet) taking pics in crowded cabins or lounges so the report may be lacking that much detail.
Having turned 30 in mid-September, I decided to cross off a bucket list item, which was to do a Round the World in First. The point of it also being to renew my BA gold card and I needed to add 4 BA operated sectors to my trip. I also wanted to try out CX and JAL first, which being based in Kuwait, makes it hard to actually find a flight on it to where I usually fly to. So, I began planning and decided on flying on the 30th of September to Manchester via London on BA from Kuwait, that way I can spend a day in Manchester and watch the Champions League game against Wolfsburg that night (I’m a huge United fan). My parents were in the UK at the same time and agreed to spend the day with me as well. This being my fathers first football game in 50 years. They agreed to take the train from London and meet me at the Radisson Blu Edwardian in Manchester’s city center where we would be spending the evening. After setting all that up, I booked my tickets on the 27th of September and started booking hotels. I would spend a night in Manchester, 3 nights in Bangkok, Seoul and Las Vegas before flying back home. My next flight would take me to Bangkok via LHR and HKG. With the LHR to HKG sector on CX first so that would scratch that item off my list. Then its off to Seoul on CX as well via HKG and I will have a look at the new Pier first lounge, and have lunch there. Next sector would be to try out the JAL first. A flight from Seoul to Las Vegas would take care of that, I would fly from ICN to NRT, NRT to LAX and then switch to AA for the short hop to LAS. My last sector would take me from LAS to LAX and then onto AA B777-300ER flagship first from LAX to LHR. And with a 7hour layover in London, I would meet my parents again for Lunch before my last leg on BA from LHR to KWI. That would also take care of my 4th BA operated flight and renew my BA gold status. Unfortunately the BA flight gets into KWI at around 7am in the morning, mid-trip I had a scheduled meeting change to the day of my arrival at 8am, so it was cutting it really close on if I remained on my original BA flight. Thus, A change of itinerary was required and my last sector was flown from LAS to DFW on AA and connecting to QR from DFW to DOH, and onwards to KWI, so that I can arrive the night before and make my meeting. I hope you enjoy it. All pics were taken with my phone or Gopro. Flight 1: BA156 KWI - LHR A/C: B744 Sched Dep Time: 08:30 Sched Arr Time: 13:05 For this flight I was in Seat 1A. Service was fantastic by the crew. Boarding was called early for this flight and we were all rounded up in the gate holding area before the flight. I was surprised that the crew were also in the holding area at T-30mins. They boarded immediately and passengers were let on board shortly after. at T-10mins doors were closed and we were ready to go. This was a huge relief for me as I had just 1hr to clear immigration, security, and get to the gate for my connecting flight to MAN. The load on this flight was 6/14 seats. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5707/...a20d8d17_c.jpg Taxiing to the the runway in KWI https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5675/...f43e6860_c.jpg An English breakfast tea after take off https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5784/...a6d790dc_c.jpg Menu for todays flight https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5646/...08a026e5_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/775/2...f0d801db_c.jpg Table set up https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5787/...a2b0382d_c.jpg Amuse Bouche Funny enough, after I took this photo I was approached by the crew member asking if everything was ok. I said yes, and he was concerned that the presentation was not to my liking and I took this photo to complain to BA customer service. I told him not to worry I am just documenting my trip. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5816/...eea5ce72_c.jpg Mediterranean Grill with Frittata. Not that good sadly. I just picked at it for a little bit. After breakfast I had a walk around the cabin to stretch my legs. Found this gem by door 1R https://farm1.staticflickr.com/692/2...47cbd226_b.jpg Old indeed :D https://farm1.staticflickr.com/654/2...bc40e7f8_c.jpg All other passengers were asleep straight after takeoff so the cabin was dark immediately after the seat-belt sign was switched off and it remained that way till 2 hours before landing. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5828/...db95b297_c.jpg Quick snack before landing. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/694/2...aaeb5bec_b.jpg Holding over London. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5726/...b5c94636_b.jpg Nearly there! https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5743/...bb28957e_b.jpg Touch down, right on schedule. We parked at the B gates, and a quick walk to immigration and then on to the A gates for my connecting flight to MAN. Flight 2: BA1394 LHR - MAN A/C: A320 Sched Dep Time: 14:05 Sched Arr Time: 15:05 Immigration was painfully slow, and Security was busy. I Arrived at the gate just as boarding began. For this leg I was in 1C and it was a full flight. Flight time would be 35 minutes, but we were held at the gate till the traffic at the departures runway cleared up. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/763/2...c7028a1e_c.jpg Seat 1C legroom. After takeoff a quick beverage service was done. I passed on this as I had lunch planned before heading to the stadium for the game. We arrived a few minutes behind schedule and my bags were first out. A quick taxi ride to Deansgate and I met up with my parents at the hotel. Unfortunately I forgot to take pics at the game as we arrived right at kickoff. A great game though and a good win for United to get some points on the board to get our UCL campaign started. We headed back to the hotel afterwards and I got some rest before the long trip the next day. |
Flight 3: BA1387 MAN - LHR
A/C: A321 Sched Dep Time: 08:40 Sched Arr Time: 09:45 I was out of the hotel by 07:00 and took a taxi to the airport. Check-in was quick with no one ahead of me, and my bags were tagged all the way to BKK. There was an issue at first with printing my boarding passes as the agent in Kuwait had already checked me in all the way to BKK the previous day. That was resolved quickly and I headed off to security. Again, security was empty and I was in the lounge within 10mins from arriving in the airport. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5768/...0896734b_z.jpg BA Terraces lounge in MAN Boarding was called and we headed to the gate. The queue was long but I found my way to the priority line and made my way onboard. Initially we were supposed to be on an A320, then it was substituted to an A321. Surprisingly, when I boarded I saw an actual business cabin. Even though it was a domestic flight and it was only Y seating, BA golds and silver were allocated seats at the front in the business section. This meant that friends and families who were on the same booking ended up being separated, much to some complaints on board about why they were not next to each other. This was solved quickly by the crew. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5651/...97ef633c_c.jpg Ex-BMI aircraft with Business seats. Flight had a quick beverage service again as every domestic leg, and some sandwiches as well. We landed a few minutes late into LHR and had to wait about 15mins till a departing aircraft vacated our gate. We were bussed to the terminal, and for some reason the ground staff squeezed all of us into one bus. The driver complained that we were above the allowed number of passenger so some people were asked to get off. A quick bus ride to T5 then onto flight connections and a bus to T3 where CX operates from. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5617/...2b135213_c.jpg Bus to T3 We made a quick stop at T5 B gates and then a direct ride to T3. A rather long walk to security which was deserted, and then onto the CX F lounge. The lounge had great views over the departures runway for today. I had some breakfast and the lounge quickly filled up. This deterred me from taking any pics. Sorry. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/646/2...33ef4a42_c.jpg KU104 to Kuwait. Surprisingly on time today! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/641/2...b6795e6f_c.jpg Etihad to Abu Dhabi I spent about an hour or so in the lounge catching up on some emails and replying to some messages. Boarding was called about 45 minutes before departure time due to the long walk to the gate. By the time I made it to the gate only a few passengers remained and we were ushered on board immediately. Flight 4: CX252 LHR - HKG A/C: B77W Sched Dep Time: 12:25 Sched Arr Time: 06:55+1 This flight would be the one and only on time CX flight on this trip. Doors were closed 5 minutes before departure time and we pushed back at 12:25 on the dot. I was in seat 2D, I wanted a window seat but booking this flight last minute, that was the only seat available on this flight. All cabins were full on this flight, and I was curious to see how well CX did on a full F cabin. I know EK don’t quite shine when they are under pressure due to a full F cabin, so it was interesting. The CX crew were impeccable. In fact this was the best flight on this trip. Service was quick and efficient, food was delicious, and the crew were going above and beyond to provide everyone with a fantastic experience. No demand was too little or too big for them. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5740/...b6e7cc22_c.jpg Seat 2D https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5775/...413a439b_c.jpg Looking forward https://farm1.staticflickr.com/705/2...e1bb207c_c.jpg A shrimp amuse bouche with PDB. It was really good :D https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5768/...9bc6bf65_c.jpg Menu for today’s flight. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5739/...6fd23096_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/656/2...b07cf3d5_c.jpg After departure another round of drinks was served, and lunch orders were taken. I decided to eat two hours after departure since I had already had a good breakfast in the lounge. Also, with an 11 hour scheduled flight time, I wanted to sleep a bit later on into the flight in order to adjust my sleeping pattern to my destination as to reduce jet lag. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5833/...4d7ca648_c.jpg Lined up and ready to go. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5816/...9eeb62fc_c.jpg And off we go https://farm1.staticflickr.com/651/2...50c78a4f_c.jpg White bean soup https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5725/...5e431b8f_c.jpg Salad with Maine Lobster https://farm1.staticflickr.com/730/2...093e70c2_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/688/2...23533346_c.jpg Braised Lamb neck fillet https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5664/...ec3d13e5_c.jpg Absolutely delicious! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/751/2...729df515_c.jpg Berry torte Finished off with a coffee, and after watching a movie. It was time for my food induced coma to begin. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5690/...daf2b65e_c.jpg Dear EK, this is what an F bed should look like! I had a solid 4 hours of sleep, and I forced myself to wake up around 2 hours before landing. After getting changed and freshening up it was time to order breakfast. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/644/2...179f378f_c.jpg Starters and a smoothie https://farm1.staticflickr.com/602/2...325833df_c.jpg Made to order scrambled eggs. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5824/...bcb7aba0_c.jpg Light and fluffy https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5654/...a64b045c_c.jpg A tea to finish off. The cabin was prepared for landing shortly afterwards and we made an on time arrival into HKG just after the sun started to rise. I had about an hour and 45 minutes layover and a visit to the cabanas at The Wing was in order. I had just enough time for a shower and some phone calls to make before I needed to board my next flight. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5812/...0069ee1f_c.jpg The Wing cabana number 3. I had to flag down an attendant first since no one was there at the check-in desk. After a quick shower, and a change of clothes I was off to my departure gate to board my flight to Bangkok. Flight 5: CX713 HKG - BKK A/C: A333 Sched Dep Time: 08:50 Sched Arr Time: 10:40 It was a long walk to the departure and boarding hasn’t commenced. At 8:15 an announcement was made that the aircraft had a technical issue and more updates would be given at 8:30. I approached the desk and asked if it was a long delay and if I should head to the lounge or just hang around the gate. The agents told me that they cannot provide a boarding time, but they said it would be a good idea to head to the Bridge lounge which was close by. I had heard about the Coffee Loft in the Bridge and went there for a quick coffee. After I was done an announcement was made that the flight was delayed till 10:20am. I decided I would head to the Pier and have a look at the new F lounge there. Last time I was at the Pier was in the J lounge in 2013. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/746/2...a41c03a2_c.jpg Escalators down to the lounge. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/738/2...10aa779b_c.jpg Main hall, I really liked the design and layout of the lounge. I headed to the spa to book a massage and was given an appointment 20minutes from now. I was given a “pager” and told to approach the spa receptionist when it starts buzzing. Thinking about what to do for 20minutes I went to have a little lie down in a day suite till I was paged. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5677/...6ba4ebd5_c.jpg Day suites hall way. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/702/2...6c8847a3_c.jpg Day Suite https://farm1.staticflickr.com/754/2...84dc5e06_c.jpg Great view for an AVGeek! Within 20 minutes I was paged and had a great shoulder and foot massage. I think what made it more enjoyable was that I was the only person there at the allotted time. When I passed by a few days later, I heard the receptionists quote at minimum one hour waiting time and that they were not taking anymore reservations. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/592/2...2ba0c5be_c.jpg Spa I still had some time to kill so I had a look at the other areas of the lounge. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/753/2...4e82af4a_c.jpg Main seating area, again this area became quite busy on my next visit. This area also opens up to the bar. Which serves better coffee than at the Coffee loft btw. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5832/...48b4e890_c.jpg The pantry Boarding was called soon after and I made my way to the gate. The flight was full in all classes and again CX service by the crew was great. This aircraft was configured with Regional J, which by the flight sector time was quite fine. Breakfast was served but I declined to have anything since I was full from the previous flight. On this sector I just had water. And again apologies for the lack of pics since this was a full flight and I was hesitant to take a lot of pics. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/777/2...1e4e7691_c.jpg The empty seat next to me before it was taken by an off duty CX captain. Quite a nice guy and he gave me some tips on what to do and where to eat as it was my first time in Bangkok. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5821/...8c61e21d_c.jpg Another view of the seat. A quick flight and we were at the gate quickly, immigration was quick as the Premium Lane was empty. Again my bags were first out and I headed to the St. Regis Bangkok where I would be staying for 3 nights. The drive there took exactly 2 hours due to traffic! https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5660/...2520e87d_c.jpg Grand Deluxe room https://farm1.staticflickr.com/649/2...c8fa1561_c.jpg St. Regis pool. |
Bangkok
The day I arrived it was pouring down rain. I rested in the hotel until the rain stopped then took a walk around the area. The hotel had a central location and the Central World mall was a short walk away and it was a good place to waste some time. I had dinner at a place recommended by the hotel called Lady Brett. It’s a nice little place with a great atmosphere. Some pictures from Bangkok and my visit to Wat Arun temple https://farm1.staticflickr.com/631/2...e67fff9d_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5684/...01656ca9_c.jpg Some construction was taking place around the temple https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5719/...9074afc3_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/719/2...4c092403_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5765/...c1ba8d2e_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5641/...48a8d570_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5818/...a198a4d5_c.jpg If anyone knows what this is supposed to mean, please enlighten me :rolleyes: |
Nice report, thanks!! ^
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Awesome report! :D^
Interesting that the BMI A321 has flat beds though -- I'm a sucker for flat beds on narrowbodies. Thanks again, -LPDAL |
Flight 6: TG628 BKK - HKG A/C: A333 Sched Dep Time: 10:45 Sched Arr Time: 14:30 I woke up early on the day of my departure to an email from CX saying that my flight would be late by 2 hours. This meant that I would miss my connecting flight to ICN. I quickly gathered my things and left the hotel to the airport to see if I can get on the earlier flight which was also delayed by 2 hours. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/663/2...ffa7373b_c.jpg It seems like all the CX flights today are delayed because of the typhoon that passed through HKG the day before. The check in agent said that the earlier flight is already fully booked and there is no chance of getting me onto it. That meant that I would miss the last flight to ICN that day from HKG as well. I really didn’t fancy spending 4 hours in BKK followed by 23 Hours in HKG airport. Especially since I only had 3 nights and 2 days in Seoul, and I didn’t want to cut it down to 1 day only. After a little bit of arm waving, the agent told me to wait to see what she can do. I was left to wait at the check in counter for 30mins. The agent came back with a lot of coupons in her hand and told me that she got me on the TG flight to HKG which will board in 45mins. She told me to grab my bags and follow her as she dashed through the sea of people to the TG counters. My bags were tagged and taken, I was handed a boarding pass in to HKG on TG and another boarding pass for CX from HKG to ICN. Perfect! I double-checked that the agent would make sure that my other sectors were not voided as I am missing a segment on my RTW ticket. She said she will keep a note on the system for me and that all will be fine. Immigration was a breeze through the premium lanes, and I had 10mins to spare in the lounge to make a quick call. Boarding was on time and looking at the departure screen at the gate I found out that after a short-stop in HKG this flight would continue on to ICN. Should have asked to be checked in all the way through in hindsight. You will find out why later on. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/663/2...350118e3_c.jpg Seats on TG business https://farm1.staticflickr.com/708/2...434ee04c_c.jpg Looking forward https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5686/...31645996_c.jpg Menu on this sector, and the next I decided against eating anything since the plan was to eat at the Pier’s dining room. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5768/...51bbf4f1_z.jpg Leaving BKK It was a smooth flight till we began descending into an overcast HKG. Visibility was terrible and it was clear that we were dodging thunderstorms. A few cracks of lightning lit up the dark cabin from time to time, as we shook and jolted all the way down to terra firma. We had an on time arrival and I made my way through transfer security and headed to the lounge for lunch. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/734/2...aff6c6e3_c.jpg Lounge menu I ordered and asked if they could serve me quickly since I only had an hour left till departure. The staff said it would be no problem and the food was being served 5 minutes later. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5820/...80617e21_c.jpg Prawn Salad appetizer. Wonderful! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/641/2...0f02acd4_c.jpg Wok fried Beef tenderloin, I ordered it with a side of steamed rice. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5631/...a650e95a_c.jpg Vanilla Panna Cotta to finish. It was just ok. Flight 7: CX416 HKG - ICN A/C: A333 Sched Dep Time: 16:30 Sched Arr Time: 21:10 As soon as I was done with lunch and began walking towards the lounge exit, an announcement was made that the flight is delayed till 17:10. Great, here I was scoffing down my food like there was no tomorrow just to make my connection and now a delay that could have made me eat at a more “leisurely” pace. I decided to go into the day suite again and relax a little bit. Once the curtain was closed a guy on his cell phone in the adjacent suite decided to yap at the most high pitched and annoying tone to his friends about his “fantastic” meetings. Do people not get that this is supposed to be a quiet area? I couldn’t put up with it for more than five minutes and decided to have a coffee and sit in the main area. The place was crowded and people were complaining about delayed flights and missed connections. A couple struck a conversation with me about how they have been delayed to 19:30 for their HND flight. By the next five minutes, their flight was rescheduled to the next morning. Ouch. At 16:30 an announcement was made that my flight would be further delayed to 17:30. I began worrying a little and decided to down my sorrows with espresso and cake. By 16:50 I made my way to the gate. Boarding was already under way, and after checking with the gate agents the status of my luggage, and if they were loaded onto the flight I made my way down the jetway. By 17:20 doors were closed, perfect, but the captain made an announcement that due to congestion we would be on stand and ready but will not push back till traffic control cleared us, this process would take 2 hours! Time to start a movie and a drinks service was also performed by the crew. About an hour later we started pushing back thankfully and made our way to the runway, a short hold in the queue and off we went finally, we were airborne 2 hours and 15 minutes behind schedule. Arrival time was 23:30! https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5652/...bd8c2a45_c.jpg Doors closed and just hanging out at the gate! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/655/2...d990dd3f_c.jpg Finally on our way. Load on this flight was quite full with only 2 empty seats in the cabin, I was lucky to have one of them next to me. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/782/2...7e878673_c.jpg Menu https://farm1.staticflickr.com/689/2...ab27e189_c.jpg Tuna starter, and the salad can be seen in the corner. Starters were all served on one tray, and then the plates are switched to serve the main. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/776/2...f0df31ea_c.jpg I went with the prawn main. I didn’t want my first Bibimbap to be an airline one. This dish was really disappointing so I just had the rice and left it untouched. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5742/...f7488711_c.jpg Dessert We landed as mentioned above about 2 hours behind schedule. Looking out the window as we were taxiing in I could see a CX 747 which landed after us. By the time I was in baggage claim, it turned out that this was the morning HKG to ICN flight! I took a taxi to the hotel and it was a quick 45mins drive on empty roads. I was in the room at the Conrad Seoul around 1am. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5789/...afca8d1b_c.jpg Deluxe room at Conrad Seoul https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5823/...a64bd8a2_c.jpg Another view of the room. |
Originally Posted by djjaguar64
(Post 25575694)
Nice report, thanks!! ^
Originally Posted by LPDAL
(Post 25576550)
Awesome report! :D^
Interesting that the BMI A321 has flat beds though -- I'm a sucker for flat beds on narrowbodies. Thanks again, -LPDAL |
Great TR!
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Great so far! How did you take - https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5775/...413a439b_c.jpg was it with a fisheye lens?
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Originally Posted by stevie
(Post 25577421)
Great TR!
Originally Posted by jubbing
(Post 25578132)
Great so far! How did you take - https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5775/...413a439b_c.jpg was it with a fisheye lens?
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Seoul
I had two full days in Seoul, and to me they weren’t enough. This city was great, and I think for me, I needed another two days to fully go through all the things I wanted to do there. First day I was planning on spending it at the DMZ zone between North and South Korea. After some research I found USO Koridoor, which is a company that will take you into the JSA, I would later find out that not all tour companies are allowed to take you there. They work with the USO office in Seoul and organize all the tours with them. I called them the day I booked my flights and got the last seat for the day I was in Seoul. I needed to go on this day as it was a Tuesday and the Gyeongbokgung Palace is closed on that day which is another site I wanted to visit. My tour starts at 11:30 and we would be back by 19:00. After sending in my passport copy and making a payment with a CC over the phone, I was sent an email confirmation on the day of my departure from Kuwait. First stop on the tour was the 3rd tunnel, which was a tunnel discovered by South Korea that the North Koreans dug underneath the border to be able to sneak into South Korea. Pictures are not allowed in the tunnel, but below is a diagram of the tunnel. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/570/2...4f4555de_c.jpg It’s a 450 meter walk down an incline and back up, and you need to be hunched down while you are in there. In the end there is a blast wall with a window which lets you look through into the North Korean side that is 150 meters away. For me it wasn’t really worth the effort of walking up and back down other than burning off all that airline food I had! Next up was heading to the observatory, which has views over North and South Korea. There is a village in North Korea that you can see which is called Kijong-dong or propaganda village. It was built as a “paradise” to lure defectors from South Korea, but it was never inhabited. Its also the village where North Korea placed a large flag and kept placing it on a bigger flag pole in order for it to be higher than the flag that South Korea has across the border. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/633/2...98453556_b.jpg Panoramic view from the observatory. After some lunch we headed to the Dorasan train station. This would be the station which would take you from South to North Korea, and onwards on the proposed Trans-Siberian Railway all the way to Europe. Those plans never came to realization and the only route was to Pyeongyang. In 2008, if I remember correctly, this train line was closed and the station now just serves as a tourist attraction. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5738/...b39a0eec_c.jpg Last sector of the tour is the JSA, this to me was the most exciting, and intense part. After checking in with the US serviceman and a quick presentation on the JSA, we were taken to the border crossing between North and South Korea. Pictures were not allowed in all areas and they were very strict on what and when to photograph. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5776/...17430959_c.jpg Hello North Korea! https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5648/...b4434454_c.jpg Standing guard https://farm1.staticflickr.com/695/2...981c019f_c.jpg Standing guard in the negotiations room. This room’s microphones are on and monitored 24/7 by both sides. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/657/2...32f82449_c.jpg This cement block divides the North and South. Once we were done we moved on to other parts of the JSA including the site of the Axe murder incident, and the so-called “bridge of no return”, where prisoners are exchanged. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/732/2...32e8bb33_c.jpg The bridge. We were not allowed to leave the bus at this point, only to take pictures from behind the tinted glass. Once done, we met up with our tour guide again and said good bye to our Army guides. We drove back to Seoul and made it to the tour office by 19:00 and everyone made their own way home. My last day in Seoul I was interested in seeing the Gyeongbokgung Palace. This palace served as the main royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty. Having been destroyed by fire and abandoned, the palace was completely restored and is still being restored in some parts. The grounds are beautiful and well worth the cheap entry fee just to walk around the gardens. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5631/...374c74da_c.jpg Palace entry https://farm1.staticflickr.com/563/2...6ee63eb3_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/634/2...e5cea4de_c.jpg Palace guards https://farm1.staticflickr.com/685/2...c13cf351_c.jpg Main hall https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5734/...129498ee_c.jpg Throne https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5684/...8790d87e_c.jpg Detail https://farm1.staticflickr.com/768/2...63f24dd8_c.jpg Banquet hall The palace is close to the Hanok area. It’s a residential area that has been restored, or homes have been built to resemble historical ones. It’s a great place to walk and catch some nice views of Seoul. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5692/...419d5bfa_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/637/2...42a94fda_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/652/2...035e103f_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5672/...b0eb29ba_c.jpg Yes we are! ;) |
Great report so far! We loved our time in Seoul and want to go back! I'd be interested to hear more about the Conrad. We stayed in the PH and absolutely loved it, but curious to see what else is out there for the next trip!
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Originally Posted by MarylandFlyer244
(Post 25579033)
Great report so far! We loved our time in Seoul and want to go back! I'd be interested to hear more about the Conrad. We stayed in the PH and absolutely loved it, but curious to see what else is out there for the next trip!
The Conrad was good, I was aiming at the PH but Conrad had a good prepay rate with breakfast, that was half of what PH were asking so it was a no brainer for me. Location wise it was a business area but the rooms had a nice view of the river and "old Seoul". The breakfast spread was really good as well, and this is coming from someone who never has/doesn't like hotel breakfasts. The hotel is connected to the IFC mall and the underground walkways to the subway. The staff service was really good as well and the concierge was very helpful in terms of what I was looking for. I agree, Seoul was awesome and I am trying to work it into my next travel plans to Asia. |
This looks great! Cannot wait for the rest.
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Flight 8: JL954 ICN – NRT
A/C B763 Sched Dep Time: 14:00 Sched Arr Time: 16:25 After 3 nights and 2 great days in Seoul it was time to go. I was out of the hotel by 10:30am and headed to ICN airport. It was a 45minute drive to get there and I was checking in 2 minutes after arriving as the desks were empty. Now the reason I went early is I couldn’t get a window seat for my next flight from NRT to LAX. I was advised by JAL’s call center to head to the airport early and grab the last one since it was blocked for some reason, and the agents on the phone couldn’t release it. Suffice to say I was happy to know that 2K was still available for the longer leg and I got the boarding pass issued for it in ICN. Just as I was about to leave the check in counter the agent advised me to stand aside for 5 minutes before going through security. It turns out that you can only leave the desk after checked baggage has been screened. If something was wrong and they are not able to get hold of you then your baggage would not be loaded onto the flight. 5 minutes later and no call for my name I headed to security. Now I have read before that there are no premium lanes at ICN for departures, and to expect long lines. Well, the reports were true, I was in the line for about 40 minutes and a 10 minute wait to clear passport control. A short train ride later to the satellite gates and I was in the KAL lounge. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5820/...604060c0_c.jpg Underwhelming lounge https://farm1.staticflickr.com/664/2...ddbc6721_c.jpg Another view Not much going on in terms of food or beverages so I just had water and waited till I board. I was feeling a bit hungry though since I skipped breakfast! The screens showed it was time to board and I made my way to the gate. The flight was full except for two free seats up front. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/593/2...9eed56c2_c.jpg J seats on this flights. One of many different types the JAL offers! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/600/2...e5f77a61_c.jpg Menu for the 2 hour flight https://farm1.staticflickr.com/646/2...4bbddd9b_c.jpg Meal tray, unappetizing looking chicken. Now I don’t eat pork or consume any alcohol so this meal didn’t quite fulfill my need for some nourishment. I just had the bread roll and fruits. English isn’t really a strong point for JAL as I noticed on a previous flight I took, this one, and the next one I will be taking. Having told the FA that I wanted black tea and she confirmed it twice back to me, I was served a green one. It was fixed immediately. I asked for some water later on, got a nod and I received nuts (Dried Natto). Minor inconveniences like that continued through out the flight so I just gave up. We arrived ahead of schedule but again a flight was occupying our gate and we waited for about 15 minutes. Doors were opened right on schedule. Flight 9: JL62 NRT - LAX A/C B77W Sched Dep Time: 17:25 Sched Arr Time: 11:20 The transfer through NRT was painless, but security lines were long and emptying out pockets and removing belts, watches, etc seemed a challenging endeavor for most today. We were boarding from gate 62 which is right next to the lounge so I made my way there since departure screens were not showing that the flight was boarding. I had a quick coffee and a bite to eat.10 minutes after my arrival in the lounge the flight was called. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5769/...712d8856_c.jpg Sakura lounge, a fresh sushi station is there (blocked by the lamps), which was entertaining to watch as the chef’s rolled and served the sushi. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5676/...8c890e18_c.jpg Tarmac view from the lounge, my aircraft is right behind the B767. Below are some pictures of the JAL seat right after boarding. Todays load was just 5 passengers, with the middle seats in row 2 remaining empty. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/691/2...c47aa4fe_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5801/...ebd354df_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5627/...e1ee050b_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5722/...47da117e_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5766/...b2a87f4c_c.jpg Today’s route. This is my first Pacific crossing, and it was pretty novel for me. Waking up in Seoul and watching the sun rise, and then watching the sunset right before we departed from NRT. Later, after sleeping on the airplane, and waking up as the sun was rising AGAIN on the SAME DATE, was fascinating for me. It’s the first time I experienced two sunrises and two sunsets on the same date. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/587/2...62e76317_c.jpg Today’s menu. No breakfast?! https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5629/...85f20622_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5625/...846b0dda_c.jpg Amuse Bouche of Duck breast, marinated prawns, and salami. I didn’t eat the salami :D I ordered the eggplant for starters, but was told that only one was loaded and another passenger had asked for it. Strange. I’m not big on seafood, and that was in the salad, so I asked for some steamed rice for starts with soy sauce instead. The FA said that she can serve me the salad without the fish, and she suggested adding a poached egg to it. OK, why not! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/655/2...b6b78e51_c.jpg Salad, it was really delicious. I ordered the Wagyu Steak from the western menu and again, due to the language barrier, I was served the Japanese steak instead. I notified the FA and she said that she will have the steak served to me but it will take 20 minutes. I was really hungry at that point having not eaten anything substantial all day, I said it was fine I will just have the Japanese meal. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium as I ordered. Very reddish/pink center and cooked well around the edges. It was really good as well. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5763/...3a514697_c.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/567/2...d2947253_c.jpg To finish off I had some Royal Blue tea. I read a lot about it on other reports here, and I was looking forward to try it. Lets just say I went through two bottles on this flight, and if it was a bit longer I would have finished off some more. The FA suggested the chestnut cake, and she served it with some Pear sorbet and Caramel ice cream. It wasn’t the best of desserts. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5774/...04e7f8f2_c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5765/...9a55cef7_c.jpg After the meal service I changed into the sleep suit provided and crashed for about 4 uncomfortable hours. Cabin lights weren’t dimmed/switched off till an hour or more into my sleep, and the cabin temperature was really hot through out the flight, I can put up with heat but this was really excessive! https://farm1.staticflickr.com/663/2...2185aa01_c.jpg I woke up about 2 hours out of LA, and had a coffee. Since there was no breakfast option, I ordered the fruit plate. The reason why I am particular about my meals on flights is that it helps me become more oriented to the destination. Since we are arrive late morning in LA, I needed to let my body know that its morning. Also, I tend to adjust my sleep pattern and sleep hours so I get as much or as little sleep on the flight as required depending on arrival time. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5654/...5412ae5a_c.jpg Yes that glass in the corner is another Royal Blue :D https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5761/...b698de07_c.jpg Descending over the California Coast, Camarillo is just out of the picture to the left. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5720/...a36cc2d7_c.jpg Last glass of the tea before landing https://farm1.staticflickr.com/627/2...75ee19b2_c.jpg LAX https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5665/...3d4475d1_c.jpg Downtown LA in the distance before we touch down. A long taxi to the gate after landing and we parked at the end of the Int’l terminal. I walked quickly to immigration and the lines were long. Picked up my bags and queued for another long time at customs. The line was so long it spilled into the baggage reclaim hall which caused a lot of problems for people trying to get through. Maybe it might be a good idea to open up all the customs counters at rush hour instead of have CBP officers hang around and chat as they watch the line get longer. Flight 10: AA170 LAX - LAS A/C B738 Sched Dep Time: 14:20 Sched Arr Time: 15:45 After customs I dropped my bags off again to AA, and walked over to terminal 4. I printed my boarding pass for the flight since the agent at ICN couldn’t provide it to me, and went through TSA. The LAX TSA agents were very friendly and helpful, much better than their counterparts at AA’s terminal at JFK. A quick security scan and I was through to the Admirals club First class lounge. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5752/...403832e7_c.jpg Lounge Food was sparse but there were a lot of drinks options from the fridge. I grabbed a water and made some phone calls which were pending. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5740/...ced3505d_c.jpg The aircraft that would take me to LAS waiting at the gate as seen from the lounge. Boarding began on time and I made my way down to the gate. I was the last passenger onboard in F. This is a concept that I never got on US based airlines. Why is first, first to board? Shouldn’t they go last as to not wait and have everyone bump into them as they make their way to their seats. And what is with buying boarding groups to get on first, and wait! Anyways, I didn’t take any pictures of the seats as the cabin was full and I was getting weird looks from my seat mate. My original seat was on the other side of the cabin but a passenger who took my seat was already digging into some oddly colored meat bagel, so I decided to take his seat, and save him the hassle of repacking his lunch into the already ripped open paper bag that was now serving as his table linen. Almost forgot, what is also the obsession with announcing which base the crew is from? Does the service differ, and if so, shouldn’t the airline amend that as it is a form of service failure. Anyways it was a quick 50 minute hop, only beverages were served and a snack basket was passed around the cabin. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5685/...a6f52c73_c.jpg Lining up https://farm1.staticflickr.com/617/2...1869d909_c.jpg Leaving LAX Nothing but desert could be seen all the flight, but I took amusement in the loud conversation taking place behind me of the “bachelor party” dude, hitting on the Japanese tourist seated next to him. Think Super Bad’s Mclovin only stockier trying to be a “playaaaaaaa” (his words, not mine). Sadly, the tourist shut him down before landing as he began to get quite sleazy. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5712/...0317b0ed_c.jpg Arrived. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5634/...7922fc91_z.jpg The fire damaged BA aircraft at LAS It took a long time for the bags to make it out, but when they did I took a taxi to the Mandarin Oriental where I was staying for 3 nights. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/658/2...7ab2f837_c.jpg Strip view at night from the MO lobby on the 23rd floor. |
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