brg

Almost reads like an eightblack report, but a bit sedate, or rather courtly.
A great read as always.
I have had the fortune to go back and read several of your reports including train and ferry reports; even without photos, they do justice

NoY

What a beautifully written report. A heck of an achievement too but please do keep them coming ^ Bravo.

Chalkie

Thanks Seat 2A. I love your TRs and agree with everything you say about aeroplane travel! I just wish I had the time to write more TRs myself. I've just finished a QF/AA/BA RTW in F and it would be fun to write it up, but alas, I have many, many demands on my time.

I think it is a close call for the most comfortable F seat between CX and QF. QF puts a lambswool covered mattress down for its sleeper service, and it is truly comfortable. I also love the space, airiness and quiet of the A380 cabin (which CX unfortunately doesn't offer). But the CX cabin is much smarter in styling and design than the QF F cabin, so points there.

I had a terrific BA transatlantic flight in F with good food and a wonderful crew. It was a daytime flight and like you I struggle nowadays even with champers too early on. So I had <gasp> a completely dry flight in F with BA. I made up for it by having about 5 pots of properly brewed, wonderful English tea with shortbreads though...

My AA "F" flights were OK, I guess. The days of a decent service in American skies are certainly well behind us now. Sigh. What kills me is that QF can and does serve a proper meal on a one hour flight from Sydney to Melbourne (and BA can do it between London and Glasgow!) with a smile and proper service and yet the richest and most powerful country in the world can't manage it on its eponymous carrier? That surely is a puzzlement.

michaelmk

Amazing! A fantastic read accompanied by great photographs that add to, but not take away from the writing. Also, truly an exemplary demonstration of Robert Stevenson's way of travel (life?) - "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake." Except rather than traveling with a donkey in the Cévennes, we are now miles above ground and accompanied by our smart phones, rollers, and status cards.

Congratulations on achieving your 5 million miles of flying! And wishing you many more to come.

Michael

Kiwi Flyer

Yah, another great Seat 2A trip report ^

Congrats on 5 million flown miles.

ironmanjt

Wait - Cathay doesn't preclear US flights in Canada? I thought all flights from YVR to the US precleared?

roadwarriorafrica

What an incredible report. I love your writing style - full of passion. Keep on writing, as your words create an escape. Thank you from Kenya.

Kiwi Flyer

No because it would require a long transit to process everyone through US immigration. The through passengers don't even clear security at YVR but instead are held in the gate with no access to the rest of the terminal.

Seat 2A

Thank you, deovrat! Some day I really ought to audit the amount of time that goes into writing, reviewing, rewriting, transcribing menus and wine lists, installing vB code, reviewing, rewriting and installing pictures. The reviewing and rewriting process is ongoing throughout the writing of the report and sometimes it's slow going. I've had afternoons where a couple of paragraphs can take me an hour or two to get right. In all, I would guess close to one hundred hours were invested in this report.

I'm honored that so many of you have taken the time to read this lengthy report. That you would see fit to comment positively afterwards is all the more appreciated. Thanks, gang!

Thanks, L. With our shared love of inflight dining, it's not uncommon that you come to mind when I install these photos. Here's hoping we'll once again cross paths over lunch in the forward cabin of an Alaska 737 someday.

Why thank you, brg! To be mentioned in the same paragraph with the great eightblack is a real honor - even if I do feel a tad undeserving. But thank you. And as for trip reports, this is my 73rd, totaling over 1.17 million words. That's a lot of reading!

Thank you! I wish I could say I have a string of upcoming trips worthy of a report but alas... there's really nothing at present. Next week I head out on a mileage run/6500 mile train ride/trip to Mexico to fly the Sukhoi Superjet 100/road trip from Arizona to Colorado that'll take three weeks. Nothing really that I haven't reported on before. After that there's nothing but the usual business/leisure jaunts to Colorado or the Desert Southwest. It looks like you'll have to remember me by this one for awhile.

And with that, I must take leave to head into town. It's a snowy day here in Alaska's Interior. Two days ago it wasn't snow but ash from Pavlof Volcano that shut down our airport. What'll it be tomorrow?

Cheers, gang! I'll be back to address more comments later today.

Gripevo

As always, a fantastic read! Thank you and congratulations on 5 million miles!

Duke777

Great trip report and congratulations on surpassing 5 million miles! Quite the accomplishment (and a nice way to complete the achievement).

injian

wonderful TR as always! i must say that your home is VERY cozy.

Seat 2A

This is our loss as you're a fine writer, Chalkie. Case in point would be your well crafted dissertation on how to make a proper Gin & Tonic - presented in just three or four paragraphs as part of a response to a trip report I'd published here three or four years ago. I printed it out and passed it along with the result being that more than a few friends (except one who still insists on diet tonic ) now mix and drink superior G&Ts.

That said, if and when you should someday find the time to grace these pages with a trip report of any length, I shall be sure to accompany it with a proper Gin & Tonic, made with regular Tanqueray and Q Tonic with just a light squeeze of fresh lime. ^

Re. your comments on the First Class cabins of Cathay versus Qantas - I actually find both to be rather bland. Qantas recently introduced new Business Class seating aboard its A330s. Designed by Marc Newson, they blend wood paneled side walls and black leather or fabric upholstered seats into a most attractive suite. I'd love to see a similar approach to Qantas' A380 First Class suites.

Thank you, Michael! A perusal of some of my other trip reports will reveal additional modes of transport ranging from hitchhiking to Greyhound busses to narrow gauge trains. I'd like to think Stevenson and I would have made good travel companions in this modern world.

Mine wasn't. Upon arrival in Vancouver, I proceeded straight through Canadian Customs, then upstairs to check-in for my flight to New York. Despite boarding passes having been issued all the way to Singapore, I was unable to merely transit New York. I had to go through U.S. Customs and then pass through security once again.

Thanks, rwa! I really appreciate your comment that my passion comes through. I've never found a way to replicate it photographically and for me at least, that passion is what makes a memorable trip report in my eyes. I've yet to find it in sufficient quantities to make photo reports similarly memorable.


More to come but company has arrived and it's time for dinner. Good night, now, and thanks again for your readership. ^^

DanielW

Congratulations on the 5 million milestone, Seat 2A, and a great way to do it in style too.

Thank you also for the very interesting and entertaining report on your very luxurious travels.

Loose Cannon

Thanks for posting this Trip Report