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RTW in only 737 NG aircraft

RTW in only 737 NG aircraft

Old Dec 6, 2017, 4:02 pm
  #16  
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Germany
Programs: Miles & More, Miles&Smiles, Hilton Honors
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October 14, 2017

After breakfast, I started my long journey towards my destination to the west of the airport. When I left the hotel, a line 20 bus immediately approached the station. This would take me directly to my destination. Starting October, TheBus offers a day trip ticket at $5 and no more transfers. With more than two trips you save money. During the ride, which lasted over an hour, many more passengers boarded, all having the same destination: Pearl Harbor.

When I arrived there, I left my backpack at the baggage room and tried to get a ticket for the USS Arizona. After two previous visits at Pearl Harbor without visiting the USS Arizona Memorial, I finally got a ticket for that one. The timed ticket was for 9:45 am after I arrived at Pearl Harbor at 9:20 am.

I started with a film describing the backgrounds. I guess, most of you are aware of those. Usually, history classes in Germany do not really cover the Pacific when talking about WWII. After the film it was only a short boat ride to the actual memorial.



The wall in the hall lists all the names of the victims from the attack.


Even after 70 years after the sinking of USS Arizona, oil is leaking from the shipwreck. It is supposed to last at least another 55 years...


A final picture on departure.


To me it seemed that something was changed over the last years. With my previous two visits there, I was never able to get a ticket for the Memorial. I believe they decided to increase the number of tours. The boats now run on a 15 minute schedule, so it also tends to degrade to just another tourist attraction.

After visiting the memorial, I bought a ticket for the USS Missouri. From there you have a good view into the port of Pearl Harbor.

My first sighting was the SBX, a sea-based X-band radar.


From the Mighty Mo I had a first row seat to watch the incoming USS Chung-Hoon, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer. It actual is an Oscar Austin class destroyer. The main difference between those two are the hangars for the Oscar Austin and newer ships.




There were also some submarines in port. The front one is one of the Virginia class, the rear one is the USS Charlotte, one of the older Los Angeles class submarines.


At around noon, I left Pearl Harbor and did another bus ride back to Waikiki. The ride again was one hour and I alighted in front of the hotel. In the ABC store at the corner, I bought a pair of flip-flops. My previous ones died after 7 years a few days before when I was walking in at beach of the Pacific in San Diego. To be honest, it was just a matter of time until that would have happened anyways. And having them last for 7 years while I only spend $10, it was a good deal.

After putting my stuff in the hotel room, I went to the beach. At Saturday afternoon, many people had the same idea. I didn't last for too long in the sun, so I went back to the hotel for the Happy Hour. I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I ate at the lounge. I had so much that I didn't really need much else for dinner.

When I returned to my room and watched outside the window, I noticed that it wouldn't be too long until the sun would set. I googled the sunset time and realized it would just be 15 more minutes. It was enough time for me to go back to the beach and watch the somewhat unspectacular sunset at Duke Kahanamoku.


Back in the hotel, I enjoyed the nightly view from my balcony.


With that I had a snack.


I also had bought a salad from one of the ABC stores.

For the night I left open the balcony door to sleep with the sound of the ocean.
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Old Dec 6, 2017, 4:03 pm
  #17  
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October 15, 2017

That Sunday started with breakfast on time at 7 am. I then spent time in my room to pack all my belongings. After checking out, I walked three blocks to pick up my rental car from Alamo. It was a greenish yellow Honda fit---nothing I would buy, but for one day it was okay.

My plan for the day was to drive around the island and enjoy some of the scenic points. Weather forecast had predicted some wind gusts for the next days. That would mean waves and waves can be fun if they are pushed through small holes. So my first destination was set: Halona Blowhole. My estimation was right, it was windy and there were some decent waves. So the blowhole lived up to its name.


Not to much further along the road, there is the view of Kaupō Cove, the so named beach park, and Rabbit Island.


After some more driving, I arrived at Chinaman's Hat.


While I was parking there, my car was watched by a red-crested cardinal.


I then followed the Kamehameha Highway along the coast line. My next stop was at Waiale'e Beach Park ein. At the beach a Hawaiian monk seal was sunbathing.


My next planned stop was at the beautiful Sunset Beach.


Unfortunately, there were no big waves at the north shore, so also no surfers to watch surfing. So I drove to the west coast of the island. No waves there either, only the sun hitting at up to 92F. This is why I didn't spend too much time there and drove back towards Honolulu. I made one stop to check for Navy ships at Powder Point and there I found the USNS Matthew Perry, a dry cargo/ammunition ship.


At the next photo op I wasn't lucky, so I continued on towards Honolulu. On the way I stopped to refill the tank and at a supermarket to get some dinner for me. After that I returned the rental and walked one block to my hotel. For the last night, I had booked the Best Western The Plaza Hotel at the airport.

I put my stuff in my room and walked over to the airport terminal. There I found a promising display.


For dinner I had a salad and a local beer. Besides the Longboard there are other types of beer by the Kona Brewing Company.


After dinner I packed my stuff and went to bed early. One of the most important flights of my trip would depart early in the morning...
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Old Dec 6, 2017, 4:03 pm
  #18  
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October 16 & 17, 2017

Before going to bed, I set the alarm for 4:45 am. The Nimitz Highway directly in front of my window didn't bother me, I slept very well. After getting up, I showered, packed als my remaining belongings and walked over to the terminal. Temperatures were low enough to not arrive completely covered in sweat. 11 minutes after leaving the hotel, I was at the United check-in counter. The screen required a supervisor, who needed to check my passport and visa information. With Guam being my destination, ESTA is sufficient. A printout of it helped to expedite the process, but printing six boarding passes took some time.

Long lines at security, even at the TSApre line. I checked the time to see how long it would take me to get screened. Something in my bag could the X-ray machines or its operators attention, which is why it was selected for a detailed check. The wipe test did find something suspicious at my detergent. I used one of the plastic boxes you can buy teeth cleaning chewing gums in because the close tightly. Well, it resulted in a pad down for me, but everything was negative. After half an hour (total time since arrival), I was allowed to leave, without the detergent, which I fortunately wouldn't need any more. I was happy to had planned with sufficient buffer

I then walked over to gate 9 for a quick breakfast in the United Club. With boarding already going on for the 777 San Francisco flight, the lounge was empty. 10 minutes before boarding, I walked over to gate 13, where my aircraft was already waiting. It was N77295, a Boeing 737-800, which would fly the Island Hopper that day.


I had purchased a Economy Plus seat at over $100 for this flight. So I could enjoy some more legroom and views without engine exhausts.


Push back was right on time. Since our departure would be to the east, we first taxied to the west. After takeoff, I got a last glimpse of Honolulu illuminated by a rising sun.


A light Breakfast was served on the first segment. It consisted of a croissant with ham and cheese, a yogurt, another lite bites snack and a drink. This would be the last meal for quite some time.


Not much happened during the first segment. As we were approaching Majuro, cloud density was increasing. This ended in me not seeing much on approach and even the lighting was appropriate for what I could see.


I would have been able to get off, if I would take all my belongings with me. Since it was rainy, I decided to stay on board and stretch my legs aboard.




The next flight was to Kwajalein, a US Army base in the middle of the Pacific. We were instructed not to take any pictures and only those whose destination was Kwajalein were allowed to deplane. Many people were deplaning. Too bad, I really had enjoyed taking pictures there, nut just because of the improving weather. So I had to limit myself to take pictures of a tiny island after takeoff.


On this segment, which was just over an hour long, a light snack was served. Beverages were served on every segment, but sometimes it was just water.


The next stop was Kosrae. This stop is not part of every Island Hopper, it is only served twice or three times a week. For me, only the complete 5 stopp Island Hopper was an option.
Kosrae was beautifully colorful.


We landed on RWY 23 and hat to make a U-turn at the end---or at the beginning of RWY 05.


I deplaned in Kosrae to stretch out, walk a few steps, and get some fresh air. It was very pleasant, with approximately 86F. There was a small selection of snacks available in the waiting hall (or room). Since I had so much food the previous days, I passed on that option.

Departure was in the opposite direction on RWY 05 and followed by a left turn. So I was able to capture the airport from above.


There was the same view outside of the window.


There would have been a seat back monitor with IFE. Available was a very limited selection of movies. I had my screen always show the flight map.

Next stop was Pohnpei.


Departure was to the north east and again followed by a left turn. I was able to capture another airport.


Again nice views outside the window. I immediately noticed the different tone of blue and the surface was very smooth. I even noticed the clouds' reflections on the water. I cannot remember having seen this before.


A wonderful approach at Chuuk.


I again deplaned. Sitting for a long time took a toll on me.


Weather forecast for the last segment wasn't too good and also had rain showers for Guam. Hence I used the last chance on departure to capture another airport-from-above-picture.


There was a real snack on the last segment: sandwich, almonds, and a fig bar.


On arrival at Guam, immigration was a breeze, thanks to Global Entry. Picking up the rental also was easy, so I could drive to the hotel in the dusk. Fortunately, rain had stopped for a bit when I arrived there, so I didn't have to navigate around dark, wet, an unknown streets. I also noticed that roads were a bit narrower than in the mainland US.

My hotel for the night was the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. I did a receive an upgrade to a room with bay view and exec lounge access. Breakfast would be served in the lounge. The typical Hilton pamphlet in the room advertised Free Wifi, when you book with Hilton. As if! Rates started at $6/2 hrs. Wifi was for free in the lobby, although slow.

With me being totally exhausted, I went to bed very soon without internet and dinner.

Some interesting observations: in Majuro, a technician boards the aircraft. He is there in case something breaks. As far as I know, they also have some spare parts on board, but not everything can be repaired with those. The flight deck crew switched after the HNL-MAJ segment. For the spare crew, first class cabin seats are reserved. There is also an Economy Plus seat reserved for the technician. The flight attendants have to work the whole flight and as fare as I could see, there weren't any breaks for them.

At every of the small airports, fire fighters were waiting at our arrival. Somewhere I read before that this is just for precaution. With being warm outside and the rather short runways, there is a high demand on the breaks. You even notice the deceleration. As you could also see on the images, most of the airports are single runway airports and the aircraft turns at the end of the runway. For Europeans this is known from London City airport, it's just a very different landscape.

In case you are interested: I booked the Island Hopper as an reward ticket with Turkish Miles & Smiles. It was a mere $15K miles and approx. €80 taxes and fees. As mentioned, the Economy Plus seat was an additional $100, but it was worth it since I took the whole hopper in one go. It would have been possible to switch seats for every segment during online check-in, but in the end, it wasn't necessary for me since all approaches were from the right direction. And a left turn after take off---suits me.
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Old Dec 6, 2017, 4:04 pm
  #19  
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October 18, 2017

When I woke up, it rained cats and dogs. I enjoyed breakfast in the Lounge, were a variety of options were available. Afterwards I did some surfing in the internet and when rain slowed down a bit, I used the chance to check out and get to my car somewhat dry. I didn't came up with much to do outside with all the rain since I also had the wrong types of shoes with me. Though I drove to the The Plaza Shopping Mall to visit the Hard Rock Cafe. I bought the Flag Logo Tee for my collection, but was a little disappointed that it only showed the US flag. Glasgow two weeks before as way more rebellious as they had the Scottish Flag and not the Union Jack.

At the ABC store, I bought a bottle of water, a bottle of milk tea and something for lunch. In the mall across the street (T Galleria), I found a United counter which offered check-in. I used the chance to get my boarding pass printed and save some time at the airport (three minutes tops). They also offer a free shuttle to the airport, but I didn't make use of that.

With Guam also having a naval base, my plan was to try to spot some ships. As the rain also slowed down, I just drove off. North of the naval base are three tiny peninsulas with roads on them. The southernmost belongs to the naval base, so no access for me. The middle one was gate locked and guarded at the end of the road as well. And the northernmost one did not offer any views, because of the larger distance and building on the base blocking the view. So no pictures for me.

I then switched to the tourist mode. On my way to the naval base I had already seen a park with a WWII memorial: The Fields at Asan Beach. Besides WWII, there were also some other noticeable events taking place there: 1892 to 1900 it was a hospital for leprosy patients, 1901 - 1903 it was a camp for Philippine Rebellion prisoners, in 1917, the American used it to keep the crew of the German Supply Cruiser Kormoran as prisoners, 1945 - 1967 it was Camp Asan, housing area for civilian staff of the US Navy, 1975 the abandoned camp was used by Vietnamese refugees and it finally was destroyed by hurricane Pamela an subsequently cleared by the US Navy in 1976.


I Mark 14 Mod 5 torpedo in remembrance of the submarine heroes for their relief of the Pacific during WWII.


Closer to the water were additional information boards. Additionally, it was possible to walk a trail through the forest, where I could reach a hill. From up there I had a nice view over the beach.


After seeing everything there that I could reach by walking without drowning my shoes, I drover further towards south. On my way, I also passed the Naval Base Guam. I closely monitored the surroundings to find a place for more detailed observation. I wasn't very successful and only spotted the super structure of a supply ship.


My plan then was to circle the southern part of the island. In the northern part is an air force base that makes completely circling impossible. My next stop was near Agat at Gaan Point. There was a Japanese emplacement.


Unfortunately, the weather remained the same, with rain even getting stronger at times. And it was very windy. This is why most of the pictures are rather dull. At Umatac Bay was an interesting bridge.


At Merizo it was possible to see Cocos Island, the southernmost island of the Mariana Islands.


The bay at Achang.


With time being far after noon and me wanting to see another attraction before I had to return to the airport, I continued my circle around the island with fewer stops. The weather was also not very inviting to do otherwise.

Close to my destination, I used the photo opp to capture one of the colorful bus stops.


Their shape is mostly the same, but they all are differently painted. School bus stops look like large mushrooms and are just as colorfol.

My destination was the Two Lovers Point. The story is like Romeo and Juliet. Two lovers from antagonized families killed themselves by jumping off the cliff. The spot also has a nice view over Tumon Bay, but access fee is $3. Since I was there I paid it and enjoyed the view.


With all the rain and wind it was pointless to clear my lens from rain drops.

The view towards the beach has some attraction to it.


The love theme is also very much commercialized at that point. You can buy the typical locks including hearts right there. Behind the LOVE sign is the aforementioned lookout. Access to the whole area was included in the access fee.


I then returned to the airport. On the way there, I refilled the tank of the car. It didn't matter which gas station I used, prices where identical all over the island. Price agreement? Regulation? I don't know.

Return at the airport was somewhat unusual. You park the car in the respective parking lot, hand the key to the agent there and walk over to the counter in the airport terminal. They are calling the agent or were already called by them to let them know about the return. I than had to sign one more form to complete the procedure.

With my boarding pass already in hand, I went directly to security. TSApra was signposted, there was no separate line. Staff at security had an eye on who was TSApre and those got a slightly different treatment. The only difference to usual pre-check was to remove the notebook computer from the bag.

After security, I went to the United Club to eat something. One plus side of the Guam United Club: alcoholic drinks are for free at the bar. So I got a G&T.

When I walked to the gate, boarding had already started and groups 1 and 2 were already boarded. So I didn't had to wait in line. My flight for that day was UA 159 to Hong Kong. It was operated by another 737-800.

Dinner was served in flight. Options were chicken with rice or noodles with pork, which I had chosen.


Arrival was at 9:43 and ahead of schedule. Another first for me on the trip: seeing Lufthansa's A350. And the Finair one as well. We had to be bused to the main terminal, where an efficient immigration took place. I then made it to the 10:30 pm Airport Express.

After I alighted at the first station, I had to solve the riddle of how to get an MRT ticket. This can only paid cash, so I had to find an ATM. When I found one, it only issued HKD 100 bills. Paying with HKD 100 bills is only possible if you want to buy tickets for HKD 80 or more. To get smaller bills, I bought a bottle of water in a nearby Minimart. I then was able to get a HKD 9 ticket. It would be nice, if there was at least some technological progress...

I alighted at Olympic Station and searched and found my way to the Hilton Garden Inn Mongkok. After typing the trip report, I went to bad. One option would have been Victoria Peak at sunrise, but my guess was that I would prefer some sleep. At least if I would sleep long enough. Since the two days ago, it were another 6 time zones.

Some remarks about Guam: I cannot remember seeing a speed limit of more that 45 mph. 25 or 35 mph were the vast majority. So driving felt like driving in slow-motion. On the other hand, road conditions were sometimes poor, so driving faster would not have been possible. And because of all the rain, there were huge puddles covering the roads.

Tourism is completely focused on the majority of tourists. So many things are marked in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, sometimes not even in English. And you see a lot of people from those countries. It is also quite a distance from the US, the direct Honolulu - Guam flight is around 7 hours. From Japan or Korea to Guam it's about 5 hours.

The island itself is green. There are hardly any natural spots where no plant is growing. The green is interrupted by colorful houses. Half of the houses are white, the other half are painted in bright colors. However, the fabric does look dated and to some degree battered. I guess this is the toll nature takes.

I had some bad luck with the weather. I have to return there when the sun is shining, but I guess it will be much more crowded then. This was one of the pluses, there were only few tourists.
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Old Dec 6, 2017, 4:04 pm
  #20  
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October 19, 2017

Traveling to the west made itself felt. I woke up too early, but I wanted to make this to my advantage. At first, breakfast at the hotel. I then grabbed my camera and was on my way to my destination. A random shot in the area around my hotel:


I walked to the Yau Ma Tei MRT station. As it was rush hour, the train was completely packed. I traveled on the Tsuen Wan Line towards Central where I alighted and followed the signs towards the Peak Tram.

I was there before 9 am and bought a ticket for the tram and the view. The agent told me that the Sky Terrace 428 would only open at 10 am, but I regardless bought the combined ticket, the Sky Pass. Tip for early birds and smart spenders: the tram ticket is sufficient.

The tram entering the station. Take notice of the nearly non-existent traffic.


Arriving at the top, I could strike one item from my bucket list, the view from the peak.


The previous picture was taken from the street that you don't have to pay for. For comparison, the view from the Sky Terrace.


The view on the driving tram is better from the Terrace 428. To the right you can see the freely accessible lookout.


Since I had a return ticket, I took the tram back to the lower station. At the peak station was a colorful installation on the wall.


When I arrived at the lower station, it was completely packed. I then walked to the Hard Rock Cafe to buy another shirt. Unfortunately, they had discontinued the Flag Logo Tee, so I bought two different ones. Afterwards I took the MRT back to the Hotel, took a shower, packed my belongings and checked out at noon. I also had my boarding passes for my next two tickets printed.

Near the hotel on the way to the Airport Express I got into contact with other highlights of Hong Kong: backyard mills and food market with fresh fish one block down. With all my luggage with me, I hadn't taken any pictures. It also didn't put me off, but rather reinforced the wish to return to Hong Kong. The few hours I had spend there didn't do it justice at all.

At the airport, I alighted the Airport Express towards Terminal 2, since my flight was checking in from there. This time I checked my small trolley and was rewarded with an invitation to the Plaza Premium Lounge. My next flights would be operated on Malindo Air in business class. Online check-in was also possible and I did so the day before. I also had boarding passes printed in the lounge in the Hilton Guam hotel. OLCI didn't mention anything of a lounge, so a visit at the check-in counter was a good idea.

Security and immigration were quickly passed and I was on my way to the lounge. When I arrived there, I found something to eat. As noticed before, I like it spicy and the hot peppers were spicy---so take less if you don't like spicy.


The lounge was in a different concourse at the airport, so I left the lounge with sufficient buffer to get to my gate. When I arrived there, the inbound aircraft also arrived at the same time. This 737-800, 9M-LNZ, had taken me to Kuala Lumpur.


Boarding was delayed a bit, but didn't cause any delays of the flight. Boarding of the aircraft, I found my seat 2A.


Plenty of legroom.


At the seat was a pillow and a blanket. Pre-departure drinks were served and an amenity-kit was distributed. I should have taken it with me, there was non on the second flight.


On-time departure from the gate but then there was some ground traffic, which caused minor delays. Take-off was towards the east. Unfortunately, the turn to the south was much too early, so I couldn't see much of the city.

After take-off, menu options were presented orally. With no printed menus and my hearing a little muted from the engine next to me, I opted for main #2 . Asking for meal selections was started from the rear end. At first, there were 4 options available, and only 3 for first row. As said, I don't know what option #2 was. Meats was chicken, rice is obvious. To me it was tasty.


My pre-departure drink was apple juice, which I liked pretty much. So I stayed with that. The roll was warm but soft. Cheesecake for desert was tasty as well.

The seat did offer some adjustment options, but the foot rest was too short for my 6'3. In the middle arm rest, a fold-out screen was stored. Headphones were distributed before take-off, but those were non noise-canceling. I hadn't found the advertised music channels in the IFE, there only were movies, TV series, and the moving map. I also didn't find any Wifi, although being advertised on the website.

So I spend the time to either enjoying the outside views or catching up some sleep. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur at sun set. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to spot the Petronas Towers during our approach. Before arrival, the cabin was also sprayed, but they didn't mentioned what it was for. At least it wasn't any air refresher.

Arriving at the airport, I checked with the transfer desk for lounge options. I was given a voucher for some restaurants and cafes (e.g. Starbucks) or the Sama Sama Express Lounge. The easiest way to find it is to follow the signs to the identically named hotel.

The lounge itself was very dark due to dimmed lighting. A selection of food and a rather limited selection of drinks was available. It took me some time until I figured out what the water dispenser was. By that time, I was pretty tired already. Because of me still being stuffed from the previous flight, I limited my consume to water and internet. So it was minimizing instead of maximizing.

With an ample buffer, I walked to the gate. In Kuala Lumpur, security was directly at the gate and not in a centralized location. At the gate, 9M-LNY, another 737-800, was already waiting for its flight to Colombo. Pre-depature beverage was offered, but no amenity kit and a blanket only on request. Headphones were distributed, though.

On this segment, service started from the front of the cabin. This time I also was able to understand the offered options. I opted for chicken satay with rice and just water with it. Carlsberg beer would have been available as well.


Food was delicious, but I only finished the salad, satay and a large portion of the rice. As mentioned before, I had plenty of food already, plus I was very tired. Too bad I couldn't fit in the delicious cake.

On this flight, spraying of the cabin was not required. My assumption is that this is only required for Kuala Lumpur arrivals. Gate arrival was approx. half an hour early. I then passed immigration within minutes (thanks to the ETA I acquired a month earlier) and when I arrived at the baggage claim, my rolling suitcase was already on the belt (I wasn't in a rush exactly).

I did enjoy flying Malindo Air. Both of my flights were on time or even arrived early. The seat was comfortable and sufficient for the duration of the flights. Getting a good night's sleep during three hours flight is impossible, so no need for a flat-bed. Food was yummy and portion sizes were adequate. On the down side are the poor head phones (non noise canceling) and the inconsistent amenity kit handling. I would have preferred one on the later flight, especially with the eye shades. Lounge options were available both in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. Depending on your references, the Plaza Premium Lounge is not that bad after all (you are not flying First Class with Cathay). So in summary, I can recommend Malindo and would book it again if I was in the area. 10 out of 12 business class seats on both flights were occupied and I was lucky enough to have a free seat next to me on both of them.
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Old Dec 6, 2017, 4:05 pm
  #21  
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October 20, 2017

With the early arrival, I had the idea to try to get on to an earlier connecting flight. My original departure from Colombo was at 6:15 am. I had some buffer added with separate tickets and two airlines that most likely don't have an interlining agreement.

My next segment was Colombo - Dubai on flydubai. Other than what was given on their website, I was able to do an online check-in. This was also the boarding pass I had printed in Hong Kong. With the boarding pass in hand, it was rather easy to enter the terminal building. To enter the departure hall, you have to show proof that you have a flight departing from the airport, otherwise you can buy an access permit. So there was a security checkpoint at the terminal entrance. Another security checkpoint was in front of the check-in counters.

When I arrived at the flydubai counter, I inquired about my options to get on an earlier flight. Another colleague had to be called, which fortunately was standing right next to the counter. This colleague had to call someone, I assume in the back office, to get me an quote about the change fee. They also had to offload me to get the pricing info. So quite some actions involved.

The info I received was that the change fee would be approx. LKR 10'000 (~ €55/$65). They would accept foreign currencies, e.g. US Dollar or Euros, but at that point, I haven't had enough cash with me. I could have gotten LKR at an ATM, but the ATM was outside of terminal building. So I had to exit the secured area, but this is not that easy. I haven't had to clear the security checkpoints, but at those they wanted to know why I want to leave the building. Telling them about the need for an ATM did help to get me out. At the ATM I withdrew the required amount. To get back to the counter, I had to pass the very same two security checkpoints again.

Back at the counter, it took them some time to change my booking. The colleague from the back office completed his inputs into the system, but it didn't want to show the updates to the agent at the counter. I also was told that I would most likely not get any meal. It took them some time, but then they were successful. Another agent at the counter was instructed to issue the boarding pass already, but the system printed one with 24D on it. The first agent noticed this, and prompted agent 2 to issue a business class boarding pass. This time it was the previously reserved 2A, but this time for the earlier flight. I was also given a lounge invitation for the Araliya Lounge. I ended up with a business class boarding pass for the 2:10 am flight instead of the 6:15 am flight. This spared me from spending the night at the airport. The whole process took approx. 40 minutes, but I fortunately had plenty of time.

With the boarding pass in hand, I passed immigration and went to the lounge. I wasn't expecting anything, for once I didn't research my lounge options. Despite having a business class ticket, I wasn't expecting any lounge options. The available items in the lounge were not too bad after all. However, it was just a G&T and a piece of chocolate cake for me.

The third and final security checkpoint is at the gate. I therefore left the lounge early enough. When I arrived at the gate, the inbound flight was not there yet. A6-FEQ, a 737-800, arrived within a couple of minutes. And there was nobody at the security, so everybody had to wait outside. Security check was easy, only shoes had to be scanned separately, liquids or electronics remained in the luggage. After some time, boarding started with the rear rows.

My seat was 2A, but shown here are 2C and 3D and row 2 in the second picture.




Sufficient legroom.


There was a small compartment in the middle console. Both a bottle of water and headphones wrapped in plastic foil where stored there. I didn't use them, however, so I cannot say anything about their quality. Pre-departure drinks and a blanket was offered. This was pleasantly large and soft.


After takeoff, menus were distributed. So it was food for me after all.


My choice were the prawns and the red-wine. I cannot say no to Shiraz.


15 minutes after takeoff, dinner was served---quite efficient handling. A rather light load of 3 out of 12 might have also been a contributing factor. Economy was also far from full. Back to dinner: I was able to finish it and it was tasty.

Although the seat did offer quite some recline, I wasn't able to sleep too well. The rather strong turbulences over India most likely were not responsible, usually, those don't bother me. Before arrival, I was asked if I wanted something else and I asked for tea with milk. This was accompanied by a fast track card for the immigration in Dubai.

We arrived at an apron position and were bused to the terminal. I'm not sure, if this is standard for Dubai's Terminal 2. There was a separate bus for business class passengers. Fast lane at the immigration was a breeze. With no checked luggage, I quickly arrived in the arrival hall. It was before 6 in the morning.

My conclusions are mostly positive. I wasn't expecting a lounge at an outstation. The re-booking did also work quite well, despite it taking some time. Service on board was also good, I wasn't expecting printed menus on a low-cost carrier. With a comfortable seat, real meal options, and fast track cards for immigration, I consider this to be a valid business class. Of course, I cannot say too much about connecting flights, so I hardly can compare their handling with one of the legacy network carriers.

The largest disadvantage of flydubai and Dubai as the final destination is Terminal 2 at DXB. This is hardly connected to the other terminals. As far as I was able to find out, there is an airside transfer available, if your luggage is checked through (in case you have luggage). I am not sure about an onward boarding pass. Outside of Terminal 2, there are buses or taxis available, but no metro connection. And there is no organized transfer to Terminals 1 or 3.

This was hitting me hard. My hotel was the Holiday Inn Express at Terminal 3. My plan was to get a room early in the morning, long before the official check-in time, which would have been 2 pm. I was too cheap for a taxi and it was too far for a walk, so the bus was my only option. Since you cannot buy tickets on board, you have to get it before boarding the bus. A ticket can be bought at the At Your Service kiosk within the arrivals hall.

I took a bus which drove towards the city center. There I changed to another bus and rode back to the airport, but this time to the opposite side. I alighted at terminal 1 and followed google maps. I ended up at a parking lot nowhere near the hotel. Google maps has the hotel at the wrong position, the hotel's website has the correct position. Fortunately, there is a free shuttle between terminals 1 and 3. From terminal 3 I took the hotel shuttle for the last transfer.

At 9 am, over three hours after arrival, I arrived at the hotel. I guess it would have just been 30 minutes by taxi. My thinking was: the later I arrive at the hotel, the higher my chances are to get a room. There were no issues getting a room, so I could finally take a shower. At check-in, I also asked if it was possible to eat breakfast that day instead of the next day. My next flight would leave too early for breakfast at the hotel. This was not a problem, so it was breakfast after the shower.

Some time after noon, I took the hotel shuttle back to the airport. There I boarded a bus towards Dubai Festival City. This is where the local Hard Rock Cafe is located. I bought the Flag Logo Tee there. Afterwards, it was back to the airport, where I transferred to the metro towards downtown Dubai.

At Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa I alighted and took the endless walk to the mall. This was just huge and crowded. Well, it was Friday, one of the weekend days in the Arabic part of the world.


There are many things in the mall that are typical for the region: an ice rink,


or water falls.


I had a timed ticket for one of the attractions, so I searched the entrance to it. Since my luggage was full already, I didn't need to do any shopping. After finding the correct entrance, my reservation was replaced by an actual ticket.

In case you didn't guess already, the attraction is the Burj Khalifa itself. I booked a ticket for the sky deck on the 148th floor one month in advance. At AED 500 (~€115, ~$130), this certainly is expensive. Included in the ticket as lounge access with snacks and snacks at the top. And you are also granted access to the 124th and 125th floor. Compared to some lounge offers frequent flyers are accustomed to, the lounge at Burj Khalifa was just lackluster. And it is nothing to fill your stomach.

Groups of 20 people are guided through the building, passing some locations with short explanations. All of those are accessible with a conventional ticket as well, you just don't get the explanations.


What the expensive ticket gets you is access to separate elevators, so no waiting in lines. At first it was one floor down. This makes sense, since all elevators have two floors. The first stop was at the 123rd floor, which was reached within one minute. At the 124th floor is the usual observation deck, so traveling above us in the elevator were regular visitors.

The third elevator finally got me to the destination.




Views from the top are amazing but it was hazy. Burj al Arab and The Palm were hardly visible, which was also in part attributed to the back light. This is the price one pays when one wants to be on top during sunset.


Views towards the opposite direction, primarily the financial district.


Sunset itself was unspectacular. Another advantage of the time is that you can also do night shots, or at least those during dusk. View of the Dubai Fountain from atop.


Slowly popping up lights.




This is a shot of the lounge at the 148th floor.


After I enjoyed my time on the 148th floor, I went down to floors 124 and 125. A nice selection of floor selection buttons you hardly see anywhere else.


Views from the lower observation decks are not that bad either. The only downside is that those floors are much more crowded. So I didn't spend too much time there and went downward. Thanks to fast track access, there was only little waiting in line.

Near the fountain, I was looking for a spot to capture the whole tower in one shot.



With an early departure the next day, I called it a day early and went back to the hotel. The walk through the mall, the metro ride and the hotel shuttle ride took 40 minutes, including a 10 minute wait at the airport. Back in my room, I packed all my stuff and went to bed early.
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Old Dec 6, 2017, 4:06 pm
  #22  
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October 21, 2017

The night was very short, the alarm went off at 1:25 am. A last shower, last time packing my stuff and at 2 am I was on the shuttle to the airport. Many people were arriving from the airport, but I was the only one going there.

At the check-in counter, I checked my small piece of luggage. Security was passed quickly, although I had to pass it twice. Besides the notebook computer, the camera had to be unpacked as well. I wasn't aware the first time. Afterwards it was a train ride to the D gates.

The actual gate wasn't displayed at that time, so I walked around in the terminal to check the food options. I haven't anything proper since my last breakfast the day before and there would only be food for purchase on the flight. So I decided to have something from the Pret A Manger.

After the gate was displayed on the screens, I walked there. It was on the opposite side of the terminal building, so it was a long walk. Boarding was supposed to begin at 3:30 am, but the crew arrived at 3:45 am. So no on-time departure for sure. Boarding finally started ad 4:10 am. The upcoming segment would be the longest on my trip. It was flight DY 4602, Dubai to Stockholm Arlanada, operated by a Norwegian 737-800, LN-NHA. Wheels up time was from 5:02 to 10:10 am. I couldn't take a picture of the aircraft at Dubai airport, there were no unblocked views.

On boarding it again hit me between the eyes. This would be the toughest segment, 7 hours in this seat and this time without in-seat power.


Departure was further delayed, because hold baggage had to be shifted and passengers had to be moved. Due to the length of the segment, there were some restrictions in terms of payload. One advantage is that not every seat is sold, so I had a free seat next to me. Because of the route that avoids the Crimea and depending on the wind, a refueling stop could become necessary on those flights. This is what I was told by the flight deck crew after arrival.

Departure was to the north west. With dark night outside, not much was visible of Burj Khalifa, just the blinking signal lights. It is impressive at which height the topmost light is flashing. Those 828 m/2717 ft are quite remarkable.

Most of the flight was calm. The cabin crew did exactly one beverage round, with everything on purchase, even water. I had bought a bottle of water at the airport, so I didn't need to buy anything on board. Further drinks and food was offered as well, but passengers were asked to get it on their own in the galley. The intention was to have a quiet cabin to help people sleep. This also meant that all blinds were closed, so no outside views for most of the time. I was sitting in a row where a display from the ceiling was located, which spotlit me. To help this, oftentimes a completely white picture was displayed. It took a couple of hours until the screen was folded away.

It was only over the Baltic Sea that I could open the window blinds. This was after the FO made an announcement with information about the remaining flight. I immediately noticed some differences when looking out of the window. The blue of the water is different and there are no reflections of the clouds. This is mainly due to a shroud of mist over the water's surface. There is a difference between the Baltic Sea and the South Seas.


During our approach, I was able to see downtown Stockholm in the distance. Clouds were preventing me from taking a picture, so I instead took one of a rainbow.


Sun is nicely and colorfully illuminating a gold course near the airport.


After arrival, I had some hours until my next and final segment. On the one hand, I was hungry and planned a visit at the lounge. On the other hand, the weather was too good to not visit downtown Stockholm. So I bought a ticket for the next commuter train. This is much cheaper than the Arlanda Express, but it takes almost twice as long.

I alighted at Odenplan station. My destination was the Hard Rock Cafe. Although I already had one of the Stockholm Shirts, I haven't had the Flag Logo one so far. I arrived at the cafe shortly before noon, so I had to wait a few more minutes until it opened. They had the shirt available, however only in sizes S and XS. This is by far too small for me and wouldn't look good on me. I was told that other sizes were supposed to arrive a week earlier but were delayed. So I have to get back there some day, or find somebody how can bring the shirt with them for me.

So I strolled around and ended up some place near the central station.


At the Central Station, I bought a ticket for the next intercity train that would stop at Arlanda. This one was also cheaper than the Arlanda Express and with a travel time of 21 minutes only marginally slower. When I walked to terminal 5, I saw the Norwegian aircraft from my previous flight, so I could catch up on taking a picture of it.


I had my boarding pass printed at a self service station. Fast track was encoded so security was a breeze. After that I went to the lounge to grab some food. I regularly monitored the flight status of my last flight. I was curious about the equipment. A 737-600 was scheduled for this flight, so an equipment change would have been very disappointing. A few minutes before boarding time, I walked the short way to gate 1 and saw the following aircraft waiting there.


Boarding started on time and I quickly found my seat 3A in the Plus section. Right on time, at 5:05 pm we left the gate. Takeoff was towards the north so after a turn I saw the airport from atop.


Legroom during on this flight was okay.


With SAS Plus, you get a free meal. For this flight, it was a cold light meal.


It was roast beef with potatoes and broccoli. With that, a warm tomato muffin was served. In the menu I spotted a gin unknown to me. So it was decided, what I would be drinking.


A second round of G&T was offered. The gin was fantastic.


Arrival in Frankfurt was on time on the northernmost runway. I was greeted with rain showers instead of a champagne shower. A short taxi to gate A40, the one furthest away from the arrival hall. I took the S-Bahn back home and unlocked my door at 8:42 pm. Before I unpacked and started the washing machine, I went grocery shopping. Nobody refilled the fridge during the previous three weeks.
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Old Dec 6, 2017, 4:06 pm
  #23  
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Conclusion

It was a very special trip for me. All flights took place as scheduled, there was no equipment change. Well okay, the Barra flight, or landing, didn't work out as planned. But on this trip, this definitely was one of my least concerns. I was worried the most of the last segment. SAS is operating A320s on the Stockholm - Frankfurt route. When I booked this flight, it was scheduled to be a 737-600 and it was a 737-600. So no equipment (or schedule) change as I am used to when flying with United.

To be honest, this time there was not a single equipment or schedule change for the United flights. I guess the Island Hopper is one of the most stable ones in their entire network. With 6 segments on this flight, there would also have been a lot of things that could have gone wrong (weather, technical issues). Fortunately, nothing happened except the flight taking place as scheduled.

The whole trip in numbers:
23 segments
12 tickets
9 airlines

1 aircraft:
Boeing 737 Next Generation

1x 737-600
6x 737-700
15 x 737-800
1x 737-900

Both the Island Hopper and the Guam - Hong Kong flight were booked as award tickets with Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. All other tickets were paid in cash. But please don't ask the total amount I spend, I didn't do the math and I won't do it either. The most important thing: it was worth it.

Before the trip, I made up my mind to find something to commemorate this very special trip. In the end I went with an embroidered t-shirt. The design is my own creation and I found a company for the embroidering. I had them make two shirts. One did circle the planet with me and received a lot of signatures.


All of the flight deck crew and at least one of the cabin crew did sign the shirt for me. At first I was a bit reluctant, especially on the south east Asia flights, but in the end I worried too much. Everybody was friendly and happily signed the shirt for me. Most of them thought it was a cool idea, both the trip and the shirt, but some thought it was just crazy. Some of them also felt honored to be part of this, especially on the Island Hopper.

Other than the flights, I also enjoyed the places I traveled to. If you want to see US Navy ships, those are the places to be. I also enjoyed Hong Kong, which was my first visit there and certainly not the last. I didn't like Dubai too much, but I am happy that I got a chance to see it. It was the safest option for a 737 to 737 connection.
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Old Dec 7, 2017, 7:52 am
  #24  
 
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Congratulations! Sounds like fun.
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Old Dec 8, 2017, 10:12 am
  #25  
 
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great report! I love unique reports like this
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Old Dec 8, 2017, 11:06 am
  #26  
 
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Amazing report!
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Old Dec 8, 2017, 2:24 pm
  #27  
 
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Great trip report and well done on doing on a 737 too!
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Old Dec 8, 2017, 3:22 pm
  #28  
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Great trip and thanks for the report MrGroover ^
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Old Dec 8, 2017, 4:06 pm
  #29  
 
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Thank you for a very different report. I get tired of looking at seats and beds like other reports. Much appreciated!
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Old Dec 8, 2017, 4:34 pm
  #30  
 
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Very original angle for a trip - amazing read of a well-planned and executed journey. Thanks for sharing!
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