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So this is Qatar Airways? UK-South Africa with QR (and a bit of BA).
Pictures all fixed ... enjoy!
INTRODUCTION Excuse us for flying with one of the ME3. I can’t quite remember exactly why I chose to take the scenic route! I think it was because I couldn’t find redemption flights on LON-CPT, using the BA/Amex 2-4-1 companion voucher, as I was a bit late in looking. Anyway: [1] Qatar (QR) seemed a bit cheaper than BA; [2] It would make an interesting change; and [3] Conveniently [essentially?] the extra Tier points would renew our BAEC Gold (oneworld Emerald) status! :D History. Anyway, before I go on, and in case you’re interested, here are the TRs from our last 3 trips to South Africa. They probably have a bit more ‘local’ detail than this one will have, but you can probably see we quickly became addicted to the area!! :) * 2016 = https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip...tern-cape.html * 2017 = https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip...th-africa.html * 2018 = https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip...s-2-weeks.html Financials. I include these details to give readers an idea of what they would have to pay if replicating, in whole of part, a trip like this. I would also note that cheaper accommodation does, of course, exist! Sadly, as we (OK, I) hadn’t snagged a 2-4-1, which would have made the trip in Business about £500 each, I spent MONEY. I know, it’s not really a done thing around here, but we really needed our annual 2-week fix of SA. So to the costs … * Accommodations (all B&B) = c. £2,500, essentially repeating last year’s trip. * s/h Flights - BA, JER-UK (and return of course) in Club Europe = £447 (I am an idiot and didn’t abate that using our mega-pile of Avios!). * l/h Flights - QR, LGW-DOH-CPT in Business = £4754 :eek: Once I’d added in the JER-LGW tickets, QR and BA came out about the same cost! :( * Ground Transfers - our usual driver taking us from/to CPT and between the 3 towns on the itinerary = c. £120. So about £8k for a cowabunga 2-week holiday - repeating the 2018 experience? We were content, if slightly wounded in the budget department. :) OTOH, that will be 640 BAEC Tier Points, please … renewing our BAEC Gold status for another year, somewhere between DOH and LGW on the way home, and with 9 months to spare to find something [help!] to do with a 2-4-1 voucher! :D Preparations. Having started booking aeroplane things on 4 Jan 19 [just 2 weeks after we had got home from the last one! :)], by 6 Jan 19 we had everything we needed sewn up …BA and QR flights, 3 Hotels (Hermanus 4 nights, Franschhoek 4 nights and Stellenbosch 5 nights) and our regular Cape taxi driver to convey us A>B>C>D>A. And … breathe slowly and relaaaaaaax. :D Subsequent poking around the QR website, whilst selecting the best possible seats, gave us a bit more flight details on what I’d paid over £5k for. But stuff [i.e. QR airframes and indeed our seats] kept quietly changing in the background to the point where daily checks on QR were needed! 18 Nov - BA hop, A319, JER-LGW, Business [OK, Club Europe :)] 18 Nov - QR LGW-DOH, B787-8, Business. 19 Nov - QR DOH-CPT, 2 Dec - QR CPT-DOH, A350-1000, Business. Oh, Q-Suites? Really? Thank you! ^ 3 Dec - QR DOH-LGW, 3 Dec - BA hop, A319, LGW-JER, Business. We know the midnight transfers at DOH are going to be a ‘bit’ inconvenient, but we can cope … we’re young 70-somethings! ;) OTOH, i eventually realised what a long journey this was. 8,020 miles! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4ed147f953.png OK, it’s faster than legging it to Hawaii [3 days to get there, 36 hours to get home … https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip...ood-seats.html ... but it seems we leave the house in JER at around 0730 and get to our first SA hotel about 1600 the following day! Close to 20 hours in the air and another 3 or more at airports. That’s the curse of ‘creative routing’ … I suspect we will have a VERY early night when we arrive! However, if it wasn’t for Flyertalk, we wouldn’t be doing this stuff anyway, and we wouldn’t be BAEC Gold, and we could have gone to Eastbourne instead [No chance!!]. :D After all that dribbling on the keyboard, I guess I’d better get on with the Trip. :D 18 Nov 19 JER-LGW, BA2771, 0920-1020, A319, CE seats 1A/C A perfectly normal x-Channel hop for us, with the added bonus of NOT being on the 0705 Red-Eye for a change. A new sign outside the Lounge shows why it gets crowded, with multiple users having access. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...50429039f.jpeg The flight itself was unremarkable, apart from the clear evidence of a new catering contract (confirmed by the CC) offering just a half-rasher of bacon with breakfast! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6d981b513.jpeg As BA no longer interlines bags with OW partners, we were faced with the new experience of collecting our 2 cases at the Gatwick South Terminal and making our way to the North Terminal to drop them off with QR. I decided to time the process in more detail than usual - rather prolonged, perhaps?: 1030 - Doors Open 1036 - at Domestic Reclaim 1052 - first bags emerged 1056 - our bags delivered 1100 - reached South Arrivals 1112 - reached North Terminal. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d2a34e9b7.jpeg We found the QR desks, in the far left corner where BA First used to be, and deposited our cases. Our Boarding Passes were issued, at which point we noticed that our seats on BOTH sectors (LGW-DOH-CPT) had been changed from 2 single window seats to a middle pair. Whaaaat? A short period of DYKWIA followed, during which the Supervisor rattled her keyboard and restored us to our previously booked locations. No explanation or indeed apology was received. :( After a stress-relieving cigarette or two outside, we joined the rest of society and proceeded through the invariably efficient Premium Gatwick Security. On emerging unscathed, we renewed our acquaintance with the North Terminal after a gap of nearly 3 years … and what a horrible experience! World Duty Free greets you as you emerge from Security, forcing everyone to follow a winding [and congested] route through the shops before finally, after several minutes, allowing you to emerge in the Departures area! With that obstacle overcome, we made our way over to the left where the airline Lounges are located. QR uses the Aspire Lounge, which was far from aspirational and charges £4.50 for a glass of Prosecco! Fortunately we only had a short wait before our Gate was declared … yes, Gate 573, at the very furthest end of the Terminal! Off we trudged! 18 Nov 19 LGW-DOH, QR328, 1405-2345, B787, Business seats 1A/2A Nice aircraft ... https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f6fae7d4b.jpeg Nice seat! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1b2fca755.jpeg After enjoying a generous glass of fizzy PDB and a refreshing towel [“Hot or cold, Sir?”] pushback was punctual, at 1403. Looking around my little cocoon, I was impressed by the number of handy storage spaces and the large IFE screen … and the large pull-out dining table. Which inevitably leads me to mention the food! Annoyingly, Apple’s latest upgrade means that my scanner no longer works, so I can’t scan the menu! But this was my ‘late lunch’ … PDB and Towel on its little tray. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dbdd2c667.jpeg Nice big table with accessories, including the cute little battery candle. All laid individually by the CC - very tasteful process. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...da7e79d3b.jpeg Amuse Bouche https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3fd8f3057.jpeg Soup [could have been a bit hotter] https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ad539ee9d.jpeg Confit Duck Breast https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d4533f00d.jpeg Cheese Board and Port, of course. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...30fa5fa70.jpeg Loved the little battery-candle … Lady T was gifted one by her CC. All very pleasant, and served by charming cabin crew. After that I explored the mysteries of the IFE, noting a helpful indicator on the Moving Map of the direction to Mecca/Makkah and a cautionary note for Islamic passengers. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6b3bf12c0.jpeg I watched a film before settling down for a couple of hours sleep, to be woken gently 1 hour out from DOH where we landed at 2350 in a new Time Zone [3h ahead of UK]. We disembarked to find ourselves at a remote stand somewhere in the darkness of the massive Hamad International Airport. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...154ad045b4.png A strange airport in the dark is quite challenging, but on descending the steps from the aircraft we found a mini-bus waiting for us … quite luxurious and exclusively for the use of the 20 or so Business passengers. How VERY nice! It, and we, then progressed around various roadways partly jammed with other buses, before being delivered to doorways to a HUGE building, where we ascended via escalators to an upper floor and were directed [politely] to Transit Security screening, That process was quick and efficient, and we were now in the middle of … an enormous multi-level airside “somewhere”! There seemed to be dozens of airport staffers everywhere, helping people get to the right place, and a quick question had us headed for the Al Mourjan Lounge [up another long escalator]. We had less than an hour to kill, so we headed for one of the smoking lounges to restore our nicotine levels to something resembling normal … it must have been 9 hours or more since the last one at Gatwick! This lounge is enormous! It’s bigger than a lot of airport terminals, such as JER or SAV! And extremely glossy, of course! However, the Smoking Lounge did the trick, as we braced ourselves for the next (12-hour) leg to CPT. Navigating our way to Gate E4 just needed us to find our way OUT of the Lounge! Time for a cigarette in the Smoking Lounge! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d9e48e288.jpeg The rest of the Lounge is vast! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...911074458.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6ebc849e1.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c16456085.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9df931c79.jpeg Where's the Exit?! How do we get out of here? And where do we go now? Oh, yes, Gate E4 ... https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...34db21844.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...24c25f7de.jpeg Somewhere up there we ended up on a little indoor train to take us to the next part of the Terminal[s]! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5191ee6b1.jpeg 19 Nov 19 DOH-CPT, QR1369, 0205-1125, A350-900, Business seats 6A/7A Yes, as noted at the outset, no Q-suites for us on this leg after an airframe swap. :( However, silky-smooth boarding from the vastness of the 2-storey gate holding area and with a dedicated airbridge to Door 1L for Business pax … which was retracted once we were all aboard. How cool is that! And, of course, one just has to play with the external cameras on the A350! :D https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d561963fc.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6a3f703bf.jpeg Once again, excellent CC. Our seats were served by different crew … Lady T in 7A served from a rear galley, and me in 6A served [last] from the front!! Given the hour, I think I just had a bowl of soup and the cheese plate, washed down with a glass of port to help me sleep. Which I did for most of the flight! An edible breakfast of “Red Onion and Cheddar Omelette with Chicken and Smoked turkey Sausage” refuelled me adequately … although the sausage was really rather bland. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6b7bed7a9.jpeg And finally, at 1110 [local] we were at CPT again! On chocks at 1117, and by 1125 were were in a packed Immigration Hall with the queue stretching all the way back to the bottom of the escalators! Groan! We escaped across the Border 35 minutes later, where our bags were performing perpetual circuits of the baggage belt. And so into Arrivals, where out trusty regular driver Adriaan was waiting for us. A quick ‘kerbside’ ciggie on the way to the car park, and at 1220 we were on the road to … Hermanus. |
HERMANUS 19-23 Nov
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f230c69547.png After a pleasant drive, we arrived at our hotel at 1355, and by 1405 we were checked in and settled in our room. where are we? Of course, we’re back at “Misty Waves” https://www.hermanusmistybeach.co.za, in Room 501, just like last year! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e1e1fc7dc.jpeg Excellent hotel, and lovely spacious accommodation as befits their TripAdvisor rating as the 23rd best hotel in South Africa! OK, I think that may be being a bit generous, but it’s still a lovely place to stay! On our first evening, being somewhat travel-battered, we enjoyed Hake and Chips at the attached “Heritage Restaurant” http://www.heritagerest.co.za before collapsing into bed for many hours of sleep! Fish and chips ... + Calamari! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e64d1b61b.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...13aa9d23f.jpeg Misty, with Waves:D https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7284ebd6a.jpeg There was a brisk southerly breeze for the first couple of days, which seemed to originate somewhere near Antarctica. However, we were undaunted, and regularly walked into Town along the coastal path [keeping our eyes open for whales, which were noticeably absent] to do some shopping and find places to eat. To our horror, the rather nice food and drink establishment we used last year had been taken over, and seemed less agreeable. However, a couple of hundred yards away on the other side of the Market Square, we found a new spot to meet our needs. Char’d has a wide-ranging menu, from light bites to full-on Steak. Dining/drinking outside or inside, it was all a delightful spot to enjoy - helped by lovely staff. https://chardhermanus.co.za/menu/ Outside https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b11320bf4.jpeg Inside https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...43f9413ec.jpeg It was impressive watching the staff meticulously polishing the wine-glasses. They really do pay attention to details. Loaded Fries were to die for, I have to say. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...480009c8d.jpeg And as for the Cheese Fondue Burger … wowza!! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6ec31411e.jpeg Our 4 days passed pleasantly, with the 800 yard walk to the Market Square [and indeed beyond] helping to burn off a few of the calories we had been consuming. And then, inevitably, it was time to move on to our next destination … Franschhoek FRANSCHHOEK 23-27 Nov https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f650925092.png Adriaan was on time as usual, and we set off for F’hoek. For some unknown reason, his SatNav was giving false information, as was his memory, so we got lost twice! As a result, the journey took 2 hours … but, hey, we’re on holiday so what’s the hurry? https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...63ef36dce.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c0ed77d73.jpeg Huzzah ... Franschhoek! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a6f6d39d6.jpeg Arrival at the Franschhoek Country House and Villas https://www.fch.co.za was a perfect example of how returning guests should be treated! Warm welcomes from staff who remembered us from last year, cases conveyed to our room and 2 glasses of champagne delivered promptly before we’d even considered unpacking! Oh, we do like this place - probably our favourite hotel anywhere. And we have a lovely room with a great view and a huge terrace. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8a9d2bf7c.jpeg These 4 days were designated as “The really relaxing bit” so we didn’t do a lot! We remembered the 1400-1600 “Happy Hour” with free drinks in the Lounge this time, took the hotel’s shuttle bus into the village for a wander and regularly ate at The Village Grill and Butcher Village Grill & Butcher | Franschhoek ? Village Grill & Butcher | Franschhoek next door … we like to eat late afternoon, whereas the hotel’s restaurant (Monneaux, https://www.monneaux.co.za ) doesn’t open until 1830. Shuttle #1 of 2 ... no rubbish here! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...083361da7.jpeg Refreshments at the Elephant and Barrel in the village. https://i.imgur.com/ckwy5mX.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...be2b9ee6f.jpeg Serious plump mussels at the Village Grill ... https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...18257edaa.jpeg However, the FCH Breakfasts were, as always, superb, and with a new A La Carte menu in addition to their bounteous cold buffet .… https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d5244c921.jpeg Enormous Smoked Trout! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...95c0b4258.jpeg Pancakes https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0d65f22bc.jpeg Mushrooms, with a shy duck egg hiding! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bc9dcc52e.jpeg The last day was spent lounging by the pool[s] … one heated and one not. The heated pool was almost the temperature of a bath!! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e72b3e517.jpeg And then it was time to move again. This proved quite a challenge, as we were so relaxed having already had the equivalent of 2 holidays!! A leisurely coffee after breakfast with a last view of the grounds, and the inevitable round of farewells and “See you next year”! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d499ca836.jpeg We were advised to plan for early December, where things are generally quieter and the weather slightly warmer (although 35º suited us nicely!), of perhaps even Jan/Feb. And so, on the road at 0930 to Stellenbosch. STELLENBOSCH 27 Nov-2 Dec https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f051f08de7.png Adriaan was on home ground for this leg, so no navigation issues arose! We were again warmly greeted at The Eendracht Hotel https://www.eendracht-hotel.com for our 4th stay in this charming little B&B hotel. For a change we booked Room 6, with the biggish balcony over the front door - a trade-off between somewhere agreeable to smoke against the risk of traffic noise. Happily the traffic was not a problem - Stellenbosch is a remarkably quiet town for much of the time. As their website indicates, Room 6 is ‘snug’ but proved perfectly acceptable … after all, we were either going to be out in town or sat on the balcony under the shade of a very old oak tree! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bec0a0106.jpeg After a quick burst of essential shopping (aka cigarettes) we dropped in to our local (50 yards!) restaurant and bar, “Steam”… https://www.steamrestaurantstellenbosch.com for a drop of refreshment. After all, it was again 35ºc with cloudless blue skies, so in addition to application of sunscreen and sun hats, it was time to enjoy their generous hospitality. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a7b2c0e7f.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3f2b87422.jpeg Hmmm … that’s just over £4 for 2 doubles. I’m sure that the BA Forum’s PUCCI GALORE (She of the Bombay and Slim persuasion) would approve. :D Anyway, having tested that special offer [and having another single to finish off!] it was time to start ‘eating South Africa’ again. One thing we love about Stellenbosch is the number of good eating places, all within a few hundred yards of the hotel. To get your tastebuds humming, have a selection of food pictures!! Oppie Dorp https://oppiedorp.co.za Surf and Turf https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7d0f9b2c0.jpeg Stellenbosch Kitchen https://stellenboschkitchen.co.za Seafood Platter https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...444d3d74d.jpeg Calamari w/Chorizo etc. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e7b9a99f3.jpeg Steam Ribeye https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f0898b33e.jpeg But it was not all eating and drinking, although those events did tend to punctuate the days! Just wandering the leafy streets of S’bosch, with so many cafes and bars, and browsing various shops [and even buying some things, such as small Ostrich feather dusters!] passed the time perfectly. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e4fce2277.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...991ee4ff7.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...abec7ec14.jpeg |
GOING HOME
Yes, we have to go home, where the temperature [and indeed general weather] is going to be an unpleasant change. Ho-hum, what can you do? Riaan arrived promptly at 0930 for the run to CPT airport. On arrival we found the QR desks, in the far right corner of departures and presented our 2 cases. “Is there any change of tagging these all the way through to Jersey?” A short conversation followed, explaining where Jersey is and that it’s almost part of the UK and we flying there from Gatwick on BA. Much keyboard rattling by a Supervisor and … BINGO! QR First tags were also added to facilitate the fairly short connection at DOH. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c80d38c60.jpeg Onward to Security [almost instantaneous] and Immigration [a 3-minute queue] and here we are … Airside, just 1 hour from leaving S’bosch. No complaints here at all! QR passengers are directed to use the Bidvest multi-role Lounge, and are issued an entry ticket at bag-drop. According to their website https://bidvestlounge.co.za/capetowninternational/ the Lounge looks quite nice, but on trying to enter we were re-directed to the overflow Lounge downstairs at ramp level. Apparently it was overcrowded due to a delayed Lufthansa flight. Oh, well, down we go … https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e45547181.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...832ac801c.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fcb089388.jpeg ooh, and our aircraft! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6665c51f5.jpeg We were no impressed, and didn’t stay long there! Instead, as suits our habit, we reverted to the Smoking Lounge [with a cash Bar] just one level down from the main Departures concourse, where we could also view proceedings in Arrivals. Plenty of power points and USB sockets are available. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cbab07c12.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...10a77a3bd.jpeg 2 Dec 19 CPT-DOH, QR1370, 1315-0025, A350-900, Business seats 7A/8A And then our Gate was declared … A5, the one seriously NOT designed for boarding large aircraft with different boarding priorities! These pics are from last year’s trip, when it was almost empty. This time the entire passageway was jammed with people, and the notices saying “Group 1” etc. didn’t actually separate anybody: how could they, with just that long in-line layout? And how was “Group1/2/3” supposed to work when the Group wasn’t printed on our BPs? So, it’s British conscience time … do we just queue behind an A350-worth of pax? We went for brave/DYKWIA and with our BPs in hand and on display, we gently manoeuvred through the crowd towards the front. As we neared the desk the throng thinned out, and to our pleasant surprise found the desks manned and processing the few Group 1 pax who had made it thus far! Huzzah … we can now board! A further BP check was conducted on the airbridge (????). Empty in 2018 https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0117c3a79.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...89f4d3034.jpeg And so on board … AAAARRRGGGH and @##@€!! It’s a bloody -900 again!! Thank you, QR, for denying us the Q-suite experience on both A350 sectors! That makes 3 out of 4 sectors with airframe changes … we will never fly QR again! :D OTOH, I remind myself that there are people packed like sardines somewhere down the back, so perhaps we should be grateful for being able to fly in comfort. And … I get to play with the cameras again! :) https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cdcfeb3bf.jpeg Incidentally, I have read that QR have a new safety demo film, featuring assorted football players. I think it's absolutely awful, but football fans may disagree! I shall miss the iconic lifejacket inflator. Mwah. ;) https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a6538523e.jpeg Hey, hey, up and away! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...438d17d03.jpeg How long is it to DOH? Is it 12 hours? Whichever, it’s a long leg … over 4,500 miles, so I shall be sleeping again! My charming and amusing CC asks what I would like for dinner. The choice seems to be “Beef potjiekos” or “Chicken kapsa”. As a seasoned BA passenger I understand the “Beef of Chicken” bit, but the rest has me bemused. I ask the lady if the “potjiekos”, starting with ‘pot’, means a sort of casserole. “Yes, it’s a casserole … but very nicely plated.” Her smile melts my heart! On the basis that the Chicken thing comes with rice, I’m guessing that’s a sort of ‘curry’ with a Middle Eastern twist (my Google search today confirms that … Kapsa is a traditional middle eastern one pot rice dish). That will make nice change - I go for it! Push-back at 1307, then drinks and nuts, and eventually at 1445 the meal service started … slowly. Whatever, we have hours to kill. :) I started with an amuse bouche of shrimp and [something], probably had the smoked salmon starter, and then dug in to the Chicken thing! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ddd9293e5.jpeg Yum-yum!! I have to say it could have been reheated a bit better … and Lady T sent hers back for reheating to a safer temperature. I finished with the cheese plate, as I usually do, washed down with a delicious glass of Canadian Icewine (Reif Estate Grand Reserve, Vidal Icewine 2017). In fact it was so nice I asked for another!! :D All done by 1700, which makes it about 2 hours to serve the 36-pax Business cabin. And so to sleep … with a lot of light ‘chop’ as we progressed up the east coast of Africa. I was woken at 2230 in whichever time zone I was in, which could have been anything really. Whichever, my notes tell me we actually landed at 0010 … so I’d better move on to the next day of this narrative! 3 Dec 19 DOH-LGW, QR329, 0150-0620, B777, Business seats 5A/B With boarding starting at 0105, we only had an hour to get ourselves completely lost in Hamad International, so while a cigarette might have been welcome we really didn’t know where we were and so just headed for the Gate, A4, where we arrived at 0040. The jolly nice QR App assured us that our bags would be joining us, which was a relief! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ed16204a92.png Having loitered at the Gate for a while, we eventually boarded this 3rd airframe substitution. No, not a plush 787 but an old 777, which provided even less in-seat stowage than BA’s Club World seating. Not very impressed, TBH, but as I shall again be sleeping for most of this leg I really didn’t care that much. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4be08d7d8.jpeg At 0135 the airbridge swung away, and we were off on the last l/h sector. I grabbed a couple of poor snaps of Doha as we departed … I liked the huge motorways connecting ‘not a lot’ to ‘another not a lot’. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e284f7afe.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b9593368b.jpeg And then our QR adventure was over … we were back at LGW again, on a very distant stand and with a very long walk [with no travelators] to the UK Border. On the positive side, this last QR sector renews BAEC Gold for another year … with 5 months to spare. At least, it would have done if the CPT-DOH had credited!! Harrumph - wait 7 days before claiming missing TPs/Avios for OW Partner airlines. :( Anyway, the bags are on their way, so all we have to do is make our way to the Gatwick South Terminal, which we do slowly and with a slight sense of “It’s cold here, Mum!”. A couple of cigarettes kerb-side at South, and then re-enter the system [such as it is for connections] via Premium Gatwick and off to the BA FLounge. It is still almost night, and my body-clock is ringing alarm bells, and we have another 4+ hours to wait before the last leg to JER. :( Still, we have fellow pax to amuse us, such as the extended family [6-7 of them?] in the Lounge who spread themselves over ‘their’ territory before going for a nice wander round the shops etc. :) https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7e320809e.jpeg And the sun slowly rose over LGW. :D :D https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...564e6f806.jpeg And finally … 3 Dec 19 LGW-JER, BA2772, 1300-1400, A319, CE seats 1A/C Yup - Gate 5 as usual. A queue to enter the holding pen, as the BP readers were being awkward as usual, with many [including me] being sent to the manual processing desk. Otherwise, nothing much to say, another x-channel hop … apart from the CC. With 8 rows of CE, they managed to serve lunch and drinks to those ~30 pax in about 30 minutes!! They were so organised and efficient it made my eyes water! The ‘runway to runway’ time was 48 minutes, IIRC. And after arrival there was the usual tedious wait for bags, with one coming out early and the 2nd towards the end! Loose-loading in the hold obviously doesn’t help. .................................................. . And that was it for 2019’s travels … 28 sectors, 49,794 miles and 116 hours in the air! That involved 7 trips [all for leisure]: PHX, MLA, UVF, LBA, IAD, MLA and of course CPT. And now we will have to sit at home in the cold, wrapped in blankets, until the end of Feb 20, when we start the year with a trip to a new destination in the Caribbean. :D https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ed7e9225b3.png |
AFTERTHOUGHTS
SA in general. We simply love the Western Cape - it fits a broad selection of our holiday requirements perfectly. Good food and wine, lovely people, fine weather and some nice accommodation in 3 quite different locations. Planning for 2020 is already under way!! Amenity kit. We liked the QR amenity kit, and especially the PJs and slippers [which actually both fit me!]. A much better provision for business pax than BA, who only give PJs and slippers to First pax. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4f22c3bb6.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...93d645a49.jpeg BA/QR comparisons. An interesting mix of positives and negatives, which slightly surprised me. x Frequent and silent QR airframe changes, seat changes for no apparent reason. Really annoying. ✓ Cabin crew. Described by some on FT as ‘robotic’, we didn’t find this to be the case. However, unquestionably CC ethnicity plays a part. ✓ Seats generally much better than BA’s current CW configuration, with the exception of the 777 seats which we found inferior due to lack of stowage places. ✓ Food generally better than BA’s and with infinitely better presentation and attention to details. ✓ Cleanliness impeccable, especially the lavatories. ✓ Ground handling generally friendly and efficient, with one exception … x Boarding at CPT was ludicrous, partly caused by Gate A5 design flaws and lack of queue management. x CPT lounge decidedly inferior to the BA Lounge (OK, we were in the Bidvest overflow, but even so). That's it ... thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed at least some of t! https://i.imgur.com/OS5TRSG.jpg |
Thanks, UncleT - I've read the lovely TR words, and will look again when the FT daemons allow us to see the pictures :)
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Originally Posted by Tocsin
(Post 31818809)
Thanks, UncleT - I've read the lovely TR words, and will look again when the FT daemons allow us to see the pictures :)
Edit: they're still all there on my Mac, but only place-holders on iPad. Strange!. |
A bit surprised at your reflections on QR. I had been anticipating you being the next member of the QR J is better than BA F Club!
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Originally Posted by AlienInTheFatherland
(Post 31819002)
A bit surprised at your reflections on QR. I had been anticipating you being the next member of the QR J is better than BA F Club!
I will however state boldly that QR J is much better in the air than BA J. :) Better seats, nicer details, better food options all did it for us. I won’t get into CC comparisons, because the complexities of both the individual passenger and the individual CC generate a particular rapport ... or not. We both felt extremely well looked after on every sector. BTW, are the pictures showing for you? |
No pictures for me either on my phone.
You were very unlucky - 3 of my last 5 sectors on a A350-1000 were swapped to the -900 and 1 was swapped to a 777-300ER, and all had Qsuites. I also had an A380 swapped late to a 777-300ER and so gained Qsuites there too. Better luck next time! |
Thanks for this uncle T, I need to get a shift on with my TR. although the photo issue renders it a bit pointless atm (no pics showing up here either! We will have to take your word for it!!)
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Imgur doesn't allow hotlinking of their images on other websites, which means that they won't show up on FT. You're able to see them on your personal computer since you're probably logged into your imgur account there. You will need to host the images on another site for the rest of us to see them.
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Originally Posted by steveman518
(Post 31820488)
Imgur doesn't allow hotlinking of their images on other websites, which means that they won't show up on FT. You're able to see them on your personal computer since you're probably logged into your imgur account there. You will need to host the images on another site for the rest of us to see them.
Rather stupid that Imgur specifically has a button to copy codes to hotlink to Message boards/Forums! (BBCode below) https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...44ff00661b.png |
So no Q-suites on any route? Lousy of them!
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Image restoration in progress! Part 1 done already, but a slow process. FT’s image uploader is working very slowly for me, and thus taking me 4 minutes to restore each image. Only another 50 to go! :)
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Great TR / Im ok without pics as I know how that can occur.
I love your nicotine - do you use nicotine gum on flights?? Glad you love SA so much - what will your 2020 routing be??? I would have been curious about DOH lounges but can imagine the desire to continue on the journey with the 2 long haul flights. But that’s one huge lounge. |
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