Did we finally make QR Platinum? Part 1
Nov 16, 2022, 12:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Did we finally make QR Platinum? Part 1
Part 1
This will be my first trip report, so apologies if the report is too long, too short or just not very good.
There will be photos and some video footage after the preamble.
We travel to Dubai 4/5 times a year since 2009, therefore through a process of elimination used Qatar Airways and joined their Privlege Club. Even through the embargo we managed to maintain some status, but it was tricky.
The back story begins in March 2020, when through several double Q point flights and a fantastic introductory J fare to Langkawi from LHR, myself & Mrs L were within striking distance of upgrading from QR Priv Gold to Platinum.
However, while in Kuala Lumpur, before we arrived in Langkawi, it became apparent all was not well with Covid.
As a precaution I booked 2 economy award tickets from Langkawi to LHR on a flight leaving 5 days earlier than planned. This was the best decision I ever made, we left Langkawi in economy & changed all our plans.
The rest is history and I’m sure like everyone in flyertalk we longed for the days when we could all fly again.
Forward to 2022, once again Qatar offered double Qpoints which we took advantage of and a fantastic 100 Qpoint bonus, for every booking made on 10th December 2021 to celebrate the World Cup a year later.
We had a 2 week break planned for October 2022 in Dubai and with uncertainty over Covid we decided not to book the flights well in advance, like we usually do. Another reason to wait was an outside chance that Qatar would offer another double Qpoint deal, but by mid September it was obvious this wasn’t going to happen.
We had enough points already to renew our Gold Status and we were a tantalising 175 points from Platinum, if we could earn them before the end of October 2022.
I was horrified by the fares from LHR to DXB in economy and out of interest checked the price to KUL, to my surprise there wasn’t much of a difference.
Therefore I spent about a week, trying out different routings even flying ex Europe, but we had to spend at least a week in Dubai, which would increase the price and complexity.
By this time BA and MH both had a decent sale on, which would really help with gaining Qpoints.
Finally, I managed to come up with a plan that would gain us the 175 points, but it would involve 12 flights in 16 days. How on earth would I sell this to Mrs. Loungeabout?
The main selling point would be to spend at least a week in Kuala Lumpur, her favourite place on earth.
All of the long haul would be in economy, but would hope to upgrade 1 or 2 sectors with Avios, there was an upgrade available on 1 sector for 1 person already. I gave it the hard sell and promised Mrs. L would have first dibs on any upgrades available, to my surprise the lure of Kuala Lumpur was enough to seal the deal.
Now the hard part, to make sure I booked the correct flights on the correct days and in the correct order for two people.
The Routing I came up with to maximise Qpoints was as follows:
Day 1. LHR-ARN. BA. (J). 12 points. &. Overnight at Radisson Blue Arlanda.
Day 2. ARN-DOH. QR. (Y). 25 points
Day 3 DOH-DXB. QR. (Y). 8 points
Days 3 - 8. In Dubai
Day 8. DXB- DOH. QR. (Y). 8 points
Day 9. DOH-SIN. QR. (Y). 25 points
Day 9. SIN-KUL. MH. (Y). 7 points?
Days 9 - 11 In Kuala Lumpur
DAY 12. Double B2B to Langkawi MH (J). 4 x 12 pts = 48 pts
Day 13 - 15. Recover from Day 12 in Kuala Lumpur
Day 16. KUL-DOH. QR. (Y). 25 pts
DOH-LHR. QR. (Y). 25 pts
Making a grand total of 183 Qpoints, including 7 pts on the QR/MH SIN-KUL codeshare, which I wasn’t a 100% sure we would get. If we didn’t we would still earn 176 pts which was enough.
From this itinerary, the main risks were a problem with the BA flight to ARN, missing the Doha to Dubai connection, the Doha to Singapore connection and of course taking on a double Back to Back from KUL to LGK.
The contingency plan for the BA flight, was to fly out the Saturday evening and stay overnight at Arlanda.Also to take the Sunday afternoon QR flight, in case BA cancelled the evening flight, then we could still take the Sunday morning BA flight, if that makes sense.
Looking at the history of QR168 (ARN-DOH) the on time arrival stats were excellent and it was a 2 hour connection for the DXB flight, so we were fairly confident.
The return DXB-DOH flight left at 2300hrs, with another flight at 2330hrs and a 3 hour connection in Doha for the Singapore flight, so again we were pretty confident we would make the connection ok.
The main risk/worry to the plan falling apart, was the double back to back from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi.
We had completed this back to back before Covid and it was an absolute breeze, would it still be the same?
My main worry was the weather, if a thunderstorm sat over LGK for any period of time and delayed our morning departure, would we be back in time to take the next flight mid afternoon?
Obviously if the plane went technical in LGK it was game over.
The only contingency I had was a gap of 3.5 hours between the end of the first B2B and the start of the 2nd, hopefully that would be enough.
Booking details to follow.
This will be my first trip report, so apologies if the report is too long, too short or just not very good.
There will be photos and some video footage after the preamble.
We travel to Dubai 4/5 times a year since 2009, therefore through a process of elimination used Qatar Airways and joined their Privlege Club. Even through the embargo we managed to maintain some status, but it was tricky.
The back story begins in March 2020, when through several double Q point flights and a fantastic introductory J fare to Langkawi from LHR, myself & Mrs L were within striking distance of upgrading from QR Priv Gold to Platinum.
However, while in Kuala Lumpur, before we arrived in Langkawi, it became apparent all was not well with Covid.
As a precaution I booked 2 economy award tickets from Langkawi to LHR on a flight leaving 5 days earlier than planned. This was the best decision I ever made, we left Langkawi in economy & changed all our plans.
The rest is history and I’m sure like everyone in flyertalk we longed for the days when we could all fly again.
Forward to 2022, once again Qatar offered double Qpoints which we took advantage of and a fantastic 100 Qpoint bonus, for every booking made on 10th December 2021 to celebrate the World Cup a year later.
We had a 2 week break planned for October 2022 in Dubai and with uncertainty over Covid we decided not to book the flights well in advance, like we usually do. Another reason to wait was an outside chance that Qatar would offer another double Qpoint deal, but by mid September it was obvious this wasn’t going to happen.
We had enough points already to renew our Gold Status and we were a tantalising 175 points from Platinum, if we could earn them before the end of October 2022.
I was horrified by the fares from LHR to DXB in economy and out of interest checked the price to KUL, to my surprise there wasn’t much of a difference.
Therefore I spent about a week, trying out different routings even flying ex Europe, but we had to spend at least a week in Dubai, which would increase the price and complexity.
By this time BA and MH both had a decent sale on, which would really help with gaining Qpoints.
Finally, I managed to come up with a plan that would gain us the 175 points, but it would involve 12 flights in 16 days. How on earth would I sell this to Mrs. Loungeabout?
The main selling point would be to spend at least a week in Kuala Lumpur, her favourite place on earth.
All of the long haul would be in economy, but would hope to upgrade 1 or 2 sectors with Avios, there was an upgrade available on 1 sector for 1 person already. I gave it the hard sell and promised Mrs. L would have first dibs on any upgrades available, to my surprise the lure of Kuala Lumpur was enough to seal the deal.
Now the hard part, to make sure I booked the correct flights on the correct days and in the correct order for two people.
The Routing I came up with to maximise Qpoints was as follows:
Day 1. LHR-ARN. BA. (J). 12 points. &. Overnight at Radisson Blue Arlanda.
Day 2. ARN-DOH. QR. (Y). 25 points
Day 3 DOH-DXB. QR. (Y). 8 points
Days 3 - 8. In Dubai
Day 8. DXB- DOH. QR. (Y). 8 points
Day 9. DOH-SIN. QR. (Y). 25 points
Day 9. SIN-KUL. MH. (Y). 7 points?
Days 9 - 11 In Kuala Lumpur
DAY 12. Double B2B to Langkawi MH (J). 4 x 12 pts = 48 pts
Day 13 - 15. Recover from Day 12 in Kuala Lumpur
Day 16. KUL-DOH. QR. (Y). 25 pts
DOH-LHR. QR. (Y). 25 pts
Making a grand total of 183 Qpoints, including 7 pts on the QR/MH SIN-KUL codeshare, which I wasn’t a 100% sure we would get. If we didn’t we would still earn 176 pts which was enough.
From this itinerary, the main risks were a problem with the BA flight to ARN, missing the Doha to Dubai connection, the Doha to Singapore connection and of course taking on a double Back to Back from KUL to LGK.
The contingency plan for the BA flight, was to fly out the Saturday evening and stay overnight at Arlanda.Also to take the Sunday afternoon QR flight, in case BA cancelled the evening flight, then we could still take the Sunday morning BA flight, if that makes sense.
Looking at the history of QR168 (ARN-DOH) the on time arrival stats were excellent and it was a 2 hour connection for the DXB flight, so we were fairly confident.
The return DXB-DOH flight left at 2300hrs, with another flight at 2330hrs and a 3 hour connection in Doha for the Singapore flight, so again we were pretty confident we would make the connection ok.
The main risk/worry to the plan falling apart, was the double back to back from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi.
We had completed this back to back before Covid and it was an absolute breeze, would it still be the same?
My main worry was the weather, if a thunderstorm sat over LGK for any period of time and delayed our morning departure, would we be back in time to take the next flight mid afternoon?
Obviously if the plane went technical in LGK it was game over.
The only contingency I had was a gap of 3.5 hours between the end of the first B2B and the start of the 2nd, hopefully that would be enough.
Booking details to follow.
Last edited by Loungeabout; Nov 17, 2022 at 2:25 pm
Nov 16, 2022, 12:52 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Part 2
In the end I had to book the 12 flights over 5 separate PNR’s.
The BA flight (LHR/ARN) was quite straightforward except that it was cheaper to book a return ticket, outbound in J & return in Y, than to book a single J ticket. If all went well we wouldn’t need the return sector.
The Qatar booking would require two separate PNR’s, the routing ARN/DOH/DXB/DOH/KUL/DOH/LHR proved to be impossible to put under one PNR in QR’s system.
I booked ARN/DOH/KUL/DOH/LHR under one PNR and DOH/DXB/DOH under a separate booking, being very careful to book the correct dates/times so the connections would be within normal limits. I was almost certain that QR in Arlanda would have no problem linking the two bookings once we checked in. Qatar at LHR had linked two bookings for us, a few years before without any issues.
When I was ready to book the Qatar flights, to my horror the price for the routing ARN/DOH/KUL/DOH/LHR with MH metal direct from DOH/KUL had gone up by £250 overnight.
Fortunately Qatar offered an alternative routing, at the former price, which was DOH/SIN/KUL with the DOH/SIN on QR metal & SIN/KUL on MH metal. The timings worked and the extra Qpoints for the MH SIN/KUL might come in handy, with the added bonus of a possible upgrade opportunity on the DOH/SIN sector.
The 2nd QR PNR was just the DOH/DXB/DOH flights with a long stopover in Dubai.
Finally, the two Back to Backs from KUL to LGK would need careful planning, last time I booked two separate single tickets.
My solution was to make the first MH booking from KUL/LGK & LGK/KUL,
with ETD 0925 from KUL & ETD 1735 from LGK.
Then I made the second MH booking from LGK/KUL & KUL/LGK,
with ETD 1110 from LGK & ETD 1555 from KUL.
The double back to back would be as follows:
MH1432. KUL/LGK. ETD0925. ETA1035
MH1433. LGK/KUL. ETD1110. ETA1225
Lunch in Golden Lounge KUL.
MH1446. KUL/LGK. ETD1555. ETA1700
MH1455. LGK/KUL. ETD1735. ETA1850
This would give 3.5 hours between the back to backs in KUL, hopefully plenty of time for any delays.
After planning, triple checking and booking the flights, I was hoping that actually taking the flights would be less stressful.
Don’t worry that’s the end of the introduction, the next part will be the start of the journey with plenty of photos and videos.
In the end I had to book the 12 flights over 5 separate PNR’s.
The BA flight (LHR/ARN) was quite straightforward except that it was cheaper to book a return ticket, outbound in J & return in Y, than to book a single J ticket. If all went well we wouldn’t need the return sector.
The Qatar booking would require two separate PNR’s, the routing ARN/DOH/DXB/DOH/KUL/DOH/LHR proved to be impossible to put under one PNR in QR’s system.
I booked ARN/DOH/KUL/DOH/LHR under one PNR and DOH/DXB/DOH under a separate booking, being very careful to book the correct dates/times so the connections would be within normal limits. I was almost certain that QR in Arlanda would have no problem linking the two bookings once we checked in. Qatar at LHR had linked two bookings for us, a few years before without any issues.
When I was ready to book the Qatar flights, to my horror the price for the routing ARN/DOH/KUL/DOH/LHR with MH metal direct from DOH/KUL had gone up by £250 overnight.
Fortunately Qatar offered an alternative routing, at the former price, which was DOH/SIN/KUL with the DOH/SIN on QR metal & SIN/KUL on MH metal. The timings worked and the extra Qpoints for the MH SIN/KUL might come in handy, with the added bonus of a possible upgrade opportunity on the DOH/SIN sector.
The 2nd QR PNR was just the DOH/DXB/DOH flights with a long stopover in Dubai.
Finally, the two Back to Backs from KUL to LGK would need careful planning, last time I booked two separate single tickets.
My solution was to make the first MH booking from KUL/LGK & LGK/KUL,
with ETD 0925 from KUL & ETD 1735 from LGK.
Then I made the second MH booking from LGK/KUL & KUL/LGK,
with ETD 1110 from LGK & ETD 1555 from KUL.
The double back to back would be as follows:
MH1432. KUL/LGK. ETD0925. ETA1035
MH1433. LGK/KUL. ETD1110. ETA1225
Lunch in Golden Lounge KUL.
MH1446. KUL/LGK. ETD1555. ETA1700
MH1455. LGK/KUL. ETD1735. ETA1850
This would give 3.5 hours between the back to backs in KUL, hopefully plenty of time for any delays.
After planning, triple checking and booking the flights, I was hoping that actually taking the flights would be less stressful.
Don’t worry that’s the end of the introduction, the next part will be the start of the journey with plenty of photos and videos.
Last edited by Loungeabout; Nov 17, 2022 at 3:26 pm
Nov 17, 2022, 3:26 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Day 1 LHR - ARN BA786
No problems checking in online or at the bag drop, security was busy but not too bad. Somehow I managed leave my grey leather belt at security as I repacked various items, which was a present from Mrs.L. She was not best pleased, if anyone found a grey Debenhams leather belt in October, it's mine!
We went to T5 Galleries South Lounge, the food selection seemed slightly better than I remember, a 20min delay was shown on the boards.
Gate A18 was our gate, so it couldn't of been closer.
Flight One of Twelve
BA786. LHR-ARN. 8th October 2022. Club Europe
Airbus A320-232. Reg G-EUUA
ETD 1925. ETA 2255
ATD 2018. ATA 2318
Newly painted?
Mrs L. said the Beef & Horseradish salad was ok.
Chicken Pie it wasn't great to be honest.
We booked a night at the Radisson Blu Arlanda Hotel, approx £80 incl breakfast, which was just 5 mins away by the Long Term Car Park Bus. I highly recommend this hotel, it is a free transfer Bus No. P3 from in front of the terminal 2 and operated every 15mins 24/7. The bus was pretty full even at Midnight with Pilots & Cabin crew.
We had checked in online to the hotel & we were in our room by 1230am only 70mins after landing, all very efficient.
We went to T5 Galleries South Lounge, the food selection seemed slightly better than I remember, a 20min delay was shown on the boards.
Gate A18 was our gate, so it couldn't of been closer.
Flight One of Twelve
BA786. LHR-ARN. 8th October 2022. Club Europe
Airbus A320-232. Reg G-EUUA
ETD 1925. ETA 2255
ATD 2018. ATA 2318
Newly painted?
Mrs L. said the Beef & Horseradish salad was ok.
Chicken Pie it wasn't great to be honest.
We booked a night at the Radisson Blu Arlanda Hotel, approx £80 incl breakfast, which was just 5 mins away by the Long Term Car Park Bus. I highly recommend this hotel, it is a free transfer Bus No. P3 from in front of the terminal 2 and operated every 15mins 24/7. The bus was pretty full even at Midnight with Pilots & Cabin crew.
We had checked in online to the hotel & we were in our room by 1230am only 70mins after landing, all very efficient.
Last edited by Loungeabout; Nov 18, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Nov 18, 2022, 1:17 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Day 2 Arlanda Airport & ARN-DOH QR168
Radisson Blu Arlanda Hotel's rooms were small & cosy with underfloor heating in the bathroom. Breakfast selection was good, staff were friendly, unfortunately we couldn't use any of the facilities.
The shuttle bus stops right by reception.
Scandinavian type buildings by the hotel.
The Jumbo hotel across the road.
That's how close you are to the airport, no noise though.
We checked out at midday & caught the ALFA P3 shuttle bus that dropped us at Terminal 2, as construction ongoing at Terminal 5. It was a 5min walk to Terminal 5 departures and check in was already open at 1300hrs.
At check in, explained that we were flying to Doha on one PNR and connecting to Dubai on a separate PNR.
The Qatar Check in agent, consulted with the supervisor and within minutes the two PNR's had been linked/married & we were issued with BP's and luggage was tagged thru to DXB.
The usual Menzies lounge was closed, due to construction, therefore we were directed to the Menzies Lounge Norrsken. I have to say this is the WORST airport lounge I have ever had the misfortune to visit. The check in at reception took ages & when you eventually did get in, there were no seats available. We had to wait until someone left, to grab one. The food offering was diabolical, it was dirty, even the coffee machine didn't work. Hopefully this is a temporary arrangement, I would pay not to go in this lounge. We decided to leave early to go to the gate & good job we did. I'd forgotten that you had to go thru immigration & it took a good 30mins of queueing up at Gate 18.
QR168 from the lounge.
Flight Two of Twelve
QR168. ARN-DOH 9th October 2022. Economy. Seat 26K
Boeing 787-8. Reg A7-BCZ
ETD 1605. ETA 2315
ATD 1614. ATA 2258
Lovely day for flying!
I have a love/hate relationship with the Dreamliner, I love the environment on board, the lighting & the big windows. However the seats are narrow, uncomfortable & if in a window seat, the fuselage curves inwards making it feel small. We had plenty of legroom, as in an exit row, with an empty seat between us. I had the option to upgrade this sector with Avios the week before, but I wanted to save my points for a possible upgrade on a Qsuite leg later in the trip.
The flight was good, the economy food was plenty & better than BA's Club Europe offering.
The main course was good, Beef & rice.
The shuttle bus stops right by reception.
Scandinavian type buildings by the hotel.
The Jumbo hotel across the road.
That's how close you are to the airport, no noise though.
We checked out at midday & caught the ALFA P3 shuttle bus that dropped us at Terminal 2, as construction ongoing at Terminal 5. It was a 5min walk to Terminal 5 departures and check in was already open at 1300hrs.
At check in, explained that we were flying to Doha on one PNR and connecting to Dubai on a separate PNR.
The Qatar Check in agent, consulted with the supervisor and within minutes the two PNR's had been linked/married & we were issued with BP's and luggage was tagged thru to DXB.
The usual Menzies lounge was closed, due to construction, therefore we were directed to the Menzies Lounge Norrsken. I have to say this is the WORST airport lounge I have ever had the misfortune to visit. The check in at reception took ages & when you eventually did get in, there were no seats available. We had to wait until someone left, to grab one. The food offering was diabolical, it was dirty, even the coffee machine didn't work. Hopefully this is a temporary arrangement, I would pay not to go in this lounge. We decided to leave early to go to the gate & good job we did. I'd forgotten that you had to go thru immigration & it took a good 30mins of queueing up at Gate 18.
QR168 from the lounge.
Flight Two of Twelve
QR168. ARN-DOH 9th October 2022. Economy. Seat 26K
Boeing 787-8. Reg A7-BCZ
ETD 1605. ETA 2315
ATD 1614. ATA 2258
Lovely day for flying!
I have a love/hate relationship with the Dreamliner, I love the environment on board, the lighting & the big windows. However the seats are narrow, uncomfortable & if in a window seat, the fuselage curves inwards making it feel small. We had plenty of legroom, as in an exit row, with an empty seat between us. I had the option to upgrade this sector with Avios the week before, but I wanted to save my points for a possible upgrade on a Qsuite leg later in the trip.
The flight was good, the economy food was plenty & better than BA's Club Europe offering.
The main course was good, Beef & rice.
Last edited by Loungeabout; Nov 19, 2022 at 11:56 am
Nov 19, 2022, 12:37 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Day 3 HIA & DOH-DXB QR1002
We had a 2 hour connection, Mrs L. bought a small World Cup Football & then we made our way to the Gold Lounge South at A1 gate. It was just before midnight & the lounge attendant advised that Gold was full, could we make our way upstairs to the Platinum Lounge. Yes Please!!
We made a beeline for the a la carte dining area & I was going to order the burger, but they had run out? I then ordered Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough toast & it arrived within 5 mins. It was fantastic, perfect for the early hours of the morning, Mrs L. raided the buffet & we made our way to the lovely seating area, which was a bit chilly.
It's then we noticed, our flight was delayed by an hour, we were delighted we could extend our stay in the Lounge. It was fairly busy when we arrived, but emptied out by 0100hrs. We really liked the high ceilings of the lounge, the only criticism would be the signage for the toilets & I think there was only 2 showers, I could be wrong, at least there were urinals!
Slightly bigger than Mrs L's purchase.
Platinum Lounge.
Lovely Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough toast.
Flight Three of Twelve
QR1002. DOH-DXB. 10th October 2022. Economy Seat 10F
Airbus A330-302. Reg. A7-AEN
ETD 0105. ETA 0320.
ATD 0232. ATA 0421.
As you can see we were an hour late into Dubai, but we were at the front & the Metro doesn't start until 0500hrs.
Surprisingly we were both rejected by the Smart gates, it usually takes 2 or 3 goes, but we were both redirected to the Queue for immigration which took another 20mins. Then, I got thru ok, but Mrs L. was rejected again & was sent to the very back to the immigration office. I did the honourable thing, carried on & retrieved our luggage from the carousel. Mrs L. came thru eventually after a cursory check of her passport apparently. Off to the Metro we went & headed for JLT where we were staying, we arrived approx 0630hrs, could of been worse.
We made a beeline for the a la carte dining area & I was going to order the burger, but they had run out? I then ordered Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough toast & it arrived within 5 mins. It was fantastic, perfect for the early hours of the morning, Mrs L. raided the buffet & we made our way to the lovely seating area, which was a bit chilly.
It's then we noticed, our flight was delayed by an hour, we were delighted we could extend our stay in the Lounge. It was fairly busy when we arrived, but emptied out by 0100hrs. We really liked the high ceilings of the lounge, the only criticism would be the signage for the toilets & I think there was only 2 showers, I could be wrong, at least there were urinals!
Slightly bigger than Mrs L's purchase.
Platinum Lounge.
Lovely Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough toast.
Flight Three of Twelve
QR1002. DOH-DXB. 10th October 2022. Economy Seat 10F
Airbus A330-302. Reg. A7-AEN
ETD 0105. ETA 0320.
ATD 0232. ATA 0421.
As you can see we were an hour late into Dubai, but we were at the front & the Metro doesn't start until 0500hrs.
Surprisingly we were both rejected by the Smart gates, it usually takes 2 or 3 goes, but we were both redirected to the Queue for immigration which took another 20mins. Then, I got thru ok, but Mrs L. was rejected again & was sent to the very back to the immigration office. I did the honourable thing, carried on & retrieved our luggage from the carousel. Mrs L. came thru eventually after a cursory check of her passport apparently. Off to the Metro we went & headed for JLT where we were staying, we arrived approx 0630hrs, could of been worse.
Last edited by Loungeabout; Nov 19, 2022 at 12:45 pm
Nov 20, 2022, 11:28 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Days 4-7 Dubai
We spend a fair amount of time in Dubai, here are just a few pics & videos of the area around JLT that we stay in.
JLT from Cluster M.
Moevenpick Hotel JLT.
JLT from Cluster M.
Moevenpick Hotel JLT.
Nov 20, 2022, 11:57 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Day 8 DXB-DOH. QR1015
We checked in online, all the way to KUL, as if it was under one booking and not two, if that makes sense. We only had one case, so took the JLT feeder bus to DMCC metro station & took the metro, it was busy as it was a Saturday evening. The journey takes about 50mins, the queue for normal check was huge, Qatar have two flights within 30mins. Thankfully our queue only took 15mins & we were soon on our way to the Ahlan Business Class Lounge (DIH) at Concourse D.
The lounge was very busy, but we found a seat ok. The food selection was much better than I remember, good choices of hot or cold & plenty of desserts!
Flight Four of Twelve
QR1015. DXB-DOH. 15th October 2022. Economy Seat 10K
Boeing 777-3DZ. Reg. A7-BAN
ETD 2300. ETA 2310.
ATD 2326. ATA 2320.
A7-BAN B77W.
The lounge was very busy, but we found a seat ok. The food selection was much better than I remember, good choices of hot or cold & plenty of desserts!
Flight Four of Twelve
QR1015. DXB-DOH. 15th October 2022. Economy Seat 10K
Boeing 777-3DZ. Reg. A7-BAN
ETD 2300. ETA 2310.
ATD 2326. ATA 2320.
A7-BAN B77W.
Nov 21, 2022, 10:25 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Day 9 Gold Lounge & DOH-SIN-KUL
We had a 3 hour connection & made our way to the Gold Lounge by Gate A1. This time we were allowed access to the Gold Lounge South, instead of the Platinum, we thought the food offerings were poor, the only real plus were the four shower cubicles. The lounge was small & crowded, we both thought the Silver Lounge was probably better, hopefully the Gold Lounge North will be an improvement. Our gate was C14 at the new North Node.
Gate C14 by North Node.
Flight Five of Twelve
QR946 DOH-SIN. 16th October 2022. Economy Seat 30H
Airbus A350-1041. Reg. A7-ANJ
ETD 0235. ETA 1545
ATD 0256. ATA 1508
We were in seats 30H/K which was great for legroom & with just the two seats together was good, but no window as such to take any pics. I must say the A350, especially the 1000 version is my favourite twinjet, it's very quiet, seat is comfortable, plenty of space & I love the tail camera.
We had a 2 hour connection at Singapore & I'd forgotten how huge the airport, we arrived at a D gate. Our connecting flight to KUL was C26, so it was a bit of a trek. On the way, thanks to fellow flyertalkers who recommended the Qantas Business Lounge, we popped in for just 15 mins unfortunately. We really liked the food offerings, Mrs L. loved the Laksa & the chocolate biscuit cake, plenty of space/seating, we would of loved to stay longer.
Changi Airport.
More Changi Airport
Qantas Business Lounge Changi.
Flight Six of Twelve
MH620. SIN-KUL. 16th October 2022. Economy Seat 26K
Airbus A330-223. Reg. 9M-MTY
ETD 1715. ETA 1825.
ATD 1729. ATA 1807.
9M-MTY. A332.
Qatar A7-ANL A351 different to the one we flew on.
Long taxi to take off, looks like they are building 1 or 2 more runways.
Storm clouds out of Singapore.
Gate C14 by North Node.
Flight Five of Twelve
QR946 DOH-SIN. 16th October 2022. Economy Seat 30H
Airbus A350-1041. Reg. A7-ANJ
ETD 0235. ETA 1545
ATD 0256. ATA 1508
We were in seats 30H/K which was great for legroom & with just the two seats together was good, but no window as such to take any pics. I must say the A350, especially the 1000 version is my favourite twinjet, it's very quiet, seat is comfortable, plenty of space & I love the tail camera.
We had a 2 hour connection at Singapore & I'd forgotten how huge the airport, we arrived at a D gate. Our connecting flight to KUL was C26, so it was a bit of a trek. On the way, thanks to fellow flyertalkers who recommended the Qantas Business Lounge, we popped in for just 15 mins unfortunately. We really liked the food offerings, Mrs L. loved the Laksa & the chocolate biscuit cake, plenty of space/seating, we would of loved to stay longer.
Changi Airport.
More Changi Airport
Qantas Business Lounge Changi.
Flight Six of Twelve
MH620. SIN-KUL. 16th October 2022. Economy Seat 26K
Airbus A330-223. Reg. 9M-MTY
ETD 1715. ETA 1825.
ATD 1729. ATA 1807.
9M-MTY. A332.
Qatar A7-ANL A351 different to the one we flew on.
Long taxi to take off, looks like they are building 1 or 2 more runways.
Storm clouds out of Singapore.
Nov 21, 2022, 11:51 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Days 10-11 in Kuala Lumpur
We stayed in the Bukit Bintang area, along Jalan Conlay at the Royale Chulan Hotel. The hotel is in need of a refurbishment, but we really like the location, very close to Pavilions & various transport links. The new MRT line opens next year, which will be opposite the hotel (Station Conlay).
See a few pics below of our first couple of days in KL.
Merdaka 118, now tallest in KL.
Petronas Towers from KLCC Park
Not something you see everyday growing in a city.
My favourite Pad Thai & Mango Salad.
My 2nd favourite, Secret Recipe Cheesecake.
That's it for now, next part the double back to back to Langkawi.
See a few pics below of our first couple of days in KL.
Merdaka 118, now tallest in KL.
Petronas Towers from KLCC Park
Not something you see everyday growing in a city.
My favourite Pad Thai & Mango Salad.
My 2nd favourite, Secret Recipe Cheesecake.
That's it for now, next part the double back to back to Langkawi.
Last edited by Loungeabout; Nov 21, 2022 at 12:19 pm
Nov 23, 2022, 12:45 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Day 12 KUL - LGK. Double B2B
I was a bit apprehensive about how the day would pan out, especially when I checked the weather forecast. Thunderstorms were forecast all day long in Langkawi, I feared that we would be delayed or even worse, stuck on the ground waiting for the weather to clear in LGK. The approach can only be made from the sea on runway 03 and take off must only be made towards the sea from runway 21, if that makes sense.
. We left the hotel at approx 0630 & walked to Bukit Bintang MRT station & took the train to Muzium Negara, which is linked to KL Sentral. Currently the KLIA Express & KL Transit service has been combined to offer a stopping service, every 10mins in the peak & 20mins off peak. We caught the 0710 train & arrived at KLIA approx 0800hrs for the first flight at 0925hrs. We had checked in online, but had to print our Boarding Passes at the airport. I firstly used one of the many self service machines, but it would only print 3 of the 4 BP's. The one that wouldn't print was the 1110 departure from LGK-KUL for some reason. We then went to the Business Check-in, where the staff printed the missing BP. As we walked away towards security, suddenly one of the Check-in staff ran after us & said there was a problem.
The Check-in staff couldn't understand why we flying under two different PNR's to LGK twice on the same day.
We then explained that we were flying two Back 2 Backs, then the penny dropped, she said "Are you crazy? Why?"
The Manager on the next counter said with a knowing smile "You need the points for your frequent flyer status don't you? Just make sure they scan your Boarding Passes at the gates" We all laughed & quickly made our way through security towards the Golden Lounge Domestic by Gate A2 for a much needed breakfast. I really like the Domestic Lounge, it's not too busy, food is good & has fantastic views of the apron. Our gate would be A7 so not far away.
Located by Gate A2.
Great views from Lounge.
Flight Seven of Twelve. (First of Four for the day)
MH1432. KUL-LGK. 19th October 2022 Business Seat 1F
Boeing 737-8H6. Reg 9M-MLR. Gate A7
ETD. 0925. ETA. 1035
ATD. 0931. ATA. 1019
MH1432 KUL-LGK
Enjoyed the mug of tea!
Lovely Chicken Satay for Brunch.
One down Four to go!
We were first off the plane, we didn't tell the cabin crew we hoped to be back very soon. We walked straight through baggage claim, exited landside, turned right bypassed all of the check in area staying outside the glassed off area. Entered Domestic flight security, no queue and arrived at Gate 5 ready for boarding. I timed it on my phone as 5mins from exiting the plane, to arriving at the boarding gate. (phew)
. We left the hotel at approx 0630 & walked to Bukit Bintang MRT station & took the train to Muzium Negara, which is linked to KL Sentral. Currently the KLIA Express & KL Transit service has been combined to offer a stopping service, every 10mins in the peak & 20mins off peak. We caught the 0710 train & arrived at KLIA approx 0800hrs for the first flight at 0925hrs. We had checked in online, but had to print our Boarding Passes at the airport. I firstly used one of the many self service machines, but it would only print 3 of the 4 BP's. The one that wouldn't print was the 1110 departure from LGK-KUL for some reason. We then went to the Business Check-in, where the staff printed the missing BP. As we walked away towards security, suddenly one of the Check-in staff ran after us & said there was a problem.
The Check-in staff couldn't understand why we flying under two different PNR's to LGK twice on the same day.
We then explained that we were flying two Back 2 Backs, then the penny dropped, she said "Are you crazy? Why?"
The Manager on the next counter said with a knowing smile "You need the points for your frequent flyer status don't you? Just make sure they scan your Boarding Passes at the gates" We all laughed & quickly made our way through security towards the Golden Lounge Domestic by Gate A2 for a much needed breakfast. I really like the Domestic Lounge, it's not too busy, food is good & has fantastic views of the apron. Our gate would be A7 so not far away.
Located by Gate A2.
Great views from Lounge.
Flight Seven of Twelve. (First of Four for the day)
MH1432. KUL-LGK. 19th October 2022 Business Seat 1F
Boeing 737-8H6. Reg 9M-MLR. Gate A7
ETD. 0925. ETA. 1035
ATD. 0931. ATA. 1019
MH1432 KUL-LGK
Enjoyed the mug of tea!
Lovely Chicken Satay for Brunch.
One down Four to go!
We were first off the plane, we didn't tell the cabin crew we hoped to be back very soon. We walked straight through baggage claim, exited landside, turned right bypassed all of the check in area staying outside the glassed off area. Entered Domestic flight security, no queue and arrived at Gate 5 ready for boarding. I timed it on my phone as 5mins from exiting the plane, to arriving at the boarding gate. (phew)
Last edited by Loungeabout; Nov 23, 2022 at 2:13 pm
Nov 23, 2022, 2:08 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Flight Eight of Twelve. (Second of Four for the day)
MH1433. LGK-KUL. 19th October 2022 Business Seat 2D
Boeing 737-8H6. Reg. 9M-MLR.
ETD 1110. ETA. 1225
ATD. 1105. ATA. 1200
We're back!!
As we boarded, we reached the top of the stairs, then the Senior Cabin Crew recognised us and the look on her face was an absolute picture. She happened to be talking to the First Officer at the time, when she told him he burst out laughing. We explained the reason and she gave us extra attention on the flight back to KL. She tried to give us food & drink, but we were still full from the previous flight. The weather had been kind to us so far, a heavy shower had passed through just B4 we landed in LGK.
Penang.
We arrived nice & early, then made our back to the Domestic Golden Lounge for a hearty lunch & some plane spotting.
Lovely Noodles
Special 40th Anniversary Livery.
Really like the Batik colours.
We had nearly 3 hours in the lounge to freshen up, our next flight would be from a B Gate.
Flight Nine of Twelve. (Third of Four for the day)
MH1446. KUL-LGK. 19th October 2022 Business Seat 1F
Boeing 737-8H6. Reg. 9M-MXQ
ETD. 1555. ETA. 1700
ATD. 1608. ATA. 1658
As we taxied to the runway it was sad to see the MH A380's all parked up, with engine covers on. Hopefully they will be picked up by another airline one day, would hate to see them scrapped.
Two of the MH A380's stored.
MH A380
Storm clouds brewing (gulp)
Penang the 3rd time today.
Penang Airport
Halfway through the flight after trying to give us food, that we continually declined after 3 hours in the lounge, the female cabin crew member asked us if we were on the return flight as well. We explained we were and she thanked us for using Malaysia Airlines, as the last couple of years were really difficult and was nice to see tourists returning.
When we landed and left the plane we told her not to go without us!!
This looks familiar.
We took the same route through the baggage claim area and then we heard a shout " Sir/Madam Stop!!"
It was one of the customs officers, oh no we're in trouble, it was going too well.
Continues....... tomorrow.
Boeing 737-8H6. Reg. 9M-MLR.
ETD 1110. ETA. 1225
ATD. 1105. ATA. 1200
We're back!!
As we boarded, we reached the top of the stairs, then the Senior Cabin Crew recognised us and the look on her face was an absolute picture. She happened to be talking to the First Officer at the time, when she told him he burst out laughing. We explained the reason and she gave us extra attention on the flight back to KL. She tried to give us food & drink, but we were still full from the previous flight. The weather had been kind to us so far, a heavy shower had passed through just B4 we landed in LGK.
Penang.
We arrived nice & early, then made our back to the Domestic Golden Lounge for a hearty lunch & some plane spotting.
Lovely Noodles
Special 40th Anniversary Livery.
Really like the Batik colours.
We had nearly 3 hours in the lounge to freshen up, our next flight would be from a B Gate.
Flight Nine of Twelve. (Third of Four for the day)
MH1446. KUL-LGK. 19th October 2022 Business Seat 1F
Boeing 737-8H6. Reg. 9M-MXQ
ETD. 1555. ETA. 1700
ATD. 1608. ATA. 1658
As we taxied to the runway it was sad to see the MH A380's all parked up, with engine covers on. Hopefully they will be picked up by another airline one day, would hate to see them scrapped.
Two of the MH A380's stored.
MH A380
Storm clouds brewing (gulp)
Penang the 3rd time today.
Penang Airport
Halfway through the flight after trying to give us food, that we continually declined after 3 hours in the lounge, the female cabin crew member asked us if we were on the return flight as well. We explained we were and she thanked us for using Malaysia Airlines, as the last couple of years were really difficult and was nice to see tourists returning.
When we landed and left the plane we told her not to go without us!!
This looks familiar.
We took the same route through the baggage claim area and then we heard a shout " Sir/Madam Stop!!"
It was one of the customs officers, oh no we're in trouble, it was going too well.
Continues....... tomorrow.
Nov 24, 2022, 11:49 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Flight Nine of Twelve (Third of Four for the day)
Continued .........
We sheepishly walked over to the Customs Officer, fearing the worst.
He said "Don't forget to collect your luggage."
We both burst out laughing & said "We haven't got any thanks"
We followed the same path to Domestic Flight Security and reached Gate 5 in no time. It was packed, a lot busier than the early flight, within 5mins boarding was called.
We walked across the tarmac and spotted the Cabin Crew at the top of the stairs, who had beaming smiles. I raised my arms in mock celebration as we walked up the stairs, we had made it.
Flight Ten of Twelve. (Fourth and last of the day)
MH1455. LGK-KUL. 19th October 2022 Business Seat 1F
Boeing 737-8H6. Reg. 9M-MXQ
ETD. 1735. ETA. 1850.
ATD. 1752. ATA. 1846.
Final Flight of the day
What we didn't realise was the reason the flight was so full, the Tour De Langkawi (Cycling) had finished the day before. The plane was completely full with cyclists, cyclist team members and their carry-ons. The cyclist all seemed to have their racing shoes/cleats strapped to their backpacks and it was obvious the ramp crew were struggling to load the huge amount of luggage into the front & rear holds. Eventually we were ready to depart & the Cabin Crew made a real fuss of us on the way back to KL, plying us with tea & biscuits. As we flew back along the Malaysian Peninsula, the sun was setting in the west, which was very fitting for a day we will never forget.
Lovely sunset.
Even better.
KLIA
We sheepishly walked over to the Customs Officer, fearing the worst.
He said "Don't forget to collect your luggage."
We both burst out laughing & said "We haven't got any thanks"
We followed the same path to Domestic Flight Security and reached Gate 5 in no time. It was packed, a lot busier than the early flight, within 5mins boarding was called.
We walked across the tarmac and spotted the Cabin Crew at the top of the stairs, who had beaming smiles. I raised my arms in mock celebration as we walked up the stairs, we had made it.
Flight Ten of Twelve. (Fourth and last of the day)
MH1455. LGK-KUL. 19th October 2022 Business Seat 1F
Boeing 737-8H6. Reg. 9M-MXQ
ETD. 1735. ETA. 1850.
ATD. 1752. ATA. 1846.
Final Flight of the day
What we didn't realise was the reason the flight was so full, the Tour De Langkawi (Cycling) had finished the day before. The plane was completely full with cyclists, cyclist team members and their carry-ons. The cyclist all seemed to have their racing shoes/cleats strapped to their backpacks and it was obvious the ramp crew were struggling to load the huge amount of luggage into the front & rear holds. Eventually we were ready to depart & the Cabin Crew made a real fuss of us on the way back to KL, plying us with tea & biscuits. As we flew back along the Malaysian Peninsula, the sun was setting in the west, which was very fitting for a day we will never forget.
Lovely sunset.
Even better.
KLIA
Nov 24, 2022, 12:29 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Days 13-15 Kuala Lumpur
The next day we took it easy, after the very long hectic day before. The highlight of the last few days, was a visit to Mutiara Damansara, which we wanted to check out as a possible location for an extended break in the future.
We really liked the area, the Curve Mall was good, but we really loved the variety of eating places. Especially the basement of the IPC Mall, which was full of locals, which is usually a sign of great food and good value. Also the Lotus hypermarket was excellent, it had a small food court, which again was fantastic value.
Suria KLCC.
Bukit Bintang.
Lovely.
More Cheesecake.
We really liked the area, the Curve Mall was good, but we really loved the variety of eating places. Especially the basement of the IPC Mall, which was full of locals, which is usually a sign of great food and good value. Also the Lotus hypermarket was excellent, it had a small food court, which again was fantastic value.
Suria KLCC.
Bukit Bintang.
Lovely.
More Cheesecake.
Last edited by Loungeabout; Nov 24, 2022 at 1:56 pm
Nov 24, 2022, 1:03 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
Day 16 Golden Lounge Satellite & KUL-DOH-LHR
Our original plan was to take a taxi to KL Sentral and get the KL Transit to KLIA, but the taxi driver offered to take us direct to KLIA for 100MYR. As it was absolutely hammering down with rain we took him up the offer.
Check in was straightforward, Mrs.L had bagged an upgrade on the KUL-DOH flight for 20,000 Avios a few weeks before, which was good. However no luck for me, I only received a ridiculous offer of 81,600 Avios 48hrs before, no thank you.
The good news was that I was in 16K (bulkhead) and I was reasonably confident I would have the three seats to myself.
We made our way to the Golden Lounge Satellite, which was very quiet with a good food selection and excellent views across the airport.
Nice views.
Noodle Bar.
Buffet.
Barista made coffee.
Here comes our plane.
Check in was straightforward, Mrs.L had bagged an upgrade on the KUL-DOH flight for 20,000 Avios a few weeks before, which was good. However no luck for me, I only received a ridiculous offer of 81,600 Avios 48hrs before, no thank you.
The good news was that I was in 16K (bulkhead) and I was reasonably confident I would have the three seats to myself.
We made our way to the Golden Lounge Satellite, which was very quiet with a good food selection and excellent views across the airport.
Nice views.
Noodle Bar.
Buffet.
Barista made coffee.
Here comes our plane.
Nov 25, 2022, 11:40 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: London
Programs: Qatar Plat, Sinbad Silver.
Posts: 212
KUL-DOH
Flight Eleven of Twelve.
QR845. KUL-DOH. 24th October 2022.
My Seat Economy 16K. /. Mrs L. Business 11J
Boeing 777-3DZ. Reg. A7-BAF. Gate C26
ETD 1055. ETA. 1335
ATD. 1115. ATA. 1305.
Mrs L. was in 11J (Business) & I was in 16K (Economy) literally 6 feet away from each other separated by a Bulkhead Wall & a drawn curtain! The Cabin Crew obviously realised and still gave me plenty of attention, Mrs L popped back occasionally with a few treats.
I must admit, don't tell Mrs. L, it was one of the best long haul economy flights I've flown. I had all 3 seats to myself 16H/J/K, so I could sit in 16K for takeoff & landing, then sat in 16J for most of the flight like a throne seat, with my stuff on the seat/tray either side of me. For me row 16 is the best economy seat on the B77W, with loads of legroom, reasonably quiet, first off, great views from window.
Meanwhile Mrs L. was spoilt in Qsuites, will post menu below with pics, at least one of us could get the upgrade.
To be fair to the Cabin Services Manager, she said they would of at least moved me into the J cabin, but there were zero empty seats. Apparently all empty J seats were snapped up by Moto Grand Prix Riders & staff, as the Malaysian Moto GP was on the day before. I managed to take some good footage on takeoff, landing & flying over Dubai. (See below)
Love the view from 16K
Menu Cover
Appetiser
Roasted Chicken.
Dessert
Afternoon Tea.
Dubai Creek
DXB Airport
Concourse A
Concourse B & C
Concourse D
The World Islands
Europe at the World Islands
Reflection of A7-BAF
QR845. KUL-DOH. 24th October 2022.
My Seat Economy 16K. /. Mrs L. Business 11J
Boeing 777-3DZ. Reg. A7-BAF. Gate C26
ETD 1055. ETA. 1335
ATD. 1115. ATA. 1305.
Mrs L. was in 11J (Business) & I was in 16K (Economy) literally 6 feet away from each other separated by a Bulkhead Wall & a drawn curtain! The Cabin Crew obviously realised and still gave me plenty of attention, Mrs L popped back occasionally with a few treats.
I must admit, don't tell Mrs. L, it was one of the best long haul economy flights I've flown. I had all 3 seats to myself 16H/J/K, so I could sit in 16K for takeoff & landing, then sat in 16J for most of the flight like a throne seat, with my stuff on the seat/tray either side of me. For me row 16 is the best economy seat on the B77W, with loads of legroom, reasonably quiet, first off, great views from window.
Meanwhile Mrs L. was spoilt in Qsuites, will post menu below with pics, at least one of us could get the upgrade.
To be fair to the Cabin Services Manager, she said they would of at least moved me into the J cabin, but there were zero empty seats. Apparently all empty J seats were snapped up by Moto Grand Prix Riders & staff, as the Malaysian Moto GP was on the day before. I managed to take some good footage on takeoff, landing & flying over Dubai. (See below)
Love the view from 16K
Menu Cover
Appetiser
Roasted Chicken.
Dessert
Afternoon Tea.
Dubai Creek
DXB Airport
Concourse A
Concourse B & C
Concourse D
The World Islands
Europe at the World Islands
Reflection of A7-BAF