The Trip Report Do
 

Some of you might remember the Dubai Do, the Singapore Do, OzFest or any other FT get together. I was heavily involved in the Dubai Do when I was a Mod on the EK forum. We had a blast. We got to visit the behind the scenes EK operation from catering, to flight training (got to jump out of the top story of an A380 onto the exit slide) and a gaggle of FT'ers destroyed the buffet at the First Class lounge!

In an effort to continue the tradition of FT get togethers, I'd like to see if there is interest in arranging the very first "Trip Report Do". I am open to location - and am open to different types of formats. For example if we had it in London we could arrange something BA related, if it was in Dubai, something EK related. Or we can skip airlines altogether and simply get together and eat, drink and be merry.

Lets use this thread to throw around idea, suggestions, format and potential dates.

Definitely interested, can you imagine the variety of trip reports that would ensue? ;)

The ‘where’, although a factor, is not such a big deal as the ‘when’ for me, I tend to be booking 6-8 months ahead so the dance card is pretty full.

One of the ideas that has been germinating in my twisted mind for next year is a grand tour of airport behind the scenes tours. There’s a plethora of airports in Europe that either offer public tours or have historically offered tours to interested groups. Perhaps one or more of these may be of interest.

My other nascent plans would frighten everyone :D

Good initiative, mr. eightblack! I would definitely be interested, location and timing permitting.

If it's within Europe, I'm fairly sure I could swing it, with at least a month or two notice.

Outside Europe, very unlikely.

I think it makes sense for the Do to be held in Europe and perhaps we kick off in London and then head somewhere for the night. Lets start discussing a couple of options.

Bangkok! We can celebrate the return of BA with their utterly useless 3x weekly LGW route :D

Kidding - Europe should work :tu:

I'd join for drinks/dinner in London if the date works, anything else will be a stretch (as SFO777, I have a limited supply of hall passes).

My vote would go to Japan, Thailand or somewhere obscure like Uzbekistan, Nepal or Sri Lanka.

I have been a long time lurker and would attend a DO if it were in the right place for us.

Having said that we live in Bargara these days - which is a seaside village just east of Bundaberg in Central Queensland, Australia. Our local airport is BDB, served by Qantas Link and Link Airways.

In September 2024 we are travelling to IST then onto Bodrum, followed by a sea cruise from IST to BCN then driving in Europe till just after Christmas (Innsbruck) when we go GVA to DUB - then in early Jan DUB LON - by ferry and train.

Jan 9 2025 we board the Queen Anne - for her maiden World Voyage, we get back to SOU in April when we do a back to back to Scandanavia. Then we spend a few days in London , fly to CAI for a 10 day Egypt tour, then we hope to do Petra and AMM TLV then a cruise from Trieste to ROM - followed by some time in Italy , Scotland and Wales . A river cruise from Basel to AMS which in-corpoates AMS pride.

Our adventure then takes us from AMS to MAN to IAH - so we can drive to MIA and the Keys up to BOS and across to LAX and then SEA.

An Alaskan cruise, then Canada by train, and eastern Canada by car, HAV for a a few days then 2 months in PVR.

Columbia Equador (galapagos) LIM Manchu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, Easter Island - SCL - an expedition cruise to the Southern Ice Shelf ending in Buenos Aires.

eventually to SAO when we head to JNB and working out way home via Kenya Zanzibar, Muscat, UAE and maybe some Indian Ocean islands

If our travels meet up - with a DO we will be all in

adampenrith That will make one heck of a trip report!

Count me in. Great to see you at lunch today eightblack and thanks for telling me about the planned DO.
As for location, the further from Denver the better for me. :D

I guess everybody wants to visit all lounges at LHR after reading JapesUK TRs :). I vote for a different city (Amsterdam, Prague, Lisbon,... depending of the season)

Do those places have lounges? ;)

Different cities…. GRX for the tapas, PRG for the beer, MUC for the leberkase, OPO for the port, AMS for the… err, maybe not! :D

HKG has a fleet of OW lounges, including a multitude with CX.

​​DOH would be the other option, but that is all that comes to mind.

I am sure there are some lounges there :) You should plan a trip to HKG, it's got loads of OW and PP lounges. 🤣

Sounds like an excellent idea :) I used to live there many, many, many moons ago, a return is definitely on the cards

My suggestion would be a trip worthy of an outstanding trip report that would include all six continents...

...ah — what the heck. Include Antarctica too. Call it The Trip Report to End All Trip Reports.

Attendees who are based in each location could be assigned planning that part of the event.

My experience includes co-organizing the Delta Air Lines FlyerTalk Events of 2009 and 2010. We called it the Best. Field. Trip. Ever!

This is the Trip Reports forum with veteran travelers. Up this thing several notches. Surely this can take the title of Best. Field. Trip. Ever!

As much as I appreciate the enthusiasm, personally I’m not looking to remortgage the house :D

Sounds like a blast! My first trip without the little munchkins will be early June next year in an SFO777-style RTW for my 40th. If somehow dates and cities line up, count me in!

I'm good with HKG for a day.
From there, how about Bangkok for a day, since ex-BKK fares are lower than most SE Asia gateways?
We could buy out the entire (14 seat) EK A380 First Cabin on the evening 9:30pm HKG-BKK flight.
Then a day in BKK and then head home.

Cash fares for F are great on that route. I can only imagine the shower being in constant use for 14 people on a 3 hour flight! LOL

Following with interest.

HK and BKK combo sounds good to me! But then again, easy for me to say - HK is close and BKK is home :D

This sounds interesting...

I would certainly join in on this fun! Count me in.

Definitely would be enthused with HKG and BKK. Not self-funded an F flight before (not counting QR Intra-ME as F) so this would be quite the way to pop that cherry!

I would absolutely love to attend if the dates/location works out. Sounds like a great time!

yes, and..............
 

I would love to go to this.
A veteran of OZFest, a number of Canadian DOs and JapanDO, I see a real need for standards when it comes to TRs.
i have one other suggestion. Can we pick dates well in advance + 11 months?

+1 for all the notice possible, I’m booking way, way ahead.

Totally.

I'm already booked thru April so my next avail timeframe is next June... if that works for y'all.

Certainly works for me, I’m pretty much in the same boat, booked up to mid-May right
now.

Following along with interest. I'll let those with more flexibility and padded mileage accounts sort out the details first.

Works for me - though I am quite flexible. I have caught the curse of my wife and have, involuntarily, become a last minute planning person :(

Adding a little fuel to the fire, reading back it feels like we have two distinct groupings of potential attendees, Europe, and SE Asia….. and from the poll the majority of potential attendees are dependent on location.

2 DOs? Back to back?

I'd be happy to go to SE Asia but it's a big expense... Unless a great deal shows up for the right dates, it's not easy to justify.

Can also people who are too lazy to write TRs join this DO(s)? 😁
There are a lot of places in SE Asia I haven't visited yet (e.g. BKK), so wouldn't mind going there

Yes of course. Anyone who is a member of FT can attend this...:tu:

Is it 'just' a Do... or might you host some sort of travel writing workshop with, I dunno, eightblack and Michael Palin? :D

A pity Anthony Bourdain is no longer with us. Perhaps he might have been interested too!

In any case, for the purposes of a trip report, at least one slightly more obscure place would be of benefit in either Asia or EU.

Will be interested date and place pending! As much notice as possible please.....eg a year would be great!