Same here - best of luck for a smooth rest of the journey to the OP

Good Morning from Bangkok.. to recap what happened over the past couple of days. Let’s pick up from the morning ride to MAN.

Everything was going according to plan… until it wasn’t.

We boarded on time in Manchester. We sat. And sat. Eventually, the captain came on with that charmingly vague update: “Just a minor technical issue, should be a 30-minute delay.”Fine. I had a 6-hour layover in Zurich, so I wasn’t worried. Yet.

Thirty minutes later, we received another update: “Actually, it’s an indefinite delay. You’ll need to deplane.” Cue collective sigh and the slow realisation that we'd become temporary residents of Gate B4. The deplaning took another hour—apparently, buses were harder to find than award availability to Europe in school holidays. By the time we got off, we’d spent 2.5 hours onboard, going absolutely nowhere.

Back in the terminal, a Swissport rep greeted us with a classic piece of travel fiction: “The flight isn’t cancelled, just delayed indefinitely, and Swiss will rebook you on all missed connections—even separate tickets.” I’ve spent enough time on frequent flyer forums to know that was about as believable as a Ryanair “comfort” guarantee.

While others queued politely for false hope, I got to work—mentally limbering up for a full-blown award booking gymnastics session. It was 11:00am, and I had about 4.5 hours to make it to Zurich if I wanted to salvage my flight. Spoiler: there were no viable options. So, I cut my losses, cancelled the entire ZRH-BKK-MEL award, and started heading in anyvaguely eastward direction.

I spotted availability on Air India First, LHR–BOM, and pounced on it. No idea how I’d get home from there, but that was a future-me problem. I also booked a one-way car rental through Sixt, because when in doubt, drive.

By 1pm I was officially offloaded and standing at the Sixt counter, clutching keys and hope. Google Maps promised I’d get to LHR by 4:30pm—leaving a generous cushion for my 9:00pm departure. Ha. As if.

Soon, ETA creep set in. First 4:45. Then 5:15. By the time I passed Birmingham (yes, again), it was 5:45. Eventually, I rolled into LHR at 6:15pm, heroically navigated a couple of accidents and roadworks, and returned the car.

By 7pm, I was in the Singapore Airlines First Lounge, clutching a well-earned drink with the slightly haunted look of a man who’s aged several years in one afternoon.

Naturally, I wasn’t done yet. I started scouring for onward options from BOM. I still wanted to make it to Bangkok and salvage the remnants of my Thai stopover. Found a seat on AI BOM–BKK in J, with a 3-hour connection. Is it risky to do a tight connection on separate tickets again? Yes. Am I doing it anyway? Also yes. At this point, it was either that or surrender to Heathrow Terminal 2.

I also found an onward TG flight to SYD, so in a shocking twist, the plan was back on track. I'd arrive in BKK 10 hours later than planned, but still with enough time for mango sticky rice and a nap. I’ll take it.

Upon arrival in BOM, I made a beeline for the transfer desk, only to be told I couldn’t use it without an onward boarding pass. Classic. So I entered India legally—for all of 20 glorious minutes—before checking in, breezing through security, and popping into the Adani West Lounge to reflect on my life choices.

The BOM–BKK flight was predictably delayed due to ATC restrictions, landing an hour late. But eventually, I made it to the hotel in Bangkok and fell into bed like a man who’d fought the system and won. Barely.

p.s Lx391 actually left at 13:30 and reached ZRH at 16:30, so in theory I could have still made it, but it was too much of a risk at the time.

Glad it worked out for you 👍🏻

p.s Lx391 actually left at 13:30 and reached ZRH at 16:30, so in theory I could have still made it, but it was too much of a risk at the time.

And far less fun :)

Congratulations on pulling that alternative route out of the hat, and thanks for a fun read :)

That is a good amount of thinking on your feet there - well done! I hope you managed to get a little out of your BKK stop :star:

yes, got a pedicure. Now off for lunch

Bangkok delivered exactly what I needed: a perfectly timed pause button before re-entering the world of school runs and negotiating screen time like a UN peacekeeper.

In just over 18 hours, I managed a manicure and pedicure, indulged in fabulous food, and wrapped it all up with a foot massage so good it almost justified the week of travel chaos.

This was self-care in its most efficient form: jetlagged luxury with just enough time to forget how many flights it took to get here.

Now, I’m back at the airport waiting for the final leg home. Well, second-last, technically—SYD to CBR is still waiting for me tomorrow, but let’s not get bogged down in footnotes.

I'll post a final wrap-up in a couple of days once the dust (and the jetlag) settles.

This has been fun.

Great read :tu:

Congrats on self arranging all this, and with a dash of humour!

I’m back home.

Over five days, I crossed three continents, clocked 40+ hours in the air, visited eight lounges, flew in four cabins, touched down in four countries — all for two nights in Birmingham and one in Bangkok. On paper, it sounds absurd. In real life… it was still absurd. But gloriously so.

When I first floated the idea of this trip — solo, short, and strange — I was met with blank stares. Birmingham? Really? Even the locals seemed confused. “You came all this way… for here?” Wikivoyage didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet either, listing more ways to leave Birmingham than things to do in it.

But it suited the mission: a few quiet pubs, a castle, a stroll through neighbourhoods. A bit grubby in parts, sure. But for a couple of days, it did the job.

And more than that — this trip gave me exactly what I was after: unencumbered travel.

The highs:

• Qatar and Air India First – They may not be the flashiest products on the runway, but even the humblest first class beats business any day. There’s something about the exclusivity and acres of space.
• The car rental hail mary – A last-minute drive from Manchester to Heathrow, powered by blind optimism and bad traffic.
• Pavlova at the Qantas First Lounge – Still the most consistently excellent thing Qantas serves.
• Pub chats in Birmingham – The disbelief on people’s faces when I said I was only there for 48 hours was worth it.
• Bangkok – Where the food’s hot, the massages cheap, and the weather doesn’t require a jacket. Bliss.

The lows:

• 2.5 hours on a parked plane with vague announcements and warm cabin air that slowly cooked our collective will to live.
• Missed connection gymnastics, complete with hasty bookings, fast walks through unfamiliar terminals, and more than a few browser tabs open.
• Lentil soup so bland it may have triggered an existential crisis.

But would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Because this wasn’t just a trip — it was a reset. A reminder that beyond the layers of laundry, logistics, and weekday monotony, there’s still a version of me that gets irrationally excited by award space and obscure routings.

This kind of travel doesn’t make sense to most people — and that’s okay. It only needs to make sense to us.

Until the next improbable itinerary…

Fabulous summary :)

I worked in Birmingham in the 80s and early 90s and had some good times there. Sure it's got a bit rough round the edges (actually it always was) but I still have some good friends there and still nip down there from time to time.

Absurdly glorious indeed - well done! :cool:

I really love it to tell people where I've just come from and where I'm heading next. Most people have little desire to spend a single moment longer than necessary getting from A to B. But when they see the mad glint in your eye as you tell them about your convoluted journey, there is not only an expression of befuddlement but also intrigue. It allows you to keep them engaged for just for a little while longer as you share your hobby in better detail. You wouldn't get the same level of captivation if you talk about job or your stamp collecting. And it immediately allows them to tell you where they've been and where they'd like to go.

Like you, I've also done a Japes trip. I went to Málaga for an evening just to do the Tapas tour that I'd seen in three of his trip reports. Of course I flew via Helsinki and had an evening there too. It was a marvellous fulfilling escapade. For me it really underlines the value of us sharing our journeys here, maybe to crow a little, but moreover to inspire others to seek out new adventures of their own.

I hope we get to follow you along on another dream trip a year from now.

And by the way, your wife is a star.

That was a crazy trip but sounds very enjoyable. Just the way I like them! Well done on the last-minute re-routing. That was really impressive. Thanks for takinf us along for the ride. Looking forward to reading about your next hall pass. :D