Kiwi Flyer

BUNDABERG to BRISBANE (BDB-BNE) on Qantas Dash 8-300 in economy class

The turnaround was longer than planned. I'm not sure why. They were fine with my PYOBP. Another full flight.

Snack very similar but with different crackers (?!).

The setting sun lit up the clouds brilliantly, and the low sun angle made for an interesting pattern of light and shade on the ground (in between clouds).

Kiwi Flyer

BRISBANE to CAIRNS (BNE-CNS) on Qantas 737-400 in economy class

Although the flight arrived late I still had time to visit the Qantas Club, have a few drinks and check my messages.

Boarding was called. As I left the lounge I noticed I was the only passenger remaining! (There was just one later flight on jetstar.)

Load was extremely light (perhaps 20 passengers total). Nonetheless somehow 3 pax ended up sitting in a row behind me When I OLCI'ed I picked a seat in row 4 - to get the business class pitch (even though width was economy - the middle seat although blocked on the seat map was not shrunk to make the window and aisle seats wider ala busines class).

I was awoken for supper. Hadn't even realised I'd fallen asleep straight after boarding Supper was a tortelini with bacon and mushroom, water, mars bar, beers and wine, plus coffee, tea.

I promptly fell asleep again to awake with a jolt as we touched down in Cairns. A nice close gate this time, so a short walk to a cab.

Kiwi Flyer

CAIRNS to SYDNEY (CNS-SYD) on Qantas 767-300 in business class (international flight in international configuration)

Too few hours later I awoke to the dual sounds of my alarm and wakeup call. Grrr.

Quickly freshen up and check out. A long wait for a cab. A second call for a taxi some 20 minutes later produces a taxi soon after. Grrr.

I'd selected the domestic leg of an international flight, as usual, over the earlier domestic flight. My reasoning is the easier transit in SYD negates the earlier departure time, plus you get to use the international lounge (= booze any time you want instead of only after 1300) instead of domestic lounge. The downside is the next onward flight to my destination is an illegal connection on the CNS-SYD international flight (and not for the CNS-SYD domestic flight), necessitating a further 5 hour wait until the next flight. Oh well, I'll console myself in the SYD F lounge

Kiwi Flyer

At check in there is a problem with my passport. I don't know why but it seems to happen far too often when flying with Qantas (maybe 1 in 6 international trips) and never on any other airlines.

Eventually it is sorted out and I am quickly checked in. No wait at immigration. On such trips it always takes me several moments to work out what to fill in on my departure card. Do I filll in the flight details of the first "international" flight (which actually doesn't leave Australia) or the onward flight or something else? I eventually remembered what I filled in the other times I have taken this flight - enter the onward flight details and append the flight number of this flight.

Then a long wait at security. I had timed my arrival badly (or maybe the hold up with my passport made all the difference) and had to wait for all the connecting passengers on NRT-CNS-BNE flight to go through security. Only one lane was open, many passengers struggled with english and nearly all needed to be reminded when they reached the xray to remove their laptop and LAG baggie. It's times like this that I wish for a special line only for those fully prepared with the stuff they need removed already out.

Eventually I'm through and turn left twice for the Qantas Club. At reception I'm warned the flight is currently running 10 minutes late.

I catch up on some messages and FT while I wait.

Boarding is called some 15 minutes late.

Business class is fairly empty and so I have an empty seat alongside.

A pre-departure drink of water, orange juice or champagne.

After take off I'm given another champagne without asking. perhaps I've had this crew before without recalling their faces/names?

Then breakfast. A choice between muesli and fruit, or boiled eggs bacon roesti potatoes and spinach, plus croissant, water, tea, coffee, or in my case more champagne.

This crew is excell good ^ (hic)

They forgot to start the IFE and when I enquired they started it, but in the middle (closer to the end actually) of the movies. More than an hour into the flight we finally got the movies starting.

Since no one else mentioned anything, perhaps I was the only one watching any movie?!

The crew were great (maybe I mentioned that already?) topping up my glass frequently. By the time we descended with great views of the city before looping around to land towards the north, I was in a very happy mood.

We landed on the right runway so a delay waiting for a few flights to land and takeoff to across the other active runway. We pulled into one of the A380 gates (what a waste - but I'll take the short walk to transfer security/immigration any day). For the second time in a week there were problems with the airbridge (previously at AKL airport). This time it took 20 minutes to resolve and didn't require us moving to a new gate.

Kiwi Flyer

Sydney to Auckland business class menu

DINNER

From the Bar

Marinated olives

Roasted nuts

Main Courses

Grilled chicken accompanied by marjoram jus, green beans and sweet potato and leek mash
served with prosciutto, parmesan and mesclun salad

Lamb rendang with fragrant rice and bok choy
served with prosciutto, parmesan and mesclun salad

Smoked salmon with goats cheese potato and lentil salad *
served with fresh fruit selection

A choice of warmed bread rolls

Selection of seasonal cheese and dried fruit

Ice cream and biscotti

Chocolates

* Healthier option


BEVERAGES menu

Champagne

Australian Wine

Aperitifs

Campari

Spirits

Bacardi white rum
Chivas regal scotch whisky
Inner circle (green dot) dark rum 57.2%
Tanqueray london dry gin
The glenlivet malt whisky
Wild turkey 86.8 bourbon
Wyborowa classic vodka

Beers

For your enjoyment we have a selection of premium international and Australian beers onboard today.

Non Alcoholic

Apple juice
Orange juice
Spicy tomato juice
Tomato juice
Mineral water
Soda water
Tonic water
Bundaberg ginger beer
Cola
Diet cola
Ginger ale
Lemonade
Solo - lemon squash

Hot Beverages

Grinders coffee
bodum
decaffeinated

Dilmah tea
chamomile
english breakfast
jasmine green
peppermint

Hot chocolate

Liqueurs

Bailey's irish cream
Cointreau

Fortified

Penfolds bluestone 10yo tawny
Rutherglen liqueur muscat

Cognac
Martell vsop

terrier

Thanks again for your great trip reports! Quick question, since you've taken this route and class recently - is Qantas distributing 'express path' immi & quarantine cards to business pax on trans-Tasman flights? I'm on the 9 am AKL-SYD next month (arriving 10:25 per the schedule) & worry about the lines at that hour.

Kiwi Flyer

Yes they are. LA didn't but my recent flights on QF and NZ have. Come to think of it - the CNS-SYD flight did not hand out express immigration forms, nor even Australian arrival cards!

1025 arrival time at SYD is a quiet period - it is the early rush between 0530 and 0800 that queues are particularly bad.

Kiwi Flyer

SYDNEY to AUCKLAND (SYD-AKL) on Qantas 767-300 in business class (domestic configuration)

After several phone calls, emails and other assorted work, plus a few too many drinks, it was time to leave the lounge. First a quick visit to duty free to pick up some booze, then off to the nearby gate. Boarding was well underway. Somehow only 1 lane had a queue so I strolled up the other lane and jumped the queue

The flight was fairly empty. We closed doors on time but then sat at the gate for 30 minutes. Apparently there was a risk of thunderstorms and so loading of the last couple of bags was halted until the risk subsided. If they'd asked the pax, most would have said fly without the bags, but of course we don't get a vote on such things. Funny how so many other airports can continue operating during severe thunderstorms when Sydney grinds to a halt with the merest hint of a possible storm.

Some 30 minutes later with no visible sign of a storm, the last couple of bags are loaded and we depart. We have a looong taxi to the far end of the far runway, with delays to cross the active runway and taxiway. We take off over the city and then turn and turn again for Auckland. I wonder just how late this will make us, but it seems the tailwinds are stronger than normal today and the "gas pedal" is down to try to make up time.

Kiwi Flyer

Service was slow. It was an hour before I got my post-departure drink and almost another hour before dinner served.

I watched a DVD and read a bit, but mostly drank

As we passed over the city on final descent I realised I still hadn't gotten the duty free item I'd paid for early in the flight. The FA handed it to me a mere 2 minutes before touchdown!

We made up considerable time and so were only slightly late. I was quickly to and through immigration, customs and agriculture and on my way.

Kiwi Flyer

AUCKLAND to SYDNEY (AKL-SYD) on Qantas 767-300 in economy class

Continuing the series of regional domestic Qantas flights.

Bleep bleep bleep. Bugger - that's not my alarm but my backup alarm in case I sleep through the first due to tiredness (ie only getting to bed a couple of hours earlier). Fortunately I am so used to these early starts I can almost get ready in my sleep - which is just as well as I'm sure I wasn't awake. Moment of confusion before shutting the door - did I call a cab or not? Get down to the street as a cab pulls in. Great timing. Not so good for the drunken revellers on the other side of the road who tried hailing the cab and thought they had been successful when the cab stopped.

At the airport the premium check in lobby is empty - just one check in agent and one immigration officer. Hmmm - I don't think I saw a delay for either the early QF flights or the extra early LAN flight on the departure monitors before I entered the lobby.

I'm checked in quickly but alas only two boarding passes spit out. It used to be that for same day return trips trans tasman, with no checked luggage, you could get ALL boarding passes - but I have been unable to for the last few such trips.

Quickly processed through immigration and then pre-cleared line upstairs (having put the pre-paid departure sticker on the boarding pass en route). At security while I wait for my bag to go through the xray I get tapped on the shoulder and advised I'd been selected for the random wanding and explosives test Perhaps I'd been recognised as a regular passenger who gets through and out quickly thus he needed to make sure to get me?

With that minor delay I am up to the lounge and warmly welcomed back. There is enough time for me to do some work on the computers and get a couple of drinks, before boarding is called.

oops - flight called, more later

Kiwi Flyer

Apologies for the delay.

We depart on time. The flight is not particularly full and seat blocking has worked fine.

For the first time I can recall flying QF I do not get a welcome talk with the CSM. An FA hands out newspapers once business class have their pick. I asked for a NZ paper, was initially told they don't stock them (untrue in my experience) but lo there was some on hand.

Breakfast was the usual choice of sweet cereal, yoghurt and fruit, or a hot breakfast of omelette baked beans and sausage. The whole flight I was only once offered a drink, when the breakfast trays were served.

The movie was switched on after nearly an hour but fortunately was short enough to (only just) finish up before landing.

As we were on final descent into Sydney I wondered if I should use the call button to request a express immigration card when finally the CSM showed up and handed one to me.

We landed rather early but then held waiting for our gate to clear. After nearly 30 minutes we then moved to another gate which had been clear the whole time (as were others). I understand there are some implications for switching gates from the pre-assigned one, but why did they wait so long to let us park at an available gate when there were plenty to choose from? Why did we get allocated an occupied gate in the first place?

A further brief delay standing around waiting for the airbridge to move - seems the message we'd arrived took a while to get through to ground staff.

Kiwi Flyer

Sydney transit annoyance - take one

So much for landing 30 minutes early. We are now behind schedule.

Immigration was quick with no queue. I race off to the right for the express customs line as the main line has a large queue with the remnants of the morning peak rush. On the way my arrival card gets stamped with a "D" (for domestic) by a roving officer - great this means no x-ray and an even faster exit.

Unfortunately that's when it went wrong. At the entrance to the "D" lane I'm halted with an explanation that my card was incorrectly marked by the immigration officer and I need to wait while they sort it out. Grrrr.

I wait to one side while the officer checks with her colleague who'd processed me. This takes what feels like a long time (but probably only 20 minutes while I feel like a plonker standing outside a customs office watching everyone else waltz by) and eventually she returns with a cheery "that's fine, you are free to go now".

I check my watch and note the next transfer bus is due soon so I walk fast down to domestic transfers (far right hand end of terminal once through the masses of waiting meeters and greeters landside). A short wait at security while some infrequent travellers try to work out whether they need to put their liquids bag out (no), their shoes off (ewww put them back on), their belt off (no), their laptop out (yes) and yes that cellphone you left in your pocket will trigger the WTMD. I got "randomly" selected for the explosives check - with only 1 WTMD and small area to collect bags there is no opportunity to do my usual trick to let someone else get picked.

By the time I get through I just know I've missed the bus, and sure enough I round the screen wall to see an empty waiting area. Dang.

20 minutes later the next bus arrives, quickly fills and leaves with me on it. Then I have the T3 -> T2 shuffle, left out from the transfers area, out landside, left and down the escalator, through the tunnel, up the escalator, left up to departures level, right to security, queue, through, another random explosives check, right again for Qantas link flights. What is it today? Do I look suspicious? Are the security folk reading my trip reports and countering my usual measures?

By the time I made the Qantas club it had been almost 2 hours since I'd landed (despite almost no queue at immigration or express customs), and just moments before boarding was called.

I did, however, have enough time to check in for my return flight. That was important given the turnaround time is less than the check in cut off limit. While I might be okay if I hadn't checked in (the turnaround airport is small and I have status), I didn't want to count on the rules being waived for me.

Kiwi Flyer

SYDNEY to DUBBO (SYD-DBO) on Qantas Dash 8-100 in economy class

By the time the flight was called in the lounge boarding was nearly complete - just how I like it. So rock up to the gate as one of the last passengers. Beep. My boarding pass is rejected. Unfortunately I know I have no op-up for this flight is all economy.

I get moved from to the bulkhead window row, which in this case is a worse seat due to the proximity of the (very small) bulkhead. Oh well the flight is short and this way pax travelling together are seated together.

My small carryon fits neatly in the overhead bins - unlike a few other passengers who have their bags placed in the hold for collection at the baggage claim on our arrival.

The flight is almost full - I get one of the few spare seats beside me.

We have a long taxi and take off over the city before very quickly turning south to get out of the way of the jets. A long slow loop around the southern fringe of the city before flying directly over the Blue Mountains. A lovely day for flying with great views all round.

The snack is a water pottle and a chocolate brownie (slice rather than biscuit - much the same as is sometimes offered on jetconnect - QF domestic in NZ).

All too soon my reverie is broken as we descend over the gently rolling hills on the western side of the ranges into Dubbo.

The terminal is rather big for the vacant apron and mere 2 gates. I guess they have high hopes for increased flights, and/or the construction was some kind of political move?

Kiwi Flyer

DUBBO to SYDNEY (DBO-SYD) on Qantas Dash 8-100

Much the same but in reverse. The flight was full except for the front row which had no one in it. Same snack. Similar flight path except we flew over Western Plains zoo shortly after take off.

Same droning + vibration + tired kiwi flyer = struggling to stay awake.

On arrival at Sydney we parked at the closest gate to the ground entrance to the terminal but yet still had to wait for a bus to take us the 20 metres alongside the terminal to the door.

Kiwi Flyer

SYDNEY to COFFS HARBOUR (SYD-CFS) on Qantas Dash 8-300 and
COFFS HARBOUR (CFS-SYD) on Qantas Dash 8-300

As our flight was on time I had a few minutes in the lounge. I'd already checked in on line and had boarding passes in hand.

The flight was late leaving. Another fairly short flight - this time basically along the coast. Snack was a muffin. We arrived late.

Return flight was the reverse of the flight over. We arrived late, making for a tightish connection.