On my flight back from Japan last month (via Singapore and Sydney), I took a Restavit an hour before takeoff from Osaka. For the first time EVER I slept - a whole 3 and a half hours, if my Apple Watch can be believed - between there and Singapore. I couldn’t care less if they brought out a 5 course banquet. At post-midnight hours, I JUST WANTED TO SLEEP, AND THE HOSTIES COULD JUST F** OFF!
Welllllll Mrs Donza had a headache last trip back from Tokyo. Grabbed two paradols. Oddly shaped like Restavit. Took both. Glass of red. Absolute mess
Ahh but we thought of it wallah so it must be a good idea. We are never wrong. You are all silly and inferior. If it doesn't work we just quietly fix and then tell you what a great new idea we've had. Gulf Business 101.
You should do more US travel. Standard boarding fare is a bag of doughnuts and a grande takeaway coffee. And that's in business. Hate to think what's happening down the back. Imagine trying to board a Qantas or Virgin flight here with 16oz of boiling shit tasting drip fed coffee?
Even in this era of celebrity producers, people like the Andersons are effing giants of vision and execution imho. The stuff they achieved on minuscule budgets in today’s terms is phenomenal.
Maybe the same marketing genius that thought people would turn up to watch the Scorchers play the Heat 500 times in 6 weeks
Strange folks those Arabs. Money seems no impediment when buying or building stuff but operation takes on a new financial perspective. We recently had a 9 hour stopover in Dubai, hired a driver to do a 4 hour tour. Got to the Burj Khalifa and paid top $ to go to the 148th floor obs deck. Get ushered into a VIP lounge where we are served unlimited figs and shit coffee. After 30 minutes we're asking what's going on, either we head up or you give us a refund. Enter a German Fraulein who mumbles about guest restrictions on that level but would take us up anyway. On arriving at level #148 an Arab guy in full regalia admonishes the Fraulein, 'what, only two? Do not do this again' Not going back.
One of the curious things about travel is seeing how different cultures value the same things differently
just priced a first class ticket from Mel to Dubai, and it's only $19k return - bit of a bargain really
Sydney to NYC first class is 145k Qantas points on Emirates via Dubai. QF to LAX is about 120k points, never pay for first.
agreed. We paid an extra $700 each to get bumped up from Premium Economy to Business on our ANZ flights from AUK-YVR, and whilst it was nice, I'd rather keen the $1400. That would pay for quite a few more days of holiday, rather that a few hours of lie flat beds
I recently flew PE with ANA Sydney to Haneda. Bit of a mixed bag. The ground staff were excellent. Complimentary lounge access in the ANZ lounge. Seating was fine and similar to the Qantas product. Entertainment system and food below Qantas in features and quality. They did serve a breakfast. As noted by others the lights were left on for way too long which was odd and not conducive to trying to get to sleep. When I paid for the flight it was quite a lot cheaper than the Qantas PE offer.
Agree. I’d rather pay $60 pp for exit rows and then get 2-3 days of extra holiday money. Just need to book them early enough and don’t do it with QANTAS coz they bounced us out of an exit row once for operational reasons. A friend of a WANTAS staffer wanted the seats for themselves
An American mate got married out here the other week. Most of his family came out on United, LAX - AKL. They all commented how ratshit it is that United insist on waking you up to feed you their crap food. Ah, yanks beholden to the miles. Sounds like they are looking forward to doing the return journey on Air NZ. I will say this, SFO - SYD on a Qantas 747 is much more comfortable than AKL - LAX on an American 787, even if the entertainment is way shittier. Only A380 flight I've done is SYD - CHC with Emirates, barely long enough to settle in on such a beast of a plane, but yeah, probably the most comfortable int'l economy flight I've been on. Weirdly I find Air NZ's Q300s quite comfy. Guess it helps that you're never on one for more than an hour or so.
Domestic air travel in the US is ****ing grim. Was nice to have some Alaskan segments on my last trip, they are definitely a step up from the usual suspects.
On Europe trip last year we went Qantas/Emirates code share via Dubai. A380s to and from Dubai. Qantas are well organised with competent staff and appalling food. Emirates are disorganised with incompetent staff and good food. The changeover in Dubai is a nightmare, lots of walking, trains, lifts, escalators and buses. This year we are trying Qatar....I may regret it. I prefer Singapore airlines, staying away from the Middle East altogether, but the cheap tickets were hard to ignore when buying 6 of them.
Have only gone through SE Asia to Europe. 13+ hrs on a plane is something I'm happy to leg it through Bangkok to avoid.
Qatar food is a low point of modern aviation Also, like Emirates, expect bussing etc if not going to a primary port.
I suspect on the way,there will be bussing, destination Milan, but we are returning from Paris, A380, so hoping for no bussing. I will report back on food.
All food tastes the same to me on the airplane but I didn't find any difference between Emirates/Qatar in terms of quality (if there is such a thing in the economy). I would say Qatar had better service than Emirates. Transfer the same nightmare as in Dubai (what with the buses/trains etc.) Bussing each time, no matter what destination/plane: maybe just unlucky? Actually looking forward to my next flights with Singapore Airlines!
I flew Qatar business a few years back The food was very middle eastern and for my sad Western tastes quite unpalatable
I’m flying Etihad to Milan in a few days. I had some good experiences with them 2011-2014 but haven’t flown them since, but since we booked I’ve read of losses leading to cost cutting and lowered standards which is a bugger. Main reason I chose them is a realistic and lenient carry on baggage policy which will be gold with bub. They allow a 7kh main piece and a 5kg second piece even in economy.
Im actually quite excited about or Q flight to osaka, A330 and seats are 2 4 2. great for a couple! Actually great if single as well because if you have the window seat you are only stepping over one person! And the 30kg baggage limit is awesome! (seriously when/how that happened is beyond me!) Not that we need 30kg pp, but means we can do our usual of ski;s in douche bag and our own individual for clothes etc.
Not when you ski in Chamonix, Geneva is gold. This time we are flying in to Milan as we start in the Aosta Valley and need a car, the rental in Italy is insanely cheap.
I did give number 1 child Valergan flying to the UK.....worked a treat, although I have heard people have had horrendous problems, whereby their kids were hyped up, maybe they didn't give them the right dose!
Portes du Soleil is 75 minutes drive from Geneva and there are a few other resorts even closer. https://www.peakretreats.co.uk/blog/archive/ski-resorts-near-geneva-airport
Yeah our GP warned us of this, CG's mum used to dose her up with Phenergan for flights, but the reverse would be catastrophic!
Occasionally stay with a friend in Cran (Montana). Yep very easy to get to from Geneva, but dislike flying through UAE hubs. Also prefer Zurich as a stop over Geneva, though next trip will be via Milan as have friends there to catch up with. Trains between any of these places is only a couple of hours.
