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Published: September 21st 2009
This is our first blog entry for our 2 1/2 week Australian and New Zealand adventure.
18-Sept-09
We boarded BA0009 at 9pm at Heathrow after a bad start by getting stung by a taxi driver getting to Heathrow terminal 4.... never mind, maybe just unfortunate? Claire was already in a mood after spending 2 days in Reading doing nothing whilst I finished work. Quick fights over currency exchange oversight, sound isolating earphones meant we were indeed married - pointless arguments over minor things.
Leg 1 - London Heathrow to Bangkok, Thailand
We had been telling every one in advance of the holiday we were travelling via Singapore. As such, Claire had hoped for an upgrade after asking her friend of a friend to as someone in BA cabin crew... long shot. Her face sank when she realised at T4 she'd told them the wrong flight - it appears the 2200 flight to Sydney goes via Bangkok and not indeed Thailand. Fine for me, I've never been to Thailand! Holiday stress starting to diminish with a drink in the T4 Intl lounge (which was rubbish!)
Sat in first pair of seats towards the rear of the cabin - row 51 as recommended by family where cabin goes from 3-4-3 to 2-4-2.... Claire did not like as we had little space in this seat. Vowed to only use exit rows in future. Added to this, the guy in front of Claire put his seat immediately back out of London and did not put up until landing - not even courtesy to put up for dinner... I diffused her air rage amicably.
Both had a reasonable flight and landed Bangkok on time approximately 3pm local time. No hassle getting through flight transfers and a nice hour in the Intl lounge getting cleaned up. 2 ice cold cans of Singha beer later - it was time to head back in to the steel tube for another 9 hours.
Leg 2 - Bangkok to Sydney
This time a night flight and the people infront (whilst sitll the same) had moved... now I had the recliner in front of me! Claire got a result so was more happy. I slept for about 5 hours of this overnight- Claire only for 1. BA food was poor out of Bangkok with a particularly miserable breakfast.
By the time we had hit Oz, we'd realised we'd drunk too much alchohol over the journey - went like this upon review for GB:
Heathrow: Heiniken, G&T in lounge
Leg 1: sparkling wine x1, G&T x2 - guy gave us too much booze.
Bangkok: 2 beers in lounge
Leg 2 out of Bangkok: 2 red wines....
Total 24h - too much.
Landed Sydney over Botany Bay after a southerly approach from central Australia. Not a bad flight all in all, about 9 hours. Landed 0600 local time. Off loaded in 15 minutes, through duty free and passport really quickly, again suprisingly no hassel. Straight into a taxi at Kingsford Smith into town...
All in all, our first UK - OZ flight, after hearing about 100+ accounts from visiting family both ways. Its the first time we'd done this, and the furthest we'd gone. I found this journey suprisingly easy compared to last Singapore trip on my own... now for the holiday to begin.
Hopefully going West is as easy is going East...
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Duncan McNab
non-member comment
Recliners
I sympathise completely with Claire about the recliners...it's happened to me a few times, the ignorant bastards, and each time I swear never to travel in cattle class again. At the very least, the hosties should have told him to move his seat forward at meal times. It's disgraceful that they didn't. Qantas?