Verb/Noun: 1- The height above mean sea level at which a plane travels in straight and level flight.
2- Ramblings on mileage run insanity & road warrior stories, told with a sense of adventure, a sense of style, and whenever possible....a sense of humor.
Welcome to Columbo, for the second time. Last time I passed through here, I dealt with the trials of getting onward tickets from Sri Lankan for Qatar, and the entirely underwhelming absorptive properties of the towels in the shower at the UL (Sri Lankan airways) lounge.
This time, I had vague plans of actually leaving the airport. There were a few attractions nearby, and while the CMB airport falls into the 'it's fine' category, it's not an epic lounge destination like HKG. However, as I went on about previously, mileage runs are trips where you react in the moment to what simply sounds the best. In this case, what sounded the best....was a nap. So, we took a nap.
CMB Airport
As it so happens, CMB is a great place for this because there's a small transit hotel right in the airport that doesn't require clearing immigration to get to. This was even better, because another large factor in our staying airside was that they wanted someplace around $40 a person for a visa on arrival. While that's not really all that much in context, it starts to feel obnoxious when there's two of you, and you only really have about 5 hours on the ground to start with.
The transit hotel hallway. Nothing fancy, but perfect for a nap.
The day rate at the hotel was less than the visa price (bless cheap SE Asia), so we split a room for a shower and a solid couple hours of downtime. To get there, head toward the exit, past the transit desk and shrine in the center of the terminals, and follow signs to the Hotel. The rooms aren't anything fancy, but they're clean (enough) and quiet. The timing couldn't be better for trying to stay away from heavy jetlag, since for 'us' it was still the middle of the night.
This way...
Feeling better, we did of course go for a little lounge time before our outbound flights. Here's where some shenanigans started up again. Now, here's an (exceedingly) rare moment where I'll have to admit I was in the wrong. I know it's impossible to believe, but stick with me.
The Oneworld rules for lounge access state that a OW Emerald, such as myself, gets 1st class lounge access "when the next onward flight is on a Oneworld owned and operated flight." The same rule applies to guests. They don't have to be on your same Oneworld flight, just a Oneworld flight.
There are actually a couple lounges up by the transit hotel, including the Emirates and a small Sri Lankan. The bigger, better, Sri Lankan lounge is in the main terminal though.
Unfortunately this time, my travel companion and I were preparing to go separate ways after flying together up to this point. I was headed back to Doha on Qatar, and he was flying back to the US by way of Dubai on an Emirates award ticket. What this resulted in was us each having good lounge access, just to different lounges, and neither of us could rightly guest the other in. This is not to say we didn't try at both places.... but it didn't work out. I was hoping that given that the UL lounge was empty, and he did have his Oneworld card on him, we might slide by. However, the lounge dragons, after some chatter amongst themselves, thought otherwise.
As I said, I knew I was in the wrong here going in, so there was no point in protesting. We said our goodbyes, and each spent a few minutes in our respective lounges before going to our gates.
Bar at the Sri Lankan lounge. I like the "airplane" motif.
My time at the lounge was, I'll admit, true to form for my jetlagged-delirious self at this point. I was nearly the only one there, and there were few staff of any kind. In a matter of about 30 minutes I managed to spill cylon tea on myself, raid the bar fridge and open my own bottle of champagne, and on account of not reading Tamil well, blow right past the sign that said the buffet was temporarily closed while they changed from lunch to dinner dishes, and help myself to the food, distributing my own serving utensils as I went. Not super proud, but no regrets either. Really, they should have let my buddy in as I clearly needed adult supervision.
Yeah.... I went there.
I ate whatever this was, even though they weren't serving yet.
After all of that, I said goodbye to Colombo and got back on my next Qatar flight. As was becoming the theme of this amazing weekend, I was once again nearly alone on my flight. The plane was a 777-200, which Qatar has business class laid out in a 2-2-2 configuration. On this one I had the entire row of 6 seats behind the bulkhead to MYSELF. Basically a whole mini business class cabin. Unreal.
Miiiiiine, all mine...
So I flew out alone, right back to another sleepless night in Doha....
It was another memorable trip to and from Hong Kong over a weekend. First off, no, I didn't clear my upgrade for the long...long....outbound flight. For a brief second on Friday it was looking possible, but then a group of four booked into business class on a prior flight misconnected and had to be re-booked in the last few available seats. Disappointing, sure, but honestly it went fine. I had a main cabin extra seat with unlimited leg room, watched some movies, and slept about half the way there.
Feet up, painful comedy on tap.
I'd seen this coming, so I geared up for the flight. I had my Briggs & Riley cabin bag with me, so aside from takeoff and landing, I had it in front of me to use as a footrest, which worked great. I also panicked a few days out, and ordered a Turtl travel scarf, which is basically a neck wrap with a plastic insert that supports your neck. It honestly worked pretty well, and after a few more flights, I'll probably do a real review. I didn't have the usual sore neck when I woke up this time around like I usually would dozing in economy.
8 hours down, 8 to go....
This was my 6th time through Hong Kong, and the more I go, the more I appreciate the city. It's one of the densest places on earth, and yet because of the surrounding waterways and parkland covered by steep green hills, doesn't feel overwhelming.
Hong Kong Island from the Sheraton. No complaints.
As usual, I took the airport express into town when I arrived, checked in at the Kowloon Sheraton. I'd paid some points to upgrade to the Towers part of the Sheraton, which is a kind of hotel within the hotel on the high floors. It has a separate check-in, lounge, and elevators, as well as some other fringe benefits.
Video from the Towers elevator- Hong Kong skyline & Nathan Road
Since the timing worked out, I enjoyed hanging out with some other flyers from the US there for the fare deals as well. After the Sheraton happy hour, we moved over to Ozone, which is the 'tallest bar in the world' on top of the Ritz Carlton tower. Always good for one drink, but not much more as you're there for the view, not the prices.
100+ floors up for a round of cocktails with new friends at Ozone
The next day, after the Towers Breakfast buffet at the hotel, I headed out to try something new. Instead of my regular walk around The Peak, I got more adventurous and went for the Dragon's Back trail hike at Shek-O Country Park.
This park is significantly further away from Kowloon than the peak, but you can still get there via the MTR in less than an hour if the bus connection is fast. It took me a bit longer on the way out, for reasons I'll shortly explain.
The trail itself starts from a trailhead with signage on Shek-O road. From there, it's a steep-ish hike up the path, including rocky areas and carved stone steps. There are several places to stop and take in the view as you climb. Part way up the initial climb, the trail branches and there's a shelter and benches. To do the basic dragon's back, continue straight at this point. As I went I noticed that the path is periodically marked with blue paint on the rocks.
Eventually, the trail reaches the ridgeline of Shek-O, and proceeds through several rolling hills towards the peak, the "Dragon's Back" if you will. At this point, panoramic views of the entire back side of Hong Kong island are constant, with the blue water all around. Below, you can see the Shek-O golf course and Shek-O beach, and eventually Big Wave Bay.
It's about 30 minutes, if you're moving along, to Shek-O peak. There's a significant incline, and uneven terrain, so 30 minutes is enough to get some exercise in. From there, you can continue on to either the trail down to Big Wave Bay, or go to the next trail intersection, and take a circle path that will eventually bring you back to the original trail, where you can get back to the road.
There were plenty of people also doing the hike, but it was by no means crowded, especially since it was mid day on a Monday, and the weather was unseasonably cold and windy, even for winter in Hong Kong.
The view from Shek-O peak-
I seriously considered going on since it really was beautiful, but I knew at some point the jetlag was going to hit me hard, and it was threatening to rain. I started back down the way I came, and stopped for a bit longer at a clearing to relax and take in the view by myself for a few.
So, how to get there...
From Kowloon, take either the MTR to Admiralty, or if you're in the market for a little more walking and a trip on the water, take the Star Ferry and then walk to Central or Admiralty. From there, take the blue 'Island Line' MTR toward Chai Wan. Get off at the Kei Wan, and take the number 9 bus to the trailhead. It's the most popular stop on the bus, so likely you can just follow along with everyone
else.
You have to take the Star Ferry at least once per visit. That's the rule.
MTR to Chai Wan
I, however, misread the directions, and took the MTR all the way to Chai Wan. Realizing what I'd done, I just went outside and got a cab to the trailhead. It was faster, but probably cost an extra US $6 or so. On the way back, I took the bus to the MTR as planned, transferred at Admiralty, and took the red line back to Tim Sha Tsui outside the Sheraton.
The Dragon's Back trailhead on Shek-O road.
It was definitely getting to be time for a nap, but by this point my adventuring made me hungry, so I wandered around Kowloon to see what looked good. This part of Hong Kong is bustling, and the streets are lined with all kinds of stores and restaurants. There's so many options, it's hard to pick. I was making my way past Kowloon park when I saw a sign that looked familiar from my googling prior to the trip- for "Haiphong Road Temporary Market."
In and around Kowloon
I vaguely remembered something about the best....beef something... in Hong Kong for like $4, so I ducked inside.
The temporary market isn't so much temporary, as having been there for a long time, and isn't about to go away. It's a mix of stalls selling all manner of vegetables, meats, and just about anything else, and on the lower level, a haphazardly laid out food court area serving mostly locals around crowded plastic tables and chairs.
The food court at the 'temporary market.'
This is not a place for the faint-hearted, as it requires passing by food hawker stalls actively butchering pork and chicken (not so much actual live animals...just recently live animals) to get to the food court on the lower level. Once there, I was immediately accosted by an overly friendly vendor who would eventually convince me to get his special beef noodle dish, and then sit with me while I ate. He practiced his English, I had some delicious noodles and learned a riddle about whether to choose to face down a murderer, a fire, or a hungry lion. Spoiler alert- go for the lion...for some reason...he was still working on that English, and my Cantonese is limited to one word, and I'm not sure I'm even saying that right.
I got back to the hotel in time for a quick cup of tea at the lounge, and then took my customary daytime nap to try and somewhat stay on schedule before my body would 'wake up' for the night. All in all it was a full and satisfying day in the city. I'd fully recommend the Dragon's Back hike, and will be keeping it in mind to do again.
From noodles at the temporary market, to high tea at the Towers Lounge. Living the mileage dream.
Up next in a few weeks... the 'Scandi run' begins. Copenhagen, here I come (at least 3 times)!
Travel safely & enjoy the journey,
~CruisingAltitude
Bonus feature- a very jetlagged vlog clip from the top of Shek-O:
Now, on to the real flying- our first Qatar Airways flight of the run. I have to grudgingly admit that Airbus did a good job with the a350, there's no denying it.Now, as I've said, I'm a Seattle native.Not just a Seattle native, but a North of SEA, Boeing hometown, kinda native.As such, I'm pre-conditioned to be skeptical of anything that doesn't get designed and built in Everett.
And I'm right.I'm absolutely right with respect to the a319...and the a320 series.Give me an MD80 or a 737 over those any day.The a330 also doesn't knock my socks off, I'd prefer the 777 line.However, I'll cave and give them props for being daring enough to put the a380 into production, and the a350 is a fair answer to the Dreamliner model.
Flying the DOH-BOS route, I've gotten to check it out a couple of times so far.The a350 has some features that set it apart as a pretty boy of a plane (yes, I'm jetlagged, deal with it.People are dealing with stuff now).The first thing you notice is that it has its 'shades on' from the get-go- the cockpit windows are tinted and appear black from the outside.It was probably a functional design spec, but there's no denying it's sexy as hell.Well, if you're a confirmed avgeek, that is.
In flight, the size is formidable, giving a smooth ride, and if you grab a window seat, the elegantly curved winglet will make your in-flight pictures even more snazzy.Allegedly, they've implemented the lower pressurization and higher humidity that Boeing put in place with the 787.Being pressurized at less than the standard 8,000 ft density altitude should make you feel better and less dried out when you get to your destination.I will say I've felt good getting off both 787 and 350 flights, but that could be the air, or the good sleep I got in their comfy business class seats.I'll try to pay better attention next time.
So now that that larger love fest is in place, let me give you the small, nitpicking complaints.I flew this route in reverse in February, so just a couple of feelings about it.
First off, try as they will, Airbus has IFE issues.On the 321 it skips, and cuts in and out in turbulence.Seriously.One the 350, the sound occasionally did the same. There's really no excuse for this, and I won't make any. While we're on the topic of IFE, they could cycle through their TV offerings a little more frequently. I'm pretty sure a lot of it was overlap from 5 months earlier.
The other issues I had, and they're admittedly small...though I would argue important to an airline trying to keep up this mythical 'world's only 5 Star airline' cache, is that in just the span of a few months since I last flew this route, they've already downgraded the service.
The two things that stand out immediately are the amenity kit, which has gone from an Armani branded one with a full size hand lotion, generous perfume or cologne, and other goodies, to their current kit, which has much smaller samples, no perfume, etc. The container itself might be a slight improvement, but I miss the Armani.
The other notable change is a downgrade in their Champagne from Tattinger Blanc de Blancs, to Billecart-Salmon Brut. I fully realize that this sounds like the most petty complaint, but like I said, this airline's entire marketing scheme focuses on being superior and offering a particularly luxurious business class experience.
If their motto was 'sit here and eventually we'll get you someplace else, and then you'll be in that place and so deal with it until then,' like most American carriers' business model has become, that would be different, but premium is pretty much what QR has going for them, and the first thing on every drinks menu is the bubbly. Details matter.
That said, the service is still head and shoulders above any US based carrier, bar none. As is the case with most all of their mid and long haul flights, business class is 'dine on demand' so you can relax and order as you like. There are generally several options for each course, and the drinks menu has not only wine, beer, spirits and the like, but also has a 'cocktail menu' included.
It's true that since the plane is carrying all the mixers and whatnot, you could technically order a cocktail on most international flights (if not by name) it's fun to have some featured drinks listed. I started out by trying the 'pink gin' which, as I quickly learned, was pretty much just a cup of gin. I managed.
From there, I worked my way though the dinner menu. Everything was excellent, as airplane food goes. Many times I don't make it all the way to dessert, but this time I did. I had the ice cream, and it was also good, but so frozen that it took awhile to be able to eat it. Pro tip- order it with your entrée so it will defrost enough before you actually get to it.
By this point, I'd worked my way though a fair amount of the IFE I hadn't already seen, including some bizarre documentary-but-fiction thing about the future of space...something? I settled in, and got some sleep for a couple hours. Honestly, even long haul flights that are this comfortable never seem quite long enough. Yes, I'm serious.
** Correspondent's Note: The posts here have been all over the place (pun intended) lately as I somehow managed to put just about all of my planned trips into the first half of this year. As such, I haven't wrapped up some earlier trip reviews. So, let's go back to February now and finish up going "around the world in 80 hours." If you don't remember (or never read) the earlier parts of this story, see the links below. Thanks for reading!**
After what felt like a much too short 4 hour flight from Columbo, we landed safely in Qatar at Doha's massive and modern airport. We were here for just a short two hour layover before catching our next flight direct to Boston on Qatar's new a350.
The last time, a little under a year ago, that I'd been through DOH I'll admit I wrote a rather scathing review of the airport, based mostly on their cheap cop-out on Oneworld policies. I still stand by it 100%, even though this time on account of being an actual 'premium' passenger, I had access to the ACTUAL business class lounge. Not that I'm not still mad about their shady policies, but at least this time there was more on offer than soggy sandwiches and warm chardonnay.
I'm getting ahead of myself here. We landed around 6am local time and had to clear transfer security to get to the lounge and eventually to the gate. Now, the Doha airport has clearly undergone drastic growth, much like all of this region. What hasn't kept up the pace is their security checkpoints. We filed into organized chaos trying to get back through to departures. My advice for making it through during the morning rush (every single flight seems to leave at 8am)- find the 1st/Business class lane...and get your elbows out. Turns out Qatar isn't big on orderly lines.
Anyhow, after that tiny slice of aggravation dissipated, we made it through to the main hall of the terminal for some quick selfies with (and jokes about ) the Big Teddy Bear that's still right in the middle of it. If you didn't know better, you'd think there wasn't anything else in this place but this friggin' Bear. Directions to anywhere, no matter where it is, start off with "when you get to the Bear..."
If you can't find the Bear, you're probably not even in the airport anymore.
So, we 'passed the Bear' and took the escalator to the Business class lounge, which brings us current. The Al Majoran Business lounge is upstairs from The Bear, and is huge! It needs to be for a couple reasons- 1. This is Qatar, and they can so they will, and 2. During the busy hours this is a pretty high traffic lounge, even though they keep out the unwashed masses with their Oneworld exclusion policy.
The lounge is on two floors, with the main bar/restaurant on the top floor. The first thing you notice once you pass check in is the massive shiny reflecting pool, with a huge spiral staircase going over it up to the second floor. There is, of course, no good reason for this design since anyone with any amount of luggage will be taking the elevator but I refer you again to point 1. above: This is Qatar, and they can so they will.
The lounge offers plenty of food and drink, as well as a row of cubicles with daybeds in them if you have a long enough layover for a nap. This is a nice touch, and beats trying to pounce on one of the few spaces like this at a Centurion lounge stateside, or attempting to curl up in a not-so-loungey lounge chair at the Admirals' Club.
There is a full breakfast buffet, that encompasses the multicultural nature of an airport hub like this. You'll find scrambled eggs and croissants, alongside congee, pickled vegetables and ful madames (a recipe I would much later try and painfully fail at recreating at home). There's also a bar on this level, as well as coffee and soft drinks.
We just had time to regroup, have a snack and a mimosa, and say goodbye to one of our traveling companions who was taking the Los Angeles flight, before heading out again to board the new a350 for Boston! 4 flights down - 2 to go!
Fair warning: This post is more of an opinion piece than is my usual style in this space, but it's becoming more apparent to me of late that 'not talking about' current events because not everyone agrees with you has its own consequences. Therefore, I took a solemn oath to myself that I would try....sometimes....to do that a little less. If you'd rather skip this, feel free. The next post will be up shortly & have plenty of rambling thoughts about airplanes in it.
#Oneworld
I'm just shy of a week until my first international trip of the year. As I wrote about HERE, I'm very excited about this one. It's probably the most complex trip I've ever booked, and takes me completely around the world via Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka, and Doha. It's arguably the piece de resistance of my mileage running career....thus far.
A preview of what will be my final descent on Monday- Approach into LAX
While I'm really looking forward to this adventure and have been planning the details and logistics of it for months, I have to admit I can't shake a sense of concern as I get packed. It's not so much that I don't think that all will be fine, but there's a lingering disappointment with the current state of our reputation abroad.
I've made my fare share of jokes about buying some Air Canada bag tags to avoid awkward conversations about politics abroad, or what choice phrases I'd now need to learn in a combination of Mandarin, Tamil, and standard Arabic, but joking aside, there are actual potential issues to be discussed.
Formally, this site is not an opinion piece unless we're talking about my long-winded opinions on airport lounge décor, or tray table etiquette. It is however, at it's most basic level, a how-to guide on getting the most out of travel in any number of ways. Like any good guide, it also needs to be honest and cover relevant topics, and I'm posting this commentary with that sentiment in mind.
First stop of the upcoming run- HKG!
It's intrinsic in travel that as you roam around the world you'll encounter new places, people, and ways of thinking. This is really the entire point of the journey, miles and points aside. In the past I've found myself having all manner of discussions with strangers turned short-term friends about their lives, their homes, their families....and much more.
This all makes the current state of affairs in the US somewhat worrisome as I contemplate circumnavigating the Earth this weekend. I'm heading to extremely foreign lands (if, in fact, we consider the term 'foreign' to be subject to gradation) and it can't be ignored that from the airport agents, to people you may encounter on a train or at a restaurant, when you're someplace you've never been before you are subject to, and on occasion at the mercy of, the understanding and acceptance of locals.
No reason for this one, it's just a pretty distraction amidst all this serious talk.
This is really all prelude to saying that anyone who travels, whether they realize it or not, are dependent upon, and directly either helped, or encumbered by their society's image in the world. Statements and actions by those with authority have consequences for you, whether you agree with them or not. When you step off the jetbridge you are a representative of your country, your state, and your hometown and you should expect to be treated with the level of respect that your country extends to others. It was already hard enough to be a 'perfect stranger' when hopping continents, and now it has potentially become even more so.
This is not to say that I'm really much more concerned for my physical safety or the logistics of my trip, per se. Mileage running already requires a fair amount of thoughtful planning with an eye toward security, and the ability to navigate places safely that you've never been before. What I am bemoaning at a basic level is a considerable step back from the sense of 'world citizenship' ......let alone the possibility of increased screening and suspicion at airports.
When viewed from above, this world is smaller than you realize, and other people and cultures are more intertwined and accessible than many will admit, if we choose to keep the freedom of travel and adventure as a basic human right as it has been through history, and still should be.
TBIT Pavilion- LA's gateway to the World
Anyhow, now that I've said what's been rattling around in my mind I can look forward to this trip, which I really am thrilled about! I'm traveling with some friends I've taken amazing adventures with in prior years, and am looking forward to making some new friends on the road. As I've said many times, the people with whom I share this strange hobby have on many occasions turned out to be uniquely fun, adventurous, and independent travelers.
In travel as in life, the people, as well as the destinations, make the journey worth taking. This is something that I hope we all keep in mind each time we put our passport in our bag, and set off in search of new experiences.
Travel safely, travel well,
~CruisingAltitude
PS: I'm hoping to stay connected enough this weekend to do 'live updates' as we go 'around the world in 80 hours.' I hope you'll follow along!
Now that that's out of the way, on to the rambling pre-flight post.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahh, December mileage running, how much do I love thee?
Well, if past predicts the future, then an awful lot. It's the last run of the year, the bottom of the 9th....and other metaphors derived from sports games. It's also the last travel weekend without a holiday attached to it- the ultimate freedom that all nicely takes place in pressurized metal tubes, and fluorescently lit corridors behind security checkpoints. Perfection.
In prior years I've taken an early December weekend to see Shanghai (whilst trying to not breathe the air), stayed out until 2am in Hong Kong (whilst trying to find my Uber), and generally bounced back and forth across the US between LAX and BOS in aging 737s to the tune of 20k qualifying miles. Please note- these were three separate years, I'm not THAT awesome. (Or crazy, or both)
This year, I'm taking it south of the border, and up in the mountains. Get ready Quito, I'm coming for you... for about 36 hours.
It's a pretty comfortable itinerary if you overlook the whole Quito and back in 2.5ish days thing. Allegedly (equipment change shenanigans notwithstanding) the seats should all be lie-flat business and first. LAX-MIA-UIO-MIA-JFK-LAX in 20 hours of flight time for 18k elite qualifying miles. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy, right? Famous last words. At least there's no upgrade waitlist angst this time around.
I'm taking a friend with me on her first mileage run, and she's already done the traditional introspective questioning of whether she's really going to actually fly to another continent for no reason. I laughed, and let her know this is the shallow-end as far as bat-crap-crazy mileage flying goes. Maybe not the kiddie pool, but definitely the shallow end.
I then (helpfully? yeah, let's go with helpfully) explained how it takes 17 hours to fly to Hong Kong, and that doing the 18 hour layover is all the rage this year. This, somehow, does not resolve the current issue for her. All in good time. She will undoubtedly learn to love this nonsense. Either that, or I'm about to lose a friend.
Anyhow, back to business. T-24 hours to take off, and I've been debating the exact time I need to get myself to the airport. There are several important factors here. They all involve lounges, mimosas-hold-the-OJ, and what might be the earliest time some poor Uber driver might be cruising my neighborhood on a Saturday.
If I can make it happen, 5:30 am sounds like an auspicious time to roll into LAX tomorrow. This gives me time to hit up the FSL for a shower and a to-go cup (more on this later), then arrive at the Qantas First lounge as they open their shiny geometrically patterned doors of flyer envy. Therein will be breakfast made to order, and a drink to go with. This at least, the travel Gods can't take from me. My seat assignment, my phone charger, and my dignity maybe... but not my lounge access.
So, this all leaves just one short night of packing and obsessing left. Why yes I am currently flight tracking our inbound 777 from Sydney with bated breath, thanks for asking.
Wish me luck & the next update should be on the go!
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