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.
Well friends, here we are. It's the last beautiful flight of the weekend and, though it's not destined to be my magical '100,000th mile' for the year, it's the last mileage run I'm likely to need since it drops me within 10,000 miles of my goal.
This Qatar air 777-200LR is the longest range aircraft currently taking to the skies. It's the same configuration they send on the 18 hour flight from Doha to Auckland, NZ, so there's no question it can handle this 'short' 15+ hr hop to Houston.
Though it's not their newest aircraft, it has become one of my favorite. The layout is 2-2-2 in business class, so technically not the 'all aisle access' selling point that's currently en-vogue, but most seats are on the aisles, and the window ones that aren't can easily step over even the fully reclined seat. Yes, soon these will be Q-Suites, but at this point let's enjoy what we have going for us.
Big screen, plenty of storage... room for a pony.
Why I love this plane so much is that the amount of personal space and leg room is truly obscene for a business class cabin. When the seat is in takeoff/landing position, my feet barely touch the ground. I feel like a kindergartener in a 'big kid chair,' and I could easily fit an emotional support pony between my toes and the seat in front of me.
As with all mid and long range Qatar Air flights, the meal service is as good as the hard product. It's so good that I've finally gotten to the point on these runs where I actually want the flight crew to watch me taking pictures of the service. My hope now is that one of them divines that I'm trying out a few options because I'm some kind of well respected travel blogger, and not just a crazy person who can't stop ordering food. Though, this argument might hold more weight if I didn't eat it all...
First meal...
Though, the woman across the aisle ordered 3 servings of the pasta, so whatever. Airplanes are a judgement-free zone, just like it's always 5 o'clock on airports. I don't know her life, she could have just ran an ultra-marathon in the desert or something. (Yeah, no, but still)
Cheese and a movie.
Each business class seat has about three windows to itself, and it's a good thing too. This flight is simply beautiful. Daytime flights over unfamiliar parts of the world are worth every sleepless hour. Every few minutes I get distracted from my writing or watching by something that just needs to be stared at. There's desert, rows upon rows of mountains, and lakes the color of Caribbean coral. I'll say it again, 15 hours of this won't be enough.
I give you.... more of the world.
This entire trip has been wonderful and strange, with all the uncertainty slowly working out and fading into yet another memorable adventure that I would do again in a heartbeat. It does take a bit of nerve to have plans changed at the last minute, and in countries I'd never been to. However, it's just one more benefit to spending so many hours with one airline alliance. Whether the treatment is overt or not, there's a sense that somehow they'll get you where you need to go. It might not be the original plans, but it literally comes full circle.
More than half of this trip was also solitary. Surrounded by people (except in the ghost town that was Doha) but still, I was probably left to my own thoughts entirely too much. This flight is no exception. There's no one in the seat next to me, or the two next to that.
Four nights, three hotels, 8 flights, and 6 airports later, I'm about to take my final rest before touchdown into Houston. Every time I manage to put a trip like this together, I have to remind myself to enjoy the moment, because the honest truth is I won't likely be able to do it again. Life changes, fares disappear, and the stars align differently each year in one way or another.
15 hrs, done and done.
So, what did I take away from this weekend, aside from a hefty load of miles? On the serious side, a better understanding of middle east geography and politics. Given the way things felt on that first week of the blockade in Qatar, it's amazing it's ongoing, and much seems to be life as usual.
On the lighter side, Ramadan is a great time for hotel deals, if not for airport amenities. Oh, and that sign blocking the buffet in CMB means it's closed, please wait 5 minutes, you heathen.
It doesn't need to be said really that I enjoyed pretty well every jetlagged-insane hour of this thing. I arrived back to the US on schedule, and ready (kinda) to get back to real life. Maybe also a little ready to start planning the next one....which I did...
Next up, I think... the final weekend of the Scandi Run, plus a little detour back to Doha. You know, the usual.
Travel well, and may three windows be in your near future.
I'm a big proponent of 'firsts.' I love first tries, first place, first class. That makes this weekend fit right in. It's the first of at least three mileage runs that follow more or less the same pattern. It's good then, that right after firsts with me, comes familiarity. I'm aiming to have this thing down to a science by October. A kind of science that, sure, will be thrown way out of whack by weather, crew delays, and loose bolts, but there's a science to all that as well when you think about it.
It's a first for the Scandi run, and also a first inasmuch as it's going to be cold. The potential level of cold really didn't hit home until today when I saw a picture of the ice burgs currently floating past Nyhavn canal. Until this point, I'd been way to confident in my ability to suck it up for a couple days. I've lived in Boston before, I survived, it's in the 30's, come on...
After that, I threw in an extra (couple of) coats, stopped at REI to buy better, more waterproof, and less 'I don't remember what snow looks like' gloves (REI in Los Angeles is the most pathetic place to buy winter gloves, FIY.), and pretty well gave up on my romantic and responsible goal of running a 5k through Norreboro the morning after I arrived.
Granted, the 30 degree weather may be considered by the Danes to be a 'heat wave' this time of year, but I'm a cold pansy at this point, and I'm pretty much going to have to come to terms with it.
I love to be invited...
I'm currently sitting at the bar (as one does) at the Qantas First Lounge in LAX awaiting my flight to London. It's delightful as per always, and not yet overcrowded as I'm several hours before the late night flights to Sydney, Melbourne, and such. So far, all's well. As I've realized it's a published EXP benefit, I tried out the LAX Flagship Check in for the first time, and it was all kinds of line cutting fun.
This season, the Qantas lounge is doing lovely things with radicchio...Is a sentence I never thought I'd type...
Compared to CLEAR, it's basically a nicer version with a dedicated ticketing counter, and a concierge who rolls your luggage for you to the front of the pre-check screening. It definitely saved me a few minutes, but it was more about the experience. With elite benefits being axed left and right, it's still a nice gesture.
With my several hours before boarding, I have to actively hold back and pace myself as I work through the menu. I'd prefer not to admit that I also had a stop at the Flagship Lounge in T4 on the way here for a bowl of pho, but I will admit it, because mileage run, and that stuff was tasty. Pro-tip- if you like it spicy, there's siracha on the bar by the bloody mary fixings.
T-2 hours, and my incoming flight is about to land, the weather in the vicinity of London and Copenhagen airport looks passable, and so far I've only forgotten my power cube (remote power bank), so things are looking good to go. Plus, I've got a lovely bartender serving me something called the 'Garden Party' which has mint leaves in it. Granted, I've already expended my first flyer acquaintance, possibly by unnervingly confusing him by trying to explain what, exactly, I was actually seeking to accomplish by flying to Denmark 3 times for now reason, but that's not really a huge concern. And really, he's here to 'talk about bonds,' so what does he know. Besides, it happens more often, or possibly exactly as often, as you might think.
BA 747 "Queen of the Skies," in repose in the background.
I never mileage run to Europe. Not kidding. I have been to Asia, South America, Africa, you name it.... but never Europe. There's a few reasons for this historically, most having to do with it simply not being far away enough to make sense, and Oneworld not having the most hub cities there.
This is not to say I don't jump at the chance to go, it just tends to be a destination I get to by using my miles, not on account of earning them, and I try to stay awhile.
But, as they say, we live in interesting times. As I tried to lay out some time ago, when AA switched the system up and effectively ruined mileage running for long distances on low fares, it was a choice of giving up or getting creative. Guess which one I (and my friends I've met along the way) went with??
(I'm now going to go on about how this actually works, rather than random facts about airports, and hijinks I stumbled into in random cities. If you're not interested in this, I suggest jumping down about 3 paragraphs where I'll get back to my thoughts on 36 hours freezing to death in Denmark in March)
The new strategy to still earn plenty of miles is to stalk the deals for cheap fares in premium cabins of other Oneworld airlines. This usually means business class on Qatar, or premium economy on British Airways, and occasionally Cathay Pacific. The further bit of intrigue, is that these deals almost never originate in the US. So to take advantage, one has to first get to the city of departure. What this further means (if you're still reading this at all) is that it's in your best interest to buy more than one of the deals when you find them at a time so you only have to get one 'positioning flight' per year, or per deal.
Let's put the plan into context, shall we? This year, there have been some premium economy deals on BA out of most all of the Scandinavian countries to the US, and specifically, to LAX which is clearly convenient for me in particular. To further sweeten the deal, there have on occasion been some crazy cheap economy deals on AA from LAX to various European cities, including....Scandinavia. You see where I'm going with this?
The deal has been good from Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, and on occasion Helsinki, which all adds up to it getting coined (yes, by me) the 'Scandi run' since the destinations are interchangeable, more or less, for the same prices and miles earned.
100% Denmark- bikes, bricks & spires. Nothing's overly tall in Copenhagen, so it's nicknamed the city of spires as they're the defining feature of the skyline, if you can even really call it that.
What it all adds up to for me this year, is flying out to Copenhagen on AA in March, and then 'returning' on that ticket in October, and flying back and forth on BA premium economy tickets on scattered weekends in between all year. 3 weekends, to be exact, though I'm thinking of adding one more at the end, and then flying back on an award ticket. We'll see.
So.... this all results in my getting to say I GET TO GO TO DENMARK 3 TIMES. Sure, each time is only for about 2 nights, and I have to brave 12+ hours of slightly more comfortable economy to get there, but after 16+ hours in coach to Hong Kong a few weeks ago, I'm feeling pretty bulletproof. I'm honestly more worried about how in the heck to pack light on a mileage run for actual winter conditions. I'm quickly realizing that all my other runs were to hot, and many times insanely hot, climates.
A particularly famous spire- Christianborg
My outbound flight is on AA (the first half of the 'positioning flight') and so I'm playing the upgrade game to Heathrow. After a stopover for some food and a shower at the excellent lounges there, I'll make the quick hop to CPH and take the metro into town.
Copenhagen is extremely easy to get around on public transportation, just about anywhere you want to go. I had initially thought of staying by the airport in the AC Sky Bella hotel in Orestad, which is a newer, planned area of Copenhagen by the Kastrup airport, but after realizing it is really only a 15 minute train into town, and I could save 50% by booking an Airbnb in the center of the city, my choice was easy.
Christianshavn
I'm now staying in Christenshavn, which is a truly adorable part of the city on a series of canals, in a flat with my hosts Magnus and Mikkel. Awesome. It's central to many attractions, full of cafes and bars, and you can walk/bike just about anywhere in a few minutes.
This, however, also brings up the fact that on arrival I'll likely have to answer the age-old question of why I'm in Denmark in the first place, and further, why I'm only there for about 36 hours before turning around and going right back where I came from. It may surprise you, but many people find this just a tiny bit strange. Hotels don't ask, but I get the feeling that my host(s) just might.
I've thought from time to time about coming up with a reusable story to explain myself, other than having to dig into the whole logic (or illogic) of mileage running. But what to say? Most business travelers don't come into town just for a Sunday, of all things. They also don't stay up late/get up early to stay on their home timezone, and they definitely don't wander in looking very much like they've just spent 15 hours in economy and somehow still are enjoying their lives.
In any event, it's a work in progress. I'll let you know.
I expect there may be snow on all of this when I get there.
For more details of things to do in Copenhagen, we're currently writing up our adventures from the Summer over at Baby Flyer Blog. On these shorter, colder, trips, I'll probably try to get to some favorite places like Honen & Aegget and Den Vandrette in Nyhavn for tradition's sake, but other than that I'm looking forward to playing my one real day in town by ear. I have no delusions of elaborate castle tours, or getting a table at Noma. That's not what mileage runs are all about. Get there, see a thing or two, chat with some locals, and get safely back home again.
My flight out on Monday is plenty early (7am!) which with the time change is about.... 11 at night back home? You can't think too hard about these things, just get to the plane. The return flight from London this time around is on BA's, and the world's, largest passenger jet, the a380. They're smooth and modern, and I was able to preselect a good seat without paying extra on account of the Oneworld Emerald status I'm flying so far to keep up. I do have the potential option to try for an upgrade by using some Amex points, but I think this time around I'll let it go and see. It's only 12 hours, anyway. Easy.
So, that's the Scandi run in a nutshell. I hope it goes as I think it will in my head, seeing as how I'm doing it at least three times this year. Wish me luck.
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:
In each of these adventures, there comes a point when I wax poetic about the experience of travel.So, buckle up, because here it comes....in a minute, once I deal with some logistical preliminaries.
As discussed in the last post, we spent the first nighttime layover in Doha at the Grand Hyatt.It's a beautifully sited property at the entrance to The Pearl.The Pearl, for those who 1, haven't been to Doha, and 2, care, is a man-made land form (I guess is what you'd call it) that spirals out into the gulf.It is still under construction, if the huge cranes are anything to go by, but is home to a ring of high rise commercial and residential buildings, followed by even more outlying 'islands' that, as far as I can surmise, look to be exclusive residences.It's best viewed from the air, but the 'gateway' is fairly impressive from the ground.
Thanks to hotel status, we landed a suite with a great view for the night.
Now, let me just back up and say that I had my reservations about trying to check into a hotel in Doha with a person of the opposite sex who I'm not married to.It might be silly, but the blaring notice that a marriage certificate is required for Qataris gave me pause.I'm on a mileage run, and ain't nobody got time to spend with the morality police between flights.
As it worked out, there were no questions, and hardly any side-eye.I was pleasantly surprised after my last major foray into this town, wherein I learned that at night most people don't walk the streets, especially single western female types.I didn't feel unsafe really, just out of place.
After we over indulged at Iftar, and spent a few minutes relaxing at the man-made 'beach' out front, we retired to the room, and realized it was about noon at home and there probably wasn't any sense in trying to adjust to the local time. So, what're a couple of mileage runners to do?
Step 1- Open the bottle of wine the manager left for us to thank us for our brand loyalty.
Step 2- Drink it & converse all night about the thrill of flying around the world.
And on this point I need to expand (you were warned) because there's something existentially beautiful about mileage running.When you're planning the average, or even above average trip, there is generally an accepted purpose that you try to fulfill- Wine tasting in Napa, or skiing the alps.You start there, and build the necessary plans around it.You have a goal, you meet it, you are victorious.
However, a mileage run is a trip in reverse.The plans come first.And I don't mean the plans to go on a snorkel cruise, and then a romantic sunset dinner.I mean the airline tickets, the layovers, and the one nights hotels- what is usually the most pedantic part of the plans.The outcome of this is that you aren't beholden to preconceptions, or to anything at all.If you go and come back, mission accomplished.Everything else is gravy.
Which means that, when you and your friend just spend the entire night's layover watching rugby, talking about nothing, drinking wine covertly, and then watching the sun come up over Doha, it's perfect. There's no sense that you were supposed to do a single thing differently.
So when at 4am, you start to hear bird calls as you stand looking out from the darkened balcony of your hotel, and your friend says he didn't think there were birds in Doha.....you just laugh and have another drink.Because sunrise will come all too soon over this expensively camouflaged desert.
Because yes, there are birds in Doha, as there are the world over.And yes, they wake up at 4 am, as they do the world over.And it's beautiful to realize this, when for once your only purpose in life is to know that there are still a few universal truths....and then to you yourself to fly on to your next stop along the way.
By
way of disclaimer, I fully admit to knowing little to nothing about the
tradition of Ramadan outside of some rudimentary comparative religion
classes in college, and a couple of weeks of googling what it would be
like to be
a foreign traveler here during the holy month.Any of my thoughts/observations are purely based on my outside
perspective as a mileage runner spending a weekend bouncing around
Middle East airports, and may be completely incorrect.
On
arrival in Doha, the flight crew made an announcement about the
holiday, informing passengers against eating, drinking, or smoking in
public spaces during the daylight hours.The airport lounges also were not serving any alcohol at any time, though they did have their regular food service running during the daytime. We didn't stop at the proper arrivals lounge though, since we had the Grand Hyatt waiting.
When in Doha- Ramadan tent.
Getting
into town, the combination of the oppressive summer heat, political
travel restrictions, and daytime fasting have made this city feel
abandoned.We checked at the Hyatt in before sundown, and the hotel was quiet.What's more, almost all of the restaurants were closed.They had one 'international' restaurant open called 'Santa Monica' which, to a Mileage Runner from LAX, just seems wrong.However, there was another option....
Having
realized about a month ago that we'd be doing our Doha layovers during
Ramadan, we decided to make the best of it and take advantage of the
lavish evening meals that the bigger hotels here in Doha hold nightly.They put out huge banquet spreads- multiple salad bars, hot bars, carving stations, and especially over the top dessert bars.Think 8 flavors of ice cream, pies 3ft across, and chocolate fountains.They generally have two sittings- around 8pm, and a later time around 10 that goes until 1 or 2 am.
They set up special dining areas in a tent outside, complete with uplighting and music. Needless to say, we each had several plates and made the most of the experience.
Needless to say, I was glad that the Hyatt also had an impressive gym and pools, both indoor and outside. However, they were doing some promotional photo shoots of some kind outside, and so we were relegated indoors to swim.
Back up to the gym for a moment though. I actually went on arrival and actually managed to make myself get a good workout. (You may applaud here) This being Qatar, they have a separate gym and spa area reserved for women only. Now, this isn't the norm in the west, but I will note that the other part of the gym was co-ed, so women weren't excluded. I expected the ladies part to be small, or lacking in equipment, but OH MAN was I wrong. It was full service, and as the rest of Doha was, empty. There was even an expansive water spa with steam and sauna. I could get used to this.
After that, I felt pretty justified in enjoying my Iftar feast. It was also fun to be out late (read all night) and to watch the city come alive (or as alive as it was going to get under the circumstances). By the time we left the tent, the lobby area was full of people relaxing after the meal, and the hookah smoke was thick in the air. We didn't' go that far down our 'when in Doha' path, have to leave something for the future.
You could hear a pin drop in the Doha airport today.It's calming, bizarre, and if I'm being honest, a little creepy.....I frikkin' love it.
Imagine you touched down and de-planed in JFK to find that the population of the entire airport is about 300, plus staff.You'd pretty well assume the world was ending, right?
Just about the only ones on the way to immigration.
Well, we know that hasn't happened (at least not in the Hollywood action sense) but you wouldn't know that in Doha right now.Sure, no one is running around screaming about the end of the world with their hair on fire, but it's unsettling nonetheless.
Completely empty customs and baggage hall.
There's more staff than passengers by far, and we're literally (using the term correctly) the only people at each checkpoint.I'd say we're the only ones in line, but using he term 'line'
wouldn't really be correct...since it's just us....and we're only two
people.The bathrooms have more people cleaning them than using the
facilities, and we get asked if we need directions multiple times in
minutes by idle staff. The thing is, we don't need directions, we know the way from here.
Lots of red up there....
The way out since we're legitimate premium passengers this time around, is through the designated business class customs...lounge... I suppose you could call it? On the way to baggage and customs, you have to clear immigration as per usual, but not be outdone, Qatar has made even this process luxurious. You check in at the lounge, which is basically a large room with nice chairs, some light refreshments, coffee, tea and the like, and when you're ready to exit, you just proceed to the dedicated customs desks at the other side.
The entrance to the immigration 'lounge.'
As was the case with the rest of the airport, this too was basically an empty room except for us and the staff. No fighting for seats here. We didn't wait around too long, since we had a room at the Grand Hyatt to check into for the night. Since you can now apply in advance for a free transit visa, I didn't have to pay the $25 entry fee, which was nice on a short layover.
I learned a thing or two about this process, and the ways it works and doesn't in planning and taking this trip. Long story short, you can have only one visa application at a time, and you have to apply at least 7 days in advance. You can also get a free visa if you have the right length of layover to be able to participate in QR's stopover package on a premium itinerary. (More on the ins and outs of this later)
Yes, this is what premium immigration lines look like in Doha. This is also not to be confused with the actual 'Arrivals Lounge' past customs, which has far more than this.
After a brief look around, and getting our passports stamped, we headed out through the empty customs hall, and grabbed a cab to the hotel. It was about a 30 minute ride, and there was hardly anyone out, or any traffic. This is probably due to the perfect storm of the travel embargo, Ramadan....and the oppressive summer heat. In any case, the city looked to be more or less an echo of the ghost town that the airport was. Like I said, a bit unnerving..... and I frikkin' love it.
What's a mileage run, if not the search for truly unique experiences?
Posts
