and my passports at the ready…
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| Sunrise on the way to England in March |
you find extra days in your life andĀ
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| Leaving Australia takes hours – sorry for the blurred photo! |
With two transit stops in Bandar Seri Begawan and Dubai, that’s one massive reality checkĀ long flight.Ā I was excited to be back in the land of chilly days, spring showers and snowdrops. It was a whistle stop visit last month to catch up with our family in England, and to wave daughter number one off toĀ Africa.
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| All smiles on our Royal Brunei flight from Dubai to London Heathrow |
ā¦a dislike of being down the back, is genetically programmed into me!Ā
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| Sorry no entry! |
Iāve flown Ryan (āYou canāt have hand luggage and a handbagā) Air and Aeroflot and who could ever forget Garuda, or more recently China Southern, Jet (I will never, ever, ever fly you again) Airways, or even more adventurously, China Eastern to name but a few.
However the flights that I remember with a warm fuzzy āI was born to flyā nostalgia, are the long haul business class Singapore Airlines, Qantas, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Thai flights.. Cāmon who wouldnāt????
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| At home in the new Qantas Hong Kong Lounge – April 2014 |
Of course in those days it wasnāt uncommon for the frequent, frequent flying Executives to be upgraded to First Class. Weāre talking the heady days of big bonuses and preĀ the Global Financial Crisis. Those were the days when business travel was a perk of the job that the whole family enjoyed, not that I ever went First Class but we did enjoy many a flight in Business Class.
So now weāre paying, Iām back where I belong in the down the back, proudly in Row 48 Royal Brunei. The cheapest carrier I could find to the UK with a bargain ticket costing $1600 AUD.
Welcome home Wren!
But wait there’s more…
Next there was our Cathay Pacific flightĀ
from Melbourne Australia to New York, via Hong Kong …
Yes it’s a long way from Australia to America
Ā but we’re off to see daughter number twoĀ
currently studyingĀ
in New York.
Good news!Ā
Even travelling on the cheapest ticket we could find,Ā
flying with my husband still brings certain perks!Ā
DH is whisked off to the land of extra leg roomĀ
and ‘can I personally welcome you on board, Sir?’
Now, in the intervening years our little boyĀ
grew up to be taller than his father, so a deal is struck!
One has the extra leg room to Hong Kong (8 hours 15 mins)
and my husband gets the extra legroom to New York (15 hours)
Me, I get a champagne in the Qantas LoungeĀ
in Melbourne and Hong Kong
So I’m happy!
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| Yes please I’ll have a champagne! Qantas lounge Melbourne
Well if we thought the Qantas Lounge in Melbourne, was fantastic, we wereĀ
estactic with the new Qantas Lounge in Hong Kong. It had only been open a couple of weeks but what a find. We all had showers, a lovely dinner, free internet and I won’t go on, except to say I would have happily stayed there a lot longer!
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| Looking out from the plane’s window over the high rise apartments of Hong Kong |
Soon, we were back on board for the remaining 15 hours to New York. Hooray
Ā we got an extra seat between us and could spread out a bit… You could have a marathon movie session if you really wanted…Ā
Ā
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| It’s a long way to New York! |
After 15 hours (and the rest) we’re driving through the streets of New York, pinching ourselves at the recognisable road signs, 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue, Times Square, Broadway – I can’t wait to show you around!
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