My Finnair adventure from HEL

[JohnK]

I'm looking forward to seeing if it was a trip from HEL(L) or HEL(SINKI)

A bit of both actually. The two flights which had problems originated from HEL(SINKI) which caused me to feel like I was in HEL(L).

Nice start - always like a man who can have a pork chop for breaky and an hour later be having a Crownie.

Spoilt!

[JohnK]

exactly - after SIN ay goes to HEL

Actually after SIN it goes through paradise, aka BKK, aka LOS, before going to HEL!

[oz_mark]

Actually after SIN it goes through paradise, aka BKK, aka LOS, before going to HEL!

BKK? Paradise?

[JohnK]

BKK? Paradise?

OK maybe not BKK but certainly the rest of the Land of Smiles!

[oz_mark]

OK maybe not BKK but certainly the rest of the Land of Smiles!

Now you are talking

[JohnK]

BNE International Airport

Airtrain arrives a little early and departs on time at 12:01pm. Arrive in international terminal a few minutes later. As I already have my boarding pass I go straight to immigration and within 15 minutes I am through.

Plenty of time before departure so I head off to the QP to use my QF Silver complimentary invitation. I am surprised to find reception unattended and after waiting a few minutes and seeing other people walk straight through I do the same.

I know we have had this discussion on AFF a number of times. There are way too many children today in the QP for my liking. They are hogging the few terminals available, unsupervised, playing loud games on the internet. There are no staff anywhere to be seen. What are the parents doing? Probably gone to a quiet area of the lounge to escape their children!

Time for a quick snack and 3 Crown Lagers! I finally notice a terminal on the other side of lounge become available so I rush over and log on to AFF to see what has been happening today.

Boarding is called at 1:30pm so I head off to gate 83.

[JohnK]

QF051 SIN-BNE

Scheduled departure 1:55pm Scheduled arrival 7:50pm

Aircraft is an A330-300 VH-QPE Port Lincoln. I wait until the last stages of boarding and finally board at 1:45pm. I head to my seat of 25G and we are now sitting around in the aircraft waiting for the last passengers to arrive. I notice that seated next to me is a couple with a young daughter.

Finally the late passengers arrive and the aircraft pushes back at 2:00pm. As this is an Air France codeshare they start the safety demonstration in French. Didn't last long as they switched to the conventional English speaking demonstration. Subtlely....

Right about now the young girl starts her temper tantrums. She refuses to sit on her dad's lap for takeoff, does not want to sit in her own seat with the seat belt on. I have just about had enough and the aircraft has not taken off yet! Finally take off at 2:13pm. We are told that this will be a quick flight today and the flight path is taking us over the Northern Territory and Kalamantan.

As soon as the seat belt sign is off I am out of my seat and looking for a new haven for the next 7 hours. I find 33EFG empty with a lady sitting alone in 33D. I ask if it is OK for me to sit here and she nodded. I return to my original seat of 25G and inform the couple that I will be moving so they can have an extra seat to cope with their daughter.

I noticed the flight supervisor going around the economy cabin and welcoming all Emeralds and mentioned to them if they needed anything not to hesitate to ask. It was a smooth flight and managed to watch 3 movies, Richard and Jane ^, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Tristan & Isolde.

Getting close to descent I went searching forward again and found 23D vacant. I decided to sit here, for quick getaway, just as the seat belt sign was activated. It was a smooth landing and arrived at gate C13 around 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

^ The movie is not really Richard & Jane but if I put the real title the forum software substitutes **** for the original title.

[JohnK]

AY098 SIN-BKK

Scheduled departure 9:50pm Scheduled arrival 11:10pm

After taking a forward economy seat before descent I was one of the first economy passengers off the aircraft. I hurriedly make my way over to transfer desk D to get my boarding pass to BKK. I was seq #97 and was given my original allocated seat 29C.

Have some time to spare before boarding so decide on a casual stroll over to Terminal 2 to familiarise myself with the area where I had planned to meet Kiwi Flyer briefly on the 19th April. Sampled the free internet that was on offer which seems to have been upgraded since the last time I was here.

It is now 9:00pm so I take a ride on the skytrain back to Terminal 1 and proceed to gate D36. There are only 10 people in the security queue so clear security early. There are not many passengers at the gate so I guess tonight's flight will have a light load.

Aircraft is a Boeing MD-11 OH-LGG. Aircraft pushes back on time at 9:50pm and after what appeared to be a taxi half way to Thailand finally took off at 10:12pm. Only a short flight today of 1:52 so should arrive in BKK ahead of schedule. Food service tonight is chicken & rice with noodle salad and wash it down with Koff a Finnish beer with 4.5% alcohol.

Fall asleep and awaken still in the air with BKK city lights bright below. The aircraft is circling and not even attempting to land. The captain switches on the intercom and advises that some VIP is on the runway. So no aircraft is allowed to land and I assume take off. Finally after what seemed like an eternity touched down at 11:24pm and arrived at the gate 11:35pm, half an hour late, after another long taxi.

[JohnK]

Quality Suites Hotel, Chaeng Wattana, Bangkok

Long queues at immigration but cleared OK at midnight. Go downstairs to carousel 9 to find that my luggage was already waiting for me. Quick detour to 7Eleven to buy a Lenso phonecard and head straight for the airport taxi queue. Short taxi queue tonight and after 15 minutes taxi trip I arrive at hotel at 00:40am.

This is my first stay at this hotel and it looks really nice. I was able to secure the suite for 1900 baht/night (~A$70/night) including American breakfast. It is a quiet area and the reviews were good. Laksi Technology Plaza is not far away. First impression at this time of the night and it looks nice.

Check in to the hotel is quick and I am taken up to my suite on the 7th floor. The suite is nice with a seperate lounge room and bedroom. The rooms are cool and a perfect haven from the Bangkok heat. Take a few minutes to look outside for some very beautiful night views of the city. Bangkok is captivating at night. I fell in love with it as soon as I first saw it.

Watch a bit of BBC news and now time for some much needed sleep after a long day.

[JohnK]

Tuesday 11 Apr 2006

I am awake quite early today. It must have something to do with the long day flying the previous day and not sleeping in my own bed. Time to relax a little before heading off for the airport. Turn on the tv and catch up on the latest news on BBC.

I have a complimentary breakfast coupon so I head off downstairs at around 10:00am. This is one of the only places in Thailand where I have been able to ask for soft egg or sunny side up and actually get it cooked that way. In my usual hotel I get eggs done in ways I have never seen before even though I always ask for soft egg. I even had a friend write it in Thai but they still get it wrong! How hard can it be? This is Thailand.

I wander outside and try to see if I can organise a taxi to the airport. This hotel is very close to the airport but is out of the way slightly. The hotel driver says he will take me but he wants 400 baht. No thanks it is a 70 baht meter taxi. Anyway they hail a taxi parked across the road and off we go to the airport. He wants 200 baht. Scam artist! I say meter or I leave. OK No problem. Arrive at the airport at around 12:15pm for my 2:40pm Finnair flight to HKG. Meter in the taxi comes to around 70 baht and hand over 100 baht and tell him it is OK.

Check the screen only to see that the flight is delayed until 11:20pm! What!!!! I am due to be back in BKK at 11:10pm. Proceed to business class check in and I am advised that this flight is delayed from HEL due to unscheduled maintenance. What do I do? Go to SIN instead. I can't as the Finnair tag flights are on alternate days.

I am offered a choice of 4 alternate flights, China Airlines (already full), Emirates, Cathay Pacific departing much later and another airline but I wasn't taking any notice at this stage. The only reason I am doing these flights is for the SCs and FF points. Checkin agent calls Finnair upstairs and is advised that all will be OK. I can sense a problem here and as I found out later all wasn't to be OK.

Anyway I choose the Emirates flight and I am allocated seat 3B on the 777-300. Oh well no window seats. I will have to organise return flight in HKG. Hopefully someone to talk to about the SCs and FF points. I am given an entrance card for Royal Executive Class Royal Orchid Lounge (that is a mouthful) and I have enough time for a salad and a couple of Singhas before boarding.