My Finnair adventure from HEL

JohnK · #1 (**permalink**) 16th November 2006, 09:42 PM

I have never done a trip report and thought it may be time to have a go at doing one. I have all the notes but very difficult to decide what to include and what to leave out.

The trip is not recent, last April, but it was an exciting trip for me with it's highs and lows. This was the first time I had flown in paid business class, the trip that got me over the line to QF Gold and planted the seeds for my current path to QF Platinum.

I have already posted in earlier threads some of the fun that I encountered along the way.

JohnK · #2 (**permalink**) 16th November 2006, 10:19 PM

Monday 10 Apr 2006

I am awake at 6:20am. The excitement of going back to Thailand again ensured that I didn't get too much sleep the night before. There are 12 flights in 13 days, I would experience my first ever Songkran in Thailand and at the end of it all I should have the bonus of QF Gold status.

I need to get ready but remember that the US Masters telecast is on Channel 9. Can't stop myself from switching on the tv. Phil Mickelson is leading narrowly. Come on Phil. Very hard to switch it off. The excitement is just hotting up. Lucky that I had packed my luggage the night before but still some things to include.

I manage to turn myself away from the tv long enough to get ready. Mum had woken early and cooked a nice juicy pork chop for me. I am spoilt for breakfast. It is now after 8:00am and I need to go but find myself drawn to the US Masters telecast again. Phil birdies the 15th and a win seems a formality now. Come on Phil. You can do it. Fred Couples is still hanging in there as well.

I am rushing for time now. Call for Silver taxi hoping for it to arrive at 8:50am as my SYD-BNE flight is at 10:05am. Pacing around outside impatiently waiting for taxi to arrive. Taxi finally arrives at 9:06am but it is not my favourite Silver taxi but a Taxis Combined station wagon. No big deal, will have to do for now. Arrive T3 at 9:25am after a smooth run on M5 and Airport drive.

JohnK · #3 (**permalink**) 16th November 2006, 11:47 PM

QF516 SYD-BNE

Scheduled departure 10:05am Scheduled arrival 11:35am

No queue so head straight for Qantas Club checkin. Oops! Mistake on my part. Even though at T3 I need to go to international counter. I am told to go to the end counter. Getting close to cut-off for checkin and there is a lady waiting in the queue. I explain my situation and she kindly let me proceed before her.

Check my one and only bag through to BKK. My QF and Finnair bookings are not linked again. I called QF 2 months ago to get this done. Oh well! Receive my boarding pass for seat 30F, seq #203, for SYD-BNE flight. It is a 767 and flight is close to full. Not a bad seat for a mere QF Silver. Also receive boarding pass for seat 25G, seq #46, for BNE-SIN flight and need to go to transfer desk in SIN to collect boarding pass for SIN-BKK.

Arrive at security check point and 2 huge queues. Lady officer walking around informing people that there is another security check point near gate 7. Some people taking her advice leave the queue. Surprisingly both queues are moving quickly and find myself at gate 2 at 9:40am.

Time for a quick beer. Head across the corridor to bar Roma and order a Crown Lager. This one did not touch the sides. I am one of the last to board at 9:55am to find the flight very full. Only a few spare seats. After a long taxi had a smooth take off from runway 34L/16R.

The flight was smooth with reasonable cloud cover out towards the Pacific Ocean but the views inland were crystal clear. Had a muffin and lemonade for breakfast. I find out that this is one of the BA leased 767's VH-VXF. Flight attendants Eve and Angela would love to have the aircraft named after them when I mentioned that I may be writing a trip report on AFF.

Touch down in BNE and got to gate 23 about 15 minutes early. Slight delay in disembarking and I hurried to get to the airtrain. Just arrived as the 11:31am was leaving. Need to wait another half an hour for the next one which does not leave a lot of time in the Qantas Club using my QF Silver complimentary invitation.