The joys of International travel

[Steve1960]

Actually I have a choice as the PAL ticket was non refundable so I told the office admin to leave both flights booked.

If the flight from SFO is on time I will go home PAL

If the SFO flight is late it will be a terminal transit adventure

[ecureilx]

[.

And the amazing thing is that terminal 3, the newest and best, is almost empty, with only Cebu, Nippon, and Zest occupying it. Some kind of fight over costs and legal issues.

there is talk of shifting SQ and CX to T3 in August, and make it a Money making venture for the taxi touts ... as it is, the average wait time for taxi in T3 can be 30 minutes to 1 hour ...

I think the legal fee for the T3 dispute went sky high before Gloria called a truce ... than keep paying the lawyers ...

[ScoobyDoes]

This is why I pay the small premium (10-20%?) and always just stick with CX or SQ. Fly through Hong Kong, and the experience is positively painless. Three and a half hours SIN -> HKG, HKG -> the US 12-14 hours depending on the coast. You make any transfer in Hong Kong with as little as 45 minutes. Or, if you're stuck there for hours it is a pretty nice airport to be at for a while.

If you take SQ to the US through HKG you don't even have to exit the plane. In Korea (IIA), they'll make you get off.

I was unfortunate enough to be enroute from Chicago to HK (via Tokyo) the day China Airlines flipped over at HK airport during a typhoon.

We were delayed in Tokyo 6hrs, were the last bunch of passengers in the airport after ALL other flights were cancelled and people sent to hotels. We got to a hotel about 11pm, were told we'd leave again at 8am and fly at 10am (all whilst our luggage was locked in the plane). We eventually departed Tokyo around 1pm and flew to HK where we circled for a hour waiting for the weather to clear.

No good, we flew BACK to Tokyo, refueled with only a hour on the ground and flew back to HK where we successfully managed to land.

So I need to calculate Chicago to Tokyo, overnight there then Tokyo to Hong Kong to Tokyo to Hong Kong again. All in economy class and without the benefit of all those extra miles......though one day late getting back to work.

I'm writing this from another airport lounge heading back to SG and there's a thunderstorm rolling outside so hopefully all goes well.

That trip was only mildly worse than Singapore to Bangkok to Frankfurt to Dusseldorf to Edinburgh that I did in a single hit two years ago. The guy at Changi actually had the nerve to laugh when he saw I had voluntarily booked a trip of more than 30hrs......the cheek. But there was a just cause.

[Max Headroom]

This is why I pay the small premium (10-20%?) and always just stick with CX or SQ. Fly through Hong Kong, and the experience is positively painless. Three and a half hours SIN -> HKG, HKG -> the US 12-14 hours depending on the coast. You make any transfer in Hong Kong with as little as 45 minutes. Or, if you're stuck there for hours it is a pretty nice airport to be at for a while.

If you take SQ to the US through HKG you don't even have to exit the plane. In Korea (IIA), they'll make you get off.

I was unfortunate enough to be enroute from Chicago to HK (via Tokyo) the day China Airlines flipped over at HK airport during a typhoon.

We were delayed in Tokyo 6hrs, were the last bunch of passengers in the airport after ALL other flights were cancelled and people sent to hotels. We got to a hotel about 11pm, were told we'd leave again at 8am and fly at 10am (all whilst our luggage was locked in the plane). We eventually departed Tokyo around 1pm and flew to HK where we circled for a hour waiting for the weather to clear.

No good, we flew BACK to Tokyo, refueled with only a hour on the ground and flew back to HK where we successfully managed to land.

So I need to calculate Chicago to Tokyo, overnight there then Tokyo to Hong Kong to Tokyo to Hong Kong again. All in economy class and without the benefit of all those extra miles......though one day late getting back to work.

I'm writing this from another airport lounge heading back to SG and there's a thunderstorm rolling outside so hopefully all goes well.

That trip was only mildly worse than Singapore to Bangkok to Frankfurt to Dusseldorf to Edinburgh that I did in a single hit two years ago. The guy at Changi actually had the nerve to laugh when he saw I had voluntarily booked a trip of more than 30hrs......the cheek. But there was a just cause.

Ugh, painful.

Still, I'd trade that for my flight out of Germany to Jo'berg a few years back, when all engines inexplicably spooled down to idle shortly after take-off, leaving us weightless while the plane, with nose still up, falls like a rock, only to suddenly be pressed back into our seats as the engines suddenly rev up again.

No announcement from the flight crew whatsoever.

Never ever flying SAA again.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Maybe the SAA pilot was a former Chopper pilot like me and just did a practice auto-rotation, forgetting he was no longer in the chopper but in a plane. That's when you learn exactly what the pucker factor is. (no need to explain further)

[BillyB]

I'm sure you're aware of this, but I always try to book a connecting journey within the same alliance e.g. Cathay and BA. That way you'll likely be re-booked in advance if your first leg is delayed, or your connection is delayed.

But i guess the Philippines doesn't have too many alliance options......

[Steve1960]

So, we had a medical emergency on the way from SFO to Manila and had to land at Guam military airbase.

Missed both connecting flights home by a country mile. PAL could not get me on a flight out the same day. It was 8am in the morning, no reply from the Singapore travel agent or the company PA.

I could have sat round in the airport until someone booked me a flight home but decided to spend a night in Makati and took an SQ flight home the following day.

No more travelling for a month now thank goodness.

[ecureilx]

So, we had a medical emergency on the way from SFO to Manila and had to land at Guam military airbase.

Missed both connecting flights home by a country mile. PAL could not get me on a flight out the same day. It was 8am in the morning, no reply from the Singapore travel agent or the company PA.

I could have sat round in the airport until someone booked me a flight home but decided to spend a night in Makati and took an SQ flight home the following day.

No more travelling for a month now thank goodness.

and you had fun I guess :p

[zzm9980]

You kidding? His wife is Filipino. I bet she had at least two dozen cousins, neighbors, uncles, etc. out there reporting in on him every 5 minutes.

[Steve1960]

You kidding? His wife is Filipino. I bet she had at least two dozen cousins, neighbors, uncles, etc. out there reporting in on him every 5 minutes.

Damn right, I can't make a move in Makati without my wife knowing about it.

I went to Landmark and picked up a few bits and pieces my wife wanted, ordered room service food and watched TV!

[ecureilx]

You kidding? His wife is Filipino. I bet she had at least two dozen cousins, neighbors, uncles, etc. out there reporting in on him every 5 minutes.

Damn right, I can't make a move in Makati without my wife knowing about it.

I went to Landmark and picked up a few bits and pieces my wife wanted, ordered room service food and watched TV!

I thought you spent the whole night in the Ayala museum???

[Steve1960]

Not sure I understand that or why it makes you mad

[ecureilx]

Not sure I understand that or why it makes you mad

meant to say you were doing the equivalent of praying the whole night

forget the Smiley : evil : gives ...

yah, looks more like mad than evil

cool

PS, hows the weather there? I am heading out there tomorrow evening

[Steve1960]

Not sure I understand that or why it makes you mad

meant to say you were doing the equivalent of praying the whole night

forget the Smiley : evil : gives ...

yah, looks more like mad than evil

cool

PS, hows the weather there? I am heading out there tomorrow evening

Got it, funny! Weather was OK overcast and hot but no rain.

[the lynx]

You mean this one?

It is : twisted :