One show that I really enjoy is The Amazing Race. Leslie and I have often thought of applying to participate in that reality show. The chance to see the world, and do incredible things. However, we first considered this when we were ten years younger. Based on our trip home from Bali, I don't think - at my age - I could handle that much jet lag.
We awoke to a cloudy day in Bali. I always prefer crappy weather on traveling days for the simple reason that we're trapped in cars and planes and can't enjoy the sun even if it were out.
Our flight from Bali to Singapore was at 3:25pm, so we left our hotel at the Anantara in Uluwatu at noon. As usual, I had to make sure we booked a mini-bus given the ridiculous amount of luggage we have (eight large suitcases + the four of us). It took about an hour to get to the airport, where we were dropped off a the outer reaches of the airport. Fortunately, there were porters happily waiting to help us with our luggage, and we made our way down the long breezeway from the drop off point to the terminal.
To enter the airport at DPS (airport code for Bali), you need go first show security your ticket. I had a copy of our confirmation, which was adequate. Then, we had to go through a first round of security, dumping all of our bags and carry-ons through an x-ray machine.
We were taking Mandala airways (a sister company to Tiger Airways, through whose website we booked). As I've commented on before, Tiger/Mandala is a low cost carrier with cheap fares, but which charges for everything else. I paid extra for the max luggage allowance, for emergency exit row seats for Leslie and I (the kids sat right behind us since they weren't old enough for the exit rows), and for the right the board first and secure overhead space.
Leslie was appalled by the whole business model, and had no confidence in a crew whose main focus was selling drinks and meals and duty free on board. Thus, after we departed, we hit some bad turbulence. Leslie started having an anxiety attack, crying and muttering (barely) under her breath that we were going to die. I can't blame her. It's a low cost carrier...who knows who the hell is piloting the aircraft.
Since Mandala/Tiger has no interlining agreements with any other airlines (meaning, they won't transfer your luggage to other airlines), I had to fill out the Singapore entry forms on the plane, and we all had to clear immigration and customs before transferring from terminal 2 to terminal 1 (via train) in order to check-in with Emirates for the rest of our journey.
At this point, it's past 7pm, and everyone is just starting to get tired (and grumpy). Of course, the Emirates check-in desks are at the opposite end of the terminal. Fortunately, international airports - in every case I've encountered - provide luggage carts for free (unlike fucking US domestic airports that charge $5 for a freaking luggage cart), and we were using four of them to accommodate our obscene amount of luggage.
Here is where 'first world' problems begin. We headed to the first class check-in line, which was empty - no line. Our baggage was no problem. In first and business class, one is allowed an obscene amount of baggage weight for check-in luggage. After receiving our boarding passes, I asked to make sure we had access to the Emirates lounge there in Singapore. As was the case in the last two times we requested lounge access. there was a problem. For some reason, tickets issued via Alaska Airlines frequent flyer miles didn't automatically include lounge access. It took another 15 minutes to clear this up, and then we headed up, back through immigration, and to the lounge.
Although a small lounge, it had some great food which we enjoyed, as we had an hour to kill before departure to Dubai. When boarding was announced, we headed to the gate, which of course, was one of the furthest away from the lounge.
Singapore International Airport is unique in that one doesn't clear security until the gate. This is great for transiting, since (as opposed to most airports) you don't have to clear security once you get off your connecting international flight. You get off the plane and can immediately wander around the terminal. The downside is that once you clear security at the gate, you're effectively trapped there. Bottles of water aren't allowed, and there are no toilets in the gate area.
Our flight to Dubai was blocked for 7 hours and 30 minutes, and this was the first time on this trip that we were going to be traveling on the A380 - the big ass double decker aircraft with a huge forehead (the 747 is a much more beautiful aircraft). Our flight was scheduled to leave 9:25pm, and when boarding was called, we expected to board first (as First Class and Business Class usually do). However, economy boarded first (the entire first level of the aircraft is economy, with the top deck split between First and Business class). We were told there was a 'wiring' problem that was being addressed, and thus couldn't board the second deck.
After about 45 minutes, during which all the economy passengers had boarded, we still had no idea what was going on or how long it was going to be. An older gentlemen, a true business traveler, approached the male (and thus in charge) gate agent, and asked him to at least make some kind of announcement as to what was happening. The agent just stared blankly at the gentleman and said it was out of his control. The anecdote spoke of a poor company culture where the front line is not empowered to provide basic customer service.
Eventually - an hour later - we were allowed to board, and we headed off into the night. Fortunately, the flight time was a short 6h30m. Something that is very unique with Emirates and their A380s is that the aircraft has two large lavatories that feature showers for first class passengers. I was looking forward to the novelty of showering at 40,000ft. However, after a simple meal (just some ramen and gnocchi), I asked the crew to transform my seat into a bed (complete with bedding), and promptly fell asleep.
I had booked my shower time an hour before arrival, and when the flight attendant gently woke me up, I almost told her to skip it. However, I realized this was probably my only opportunity to ever take a shower in the sky. The flight attendant familiarized me with the setup (shampoos available, where the hair dryer was located, how to operate the shower - and even where the oxygen mask would drop down in the case of an emergency), and I was left with my five minutes of shower time. For me, and most guys, this is plenty of time for a shower. I imagine for women - using my wife as an example - a five minute timeline would be tough to stick to. There's a timer of sorts in the shower, showing how much time remains (not by minutes, but by fractions - half left, quarter left, etc.). I figured I used four minutes before shutting it down. I changed into some new boxer briefs and a new tee-shirt, and returned to my seat in time for our gradual descent into Dubai International Airport.
We arrived in Dubai at 1am local time (5am Bali time). Because we had a 9 hour layover, I had booked two rooms at the transit hotel located in the terminal from which we were going to depart in the morning. I figured given our fatigue, it would be a nightmare trying to rest in the lounges for that long - it was the right call. Someone met us at the gate, escorted our tired asses to the hotel, where we slept for about five hours before waking up, taking a shower, and heading to the lounges.
Since Leslie and I were in First Class and the kids in Business Class, and since - given my research - we wouldn't be able to get the kids into the FC lounge, we headed to the BC lounge. Besides the usual lounge access issues that needed to be resolved, the agent told us that FC passengers are allowed a guest each into the FC lounge.
Heading into the beautiful, well appointed FC lounge, we headed for some breakfast at a lovely dining area. After some breakfast, the girls headed down to duty free to get some last minute gifts, and after they returned, I went down for some duty free booze. I took a chance and bought a bottle of Havana Club rum - a product of Cuba, illegal in the US - as well as a liter of Kettle One vodka. I've found the prices at Dubai duty free to be excellent compared to other international airports.
Our flight to Seattle was scheduled to leave at 9:40am, and at around 9am we headed to the gate - which, of course, was located at the very end of the terminal. One thing astounding about DXB (the code for Dubai International Airport) is the amount of passengers in transit at any time of the day. It's completely packed whether at dawn (when we shopped), or in the middle of the night (when I had transited during previous trips). It's one busy airport.
After a cursory check of our carry-on luggage (a requirement since we were traveling to the US), we boarded the 777-200LR that would take us to Seattle. With a planned flight time of 13h45m, the powerful 777 engines spooled up and carried us over the Straight of Hormuz and into Iranian airspace.
Our first class suites were spacious. Each extended the length of three windows, with sliding doors that gave a modicum of privacy (one could easily peek over the doors since they were maybe five feet in height). Each suite featured a large 23inch monitor, a minibar with a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, a snack basket with candy, mints and chips, a vanity mirror with several lotions and potions for the tired traveler. Moreover, pajamas are passed out (into which I changed before taking off), leather amenity kits, slippers and eye masks. Of course, naturally, Dom Perignon (2003 vintage) is the primary champagne offered (though a lovely vintage Veuve is offered as well). I didn't drink any alcohol on this trip, unfortunately.
In first class, one can eat at any time. I chose to sleep right away, and had my bed made up. I took a three hour nap, and awoke over northern Russia (probably considered just west of Siberia). It appeared that our routing was to take us over - or damned close - to the North Pole, so I watched a movie (Olympus Has Fallen - a terrible and good movie at the same time. Highly improbable that North Koreans could have sidestepped all the American intelligent services and armed defenses to take down the White House, but good in the fact that Gerard Butler kicks ass and takes names).
I checked on the kids a few times during the flight, smuggling some of the snacks from our basket back to them. They were well cared for, and had plenty of movies and cartoons to watch during the long flight.
After the movie, I spend the next hour watching the sky show - this is the software that tracks the course of the aircraft. It gives compass heading, speed, altitude, time remaining, distance traveled, time at present location, etc. It even shows which direction Mecca lies so Muslims can be sure to face the right direction if they decide to hit the deck to pray. As we approached the North Pole, the software started to freak out. As we passed over the North Pole (or within miles of it), we were passing time zones at literally one per minute. One minute, we were in the Dubai time zone, and just a few minutes later, we were in the Pacific time zone. This makes total sense given our proximity to the North Pole, but it's strange nonetheless. Also, the compass heading took a literal 180 as it went from close to 360 degrees north to 180 degrees south. Crazy.
The plane also features a front facing camera and a bottom facing camera. It was cool to see the ice broken up over the Arctic Ocean. Nothing but ice as far as you could see. Of course, given the northern summer, there was no darkness since we had gone far north of the Arctic Circle. We had literally skipped 11 time zones in a few minutes (even on the way to Dubai we saw no darkness given the far northern flight path above the Arctic Circle).
After the novelty of seeing the North Pole, I noted that we had six hours left in the flight. It was crazy to realize that in just an hour more than it takes to get to Hawaii, a flight from Seattle can fly over the North Pole in such a short amount of time. Back to sleep I went, awaking about two hours out from Seattle, heading over northern British Columbia.
The final hour was clear and gorgeous. Mt. Baker was clearly visible to the east (I was on the port side of the plane), the gulf islands of BC and the San Juans of Washington State passing below. It was good to be home.
We arrived at 1pm, unfortunately, along with a few other flights coming from Asia. Immigration lines were long, but once it was our turn, we were practically waved through. I figured that traveling as a family was a profile known to be of an extremely low risk for any criminal activity.
Customs was cleared just as quickly. We claimed our bags, caught our SUV ride home, and arrived to the hugs of our oldest daughter and our two beautiful French Bulldogs.
We had been traveling, since awaking in Bali, for 45 hours with only a few hours of sleep slipped into those several flights. As I write this, it's 2:30 in the morning in Seattle and I'm wide awake.
Damned jetlag.
We awoke to a cloudy day in Bali. I always prefer crappy weather on traveling days for the simple reason that we're trapped in cars and planes and can't enjoy the sun even if it were out.
Our flight from Bali to Singapore was at 3:25pm, so we left our hotel at the Anantara in Uluwatu at noon. As usual, I had to make sure we booked a mini-bus given the ridiculous amount of luggage we have (eight large suitcases + the four of us). It took about an hour to get to the airport, where we were dropped off a the outer reaches of the airport. Fortunately, there were porters happily waiting to help us with our luggage, and we made our way down the long breezeway from the drop off point to the terminal.
To enter the airport at DPS (airport code for Bali), you need go first show security your ticket. I had a copy of our confirmation, which was adequate. Then, we had to go through a first round of security, dumping all of our bags and carry-ons through an x-ray machine.
We were taking Mandala airways (a sister company to Tiger Airways, through whose website we booked). As I've commented on before, Tiger/Mandala is a low cost carrier with cheap fares, but which charges for everything else. I paid extra for the max luggage allowance, for emergency exit row seats for Leslie and I (the kids sat right behind us since they weren't old enough for the exit rows), and for the right the board first and secure overhead space.
Leslie was appalled by the whole business model, and had no confidence in a crew whose main focus was selling drinks and meals and duty free on board. Thus, after we departed, we hit some bad turbulence. Leslie started having an anxiety attack, crying and muttering (barely) under her breath that we were going to die. I can't blame her. It's a low cost carrier...who knows who the hell is piloting the aircraft.
Since Mandala/Tiger has no interlining agreements with any other airlines (meaning, they won't transfer your luggage to other airlines), I had to fill out the Singapore entry forms on the plane, and we all had to clear immigration and customs before transferring from terminal 2 to terminal 1 (via train) in order to check-in with Emirates for the rest of our journey.
At this point, it's past 7pm, and everyone is just starting to get tired (and grumpy). Of course, the Emirates check-in desks are at the opposite end of the terminal. Fortunately, international airports - in every case I've encountered - provide luggage carts for free (unlike fucking US domestic airports that charge $5 for a freaking luggage cart), and we were using four of them to accommodate our obscene amount of luggage.
Here is where 'first world' problems begin. We headed to the first class check-in line, which was empty - no line. Our baggage was no problem. In first and business class, one is allowed an obscene amount of baggage weight for check-in luggage. After receiving our boarding passes, I asked to make sure we had access to the Emirates lounge there in Singapore. As was the case in the last two times we requested lounge access. there was a problem. For some reason, tickets issued via Alaska Airlines frequent flyer miles didn't automatically include lounge access. It took another 15 minutes to clear this up, and then we headed up, back through immigration, and to the lounge.
Although a small lounge, it had some great food which we enjoyed, as we had an hour to kill before departure to Dubai. When boarding was announced, we headed to the gate, which of course, was one of the furthest away from the lounge.
Singapore International Airport is unique in that one doesn't clear security until the gate. This is great for transiting, since (as opposed to most airports) you don't have to clear security once you get off your connecting international flight. You get off the plane and can immediately wander around the terminal. The downside is that once you clear security at the gate, you're effectively trapped there. Bottles of water aren't allowed, and there are no toilets in the gate area.
Our flight to Dubai was blocked for 7 hours and 30 minutes, and this was the first time on this trip that we were going to be traveling on the A380 - the big ass double decker aircraft with a huge forehead (the 747 is a much more beautiful aircraft). Our flight was scheduled to leave 9:25pm, and when boarding was called, we expected to board first (as First Class and Business Class usually do). However, economy boarded first (the entire first level of the aircraft is economy, with the top deck split between First and Business class). We were told there was a 'wiring' problem that was being addressed, and thus couldn't board the second deck.
After about 45 minutes, during which all the economy passengers had boarded, we still had no idea what was going on or how long it was going to be. An older gentlemen, a true business traveler, approached the male (and thus in charge) gate agent, and asked him to at least make some kind of announcement as to what was happening. The agent just stared blankly at the gentleman and said it was out of his control. The anecdote spoke of a poor company culture where the front line is not empowered to provide basic customer service.
Eventually - an hour later - we were allowed to board, and we headed off into the night. Fortunately, the flight time was a short 6h30m. Something that is very unique with Emirates and their A380s is that the aircraft has two large lavatories that feature showers for first class passengers. I was looking forward to the novelty of showering at 40,000ft. However, after a simple meal (just some ramen and gnocchi), I asked the crew to transform my seat into a bed (complete with bedding), and promptly fell asleep.
I had booked my shower time an hour before arrival, and when the flight attendant gently woke me up, I almost told her to skip it. However, I realized this was probably my only opportunity to ever take a shower in the sky. The flight attendant familiarized me with the setup (shampoos available, where the hair dryer was located, how to operate the shower - and even where the oxygen mask would drop down in the case of an emergency), and I was left with my five minutes of shower time. For me, and most guys, this is plenty of time for a shower. I imagine for women - using my wife as an example - a five minute timeline would be tough to stick to. There's a timer of sorts in the shower, showing how much time remains (not by minutes, but by fractions - half left, quarter left, etc.). I figured I used four minutes before shutting it down. I changed into some new boxer briefs and a new tee-shirt, and returned to my seat in time for our gradual descent into Dubai International Airport.
We arrived in Dubai at 1am local time (5am Bali time). Because we had a 9 hour layover, I had booked two rooms at the transit hotel located in the terminal from which we were going to depart in the morning. I figured given our fatigue, it would be a nightmare trying to rest in the lounges for that long - it was the right call. Someone met us at the gate, escorted our tired asses to the hotel, where we slept for about five hours before waking up, taking a shower, and heading to the lounges.
Since Leslie and I were in First Class and the kids in Business Class, and since - given my research - we wouldn't be able to get the kids into the FC lounge, we headed to the BC lounge. Besides the usual lounge access issues that needed to be resolved, the agent told us that FC passengers are allowed a guest each into the FC lounge.
 |
| First Class lounge in Dubai |
Heading into the beautiful, well appointed FC lounge, we headed for some breakfast at a lovely dining area. After some breakfast, the girls headed down to duty free to get some last minute gifts, and after they returned, I went down for some duty free booze. I took a chance and bought a bottle of Havana Club rum - a product of Cuba, illegal in the US - as well as a liter of Kettle One vodka. I've found the prices at Dubai duty free to be excellent compared to other international airports.
Our flight to Seattle was scheduled to leave at 9:40am, and at around 9am we headed to the gate - which, of course, was located at the very end of the terminal. One thing astounding about DXB (the code for Dubai International Airport) is the amount of passengers in transit at any time of the day. It's completely packed whether at dawn (when we shopped), or in the middle of the night (when I had transited during previous trips). It's one busy airport.
After a cursory check of our carry-on luggage (a requirement since we were traveling to the US), we boarded the 777-200LR that would take us to Seattle. With a planned flight time of 13h45m, the powerful 777 engines spooled up and carried us over the Straight of Hormuz and into Iranian airspace.
Our first class suites were spacious. Each extended the length of three windows, with sliding doors that gave a modicum of privacy (one could easily peek over the doors since they were maybe five feet in height). Each suite featured a large 23inch monitor, a minibar with a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, a snack basket with candy, mints and chips, a vanity mirror with several lotions and potions for the tired traveler. Moreover, pajamas are passed out (into which I changed before taking off), leather amenity kits, slippers and eye masks. Of course, naturally, Dom Perignon (2003 vintage) is the primary champagne offered (though a lovely vintage Veuve is offered as well). I didn't drink any alcohol on this trip, unfortunately.
 |
| Leslie's First Class Suite (note the snack basket in the lower left, the lotions in the lower right, and the minibar on the left hand side |
I checked on the kids a few times during the flight, smuggling some of the snacks from our basket back to them. They were well cared for, and had plenty of movies and cartoons to watch during the long flight.
After the movie, I spend the next hour watching the sky show - this is the software that tracks the course of the aircraft. It gives compass heading, speed, altitude, time remaining, distance traveled, time at present location, etc. It even shows which direction Mecca lies so Muslims can be sure to face the right direction if they decide to hit the deck to pray. As we approached the North Pole, the software started to freak out. As we passed over the North Pole (or within miles of it), we were passing time zones at literally one per minute. One minute, we were in the Dubai time zone, and just a few minutes later, we were in the Pacific time zone. This makes total sense given our proximity to the North Pole, but it's strange nonetheless. Also, the compass heading took a literal 180 as it went from close to 360 degrees north to 180 degrees south. Crazy.
 |
| Our routing from Dubai to Seattle |
The plane also features a front facing camera and a bottom facing camera. It was cool to see the ice broken up over the Arctic Ocean. Nothing but ice as far as you could see. Of course, given the northern summer, there was no darkness since we had gone far north of the Arctic Circle. We had literally skipped 11 time zones in a few minutes (even on the way to Dubai we saw no darkness given the far northern flight path above the Arctic Circle).
After the novelty of seeing the North Pole, I noted that we had six hours left in the flight. It was crazy to realize that in just an hour more than it takes to get to Hawaii, a flight from Seattle can fly over the North Pole in such a short amount of time. Back to sleep I went, awaking about two hours out from Seattle, heading over northern British Columbia.
The final hour was clear and gorgeous. Mt. Baker was clearly visible to the east (I was on the port side of the plane), the gulf islands of BC and the San Juans of Washington State passing below. It was good to be home.
We arrived at 1pm, unfortunately, along with a few other flights coming from Asia. Immigration lines were long, but once it was our turn, we were practically waved through. I figured that traveling as a family was a profile known to be of an extremely low risk for any criminal activity.
Customs was cleared just as quickly. We claimed our bags, caught our SUV ride home, and arrived to the hugs of our oldest daughter and our two beautiful French Bulldogs.
We had been traveling, since awaking in Bali, for 45 hours with only a few hours of sleep slipped into those several flights. As I write this, it's 2:30 in the morning in Seattle and I'm wide awake.
Damned jetlag.
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