V-Flyer

I was tempted to call this Trip Report Oh No - Not Again! More Tales of First Class Decadence Aboard British Airways but the title wouldnt fit. Given Speedbird223s excellent report of roundtrip travel on BA between London and Capetown along with my attempts to describe my own similar experiences aboard BA between the US and Melbourne, this forum has been well and truly inundated with accounts of the good life aboard BA. Regardless, I promise that unless substantial changes to BAs First Class product occur, thisll be the last report I publish here on it. Others can take up the reins. Enough is enough!

Now then on to the report

Oh yeah pictures start with #24 right

HERE


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After two weeks of roaming about New Zealands South Island, its time to return to the top half of the planet again. As excited as I am about the prospect of my upcoming flights on British Airways FIRST, I also feel that this visit Down Under has been entirely too short. Ive got a lot to look forward to in the weeks ahead, but I dont feel ready to leave just yet.

Most years when visiting Australia and/or New Zealand, Ive spent anywhere from one to three months in the region. As much fun as this little trip has been, its also been entirely too short for such a beautiful and enjoyable part of the world. Still, plans have been made plans that I cant change without incurring substantial penalties, so

Im off to Hawaii!

Things could be worse, couldnt they?

From 1985 through 1995, I went to Hawaii every year. In one thirteen month period during 1985-86, I flew to Hawaii and back twenty-three times. Go ahead and put your eyes back in your sockets you read that correctly. Twenty-three times. During that period, I was also a card-carrying winner of United Airlines Fifty State Marathon promotion. As such, I was entitled to completely free, unlimited First Class travel throughout the fifty states. Believe me, I took full advantage of it, logging over 500,000 miles in twelve months.

Back in those days, Uniteds Royal Hawaiian First Class represented about as fine a service as could be found aloft between the US Mainland and Hawaii. Large, spacious 747s and DC-10s plied the routes and the First Class meal service was really quite grand compared to the watered down Economy Class product now masquerading as First Class service.

But more on that later. Right now Ive got to get to Hawaii. For most people, Hawaii is only 4400 miles and eight hours away from New Zealand. Nobodys ever accused me of being like most people however, and as such Ill be traveling from Christchurch to Honolulu via Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, London and Los Angeles. Thats a distance of 20,260 miles, and itll take me a few days to travel. So make yourself comfortable, recline your seat a notch and prepare for takeoff. This trip report, like its writer, is on the road again.