Round The World and other travels

A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries

This is: Far East 2009

Background

This trip came about as a result of several wishes, all happily compatible with each other :-

  • to escape from what I have long considered to be the most depressing month of winter in Scotland
  • to start reaping the benefits of belonging to bmi Diamond Club
  • to broaden my experience of Star Alliance premium products
  • to tick off some new destinations in the Far East and re-visit some of my old favourites
  • to combine some sight-seeing in my usual style with the opportunity for some proper relaxation
  • to sample the annual FlyerTalk Singapore Do - one that I had been following on-line for several years.

So, as far back as Spring 2008, I put in place the framework : Diamond Club redemption flights from Europe to Hong Kong on Lufthansa, and from Singapore back home on Singapore Airlines / bmi. I arranged the outbound flight from Barcelona simply to take advantage of an agreeable quirk in the mileage redemption table. It was then a case of building on this framework to give me a schedule that would bring first-time experiences of :-

  • Lufthansa First Class
  • Thai First and Business Classes
  • Swiss First Class
  • Singapore Airlines First and Business Classes

Poor old BA was relegated to getting me to Barcelona in Economy - a task which, in the end, it would perform by unexpected means!

I was especially looking forward to sampling Singapore Airlines First Class, reckoned by many to be the best in the world, and I felt from the start that the homeward journey might well turn out to be one of the trip highlights. Then, by a wonderful (though not entirely unexpected ) stroke of luck, the best got even better. The scheduled Boeing 747 on flight SQ318 was replaced by an Airbus A380 double-decker and my F booking was upgraded to a Suite - my own private cabin in the sky!   I can't recall any other trip where coming home again was one of the most eagerly anticipated features!