Our Qantas B787-9 Dreamliner that would fly us from Melbourne to Los Angeles

After a long hiatus in international travel due to COVID, it felt good to get back in the air and fly internationally once again.  Travel to the US required a negative COVID test from a travel pathology centre within just a calendar day of departure.  The test could be done at the airport for less money but we couldn’t guarantee we would get the results back in time.  A valid ESTA is also required which at the time cost around $20 AUD each and could be obtained via an online application.  These are valid for two years.
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Time to board our QantasLink B717-200 for our flight back to Canberra

After an enjoyable break from Canberra’s chilly winter weather we finished up our week in sunny Byron Bay and the Gold Coast before it was time to catch our flight back home on the same B717-200 aircraft we flew over on.
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Our QantasLink B717-200 at Canberra Airport preparing for its flight to the Gold Coast

This was our first flight since January 2020 before COVID had really taken off.  So we were excited to be back in the air and at the same time cautious about what to expect.  Was it going to be safe? Were adequate measures in place and what impact would this new way of flying have on our experience?  We were about to find out. Continue reading →

Our Qantas B737-800 plane preparing for its flight to Melbourne

We were about to embark on the beginning of our holiday to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary and what better way to kick it off than 5 nights in an overwater bungalow in tropical Pangkor Laut, Malaysia.  However when we got to the airport we were in for some unexpected news.
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After our two hour Amtrak train ride from NY State to Penn Station, we caught the E train to uptown Queens getting off at Sutphin Boulevard for the JFK airport.  The ride took about half an hour and from there we took the elevator to the third floor (C floor).  After putting $5USD onto our AirTrain card we checked the terminal we needed which was eight and hopped onto the AirTrain.  I love seeing all the different airlines on the way to our terminal.
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Our Qantas Dash 8 plane that would take us to Sydney

This was the first of several flights for our trip to New York via Las Vegas.  Qantas often run the Dash 8’s from Canberra to Sydney and back as they’re smaller and more economical.  In hindsight I wouldn’t have chosen the first day of daylight saving for the start of our trip as putting the clocks forward an hour meant we had to be up very early. Continue reading →

Qantas QF24 soon to be on its way from Bangkok to Sydney

Our holiday to Thailand had come to an end and we were ready to sit down and relax on board our Qantas flight to Sydney after a busy day which involved lots of walking.  Hopefully we would get some sleep too. Continue reading →

Looking out the window of our Qantas A330-300

My Husband and I were flying to Bangkok where we would spend a couple of nights before catching the sleeper train up to Chiang Mai. Continue reading →

A great view of our Qantas B737-800 from the lounge at Tullamarine Airport

 It had been a long journey which commenced with a two hour train ride to New York City but this would be our third and final flight for the trip to get home.  I find flying to a destination exciting and enjoyable but coming home, I’m keen to get it over with, especially if the rest of the family are back home.  I also don’t enjoy overnight flights as much and for some reason the flights back seem to always be overnighters. Continue reading →

Boarding our A380-800 flight from LAX Los Angeles to Melbourne Australia

Due to the late arrival of our flight from New York to Los Angeles, our next flight which we boarded immediately was already nearly full.  Finding room in the overhead compartments was a bit of a challenge which is a good enough reason to board early when possible.  It was late and we had a long 16 hour flight in front of us to Melbourne, Australia. Continue reading →

Our Qantas 747-400 plane from New York to Los Angeles

This was to be a long journey.  After a two hour train ride from New York State to New York City, we had to negotiate the subways and Airtrain to the airport where we had a five and a half hour flight to Los Angeles followed by a nearly sixteen hour flight to Melbourne, Australia before yet another flight to Canberra. Continue reading →

Our Qantas 747-400 aircraft at LAX bound for JFK in New York

Having just arrived at LAX from Sydney, we had little time to make our connecting flight to New York.  We followed the signs to International Transfers and made our way to Immigration. Continue reading →