Weekend in Vienna - QF853
QF853 CBR-MEL Tue 6 Mar 2012
B734 VH-TJS "Jabiru"
Seats 19A/C
Boarding 1250 (Gate 12)
Scheduled: 1310
Pushback 1306
Takeoff 1314 (to North)
Landing 1410 (from North)
Gate 1414
I've ridden this bird before - and so has everybody else on the Frequent Flyer forum, I think. She's looking a bit tired, but the seats are clean and tidy, the sound system works, and nothing falls off.
I must bug my wife sometimes. I have a Levenger Shirt Pocket Briefcase, which is a wallet with a bunch of pockets and tabs, which holds a supply of 3x5" cards, and every flight I haul out one of these cards ands scribble down useless information and times and stuff about the flight. Kerri treats every flight as like getting on a bus, but I'm not that way.
Even for a routine hop down to Melbourne.
But it's not routine. This is the first jump on the big skip to Vienna. I've had longer trips, but every chance for a few days exploring the world with my wife is gold, and I'm making the most of this one.
Our seats are at the back of the bus, which is where I like my Y chairs so I don't have to look at a big chunk of wing when i'd rather look at Australia. Or Siberia, or New Mexico... The flight isn't full, so we have the middle seat to play around with, which is nice. We usually travel this way: I get the window, Kerri gets the aisle, and we hope nobody snaffles the middle seat. Mostly it works out.
Take off north past Mount Ainslie and Majura, and as soon as we clear the suburbs, we bank to port and ease around to the south. It's been raining for about a week, and I can see a flooded river below, probably the one spilling over the Cotter Dam construction site.
Then the clouds close in below, and I turn to the paper I've lifted from the rack by the gate. I've also got a book in my Coccoon manbag, along with the iPad loaded up with enough books and audiobooks and music and movies for months of travelling. And of course, the earphones to tap into the excellent Qantas sound channels. I usually pick some golden oldie channel and bop along happily. There are few places I like better than a comfy chair and a good view.
Maybe with something to sip and snack on.
I'm saving myself for Melbourne, but I take a few bites anyway. With a sick fascination after the first one. The panini isn't as fresh as it could be, and the filling is pretty bloody ordinary. I give up halfway through and tuck the remnants back into the plastic bag. As do most of the other passengers. There's a little square of Lindt chocolate, which I tuck away for later, and finally get around to when I'm back in Oz and shaking my stuff out. Coffee is the usual gruesome mix and I sip it thoughtfully, wondering how long I'll have to go until I get a really good cup.
The answer, it turns out, is about the same time I eat my chocky bit.
The ground appears below as we descend into Tullamarine, and I grab the camera to snap off a quick shot of "our" A380 waiting for us. What a monster it is, lording it over the other birds. We could probably taxi under the wing.
We're at the gate at quarter past two for our five o'clock flight. I need to make the most of every moment here!
B734 VH-TJS "Jabiru"
Seats 19A/C
Boarding 1250 (Gate 12)
Scheduled: 1310
Pushback 1306
Takeoff 1314 (to North)
Landing 1410 (from North)
Gate 1414
I've ridden this bird before - and so has everybody else on the Frequent Flyer forum, I think. She's looking a bit tired, but the seats are clean and tidy, the sound system works, and nothing falls off.
I must bug my wife sometimes. I have a Levenger Shirt Pocket Briefcase, which is a wallet with a bunch of pockets and tabs, which holds a supply of 3x5" cards, and every flight I haul out one of these cards ands scribble down useless information and times and stuff about the flight. Kerri treats every flight as like getting on a bus, but I'm not that way.
Even for a routine hop down to Melbourne.
But it's not routine. This is the first jump on the big skip to Vienna. I've had longer trips, but every chance for a few days exploring the world with my wife is gold, and I'm making the most of this one.
Our seats are at the back of the bus, which is where I like my Y chairs so I don't have to look at a big chunk of wing when i'd rather look at Australia. Or Siberia, or New Mexico... The flight isn't full, so we have the middle seat to play around with, which is nice. We usually travel this way: I get the window, Kerri gets the aisle, and we hope nobody snaffles the middle seat. Mostly it works out.
Take off north past Mount Ainslie and Majura, and as soon as we clear the suburbs, we bank to port and ease around to the south. It's been raining for about a week, and I can see a flooded river below, probably the one spilling over the Cotter Dam construction site.
Then the clouds close in below, and I turn to the paper I've lifted from the rack by the gate. I've also got a book in my Coccoon manbag, along with the iPad loaded up with enough books and audiobooks and music and movies for months of travelling. And of course, the earphones to tap into the excellent Qantas sound channels. I usually pick some golden oldie channel and bop along happily. There are few places I like better than a comfy chair and a good view.
Maybe with something to sip and snack on.
I'm saving myself for Melbourne, but I take a few bites anyway. With a sick fascination after the first one. The panini isn't as fresh as it could be, and the filling is pretty bloody ordinary. I give up halfway through and tuck the remnants back into the plastic bag. As do most of the other passengers. There's a little square of Lindt chocolate, which I tuck away for later, and finally get around to when I'm back in Oz and shaking my stuff out. Coffee is the usual gruesome mix and I sip it thoughtfully, wondering how long I'll have to go until I get a really good cup.
The answer, it turns out, is about the same time I eat my chocky bit.
The ground appears below as we descend into Tullamarine, and I grab the camera to snap off a quick shot of "our" A380 waiting for us. What a monster it is, lording it over the other birds. We could probably taxi under the wing.
We're at the gate at quarter past two for our five o'clock flight. I need to make the most of every moment here!