A quarter of the way around the world in 31hours
Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 10:18 am
Phileas Fogg would likely be astounded by how far we've come in 140years.
Now, before I get going, reader beware, this is a sharing by me thread. I'm not one to overshare I believe, so hopefully no Hairy gonads or other things that can never be unseen. But if too much information is not your thang, click the next topic button.
Highlight one. Emirates is now operating a route that services Phnom Penh, once again.
Travel
EK002 out of London Heathrow to Dubai
Documents check-
- PCR,
- Forte Insurance
- and the slight surprise, a SINGAPORE HEALTH declaration. it wasn't quite so easy to find, it's done online, the notes say it takes 3 minutes to complete. Somewhere on www.MOH.GOV.SG. it's clunky in places, and whilst otherwise straightforward, it's worth doing when you're NOT standing inline at check in. It's a check-in question.
EK0354 Dubai to Singapore Changi
On arrival in Singapore, transit passengers are kept on the aircraft until all the other passengers have left, before being taken to the transit area. Makes sense, but see the upcoming notes.
EK7761, which is a codeshare service with Jetstar Asia. The crew will hand you a set of 3 small documents- customs, health, immigration card. Fill them in at the earliest opportunity.
For the business class traveller, or frequent miler with business lounge access, currently Emirates are using the Plaza lounge at Heathrow. It's not to the same standard as Emirates lounges by a long way, but the hooch is free.
Emirates own lounge in Dubai is on concourse B. I think most of the others are currently shut, but given the numbers yesterday, I'd not be too surprised to see that change.
As I have been expecting, one of the biggest challenges associated with opening up of international travel will be how airports manage the passenger throughput, and cater for the isolation and transit issues. A great many airport terminals were designed around, or adapted to mass travel, and exploiting those who were by necessity waiting for connecting flights. Now- where do they all go?
Changi, yesterday was a case study in the randomness and ever changing character of this situation.
Previously, Changi seemed to be managing it quite well- Deplane, queue like primary school children, walk single file to the transit lounge area, sit here, wait. Pre-boarding, passengers being grouped together and moving in single file 'walking buses' like primary school children.
With the advent of the very subjective traffic light systems employed randomly by many countries, and the fear caused by delta variants, there are now multiple transit holding areas, and your allotted place depends on where your trip started.
The UK is on Singapores Red list, and so I was segregated in a smaller, very separate area, with nothing near the same comfort as my previous trip with Singapore airlines.
It's worth noting that Singapore airlines and Emirates total journey length is about the same, but Singapore Airlines has a 9hr transit stop in Changi. As much as I like Singapore airlines, I'm so glad Emirates are running a route again- the Changi stop was just over two hours, including a lot of walking.
Phnom Penh Airport
Little has changed in 7 months, and this was pretty straight forward.
Have all your documents ready, including the stuff the JetStar crew handed over. (not all airlines do this so well)
PCR
Forte Insurance
Immigration health card
quick check that all is in order, then proceed to payment. I have ABA bank accounts, and so I paid my $2000 deposit through my banking app. If you don't have a local facility, then it's cash I believe. Keep hold of your receipt, its required to reclaim your balance, later. There's a small list of bank branches that are now able to process the refund.
Another quick documents check, in my case it was two cheerful pretty girls, and then over to the immigration desk. (The first miserable fucker I encountered)
your passport and immigration form are retained, but everything else handed back.
Off to the PCR test club. They seem to run the teams in shifts, based on airlines arriving, so we had to wait while they setup a new testing station.
HOTEL
As is the current norm, there is a bus ride to the hotel. It starts off waiting for all passengers to be processed through immigration and PCR testing. Most of these will be slow because they either didn't get all their documents together, didn't fill in their 3 landing documents, or didn't have their money ready. less than 25 people in our group, and we were leaving the airport a little over an hour after landing.
The bus driver lied- he was more intent in selling cheap simcards for $10! He said were going to the OKAY boutique (Yay- 5 minutes walk from my home).
I think he meant to say, OK, Boutique. We ultimately ended up at the Anik Boutique, near Aeon 1. First impressions are actually very favourable, but here is a link to how I got that wrong before.
post463195.html?hilit=mekong#p463195
I'm inclined to give everyone the same benefit of the doubt, though, and so It's seems a good draw. I was mentally prepared for a two week fast.
Dinner served about 45 minutes after check in.
some very nice Chicken wings, Stir fried veg, and plain rice. Served HOT!
And some fruit to keep my doctor at bay.
Breakfast
Beef Noodles. There's something wrong here. The beef is edible by masticating with ones own teeth. No industrial intervention required. And it's HOT!
and some fruit to keep my doctor at bay.
There is a food menu for choosing Lunch, Dinner and the following day's breakfast.
(Photos to follow.)
So far, the hotel staff have been courteous, and helpful. Breakfast was served about an hour ago (9ish). One's own Temperature was taken 5 minutes ago.
So, here we are/I am. Day 1, almost back home....
this post has been checked for inadvertent hairy gonad inclusion. If this is not the case, please report once you have satisfied yourself with any size comparison
Now, before I get going, reader beware, this is a sharing by me thread. I'm not one to overshare I believe, so hopefully no Hairy gonads or other things that can never be unseen. But if too much information is not your thang, click the next topic button.
Highlight one. Emirates is now operating a route that services Phnom Penh, once again.
Travel
EK002 out of London Heathrow to Dubai
Documents check-
- PCR,
- Forte Insurance
- and the slight surprise, a SINGAPORE HEALTH declaration. it wasn't quite so easy to find, it's done online, the notes say it takes 3 minutes to complete. Somewhere on www.MOH.GOV.SG. it's clunky in places, and whilst otherwise straightforward, it's worth doing when you're NOT standing inline at check in. It's a check-in question.
EK0354 Dubai to Singapore Changi
On arrival in Singapore, transit passengers are kept on the aircraft until all the other passengers have left, before being taken to the transit area. Makes sense, but see the upcoming notes.
EK7761, which is a codeshare service with Jetstar Asia. The crew will hand you a set of 3 small documents- customs, health, immigration card. Fill them in at the earliest opportunity.
For the business class traveller, or frequent miler with business lounge access, currently Emirates are using the Plaza lounge at Heathrow. It's not to the same standard as Emirates lounges by a long way, but the hooch is free.
Emirates own lounge in Dubai is on concourse B. I think most of the others are currently shut, but given the numbers yesterday, I'd not be too surprised to see that change.
As I have been expecting, one of the biggest challenges associated with opening up of international travel will be how airports manage the passenger throughput, and cater for the isolation and transit issues. A great many airport terminals were designed around, or adapted to mass travel, and exploiting those who were by necessity waiting for connecting flights. Now- where do they all go?
Changi, yesterday was a case study in the randomness and ever changing character of this situation.
Previously, Changi seemed to be managing it quite well- Deplane, queue like primary school children, walk single file to the transit lounge area, sit here, wait. Pre-boarding, passengers being grouped together and moving in single file 'walking buses' like primary school children.
With the advent of the very subjective traffic light systems employed randomly by many countries, and the fear caused by delta variants, there are now multiple transit holding areas, and your allotted place depends on where your trip started.
The UK is on Singapores Red list, and so I was segregated in a smaller, very separate area, with nothing near the same comfort as my previous trip with Singapore airlines.
It's worth noting that Singapore airlines and Emirates total journey length is about the same, but Singapore Airlines has a 9hr transit stop in Changi. As much as I like Singapore airlines, I'm so glad Emirates are running a route again- the Changi stop was just over two hours, including a lot of walking.
Phnom Penh Airport
Little has changed in 7 months, and this was pretty straight forward.
Have all your documents ready, including the stuff the JetStar crew handed over. (not all airlines do this so well)
PCR
Forte Insurance
Immigration health card
quick check that all is in order, then proceed to payment. I have ABA bank accounts, and so I paid my $2000 deposit through my banking app. If you don't have a local facility, then it's cash I believe. Keep hold of your receipt, its required to reclaim your balance, later. There's a small list of bank branches that are now able to process the refund.
Another quick documents check, in my case it was two cheerful pretty girls, and then over to the immigration desk. (The first miserable fucker I encountered)
your passport and immigration form are retained, but everything else handed back.
Off to the PCR test club. They seem to run the teams in shifts, based on airlines arriving, so we had to wait while they setup a new testing station.
HOTEL
As is the current norm, there is a bus ride to the hotel. It starts off waiting for all passengers to be processed through immigration and PCR testing. Most of these will be slow because they either didn't get all their documents together, didn't fill in their 3 landing documents, or didn't have their money ready. less than 25 people in our group, and we were leaving the airport a little over an hour after landing.
The bus driver lied- he was more intent in selling cheap simcards for $10! He said were going to the OKAY boutique (Yay- 5 minutes walk from my home).
I think he meant to say, OK, Boutique. We ultimately ended up at the Anik Boutique, near Aeon 1. First impressions are actually very favourable, but here is a link to how I got that wrong before.
post463195.html?hilit=mekong#p463195
I'm inclined to give everyone the same benefit of the doubt, though, and so It's seems a good draw. I was mentally prepared for a two week fast.
Dinner served about 45 minutes after check in.
some very nice Chicken wings, Stir fried veg, and plain rice. Served HOT!
And some fruit to keep my doctor at bay.
Breakfast
Beef Noodles. There's something wrong here. The beef is edible by masticating with ones own teeth. No industrial intervention required. And it's HOT!
and some fruit to keep my doctor at bay.
There is a food menu for choosing Lunch, Dinner and the following day's breakfast.
(Photos to follow.)
So far, the hotel staff have been courteous, and helpful. Breakfast was served about an hour ago (9ish). One's own Temperature was taken 5 minutes ago.
So, here we are/I am. Day 1, almost back home....
this post has been checked for inadvertent hairy gonad inclusion. If this is not the case, please report once you have satisfied yourself with any size comparison