My ASN shuttle to Sydney International Airport was early and on my way to the airport I receive a text message advising my Qantas flight has been delayed until 19.50 pm.
It is the first time I am flying Qantas Sydney to Vancouver direct.
I have least 6 hours to kill at the airport. If I had flown Air Canada Sydney to Vancouver direct I would have almost arrived in Vancouver by the time I depart Sydney International Airport.
So what to do in the 6 hours.
1. Firstly check in - too early to do an online check in and bag drop, I have to do a manual check in at the Qantas counter which means queuing up. Checked bags 2 a suitcase and a snowboarding bag. I am way under in my snowboarding bag but a little over in my main suitcase . Oops - toiletries do weigh a bit. No need to redistribute the weight though to my snowboarding bag. I think I overpacked!
2. Bags weighed and tagged, I make my way to the oversized baggage to check my snowboarding bag in but not before shoving any excess carry on luggage into it eg tim tams chocolates etc and padlocking the bag for extra security.
3. Onto find a Westpac ATM to withdraw as much cash as possible in case my credit card fails overseas. Done. Onto departure gates and security. I ensure everything is pulled out and even take off my shoes as I know they will beep.
4. Onto some shopping for small gifts to give my relatives in Canada but not before being randomly selected for an explosives swab test by security. Had to open all my bags - no explosives in my bag just my stuffed possum! Forgot to empty my Contigo water bottle so have to quickly drink about 500 ml of water before going through security gates. Purchased 2 bottles of water for $5.50 post security - such a rip off! then onto buy some abalone flavoured macadamia nuts some 5 spice beef jerkey and wattleseed anzac biscuits to add to the rocky road and matcha nougat
I purchased for my relatives. Had to dump the heavier presents at home unfortunately. A snack at Mcdonalds - filet o fish burger with extra lettuce and tomato - forgot about that horrible yellow plastic cheese included but did remember about the tartare sauce. This is no ordinary Mcdonalds the kitchen is upstairs and bagged orders travel down a conveyer belt. (One of my cousins posted the exact same photo of this Mcdonalds at Sydney Airport below on Facebook after I posted it on my blog)
4. No gate number was available however the departures board indicated gate 31. So here I am blogging again at the gate lounge.
Photos attached of airport.
5. Finally after waiting at gate lounge 31 for hours I board the Qantas flight. First thing I do wrong is put my bag in the wrong overhead locker and sit in the wrong seat. I just managed to squeeze my wheelie bag into the overhead locker but it was so tight I wasn't sure how I was going to get it out and down again. It wasn't oversized so I took out my tablet from the front pocket and it loosened it a little allowing me to now pull it out without trouble. When I realised I was in the wrong seat I changed seats and placed my wheelie bag in the correct overhead locker with ease and someone elses wheelie bag bigger then mine was already up there. Note to self never get a middle asile asile seat allocation, not only were the overhead lockers smaller, the seat pockets were too as my tablet would not slot nicely in it as it did in the non asile aisle seat ie seat 66C instead of seats 66D E F and G. Only problem was my seat would not recline or pop upright again. Then there was my special meal request stuff up - maybe I should have stuck to my guten free meal request I originally had but amended. I requested a non lactose meal which was unavailable - how can a major Airline like Qantas not have this option? What I received when I opened my hot meal served before everyone else was a vegetarian meal which was a pasta dish with lots of cheese ! I informed the airline staff of this and they apologised advising the code had been entered incorrectly as it was not actually a non lactose meal but vegetarian - and it should have been a vegan meal - vegan? Since when did non lactose mean vegan???? and was advised that as soon as I had some rest to change my meal request on my profile online. I think I'll just leave it and bring my own food again on my return flight. So I chose from the menu the salmon kale and slaw as I thought from previous experience it was a safe non lactose meal option containing mayo and not dairy products. What I received was a salad with smoked salmon which tasted fine however I only ate a few mouthfuls as it contained heaps of bones and they were huge but fine enough to choak on! So left it. I don't usually waste food so good but 2 strikes is enough to put me off!
Movies on the Qantas flight were less then desirable - I watched the so called Premiere movies "Snatched" - couldn't handle it so watched another movie "Diary of a wimpy kid" which was ok but then watched the entire first season of Ronnie Cheung International Student - really funny!
I fell asleep and probably missed the refreshments offered but breakfast was ok some kind of spinach and bean fritter with tomato relish? It didn't look like it had any cheese in it and tasted ok so I ate most of it but not the dry hard chia roll included. Oops I accidently ate the garlic roll earlier that came with dinner - didn't know it was garlic butter inside the roll - not too much harm done.
28th December 2017 - Day 1 In Vancouver
Arrived in Vancouver nearly on time (around 2.30 pm) but only to have my five spice beef jerky confiscated by agriculture (quarintine) when I declared it - don't believe anyone at Sydney Airport when they ask you which country you are taking the jerky into and that jerky is OK to take into Canada but not NZ when only Chrocodile and Kangaroo jerky is ok to take into Canada because they don't have these animals in Canada. Beef jerky is prohibited because of the risk of mad cow disease which Australia does not even have but Canada does - go figure!
No arrival cards necessary to enter Canada - all electronic and straight through customs then baggage claim which took forever - remember the first in last out principle - that's what I get for checking in so early at Sydney Airport at the Qantas counter!!!!! The girl sitting next to me was still waiting for her bags when I received mine - now to wait for and pick up my snowboarding bag which was another wait.
Through the exit doors finally and next stop foreign exchange - note never exchange money at the airport - with a commission fee of more then CAN$5 and an exchange rate of 0.85 ie 0.10 less then normal exchange rate Aus$ to Can$ I just exchanged a minimum of Aus$100 to Can$ - just enough to pay return taxi fares.
I'll deal with money tomorrow.
Cab from Airport to HI Downtown Vancouver Can$31 cheap as a flat rate of Can$35 is usual. Pouring with rain I arrive at the hostel and leave my bags outside under cover to the entrance. Next is to hope and pray I can pay the entire amount of my stay on my 1 and only Visa card. 3 transactions with signatures only no pins - success - paid in full.
Next - haul all my luggage to the 4th floor one bag at a time in the tiny ancient lift - at least it is working this year! Then a hot shower change into some warm dry clothes and to bed. Deal with everything else tomorrow.
Only 1 other girl in my 4 female dorm room - she is departing early tomorrow anyway - unfortunately she stank of garlic and made the room stink of garlic too so I had to put up with it for a whole 24 hours. She closed the blinds and shut the window tight.
29th December 2017 - Day 2 in Vancouver
She left the following morning getting up at 5.10 am but not leaving until after 7 am. After she left I opened the window to let some fresh air in and air the stuffiness and stench of garlic out and let the light in by pulling the curtains back. I got out my lavender tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil mist and sprayed my bed area - so much better! I couldn't sleep all night and the girl was making all sorts of loud sounds throughout the night. So tired I went back to sleep after writing in my travel journal and then woke up had breakfast and a shower then slept a bit more then went out to recharge my Tim card, Compass card , reactivate my bank account deposit some money into it get a local Rogers sim card grab a YMCA fitness program for the month of January and have something to eat as well as do some grocery shopping since my bag of supplies did not arrive when it should have in time for Christmas - meaning yet another thing to chase up missing parcel via Australia Post yet again!!!!!!
It was wet cold and dark by the time I arrived back at the hostel end of day 2. Had some quick dinner of hot thai soup with a croissant then bed and catch up on emails blogging etc.
Photos of just some of the Christmas light dusplays throughout Downtown Vancouver along Burrard Street attached - sorry for poor quality very wet!
Rating : 7/10 someone described Qantas as not being as "polished" as other airlines and in some respects this is true eg latest in flight movie selection and not offering a non lactose meal that isn't vegan. However in terms of Customer service they rate OK. Staff are polite even if incorrect in providing information on several occassions. One set back maybe there is no easy way to contact Qantas whilst overseas and they need to operate a Dreamliner for long haul direct flights such as this supplementary direct flight between Sydney and Vancouver return during peak holiday seasons. The flight was almost fully booked which would be the same as the Air Canada flight. Note Qantas flight depart and arrive Sydney and Vancouver at more reasonable times then Air Canada flights do. It is also a shorter flying time then Air Canada.
Movies on the Qantas flight were less then desirable - I watched the so called Premiere movies "Snatched" - couldn't handle it so watched another movie "Diary of a wimpy kid" which was ok but then watched the entire first season of Ronnie Cheung International Student - really funny!
I fell asleep and probably missed the refreshments offered but breakfast was ok some kind of spinach and bean fritter with tomato relish? It didn't look like it had any cheese in it and tasted ok so I ate most of it but not the dry hard chia roll included. Oops I accidently ate the garlic roll earlier that came with dinner - didn't know it was garlic butter inside the roll - not too much harm done.
28th December 2017 - Day 1 In Vancouver
Arrived in Vancouver nearly on time (around 2.30 pm) but only to have my five spice beef jerky confiscated by agriculture (quarintine) when I declared it - don't believe anyone at Sydney Airport when they ask you which country you are taking the jerky into and that jerky is OK to take into Canada but not NZ when only Chrocodile and Kangaroo jerky is ok to take into Canada because they don't have these animals in Canada. Beef jerky is prohibited because of the risk of mad cow disease which Australia does not even have but Canada does - go figure!
No arrival cards necessary to enter Canada - all electronic and straight through customs then baggage claim which took forever - remember the first in last out principle - that's what I get for checking in so early at Sydney Airport at the Qantas counter!!!!! The girl sitting next to me was still waiting for her bags when I received mine - now to wait for and pick up my snowboarding bag which was another wait.
Through the exit doors finally and next stop foreign exchange - note never exchange money at the airport - with a commission fee of more then CAN$5 and an exchange rate of 0.85 ie 0.10 less then normal exchange rate Aus$ to Can$ I just exchanged a minimum of Aus$100 to Can$ - just enough to pay return taxi fares.
I'll deal with money tomorrow.
Cab from Airport to HI Downtown Vancouver Can$31 cheap as a flat rate of Can$35 is usual. Pouring with rain I arrive at the hostel and leave my bags outside under cover to the entrance. Next is to hope and pray I can pay the entire amount of my stay on my 1 and only Visa card. 3 transactions with signatures only no pins - success - paid in full.
Next - haul all my luggage to the 4th floor one bag at a time in the tiny ancient lift - at least it is working this year! Then a hot shower change into some warm dry clothes and to bed. Deal with everything else tomorrow.
Only 1 other girl in my 4 female dorm room - she is departing early tomorrow anyway - unfortunately she stank of garlic and made the room stink of garlic too so I had to put up with it for a whole 24 hours. She closed the blinds and shut the window tight.
29th December 2017 - Day 2 in Vancouver
She left the following morning getting up at 5.10 am but not leaving until after 7 am. After she left I opened the window to let some fresh air in and air the stuffiness and stench of garlic out and let the light in by pulling the curtains back. I got out my lavender tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil mist and sprayed my bed area - so much better! I couldn't sleep all night and the girl was making all sorts of loud sounds throughout the night. So tired I went back to sleep after writing in my travel journal and then woke up had breakfast and a shower then slept a bit more then went out to recharge my Tim card, Compass card , reactivate my bank account deposit some money into it get a local Rogers sim card grab a YMCA fitness program for the month of January and have something to eat as well as do some grocery shopping since my bag of supplies did not arrive when it should have in time for Christmas - meaning yet another thing to chase up missing parcel via Australia Post yet again!!!!!!
It was wet cold and dark by the time I arrived back at the hostel end of day 2. Had some quick dinner of hot thai soup with a croissant then bed and catch up on emails blogging etc.
Photos of just some of the Christmas light dusplays throughout Downtown Vancouver along Burrard Street attached - sorry for poor quality very wet!
Rating : 7/10 someone described Qantas as not being as "polished" as other airlines and in some respects this is true eg latest in flight movie selection and not offering a non lactose meal that isn't vegan. However in terms of Customer service they rate OK. Staff are polite even if incorrect in providing information on several occassions. One set back maybe there is no easy way to contact Qantas whilst overseas and they need to operate a Dreamliner for long haul direct flights such as this supplementary direct flight between Sydney and Vancouver return during peak holiday seasons. The flight was almost fully booked which would be the same as the Air Canada flight. Note Qantas flight depart and arrive Sydney and Vancouver at more reasonable times then Air Canada flights do. It is also a shorter flying time then Air Canada.
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