2PAXFLY: Upcoming trip, flight, hotel and lounge and restaurant reviews

I have been on some fantastic trips to review between May and August this year. Most I have yet to report on, so I thought I should give you a taste of what is coming up.

I won’t be reviewing these trips in the order that they happened, though. In fact, I am going to mix it up a bit.

The Trips I will review

There are three major trips, covering anything from a few days, through to nearly five weeks. Below are the trips I will cover, and the order in which I will cover them, and a bit of a sketch of what they will cover.

Double Status Credits review trip to Auckland on Qantas

Late in July, I headed to Auckland New Zealand with my mate, 2A for me to earn (more than) enough Qantas Status Credits to retain my Platinum Status. 2A was making an early start on his re-qualification for next year by taking advantage of a Qantas Double Status Credits promotion. Also, we just wanted to Av-Geek out together for a weekend.

Expect reviews of Business Class flights between Sydney and Melbourne on a Boeing737-800, between Melbourne and Auckland also on a B737-800; Auckland to Brisbane in and A330-200 and Brisbane to Sydney in another ageing B737-800. Lounge reviews will include the Melbourne First Class Qantas lounge, and lounges in Brisbane and Auckland including the Priority Pass Strata Lounge, and Qantas First.

Sydney to London review trip via Kuala Lumpur and Muscat on Malaysian Airlines and Oman Air

This will be a big review trip. It will cover multiple flights in Business Class on Oman Air, Malaysian Airlines, British Airways, and several Iberia flights. Hotel reviews will cover stays in Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Lisbon and Porto, plus Muscat and elsewhere in Oman.

Lounge reviews will start with Qantas Sydney First Class Lounge, the Business Lounge in Kuala Lumpur, Oman’s Muscat lounge, plus lounges in Granada, Madrid, Lisbon, Porto and Heathrow Terminal 4.

You’ll get some tourist impressions of a few sights along the way including tourist attractions like the Battersea Power Station and the Tower of London, through to the Mezquita in Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada. And restaurants won’t go without comment either. We discovered a few gems in Lisbon and Porto that I will touch on.

The reviews for this trip might take quite a few weeks to roll out.

Sydney to Perth and Margaret River review trip

Qantas Business Class to Perth on this trip. One direction in a 737-800 and the other in an A330. I’ve already covered some of the catering and service in my Qantas Business Class food and service review experienced in the first half of 2023. Hotel reviews will include the Perth Intercontinental, the Ritz-Carlton Perth (one of my new favourite hotels) and the Smiths Beach Resort, Yallingup, Western Australia. I’ll also touch on some of the food we ate, including at Miki’s Open Kitchen at Margaret River and Leeuwin Estate Restaurant at the winery.

Noosa, Queensland

This will be a short trip review. I probably won’t cover the Qantas flights up and back, since we travelled in economy. But it will include a review of the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort and Glass on Glasshouse.

New Zealand, North Island review trip

We did a tour around the North Island of New Zealand in winter, arriving in Wellington, and departing from Auckland. I’ve already started the trip report, including a review of the QT in Wellington. Expect reveiws of accommodation in Napier, The Bay of Islands, and Rotorua amongst many other stays. Hotels reviewed will include the Park Hyatt, Auckland, and Eagle’s Next, Russell in the Bay of Islands and others.

2PAXfly Takeout

Gosh! When you do I summary like that, I can’t help but think what a lucky guy I am. All that travel is basically in the last 12 months. A lot of beautiful places, wonderful experiences. It reminds me how privileged I am to be able to travel so often and so well.

Hope you will join me and vicariously enjoy some of the flights, hotels, restaurants and destinations I have visited. Hope you enjoy the benefit of my critical eye,.