Birmingham here I come!

Tuesday 18 December 2024

This holiday is different from my recent travels.  Firstly, because I am heading off alone and, secondly, because it is an MDV. A multiple destination vacation.

I will be meeting Olivia in Birmingham, UK, to pack up her house and travel around, then heading to London for a family Christmas.  As soon as our tummies have deflated from all the Christmas trimmings, we will head to Lisbon, Portugal, then Morocco for two weeks, back to London, and then head home.  So many different holidays in one.

I have three flights to get there.  HBA – MEL (1.25 hours), MEL – Dubai (14 hours), Dubai – Birmingham (8 hours).

Emirates

As you might have gathered, I threw my lot in with Qantas many years ago. The dedication and points scamming has paid off, keeping me at Silver Status and in the Qantas Club. This gives me extra luggage allowance, food, drinks and a quiet place to wait out the hours, and pushed up the line when redeeming points for upgrades.

I have been happy with the trade-off, but after flying Emirates, I am not sure how long I can keep going out with this wide boy. Emirates seats are bigger, the food is better, and the service is embarassingly attentive. By the second leg to the UK, the hostess was calling me ‘Miss Jane’ and bringing me extra cups of tea, wine, and late breakfasts because I slept. I felt like a spoiled teenage daughter from Gone with the Wind.

Emirate Business Lounge

Having the right flight code is essential. Although flying Emirates, my code started with QF, which allows me to enter the Business Lounge in Dubai, which is amazing.  Large, with multiple eating areas and drinks stations.  It was busy but, eventually I found a 4-seat area with two seats taken to make a bed for a tired fellow traveller; I took the other two. He didn’t wake for the whole time, but despite this, did a great job of guarding my bags.

I was most impressed with the selection of bubbles, Moet, and this very sweet Chrsitmas dessert.

This seat is taken

I also felt the difference of not having my own travelling companion.  On the first intercontinental leg, I had the window seat and shared the row with a couple heading to Glasgow.  They were friendly, but getting out was tricky, and I tended to have to match their movements to stretch my legs. On the shorter second leg, the seats next to me were free, and I stretched out as soon as the ‘seatbelt sign’ was off and then guarded my windfall vigilantly from roaming seat jackles.

But still, the world is funnier, and the need to poke fun at it greater with a travelling companion. I didn’t laugh as much alone. It’s probably just as well.

Birmingham at last

After some 32 hours of commuting, I was finally met at the airport by Olivia, and the adventure began. Similar to the Gold Coast, Birmingham Airport is part of the domestic bus route, so a standard 2 pound ticket got us all the way to the city centre, where ge jumped in an Uber and headed to Bearwood, where Olivia has been living for the past 9 months. She would still be working at the Gymnasium for the next three afternoons, so after a quick cuppa, she went off to bounce and I, well I got into bed!