Trip Report: CBR-SYD-NRT, HND-KIX, NRT-SYD-CBR

[Zac M]

Canberra-Sydney
Date: 18/09/09
Flight No:QF806 A/C Rego: VH-TJE Name: Kookaburra
Seat: 23D Seq: 37 STD: 1810 ATD: 1815
STA: 1900 ATA: 1855

Arrived at the airport at 1630 for the first leg of a school trip to Japan. Check in was easy due to a group check in counter. A/C arrived from Brisbane on time and we boarded at 1745. The climb out of Canberra was smooth after one of the shortest takeoff rolls I have ever had.

A brief inflight meal of sanwhiches was served before our decent over the Sydney CBD. A bit of turbulence on final approach followed by a very smooth landing and a long taxi back to the gate.

After collecting my bag we headed to th Formule 1 hotel for the night.


Sydney-Tokyo Narita
Date: 19/09/09
Flight No: JO772/JL772 (codeshare) A/C Rego: JA706J (B777-200LR)
Seat: 55F Seq: 197 STD:0810 ATD:0830
STA: 1710 ATD: 1717 Gate: 8

Checked in at about 530 am originally assigned seat 50G. The aircraft arrived late and our boarding time became our departure time. A brief taxi to the runway before a smooth takeoff. After takeoff food was served. We were given a pork dish with some Japanese salads a tim tam and rice. Inflight entertainment was a wide choice of music, movies and games.

After passing over the tip of Australia we hit turbulence and it was bumpy for the remainder of the flight due to a Catagory 5 typhoon. About an hour before landing the cabin crew served sandwhiches and yogurt.

Landing was very bumpy and we came in over speed which made the landing pretty scary. JAL were very goo and I enjoyed the flight, except for the landing.


Tokyo Haneda-Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto) 20/09/09
Flight No: JL173 Rego: JA315J
Seat: 55C STD: 0625 ATD: 0630 Seq: u/k
STA: 0730 ATA: 0730 Gate:25

Arrived at the airport at 0500. Found check in and then painstakeinly moved through security. Got to the gate thinking that I must have been given the wrong gate as I had seat 55C and at the gate was a B738. I thought that we must have been on the domestic 747 next to it.

At 0600 our flight was called to board on the 737. Upon looking for my seat I found that the seating skipped from row 22 to row 50. Departure was smooth passing directly over the top of Mt Fuji.

Inflight service was poor, we were only served drinks. Landing at Kansai was smooth and we arrived dead on time.


Tokyo Narita-Sydney Kingsfordsmith
Date: 05/10/09
Flight No: JO771/JA771 Rego: JA707J
Seat: 57A STD:2005 (2205 AEDST) ATD: 2005 Seq.: 197
STA: 0740 (06/10/09) ATA: 0718 Gate: 77

Got to the airport just after 4pm after over 2 weeks of traveling. With check in out of the way our group of 20 split up for a few hours to go and get dinner. Had a nice seafood pasta in one of the restaurants. Got to the gate about 30 minutes before boarding after clearing immigration and security, our gate been the one down the very end of the terminal.

Boarding was called a few minutes early and I was the first economy passenger to board. Push-back was also on time before one of those painfully long taxis to the runway. Takeoff was very bumpy eventually climbing to 35000ft. Cabin crew served a pretty dodgy meal after takeoff, Wasabi Beef, which was repulsive.

Turbulence continued throughout the night keeping me awake and extending the viewing time of my movie Transformers 2 to almost 4 hour as I couldn't concentrate during turbulence. Finally fell asleep at about 3am just crossing Cape York. Woke up passing Rockhampton as the sun was rising and just in time for a hot towel from the Cabin crew.

A strange Cheese and Mushroom Croissant thingo was served along with some yogurt and a Kit Kat, none of this was really that nice at all. Passing Brisbane we saw the beautiful red sky as the sun really became visible. Decent began passing over Dubbo before over flying the Sydney Habour and landing on Runway 34L which menat a very short taxi in.

Engines were shut down and we could finally get off, cleared Customs and Quarantine before getting put on a Murrays Bus to the domestic airport. Got stuck in the traffic and it took us longer than it did to get through Customs.


Sydney Kingsfordsmith-Canberra
Date: 06/10/09
Flight No: QFA1473 Rego: VH-QON
Seat: 15A STD: 1040 ATD: 1050 Seq: 025
STA: 1130 ATA: 1140 Gate: 17 (Canberra Cityflyer Lounge)

After the slow drive from the International Airport we were dropped off at the curbside check in where we checked our bags in. Having been issued our boarding pass at Narita sped things up a bit. We then moved through security and to gate 17.

We then split up for brekky, after some Hungry Jack myself and a friend headed to the Qantas Museum where we watched the Runway 16R(?) operations before heading back to the gate. VH-TJU pushed back and started up at one of the near by gates before having to return to the gate with a technical fault.

Out aircraft VH-QON arrived at the gate about 10 late after a hold up on the taxi way, TJU I assume, therefore delaying us a bit. Boarded at 1025 and sat on the a/c for a bit. Startup commenced and we sat with the props at that quiet startup speed for a while before we were pushed back and the engines finished their startup giving me the prop sound I like.

A short taxi out before a wait holding short on 16R?. Takeoff was very smooth despite the mention of turbulance on the way up. A refreshment of Apple Streusel was served a long with a tea and coffee service. Decent into Canberra began with the tiniest bit of turbulence and a dusty touchdown in Canberra, home at last!

[matthew mcdonald]

Very good trip report mate, I enjoyed reading every bit of it.

[Zac M]

Photos to accompany this trip report can now be found here

All my photos can be found here