“This is it! This is them! WAVE!!!” A couple of work colleagues and I went to the best viewing point of the airport, the 8th level of the International Airport Car Park, to witness today’s arrival of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, and baby Prince George to Sydney. Us three loyal subjects…
Category: freakyflier.com
Where South Meets North. A Day Tour To The Korean DMZ and Panmunjom: Part 3 – Panmunjom & The Joint Security Area
“The visit to the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom will entail entry into a hostile area and possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action.” “Det är så roligt!” (That is so funny!) Laughed the blonde long-bearded-Swede. “Så mycket roligt!” (So very funny!) Giggled his blonde friend. The people I am talking about…
Best Australian Blogs 2014 – Peoples Choice Awards
I received an email the other day from a reader, thanking me for my stories on FreakyFlier and explaining how he has now made a decision to travel to a certain destination on a particular airline with thanks to my reviews. I always feel pretty chuffed when I receive an email of thanks from my…
Where South Meets North. A Day Tour To The Korean DMZ and Panmunjom: Part 2 – Seeing the North
OUCH! %&*# that hurt!… So, what I didn’t finish telling you in part one of my day tour to the DMZ, while I was at Imjingak Park at the lookout, I tripped and fell head over turkey and injured my foot. Hobbling back to the car park, I finally found my coach but I was…
Review: Qantas Airways Sydney to Melbourne Business Class
Many years ago, a few months after Jetstar took to the skies as the low cost carrier offshoot of Qantas Airways, I was travelling with a friend, Business Class, on a Qantas Flight between Melbourne a Sydney. After a few glasses of wine we were having a good old time, laughing at the fact we…
Where South Meets North.. A Day Tour To The Korean DMZ and Panmunjom: Part 1 – Imjingak
“Why would you want to go there? Stay in Seoul…..go shopping!” That was what my Korean born work colleague said to me, with a look of disgust on her face, when I mentioned that during my trip to South Korea I was taking a day tour to the DMZ and Panmunjom – the Demilitarised Zone and Joint…
Review: Tigerair Melbourne to Sydney
Younger siblings – little brothers or sisters, can be annoying, seemingly going about things the wrong way and sometime acting as if they have no idea at all! Then suddenly they grow up, aren’t nearly as embarrassing as usual and work alongside others 🙂 This is what I feel has happened with Tigerair, since Virgin…
The Worlds Largest & Most Extensive Subway System
Am I in New York? Am I about to board the Paris Metro? Perhaps I am in Metropolitan Tokyo waiting for a chikatetsu? – one thing I can say is that we’re not in Sydney!…I am in Seoul, South Korea home to the worlds largest subway system in terms of station and passengers. With 19 lines…
Lounge Review: The Qantas Club – Melbourne Domestic Airport
As you know, I love airport lounges! – Almost, just almost – as much as I love flying. Recently I had a guest pass to visit any Domestic Qantas Club Lounge, so before I took off on my first Jetstar 787 flight to the Gold Coast, I visited the Melbourne lounge, What a great way to start this…
The Changing of the Guard, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea
When I mentioned to fellow Australians I was going to see the Changing of the Guard on my trip to South Korea, I could see the confusion in their faces as I’m sure they were picturing Beefeaters with large cylindrical black fur hats, gallantly dressed horses and all that pomp and pageantry that comes with…
Happy New Year 2014 + 100 Years of Commercial Flights
On January 1st 1914, the first commercial flight took place across Tampa Bay in Florida, USA, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). How far we have come in those 100 years, not only has commercial aviation helped bridge gaps between nations and brought the world closer together – so has the internet….. In…
Review: 中国南方航空 – China Southern Airlines, Guangzhou to Sydney, Airbus A380, Economy Class (Part 1)
“WOW! I had no idea we’d be on the ‘double-decker’, isn’t this AMAZING!” my seemingly chatty seat-neighbour said to me as I flashed my boarding pass and pointed, indicating she was in my window seat. She sighed loudly as she grabbed her bags knowing they’d have to be re-stowed in the overhead locker. I had purposely…
Lounge Review: HUB LOUNGE, Incheon International Airport, Seoul South Korea
You don’t have to be flying First or Business Class to enjoy a few hours of drinks, food and relaxation in the luxury of an airport lounge before departure or during a transit. In most civilised airports, including Seoul’s Incheon Airport, there are pay per use lounges open to all travelling regardless of travel class – (unfortunately this…
Jalan Alor (eat street) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“Is that all you do on holidays just fly from here to there then every few days take other flight somewhere?” a friend said to me the other day with a grin. “No……., I eat as well” I replied with a cheekier grin. Jalan Alor, or as I’ve heard it called eat street, is one of my…
Review: Air Asia X – Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur – Economy Class
The Frugal Flyer – How little can I spend to get from Australia to Asia without going hungry? To celebrate low cost carrier Air Asia X announcing new services between Adelaide and Kuala Lumpur, they released a limited number of introductory fares between the two cities from AUD$99. I managed to purchase one of these…
Introducing Australia’s First Dreamliner – Jetstar’s Boeing 787-8
I was excited when I saw the first 787 Dreamliner on the ground at the Boeing factory in 2009 and equally delighted when I saw an Air India Dreamliner take off as the first commercial 787 in Australia, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to get up close, really close, and tour Australia’s newest aircraft before it…
Review: Jetstar Asia Singapore to Bangkok
There are many choices to fly direct between Singapore and Bangkok – low cost carriers such as Air Asia, Jetstar Asia and Tiger Air, full service airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Silk Air and Thai Airways, then theres airlines with one stop such as Malaysia Airlines, via Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok Airways via Koh Samui. While planning my recent…
Air India returns to Sydney with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
After years of speculation, the return of Air India after a 16 year hiatus AND the first scheduled, commercial service of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner happened recently. I’d only ever seen the Boeing 787 Dreamliner once, that was in 2009 at the Boeing factory near Seattle when the first few had just rolled off the…
Review: Air Asia – Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
Having never flown Air Asia before and the fares being so ridiculously cheap – I paid a total AUD$41.37 including 20kgs of baggage, seat selection and a meal – I was slightly suspicious of what I was in for – was there going to be more to pay for along the way? So I made…
Review: Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore – King Grand Room
I wouldn’t normally review a hotel, to be honest I rarely stay in top notch, five star properties, but my stop at the Swissotel The Stamford was such a memorable one I had to tell you about my visit. Singapore hotels can be extremely pricey, however for a five star high rise property in one…
Review: Lufthansa German Airlines – Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur Business Class
Fifth Freedom rights – where an airline travels from its own country to another and onto a third having the right to sell tickets and transport passengers between the latter two ports. In this case Lufthansa flew from Frankfurt, Germany to Bangkok, Thailand, where I boarded, and onto Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – two countries completely…
Matty Somewhere 