What was your best flight and trip of 2022?

Emirates first class Brisbane to Vienna what a way to travel!

For me it was a trip to France with Qatar Airways. Qsuites all the way, what an amazing business class it is, and not just the seat but the catering and crew service. My QR Platinum status earned through the status match got me into Qatar's Al Safwa first class lounge, which was a real eye-opener. Massive, looks more like some amazing modern art gallery in its design.

Although technically left in 2021, flew business class round the world trip with qantas points.

Took QF1 on Christmas Day to London and straight onto Geneva with BA for 2 weeks skiing in French/Swiss alps. Then flew up to Finnish laapland  with Finnair and saw the northern lights. Flew with Finnair and BA and went to London for a 10 days. Then flew AA - LHR to SEA and spent 2 weeks with friends in Seattle. Finally flew qantas from YVR to SYD.

In total cost us about $1300pp in taxes for 8 flights all in business class.

A Somon Air flight from Dubai to Dushanbe. The flight itself would have been unremarkable, if pleasant, but it was the feeling of things getting back to normal and finally travelling again that was hugely exciting.

Ended a work trip in India and flew Etihad Business from Delhi- Abu Dhabi- London.

Exceeded my expectations, fantastic food, good service and a really comfortable seat on their dreamliner (especially when seated closer to the window).

Although we technical left in 2021 (flew out on Christmas Day) had a great business class QFF round the world trip using our qantas points. 

QF1 to London and then straight to Geneva for 2 weeks skiing in Swiss/French alps

Finnair from Geneva to Helsinki and then into Ivalo to see the northern lights in a glass roofed igloo

Finnair/BA onto London and spent 10 days there

AA from LHR to SEA and spent 2 weeks with friends we haven't seen since before covid

Finally took QF from YVR to SYD to get back home. 

It was a great trip, all tip cost us about $1300p in taxes in business class for 8 flights! As soon as it was announced border were opening up went and booked flights. There was wide open availability! Once in a lifetime I reckon. 

Was to Bangkok to watch Manchester United vs Liverpool in a preseason friendly then onto Melbourne and Perth for the Australian leg of the tour. Got to take my daughter to Perth for the game there too which she loved as much as I did

Back in January, coming back from London to via Tokyo to Australia on JAL and getting to see the most spectacular display of the Northern Lights on the way over Finland.  The flight attendants switched off the cabin lights and helped people (who wanted) to turn off their tvs to make the most - magical.

I hope we can return to flying over Russia in 2023

Brisbane to Paris via Doha in May this year. First time on Qatar and QSuites. During 2020, I took advantage of the Qatar Privileges Club status match with my Platinum Velocity so was minted Platinum with Qatar.

On arrival into Doha was able to access the First Lounge and guested in my colleague. Was given a bedroom to rest and enjoyed a 60 minute massage and lovely dining and a cigar in the First Lounge. Enquired in the lounge about using the 60 Qcredits that Qatar gave me as part of the status match and to my surprise I had enough Qcredits to upgrade myself and my colleague to First Class on the Doha to Paris A380 leg. 

Onboard the A380 an absolute treat in First Class and made some friends in the First cabin so the four of us had dinner together. 

The return business class airfare Brisbane to Paris was $5,500 total using a 10% PayPal discount code and booked before business airfares skyrocketed. First Lounge and the First Class A380 upgrade for Qcredits all thanks to the 2020 status match.

Toss Up : emirates First class    ARN -DUBAI-MEL   OR   QATAR Business ARN - DOHA - MEL.

SYD-BNE on Qantas 737 in 12B in Jan followed by 2 weeks of compulsory quarantine in Westin. Then on the return leg also on a unrefurbished 737 with no wifi in 20A and enjoyed a pastizzi courtesy of Neil Perry. The pastizzi repeated on me for the next two days. 

The A380 Singapore Airlines Suite for two people from Sydney to Europe with a stop over in the Private Room Singapore. What a way to call in the end of Covid Restrictions in Europe!!!!!!!! HAPPY WIFE HAPPY LIFE!!!!

Adelaide to Tbilisi, Georgia in May with Turkish Airlines Business Class ( Singapore Airlines out of Adelaide ).  Tbilisi and Georgia in general were fantastic - great sights, food and people.  A hidden gem that should be on more bucket lists.

Turkish Airlines business class was surprisingly good, not up to the standards of Qatar etc but would happily fly with them again if the price was right.

Emirates business from Sydney to Amman return with the visit to Petra and Wadi Rum features of the trip. EK flights - AM out of Sydney and PM back into Sydney was outstanding. Crew provided great service. Firstclass lounge in Dubai was also a great pit stop. 

It’s random, but Air Malta this November from Malta to LGW in J. Yes it was Euro J, but the Air Malta Lounge was fun with an outdoor viewing deck (not too much to see, but still I haven’t had an outdoor viewing deck experience forever) and the onboard breakfast was just extraordinary and included endless booze which everyone in J (inc me) enjoyed to its fullest. Attentive service from the welcome to the farewell - best medium haul experience forever.

As an addendum, I enjoyed the new Finnair J seat back from Europe to Singapore.  The first time I’ve experienced something so different on a plane for a veeeeery long time. 

For me, it was our first overseas trip since 2019 up to Singapore. Business class on their A350 was as good as ever (maybe even better). It was also our nearly 3 year olds first trip overseas. Excellent service and felt so good to get back on the big bus once again. Also, we met up with the parents in Bali after they had been travelling Europe for 2 months. 

Bring on 2023 though as we have 7 overseas holidays booked. Safe to say we missed it, so time to make up for lost time. Life is too short.

Darwin to London. After landing I visited the flight deck to say thanks to the Qantas crew for the job they did during Covid.  Seeing a repatriation flight land in my home town always made me smile. 

I'm happy and sad I won't get to fly to London non-stop again. 

I have two. 1st in May Sydney-Honolulu on QF103/104 in economy for holiday. QF did a great job, crew were great, meals surprised me in the positive and all round 4.5/5. Waikiki for a week was just OK, gave it just a 3/5, the Aloha spirit was definitely missing though.

2nd recently was work trip Sydney-Brissy-Port Moresby again on QF, they did a great job. Crew on POM flight are always great. Love my PNG trips, have a great client is well worth it. 

I’m a Plat with QF but other than lounge access and seating Im not sure I would have got lesser service all round, QF were great. 

Qatar Q-Suites, KUL - DOH. Food, service, hard and soft product all impeccable. Couldn't fault a thing and got to use the Al-Safwa lounge in Doha, truly amazing. 

For me it was the ability to travel o/s after being lockdown for a couple years. Then having seen on tv the piles of baggage at Heathrow and other airports, it was great to see my bags arrive promptly on both my flights to that destination.

Also flying out of Brisbane to London via Perth (bis class), with the Perth departure being delayed by 8 hours, then being re-routed via Sydney/Singapore etc the 3 hours in the Sydney 1st lounge was great. Looking forward to next year.  

Best bits? The wonderful sound of the engines spooling up prior to takeoff from SYD, followed as always by the lovely sight of the WA NW coast disappearing behind the plane. For the record, this was SQ SYD-SIN in J.

For me hands down - Qantas First SIN-SYD, I was lucky enough to grep one on points. Only disappointment was First lounge in SIN - IMHO there is nothing special there except of dining that is exceptional. So my advise would be dine there and go somewhere else like BA, QF, Qatar or Emirates lounge. However on board it was top and perhaps my best First experience. Especially like flat bed - definitely the best on the sky that I tried so far. Only "complains" about flight itself that it was way too short for my liking - it would be perfectly adequate for day flight, but overnight one have very tough choice between dining and sleeping.

CGK-DOH then DOH-FCO with QR in A350 private suite (almost Q-Suite!) and on the way back, FCO-DXB on EK F A380, then drove to Abu Dhabi and AUH-CGK on EY business in their A350. Overnight in the airside Oryx hotel at DOH was first class, with the indoor pool a must visit. The Al Mourjan lounge is great, but was pretty busy when we were there. Arriving in Rome on a summer’s day after a wonderful flight was memorable. The highlight of our EK F flight from FCO to DXB was the Emirates lounge at FCO. Great space with direct boarding. FCO used to be a dismal experience and was to be avoided, but it has improved out of sight and deserved winning most improved airport. The flight itself was good, especially the shower experience, but marred by a very officious FA who was generally unpleasant to a number of customers. Not OK full stop, and especially not in F! Stayed overnight in Dubai at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on The Palm and it was outstanding! It was Eid and my birthday and there were presents in the room, bed decorated with roses and a cake and happy birthday sung by staff which was unexpected and touching. We then drove to Abu Dhabi. What a terrible airport - so overdue for a refurb or rebuild. Lounge was packed to rafters with families and kids sitting on the floor and food woeful. Flight was OK with food very good.  Hands down, Qatar wins. Hard product (and the almost Q-Suite is fantastic, just not as spacious), service, amenities and wonderful food. No other airline comes close IMHO. So happy to be travelling again! Next year, New York on QR Q-Suites. Can’t wait!

August, MEL-HKG-CDG Transiting in Hong Kong without fear of being unwillingly hauled off to compulsory detention err I mean quarantine. So different to 2 months earlier which was a very anxious experience.

Best on board was still Q-suite despite, equipment change from A350 to 777 few months out to increase capacity CDG-DOH, it is still the best J seat I have ever tried, (no ANA experience for me)

DOH-FCO in March 2023 on 787-9 and I will complete my QR widebody J ticket inc the old 6 across A330/A350/777-200 never did the A340 but I don't think that is flying any more

Townsville Brisbane Dubai Venice Return.flying Emirates Excellent service on board  good seats good food and no lost luggage.Great to see howVenice is recovering after covid . Great to explore Venice away from the tourist trail..4th visit always discover something new and support & buy from venetien artisians.

The one in December '21 - January '22 to New Zealand to see my parents after 3 years.  I would have travelled cattle class to do that (but didn't!)