So this is my first flyertalk trip report. I am a different sort of traveller than many (all) here: first off, I still haven't managed to qualify for any credit cards so have to do a lot of earning the ol'fashioned way, with flying and promos. I am a broke alternative medicine student, I am a solo female traveller, former full-time musician of ethnic Roma music (mostly operating on a cash basis...again, failing to establish credit history), and most importantly, I moved into a van a year ago to save money to travel and indulge the study and experience of all this. .I only book economy, don't like hotels in general, usually using if I can grab a point breaks or in case of emergency/brokeness. Just so you know what you're dealing with.
Haven't done some of the crazier things like flyigglesfly or ironmanjt but I would like to. Even I admit as a solo female traveller there are a lot of places it is a lot harder/stupider to travel to alone. Still hitting 18 countries in my first year of travel, while attending med school year-round, on a miniscule budget, I think I've done ok.
I'm also technologically challenged, and managed to lose my phone YET AGAIN, so no pictures this time around (unless I grab some from the interweb). Sorry!
ANYHOOTS...
A couple of months ago I decided to hop on the infamous BAH fare for $710. I had earned a $500 credit a couple months prior so applied that for a very cheap $210 to the mid-east and back. This was pretty much my first mileage run, in my first year "in the game" and getting status and all that. I timed it for Thanksgiving since I'd have half the week off anyway.
Being a broke student, I couldn't in good conscience go all that way without spending some time, if not in BAH, then SOMEWHERE. Later in the summer I found some cheap fares that would let me go to DXB and MCT.
BAH-MCT RT was $168 and MCT-DXB RT was $69. So for under $400 I had a pretty nice trip lined up.
A couple months in, my original in-bound flights were cancelled, and UA offered to put me on some LX flights that earned 100%. I decided to do this even though it was fewer miles, to maximise the time I spent abroad.
Flight 1: LAX-FRA in Lufthansa econ
Pretty unremarkable once I got on the plane. I was stopped by a security guard as I was boarding and got questioned for 2ish minutes. When asked about my final dest, he was like, "aren't you scared?" I said no, but I admit I had a touch of nervousness about it.
I had hoped for "poor man's business" in the back of the plane, having the only seat in a row of 4, but there was one other person. However, later on the guy said, I'm crashing, feel free to stretch out on the other 3 seats. Sweet! I requested a lactose-free meal since LX meals I have always been disgusted by all the cream and mayo and such. Dinner and breakfast were the same thing, veggies in tomato sauce + rice, didn't get me sick, but far from filling me up either. I guess that must have been the veggie meal too? It was reasonably fresh at least.
I had about 3 hrs in FRA and didn't do much other than check email. .I learned that I passed my preclinical exam, so indulged in a little vino in the senator lounge.
Flight 2: FRA-BAH in Luft econ
Also s/w unremarkable. This time I was able to score a row of 4 and after dinner (polenta w/veggies in, you guessed it, tomato sauce) and knocked out most of the flight. There was a stop in Doha which would have been awesome to get as a seperate segment, but I couldn't talk agents into this. We weren't allowed off the plane or even to stand up/use the bathroom! Crazy.
Once in BAH, I had a coffee and zaatar croissant for 1 dinar at Jasmi's cafe (who apparently also sells organic halal beef cheeseburgers) before my 4:30am flight to MCT. .It was a smedge awkward as expected. I had put my scarf on beforehand and felt a little more at ease- saw a handful of Western women without hijab, but none travelling solo.
Flight 3: BAH-MCT in TK econ
The flight was about 2/3 full. I had a seat in the front of the plane. TK seats always seem wider to me and I always have a pleasant experience. Food was fresh lemonade with mint, dry-roasted hazelnuts, and a cherry cake.
Once in MCT I went through immigration fairly painlessly. You have to have 5 rial ($15) for the visa (10 days for tourist) which you can get at the money change desk right next to the visa desks. I felt slightly conspicuous as one of only females there and put a scarf on. In general I dressed conservatively on the trip, loose pants and long tunicy kinda stuff.
I went to pick up my rental at the Budget desk which I got for 78 rial ($200) for the week with a coupon. It's pretty much impossible to travel in Oman without your own vehicle unless you are going on a really expensive pre-arranged tour.
Haven't done some of the crazier things like flyigglesfly or ironmanjt but I would like to. Even I admit as a solo female traveller there are a lot of places it is a lot harder/stupider to travel to alone. Still hitting 18 countries in my first year of travel, while attending med school year-round, on a miniscule budget, I think I've done ok.
I'm also technologically challenged, and managed to lose my phone YET AGAIN, so no pictures this time around (unless I grab some from the interweb). Sorry!
ANYHOOTS...
A couple of months ago I decided to hop on the infamous BAH fare for $710. I had earned a $500 credit a couple months prior so applied that for a very cheap $210 to the mid-east and back. This was pretty much my first mileage run, in my first year "in the game" and getting status and all that. I timed it for Thanksgiving since I'd have half the week off anyway.
Being a broke student, I couldn't in good conscience go all that way without spending some time, if not in BAH, then SOMEWHERE. Later in the summer I found some cheap fares that would let me go to DXB and MCT.
BAH-MCT RT was $168 and MCT-DXB RT was $69. So for under $400 I had a pretty nice trip lined up.
A couple months in, my original in-bound flights were cancelled, and UA offered to put me on some LX flights that earned 100%. I decided to do this even though it was fewer miles, to maximise the time I spent abroad.
Flight 1: LAX-FRA in Lufthansa econ
Pretty unremarkable once I got on the plane. I was stopped by a security guard as I was boarding and got questioned for 2ish minutes. When asked about my final dest, he was like, "aren't you scared?" I said no, but I admit I had a touch of nervousness about it.
I had hoped for "poor man's business" in the back of the plane, having the only seat in a row of 4, but there was one other person. However, later on the guy said, I'm crashing, feel free to stretch out on the other 3 seats. Sweet! I requested a lactose-free meal since LX meals I have always been disgusted by all the cream and mayo and such. Dinner and breakfast were the same thing, veggies in tomato sauce + rice, didn't get me sick, but far from filling me up either. I guess that must have been the veggie meal too? It was reasonably fresh at least.
I had about 3 hrs in FRA and didn't do much other than check email. .I learned that I passed my preclinical exam, so indulged in a little vino in the senator lounge.
Flight 2: FRA-BAH in Luft econ
Also s/w unremarkable. This time I was able to score a row of 4 and after dinner (polenta w/veggies in, you guessed it, tomato sauce) and knocked out most of the flight. There was a stop in Doha which would have been awesome to get as a seperate segment, but I couldn't talk agents into this. We weren't allowed off the plane or even to stand up/use the bathroom! Crazy.
Once in BAH, I had a coffee and zaatar croissant for 1 dinar at Jasmi's cafe (who apparently also sells organic halal beef cheeseburgers) before my 4:30am flight to MCT. .It was a smedge awkward as expected. I had put my scarf on beforehand and felt a little more at ease- saw a handful of Western women without hijab, but none travelling solo.
Flight 3: BAH-MCT in TK econ
The flight was about 2/3 full. I had a seat in the front of the plane. TK seats always seem wider to me and I always have a pleasant experience. Food was fresh lemonade with mint, dry-roasted hazelnuts, and a cherry cake.
Once in MCT I went through immigration fairly painlessly. You have to have 5 rial ($15) for the visa (10 days for tourist) which you can get at the money change desk right next to the visa desks. I felt slightly conspicuous as one of only females there and put a scarf on. In general I dressed conservatively on the trip, loose pants and long tunicy kinda stuff.
I went to pick up my rental at the Budget desk which I got for 78 rial ($200) for the week with a coupon. It's pretty much impossible to travel in Oman without your own vehicle unless you are going on a really expensive pre-arranged tour.