Finally in our hotel in Melbourne. Quick recap:
- At 2pm Friday everything was fine.
- At 3pm Friday our Melbourne flight was delayed two hours, but our Dallas flight was delayed four hours, so we would miss our connection, and the next DFW-MEL flight didn’t leave for two more days.
- American couldn’t rebook us despite my platinum status. Our travel department figured out how to get us there through LAX, but before that a colleague traveling with us with Concierge Key status got us not only rebooked but on standby with a third alternative (which we ended up taking). If only American cared that much about all its passengers.
- We made DFW, but all the gates were occupied, so we sat on the tarmac until one cleared up.
- After getting into the airport, we closed down the Flagship Lounge (it inexplicably closes at 10:15pm even though the last flight boards much later), enjoying champagne, beers, cocktails, and even some dinner while we waited.
- Our Melbourne flight was late arriving, so it was very late boarding, and we didn’t take off until 12:30am or later.
- Seventeen and a half hours later, we landed in Melbourne around 7:30am.
- Obviously we were too early to check in, so we dropped our bags at the hotel, got coffee and breakfast, and went exploring at the river, botanical gardens, and CBD.
- We returned to the hotel for a break before venturing back out for dinner.
It’s been quite a ridiculous 34 hours, but we are excited to be here. Now for that nap…
✈️ 🗺️ 🏨 🇦🇺