Travel Plan - Europe 2012

For the time being we already set up a plan for europe...which will be early next year...taking advantage of the public holidays in between weekends so that we will be able to minimize our leave days but in return we will get more days...

When planning for long-haul trips such as this...its all comes down to the airlines...at first we thought of using Qatar Airways...Emirates...Gulf Air...Etihad...as the promo fare are affordable and their service is top class...but the setbacks are...open jaw routes for these airlines will play a significant raise of the fare...as the promo fare mostly caters for the return tickets from the same point of entry...at first we thought of doing it the way we had done before earlier this year...which was to enter and depart from Rome...but in between we'll just take the connecting flights but still going to return to Rome for departure back to Malaysia...we still consider it as an option if not because of the transit time...each of these airlines on promo fare will be transitting in respective country for quite some time...this means we have to cut down the route and also have to be extra patient while waiting for the connecting flights...

That's why in the end...there's only two options left...one is MAS...and another one is Airasia...to compare both as apple to apple is not fair...as one is the full service premium airlines and another is low cost airlines...but they share the same thing in common...both are direct flights...for the date we had in mind...return fare to London will cost RM3,000 via MAS...for Airasia it will be RM2,700 after adding the seat selection the meals the luggage insurans...there's about RM300 difference...at one point...MAS seems to be a better choice in term of service and they have in-flight entertainment to accompany the 12 hours flight...not to mention much comfortable seats...as for Airasia they doesn't have in-flight entertainment...the maximum my laptop can go without any power supply is 5 hours...the seats is bearable enough...but you have to add in money everytime you order extra food or water...ermmm...

Looking back at our planned route...we tried for open jaw option...which route are available for both airlines...London & Paris...meaning that point of entry is either London or Paris...and depart from either...when this option was taken...Airasia seems to be the better choice...its because of the fare is affordable...there's no transit...we will save on a lot of time...and to add it all up...we can just increase the luggage weight for the departure ticket...hehehe...

Designing the route for this particular time is so much fun...as there's more option to choose...its because both airports are among the busiest in the world and cater for almost every part of europe...so choosing the next city wouldn't be much problem...it all comes down to where does the intercity low cost airlines caters...we came out with several routes...

KL - Paris - Geneva - Barcelona - London - KL

KL - Paris - Berlin - Athens - London - KL

KL - Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam - London - KL

KL - Paris - Copenhagen - Budapest - London - KL

All these routes are particularly possible as low cost airlines does cater these routes...such as Easyjet...Norwegian...Vueling...just to name a few...now time to choose one of the route...as we calculating all the budgets possible for these routes...our time frame was not that long...so basically it will be a touch and go thingie kind of thing...i rather call it as some sort of introduction to these part of the world...unlike some people who loves to indulge their time on respective monuments or place...try to think of it...the last time i went to Paris i only spent less than an hour in Louvre...my friend can spend the whole day in Louvre alone...maybe i can't really appreciate art the way he does...but that's beside the point...apart from Jiana and I...the other travelbuddies haven't been to London and Paris before...but we still have to go to these two cities as it is the point of entry and departure...on top of that all of them never been to Brussels and Amsterdam except for me...so basically anything is possible...any chosen route will definitely be awesome...

This is just the first part of the initial plan...once we all sit down and agreed on which route we want to take...then we'll proceed with the accomodations and stuff...for the time being...it is still under discussion...but we all do hope that it will turn out okay...as most of us already notified our respective superiors about the planned trip...

Insya allah everything will go on smoothly...

To Be Continued...

T.Y.S