🥇 Part One: My First Flights with SriLankan Airlines

Hello travellers!

Welcome to the first instalment of my nine-part series chronicling my quest for British Airways Gold Status. Today, we're diving into the initial leg of this adventure, complete with all the nitty-gritty details of planning, booking, and my first flights.

The Planning and Booking Process

As I mentioned in our introductory post, this tier point run is a carefully orchestrated dance of flights designed to maximise tier points while minimising time and cost. The star of this show? SriLankan Airlines, with a guest appearance by Cathay Pacific.

The route I've crafted looks something like this:

1. Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Colombo (CMB) (x2)

2. Colombo (CMB) to Jakarta (CGK) (x2)

3. A hop over to Hong Kong (HKG) and Taipei (TPE) with Cathay Pacific

4. Back to Jakarta and finally returning to Abu Dhabi again via Colombo

This intricate web of flights is set to net me a whopping 1,480 tier points. Remember, I'm starting from 40 tier points, so this should comfortably push me into Gold territory.

The First Leg: AUH to CMB

Flight Details:

• Route: Abu Dhabi to Colombo

• Flight: UL208

• Departure: 23:00

• Arrival: 05:00

• Duration: 4:30

• Aircraft: SriLankan Airlines

• Class: Business (I)

• Seat: 03F

• Tier Points: 140

• Cost: £203 (£1.45 / TP)

As with many good adventures, this one began in the dead of night. The overnight flight from Abu Dhabi to Colombo was a bit of a challenge, sleep-wise, but had its perks.

The Good:

• Empty seat next to me (always a win!)

• Silent babies (a miracle in air travel)

• Attentive yet respectful crew

• Comfortable recliner seats with good footrests

• In-flight entertainment in the armrest

The Not-So-Good:

• Limited sleep (managed about 2 hours)

I made the executive decision to skip the main course in favour of more shut-eye, having already eaten in the lounge. For a 4.5-hour night flight, it was pretty decent overall.

Layover in Colombo

Landing in Colombo, I headed straight for the SriLankan lounge. It was a decent space, quiet at first but gradually filling up over my two-hour stay. The food options were okay, but sleep deprivation dampened my appetite.

Pro tip: I used ExpertFlyer to check the seat map and noticed someone was assigned next to me on my next flight. A quick chat with the lovely desk staff, and voila! New seat, new boarding pass, more space.

The staff's timing was impeccable - they alerted us just as our flight was ready for boarding. We walked straight onto the plane with minimal waiting. Efficiency at its finest!

Onward to Jakarta

Flight Details:

• Route: Colombo to Jakarta

• Flight: UL364

• Departure: 07:20

• Arrival: 13:30

• Duration: 4:40

• Aircraft: SriLankan Airlines

• Class: Business (I)

• Seat: 04A

• Cost: £203 (£1.45 / TP)

This flight mirrored the previous one in setup but swapped dinner for breakfast. I opted for the sweet waffles, which were a bit soggy - reinforcing my theory that breakfast is rarely a flight's culinary high point.

However, SriLankan's tea selection is nothing short of amazing. I sampled a few varieties and plan to work my way through the rest on upcoming flights.

Despite the culinary hit-and-miss, I managed to clock about 3.5 hours of sleep on this leg, a significant improvement from the previous flight.

Looking Ahead

As I write this, I'm gearing up for tomorrow's flights, which are all daytime journeys. I'm looking forward to experiencing these flights more fully, rather than spending most of the time asleep.

Stay tuned for the next instalment, where I'll share more about the Jakarta leg of this tier point marathon. Will the day flights live up to expectations? Will I find the perfect in-flight tea? Only time (and a lot more tier points) will tell!

Until next time, happy flying!