🥇 Part Two: The Return To Abu Dhabi with SriLankan Airlines

Hello again!

Welcome back to my series on attaining British Airways Gold status. In this instalment, we're picking up where we left off - in Jakarta, ready for the next leg of our journey. Buckle up, because this one's going to be a stress-tester!

Jakarta Layover

After landing in Jakarta, I tried and failed to get through the e-gates. Ended up in quite a slow line for manual passport control which was annoying, however after that I headed to my layover accommodation, the Fairfield Marriott near the airport. It's conveniently located just a 5-minute drive from Terminal 3. While the hotel was decent, my jetlag-addled sleep was interrupted by the cleaning staff in the corridors at 9 AM. It happens.

The Great Delay Drama

As I prepared to head back to the airport, I received news that my incoming flight from Colombo was delayed. Here's where things got interesting:

• My flight was delayed by 1 hour

• My layover in Colombo was only 1 hour and 20 minutes

You can probably see where this is going...

I did spin up Google Flights just to see what other options were out there if I needed to be rerouted, and spotted a very nice looking Etihad flight. It wasn’t to be however.

The Ticking Clock

I'm at the airport, watching the clock and refreshing my flight status like it's going out of style. The SriLankan Airlines staff assure me it's "all taken care of."

The inbound plane finally lands, a full 10 minutes after our scheduled departure time. The new estimated take-off is an hour late. I'm starting to sweat.

We start boarding, 50 minutes late. I estimate we'll be about 1 hour and 10 minutes delayed, leaving me with a nail-biting 10-minute window to make my connection.

Then, a curveball: I discover that Sri Lanka is GMT +5:30. Who knew? This actually works in my favor, giving me an extra 30 minutes I didn't know I had. Small victories!

The Great Escape

Despite all odds, I made it! As soon as we landed in Colombo, I dashed off the plane, only to find my next gate directly opposite. Talk about luck! It seems SriLankan Airlines had held all connecting flights, even those scheduled to depart earlier than mine. Shout out to them.

This meant missing out on lounge time, but at this point, I was just relieved to be on my next flight to Abu Dhabi.

CMB to AUH: The Victory Lap

Now safely ensconced in seat 3A of my Colombo to Abu Dhabi flight, I could finally relax. Some observations:

• Full cabin, but I was second to have my food order taken. Could this be due to my OneWorld Bronze status? Whatever the reason, I happily claimed my chicken massaman before it ran out.

• The food was delicious, living up to the high standards set by previous SriLankan Airlines meals.

• I continued my tour of their excellent tea selection, sampling both ginger and peppermint varieties. Highly recommend!

• The crew was, once again, exceptionally friendly and attentive.

Thanks to some favourable tailwinds, we actually landed early in Abu Dhabi. The airport was surprisingly quiet, spacious, and clean. I breezed through in under 15 minutes from gate arrival to exit (the joys of traveling without checked bags).

An hour taxi ride later, and I was back in Dubai, ready for a good night's sleep before my next set of flights, starting the following day at 11 PM.

Reflections and Looking Ahead

This leg of the journey was a rollercoaster of emotions - from the stress of potential missed connections to the relief of making it just in time, and finally, the pleasure of a smooth and enjoyable flight to Abu Dhabi.

A few key takeaways:

1. Always check the time zone of your destination - you might get a pleasant surprise!

2. SriLankan Airlines' customer service is top-notch, especially when it comes to managing connections.

3. Their in-flight catering and tea selection continue to impress.

The completion of this day now should bring me to 600 Tier Points, enough for British Airways Silver Status! As expected, BA’s IT is quite slow so it will take a few days to actually kick in.

As I prepare for the next part of this tier point run, I'm feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation. I’m eager to fly with Cathay Pacific for the first time, and look forward to seeing a bit of Taipei. Stay tuned to find out!

Until next time, happy (and hopefully less stressful) flying!