They are going out almost full most days
Don’t forget that it’s now a combined flight so loads are really strong.
Free seat selection only opens up at 48hrs in advance so even though seats look empty now there is a fair chance that the tickets have been sold but no selection done.
Aircraft loadings are the best way to check what your flight will be like rather than seat maps
Ahhhh. That all makes sense then! I can’t wait to the free ones, I need a guaranteed aisle seat
I was there last Sept and it was magical.
We skipped the main island and went to Kauai whcih was very laid back. Absolutely stunning. We stayed southside in Poipu and did days trips up north where it is a little more temperate.
Warm blue water, great walks, great beaches, great snorkelling. Stunning scenery.
You could have a thousand different holidays in Hawaii so it depends what you’re after.
Highly recommend.
I haven’t checked Economy fare buckets on Qatar for a long time but pretty sure Classic is a seat fee but Convenience and Comfort fares have free seat selection. Airline status also gives free seat selection
Humble brag. 
I don’t mean it like that.
I do some travel booking stuff on the side for a friend and have booked plenty of Economy seats for them on other airlines but not Qatar
Yeah I’m opting for the cheapest flights time as I don’t need the 30kg luggage allowance which comes with free seat selection but an extra about $300 each way. So even with the seat selection fees I end up a few hundred better off.
My wife came back with over 60kg worth of duty free and trinkets from Doha last time so we had to buy a cheap suitcase at souq waqif to fit it in
That’s a fair effort. I got up to 50kg in Jan. that was ridiculous. You should have been me trying to walk out of Adelaide airport with all the bags.
I’m safe this time. I’m only going for 2 weeks, it’s summer and I have another friend over in Greece who can bring stuff back for me in need.
Puts my 15kg in the shade for my trip to Europe in May. Came back with 17kg owing to a jigsaw of the Night Watch and some chocolate.
Only took one pair of jeans I didn’t wear. One pair shoes, one of sandals.
My wife’s was an additional 60kg.
We came back with a combined 148kg
And to top it off as we were being checked in my wife says “if I had known I still had 12kgs left I would’ve done some more shopping” 
My partner and I have done this. When the minivan came the driver said, “where’s the other passengers?”
Just a suggestion. Download a map of Shinjuku station and study it. Busiest train station in the world and its undergoing major rennovation (costing the metro tunnel budget here, so it’s a big project).
Most other stations are pretty easy but Shinjuku can turn you around pretty quickly.
Get to know the Sobu (yellow) and Chuo rapid (red) lines to get around Tokyo faster then constantly relying on the Yamanote (green) line. Above ground is generally faster than travelling metro. Chuo line will take you into Tokyo station and all the way out to Mt Takao (really good day trip, go on a cloudless day for fuji views). Sobu will get you to Akihabara. Sobu runs nearly parrallel with Chuo but stops all stations. Yamanote is good for Shibuya, Takeshita or Ikebukuro (in opposite direction) from Shinjuku. Ikebukuro is a pretty ‘cool’ town. If you like anime be aware Ikebukuru caters more for the female viewing audience. Go to Akihabara (sobu) or Nakano (chuo) for the opposite. Nakano also has a really good camera store for new or used. If you do stop in Nakano I’ll pass on the details to the best ramen place in Tokyo as well.
Google maps is pretty reliable for train connections and general directions.
If travelling from Narita be aware there is a bus service to Shinjuku or Tokyo stations. Be aware the Orange company is about 1500 yen per person. Runs every 20 minutes. The red buses (closer to where exit after customs and luggage pickup is) can be 3/4000 yen p/p.
Dont believe the 60/90 minute travel time. Bus drivers are hoons. Faster than airport trains to central locations.
Legend!
I have time on the flight to scope out the lines. Everything I’ve mapped out to go and see appears to be at all corners of the map.
Good tip on getting into town from Narita.
We have locked in a drive to Hakone to do some JDM driving, with a stop at the Nissan museum. Will check out Daikoku PA for a bit more car scene. Probably take a tour rather than drive.
Other than that it’s just walk, eat shop repeat.
OK, thrillseekers…
Just back from Borneo, and Mrs B tells me that I should start looking at our next holiday. We’re thinking maybe 5-6 days in Busan, South Korea around Melbourne Cup time.
Anyone been and can give some recommendations…
Things to do there?
Places to eat?
What area should I look at for accommodation (Seomyeon area maybe… I figure splashing for something beachside is probably wasted at that time of year…)?
General tips?
etc.
etc.
Planning on going to London (see PAddington) and then to southern Italy but have about 4 or so days spare.
Any decent tips for spots either near London (or Ireland) or would it be better to stay in Southern Italy (have done southern Italy 4 times so far, but this is the first time with kids)
Get a coffee (pretend anyway, coffee is ■■■■) at starbucks just opposite the station and watch the herds of people cross the street at once and of course being Japanese, no one bumps into each other.
reading these posts from latest to earliest makes for some interesting reading/guessing
Busan reminds me a bit of the Gold Coast.
It has nice sandy beaches, a large city of about 3.5 million and lots of tourists.
Haedong Yonggungsa temple is worth seeing and food is ok, if you like Korean cuisine.
Gamcheon Culture Village is also nice
To be fair, I was always on business and Koreans are full on when it comes to work and drinking.
I prefer Gyeongju and Jeju Island
We stayed for a couple of nights in summertime. 5 or 6 may be a bit long, you might look into nearby day trips?
The two main beach fronts are both great. We checked out Haeundae Beach during the day and it looked fine for a dip at that time of year, beach chairs everywhere. The market a block or so back off the beach was decent.
Gwangalli Beach was good at eve/night. We stayed in that area, loads of restaurants and night spots, cool vibe with many hanging out on the beach at night. The bridge was lit up and had fireworks on the water. We grabbed tall beer cans from the convenience store and enjoyed it.
Gamcheon Village was ace. Don’t walk up from the station, you’ll need that energy to walk around.
The Blueline train from Haeundae to the end of the line is great. We didn’t think the pricey smaller cars were worth it, you’re essentially a little higher but making the same trip. From the end it’s not far (an Uber) to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, a must see.
There looked like other good spots to try but we needed another day or two. The layout of the city, with the peaks meeting the water, is genuinely cool, and I’d like to explore the high points and cliff areas like Songdo Sky Park next time.