What's New on the World Wide Willard!

I've been working my paws right down to the bone, and have got the first episode of my current trip "Fly Another Day" up on the site - you can read it Here!  As I sit typing this looking out onto the beach at Hua Hin, I just can't wait to get back out there - keep a lookout for further updates, and, if you prefer a more pedestrian trip report, you can read Ken's companion report on Flyertalk, Here.

Our trip was originally planned for June this year, but, sadly, circumstances intervened, and we had to postpone, but this time, we're definitely going!  This year's main trip is a tour of old haunts for Willard, together with some new places we've not visited before, and the choice of class, airline and routing, have absolutely nothing to do with the huge increase in award prices bmi initiated just after we booked (honest!)  We'll be traveling to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Hua Hin and Stockholm and (other than the now traditional Top Gear Challenge rules for public transport) Willard will be cosseted in First Class as much as possible, and settling for Business Class where that's all that's offered.  So, look out for updates of "Fly Another Day" as Willard starts his trip tomorrow. 

Those who know the reasons for the sudden halt to last year's trip report will, hopefully, understand, but, after much determined pressure from Willard (and I can distinctly feel a furry paw digging me in the ribs as I type this!) and an immovable deadline for bmi Star Gold re-qualification, the gruesome twosome are in the air again.  For the next week, we will be taking a whistle-stop tour of the US, all in Business and First class, and, since I will have very little else to do, Willard has made me promise that this trip will be written up as we go along!  I'm also under orders (ooch!  there's that paw again! right in the kidney this time!) to use any spare time to get back and complete last years report, and not leave our poor readers hanging! So, after some thought (and, sadly rejecting the title "Diamond Club is Forever" due to re-use, and bad karma for the upcoming merger with Lufthansa) we've entitled this trip, which should ensure qualification for bmi's Lifetime Star Alliance Gold program (and thus ensure Willard continues to enjoy the status he has come to accept), "Gold (Life) Member" - please enjoy!

I Know, I Know, the website has been terribly neglected these past, many months, and as a bear who takes his responsibility to his readers seriously, I feel I should offer my sincere apologies for it.  As you probably realise, I'm very dependent on my travelling companion, Ken to get me around and get me on-line to do my updates, and, unfortunately he had some rather serious news relayed to him during our last trip (the one we were reporting as The Fare is Not Enough - Willard takes his first trip Down Under).  This, plus a rather challenging new client he has been dealing with of late has left precious little time for any traveling, or, indeed writing about it.  However, the drought is finally over, and he has managed to persuade Pat to rejoin us on a trip to Auckland, via Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, from where I am dictating this diary entry now.  Ken promises faithfully that he will complete the previous trip report, and also get to work on this new one "Miles are NOT forever" - Willard's back in the Air, and back in First.  No more excuses, we promise.

After some much needed sleep in the bmi Lounge at London Heathrow (but there aren't any beds in that lounge, I hear you say? - When you're tired enough, there are beds anywhere!) I got online for long enough to put the fourth update to my report The Fare is Not Enough - Willard takes his first trip Down Under that had been authored in-flight from Los Angeles.  Not wishing to skip forward in the story, I will only say that the Air New Zealand Premier Business flight I had been so looking forward to sadly left more than a little bit to be desired.  I'll write that bit up as soon as I can!

Managed to get some more work done on the flight over, so the current report The Fare is Not Enough - Willard takes his first trip Down Under has just been updated with it's third installment, taking us as far as Sydney Airport (pass one).  I'll get more done as soon as I recover from spending 13 hours in United Business Class ("The Horror!, The Horror!").  As I said on leaving the aircraft today "Caution! Wake turbulence - departing BEAR!".

A quick diary entry to say that I have just managed to get the next episode of my current trip The Fare is Not Enough - Willard takes his first trip Down Under uploaded from the Air New Zealand lounge in Auckland before my flight to Sydney boards - please enjoy it, and I will hopefully get some more writing done on the flight!

Well, after some fun and games both at Sydney Airport, a broken airplane, and finally getting a full search from Customs officers in New Zealand, I have made it to Auckland, and have uploaded the first part of my latest trip report.  You can start following my exploits in The Fare is Not Enough - Willard takes his first trip Down Under.  I've got more pictures to add, and still have a day in Sydney and a day in Los Angeles - look out for me if you are in Auckland Airport on Monday, Sydney on Monday or Tuesday, or LAX on Wednesday - you will most likely find me in the lounge, obviously!

Firstly, an apology!  As you know, being an executive bear, I delegate a lot of the running of this Website to my "Gentleman's Gentleman" Ken, but, unfortunately I had to give Ken an extended leave of absence earlier this year to allow him to deal with some personal issues, however, he's now firmly back to work, and I've "cracked the whip" and told him to get on with the outstanding trip report "OctoSheepie - the London Flyertalk New Year Hangover Do".  In the meantime, I find myself traveling again, and will very soon start reporting back to you on a new trip, this time, literally, to the other side of the world, Australia and New Zealand to be precise.  As a penance for the time away, Ken assures me he will make an extra effort to get trip updates online as we are traveling, and I'm also trying to get him working on some other new enhancements for the site, lets hope he gets his finger out!

I got back from Thailand last week, and, after recovering from my jet-lag, I have just managed to upload the final installment of the trip report "From Thailand with Love", and I hope you all like it!  I was especially pleased to meet many fellow FlyerTalkers along the way, and realise that the life of a "Bear About Town" really suits me!  A big hello to everyone I met on the trip, here's looking forward to seeing you again in 2007!

Well, I'm off on my travels again!  I've set out on my next trip (as promised at the end of my last report!) "From Thailand with Love" and I will shortly be posting the first part of this whirlwind trip to Bangkok and Krabi!  If you are travelling in Thailand this week, you may even see me around!

The Flyertalk MegoDo in London was always going to be a great weekend, and a must-go for all Fluffy (and one not so fluffy) Mascots!  However, little did I know that it would turn out to be not just the largest Flyertalk DO in London, but the largest EVER!  I got to meet over 180 of my Frequent Flyer buddies, and had a great time, as did Sheep!  You can see my report, with many, many pictures, on the London FT MegaDO page.

After my ride down to London for More Champagne Sir?'s excellent "Ultimate BA Thread DO" I realised that I'd been resting up my paws for too long and not keeping up with the increasingly large backlog of photos to add to my site.  So, since I'd promised to get this report on-line, I thought I'd make it a toofer, so I've also added my report from the bmi Gold Card event at Old Trafford.  I'll try to work harder in future - honest!  Meantime, if you check out my Links, you'll find a great new tool for making Flyertalk a bit easier to understand!

I had to hold off publishing the photos from Sheep's Birthday  just to make sure that the identities had been appropriately changed to protect the innocent (or, more likely, the Extremely Guilty).  The report is now up for all to see!

I can also confirm that I will be at the British Midland Gold Cardholders event next week at Old Trafford in Manchester - I know at least one other Flyertalker is going, and I hope to meet more there, and am especially looking forward to an interesting discussion with the bmi management over their new no-frills (which, as far as I'm concerned, means no bears) approach.

Well, as promised I made it to London for the top black tie (well, I was in black tie, anyway!) event of the fluffy mascots social calendar - Sheep's Birthday!  I've worked extra hard to get my report online as quickly as possible, because I know everyone else who took the time (and many, many mileage earning flights) to attend will want to see their pictures!  I was also quite humbled to find myself bestowed with the most prestigious honour that any member of the Frequent Flyer community can attain, and am now proud to be able to call myself a Nominated Mucci of Pucci.  It is a badge of honour I will wear with pride!

Well, after a bit of a hiatus, I've been back on the road again, and I've started trying to get to grips with the backlog of pictures from my other trips!  I've uploaded my WeddingBells report of my trip to Newark last year to attend a wedding.  I was on the road this week, and made a quick appearance at Amsterdam Schipol Airport, and I'll get right onto putting those up!  Meantime, I realise that I should really add a Diary section to the site, telling you where I'm going to be.  So far, there would only be one entry - I'm going to make sure and be in London for Sheep's Birthday Party on the 10th of June, after all us fluffy mascots need to stick together!

Thanks to those who E-Mailed me about typos and speeling mistooks!  I've fixed those, and applied the stylistic modifications suggested by Simon.  I'm working on another (mini) travelogue, from a trip early last year, and I'll update you when I've finished.

I've completed the BackToFirst Travelogue, and corrected some of my typos (hey, these paws were not meant to drive a laptop!). 
Also added this site news section, so that you can keep up to date with what I've done, and added some new links to my links page.

Added the second episode in the BackToFirst trip, where I'm off on my slightly ill-fated mileage run!

And the first part of my latest Travelogue Back to First (AKA Willard on the Baht Run!) is now online, where I do a short week in Chiang Mai, and (hopefully) also renew my Star Gold credentials for another year!

The new site is finally online!  After spending months as a set of test pages on Ken's laptop, this site has finally gone global!  The only real content at the moment is the original Oh No Four Oh travelogue that started it all, but I've also added an "About" page, to explain what it's all about.

Welcome to Chez Willard - Willard the Bear

Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved - See our Copyright and Privacy Notice for details, and Site Terms and Conditions