I’ve seen Jeb Brooks and Sam Chui take this route in business class. But you, the absolute mad lad, chose to fly this route in economy!! I tip my hat to you good sir!
This is one of those rare channels where the old videos are just as high quality and entertaining as the new videos and I can literally just have this channel play all day and enjoy every single video that pops up.
I had the incredible experience too fly the island hopper service too back in 2017. It was the luckiest day of my life because on that particular day it was the captains last flight before retirement. He made a long flyover over each island instead of doing the direct approach and after each landing we got a water salute. At the end he did a flyover of the Guam airport before making a long landing and letting the plane rollout on the entire runway. My family and I even got a picture with him. Will never forget that day. Hope that u enjoined ur experience just as much as I did. Greetings from Austria.
As an employee of United Airlines, this is a flight I often work from the Network Operations side, and it is also on my bucket list. I'm happy you were able to partake in this experience and document it along the way! Excellent work as always, Mr. Philips! Cheers!!
Fun fact, Kwajalein Atoll, where you landed (top secret military base), used to have a launch site for rockets. If you have ever heard of SpaceX before, this is the location where they launched their first rockets before moving on to bigger stuff.
It is also the last resting place of some of the ships that survived opération "crossroad" aka the 4th and 5th nuclear explosions over the (relatively) nearby Bikini atoll. The most famous shipwreck of Kwajalein is the KMS Prinz Eugen. Its capsized hull is still visible, beached on an island north west of the runway. That's the cruiser that escorted the Bismarck during its mainden and only cruise.
@@foxecho727 I can find no indication that any weapons were detonated there. There are wrecks from the tests sunk offshore. I think this island was used for support and has a base, so wouldn't have had any nucs set off near it.
This is the type of video I come for. It's a rare route, it's in the back where the rest of us sit and, unlike the others, it continues beyond Guam. Well done, Noel.
FINALLY, YOU ARE DOING THE ISLAND HOPPER. Got to experience AirMic. I have been following you and mentioning that you need to take this for so long. That said, I finally decided to join your Patreon. I currently reside in Guam, but I have been living in the Micronesian Islands of Pohnpei and Chuuk. In addition to Hawaii. It's sad the the connecting trip to Manilia didnt go via Palau (sometimes includes Yap). Likewise with island hopper with exception of Kjajilan due to Army Base, prior to covid you get off for an hour. People make money off the tourist shops at the airport. Yap has an interesting local airline that is run by missionaries that goes out to some remote traditional islands. I recommend you get a chance. Sorry, you missed the flight. Normally if there is a connecting flight in Guam and a delay they will wait. Also, immigration and customs are very fast. I just went through it earlier this month and took only 10 minutes total, with no check-in. As to Lounge in Guam. sorry, United is not yet Open. Even the United Lounge in Tokyo is still closed, but it looks like that one is about to open. But there is one Lounge open at the Guam Airpot, Sagan Bisita by gate 7, with a Priority Pass you get Access. Its okay lounge, food options nothing great, but not bad. By way I recommend you try Air Philipines. They actually much cheaper than United (I love United). With philipines air you can get business class for less than economy on United. Speaking of United I just made Platinum this December.
Awesome video! Sorry to see the delay, but you handled it like a pro. Props to United for paying for your room even though it really wasn't their fault.
That is the perks of sticking with higher priced bigger companies and not always going with the cheapest alternative. I have received free phones and even a free top end tablet from Verizon, being a 23-year customer. I am a Marriott Bonvoy member and have received two or three free nights (without even making a fuss) because there was a minor issue with the room. That is above and beyond the free night compensation for regular room usage. When I used to travel much more, Delta was forever giving the wife and myself compensation without a single fuss whenever we were delayed. Usually enough to pay for us to fly to her sisters for Christmas every other year. Brand loyalty has its perks, as long as you do not go "Karen" on them EXPECTING frreebies...
@@Wolverines77 Exactly. BA did this for me at LHR when I was travelling IST-LHR-DEN. When the IST flight was delayed, the agent met me at the jet bridge at LHR and said, “Are you ready to run?” and we legged it to try and catch the DEN flight. Once we missed it, the agent stayed around to make sure that a hotel room and meal vouchers were organised for me. Top service, even though I was in the cheap seats.
The person who needed medical assistance at Majuro was probably at one of the best places on the route in terms of facilities as that atoll houses the capital with the country’s main hospital: one of only two in the Marshall Islands. Kwajalein probably has good medical facilities for the US military base but some of the other stops are much less populous and developed.
I have a former student from Micronesia. His Mom is Japanese, his dad an American of Polish heritage, and his paternal grandmother was Spanish. His name is Japanese, Spanish, Polish, and Polynesian. It was like teaching the United Nations. :-) (And he is bright, interesting, and funny. I miss teaching!)
Holy cow, quite a marathon there! Hats off to you for doing this. I'm glad the airline took care of you as far as rebooking and upgrades. I love the subversive filming when you were taking off at Kwajalein. Pretty clever there.
I recently flew UAL transcon from LA to Newark in economy and loved it. There are still some 757s left and I extra booked this flight to fly with one. All others switched to Boeing 737s and A320s on transcon, which is also an ok-ish experience, but the plane is very small. But crossing the pacific ocean on a 737 is another highlight and an act of bravery. UAL improved by a lot since 2008. I wish to cross the Intl Date Line one day, maybe in future.
I was hoping the Island Hopper would be the surprise you teased in your previous video! I was fortunate to fly it in the late 90s on a Continental Micronesia 727, complete with a stop on Johnston Island. It was pre-9/11, and we were able to deplane at most stops (not Johnston or Kwaj, of course) and buy drinks and snacks and local souvenirs (including some amazing dried tuna made with local pepper at Pohnpei) at the airport. Glad you finally got to do it!
It's fascinating to see these places that most of us will never get to visit. Breaking up the trip like that (even if you didn't plan to) seems like a good way of doing it too
Wow, I can't wait to grow up and travel the world as a pilot. The international date line is very high in my bucket list, thanks for all you do Noel, sharing your adventures really does aspire people like me to aim high.
Omg I was so excited to see you do this trip! Speaking of geeky international date line fun, it never gets old having breakfast in Sydney on a Monday, flying 15 hours, and then having breakfast again on Monday morning in LA!
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One point. When you said "Almost next door over in the states". Don't forget Hawaii is the states too! lol. Probably just a phrasing issue. You'd be suprised how many US people think they need a passport to go to HI, AK, and PR.
I’ve been binge watching your videos these past few days. I work from home for a hospital and these videos have helped my work day go by so fast! Found you about a month or so ago and never thought that anything like this would interest me as I’ve never even flown lol but you’re very entertaining!
@@noelphilips Aw, thanks for the reply! One that sticks in my head the most is when your wife had to get her gallbladder out! I had mine out a couple years ago and man she was such a trooper! I don’t think I could have looked as good as her after all that lol
Noel. Thanks for the flashback. I lived/worked on Kwaj for 2 years. It was an amazing time. If you get time, I'd highly suggest spending some time on the islands. They are amazing beautiful and the locals are great folks.
Really enjoyed this. I can no longer travel due to health reasons, but I had a great time when I did. I’d recommend it to all of you that are thinking about it - just DO IT!
It is quite amazing to get (nearly? I expect you didn't get to Hawaii on a 737) all the way across the huge ocean on a 737! For as much as our Noel is worn out, these trips also put a ton of stress on the planes to do so much takeoff/landing right by the ocean! Both man and machine are workhorses!
Kudos to you Noel for being brave enough to take the United coach class on a long haul (other than the last leg). That was my main stay during my traveling days. Finally, thank you for not overselling United this time... 😉
I did this route in the opposite direction around 1998 and it also stopped at Johnston Atoll which seemed a very secret place. I think you should have stayed a day at a couple of the Islands as they are beautiful places .
I saw you posted this earlier today . Couldn't wait to get home from work this evening to watch . Another great adventure love seeing all the exotic places. Thank you.
Nice video, sorry that you encountered a delay... When I first flew the Island Hopper in 2015, we were stuck overnight (and put up in hotels) on Majuro due to technical issues (APU broke, United had to fly a second 737 with parts and mechanics 2000 miles from Guam to fix our 737). Then the next night we were stuck on Chuuk for 10 hours due to pilots timing out on hours (no hotel for passengers). Landed in Guam 36 hours late, but it was the greatest travel adventure of my life. Got to see much more of both the Marshall Islands and Micronesia than I bargained for! Flew the route again in 2016 and the flight was perfectly on time, and got to spend four nights at a beachfront resort in Guam (as planned)...which was the best resort I ever stayed in ever. Absolutely wonderful part of the world, and the United staff on those islands and on the flight are amazing!
As someone with a channel dedicated to the Nintendo Switch, I need to point out the Mario Kart shirt. Now I found very funny how there was no video on the secret military base, but on the off, you could see the entire Island. I really want to try the Island Hopper one day, but with a Brazilian passport don't think it will be possible. All the landings are so beautiful, except for the fact the united 737 is very tight on the legs, I imagine you will have pain in the knee for a few days, but the beauty of the land makes the pain worth it.
I watched David from Simply Aviation do it a few years ago, though he only went to Guam. He was able to get off the plane at a few of the islands. Anyway, you've crossed it off your bucket list and look forward to your next adventure.
Ended up doing most of the milk run back in 2005 by accident as I was trying to get to Chuuk for a dive trip. Sydney to Cairns plane turned around due to mechanical fault which meant I missed connecting flights Cairns to Guam and then Guam to Chuuk. An amazing experience and a story to tell when I met up with the rest of the dive crew in Chuuk.
Wow, @Noel Philips! This was absolutely unreal. If there was ever a debate about who's the most interesting guy in this business, I think this video puts you well above everybody else. You gotta love the fact that you chose to fly in Economy, even if the Business class ticket price was less than 50% more expensive (if I looked it up right). In my opinion, losing the connection from Guam to Manila was a good thing, that would've been on another level of exhausting. Your content is absolutely amazing and apparently it's getting even better. Personally, I would love to see some videos about South America and their airlines and also some parts of Africa that I am not sure you have visited, especially Reunion or Mauritius. I honestly can't wait to cash in my salary check so I can finally become a patreon. Keep on doing what you're doing!
Added to want to do flight list. Hope the comments spread a little more love, the ending felt so sad. Keep up the excellent work, the videos starting in US are opening up a whole new area of the world to explore.
Can't wait to do this someday. I'd love to get to Pohnpei in particular and visit the mysterious ruins they have there at Nan Madol. Chuuk lagoon too is famous for it's wreck diving.
Nice video as always Noel! I'm 5'8, and I'd have struggled to sit so long in that tiny little seat... Literally didn't know this route was a thing. Bravo mate!
I went from Frankfurt Germany to Honolulu. We Landed in San Fran first, had a lay over and continued to Honolulu. The flight from Germany to San Fran took forever!! I also had my wife and my baby boy with me, and I can tell you we all loved the experience! That you Army!
Amazing journey and in peasant class as well, would be nice to see the takeoff at normal speed, best part of the journey on a plane. Look forward to the next one.
The most interesting of the vloggers - I can’t stand the others who only travel luxury and think we are interested in seeing themselves just stuff themselves
A trick as a tall person that flies, put the bag under your legs when above 10,000 feet rule for landing and takeoff. This way you can put your legs where the bag should be when landing and takeoff. Much more comfortable to stretch legs that way.
Dear Noel, thanks for this grande review. I had the pleasure to do the island hopper way back in 2000. During those times we were allowed to get off the plane at each destination n the stopover was always at least an hour. It was incredible. The most impressive airport was Pohnpei. I wish to do it again but surely in First/Business Class... Thanks Noel for taking this route for us! Greetings from Bremen to Houston. Marc
Well done getting through the marathon hops. Tiring, but you've ticked that off the list. Some beautiful scenery. I live vicariously through your trips.
Laughed at the comment about quitting & going home. Glad you're so responsive to your viewers, much respect, especially slogging this one in Economy Class.
Having done that myself, no need to watch a modern replay of my 1980's "journey from HELL". Other than today"s Greyhound busses being 10 times more comfortable "there is nothing to see here"... LOL
Very cool video, I used to live in Barrow, Alaska, reminds me of the milk runs there. Cool to cross off the list, but also a little bit of boredom mixed in :) Great video as always Noel, thanks for sharing it with the world!
One of my high school teachers had worked in Kwajelein in the 1980s. They did missile testing for the "Star Wars" Strategic Defense Iniative (not the movie!). It's the world's biggest atoll. It's not that secretive. She said it was OK living but a small island that can get a bit monotonous. Nice scenery.
@@noelphilips in all seriousness, I had to get special permission to stay over in 2009 (as a contractor for Air Mic), was pretty much confined to quarters when not working!
13:10 - Interesting... I've heard of passengers on this route being forced to keep the window shades shut, in addition to the "no photos/video" warning.
'We don't like quitting and going home early on this channel'! I do believe Noel might be trolling himself 🤣 Great trip old boy, this is the kind of stuff we subscribe to your channel for 😁
🤗Thank you for sharing your experience😉🤭I do not know if I could do it.... And believe me I love aeroplane travels... Thank goodness that you lost your connection flight so you could rest your body and mind.
Hello, I lived in the Military base on Kwajalein Island in Kwajalein Atoll. I saw this flight all the time. Was a cool experience and reminds me of my time there in 2016-2018
Haha, you should try it in the Cargo section of the old 727's. That adds a whole other level of comfort. I remember flying with goats and chickens. True story, done the Island hopper many times. Loved watching your view point of the journey.
been in your shoes noel! unforeseen delay on my flight from CHC to AKL meant i missed my connection there. luckily Air NZ found me a seat on another flight back home. Always give yourself as much connection time as possible.
Great video. Sorry you missed the connection and missed the ROR stop. It sounds like the unexpected overnight in GUM was a blessing in disguise.- gave you rest to enjoy the MNL segment.
Pretty new to your channel but it is very enjoyable 🙂 You are certifiable an aviation geek which is totally cool and the fact that you are a pilot gives you even more cred👍👍 Good show!
Kind of reminds me of when I was in the military. We often flew on regular airline flights and chartered airliners. I remember my trip to Diego Garcia which took over 24 hours. We started by leaving Sacramento, California on an Alaska Airlines MD-80 for Seattle, Washington. At SEA, we boarded a chartered DC-10. From there, we flew to Anchorage, Alaska where we had a couple hour layover. Then we got back on and flew from ANC to Okinawa Air Base, Japan, where we had another couple hours on the ground before re-boarding. We then flew from Okinawa to a military base in Singapore where they changed the crew and refueled. It was delayed a couple hours because they sent the fuel truck to the wrong airfield. Initially, we weren't allowed off the plane because there was no customs service at the base, but they relented and let us off for a smoke break. From there, we headed off to the atoll of Diego Garcia. We called that DC-10 the "Greyhound Bus" because it was like crossing the country in one, except we crossed half the globe with only a few hours breaks in between legs with each leg being 5 to 8 hours a piece. Looking back at it, it was an adventure. Our return flights to California was a little less of a "Greyhound" experience. We left Diego Garcia on an ATI International (yeah, basically a front company for the US Government) Douglas DC-8 "Combi" and flew back to the same military base in Singapore where we cleared customs (they actually had them there that time) and were shuttled to a very nice 4-star hotel downtown. We spent about 3 nights there, seeing the sights of Singapore over the next couple days, and flew out of Changi International Airport to Hong Kong on a regularly scheduled United Airlines 747-400, which had to briefly return to the gate after taking the runway due to an on board medical emergency, and then flew on the same plane from Hong Kong to San Francisco. The DC-8 was actually the highlight of my trip since this was in 2002 and most DC-8s had long been retired from passenger service. Another memorable part was the first takeoff in the 747 from Changi to Hong Kong. The plane was supper light and didn't have much fuel since the leg was only about 2 hours, and I swear we lifted off the runway within about 3,000 feet. Good times.
I’ve seen Jeb Brooks and Sam Chui take this route in business class. But you, the absolute mad lad, chose to fly this route in economy!! I tip my hat to you good sir!
in my bucket list to do. I'm starting in EWR.
@@roberthallam6741 He was upgraded to Business class because he missed his flight.
I can’t imagine there’s much in the way of medical help in the middle of the Pacific but we’ll see” LMFAO
sam chui is all about business class
Business class travel vloggers are low key boring
This is one of those rare channels where the old videos are just as high quality and entertaining as the new videos and I can literally just have this channel play all day and enjoy every single video that pops up.
Thank you for your kind words.
Fully agree!!
I had the incredible experience too fly the island hopper service too back in 2017. It was the luckiest day of my life because on that particular day it was the captains last flight before retirement. He made a long flyover over each island instead of doing the direct approach and after each landing we got a water salute. At the end he did a flyover of the Guam airport before making a long landing and letting the plane rollout on the entire runway. My family and I even got a picture with him. Will never forget that day. Hope that u enjoined ur experience just as much as I did. Greetings from Austria.
How awesome. I lived on Kwajalein Island at the time so you saw my little island I miss dearly
As an employee of United Airlines, this is a flight I often work from the Network Operations side, and it is also on my bucket list. I'm happy you were able to partake in this experience and document it along the way! Excellent work as always, Mr. Philips! Cheers!!
Noel: Under no circumstances can I take pictures or film anything at Kwajolein
Also Noel: *low key films it anyway during climbout* 😂
🕶
You can't see a thing from the airport....other than the golf course and supply buildings.
It’s on Google Earth anyway.
And who would see anyone filming through a window?
It’s all about over the top.
Did Sam Chui actually film there?
@@demil3618he did actually, the entire landing and takeoff procedure
Love the British response to someone collapsing. “Poor sod” (disclaimer - I hope they’re okay just made me chuckle)
Clot shot strikes again
Reported for swearing
@@KaiserSocasebecause there are absolutely no other reasons someone might collapse like diabetes, low blood pressure, a seizure, or not eating enough.
Huh?@@TheOneRealDJ
@@kaynemcclelland318 what ?
Fun fact, Kwajalein Atoll, where you landed (top secret military base), used to have a launch site for rockets. If you have ever heard of SpaceX before, this is the location where they launched their first rockets before moving on to bigger stuff.
It is also the last resting place of some of the ships that survived opération "crossroad" aka the 4th and 5th nuclear explosions over the (relatively) nearby Bikini atoll. The most famous shipwreck of Kwajalein is the KMS Prinz Eugen. Its capsized hull is still visible, beached on an island north west of the runway. That's the cruiser that escorted the Bismarck during its mainden and only cruise.
Also a frequent target for rockets from California.
And Nuke tests in the 60s
@@foxecho727 I can find no indication that any weapons were detonated there. There are wrecks from the tests sunk offshore. I think this island was used for support and has a base, so wouldn't have had any nucs set off near it.
@@jw0stephens I think you are right, I may be thinking Johnston Island.
Thank you for this video - been hoping you'd do the Island Hopper.
Thank you so much!
This is the type of video I come for. It's a rare route, it's in the back where the rest of us sit and, unlike the others, it continues beyond Guam. Well done, Noel.
I like watchin economy instead of the luxury all day.
he isnt in back he is over wing. on united these are prefered setting
@@LaneC-zh8fj It's some form of Economy, not First.
FINALLY, YOU ARE DOING THE ISLAND HOPPER. Got to experience AirMic. I have been following you and mentioning that you need to take this for so long. That said, I finally decided to join your Patreon. I currently reside in Guam, but I have been living in the Micronesian Islands of Pohnpei and Chuuk. In addition to Hawaii. It's sad the the connecting trip to Manilia didnt go via Palau (sometimes includes Yap). Likewise with island hopper with exception of Kjajilan due to Army Base, prior to covid you get off for an hour. People make money off the tourist shops at the airport. Yap has an interesting local airline that is run by missionaries that goes out to some remote traditional islands. I recommend you get a chance. Sorry, you missed the flight. Normally if there is a connecting flight in Guam and a delay they will wait. Also, immigration and customs are very fast. I just went through it earlier this month and took only 10 minutes total, with no check-in. As to Lounge in Guam. sorry, United is not yet Open. Even the United Lounge in Tokyo is still closed, but it looks like that one is about to open. But there is one Lounge open at the Guam Airpot, Sagan Bisita by gate 7, with a Priority Pass you get Access. Its okay lounge, food options nothing great, but not bad. By way I recommend you try Air Philipines. They actually much cheaper than United (I love United). With philipines air you can get business class for less than economy on United. Speaking of United I just made Platinum this December.
Awesome video! Sorry to see the delay, but you handled it like a pro. Props to United for paying for your room even though it really wasn't their fault.
That is the perks of sticking with higher priced bigger companies and not always going with the cheapest alternative. I have received free phones and even a free top end tablet from Verizon, being a 23-year customer. I am a Marriott Bonvoy member and have received two or three free nights (without even making a fuss) because there was a minor issue with the room. That is above and beyond the free night compensation for regular room usage. When I used to travel much more, Delta was forever giving the wife and myself compensation without a single fuss whenever we were delayed. Usually enough to pay for us to fly to her sisters for Christmas every other year.
Brand loyalty has its perks, as long as you do not go "Karen" on them EXPECTING frreebies...
@@Wolverines77 Exactly. BA did this for me at LHR when I was travelling IST-LHR-DEN. When the IST flight was delayed, the agent met me at the jet bridge at LHR and said, “Are you ready to run?” and we legged it to try and catch the DEN flight. Once we missed it, the agent stayed around to make sure that a hotel room and meal vouchers were organised for me. Top service, even though I was in the cheap seats.
Status on airlines definitely helps. They're usually more inclined to help out.
Mad props for doing this in coach. Anyone can do it in first class! This is the real island hopper experience
The person who needed medical assistance at Majuro was probably at one of the best places on the route in terms of facilities as that atoll houses the capital with the country’s main hospital: one of only two in the Marshall Islands. Kwajalein probably has good medical facilities for the US military base but some of the other stops are much less populous and developed.
That's really good to know. Hopefully he's doing much better now.
I have a former student from Micronesia. His Mom is Japanese, his dad an American of Polish heritage, and his paternal grandmother was Spanish. His name is Japanese, Spanish, Polish, and Polynesian. It was like teaching the United Nations. :-) (And he is bright, interesting, and funny. I miss teaching!)
Holy cow, quite a marathon there! Hats off to you for doing this. I'm glad the airline took care of you as far as rebooking and upgrades. I love the subversive filming when you were taking off at Kwajalein. Pretty clever there.
You’re crazy to fly this route - and that is why I love your channel!
I recently flew UAL transcon from LA to Newark in economy and loved it. There are still some 757s left and I extra booked this flight to fly with one. All others switched to Boeing 737s and A320s on transcon, which is also an ok-ish experience, but the plane is very small. But crossing the pacific ocean on a 737 is another highlight and an act of bravery. UAL improved by a lot since 2008.
I wish to cross the Intl Date Line one day, maybe in future.
I was hoping the Island Hopper would be the surprise you teased in your previous video! I was fortunate to fly it in the late 90s on a Continental Micronesia 727, complete with a stop on Johnston Island. It was pre-9/11, and we were able to deplane at most stops (not Johnston or Kwaj, of course) and buy drinks and snacks and local souvenirs (including some amazing dried tuna made with local pepper at Pohnpei) at the airport. Glad you finally got to do it!
It's fascinating to see these places that most of us will never get to visit.
Breaking up the trip like that (even if you didn't plan to) seems like a good way of doing it too
Wow, I can't wait to grow up and travel the world as a pilot. The international date line is very high in my bucket list, thanks for all you do Noel, sharing your adventures really does aspire people like me to aim high.
Good luck to your upcoming career ! Hope I can make it too 😊👍
Good luck bud. I love to see young people with ambition to make it someday
Omg I was so excited to see you do this trip! Speaking of geeky international date line fun, it never gets old having breakfast in Sydney on a Monday, flying 15 hours, and then having breakfast again on Monday morning in LA!
Did this route myself when I was on active duty. So fun to see you do this!
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Flight Price: $2018.54 / £1668.99.
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One point. When you said "Almost next door over in the states". Don't forget Hawaii is the states too! lol. Probably just a phrasing issue. You'd be suprised how many US people think they need a passport to go to HI, AK, and PR.
Nice to have the old Noel back! Limed your tongue-in-cheek references to your last trip and comments. Look forward to the next one.
I’ve been binge watching your videos these past few days. I work from home for a hospital and these videos have helped my work day go by so fast!
Found you about a month or so ago and never thought that anything like this would interest me as I’ve never even flown lol but you’re very entertaining!
Thank you so much, glad you enjoy them!
@@noelphilips Aw, thanks for the reply! One that sticks in my head the most is when your wife had to get her gallbladder out! I had mine out a couple years ago and man she was such a trooper! I don’t think I could have looked as good as her after all that lol
good to see you back in a good mood, after your lost bagage trip.. :) looked like a amazing trip this one..
Thanks! 😃
I used to live on Kwajalien Atoll. Great fishing and scuba diving. Sure brought back some memories thanks for sharing.
Love it! Keep it up! Been watching you for over a few years and love each of your videos!
I appreciate that!
Noel. Thanks for the flashback. I lived/worked on Kwaj for 2 years. It was an amazing time. If you get time, I'd highly suggest spending some time on the islands. They are amazing beautiful and the locals are great folks.
Really enjoyed this. I can no longer travel due to health reasons, but I had a great time when I did. I’d recommend it to all of you that are thinking about it - just DO IT!
It is quite amazing to get (nearly? I expect you didn't get to Hawaii on a 737) all the way across the huge ocean on a 737! For as much as our Noel is worn out, these trips also put a ton of stress on the planes to do so much takeoff/landing right by the ocean! Both man and machine are workhorses!
Kudos to you Noel for being brave enough to take the United coach class on a long haul (other than the last leg). That was my main stay during my traveling days. Finally, thank you for not overselling United this time... 😉
As a former Kwajalein resident it always makes me laugh how people react to the atoll. The island hopper is a very cool route to fly!
I did this route in the opposite direction around 1998 and it also stopped at Johnston Atoll which seemed a very secret place. I think you should have stayed a day at a couple of the Islands
as they are beautiful places .
I saw you posted this earlier today . Couldn't wait to get home from work this evening to watch . Another great adventure love seeing all the exotic places. Thank you.
Thanks so much for watching.
I did on A military charter Travis AFB_ Honolulu, Wake Island and Clark AB.Phil.
Nice video, sorry that you encountered a delay... When I first flew the Island Hopper in 2015, we were stuck overnight (and put up in hotels) on Majuro due to technical issues (APU broke, United had to fly a second 737 with parts and mechanics 2000 miles from Guam to fix our 737). Then the next night we were stuck on Chuuk for 10 hours due to pilots timing out on hours (no hotel for passengers). Landed in Guam 36 hours late, but it was the greatest travel adventure of my life. Got to see much more of both the Marshall Islands and Micronesia than I bargained for!
Flew the route again in 2016 and the flight was perfectly on time, and got to spend four nights at a beachfront resort in Guam (as planned)...which was the best resort I ever stayed in ever.
Absolutely wonderful part of the world, and the United staff on those islands and on the flight are amazing!
WOW I lived right down that street from your hotel in guam! Makes me miss the island sooo much. thanks for sharing Noel!
Brutal flying in economy, u got a great attitude doing that without complaining!
As someone with a channel dedicated to the Nintendo Switch, I need to point out the Mario Kart shirt. Now I found very funny how there was no video on the secret military base, but on the off, you could see the entire Island. I really want to try the Island Hopper one day, but with a Brazilian passport don't think it will be possible. All the landings are so beautiful, except for the fact the united 737 is very tight on the legs, I imagine you will have pain in the knee for a few days, but the beauty of the land makes the pain worth it.
I watched David from Simply Aviation do it a few years ago, though he only went to Guam. He was able to get off the plane at a few of the islands.
Anyway, you've crossed it off your bucket list and look forward to your next adventure.
5:10 Wow, no way is that pitch even 29'. That's tight....1980's Delta commuter tight.
If you get to do this again,please visit the atolls as always loved the look of them...
Ended up doing most of the milk run back in 2005 by accident as I was trying to get to Chuuk for a dive trip. Sydney to Cairns plane turned around due to mechanical fault which meant I missed connecting flights Cairns to Guam and then Guam to Chuuk. An amazing experience and a story to tell when I met up with the rest of the dive crew in Chuuk.
Wow, @Noel Philips! This was absolutely unreal. If there was ever a debate about who's the most interesting guy in this business, I think this video puts you well above everybody else. You gotta love the fact that you chose to fly in Economy, even if the Business class ticket price was less than 50% more expensive (if I looked it up right). In my opinion, losing the connection from Guam to Manila was a good thing, that would've been on another level of exhausting. Your content is absolutely amazing and apparently it's getting even better. Personally, I would love to see some videos about South America and their airlines and also some parts of Africa that I am not sure you have visited, especially Reunion or Mauritius. I honestly can't wait to cash in my salary check so I can finally become a patreon. Keep on doing what you're doing!
We don't like quitting and going home early in this channel.....well said Noel, thank you for bringing the world to us!.
except for 2 videos ago
Lucky you got the Guam time. It’s a great place, great beach.
I'm glad that you DO AND STILL HAVE Patience and fly still while the unexpected delays from this trip
Added to want to do flight list.
Hope the comments spread a little more love, the ending felt so sad. Keep up the excellent work, the videos starting in US are opening up a whole new area of the world to explore.
I wonder if a compression stocking manufacturer would make a good sponsor. Those long flights can be brutal.
Nice one Noel long winded trip that was but you stuck at it cheers have a Top week 🙂🇬🇧✌️
Can't wait to do this someday. I'd love to get to Pohnpei in particular and visit the mysterious ruins they have there at Nan Madol. Chuuk lagoon too is famous for it's wreck diving.
Love the dateline comment. Ppl never notice how wild it is. Be safe good travels
Nice video as always Noel! I'm 5'8, and I'd have struggled to sit so long in that tiny little seat... Literally didn't know this route was a thing. Bravo mate!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I went from Frankfurt Germany to Honolulu. We Landed in San Fran first, had a lay over and continued to Honolulu. The flight from Germany to San Fran took forever!! I also had my wife and my baby boy with me, and I can tell you we all loved the experience! That you Army!
Amazing journey and in peasant class as well, would be nice to see the takeoff at normal speed, best part of the journey on a plane. Look forward to the next one.
The most interesting of the vloggers - I can’t stand the others who only travel luxury and think we are interested in seeing themselves just stuff themselves
What an interesting video and crossing the international date line and viewing some places from the plane 😀
I did the Island Hopper from MNL to HNL, as an avgeek/pilot I loved it! .... my parents and siblings didn't hahha
I would absolutely love the Island hopper flight, Thanks for taking it for us.
😄
My pleasure!
A trick as a tall person that flies, put the bag under your legs when above 10,000 feet rule for landing and takeoff. This way you can put your legs where the bag should be when landing and takeoff. Much more comfortable to stretch legs that way.
Stayed in that exact hotel a couple years ago!
Thanks for sharing this journey with us Noel.
My pleasure!
Noel, you do the journeys many other nav channels don't. Good on ya
Enjoy seeing every episode
Another great video! Thanks. Loved the international date line countdown.
Don't think I'd do a flight this but glad you made it. Good on ya.
Dear Noel, thanks for this grande review. I had the pleasure to do the island hopper way back in 2000. During those times we were allowed to get off the plane at each destination n the stopover was always at least an hour. It was incredible. The most impressive airport was Pohnpei. I wish to do it again but surely in First/Business Class... Thanks Noel for taking this route for us! Greetings from Bremen to Houston. Marc
I would love to see you stop at some of those islands.
Well done getting through the marathon hops. Tiring, but you've ticked that off the list. Some beautiful scenery. I live vicariously through your trips.
Me too!
Laughed at the comment about quitting & going home. Glad you're so responsive to your viewers, much respect, especially slogging this one in Economy Class.
Never knew this was a thing. I’d love to retrace those early aviation routes. Thanks
Wow! imagine if you were in a middle seat!!! nice job toughing it out!
Cheers Noel! I do hope this summer you get to complete that greyhound bus trip across America.
Having done that myself, no need to watch a modern replay of my 1980's "journey from HELL". Other than today"s Greyhound busses being 10 times more comfortable "there is nothing to see here"... LOL
Very cool video, I used to live in Barrow, Alaska, reminds me of the milk runs there. Cool to cross off the list, but also a little bit of boredom mixed in :) Great video as always Noel, thanks for sharing it with the world!
One of my high school teachers had worked in Kwajelein in the 1980s. They did missile testing for the "Star Wars" Strategic Defense Iniative (not the movie!). It's the world's biggest atoll. It's not that secretive. She said it was OK living but a small island that can get a bit monotonous. Nice scenery.
I worked/lived on Kwaj for 2 years. I loved it. And yes, I was able to fly this route twice.
Oh man, you just won my respect for this - that is a long flight in the back of the plane. Overall it did look like fun to see these places.
Very interesting! My bones couldn’t take that trip! Glad they put you up. Sorry the lounge was closed. You have a lot more stamina than I do!
Thanks for watching!
13:43 Noel is getting into trouble for that shot!!!
If you don't see videos for a while, I've been shipped off to Area 51. Will compile a full trip report of JANET.
@@noelphilips in all seriousness, I had to get special permission to stay over in 2009 (as a contractor for Air Mic), was pretty much confined to quarters when not working!
@@noelphilips Doubt on that. You will find yourself in Cuba. In a certain bay...
Epic adventure, can't believe how calm you are in the face of adversity.
About time you got an a proper flight like wee always have to
13:10 - Interesting... I've heard of passengers on this route being forced to keep the window shades shut, in addition to the "no photos/video" warning.
I personally just love these long hauls in economy/coach videos.
Glad you like them!
Wonderful video! I'm looking forward to you covering Central and South America.
Great video! Love the views of all of the islands.
Thanks for watching!
'We don't like quitting and going home early on this channel'! I do believe Noel might be trolling himself 🤣 Great trip old boy, this is the kind of stuff we subscribe to your channel for 😁
🤗Thank you for sharing your experience😉🤭I do not know if I could do it.... And believe me I love aeroplane travels... Thank goodness that you lost your connection flight so you could rest your body and mind.
I've been following you and I'm glad you get to see my country, Marshall Islands :-) I bet you were tired from that long routes.
Hello, I lived in the Military base on Kwajalein Island in Kwajalein Atoll. I saw this flight all the time. Was a cool experience and reminds me of my time there in 2016-2018
Haha, you should try it in the Cargo section of the old 727's. That adds a whole other level of comfort. I remember flying with goats and chickens. True story, done the Island hopper many times.
Loved watching your view point of the journey.
Thanks for watching!
Nice Video, like always.
Oh, lovely T-Shirt!!
Thanks!
been in your shoes noel! unforeseen delay on my flight from CHC to AKL
meant i missed my connection there. luckily Air NZ found me a seat
on another flight back home. Always give yourself as much connection time as possible.
One of your best videos Noel thank you 😊
Very kind of you, thank you!
Yok Wee from the Marshall Islands. Kwajalein it’s on my bucket list to go there.
I worked on Kwajalein for 4 years from 89-94. Used to work the Island Hopper as aircraft mechanic.
Great video. Sorry you missed the connection and missed the ROR stop. It sounds like the unexpected overnight in GUM was a blessing in disguise.- gave you rest to enjoy the MNL segment.
Pretty new to your channel but it is very enjoyable 🙂 You are certifiable an aviation geek which is totally cool and the fact that you are a pilot gives you even more cred👍👍 Good show!
Thank you & welcome aboard!
Excellent video as always... I would love to visit The Philippines and Guam some day!
You should!
Love how parts of HNL are outside. So nice.
If I were younger I would do the island hopper , great job.
Kind of reminds me of when I was in the military. We often flew on regular airline flights and chartered airliners. I remember my trip to Diego Garcia which took over 24 hours. We started by leaving Sacramento, California on an Alaska Airlines MD-80 for Seattle, Washington. At SEA, we boarded a chartered DC-10. From there, we flew to Anchorage, Alaska where we had a couple hour layover. Then we got back on and flew from ANC to Okinawa Air Base, Japan, where we had another couple hours on the ground before re-boarding. We then flew from Okinawa to a military base in Singapore where they changed the crew and refueled. It was delayed a couple hours because they sent the fuel truck to the wrong airfield. Initially, we weren't allowed off the plane because there was no customs service at the base, but they relented and let us off for a smoke break. From there, we headed off to the atoll of Diego Garcia. We called that DC-10 the "Greyhound Bus" because it was like crossing the country in one, except we crossed half the globe with only a few hours breaks in between legs with each leg being 5 to 8 hours a piece. Looking back at it, it was an adventure.
Our return flights to California was a little less of a "Greyhound" experience. We left Diego Garcia on an ATI International (yeah, basically a front company for the US Government) Douglas DC-8 "Combi" and flew back to the same military base in Singapore where we cleared customs (they actually had them there that time) and were shuttled to a very nice 4-star hotel downtown. We spent about 3 nights there, seeing the sights of Singapore over the next couple days, and flew out of Changi International Airport to Hong Kong on a regularly scheduled United Airlines 747-400, which had to briefly return to the gate after taking the runway due to an on board medical emergency, and then flew on the same plane from Hong Kong to San Francisco.
The DC-8 was actually the highlight of my trip since this was in 2002 and most DC-8s had long been retired from passenger service. Another memorable part was the first takeoff in the 747 from Changi to Hong Kong. The plane was supper light and didn't have much fuel since the leg was only about 2 hours, and I swear we lifted off the runway within about 3,000 feet. Good times.