Archive > The Amazing Race 14
AR14 Timelines, Timetables and Flight Information
apskip:
There have been questions raised by the FutonCritic (usually an accurate source) citing a 11 episode AR14 vs. the 12 episodes that I have been showing. It is now apparent that it was the Futon Critic who was wrong. AR14 is a 12 episode race.
Neobie:
Have looked at various flights from Phuket to Guilin, but you guys could probably turn up more! With teams still racing at 4pm on the 15th of November, I don't think they can make the 2am flight through Incheon. These are using Sunday schedules, corresponding to the 16th of November:
Phuket to Hong Kong
UO6718 1135-1525 (2h layover criteria)
UO704 1205-1555 (1h layover criteria)
Hong Kong to Guilin
KA700 1727-1735
Phuket to Bangkok
FD3022 1250-1405 (2h layover criteria)
PG276 1350-1510 (1h layover criteria)
Bangkok to Guilin
PG821 1613-1949
Phuket to Hong Kong
KA213 1255-1707
Hong Kong to Guilin
CZ3032 1922-2050
apskip:
AR14 Timeline(revised 11/26):
Oct. 31 leg 1 depart U.S. for Locarno, Switzerland via Frankfurt and Zurich or via Milan:
The only applicable flight in the right time frame from the U.S. is UA990 SFO FRA 1348 0830
A different route goes LAX to Milan-Malpensa(MXP) as follows: TN022 1145 0845+1 connecting with AF1214 0945+1 1145+1
Here are the bus schedules in the same time frame:
Shuttle bus leaves airport Arrival in Bellinzona at Connecting train leaves Arrival in Locarno
12:30 14:20 14:39 14:58
14:30 16:20 16:39 16:58
From LAX to Milan-Linate a similar schedule applies:
TN (Air Tahiti Nui) 022 LAX CDG 1145 0845+1, conecting with XM5997 CDG LIN 0935+1 1110+1
From LAX to Zurich via Frankfurt we have the interesting combination:
LH457 LAX FRA 1435 1025+1 connecting with LH3726 FRA ZRH 1200 1255
What I find most interesting is the fit LH457/LH3726 has with the observer comments about seeing 7 teams in Frankfurt Airport the morning of Saturday Nov. 1. I expect no other reason to go to Frankfurt except to connect to Zurich. There are 10 nonstop flights on Saturday between Frankfurt and Zurich, so if any are delayed there are alternatives.
The train schedule from Zurich to Bellinzona to Locarno indicates that 3 1/4 hours is required. Here is is:
Train leaves airport Change in Connecting train leaves Arrival in Locarno
11:47 Zurich HB (main station) 12:09
Arth-Goldau 12:52
Bellinzona 14:40 15:06
12:47 Zurich HB (main station) 13:09
Bellinzona 15:40 16:06
13:47 Zurich HB (main station) 14:09
Arth-Goldau 14:52
Bellinzona 16:40 17:07
16:47 Zurich HB(main station) 17:09
Bellinzona 19:40 19:06
It is my belief that AR14 teams used a minimum of 2 flight combinations to get to Locarno. One may be to Milan, another to Zurich directly, and a third to Zurich via Frankfurt.
Nov. 1 arrive mid-morning in Europe and reach Locarno sometime in the afternoon; then tasks; this might be a TBC to allow known timing of next leg, but probably isn't
Nov. 2 leg 2 Locarno to Domodossola to Spiez to Interlaken by train; then tasks in Interlaken
dep. Locarno 1047 arr. Domodossola 1235
dep. Domodossola 1248 arr. Spiez 1353
dep. Spiez 1425 arr. Interlaken West 1454 or dep. Spiez 1432 arr. Interlaken West 1451
total trip is 4 hours train
Nov. 3 leg 3 Interlaken probably by rail to Zurich, then plane to Salzburg; arrival possibilities mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and late evening
From Interlaken to Salzburg, the early morning Tuesday(as in Nov.4) train schedules are:
dep. Interlaken West 0605 transfer trains in Spiez, Romanschorn, 7 min. walk to ship, ship to Frederichshafen ship terminal, 5 min. walk to Hafen station, 2 min. train to Frederichshafen station, Ulm, then arr. Salzburg 1454 after a 8 hour 53 minute trip OR
dep. Interlaken West 0731 transfer trains in Spiez, Bern, Zurich arr. Salzburg 1529 after a 8 hour 0 minute trip
Based on the above, it seems more likely that teams flew to Salzburg on Nov. 4. In order to do that the optimal route is to take a train from Interlaken to Bern(somtimes changing first in Spiez) and then change for Bern to Zurich. The trains that fit are:
First train is dep. Interlaken West 522 transfer at Bern, arr. Zurich HB 0728, transfer there to Zurich Airport dep. HB 0746 arr. Airport 0747, a difficult 23 minute connection to make the first flight below from Zurich airport
Next is dep. Interlaken West 1031 transfer at Bern, arr. Zurich HB 1228 dep.HB 1237 arr. Airport 1246 .
Last is dep. Interlaken West 1729 transfer at Spiez and Bern, arr. Zurich HB 1928, dep. HB 1937 arr. Airport 1946.
At Zurich there are several nonstop flights to Salzburg, each with a connection from one of the train trips above:
C91202/LX4290 0810 0915 ZRH SGZ
C91204/Lx4292 1335 1440 ZRH SGZ
C91208/LX4294 2040 2145 ZRH SGZ
Nov. 4 tasks in Salzburg
Nov. 5 leg 4 depart Salzburg for Bucharest, with several late-night flight options:
through Munich drive back form Salzburg early evening, then LH3424 2130 0025 MUC OTP
through Frankfurt OS269 1830 1950 SGZ FRA connecting to LH3416 2030 0005 FRA OTP
Nov. 6 arrival in Bucharest after midnight; transfer to train to get to Brasov
morning train departures: Bucharest Nord 2358 arr. Brasov 0246 or dep. 0630 0922 or dep. 0730 1019 or dep. 0616 1051(note: nobody would want this) or 0830 1124 or 0942 1254 or 1130 1404
Nov. 7 tasks in Brasov
Nov. 8 leg 5 leave Transylvania for unknown location #1(could be in Siberia)
Nov. 10 leg 6 unknown location #2(could be in Siberia)
Nov. 12 leg 7 unknown location #3
Nov. 14 leg 8 leave unknown location #3 to arrive Bangkok the next morning
Nov. 15 fly Bangkok to Phuket apparently on TG203 0740 0850, then tasks in Phuket area
Nov. 16 leg 9 fly from Phuket to ?
Nov. 18 leg 10 fly from ? to Guilin
Nov. 20 leg 11 Guilin to Beijing flight choices:
CZ3281 0900 1125
CA6312 1145 1435
CZ3287 1710 1950
CA1226 2105 0015
then tasks in Beijing and start pitstop
Nov. 22 leg 12 return from Beijing to U.S. for Finish Line in Hawaii via Tokyo
PEK NRT on Air China has several choices:
CA6651/NH956 0845 1305
CA925 0930 1350
CA167 1350 1750
Continuing on from Tokyo-Narita to Honolulu (NRT to HNL), there are 9 choices with departures between 645pm and 10pm. With the 6 hours 45 minute flying team and 5 hour time difference, these flights arrive HNL 0630 to 0950. The most logical choice to me would be UA880 NRT HNL 1925 0710+1. All these are same day due to crossing the International Date Line.
Finish Line on which Hawaiian island not known yet although I guess Oahu now for convenience
Note: this is a 23 day race.
Neobie:
Alright, so now we have to work with teams in the middle of a Phuket leg afternoon 15 Nov; running a Bangkok leg 16 Nov, and checking into the Guilin Pit Stop late night 17 Nov...
We know that the teams flew into Phuket from Bangkok (Dhall's blog), and with "less airports", could teams have taken a bus back into Bangkok? (It's a bloody 12-hour ride, but the buses are pretty comfortable...)
15 Nov, afternoon: Run Phuket leg
15 Nov, early evening: Check in at Phuket Pit Stop
16 Nov, morning: Check out at Phuket Pit Stop
16 Nov, daytime: Travel by bus/plane to Bangkok
16 Nov, afternoon or early evening: Run Bangkok leg, check in at Bangkok Pit Stop
17 Nov, morning: Check out at Bangkok Pit Stop
17 Nov, most of the day: Travel by plane to Guilin
17 Nov, night: Run Guilin leg
17 Nov, late late night: Check in at Guilin Pit Stop
Same thing can pretty much be accomplished with a flight from Phuket to Bangkok, which gives teams more time to spend in Bangkok for the leg.
For flights from Bangkok to Guilin:
If leaving in the early morning, teams can connect through Guangzhou via TG668 (0950-1330) / CZ3236 (1540-1640).
Next best option, connecting through Hong Kong, TG628 (1030-1420) / UO121 (1645-1810).
Also through Hong Kong, CX750 (1155-1535) / KA700 (1725-1850).
If leaving in the afternoon, the best bet is a direct PG821 to Guilin (1605-1950).
In any case, teams will only be arriving in Guilin at around dusk, giving the late night Guilin check-ins some credibility. But what of our guys in Guangzhou airport?
Close shave with the Bangkok airport! It closed on Nov 25, just one week after our teams left! Or... is it the TAR curse?
ETA: The Phuket-Bangkok bus schedule, correct as of Nov 25.
Neobie:
May I use Apskip's data to propose that Thailand does not come immediately after Krasnojarsk?
Phil was waiting for a flight on the night of Thursday 13 Nov from Delhi to Bangkok. That puts him on one of these two flights:
TG316, Fridays 0005-0535
9W64, Fridays 0100-0655
Note: Since Krasnojarsk serves only other Siberian cities, along with Moscow, St Petersburg and Beijing, I'll assume for now Phil gets out of Krasnojarsk through Moscow. The flight to Beijing doesn't fly this time of the week. Further investigation through other cities, especially St Petersburg, is warranted. Full list of destinations: Moscow, St Petersburg, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Novosibirsk, Yakutsk, Beijing.
The only direct flight between Moscow and Delhi is SU535 1850-0350 on Tuesday night. That means Phil would arrive in Delhi early morning on Wednesday, and leave two days later early morning Friday? Thai Airways and Aeroflot can get Phil from Moscow to Bangkok for two days less of transit.
TG975, Wednesdays 1820-0705
SU553, Wednesdays 1940-0905
Of course, I'm assuming (once again!) that Phil flew direct from Moscow to Delhi. Connections may have been made, but what a journey from Krasnojarsk-Moscow-Connecting City-Delhi-Bangkok-Phuket! (Gutsy Grannies will be proud!) Will try to cover this hole though, but that's for another day.
What do you guys think? And what leg between Krasnojarsk and Phuket would require Phil to go through Delhi?
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version