Around the World In 80 Hours Part 9: And Then, Everything is Perfect

 

 

How we got here:

 

Mileage Run Preview: Best Worst Decisions

Around the World in 80 Hours Part 1: In The Clear!

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Parts 2 and 3: Over the Ocean, and Past the Arctic....

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Part 4: Hello Hong Kong, My Old Friend

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Part 5: Lounging Like There's No Tomorrow (Because Tomorrow Was Yesterday)

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Part 6: A Day & Night In KL, or, All I Want For Breakfast Is Everything

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Part 7: At Least It's Not Jakarta

 

Around the World in 80 Hours Part 8: Doh-HA!

 

Well, my friends, here it is- the capstone flight to my first around the world trip.  We've come a long way to get here, and in record time.  Now all that's left is to kick back and enjoy the next 12 or so hours. 

 

Once again, Qatar's service is in good form.  The champagne corks are popped before the passengers even board, and they get right down to business when you find your seat- Armani amenity kits, comfortable (and more trendy than AA) PJs, and a menu that takes some time to look over. 

 

 

Yes, 1,000 times yes.  You can just leave the bottle, I'll be fine. Promise.

 

 

What's more, we're getting a first look at QR's new a350.  It's not quite the inaugural flight, but the plane's been in service for less than a year.  It's a snazzy thing, if I do say so myself (though, don't let my hometown hear me actually approving of something not made in Everett).  Qatar's done a good job of their business class cabin design- it's a 1-2-1 all aisle access set up with angle seats that lie flat (of course).  There's a decent amount of privacy, and ample tray table and storage space. 

 

 

Oh...and the cabin ambiance is fun.  There's the LED lighting scheme, not to mention the 'walk up bar' in the middle of the cabin that nicely takes up what would otherwise be dead space, or a spare galley, but also.... there's the ceiling.  They've removed the overhead bins on the inside of the business class aisles, since there's fewer passengers and they're not needed.  This opens up the feel of the cabin, and makes it seem much bigger inside.

 

The a350 being Airbus's rough equivalent of an answer to the Dreamliner, it's always worth making a few comparisons.  Overall, the experience is similar- lighting, modern style, composite materials, and smooth ride.  The differences are in the details- the 350 has snazzy windows with automatic shades, but instead of the dimming screens, they use actual shades that give a nice lighting feel over the blue or bluer scheme of the 787.

 

 

The other comparison you notice right off is the 350's modern winglet design which pairs quite nicely with the insanely terraformed 'coast line' of Doha.

 

Because they can

 So, now that I've set the scene....let the fun begin!  We rolled the runway pretty well on time, and we watched our progress from the HD camera on the plane's tail.  Best. Channel. Ever.

 

 

Like the last flight, everything on Qatar is 'on demand' - food, drinks, everything.  I took full advantage of this, and tried a few things from the menu, to the detriment of my potential sleeping time.  No pain, no gain.

 



 

 

 

Now, I know I post a lot about food and seats and airports, but wait, there's more!  Aside from the little luxuries, the most memorable flights come with unforgettable views that give you a sense of the world as you can't see it otherwise. 

 

 

 

While crossing between Kuwait City and Tehran, I looked out the window to see snow covered mountains on the horizon.  They only got more dramatic as we flew closer.   

 

 

It's flights like this that double windows were made for.  

 

 

It was at about this point that I 'helpfully' reached over the front of my TV screen to tap (some might say smack) my brave travel companion on the head, lest he sleep through these views.  And yes, he thanked me for it.... as everybody should.  How often do you get to see vistas like this between Baghdad and Tehran??  I mean, come on....

 

Only complaint about this plane, and for that matter the 787, is that the modern window controls allows the flight crew to take them over and force all the windows to go black when they think it's "lights out time."  While they really lock down on the 787, it appears to be just a 'hard suggestion' on the 350.  Now, I get that it's annoying if you're trying to sleep, and the guy in 6A's got his shade open like a spotlight.  But honestly, that's what eye masks are for.  They even give them to everyone.  On the off chance that you're on a flight that's largely a 'daylight' one, you should have the option to look out and see where the heck you are. 

 

This flight was a prime example of this quandary.  About the time we crossed over into Europe, the windows went dark until approach into Boston.  Unacceptable.  I'm a grown-up, and I'll decide when it's time for ny-nys, and when it's time for pretending I can tell Sweden and Norway from 31,000ft thankyouverymuch.

 

ANYWAY, I did need to get some sleep on this flight, so I got my PJs on, and my bed made up.  They provide a comforter and mattress pad, which does make a difference.

 

 

After some rest, and browsing through the extensive IFE selections, the lights went back up as we got closer to Boston.  I'll admit, it was pretty surreal to see the other coast of the US come up on the horizon after four days spent flying West.

 

 

 



And with touchdown in my once hometown of BOS, all that's left is the conclusion....

 

~CruisingAltitude

 

Here we go again....

Well….

Here we are again.  Or at least here I am again.  Wow, it’s been awhile hasn’t it?  The last few years have been full of so much there’s not much of a point in trying to summarize.  If I find the time, I’ll go back and fill in the many gaps.  There’s been travel (some good flights), and quite a bit more.  However, I’m choosing to revive this blog tonight for the same reason I started putting it together in the first place.

            Miles.

            Dammit, yes, American Air has done it again.

            DEQM and then some (more ranting on this later).  Remember when I said I’d probably never be up for Executive Platinum status again?  Lies, all of it.

            I’m currently in the Admiral’s Club at LAX awaiting the redeye to Boston...followed by the sunrise flight right back where I started, then onto a quick jaunt to San Francisco and back before heading home, possibly to a nap.  Then, I’ll be doing it again for the next 2 weeks.  Seriously, this seemed like a really good idea a couple weeks ago.  Still, I never regretted the last mileage runs I did, so I hope in time this will be another crazy, yet good, memory.

            I’ve come to think of my somewhat-obsession with miles and airline status in several ways, justifying?... Maybe.  Firstly, sometimes it’s just a good deal plain and simple.  I’d argue this round qualifies there.  Secondly, it can be a chance to step out of the routine, meet new people, and hopefully see new things (usually just the inside of a 737, but hey, American’s taking delivery of some this year so they’re technically new!).  And thirdly, I’ve come to realize I have an ongoing love for learning about and sometimes being part of subcultures in the huge thing we call ‘society.’  Whether it’s pets, games, or flying on planes, there’s something to be said for being part of something that allows you to instantly strike up a conversation with someone you’ve never met before and be totally engrossed.  As disparate as we all seem to get these days, I’d hazard to say reason #3 is pretty valid.

            About an hour left now, they just made the announcement for passengers on Qantas Flight 12 to head to the Gate 44 shuttle (more on the significance of this at some point later), and I’m considering changing into more comfortable clothes.  It’s going to be a long 13 hours until I’m back here, hopefully with plenty of time for a meal and a shower.

            Until then, wishing you all a good start to the weekend.  I’ll catch you on the turn-around.  

Best Laid Plans....

This time I was prepared. I bought a burrito even-there was tofu involved. I was ready for the six hour coach flight, I really was, and I wasn’t going to complain. I even had things to “do”.

And then the impossible happened- party of two in first is a no-show.

So here it is, flight 223 back from Boston to LAX, and for once they’re serving right on plan- EFBO and all. And for once I’m in the bulkhead….but definitely not complaining. I’m ordering the pasta.

There's no comparison to my last flight- A few short days ago I was subject to the shortest overnight in history- we landed 40 minutes early. I shared an exit row with another passenger sans upgrade, but with a few drinks. Not a smooth flight, and at someplace between 12 and 3am is not really the time you want to realize the in-flight movie is the chipmunks. It’s just not what you want teasing you that you can’t sleep at 36,000ft.

Anyhow, it’s been awhile since my last post, not devoid of flying, but full of everything else it seems. Even my bartender at the Admiral’s club asked where I’d been. Truth is, I’m nearing the end of this crazy experiment in what it’s like to be a travel-maven. Though even grounded, I don’t think I’ll ever shake the urge to play the frequent flyer- the hidden rules of the system, the seat-booking game, the inside lingo, and of course the single-serving friends.

Speaking of which, my seatmate and I were both well appraised of our good luck tonight. Heady with the good fortune, we converse about the little things- the type of plane, the seats, where he’s off to for the next week. The banter is short, clipped as we figure each other out, I’m answering the questions:

“What plane is it?”

“737. They took the 757 off this route a few months ago; it ruins the boarding process at Logan- no drinks until in flight.”

“So you fly this one a lot.”

“Yes. I like it when it gets in early. Tailwinds. Why does my seatbelt have an airbag?”

“Mine does too, that’s new.”

“Lawsuits, this must be a new plane, I heard they took delivery of ten new ones last quarter. And still no wireless.”

“You learn this from being executive platinum?”

“I keep my ears open, it can’t be helped. And yes, it's all they make it out to be.”

The plane takes off, and we talk about work, vaguely of course. He’s nice, a typical airplane friend and I’ve had much worse. Still, I’ll never see him again; or if I do I won’t notice. Soon I’ll miss these conversations, they’re a good chance to try out myself- a string of first impressions, not something one usually gets. I suppose if I was bold enough I could create a new persona for each flight. It’s not like what I do is typical, and people seem to buy it. I’m not, however, that bold.

Half-way there now, probably someplace over the land of small towns and open spaces, and my latest single-serving friend has put up his feet on the bulkhead to get some sleep before embarking on another week’s work. I should as well, but something about the dim cabin and the last shreds of daylight out the right-side windows is keeping me awake. That or it’s the flight attendants in the galley enjoying a few moments between the dinner service and cabin-cleanup to chat. It might be about basketball, but I can’t really tell. Maybe they’re Boston-based, whatever that even means in today’s frantic and understaffed flight schedule.

But back to the thought of being grounded for a moment before I kick back to watch whatever’s on the short feature tonight. At first brush I was worried, how would things go being really in one place? I haven’t lived in Los Angeles without the flying, the moving, the plans. But there’s a stability and a contented sense I’ve been missing, and I’m looking forward to finding again. To feeling like life can move forward, rather than in circles. However, there are a few more months to go and they’ll be full of planning and preparation for a new chapter, one I’m more than ready for.

Chapters. I promised myself I wouldn’t play that game but it slipped out. I’ve heard a trait in successful people is their view on life’s progression- chapters or linear. Do parts of our experience close, complete- or is it all one unbroken line we can direct?

It’s both. It has to be. Things come and go, but still we’re all headed someplace eventually. Tonight I’m nearing the Pacific again, and what’s promising to be a short night’s sleep so I’ll try to catch a few minutes before we touch-down.

Until next time then…

Chasing Daylight....

There’s something about an evening flight heading West across the country that makes you feel like you’re chasing the turning of the Earth itself. Trying to capture those last moments before you inevitably lose the pursuit, the light sinks beyond the horizon, and you have to give up and console yourself with whatever’s on the in-flight entertainment for the next six hours. And why is it that this feeling is always more poignant on a Sunday?


Tonight that particular battle was lost by my flight 223 from BOS West to LAX at the end of a great weekend in the Bay State. The movie tonight was “The Blindside,” and I’ll admit I enjoyed it though I probably never would have gone out to see it on my own. Once I got over the shock of Sandra Bullock with blond hair, it was all uphill from there.


So then….now that the scene has been set…..what to write about? It’s a brisk 5 ½ hour hop from coast to coast tonight due to a light headwind…but seems like I should have time to ponder a thing or two (I’d like to note at this point that the flight attendants are talking about ‘that one time when it took eight hours to go from JFK to SFO’ and I’m really glad that’s not the case tonight). However, maybe I can blame my lack of momentary inspiration on the guy sitting next to me. He’s giving me nothing. Not a comment on the pasta, not a “hey, going home?” Nothing. He’s been reading the paper since take-off, and now that we’re well across the country….yep, still reading.


He is, however, a polar opposite from my seat mate on the second leg of my Friday flight from St. Louis to Boston. This is the exact reason I have no writing to show for myself from those 2 hours. It started innocently enough, I said, “goin’ home?” And I’m still not entirely sure where we went next, but there was even some frantic back-of-boarding pass note taking as we exchanged tips for the best places to eat, stay, and visit across the county. I happily passed along my list of best Boston brunch spots, and in return I received the run-down on what to do in a weekend in Palm Springs, and more than I think I’d ever know about the neighborhoods and museums of the great city of St. Louis.


During what may have been the shortest dinner service I’ve ever experienced on an American flight, my new friend and I discover we share a common love of Rachel Maddow, and the rest of the flight passed quickly as we switched from proper neutral seat-to-seat conversation to more boisterous political discussion. It was easily the most entertaining flight I’ve had recently, complete with a flight attendant who told us when asked that she didn’t have a helper to serve dinner because she “doesn’t like anyone getting in her way.” I should have gotten her name so I could give her a good review. She even managed to make the 20 min wait for our gate entertaining.


Her best story of the night was in response to the ground crew’s union rule that they have to stop servicing planes in thunderstorms for obvious safety related reasons. She informed us that some travelers do not take well to this situation and will start threatening to fly a competitor next time, to which she has always wanted to answer, “Have fun, Delta’s gates are around the corner. I’m sure it’s sunny and 90 degrees there.” When you’re already on a delayed flight waiting for a gate, sometimes the best medicine for cranky travelers is to hear how they sound to the other occupants of the flight.


Really my travel this weekend has had some really great service. The flight crews, the waiters and bartenders in Boston, and especially the agent at the Admiral’s Club in St. Louis who took nearly half an hour with me to carefully explain all about system-wide upgrades. As a bonus I even got his account of the filming of “Up in the Air,” which yes, he got to be in (though he told me most of the scenes filmed in the Club didn’t make the final cut.)


Well, the ice has melted in my vodka, and the episode of “The Office” has now ended, so that can only mean I’m a cookie and glass of sparkling water away from our decent into LAX. So, unless something overly exciting happens that just needs to be commented on, I’ll sign off until I’m back in the air in a few weeks for a short hop to Austin.


Until then, wishing you light headwinds and entertaining acquaintances….

Site selection....

I’m on my way back out west after a great weekend in Boston. It’s flight 607, which is service from BOS to LAX….with a nice little stop in ORD on the way…just to keep things interesting. And yes, I’m busy preparing for that always enjoyable decent and landing into the windy city. Before I get to what I want to actually write about, first a note on a new find this weekend.

Finally made it to “Drink” this weekend. Within the first 10 minutes it promptly became my new favorite bar in Boston. And given that Boston is known for being a city with more than a few famous places to get well drunk, that’s saying something. I’ll admit that I was nearly turned off at first brush by the line creeping up the stairs. I’m not usually one to have much patience for waiting in line to stand around. However, Drink is different, and completely worth the wait.

Its less your typical Boston bar, and more like a restaurant that serves primarily alcohol. They don’t take reservations, but don’t just open the doors and fill the place to capacity. When you get in, they make sure you have space to sit, or lean at least, bring over water and glasses and proceed to serve amazing drinks at a leisurely pace. If you walk in with a craving in mind, they’ll be more than happy to oblige, but you’d be missing out on the point.

Drink doesn’t have a printed cocktail menu, but the staff are extremely well-versed in their trade and the ingredients are amazing. This is a bar that squeezes their own juice, makes their own infusions, and picks herbs in front of you to be crushed in your drink. We took advantage of the experts and asked for suggestions. Saying something like, “I’m in the mood for vodka and maybe something citrus,” might get you any number of drinks but all of them will be unique and impressive. To say they have a wide range of options would be a gross understatement, and the bartenders take it seriously. It’s not a place to go if you’re looking to drink for the sake of getting drunk, but the atmosphere is amazing and if you’re looking for an enjoyable and memorable night out I recommend it completely.

And yes, wait in the line, you won’t regret it. The one unfortunate thing, however, is that when your cab driver asks you where you’re going, and you say “to drink,” you’re going to have to back that up with an address.

So…. First maven moment over for tonight.

And here’s the next one: Websites. Yes…you heard me. As if you didn’t already have enough to keep you distracted…

My reason is that after writing about the extensive and useful world of flyertalk.com last week, I came up with several more that I know, love, and thought were worth mentioning. As the plane has now been unloaded, re-boarded, doused in sucrose, and zipped back up into the sky, it seems like a good time to finish this and pay them a quick tribute, so here I go:

1) TripAdvisor.com
This is your basic vacation, location, travel, etc site. It’s all purpose, and you can get information on hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc and usually with very candid reviews and photos. Doesn’t need too much explanation really, but it gets my vote and I’ve found the reviews to be useful.

2) Flighttrack.com
This is actually a fun little App for the iPhone that is reasonably priced (they have several models, but mine was $4.99). It does a reliable job of keeping track of your flight time, gate information, etc down to the minute. I save all my upcoming flights for the month just to keep it all organized. If you’re expecting a visitor, it’s even more fun, and will give you their flight time, as well as let you see their current altitude, speed, and a map of where the plane is as it moves across the country or around the globe.

3) Seatguru.com
Probably the best place to get advice on where to sit. The site includes detailed and color-coded seating charts by plane model, variant, and airline. It will tell you not only the dimensions and layout, but also little but important details like which seats don’t tilt, or whether they have an obscured view of the in-flight entertainment.

4) Gateguru.com
This is a fun site and app that lets you know instantly what’s in any terminal you might stumble into. It works like a giant mobile wiki for frequent fliers. Users get points for adding or reviewing amenities in the airports themselves. It’s especially useful when you need to know, say, if there’s a place to get a smoothie in DFW terminal D…or if you need to grab that before taking the terminal link to terminal B. (Note…there’s multiple options in both). The one annoyance with this app is that they reset the point totals each month for those adding to it, thereby limiting your bragging rights (I was top of the list for LAX last month and now have been relegated to the bottom of the pile again).

5) Jetsetter.com
This is my new love as far as travel sites go. Jetsetter offers its members significant discounts on stays at hotels and resorts in every corner of the globe. The discounts range from ‘nice’ to ‘its like stealing,’ and the range of locations at any given time is truly impressive. For example, within the last week there have been offerings in New York, Chicago, Santa Monica, Miami, and Paris, as well as more exotic locations such as: ski lodges in the Alps, a resort where you can have high tea in Bermuda, and adventure-based stays in the mountains of Chile, or even Easter Island. This isn’t the place to book your regular night at the Westin, the site caters to boutique or luxury properties mostly.

The catch to all this is that both space and days are limited. The sales only last a few days, and it’s first come-first served for reservations. But if you happen to be flexible in your planning, or what they’re offering matches your schedule, you might be able to book a great vacation at 30%-60% off the advertised rate. The further catch is that you must be a member to use the site, and membership is by invitation only. However, don’t let this stop you, you can “apply” on the homepage, and I don’t get the impression it’s a tall order to be accepted yet.

The site itself is beautiful. They go so far as to say that the site is “curated” rather than designed. There are beautiful pictures of the properties on auction, and of their locations put together with reviews that give useful details about the resort or hotel, and also about the area. All in all, worth a look.

Well….so far it’s been a decently smooth flight, and despite being seated behind a couple who seem to have mistaken Row 4 on this 737 for the hotel room they just checked out of, no complaints so far. And yes, if you must know, I did just tuck the chips that came with my meal into my bag for lunch tomorrow. When you’re logging 10,000 miles a month and still working overtime, it leaves precious little time for grocery shopping. Speaking of which, I’ll be grounded for the next few weeks due to work and changing apartments….but I’m sure I’ll be back at it soon enough.

Until then, safe travels.

Here we go again...

Well, after an all too short visit to Boston I'm once again on the move. I'm waiting for flight 223 from Boston's Logan international back to LAX to start my week like normal on Monday at 5am. The Admiral's Club in Boston has been undergoing a much needed renovation, which means that it's only about half its normal size and is chronically crowded. However, I like where they're going with the new look so I'll survive.

The time in Boston was great as usual. We went to one of my favorite restaurants on Tremont Street, Aquitaine. It's a great place for brunch, and is a fantastic value for the quality and atmosphere. Also, today we had a favorite server. A few months ago, we were one of his first tables on his first day serving rather than doing the dishes. He was great, and we'd made that quite clear on our comment card that day. As well as being a good waiter, he apparently also has a fantastic memory, and remembered not only our faces, but what table we had been sitting at that day. Sometimes you never know who you'll leave a lasting impression on.

So after less than 24 hours, I'm headed home. I miss Boston already, and I have a full workweek to look forward to, and probably then some. But for now, I've got 6 more hours at 36,000 ft ahead of me.

Wish me luck....

"Wishing you a wonderful stay in Boston, or wherever you final destination might be..."

Hopefully by the time I post this I’ll be happily settled for the night in Boston, enjoying my visit and looking forward to a much-needed brunch in Boston’s South End tomorrow.

I’m finally on my last flight of the “day,” going from Chicago to Boston. It’s thankfully my shortest flight so far and is only about half-full, giving me the exit row to myself. All in all, I’m pleasantly surprised at how this experience is going. I’m feeling decently rested, having slept at least a few hours of each flight to date, and the weather and planes have decided to behave enough to let me make all the connections.

There’s a strange sense of camaraderie amongst the other frequent flyers who are trying to cram in their last miles of the year this weekend. Without fail, each Admiral's Club I’ve stopped in at this trip has had at least one person at the desk saying something to the effect of, “I think I need about 3,000 more miles, how many will the round-trip to Miami get me?” The reason for this is that not only is it near the end of the qualifying year for American Airline’s Elite Status program, but until the 15th of this month, they are doubling the qualifying miles flown. To be sure, it’s a strange thing to care about, but we all have our little obsessions. Moreover, when you’re already flying more than once a month, the little things like an upgrade now and then make it much more enjoyable.

For anyone who might consider doing something similar to this in the future, here’s what I’d tell you. Watch the weather, and try to make as few connections as possible to limit the chance you’ll get delayed. However, when I do make connections, I like to have more than an hour just in case. Also, when traveling in and out of O’Hare, be prepared that: 1) Tight connections/delays are common which often leads to stress, panic, and outright theatrics amongst your fellow travelers as you sit on the runway on your already late flight for the even later flight ahead of you to clear the gate, and 2) The wind currents and turbulence generally make holding patterns and landings about as smooth as bottom-shelf whiskey. That said, the Admiral’s club by Terminal H is very comfortable, and isn’t a bad place to wait out your delay.

Before I head off into the 30 degree Boston night for a real night’s sleep, I’d like to leave you all with one friendly request. From someone who has just gotten onto and off of 9 flights in the past three weeks, and has 6 more to go in the next two, the next time you get on a plane please do your fellow passengers a favor and organize yourself. What will you want out for the flight? Do you have two carry-ons? Which is bigger? In short, one simple rule: Roller-Bin, Bag-Floor, You-Seat. This should take about 10 seconds.

Thanks for reading, and until I’m back in the air late tomorrow, good night and safe travels.