Stay Report: Grand Hyatt Atlanta In Buckhead (Atlanta, Ga - January 2024)

  Stay Report: Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead
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I was going to be in Atlanta for one day and I have a free night at a Hyatt property so decided to try out the Grant Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead.  My only experience with a Grand Hyatt before was with the Grand Hyatt in Bogota (review here) so this was my first experience with the hotel in the U.S.  It was easy to book the room through the app and the day before check-in we received a welcome note from the Manager.  

We arrived at the hotel late at night and the first thing you notice is the size, the hotel is very big in terms of height and size.  The hotel is made up of two towers with the first couple of floors being the base and then the two towers rising above.  There is a lower level entrance which is mainly the entrance for the meeting rooms.  At the main entrance is the valet stand and as you enter the hotel, you climb up some stairs and immediately enter the bar/lounge area in front of you.  The check-in desk and elevators to one tower are to the right, while the restaurant and elevators to the other tower are to the left.  It is a very grand hotel and it is very easy to get lost as there is minimal signage to direct.  As we arrived late at night, check-in was easy and we quickly received our key.  We then had to go back downstairs as the incorrect room was given; when given the correct room I believe we may have been upgraded as the room was very spacious.

The room was on the 22nd floor and had lots of space.  As you entered into the room, there was a long hallway on the right which contained the closet as well as a space to put your luggage/makeup/storage on the other side.  The closet was huge and contained lots of space to store things as well as the safe, iron, ironing board, as well as slippers and a robe (the slippers were of low quality though).  This hallway was on the right side, on the left side of the room was the entrance to the bathroom.  The bathroom was also massive and contained a long countertop with a sink, a jacuzzi tub as well as a stand shower.  There was a separate entrance to the toilet and overall there was lots of space and lots of amenities next to each item including bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and little bars of soap.

Separating this part from the room was a little nook that contained a bar top with the coffee maker on top and a decent size fridge underneath.  The spaciousness continued in the main room which contained the two beds along the right side of the wall.  These were two spacious queen-size beds which were very comfortable and provided a greats night sleep.  There was a nightstand in between the two beds which contained an alarm clock with USB port and plugs on top of it.  There was lots of space between the two beds as well as between the bed and the nightstand.   Along the left side of the wall was the TV mounted on the wall and underneath was a chest with drawers for additional storage.  There was a chair and extender next to that, and alongside the other wall was a standard-size desk with a chair as well as plugs and USB ports on the desk.  In between the chair and the desk was the entrance to the balcony, which was nice and a good size and had two lounge chairs on it, but the only negative is that there waw a window in the bathroom which shown onto the balcony and that limited privacy somewhat.  Also, the furnishings and the building looked like an older building which meant there was a lack of plugs and USB ports around room; however, the comfortability and spaciousness of the room made up for any shortcomings.

They are a full-service hotel so amenities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, valet, fitness center, pool (currently closed), self parking, wifi, business center as well as a hotel lounge.  I was only there for one night so was not able to but I did try the wifi, the hotel lounge, and the self-parking.  The self-parking is located in a garage down and across the street from the hotel; it looks like a regular garage that the hotel partnered with and while there are signs that this is for the hotel, the signs are minimal as are the lights at night.  The wifi was strong and we were able to connect multiple devices with no issues and were able to stream videos and social media with no interruptions.  We also had access to the hotel lounge so we took advantage of that for breakfast.  

The lounge is located on the 24th floor and is open from 6:30am-10pm serving breakfast, snacks, and hors d'oeuvres.  As you enter into the lounge, there is a couch and sitting area in front with tables towards the back next to the window.   To the left, in a little nook, is the business center with two computers and a printer.  There is a huge TV mounted on the wall, and towards the right is the coffee maker and food items.  We went during breakfast time so they had oatmeal, cereal, light snacks, some fruit and salmon as well as bread and bagels available; coffee and tea were also available with a variety of milk in the fridge along with juice and water.  While a decent selection, it was more of a medium-size snack versus breakfast; my previous experience at hotel lounges have all been outside of the U.S. where generally the selection is more so I am not sure if this is standard for U.S. hotel lounges.

Overall, it was a great stay at the Grand Hyatt.  The room was spacious and there were lots of amenities for the guest to enjoy.  The beds were really comfortable and provided a great nights sleep; and even though our interaction with staff was minimal, what interaction we did have was good and they provided good customer service.     

Stay Report: Hyatt House Atlanta / Perimeter Center (Atlanta, Ga - April 2022)

  Stay Report: Hyatt House Atlanta / Perimeter Center
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I travel to Atlanta a lot and have stayed in many areas but I prefer the Perimeter area due to access of services as well as strategic location.  There a couple of hotels in this area and generally I used to stay at the Hyatt Place Perimeter Center which was a nice location as it was right on the Perimeter Mall parking lot and it was close to many restaurants and other services; however, the service at the hotel as well as other factors made us look for other hotels in the area.  Down the street from the Hyatt Place is the Hyatt House and I had never stayed at this brand from Hyatt so was eager to check it out.

Hyatt describes Hyatt House as "a residentially inspired hotel experience offering spacious, apartment-style rooms and suites with full kitchens" and is Hyatt's response to the extended-stay format.  It was easy to book and modify the reservation either through the Hyatt app or website.  The entrance to the hotel is odd in that its right off of the main road but also next to a interstate onramp - good thing is that you do not hear the noise from the cars in the hotel.  The main entrance to the hotel is on the upper level but the vehicle entrance is on the main level and so you park in the temporary spots and then walk up to the upper level to access the check-in desks and main level of the hotel.  There are parking spots on the main level as well as the lower level of the hotel as well as entrances and elevators which can take you directly to your room.

As you enter the lobby, you notice how large the lobby is and how vast the space is.  The lobby containsa large seating area, the check-in desks, the hotel restaurant and bar, the business center, and meeting rooms.  It is a huge space and even though it can get crowded, it does not feel cramped as there is a lot of space for people to sit and mingle.  Check-in was good, we received our key and proceeded to the room.  There are a variety of room types available - there is the standard hotel room, an expanded hotel room that resembles the Hyatt Place with a kitchenette, and more extended stay-type rooms with full kitchens.  As we generally are staying there for a couple of days, we book the expanded hotel room that includes a kitchenette and a seating area.  

When you open the door, you enter into the kitchenette area.  On the left side is a ledge with a mirror and coat hooks on top.  On the right side is a small kitchen with a sink, a small stovetop, a microwave, as well as shelves with plates and glasses.  In the middle of the kitchenette is an island with a huge counter space.  On one side of the island, across from the stovetop, is a dorm-size fridge which is bigger than a mini-fridge but not much larger.  On the other side of the island are two seating areas and this can be for both dining as well as working as there are plugs and outlets right next the seating areas in the island.  

The room section is divided into the seating area and the bed section.  The seating area contains a sectional sofa that turns into a sofabed as well as a small table.  There is a small table next to the couch and the other sectional part of the sofa is against the wall and has a small window behind it.  The seating area is small and once the sofabed pulls out, there is no room for the seating area or to access any other section/part of this area.  In front of the sectional is a stand with a TV on top and shelves on the bottom.  The TV can either face the sectional/seating area or the bedroom area as right behind the TV stand is the bedroom area - there is no separation between the bedroom and the seating area besides the TV stand.  This room comes with on king-size bed so in the bedroom section there is one king-size bed with nightstands on either side.  The bed is large and somewhat comfortable and provides a decent nights sleep.  When facing the bed, to the left is the closet and bathroom area.  From the bedroom, you pass a vanity area which has a luggage storage/ledge on one side and the closet on the other.  The closet contains a mirror on the outside and inside a place to hang your clothes, an iron, ironing board, and a safe.  Further along is the actual bathroom which contains a sink, a toilet and a long shower.  The shower is decent and provides nice water pressure and there are standard Hyatt toiletries included soap, body wash and shampoo; this hotel does not provide lotion though.

As a full-service hotel there are a lot of amenities offered including wifi, complimentary breakfast,

fitness center, meeting rooms, business center, onsite restaurant/bar, attached parking, and a pool.  We have experienced the wifi which was strong and able to check email, stream videos, and handle multiple people working at the same time; the business center which was just two computers and a printer next to the meeting rooms in the lobby; the parking which is an extra charge and there are limited spaces connected to the hotel but there is also spaces in the parking garage across the street; and the complimentary breakfast which was a standard hotel complimentary breakfast with cereal, fruit, bagels and french toast.  The hotel is located next to the MARTA station stop and is a 30-60 second walk from the station to the hotel entrance - that can be good during the day but caution does need to be adhered to at night.

Overall, its a decent hotel near the Perimeter Mall.  The hotel lobby is spacious and while the hotel may be full it does not seem full in the hotel; the hotel does not seem rushed nor packed.  The room type that we choose is decent especially the island which provides a nice working and counter space; the only wish is that the fridge would be a little bit bigger especially if you are staying at the hotel for an extended period.  Other than that, nice hotel with decent service and good size room.

Trip Report: Frontier Airlines, New Orleans to Atlanta (April 2022)

  Trip Report: Frontier Airlines, New Orleans to Atlanta
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I fly from New Orleans to Atlanta a lot of surprising there are a lot of options.  The standards are Delta, which have a flight almost every hour or so; Southwest which does not as much availability but comes with perks such as free bags; Spirit which has limited availability but comes at a lower cost; and Frontier which only has one flight a day and is comparable to Spirit.  I have flown Delta, Southwest and Spirit on this route many times and used to fly Frontier but they stopped this route.  They have recently reintroduced the route so decided to try them again.

The Frontier flight from New Orleans to Atlanta leaves on at a different time depending on which day

you are traveling.  On the day I was traveling, the flight departed at 4:20pm and arrive into Atlanta at 6:52p; on the next day, the flight left at 7am and arrived into 9am and there was no afternoon flight.  I am not sure what the pairing or timing is but that is Frontier.  Frontier is a low-cost airline so the ticket only includes the seat and a personal item, everything else requires payment.  Frontier, like Spirit, has introduced 'Bundle packages' in which you can bundle a seat, a carry-on, checked baggage and priority boarding.  I have done this many times on Spirit and have always found it beneficial, especially the extra luggage and the priority boarding.  I was only going for a short period so I did not need the extra luggage but the person I was traveling with was going for a longer period and the extra carry-on was $35-40 and the bundle that included everything was $50 so it was more cost-effective to get the bundle; even with the bundle the ticket was less than $100.

Booking the flights on the app is a lot easier than the website - the website for me kept spinning and taking longer than necessary; this is where Spirit wins in the low-cost area as their website is faster (app is slower and a bit useless).  Both Spirit and Frontier do try and upsell you throughout the entire booking process and this is where you can select the various bundles.  I have bundled many times on Spirit and my travel companion bundled with Frontier; the bundle that I normally choose includes a carry-on in addition to your personal item, a checked baggage (at 18kg/40lbs instead of the standard 23kg/50lbs), priority boarding and seat selection.  If you do not choose any of the bundles, then the only thing included in your ticket is a personal item; everything else comes at a cost.  I was able to check-in 24-hours in advance and on Frontier I was given the option at the beginning to buy a seat but then afterwards there was no availability to look at the seat-map; on Spirit you are able to see the seatmap after boarding and potentially move seats within your section.  

The flight was scheduled to depart at 4:20pm and the plane was already at the gate (it had earlier come

from Atlanta) and so boarding started ontime at 3:50pm.  Unlike Spirit, Frontier only made one announcement regarding hand carry items.  Frontier boards in groups and if you purchase a bundle, that includes priority boarding so boarding in Group 1.  I was in group 3 but after group 1 the groups were not really enforced.  The operating aircraft was an Airbus A320 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  The style of the seat, the seat pitch, and the seat width all reminded me of Spirit; Frontier seats even had the tiny tray table similar to Spirit.  Both airlines offer a basic seat that is already 'prereclined' so you cannot recline anymore, the seats are decent but only for short-haul and will be uncomfortable for long-haul, and the seat pitch is tight so decent for short-haul but again would be uncomfortable for long-haul.  Once onboard, I did ask the flight attendant if the flight was full and if I could move; they said the flight was full but that was incorrect as they did allow people to move upfront or to exit rows but did charge them for these moves ($50 to sit in the exit seat).   Everyone boarded and the door closed, we pushed back ontime and headed out to Atlanta.

The flight was very basic and minimal.  Because of tail winds + short flight time + some turbulence, normal inflight service was not going to operate but rather if you wanted something then you had to ring your call bell and you could order directly from the FA's.  Other than that, the flight was very basic and not really exciting.  After 50mins, we started our descent into Atlanta and landed on-time and taxied to the gate.  One thing in the air - the FA's kept mentioning keeping a tidy airplane and that if we could help them since they had to turn the plane to Las Vegas and that 'they were the cleaning crew'.  The FAs also did an odd thing on the ground; I had put my carryon in the overhead above row 3 and I was further back.  When row 3 deplaned, my bag was still there since it would take some time for my row to deplane; but in the meanwhile the FAs was going through the overhead and taking down all the bags that were left and putting them on the seats.   This is fine except this information was not told to the passengers so I only noticed as I was trying to understand what they were doing with bag.  It was very odd.

Overall, it was an interesting experience with Frontier.  Many aspects of the process were similar toother ULCC including Spirit so in that sense at certain aspects you could not tell whether you were flying Frontier or Spirit.  Based on this experience, I would not hesitate to fly Frontier short-haul if the timings were right, the price were right, and it was short-haul.  

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Atlanta / Perimeter Center (Dunwoody, GA - January 2021)

 Stay Report: Hyatt Place Atlanta/ Perimeter Center
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I have stayed at many Hyatt Place's and I generally have a good experience and they provide a good service for the price point.  Generally at a Hyatt Place you will get a junior-suite type room with beds + couch, complimentary parking, wifi, and breakfast, and a decent stay.  Some hotels are newer than others, and the decor and layout indicate so, and some hotels have better service than others.  Hyatt is building a lot of new Hyatt Place so when I was looking for a place to stay in Atlanta, I noticed that the Hyatt Place near Perimeter Mall was now open and accepting reservations so decided to book and experience this hotel.  This was not my first experience at a newly built Hyatt Place as I previously stayed at Hyatt Place Arlington, VA (review here) which was somewhat new at the time.  

The hotel is located on the malls general area and right next to the mall parking lot, but on the train station entrance so its less crowded to enter but you can still easily access the mall.  The entrance to the hotel is very small and there is a small driveway in which you can stop to go inside and checkin - this driveway can only fit 2-3 cars and it fills up very quickly; the entrance was not designed well and was very inconvenient.  

As you walked into the lobby, it smelled really nice and overall looked modern and fresh, but overall it was very narrow.  As you entered, the two check-in desks were in front and there was a small seating area to the right.  Right behind the check-in desks was the small pantry (to purchase items you forgot or snacks) while along the right side was more seating, the business center, and the dining area where the breakfast was served and the hotel restaurant.  The elevators were located on the left-hand side opposite the business center and behind the pantry area.  Overall, it looked nice and well decorated but it was very narrow and tight space to navigate (especially now with social distancing).

The customer service here was not great - there was nothing bad but there was nothing good noroutstanding neither; they did the basics of their job with the minimal interaction, barely any smile, and that was about it.  That was the service received when we checked in as we got our key, got information about the parking and that was it - no other details about any other amenity of the hotel (also, we were not welcomed as loyalty members).  We took our key and proceeded to the room.  Once I received my key, I had to use to access the elevators to the room.  I was on the 2nd floor, and the hotel overall has 9 floors.  The hallways to the room were a bit narrow so they could fit the luggage cart but could not fit the luggage cart plus guest side by side; luckily the narrowness did not extend to the rooms as they were spacious and very comfortable.  

As you enter the room, on the right was the bathroom which was more spacious than I had expected.  The bathroom contained a sink, a toilet, a shower, bathroom toiletries of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, as well as a sliding door between the bathroom and the main room.  As you enter into the room, on the right side are couches - one of which can turn into a sofa bed – as well as a table in front of the couches.  There is a ‘partition’ between the 'living room' and the bedroom, and I put it in quotes because it only extends a quarter-way while the remaining section is open so it does not provide a lot of privacy.  Across from the couches and bed, along the wall, was a luggage holder with drawers on the bottom and this was connected to a full-size desk with a chair and a TV on the wall, and this was connected to a mini-closet with a small place to hang clothes (there was a safe as well as an iron in the closet and the ironing board was in the bathroom; there was also a fridge within one of the cabinets of the console).  On the other side of the 'partition' is the bedroom. I had booked a room with two beds and so there were 2 double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The nightstand had two small reading lights, an alarm clock, as well as plenty of USB ports and outlets.  The bed itself was comfortable and provided a decent sleep.  Many of the newer constructed hotels are coming up with more narrow and space-restricted rooms so with all the furniture, the room felt a little cramped and confined.  Because of the newer construction though, there were plenty of USB ports and outlets throughout the room to charge electronics.   

The Hyatt Place does offer free facilities for its guests to enjoy such as complimentary parking (there was also valet parking but I never saw a valet attendant), complimentary wifi (for members - some hotels enforce and check while this hotel did not), and complimentary breakfast.  The hotel also provides a fitness center and a business center.  The complimentary breakfast was still offered, which was nice given the pandemic and other cuts, but it was very basic as there was prepackage bagels, cream cheese, yogurt and cereal.  Other hotels are continuing to offer complimentary breakfast during the pandemic - and I appreciate the consistency to do so - but this was really basic (even more so compared to others).  The wifi was complimentary, needed to login or code, and was decent strength but not secure at all but you could connect as many devices as you wanted to.  There was a business center downstairs which was basically two computers and a printer in the lobby; the fitness center was open and there was enough equipment to provide a good workout. 

Safety protocols - given the pandemic, what safety protocols did the hotel implement?  There weresocial distancing stickers on the floor but these were not really enforced by the staff; there were signs that masks were mandatory but again these were not really enforced by staff; there were 3 elevators and they came pretty quickly so you could wait and social distance in the elevator; the hotels were not cleaning your room in between nights so if you needed something you had to call down and request it.  As with the service, the safety protocols were the basic ones that were implemented - no more, no less.

    

Overall, it was a typical stay at the Hyatt Place.  The hotel provided complimentary parking, wifi, breakfast along with comfortable beds.  The location was convenient as it was next to the mall so you could walk there, you could walk to the train station, and walk to other restaurants and stores.  The negatives were the driveway and entrance to the hotel, the lack of enforcing safety protocols, and the average service.  I have had some great stays at Hyatt Place and some awful stays and this was in the middle - so while I wouldn't rush to book the hotel again, I also would not avoid it either. 

Stay Report: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory (Decatur, GA - May 2020)

Stay Report: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory 

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Due to the COVID-19 situation, travel had been restricted and I was not planning any trips; however, due to family situation I needed to travel to Decatur, Georgia.  There are only a couple of hotels in the Decatur area and the Courtyard was the closest to where I needed to go.  It was easy to book the room through the Marriott website, but I would say that the prices were generally higher in the Decatur area versus other areas in Atlanta (Downtown or Perimeter).  During the booking process, there were constant notices regarding traveling during the pandemic and links towards each individual states response and guidelines for traveling during the pandemic.  

When I pulled up to the hotel, they had the doors restricted to either card access or you

had to be granted access into the hotel (similar to what hotels generally do at night but this was now the policy during the day).  In front of the check-in counters were tables where the keys were presented and where guests were asked to remain (which was approximately 6ft behind the check-in desks).  On the tables were printouts detailing the current situation and what services were and were not going to be available during the stay.  Since I was only staying for one night these did not apply to me but had I been staying more nights, if I wanted to my sheets changed I would be given a bag with sheets, towels, toiletries, and other housekeeping items and I would change my own sheets and towels, place the dirty linens in the bag and place the bag outside the room to be collected.  Considering there were not a lot of people in the hotel nor waiting to be checked in, the process was very quick and the service was good.

From the outside, the hotel did not look updated or renovated - it was decent but not brand new - however inside the hotel looked like it had been renovated and updated and had a really nice open lobby.  As you entered into the hotel, on the right hand side was the check-in counters, a mini service area with drinks, food, and other items for purchase, while on the left were some couches.  Straight ahead was a massive lobby with lots of chairs and tables to sit and relax on.  You had to cross through the big lobby to get to the elevators, and along with right-side was a conference room, the business center, as well as other meeting rooms; along the left side was the hotels restaurant (which was closed).  

My room was on the 4th floor and there were two elevators on either side which could

take me up to my floor.  The hotel was laid out like a U with rooms on either side and a the lobby in the middle; the window in the rooms would either face the outside or the lobby - my room faced the outside.  As you opened on the door, in the entryway on the right was the bathroom while on the left was a open and big closet.  The closet contained room for storage, a luggage rack, as well as an iron and ironing board.  The big bathroom contained a large sink, a toilet, and a bathtub; bathroom toiletries were limited but the shower had refillable shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (which smelled really nice).  Further into the room, on the right side was a little nook which contained the coffee maker and on the left side was a mirror.  Along the left wall were mini-open shelves which contained the fridge at the bottom and the ice chest and glasses on top.  This was connected to a shelf that had the TV on top of it and that led into the desk which a chair.  There were plugs along the wall and lights above the desk - mini lights and a lamp but more lights were needed (especially at night) and while there were plenty of plugs, there were no USB ports.  Along the right side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The nightstand contained plugs and outlets and on the headboard were mini lamps as well as plugs - there were plenty of outlets scattered throughout the room.  The beds were big and comfortable, the bedframe seemed old as it kept making noise everytime someone moved - the beds provided a good nights sleep for one night but I am not sure I could handle the noise for multiple nights.  The room also contained a sitting chair next to the wall and a massive window which let in lots of natural light.

Amenities in the hotel included a fitness center, an indoor pool, a business center, meeting rooms, a restaurant, a mini-service area, complimentary wifi, and a parking garage (not complimentary).  Since I was only there for one night, I did not inquire which facilities were open given the current situation. I did use the wifi which was complimentary and did not require a code; the wifi was decent but sometimes spotty especially when you moved around the room.  Overall, it was a nice stay at the Courtyard.  The rooms were big, the beds were decent, there were plenty of outlets in the room, and the lobby was huge with lots of sitting area.    

Trip Report: Virgin Atlantic, London Heathrow to Atlanta (August 2019)

Trip Report: Virgin Atlantic, London Heathrow to Atlanta
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I was traveling from London Heathrow back to Atlanta.  I had booked the ticked through Delta with the outbound sector being operated by Delta (check out that review here) while the return was being operated by Virgin Atlantic.  Once the ticket was booked, I was able to go onto Virgin's website and/or app and manage my booking which included preselecting my seat, adding special meal requests as well as adding other special requests.  Delta and Virgin Atlantic have a joint venture in which they share and market flights between the U.S. and Europe.  This joint venture was indicative throughout our return as the flight was marketed as a Delta flight number that was being operated by Virgin Atlantic (even the Virgin Atlantic boarding pass indicated this).  24-hours prior to my flight I was able to check-in and receive my boarding passes (mobile boarding passes only though, I was never able to receive an electronic copy of my boarding pass - neither through the website nor the app).  As part of the joint venture, they have a separate Sky Priority lane at the Virgin check-in desks in London so that is where we went to drop off our luggage.  Check-in process was fairly quick and we then proceeded to to the gate for our flight.  In the check-in area, Virgin was offering complimentary ice cream for its passengers, which a nice gesture as it was hot outside but generally it was a bit extra customer service.  

When we went to the gate, the plane was there and the screen had the Virgin Atlantic sign but the flight number was the Delta flight number (I still found this odd, that I had to search for the Virgin flight number).  The operating aircraft was an Airbus A330 in a 2-4-2 configuration.  The red distinct color of Virgin was prevalent throughout the cabin, but the plane did look a bit dated.  The seat also looked a bit dated, especially with the red fabric.  The seat itself was decent, not too narrow but not too wide either and the seat pitch was decent enough for the flight time.  The seatback contained a small PTV with a remote next to it, a USB port, a tray table, and a pocket which contained the safety card and airline magazine.  Each seat also contained a wrapped blanket, a pillow as well as complimentary headset.  Once boarding was completed and the doors closed, a safety video was shown and we took off for Atlanta with a scheduled flight time of 9hr 15min.  Even though Delta provided an amenity kit, no amenity kit was provided on Virgin's flight.

Once we reached cruising altitude, the attendants came back to hand out menu cards.  There were many announcements throughout the flight of Virgin trying to go green, so instead of passing out menu cards why not just put the menu on the PTV as other airlines do?  While the menu cards were a nice gesture, they seemed to be a waste of paper (in my opinion).  The first service was drinks only and a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were served along with pretzels, in Virgin's distinct color glasses.  The second service was the main meal service, with special meals served alongside regular meals.  Virgin's claims its meals to be healthier and incorporate better ingredients than its competitors, but the portion was small.  I ordered a vegetarian meal and that came with a small main dish, a salad, and dressing (the main meals did not come with much more).  While it was nice and healthy, it was neither flavorful nor substantial at all.  Water and drinks were available in the back cabin throughout the flight, but there were not as many snacks available on Virgin as were available on Delta.  About 2 hours prior to landing, an English Tea Service was provided which was a small sandwich, a dessert, as well as coffee or tea.  The Tea Service was definitely tastier than the meal service, but again it was small in portion size.  

In between the meal service, passengers could do what they wanted to occupy the time.  As it was a day time flight - the flight departed London at 10:10am and arrive into Atlanta at 2:40pm - most passengers were up and occupied their time with the entertainment system.  There was a nice variety of movies and TV shows and it was enough to cover the 9hr flight time.  The flight attendants were also always present throughout the flight, either walking down the aisles, talking to passengers, or relaxing in the back. 

Overall, it was an average flight with Virgin Atlantic.  Based on their reputation and branding, I expected to be wowed but I was not.  Positives were good customer service, friendly FA's and decent entertainment system.  Average were seat pitch and seat comfort, while negatives included small food portions and no amenity kit.  The ultimate decision maker is whether I would fly them again - and the answer while I would not avoid Virgin, they wouldn't be my first choice either.  Both them and Delta were nice, but it was an expensive ticket so what was paid for and the reputation I expected something great and what I received was a bit above average.

Trip Report: Delta Airlines, Atlanta to London Heathrow (August 2019)

Trip Report: Delta Airlines, Atlanta to London Heathrow
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I was traveling from Atlanta to London Heathrow and since Atlanta is Delta's hub, the most flight options and availability was through Delta Airlines.  It was very easy to book the flight on Delta's website, and both through the website and app I was able to manage the booking which included preselecting my seat, my meals as well as other special requests.  For my flight sector, the outbound was being operated by Delta while the return was being operated by Virgin Atlantic (check out that review here).  On transatlantic flights, the ticket on Delta includes complimentary meal as well as one checked bag at 23kg.  I had never flown Delta internationally so I was excited to try their product.

I was able to check-in 24hours before my flight and receive my mobile boarding passes; however, because it was an international flight and we had bags to check we proceeded to the check-in counter.  As part of our group had 'Sky Priority' this meant that we could check-in at the Sky Priority counter and could board with Sky Priority.  We arrived at the airport about 2 hours prior to the flight and there was no one at the check-in counters so it was very easy and quick to check our bags and confirm our boarding passes; the agent who assisted us did his job but he was not overly customer friendly.  We went through security and proceeded to our gate - our flight was scheduled to board at 9:05p with a departure of 9:55pm.  The flight seemed very full and there were lots of people crowded near the gate, especially as the boarding time came and went without any announcement.  They finally announced that the boarding time would be delayed as the cleaning crew was delayed so that meant every process was delayed.  We finally started boarding at 9:30pm.

The operating aircraft was an Airbus A330-200 in a 2-4-2 configuration.  The condition of the plane was decent as the plane did not look brand new but also did not look really old.  The interior and the seats had been updated but you could tell the age of the plane with the overhead and the AC vents.  The seat itself was generally comfortable with decent seat padding and the legroom was also decent - I am 6'1 and while my knees were not hitting the seat pocket, they definitely were not stretching out either.  The seat width was also comfortable in that you had enough room to move without hitting your neighbor.  On the seat was a pillow and blanket and the seatback had a PTV with a USB and headphone jack on the bottom, and underneath the PTV was the tray table plus the seatpocket which contained the airline magazine, safety card, and sickness bag.  A plug was also available on the bottom of the next to the underseat storage, but there was one plug so it had to be shared between seatmates.  The boarding was complete, the front doors closed, and we finally took off about 30 minutes behind schedule.

The PTV was not operational as soon as we boarded, but it was switched on after the safety video was shown.  The PTV had a good movie selection and an average TV selection, in my opinion their movie selection was better than their TV selection as the movie selection had a wider range to select from - and there was definitely enough to keep you occupied for the 8hr 10min flight (although not sure if the selection was good for a significantly longer flight).  During taxi, the FAs came around and handed out full-botter water, menu cards, plastic earbuds, and a packet with socks, eyeshades, and earplugs.  I appreciated both the water - as its important to stay hydrated during the flight - and the menu card - as it is a nice touch (some airlines provide the menu in the PTV to be more environmentally friendly and I would prefer that) and the pouch and earbuds were also nice - especially since many Western (American and European) carriers have stopped providing these. 

An hour into takeoff the inflight service started.  Drinks plus pretzels were provided followed by the main meal plus drinks, then coffee and tea, as well as water - full bottles of water were available throughout the flight and that was a nice aspect.  The meals were decent in terms of size and flavor - I have been on airlines that serve more and have been on airlines that serve way less so this was in the middle.  Once the meal trays had been cleared, passengers were left to get some sleep on this overnight flight.  In the back gallery, drinks, biscoff cookies, cheese crackers, and water were available and FAs were available if you needed something but I did not see them passing through the aisle.  About 2 hours prior to landing, the lights came back up as a light snack/breakfast was being served.  The breakfast came in a little pouch that had a bagel, cream cheese, juice and butter.  It was not a substantial breakfast but a small snack to tide you over until the arrival.  Even though we left late, strong tailwinds helped us make up that time plus gain more so we landed a bit early but it took a while to taxi and deplane.  

Overall, it was a decent flight with Delta.  My previous international experience with American carriers had not been pleasant (with United and American) and generally American carriers don't have the greatest reputation for international service - so given all this my expectations were low.  Despite that, Delta offered a nice seat with decent amenities, nice PTV selection, and good customer service.  Generally, Delta's ticket prices are a bit higher than its competitors but with a higher fee comes higher expectations and Delta delivers on that.

Trip Report: Spirit Airlines, Atlanta to New Orleans (January 2019)

Trip Report: Spirit Airlines, Atlanta to New Orleans
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I have taken many flights between Atlanta and New Orleans, and on this sector there are three options: Delta, Southwest, and Spirit.  Delta has the most frequency while Spirit has the least frequency, with Southwest in the middle.  Delta is usually the most costly, while Spirit and Southwest are the most economical (depending on the month and depending on what extras you need).  I have mainly flown Southwest given their frequency and my flexibility, but for my most recent trip I booked Spirit.  I was returning from Atlanta to New Orleans the day after New Year's and I booked the ticket somewhat last minute, and when I was looking Southwest was significantly higher in cost than Spirit.  Spirit only had one flight a day - which departed Atlanta at 3:44p and arrived into New Orleans at 4:29pm - and the base fare was $80.19.  

I say base fare because Spirit is a low-cost airline so they charge for everything, from checked-in baggage and carry-on baggage to onboard services such as drinks and food; nothing is for free.  You are only allowed one personal item for free, and this must fit underneath your seat.  A larger carry-on must be paid for - either $35 at the time of booking or $65 at the gate (which is a steep cost).  You can also check-in a bag for $30, but it is at 40lbs instead of the industry standard of 50lbs.  I was only going to be traveling with a small carryon, and I don't mind not receiving onboard service for the 1hr flight so for me the $80.19 base fare worked out so I went ahead and booked it.  It was pretty easy to book the flight through the website, either through the computer or through the mobile site; on the website you can choose the extras such as adding bags and preselecting your seat (I added none of the items).  Spirit does have a phone app which I downloaded, and it was completely useless as I could not book a flight through the app, could not add my booking to the app, and could not manage my booking through the app.  The only thing I could do on the app was check-in (more on that later) or check the status of the flight.  Spirit really needs to improve its app functions! 

Leading up to my flight, Spirit would periodically send me emails reminding me to purchase seats or prepurchase bags.  24-hours prior to my flight, I tried to check-in through the Spirit app but I was not able to complete the process.  During the check-in process, there is still a cost to preselect your seat (most airlines do not charge for seat assignments during check-in, but Spirit does) and since I did not want to pay I choose not to preselect and gambled with Spirit selecting my seat; because of this gamble, I was not able to obtain my boarding pass until I went to the airport.  This can be a pain for some passengers who wish to bypass the whole 'check-in at the airport' mess.  My flight was scheduled to depart Atlanta at 3:44pm and because Atlanta is a big airport and because I had to check-in at the airport, I arrived at the Spirit counters 2-hours prior to the scheduled departure time.  There were a lot of passengers surrounding the check-in desks and they were broken up into three lines: those who needed gate agent assistance, those who were waiting for kiosks, and those who were waiting to drop their bags off after going through the kiosks; the only line that was not long was the one for the kiosks.  Spirit generally charges you to print the boarding pass at the airport, but each time I have checked-in through the kiosks I have not had to pay this fee.  I went to the kiosks, followed the prompts, and received my boarding pass.  As a seat assignment, I was given 8F which is a window seat and a seat, which had I selected it at check-in, probably would have cost me $8-$15.  Not pre-selecting a seat is a gamble and I have seen many passengers take this gamble, and sometimes you win and get extra legroom seat as that's the only seat left on the plane, or you lose and get the last middle seat on the plane.  I was lucky in that the gamble paid off and I was given a good seat assignment, and I proceeded to the gate area.

Spirit is a low-cost airline so they charge for everything, including onboard snacks and water.  The fare that I had purchased only allowed for a complimentary personal item that fit underneath the seat in front of me, as an additional carry-on would incur a fee.  Since Spirit does not provide complimentary drinks or snacks, I prepurchased these at the airport prior to my flight.  The inbound aircraft for our flight was delayed arriving into Atlanta, and this delayed the turnaround time thus delaying our flight; and while the gate agents did inform us of the plane's arrival and turnaround time, they never mentioned a delayed departure time.  Once all passengers had deplaned, the gate agents asked passengers who needed special assistance and those in Group 1 to line up to board.  Spirit boards by groups, with those who pre-purchased carryons in Group 1 and those who have nothing are in Group 4; I was in Group 4 but the groups are generally not really enforced.  

Once onboard, the operating aircraft was an Airbus A319 in a 3-3 seat layout.  While you cannot recline the seats, they are already in a reclined position which makes the seat pitch feel greater than it actually is.  Having said that though, both the seat pitch and seat width were better on Spirit than some other full and low-cost carriers (including Southwest Airlines).  Once seated, the boarding doors closed a bit behind schedule, a manual safety demonstration was conducted and we taxied to the runway for takeoff.  After reaching cruising altitude, I was able to switch seats to row 5 as the passenger in my row was larger and needed the extra room; so myself and another passenger moved up.  The flight was relatively uneventful as its up to the individual passenger how they would like to pass the time.  The flight attendants were generally nice and helpful, and they came by with their cart as passengers could purchase drinks and/or snacks.  The lavatory on the Airbus A319 was also generally larger than some of the other planes I have flown on (again comparing it to the Boeing 737 flown by Southwest).  As the flight time was only 1hr and 06min, we quickly started our descent into New Orleans.  We were scheduled to land into New Orleans at 4:29p and we landed around 4:35p, so a little behind schedule, and we quickly taxied to the gate.

Overall, it was a pleasant flight with Spirit.  The airline has had many detractors and it has been trying to improve its image and reliability, and those improvements seemed to have been reflected on my flight.  The crew were generally pleasant and courteous, the airplane was clean, the seats were comfortable and had a good pitch and width, and generally the flight was good.  Yes the airline does require you to pay for every thing, but to be fair they do make that information very transparent to the passenger so you know what you are getting into.  If you know what you are getting into and have set your expectations accordingly, you can expect a good flight with Spirit.

Trip Report: Frontier Airlines, Atlanta to New Orleans (July 2015)

Trip Report: Frontier Airlines, Atlanta to New Orleans
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was looking to fly from Atlanta to New Orleans and originally had looked at Delta and Southwest, as those were the carriers I knew that flew that route.  The average price on both carriers for a one-way flight ranged from $160-$200.  I then went to online travel sites and did a search and that is when I discovered that Frontier Airlines also flies the route – at a much lower cost.  Even booking two days before,  a one-way flight on a Sunday costs $99 (including taxes) which is extremely inexpensive, so I investigated why it was so inexpensive – Frontier is an ultra LCC.  This is flying on the new Frontier

I had previously flown Frontier about 10 years ago through their Denver hub and that is when they were more of a standard carrier; flying on them now, things are a little different as an ultra LCC.  In this model, everything is considered extra and has a charge associated with it.  A carry-on that will fit in the overhead compartment – a charge; a checked-bag – a charge; choosing your own seat – a charge; drinks and food on board – a charge.  The only items that are not charged are a carryon bag that can fit underneath the seat, and a glass of water on board.  While all the ‘extra charges’ may be obnoxious to some, to others it may be the best deal because you only pay for what you need.  For me, it was a good deal given my travel time and needs.

I was flying one-way from Atlanta to New Orleans and was looking for a decent airline that provided a decent service at a reasonable price.   When I looked online, the fare for Frontier was $99 (including taxes). If I wanted to choose a seat, that would cost $5 extra ($10 if I did it at check-in).  I could also choose a seat with extra legroom, and that would cost $12 extra ($20 if I did it at check-in).  If I wanted to bring a bigger carryon and stow it in the overhead, that was a charge of $35 (more if I did at check-in, even more if it was gate-checked).  If I wanted to check a bag, that was a charge of $20 (more if I did at check-in, even more if I did it at the counter).  This is something which surprised me – the checked bag was $15 less than the charge for the carryon.  I guess this means less carryon luggage so faster boarding – just seemed interesting to me.   If I wanted to add all of these items into the price, then the Frontier fare would be comparable to what the other carriers would be charging; however, I did not need any of that stuff so I did not choose that option and my fare was $99.  I booked my ticket and received my confirmation.

24-hours prior to boarding I received an email reminding me to check-in.  Frontier strongly encourages online check-in and printing boarding passes at home – with no check-in luggage and only carryon, printing everything at home meant going directly to security.   I did not pay for a seat when I booked my ticket, nor did I pay for a seat when I checked-in so after check-in and when the boarding pass was ready, that is when I found out my seat number.  Frontier flies all Airbus planes and usually in a 3-3 layout, so if you do not pay for the seat and play the lottery you could end up with a window, middle or aisle.  I was lucky and got an aisle, but it was all the way in the back of the plane.  For some of my family, who prefer an aisle and want to sit closer to the plane we paid the $5 to reserve the seat.  Also, if you do not want to be separated from your group you need to pay.

Boarding pass in hand and with only a carryon (a laptop bag) I went past the airline counters and went directly to security.  This is the only negative I see with Frontier – they do NOT participate in TSA pre-check so if you are part of that (or of Global Entry) then you cannot avail yourself of this option while flying Frontier. TSA pre-check saves so much time so I am not sure why they do not partake, since it would be a benefit to their customers who choose to pay for it.  Since they do not participate in TSA precheck, you have to wait in the long security lines (and they are long at ATL).  The departure time was scheduled for 7:05pm but that is not what is printed on the boarding pass – what is printed are the timings the boarding starts and the time the door closes (which is 15 minutes prior to departure).  This is to ensure an on-time or early departure. 

This new process seemed to have worked as we boarded early, and we were able to push back from the gate early.  In regards to the on-board service, Frontier has talked about ‘reinventing the on-board experience’ which meant slim-line seats, less cushion, already pre-reclined seats that could not be adjusted, less leg room, and other cost-cutting measures.  I am not sure how far into the implementation of this ‘reinvention’ they are in because the plane we flew did not have the new seats.  Rather, this plane had the older green, leather seats which are wide, can be reclined, have some padding, and have a lot of legroom (I am 6ft and I had enough legroom so where my knees were NOT hitting the seat in front of me – whereas on other carriers my knees have been squashed by the seat in front of me).   The older seat was comfortable and decent for the duration of the flight. 

The older plane also had the personal IFE which can provide live DirectTV for a fee.  From my understanding Frontier is discontinuing this service in the ‘reinvention’.  The fee to access the TV is $5 and you can swipe your card to access the TV – the flight path map can be viewed for free.  The screens are fine for a longer-haul journey, but they are small (tiny in fact) and the controls for the system are on the armrest so you can accidentally hit the controls when you are resting your arm (which I did many times).

What was part of the ‘new’ Frontier was the service on board – as it’s a paid service so if you would like food or drink, you have to pay.  The prices vary from $1.99 for a soft drink to higher for other drinks and snacks.  They will provide a glass of water for free.   I had brought my own drink and food at the airport so I did not buy anything on board – this is the biggest instance where some are complaining about Frontier.  I have been on longer flights – about 2.5 hours – on mainline carriers where for that long duration you only get one free drink and that is it, and for that they charge a lot.  I do not mind brining my own drink if I am getting a lower fare – and that is what Frontier offers.

Overall, given the short duration and the low fare it was a really good flight that left on time and arrived early!  Given Frontier is moving to the ultra LCC model, I was expecting a lot worse so maybe that is why my expectations were exceeded.  If you know what to expect, then you can get a decent flight on a very inexpensive fare.   

Based on this experience, would I book Frontier again?  If the fare was low and my travel needs were the same then definitely yes.  The $99 fare was extremely low given that Southwest and Delta were charging between $160-$260 for the same route and time.  Given that and given the travel time and my travel needs, Frontier was the best option.  My family has booked future flights on the same route, and sometimes we have booked Frontier while other times we have booked Southwest.  Sometimes Frontier provided the best fare while other times their fare was comparable to Southwest, but Southwest provided additional services (free luggage and free changing of travel plans) which Frontier does not so based on those extra and our travel needs, we made the decision.  Hope this review helps you in your decision making.