Stay Report: Le Méridien New York, Fifth Avenue (New York City - October 2024)

    Stay Report: Le Meridien New York, Fifth Avenue
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

We were traveling to New York and generally when in the city we stay at the Innside by Melia (review here) due to its central location and walking distance to transportation, restaurants, and other attractions.  The plan was to stay at that hotel again but the rates were very high so we decided to look at other hotels within the area and that is when we found the Le Meridien New York, Fifth Avenue.  We booked the room through the Marriott website, as they were having a deal/promotion, and the hotel was one of the few that provided two double beds and advertised that it could fit up to 4 people.

The hotel is located on Fifth Avenue between 30th and 31st street in KoreaTown.  The hotel is about a 15-20 minute walk from Herald Square, and closer there is a WholeFoods two blocks away and a Dunkin Donuts and CVS literally down the block; all to say there is a lot to do and the hotel is centrally located.  The hotel itself does not look like much from the outside and does not really look like a hotel; the lobby also does not really look like a lobby and is very narrow.  As you enter the door, you are facing the check-in desk, and its a tiny desk.  Next to the check-in desks are the elevators and on the other side is the small seating area, the 'business center' which is a computer and printer, and the entrance to the restaurant.  The square footage of the lobby, especially the check-in area was very tiny and if there was a group checking in it made access to the hotel and lobby somewhat tricky.  We checked in, received our room key and proceeded to the room.  The elevators did come generally quickly and they were average size elevators; other hotels in New York have the tiny elevators in which barely 1-2 people can fit and they are slow.  Even though the website advertised that the room can 'accommodate up to 4 people' and offered pictures of a spacious room, the narrow size of the lobby continued to the room.  

The room had all the basic amenities but was in a narrow space with little extra room and was not spacious at all.  As you entered, there was a small hallway which led into the room.  In the hallway, on the left were coat hooks which was nice since there was limited closet and storage space.  On the right side was the open bathroom in which the sink and tiny shower, with a clear door, was open to the room and hallway while the toilet was behind a sliding door; there was really no privacy and no space in the bathroom (there were tiny shelves up on the wall that barely had enough space for a toiletry bag).  

As you entered into the room, along the left side of the wall was a wooden shelf which was your storage/desk space and also contained the coffee maker.  The shelf was long but was a bit narrow so difficult to add multiple items.  Above the shelf was the TV and between the shelf and the window was the narrow closet which had a place to hang items on one side and pull out shelves on the other.  There was not a lot of space in the room so when you pulled out the shelves in the closet you basically hit the bed.  The beds were along the other side of the wall and they were full/double size beds and provided a decent nights sleep.  There was one desk in between the two beds as one bed was basically next to the window and on the other side of the other bed was a small space with a chair and tiny table.  There was a luggage rack in the closet and we set up that in this space to at least get the suitcases out of the way so you could walk and maneuver around the room.  Again the room had all the basic amenities but 1) it was tight and narrow and 2) could barely accommodate 4 people or generally 2 people with luggage.

The hotel did have amenities including complimentary wifi, a restaurant, and a fitness center.  The wifi was strong and you could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The fitness center was located in the basement and was a decent size; next to the fitness was also a huge bathroom area with 6 stalls which seems like a wasted space.  When we checked in, and we realized many other guests also received this as well, we were given credit at the hotel which could be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or cocktails at the restaurant.  Most people used it for breakfast and it was a regular restaurant menu for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you ordered what you wanted and you could use the credit to cover the costs.  The server at the restaurant was nice but they seemed understaffed given the amount of guests they had.  Also the food was decent and they were accommodating to various dietary restrictions but the food did not have a lot of flavor and if we did not have the credit seemed wildly expensive for what it was.

Overall, the hotel was centrally located and provided easy access to many restaurants and attractions.  The rooms were narrow and the bathroom was not well designed.  The elevators were quick and spacious and there was not a lot of rush either in the lobby or in the elevators so it did not feel overwhelming.

Stay Report: Hilton New York Fashion District (New York - October 2023)

   Stay Report: Hilton New York Fashion District

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was spending the weekend in New York and previously I have stayed in the Chelsea/Fashion District and really enjoyed the district.  It was within walking distance to subway stations, within walking distance to Penn Station, and easily accessible and within walking distance to many restaurants and shops.  I have stayed at the Innside by Melia many times and I really enjoyed the hotel, and I tried to stay there this time but the rate was too high so I was looking for alternatives nearby and that is when I saw the Hilton New York Fashion District.   This hotel is located in the Chelsea/Fashion District on 26th Street between 6th and 7th Ave (a block behind the Innside by Melia hotel).  Their average daily rates were high, but they had a good discount of points + cash so I was able to use some points and get a good rate for the night.  It was easy to book and manage the reservation through the HiltonHonors app and website.

I arrived at the hotel around 2:30/3pm and even though check-in is scheduled at 4pm I was able to get a room without a problem.  The hotel itself is narrow, like many New York hotels, and that was evident in the lobby which had a wide circular car entrance but the lobby itself was narrow and long.  As you entered, in front were the elevators and to the left was the small check-in desk and to the right was entrance to the hotel restaurant.  Check-in was relatively quick and as a HHonor member, I received two complimentary bottles of water.  I then proceeded to the elevator - there were 3 elevators but one was dedicated to go to the rooftop bar so was not accesible; another one was out of service and so were reduced down to 1 working elevator.  It was also a very slow elevator and very tight elevator, but because it was the only working many people tried to get in since you did not know when the other one was coming; that made it very unsafe and not a pleasant experience to get up and down.  You also needed your key card to enter the guestrooms and there were many examples of many individuals asking me and other guests to use our cards to enter their room. 

My room was on the 14th floor and the narrowness of the hotel also showcased on the hallways which were tight as well as the room size.  I have previously stayed at Motto by Hilton which is Hilton's answer to tiny/capsule hotels and the room size at that hotel in DC and this regular Hilton in New York were somewhat similar.  As you opened the door, you entered into a little hallway which had the closet, wardrobe, and coffee stand/shelves along one wall.  The closet was narrow but still contained places to hang your clothes, an iron, as well as an ironing board.  The coffee stand was on an open shelf next to the closet which contained the coffee maker and items on top, a minifridge down below, and another shelf/storage on top.  Next to that was a mini chair space to put your luggage.  Along that wall was a large desk with lots of desk space and places to plug in your electronics.  There was a standard office chair which was very comfortable.  Above the desk on the wall was the large TV and below the desk were drawers for additional storage.

Across the desk, along the other wall, was the bed along with two bedside tables.  The bed size was a large full-size or a small queen.  There were lots of pillows available and the bed was generally comfortable to sleep on - it was a bit tight so not sure if two people could fit comfortably on the bed together.  Next to each side of the bed were nightstands with nightlights and places to plug in your electronics on each side.  The bathroom was across from the bed and next to the desk.  It was narrow but did have a walk-in shower, a toilet and a sink.  There were refillable bottles of lotion next to the sink, and shampoo and conditioner in the shower and bars of soap were provided next to the sink as well as in the shower.  Like the room, the bathroom contained the basic necessities but was narrow.

I was only in New York for one day and most of my time was spent outside so I did not experience other facilities of the hotel including the rooftop bar, the restaurant, the fitness center, or the business center.  I did experience the wifi which was strong and was not limited to a certain number of devices.  I was able to stream videos on youtube with no connectivity issues.  Checkout was at 11am and I had requested a late check-out at 12pm but I was told 'to call in the morning and check'.  I called at 10:30am and they said 'no, the latest we can do is 11:30am but you can hold your luggage at the front'.   This was the first hotel that did not offer at least checkout until 12pm and the service was not the greatest in their response.  I checked out and was going to leave my stuff at the hotel and that is when I was told there is a $2 charge to leave your items at the hotel - I wish this information had been told beforehand so customers could be aware.  I am glad though, that unlike other hotels in the area the hotel does not charge a 'facility fee' per night for the wifi and the bottles of water, but $2 to hold luggage when you are demanding customers get out of the room at a certain time is a bit greedy.

Overall, its a nice location but the high rate, the narrow room, and the lack of working elevators does not make this place a favorite in my opinion.  I had better experiences, rate, and service at the Innside by Melia - and yes they charge a facility fee per night but I am willing to pay that because better service, better attention and communication to issues, and overall its a bigger room. 

Trip Report: Amtrak Train Service - Baltimore to New York City (March 2022)

  Trip Report: Amtrak Train Service - Baltimore to New York City
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

There are many options to travel within the Northeast - plane, car, bus, or train.,  Each option has its pros and cons and each option ranges in terms of price, availability, convenience, and total travel time.  I was traveling from Baltimore to New York and the best option for me in terms of price, availability, convenience and travel time was Amtrak Train.  Amtrak is the train service within the United States and they are known for transporting a lot of people in a lower cost but also not have the greatest quality of service - this is definitely NOT European train travel.  The most popular route for Amtrak is probably the Northeast Corridor which provides service between Washington, D.C. to Boston with stops in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Delaware, New Jersey and New York.  Because it is the most popular they have timings throughout the day starting early in the morning until late evening.  There are also 2 different trains going - the Acela which is the business class or the regular class trains.  Since we were going for a leisure trip we booked the regular fare on the regular train - this review is a compilation of three different trips that I took on the same route.

I had picked up the train at the BWI Airport Station - this was the second major stop on the train as thefirst major stop was in Washington, D.C.  Sometimes the train started from D.C. and sometimes it started from other stations but a lot of individuals got on at certain stations - I had chosen the BWI Airport station because it was convenient to park and it was spacious so it was easier to get on the train.  The fare that I had booked did not have assigned seating so you choose whichever open seating was available.  I had booked the ticket online and had downloaded the ticket through my phone app; booking the ticket online was very convenient but trying to modify or change the ticket online proved extremely difficult and Amtrak customer service was not helpful.

The trains that I took generally were scheduled to depart Baltimore BWI Airport Station in the afternoon - 3p to 4p - and arrive into New York around 7pm or 8pm.  When the train arrived, there was a noticeable smell of the restroom that permeated the train - it was not a great welcome to train travel.  Once we got on, the train was laid out in a 2-2 section with every seat being an aisle or window - thankfully there were no middle seats.  As I said, there were no assigned seats so you just choose whichever open seat was available.  Some individuals would put their luggage on the seat to prevent people from sitting but by the third station this had to be removed given the volume of people arriving.

The seat itself was wide and felt comfortable but the seat-pitch or legroom was a bit tight.  Each seat contained a tray table to work on and power ports next to the window.  Wifi was supposedly available in the train but it did not always work.  Overall, the train looked and felt decent but a little worn for wear so it needed to be updated and upgraded.

In the end, we arrive into New York City Penn Station generally on time.  I also took the train on the reverse routing - New York to Baltimore - and the train was the same but in NY station there are many tracks but you do not know which track your train is on.  The track is announced 30 minutes prior and everyone has to rush down a tiny escalator to the appropriate train track.  Whomever designed it was not thinking about when it was a large volume of people and it is extremely annoying to take a train like that.

Given all this, would I take the train again?  It would not be my first choice and the price would have to be right.  If you book in advance, there are plenty of airline and bus options in a variety of choices that can provide the same service so in the future those would be my first choice; if the price was right and no other options were available, then I would not avoid the train.

Stay Report: INNSIDE New York NOMAD (New York City - March 2022)

 Stay Report: INNSIDE New York NOMAD
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Even though I have traveled to New York many times, it is always a search to find a good hotel in the city.  When looking for a hotel, we are looking for a centrally-located hotel that provides a nice-sized room and with decent customer service.  In the search, I narrowed our search to Chelsea as that was centrally located to many restaurants and transportation including Penn Station, subway and other aspects.  Within Chelsea, we found Innside NOMAD by Melia Hotels.  I have stayed at Melia before but it was an all-inclusive in Punta Cana at the Melia Caribe Tropical but that was my first experience at a Melia hotel.  That experience was nice so when I noticed the InnsidebyMelia, decided to try out this hotel.

The hotel is located in Chelsea and is in walking distance to many shops, restaurants, and transportation access.  The hotel is 6 blocks from 34th Street and Herald Square, is 6 blocks away from Penn Station, and is close to Madison Square Garden as well as many subway stops.  The hotel itself is located on 27th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue; location on the side streets is very nice as it is away from some of the noise and hustle so you get a more restful sleep.  There are two main doors to the hotel - the outer door leads you into the covered patio for the restaurant and lounge and you walk straight through to the other door which leads you into the general lobby.  It is New York so everything is small including the lobby; in the middle of the lobby is a small sitting area while on the right is the restaurant and to the left are the check-in desks.  Because the lobby is a bit narrow, it can get crowded during peak check-in and check-out times.  Check-in is generally very quick and efficient and you get your key as well as bottles of water - bottles of water are available at the check-in desk and can be requested at any time. 

We received our key and proceeded to the elevator.  The elevator was located in the back of the lobby and you needed your key to access guest rooms.  My review of the hotel is based on 3 different stays and each stay there were different rooms, all basically the same but the only difference is one room was bigger in size but amenities were the same.  When you get off the elevator and go down the hallway to your room, there is a full-length mirror next to each  room number and that was a nice feature of the hotel; to have a last look of yourself and outfit before proceeding out.  As you enter into the room, on one side was the restroom.  The restroom had a sliding door and contained a shower, a toilet and a sink.  The sink had a huge drawer underneath which contained all the towels plus the hairdryer.  There were refillable bottles with handsoap and lotion next to the sink and body wash and shampoo in the shower; the smells were really nice and it was very nice quality and options for the toiletries.  There was not a lot of storage space in the drawer but there was some; there was more storage space underneath the drawer.  As in all New York hotels, space is limited to the bathroom space is compact. 

On the opposite side of the bathroom, in the entrance hallway was the open closet.  The closet contained a small iron and ironing board, a rack to hang clothes on, drawers underneath, shelves on top, and an umbrella in the closet.  Next to the open closet were open shelves and those contained the mini-fridge, the safe, and the coffee maker.  Next to the open closet was a landing where you could store your wallet and phones and along the closet was a ledge where you could store your phone.  Next to the closet mounted on the wall was the TV and at the end of the wall was the small table and chair.  There was a nice window that provided a lot of light and views of the city and there was a chair next to the window.  The beds were located along the wall across from the TV and I generally booked a room with 2 double beds - the beds were spaced out with a nightstand in the middle.  The nightstand had a phone on it and above were 2 small individual reading lights.  The beds themselves were comfortable and provided a good enough sleep; the beds were big enough to sleep 2 people comfortably.   The only negative on the room was the lack of lights.  There were enough outlets throughout the room for various plugs to charge. 

As I said, the review was based on multiple stays and 2 stays were in the same room type while a 3rd stay was in the bigger room.  The typical room type was spacious enough and was a standard hotel size so 2 people could comfortably fit; it was definitely more spacious than some of the other NYC hotels I have stayed at.  The bigger room had the same amenities but was more spacious - there was definitely more space in the bathroom and in the bedrooms which meant that 4 individuals could comfortably fit into that room.

Amenities in the hotel included wifi, bottles of water, a fitness center, a restaurant, and meeting rooms.  There is a $35 daily resort fee to cover all the costs of these amenities which to me is just another excuse to get more money because I doubt these amenities cost that amount nor is there enough demand on all the facilities to justify that costs.  The bottles are water are limitless so you can go to the front desk multiple times a day to get bottles of water; the wifi was fast and you can load as many devices as you want so both of these were nice.  Because I was usually on there for a weekend I never had time to access the fitness center (and when I did try and check it out it was closed due to COVID restrictions).

Overall, it is a nice centrally located hotel in Chelsea.  The location is perfect with easy transportation and walking access to many shops and restaurants.  The room itself is not squashed and is a decent size, the supply of water (which is important when travelling) and the multiple devices on wifi make this a nice hotel in New York City.

Stay Report: Home2 Suites by Hilton New York Long Island City/ Manhattan View (New York - September 2015)

Stay Report: Home2Suites New York Long Island
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Hotels in New York can be very expensive at times, especially around holidays and weekends, and usually rooms in the city tend be smaller/compact.  There are many hotels outside the city that provide a lower price, a bigger room, and still have access to the New York train system.  I have been wanting to try the Home2Suites brand so when I saw one was located near New York, and had all the amenities mentioned above, I decided to try it out.

The hotel was very convenient located near two subway stops and was only 3-5 stops away from Manhattan so provided easy and convenient connections.  The hotel is located either a couple of feet away from the 39th subway stop on the N & Q line, or about a 2-3 minute walk from Queens Plaza where other lines are available.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, straight ahead is the check in desk with elevators to the rooms right behind the desk.  To the left of the check in desk is sitting area/kitchen area and computer stands.  You can access the two computers or just sit and relax in the lounge chairs; the kitchen area is also where complimentary breakfast is served in the morning.

 

I proceeded to the desk to check-in and receive my key.  Check-in took some time so it could have been more efficient, generally throughout the stay the front desk service was alright - not bad but not great and there is room for improvement here.  As a HHonors member, I did receive a complimentary bottle of water at check-in, which was a nice gesture.  Once I received my key, I proceeded to my room.

The room itself looked like a junior suite.  Upon entering the room, on the left hand side was the bathroom while on the right was the kitchen. The bathroom had a sink on one side and a shower on the other side. The shower had refillable shampoo, body wash and soap was provided – no other amenities were provided but this was a nice environmentally-responsible gesture.

The room itself had a full kitchen with a full fridge, sink, stove, dishwasher, and plates.  Beyond the kitchen was the sitting area with a couch, which turns into a sofa bed. In front of the couch is a TV with drawers underneath.  Next to the couch is the bed and there is a curtain which can be drawn to separate the sitting area from the bed area – but the curtain only extends the length of the bed and not the length of the room.  Across from the bed was a pull out desk and shelves above the desk, and next to the desk was a tiny closet (that had an iron and ironing board).  The bed itself was comfortable and provided a good night sleep. Each lamp had outlets so there were plenty of places to plug in a recharge.

As it aims to be a suite hotel, there are many facilities available for the guest to enjoy.  These include complimentary breakfast, a gym, laundry facility, a small market, as well as complimentary wifi.  As I was only here for a short while, I only got to experience the wifi which was complimentary and provided decent speeds. 

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Home2Suites.  The room was spacious, there were many amenities in the room, and the location was convenient.  As I said, I was interested in trying the brand and after experiencing it, the hotel seems to be a combination of two existing brands from competing companies.  The room size and layout is very similar to Hyatt Place while the kitchen, the additional amenities, and focus on the environment are very similar to the Element.  It all combines to a comfortable hotel in a convenient location

Trip Report: Etihad Airways, New York to Abu Dhabi; Abu Dhabi to Dallas (July, August 2017)

Trip Report: Etihad Airways
New York to Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi to Dallas

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Recently, Etihad announced it was cancelling its Abu Dhabi to Dallas flights.  Earlier this year, in late summer, I had the opportunity to fly this route.  My entire Etihad entire included New York to Abu Dhabi on the outbound, and Abu Dhabi to Dallas on the return.  The outbound sector was operated by an Airbus A380 while the return was operated by an Boeing 777.  I have flown Etihad before (ADD LINK HERE) and it has not been a good experience.  If possible, I try to avoid flying Etihad but unfortunately work had booked my travel so I did not have an option.  My Etihad travel was booked on Etihad but with partner airlines - JetBlue on the outbound and American Airlines on the return.

With a flight time of 12h45m, flying on the Airbus A380 is more pleasant vs the Boeing 777.  The flight was scheduled to depart New York at 3pm and arrive Abu Dhabi the next day at 12pm.  I had arrived to the gate and there was a lot of commotion - the number of passengers greatly outnumbered the number of airline staff; in fact there seem to be only 3-5 staff working on a full A380 flight.  The boarding pass stated that boarding would start around 2pm but boarding did not start until 2:30p.  Passengers were boarded by groups, and when I went to the front of line I was told I needed to get out of line and go into a separate line to confirm my boarding pass.  Those passengers who were connecting to Etihad from another airline, and there were many of us, needed to get our boarding pass reverified.  I understand this - what I do not understand is why this announcement was not made earlier (as other airlines have done) when the passengers were waiting for boarding.  Also, if the airline knew many passengers were connecting why not have more than one staff person to verify everyone's boarding pass.  It was extremely chaotic, disorganized, and not a pleasant way to start the flight.

I finally boarded and got to my seat.  Etihad does allow complimentary selection of seats (something which Emirates now charges for) so I was able to pre-select an aisle seat.  Because of the size of the plane, generally the seats on the A380 are bigger and better as compared to other airplanes; this was no different.  The seat size was definitely bigger and it was nice given the long flight time.  Each seat contained a pillow and a blanket, both of which were needed as the seat was not comfortable.  The seats pitch was generally decent, especially given the long flight time, however the seat comfort was almost nonexistent.  I used both the pillow and the blanket to add cushion to the seat as the seat felt as if it had no cushion, especially towards the end of the flight.  The blanket came in a packet which also included the headphones and the amenity kit - the amenity kit included eyeshades, tooth brush and paste, earplugs and socks.   Additional amenities of the seat included a decent size touch-screen PTV with USB port and headphone jack and a controller, a seat pocket, and a tray table.       

Boarding completed, we taxied to the runway and took off.  Etihad has a policy that it does not turn on the entertainment system until you pass 10,000ft on the departure, and turns it off when you get lower than 10,000ft on the return.  This policy may have a reason, but what ends up happening is that passengers have nothing to entertain them so they notice all the commotion and delays.  On other airlines, such as Emirates, the entertainment system is available as soon as sit in the seat until you depart - this policy is so much more customer-friendly.

In my experience, Etihad is not known for their exceptional service such as Singapore or Emirates.  I have found Etihad's service to be lacking in the past, but this time it was decent.  The service wasn't great, but it was better than previous experiences.  A little after take-off the first meal was served - lunch - along with complimentary drinks.  The meal was light but decent - not a lot of food but a decent amount.  After the service was completed the meal trays cleared, the cabin was dimmed for passengers to rest.  Water was available in the galleys for passengers to help themselves, along with some crackers.  In other airlines, staff usually walk around with water or just to check-on the passengers; this has not been the case in the past with Etihad and it was not the case here.  The staff rarely came through the galleys while passengers were sleeping.  Midway through the flight, they did come through with a light snack and another meal closer to landing.  The meal closer to landing was basically a big snack; it was larger than the mid-snack but smaller than the departure meal.  Again, as we passed 10,000ft on our landing the entertainment system was shut off - it's an inconvenience to passengers.

We landed and our proceeded to our gate.  About a month later, I took my return flight.  This flight was from Abu Dhabi to Dallas and was operated by a Boeing 777.  It's odd that for the 12hr flight Etihad would use the A380 but for the 16hr flight they would use the 777.  I guess it has to do with load factors (update: Etihad cancelled the Abu Dhabi to Dallas flight - they said that their partnership with American was one of the reasons to bring the flight to Dallas and since American ended that partnership it seemed fitting to end their service).  The return flight was operated by a Boeing 777, with a flight time of 16h30m, and was scheduled to depart Abu Dhabi at 9am and arrive Dallas at 4:15pm.  A lot of Etihad's American flights were departing around the same time and from gates right next to each other - it created for some confusion as people for one flight were getting confused by announcements to other flights.

Boarding commenced and we were able to board the plane.  The plane is laid out in a 3-4-3 configuration making it very dense.  The legroom was decent, but the plane felt smaller as compared to the A380.  Amenities on the seat included a blanket, a pillow, an amenity kit with eye shades, socks, and a tootbrush/toothpaste.  The seat contained a PTV with a USB port and headphone jack along with a tray table, and a seatback pocket which contained the airline magazine, safety card, and duty free magazine.  While the seat amenities were nice, the seat comfort was not.  Given the length of flying time, you would think the seat would have more cushion, but unfortunately it did not so you felt the seat during the flight.  Service on the flight was similar to the outbound - a meal after takeoff, a midflight snack in between, and a light meal before landing.  Again, portions were on the smaller side but decent and flavors again were average (I've had bigger and more flavorful meals as well as smaller and not as flavorful meals).  

What was the major disappointment as the entertainment system - Etihad's 'e-box' does not contain enough material to cover two long-haul flights.  My previous experience with them was similar in that they provided an average on-board product, poor customer service, and poor entertainment options.  Nothing seems to have changed in the 5 years I have been flying with them.  Change needs to happen to ensure the airline not only competes with, but wins against its competitors.   

Trip Report: JetBlue, New Orleans to Boston, New Orleans to New York (July 2017)

Trip Report: jetblue, New Orleans to Boston & New York

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Ever since JetBlue first introduced service in 1998, it operated a bit differently.  It was one of the first carriers to introduce free live TV, one of the first carriers to provide free quality snacks, and one of the fist carriers to provide all leather seats.  Since its inception, JetBlue has made some changes to its operation to increase revenue but has maintained some of the perks that first adhered customers to their brand.  One change that has been beneficial to customers are the interline agreements JetBlue has with many international airlines.  JetBlue has partnerships with a variety of international airlines which allow you to book flights all on one ticket, which allows easy transfer of luggage.   Even better, JetBlue follows that carrier’s baggage policy.  JetBlue charges for checked baggage, but if the interline carrier offers free luggage then so will JetBlue on that ticket.  I have used JetBlue on interline many times and find the service very convenient.

In the month of July, I was going to be travelling twice on JetBlue through interline services – first from New Orleans to Boston connecting to Aer Lingus and second from New Orleans to New York and then connecting to Etihad Airways.  Each jetBlue flight was booked as a partner flight operated by jetBlue, so with this information I called JetBlue reservations to obtain my jetBlue confirmation number, preselect my seat, and to add my ff number.  JetBlue allows you to preselect your seat for free, or you can purchase an extra legroom seat. 

New Orleans to Boston:  This flight was scheduled to depart New Orleans at 11:51a and arrive into Boston at 4:14p for a scheduled flight time of 3hr28min.  I had signed up for flight alerts, which turned out to be very useful as I got notice that the flight was now delayed by an hour.  The inbound plane arrived a little after 12pm, and the airline tried to push a quick turnaround but we ended up pushing back on the delayed schedule.  Boarding was fine as it happened in groups, and the group numbers were enforced, and those who boarded last were still able to find overhead bin space.

On board the Airbus A320, the leather seats were laid in a 3-3 and the legroom on the plane was extremely gracious.  I am a tall person (6'1) and there was room between my legs and the seat in front of me - and this is standard economy as you could pay for 'even more space' seats with additional legroom.  Very generous legroom.  The leather seat was generally comfortable and was good for the 3+hour flight.  Behind each seat was an individual PTV, and the control was in the armrest on your right.  The PTV provided free live TV, which very nice, as well as certain free movies.  The only negative was the small screen of the PTV (it seems the screens on the plane have not been updated since jetBlue's inception) and the location of the control - every time the passenger next to me put their arm down on the shared armrest they would hit the controls and change the button.  This was frustrating.

jetBlue is also generous in their on-board service.  The attendants first came around to offer their snack boxes which are available for purchase, and afterwards they came back with the free snacks.  jetBlue offers a variety of free snacks including Terra Chips, cookies, pretzels, cheez-its, and popcorn chips.  You can take as many as you want, and there are more snacks available in the rear throughout the plane.  The attendants also came by to serve complimentary drinks as well.  Overall,the service on the flight was very good and the on board amenities were generous.  

My flight to New York was very similar.  It was also operated by an Airbus A320 in a 3-3 seat layout and each seat also had older PTVs which screened free live tv and free movies.  The legroom on the seats were again very generous – I had more than enough legroom in my seat.  Complimentary snacks and drinks were also served on the 2.5hr flight.  Both flights also had complimentary wifi or FlyFi which allowed free access to the internet while flying.  This enabled you to access your emails and social media while in the air.  Another perk of flying with jetBlue.

Overall, flying is a positive experience.  The seats are generally comfortable and provide really good legroom.  The onboard service of complimentary snacks, complimentary TV, and complimentary wifi are very nice perks.  The only negatives of flying with jetBlue are 1) you have to pay for your luggage and 2) if you are transferring in New York there is no transfer between terminals so you have to exit one terminal to switch to another – it’s a pain and while not all together in jetBlue’s control, it does affect the overall passenger experience.

Trip Report: Delta Airlines - New Orleans to New York, JFK Airport (domestic - October 2016)

Trip Report: Delta Airlines, New Orleans to New York JFK

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I needed to go to New York and originally I had booked a United direct flight to Newark (United has been having a lot of sales lately).  I had almost completed my purchase when Delta launched their sale and I was able to book a 'Basic Economy' fare from New Orleans to New York for $215 roundtrip.  This flight was non-stop on the way outbound and a transit in Atlanta on the return.  Delta launched their 'basic economy' fares a little while ago - the fares are low but they are heavily restricted; no upgrades, paid or otherwise, no changes, no cancellations, and no seat assignments until check-in.  Other than these restrictions, there is no difference in on-board service between basic economy and regular economy.  Given this, I decided to try it out and booked the fare.

The outbound was a direct flight which departed New Orleans at 11am and arrived into New York, JFK at 3:15pm.  Given the fare I had booked, I was not able to pre-select my seat until I checked in 24-hrs prior to the flight.  When I checked in, there were plenty of seats available – some aisle and some window but all in the back of the plane.  There was a middle seat in the front of the plane so I chose that one – there was a comfort plus seat available, but with the restricted fare you cannot purchase upgrades on any flight.  I did not have any luggage so I proceeded through security and directly to the gate.  The boarding time was 30 minutes prior to departure, and we boarded on time and relatively quickly.  The flight was operated by an Airbus A319 in a 3-3 layout and the legroom was really good.  I am a tall person, and there was definitely enough legroom for me and my stuff underneath my seat.  Even though I was in the middle seat, it did not feel tight or cramped at all.  We boarded, taxied and took off before our scheduled departure.

On-board, there are a couple of different options to pass the time.  This airplane did not have any PTVs, but Delta does provide free TV shows and movies available through their app and Delta In-flight Studio.  These movies can be accessed free through Delta Wifi and my downloading the gogo inflight app.  If you do not have this app, you can download it while in air but it takes a while so its better if you download it ahead of time.  It would be nice if Delta sends an email reminding passengers to download this app the day before, similar to what Southwest does for its customers.   There are a lot of TV shows and movies available to watch so you can easily pass the time with this.  In addition to the inflight studio, there is also an inflight magazine available.  Inflight service consisted of a beverage service which started once we reached cruising altitude.  Along with beverages, pretzels, peanuts and biscoff cookies were provided.  While these complimentary snacks and beverages were nice, they were only offered once through the almost 3hr flight time; having another round of drink service, at least water would have been nice.  The flight was relatively smooth and we were scheduled to land early, but then we encountered air control traffic so we ended up landing 5 minutes behind schedule.

My return sector was not non-stop, rather I had to fly JFK to ATL, 1hr layover, and then fly ATL to MSY.   Again, due to my fare restrictions I was unable to select  a seat until 24hrs prior to departure; and the odd thing is that I was not able to select my seat from ATL to MSY – I was told that a seat would be given to me at the gate.  This is the first time I have ever experienced this, as even with low-cost airlines you are able to choose your seat; not having this choice was not very customer friendly.  No matter what Delta representative I spoke to, all they kept saying was ‘we cannot do anything, check at the gate in Atlanta.’ This was not a good start to the return journey.

My return flight departed JFK at 7pm and was scheduled to arrive Atlanta at 9:10pm.  It was operated by a Boeing 767-300ER and was in a 2-3-2 layout.  It was a very large plane, and one that Delta normally uses on its cross-country routes.  While the plane had been updated with new seats and PTVs on each seat, the plane was definitely an older plane (the overhead bins and panel showed the planes age).  The legroom on this plane was decent but was not as comfortable as the A319.  The availability of PTVs, with USB and headphone ports, was a nice perk on the domestic flight.  The PTVs were available once the doors closed, and they was a wide variety of TV shows and movies available (more options were available on the PTV as compared to the ‘in flight studio’ available on the personal device).  Once airborne, inflight service commenced which consisted of a beverage service and your choice of the snack – either pretzels, peanuts, or the cookies (you were only given one of the three).  The service was decent for the 2hr flight time, and the wide selection on the PTV for the domestic flight was nice, but the seat would not be comfortable for a longer flight time.  We landed in Atlanta and taxied to the gate. 

I went to the gate for the New Orleans flight and received my boarding pass at the time, and I was assigned the last seat in the plane.  I had requested a closer seat and was told that no seats were available; however when we were boarding my seat had been changed and moved up to the middle of the plane.  The operating plane was an MD-80 in a 2-3 layout.  The seats had been updated, but the seat pitch was tight and they were not very comfortable.  They were fine for the 1hr20min flight, but the seats would not be comfortable for anything longer.  The inflight service consisted of a beverage service plus your choice or peanuts or pretzels, no cookies were available.  Since it was a late evening flight, which departed at 11:30pm and arrived into New Orleans at 12:06am, the service was very good for the short late night flight.

Overall, it was an interesting experience with Delta.  The upgrades and added service the airline has implemented, including the various snacks and the inflight studio, are a welcomed perk for the customers.  The seats have been updated so that is also nice as well, and the inflight attendants were mostly very pleasant and nice.  The lack of seat assignments for the flight, lack of customer service from the other Delta representatives, and decreased seat comfort were some of the negatives.  In total, it was a good experience given the low cost.

A Stay Report: Le Parker Meridien, New York City (October 2016)

A Stay Report: Le Parker Meridien, New York City 
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

There are many hotels in New York City, depending on what you are looking for and what you are willing to pay.  If you look, you can find some deals on hotels that are within Manhattan and close to a lot of the traditional sights and sounds.  I was looking for a hotel that was close to Manhattan and I found a deal with the Le Parker Meridien so I booked it (the hotel later did not honor the deal – more on that later).  The hotel has entrances on both 56th and 57th street near 7th avenue and is a very big and modern hotel.  The main lobby entrance is on 56th, while the entrance on 57th is through the hotel’s bar.  If you enter from 56th, the front desk and bellman on your left hand side while the elevators and gift shop are on the right.  Straight ahead is the concierge desk as well as entrance to the hotel bar, and next to the concierge desk is the line for the burger bar (which is very good, and as a hotel guest you avoid the line and have the burger delivered directly to your room).

I was staying with a friend, and they were arriving to the hotel before I was so I emailed and called the hotel to confirm my friend would have access to the room, and what was needed to grant access. On the phone, I was informed that I only needed to add his name to the reservation to ensure he received a key to the room; and via email I was told that they would charge his credit card instead of mine when he checked in. The hotel’s customer services was lacking, as they were not very friendly and were not consistent in their implementation of policy (this was throughout the stay). When I arrived to the hotel, I went up to the front desk to ensure my card was on the reservation and to confirm the room rate (both of which were messed up). I received my key and took the elevator up to my room.

The room was on the smaller side, but I guess that is consistent for NYC hotels.  As you entered into the room, on the left was the closet with a curtain as a closet door.  On the right was a built-in desk, and next to that was the entrance to the bathroom.  Further ahead in the room were the two beds on the right hand side and across from the beds was the TV on the wall and a couch below the TV.  There room was somewhat compact and there was not a lot of room between the bathroom door and the bed, between the two beds, and between the bed and the couch.  In between the beds was a nightstand.  The beds were somewhat comfortable, but felt more like an expensive Ikea bed versus a standard hotel bed.  There was also a lack of plugs available in the room, especially near the bed. 

The bathroom was equally as compact as the room.  The door opened to the outside to allow more room in the bathroom.  The bathroom had a sink on one side, a tub on the other, and the toilet in the middle with little room between each item. What was good about the bathroom were the amenities, which were very nice and very large in size. 

The hotel amenities included free in-room wifi, a fitness center on the basement level, an indoor pool, a spa, meeting rooms, a hotel bar, a famous burger place, and both a barbershop and beauty salon.  I tried the in-room wifi which was decent and was pretty fast for basic searches and emails.

Overall, the location of the hotel was very convenient but the lack of customer service and the small room size were a negative.  I was supposed to stay here for many nights, but after the first night decided there are other options available so decided to check out after the first night.