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: Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center (Overland Park, KS - November 2015)

Stay Report: Sheraton Overland Park Hotel 

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photo courtesy of Marriott.com

A family friend was getting married at the Convention Center, so we decided to stay at the Sheraton as it connects to the Convention Center so it would be easier access.  From the outside the hotel does not look like a Sheraton, more like an upscale Hampton Inn.  As you walk inside the lobby, the check-in desks are to left and the elevators are behind the check-in desks.  To the right is the walkway to the convention center while straight ahead is a small sitting area and behind the partition is the hotel's restaurant.  Check-in was done quickly and we received the key and proceeded to the room.

The room was a standard hotel room with standard amenities.  As you entered the room,

on the right was the bathroom while on the left was the closet.  The closet was standard with hangers to hang your clothes beneath a shelf, a safe, an iron, and ironing board.  The bathroom was also standard with a tub, a toilet, a sink, and bathroom toiletries.  The room itself was also standard and it was a bit dark.  On the right side, against the wall, were two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  Across from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  Additional furniture included a desk next to the chest, as well as a chair and lamp next to the window (the window looked out onto the parking lot).  While the room did not contain a fridge, there were plenty of outlets to plug in the devices so that was a nice touch.  The beds were extremely comfortable but both the room and bathroom looked liked a renovated older hotel (and you could clearly hear the bathroom through the wall).

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel is a full-service hotel so there are amenities for the guests to enjoy including a fitness center, a pool, meeting rooms, parking, hotel restaurant, and wifi.  The parking was complimentary and there were plenty of spaces available; and the wifi was also complimentary and the speeds were decent.  As we were there for a wedding I was not able to try the fitness center or the pool, but the easy access walkway to the convention center (where the wedding took place) was convenient.

photo courtesy of Booking.com

Overall, the hotel provide a comfortable bed and a decent room; however, it did not feel like a Sheraton.  The overall feel and look of the room felt more like a Hampton Inn or a mid-priced budget hotel rather than a full-service Sheraton.  The hotel is a decent place to stay and it's a convenient location to the Convention Center,  but when you book a Sheraton you expect a Sheraton experience; we booked a Sheraton and received a Hampton Inn experience.

Stay Report: Hilton Houston Westchase (Houston, Texas - October 2018)

Stay Report: Hilton Houston Westchase

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photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

I was planning a trip to Houston and wanted to stay near the Galleria area but could not find a good deal so I expanded my search.  I had previously stayed at the Hilton Houston Westchase for a family friends wedding, and the hotel was nice and located about 15-20 minutes away from the Galleria and I found a good deal so decided to restay at the hotel.  From the outside, hotel looks like a tall office building with an attached restaurant and parking surrounding the building.  The parking is free and ample but some of the parking is a little shady so I would be careful about leaving valuables in the car; the parking does fill up quickly, especially well-lit areas and those closest to the entrances.  The hotel is located next to a supermarket and easy access to many amenities and highways. 

Check-in was a breeze, the attendant gave us the key and explained everything that the

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

hotel offered. We went to our room, which was located on the 5th floor and two doors away from the elevator (we were a little skeptical about the proximity to the elevator, but no noise from the elevator or gathering around it was heard).  Both the rooms and the bathrooms had been updated with the new Hilton offerings, but the doors and other structures indicated the building itself was old.  As you entered the room, the bathroom was on the right while the closet was on the left.  The bathroom was a bit small but decent and contained a sink, a tub, a toilet, and bathroom toiletries.  The closet was also standard and contained a shelf, hangers to hang items, an iron and an ironing board.  Further into the room on right hand side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The bed quality was very nice and the pillows were very nice, but the beds in the Hilton seemed smaller than the ones we got at the Doubletree (check out that review here); the bed could easily fit two people, but there is just enough room to fit 2. Across from the bed was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV as well as coffee stand on top. The bottom of the chest also contained a mini fridge a well as a safe.  The room also contained a desk and a chair next to the chest, and between the bed and the window was was a table and lamp (the window faced out onto the parking lot).  The room we had was on a corner so while it was shaped a little differently, there was still plenty of space to more around and be comfortable.

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

The hotel is a full service hotel so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a restaurant, parking, wifi, a fitness center. meeting rooms, a business center, and a pool.  The parking was self-parking, there was no charge, and there were plenty of spaces available; however, as I said before some parking spots were not as well lit as others so I would be careful about leaving valuables in the car.  The wifi was complimentary and there was no limit on the number of devices that could be connected, and the speed was decent enough to check email and watch videos.  The fitness center was located on the first floor, en route from the elevator to the big conference room/meeting room, and seemed to be installed as an afterthought.  The fitness center was located next to other rooms so there is a lot of traffic passing by the fitness center and it was somewhat small as well, as only three, maybe four, people could work out at the same time; 4 people or more and the place would feel very congested and cramped. Again it seems as if the hotel took out an existing room and replaced it with the fitness center. The amenities inside the fitness center included decent equipment as well as fruit (not the best looking, but not the worst looking either), water, and cold towels.

In the end, the hotel provided a nice and comfortable room with free parking, free wifi, good customer service, and decent location with many restaurants and services within a short distance away.  While it is a bit further away from the Galleria (about a 15-minute drive) the added benefits of the hotel make the drive worth it.

Stay Report: TownePlace Suites by Marriott Houston Brookhollow (Houston, TX - June 2012)

Stay Report: TownePlace Suites Houston Brookhollow
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photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

I travel to Houston a lot, sometimes for pleasure and sometimes because I live in a hurricane-prone city so we need to evacuate.  In one of those instances of evacuation, I was looking for hotels in Houston.  I normally stay near The Galleria but that usually fills up quickly so this time I decided to book a bit out of town.  I found the TownePlace Suites in northwest Houston off of Highway 290.  Having driven through this area, I was familiar with the area so was comfortable with booking the hotel.  It was easy to book and manage the hotel through the Marriott app. 

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel is located on the side road of Highway 290 and there are many restaurants, shops, and hotels around the area.  The hotel is set aback from the main road, behind the shops and restaurants, and it looked decent enough from the outside.  We pulled up to the lobby and as you enter the front door, on the left was the lobby and straight ahead was the elevators; to the right of the entrance was the dining room and lounge where free breakfast was available.  To get to the room, we took the elevators to the second floor (there are only two floors to the hotel) and walked across a walkway that was open and underneath was the lobby.  Since it was an open lobby and walkway, this meant that all the noise from downstairs could be heard and amplified upstairs (it was loud and unpleasant).  The room we received was located right next to the lobby so we could hear all the noise and then some.

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

When we opened the door to our room,that is when the unpleasantness began.  The room smelled of cigarette smoke (even though we had booked and received a non-smoking room), and when I say smelled it reeked of the smell.  As you open the door, on the left side is a small open kitchen with a sink, a fridge, and drawers for basic items.  Just beyond the open kitchen is a desk that faced out the window.  On the other side was the bathroom which was standard with a toilet, a tub and a sink but the furnishing all looked old; beyond the bathroom was a sitting area with a couch/sofa bed.  In between the sitting area and the desk was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV stand on top.  Next to the couch was a half wall that separated the sitting and bedroom area.  In the bedroom area were two double beds, a nightstand in between, and a closet next the window.  Even though the place is called a ‘suite’ there were no partitions or separations between the rooms so everyone could hear everything – it didn’t feel like a suite, more like a loft that somebody had just designed into separate areas.  The designs of the furniture also smelled of smoke and looked dated – the room overall had a dated feel to it.
   

photo courtesy of Marriott.com

We had reserved a room for 3 days, but we could not see ourselves sleeping in this room for 3 days so we went downstairs to ask to be switched to another room.  The lobby attendant was anything but helpful or friendly and, without even looking or bothering to make any effort, said ‘we are full for tonight’.  Since we had arrived late in the afternoon/early evening, I understood that all rooms may not be available that evening so we said that we had reserved for three days so could we switch tomorrow – again we got a surly ‘no’.  When we informed the attendant of the smell, we got the response ‘well, it’s a non-smoking room’.  We had replied saying we understood it was a non-smoking room but it still smells so is there something they could spray to at least make the room a bit more pleasant for tonight – again a surly ‘fine!’ and huffed away.  It wasn’t so much the response but rather the lack of customer service (combined with the uncomfortable room) that made us decide to go looking for another hotel that night.  While we were at dinner, we noticed a hotel across the street from a different hotel (check out that review here).  We drove over, talked to the lobby attendant who was nice, customer-friendly, acknowledged our participation in their rewards program, and provided us with a bigger, more spacious room at a lower cost!

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

After we returned from dinner, we informed the hotel we were checking out the next morning and no one asked ‘why you are leaving after one day since you had booked three days’ and that is the main issue with the hotel – the lack of customer service and lack of customer attention.  It was our first experience at a TownePlace Suites and it was unpleasant so stayed in one since and avoid booking their properties!  To end on a positive note, the hotel does provide some complimentary amenities for guests including complimentary wifi, parking, breakfast, a fitness center, a bbq/picnic area, a pool/whirpool, as well as on-site laundry facility.

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.

Stay Report: Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon (Miami - January 2016)

Stay Report: Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon
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I was spending a couple of days in Miami and was looking for a hotel near the airport, and in my search decided to try the Hilton Miami Airport.  Overall, the hotel provides a nice and large facility near the airport with plenty of amenities (including a nice shower).  The hotel is located in an office park, so that there is not that much around it.  That makes it very quiet and provides a lot of space, but makes it difficult to access services without a car.  Like all Miami airport hotels, this hotel also charges for parking (the standard seems to be $17 per day).  There were plenty of spaces as the hotel has a lot of land.

The lobby of the hotel is very large and open - you enter in the sitting area and on right hand side is the check-in desk.  Right next to the desks is a hallway which leads to the elevators and the outside.  The hotel restaurant is located in the lobby as well.  The hallway to the elevators also leads towards the fitness center (which was pretty big) as well as to the large outside area.  As the hotel is connected to a business park, the business park has a walking trail and the hotel is connected to this walking trail.  You can walk around the hotel grounds as well as the business park.  Outside is also where the outdoor pool and jacuzzi are located.

Check-in was efficient and we received our keys and went to our room.  There seems to be a main wing and then two additional wings on each side of the hotel - but only one elevator in the main wing to access all wings.  Our room was located in the second wing so it took a couple of minutes to get from the elevator to our room.  

The room was nicely decorated, modern, and with various spaces for luggage and electrical outlets.  As you entered into the room, on the right was the closet and storage while on the left was the bathroom.  The bathroom had a tub, a full sink and toilet. The tub had a really nice and powerful shower and it was very nice and relaxing.  Right outside the bathroom was a table with the coffee maker.  In the room there were two double beds with a night stand in the middle.  The beds were large and spacious and provided a good night’s sleep.  Across from the bed was a TV with storage underneath.  Right next to the beds on the wall were windows that spanned the width of the wall -- the windows were only from the midpoint up as below the windows was a desk that also went along the entire width of the wall.

As we were spending most of our time exploring Miami, I did not get a chance to explore the hotel amenities - the fitness center, the outdoor pool and jacuzzi, and the restaurant.  The only amenity I did experience was the wifi, which was complimentary and provided good speeds.  Overall, the hotel provided a nice location near the airport, a comfortable room and many amenities to have a relaxing time.  Some airport hotels usually do not provide many amenities, but this hotel provides a lot of amenities across a large property. 

Trip Report: Hawaiian Airlines - Honolulu to Maui (November 2017)

Trip Report: Hawaiian Airlines - Honolulu to Maui

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

We were going to be flying from Honolulu to Maui and at the time we were looking, there were a couple of options: Hawaiian Airlines, Island Air, or Mokulele Airlines.  Mokulele Airlines seemed like a smaller competitor and thus did not have a wide schedule therefore I was deciding between Island Air and Hawaiian.  Both seemed to offer low fares and a decent on-board product for inter-island flights; the only difference was the price.  Island Air flights were generally less expensive, while Hawaiian's prices depended on sale and how far in advance you booked.  I had previously flown Hawaiian about 10 years so I wanted to try Island Air - about a week prior to me booking my ticket the news came out that Island Air had declared bankruptcy and was shutting down.  That left one option for inter-island flights; Hawaiian Airlines.  Hawaiian Airlines is the most established airline serving Hawaii and for their inter-island flights, they usually have sales which makes travel more affordable.  When I had first looked, the prices for the inter-island flight were very inexpensive and then when I went to book, the prices had gone up but it was still relatively inexpensive.  The airline's website was easy to use and navigate.  You could manage your booking and pre-select your seat assignments at no-cost.   I had downloaded the app and was able to check-in via app, including changing my seat assignment and paying for my bags.  While the app was a bit slow at times, it was helpful in providing a lot of functions.  
As we were already checked-in, locals say we just had to be at the airport an hour prior to departure.  A couple of years ago, Hawaiian got rid of most of their check-in staff and replaced them with self check-in and self bag-tagging machines.  I am not a fan of the machines because 1) the machines do not allow any wriggle room in terms of luggage and 2) the tags need to be placed exactly as described otherwise they will not scan (and that has been a pain in the past).  There are staff roaming around to assist, and with their assistance we managed to check-in our bags.  We already had the boarding passes on our phone, so with that we proceeded through security and to the gate.When we had arrived at the gate, the plane had not arrived from Maui.  The Honolulu to Maui air bridge is a very popular route.  Our flight was scheduled to take off at 6:48p and around 6:15p the inbound aircraft pulled into the gate.  The passengers disembarked and we boarded via groups.  It was a quick and easy boarding process as the plane was only half full.  The flight time between Honolulu and Maui is 40 minutes and the flight was operated by a Boeing 717.  This plane has a 2-3 seat layout.  Hawaiian provides complimentary seat selection, but charges for extra legroom as well as for checked luggage.  The plane's interiors looked updated and the seats also looked updated.  They were comfortable enough and provided decent legroom for the short flight.  The seats were already in a recline and could not be reclined further.  There was a small tray table in front of you, enough for a drink.  The seat pocket below had the airline's magazine and safety card.  Overall, it was a nice and decent product given the short distance (compare this to other American carriers which probably would've operated a small E-190 with no room for this flight).Once we boarded and pushed back from the gate, a manual safety demonstration took place and we were ready for take-off.  Once we pass 10,000 feet, the attendants got up to start their inflight service.  Hawaiian is one of the few remaining carriers that still provides complimentary drinks and meals on long-haul flights; given the short flight time I was not expecting much in terms of in-flight service.  The inflight service consisted of attendants passing out mini cups of juice or water from cardboard boxes.  There were three flight attendants on board, one for first class and two for economy.  After the juices were passed out, Hawaiian also passed out complimentary maps of Maui that they had printed.  It was a nice promotional gesture and a nice friendly touch.Given the short flight time, as soon as the maps were handed out and the trash collected, we were already starting our descent into Maui.  Overall, it was a nice and comfortable experience about Hawaiian.  The fares were relatively inexpensive and for the price you got a decent seat and decent service.  I have paid a lot more and gotten a lot less on many other American carriers so it's nice to see that some carriers still provide decent service.  I am still not a fan of self-tagging the bag but other than that, a nice flight on Hawaiian Airlines.

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.

Stay Report: Hyatt Regency, Savannah (July 2017)

Stay Report: Hyatt Regency, Savannah
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We were traveling to Savannah and wanted a nice hotel near the waterfront in downtown.  The night before we were going to be there, the Hyatt had award room available with two double beds so I booked that.  The hotel itself is located right on the waterfront, and right in the middle of downtown thus making it easily accessible and walkable to many of the downtown sites and attractions.  From the outside, the hotel looks a bit old and thus first impressions of the hotel are not good.

The entrance to the hotel is on one of the main streets, and the back of the hotel faces and has an entrance to the waterfront.  Parking is available at the hotel, but only valet parking.  From the street, you walk up a ramp and you enter into the huge lobby.  The lobby is an open atrium with large windows thus making the lobby look and feel very large, open, and grand. 

As you enter into the lobby, on the right is the restaurant and coffee bar, straight ahead is the sitting area, and to your left are the check in desks and elevators.  We arrived at the hotel at 4:30p, and even though checkin time is at 4pm our room was still not ready.  Overall checkin was not very efficient as no details regarding the hotel were given.  The lobby had complimentary water so we drank that and relaxed in the sitting area looking outside the windows which overlooked the river.  Half an hour later, I went back to a more experience checkin attendant who gave us a room instantly.  We received our key and took our room to the 6^th floor.

The elevators are glass elevators which allow you to look out into the open atrium as you go up to your room.  The rooms are located on either side of the atrium, and thus can either have an atrium view, the street view, or the riverfront view.  We were on the side with the street view.  The rooms themselves were nicely updated and spacious.

As you entered into the room, on the left was the closet area with a closet on one side and cabinet on the other which contained the mini fridge and safe. The closet contained an iron and ironing board.  As you passed through this area you entered into the bathroom, which was a decent size and contained a sink, shower, and toilet along with standard Hyatt toiletries.  As you entered into the room, on left had side along the wall was a chest of drawers with a TV on top and storage on the bottom. Next to the TV was a desk with chairs on both sides; however, there was not enough room between the TV and the desk to fit both chairs so it was a bit tight.  On the other side were the two beds which were a good size and very comfortable.  In between the beds was a nightstand with a lamp, and lamp contained power outlets.  In fact, there were power outlets available throughout the room which was very welcome.

Other amenities in the hotel included a sun deck, a garden deck, an indoor pool, a gym, and free WiFi. As we were only there for one day, I only got to try the free WiFi which was only fast enough for email but not for streaming videos.  The TV was technically a ‘smart’ TV Andy could choose to watch Netflix or YouTube; we tried to watch both but the speed was so slow that nothing would load.  The pool deck and the garden deck were both nice, and the indoor gym was very large.

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Hyatt.  It was a nice, updated hotel that is conveniently located.  The only downside would be the slow WiFi but other than that, a nice hotel.

A Trip Report: United Airlines, New Orleans to Houston (August/September 2016)

A Trip Report: United Airlines, New Orleans to Houston

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

It has been a while since I have flown a ‘mainline’ U.S. carrier and the reason is that in previous years both their service and products not good.  The carriers had not upgraded their products, and their customer service was not service at all.  The carriers realized they needed to focus on their products, and so in recent years the big 3 – United, Delta, and American Airlines – have been focusing on providing better service by upgrading their on-board products and their service.  Delta has been focusing on Delta +, American has been adding new planes and new service, and United released Polaris.  Given these upgrades, I decided to try out United upgraded economy product from New Orleans to Houston. 

In previous cases, I have booked my international ticket from Houston and have booked a separate domestic ticket – and usually I have booked Southwest for my flights from Houston to New Orleans.  I usually choose Southwest over United for a couple of reasons – more economical fares, better consistency in terms of service and product available, and two free bags of checked luggage.  This time I decided to fly on United for a couple of reasons.  The first reason is stated above – they had been advertising a new product and enhanced service so I wanted to try that one.  The second reason is that I was connecting to an international flight and it is always better to have all the flights on one ticket – for baggage and flight connectivity.  The third reason is that Southwest flies in and out of Hobby Airport, while United and international flights go out of Intercontinental and to get from one airport to the other costs about $30-45 one way and takes about an 30-45minutes (without traffic) so it takes a lot of planning and luck to ensure you make your connecting flight. 

United has many flights throughout the day from New Orleans to Houston.  Some of the flights are operated by Airbus or Boeing jets, while others are operated by regional jets.  My first flight was in the afternoon and was scheduled to depart New Orleans at 12:35p and arrive into Houston at 1:48pm. This flight was operated by a Boeing 737-800.  United does not charge for seat allocation, so you can choose your own seat; however, they do charge to upgrade to Economy Plus which allows you earlier boarding and more legroom.  I had chosen an aisle seat in Main Economy.  Boarding started a bit later than usual, but the taxi time in New Orleans is very short so the plane took off generally on time.

The layout of the 737-800 is 3-3 and the seat pitch is average.  The flight times is 45 minutes, and for that flight time both the seat comfort and seat pitch were fine.  This plane had come from Chicago to New Orleans, which is a 2hr 20 min flight, and I am not sure the seat pitch and comfortable would have been good for that long flight time.  The seat is a basic seat as there are no USB ports nor PTV’s available.  In the seat back pocket is the airline magazine, the safety card, and a brochure on how to access the wifi and the free entertainment.   United does provide limited free entertainment through the United app, and again for the short domestic flights the limited choices of TV programs are fine.  You can purchase additional options, including movies, at a cost.  Once we reached cruising altitude, the attendants came by to offer drinks and pretzels.  By the time the attendants had concluded their drink service, it was time to collect the trash as we were descending into Houston. 

For my return, I had booked a late afternoon flight which departed Houston at 5pm and was operated by an Airbus 319.  I had cleared customs and immigration and so went to the United counter to see if I could get on an earlier flight; that is one of the plus points of having so many frequencies during the day is that you have a lot of options and can sometimes get on an earlier flight (depending on availability).  I was able to get on an earlier flight that departed Houston at 3:50pm and scheduled to arrive New Orleans at 5:03pm.  This flight was operated by an Embraer RJ-175, and when I had previously been on Regional Jets they were usually small, cramped, and a bit uncomfortable.  When we boarded this flight, the aircraft looked new, the seats were comfortable, and the legroom was pretty decent.  The attendant had announced that this was a new aircraft and was part of United’s ‘fleet renewal’ in which they were updating and modernizing their fleet; this included new regional jets which were roomier and more modern than previous versions. 

The service on this flight was similar to the outbound flight – wifi was available (for a fee) or free entertainment was available through the United app; drinks and pretzels were available after take-off; and overall it was a nice, short flight.  Overall, I was impressed with the new United.  They have invested a lot in their product and it shows, from the updated planes to the updated on-board service.  Given this, I would not hesitate to take United either short-haul or medium-haul domestic.