Booking my ticket

A usual for my business trips, I used my corporate online booking tool (SAP Concur), and while difficult, I eventually was able to book a mixed Copa/American reservation.  Despite being separate tickets, seemingly neither airline system could figure out these were separate, so my options were limited. The booking tool put me in A fare class for the Copa ticket from Panama to Miami. I didn’t think much of it, until seeing that it said business class. That seemed dubious, and of course it was. A class on Copa is basic economy. Sigh!

Realizing this meant no seat assignment without paying, I was annoyed, but content to buy an extra legroom seat for around $50. And I could have expensed that.  Note this flight is around 2.5 hours in the air, departing after 9pm (10pm at destination). Despite multiple attempts, I was unable to get payment to process for a seat assignment.  I could get a seat for free inside the 24 hour check in window, but I didn’t want to risk a middle seat in the back. I’m tall, and appreciate more space, especially on a flight where I would hope to get some sleep.

Bid for Business Class on Copa

Finally the day before departure, after frustration with securing a seat, I changed my strategy and decided to bid for an upgrade. Prior to travel, I received a few emails soliciting bids, but mostly ignored them. Ultimately I decided to bid the lowest possible amount, a “Poor” offer per their sales tool. $145 is a bit rich for such a short flight, but the seat is the Collins Aerospace Diamond seat familiar to many travelers as one of few flat bed options for narrow body planes. American and United use this seat for business class on their A321T and B757 fleets respectively. On Copa 737 Max-9 there are 16 seats configured 2-2.

Just over 24 hours before departure, I got an email that my offer was accepted:

Hopefully I wouldn’t regret it.  I talked to James (who took several of these photos in his own Copa business class experience) about this seat. He didn’t exactly give a strong recommendation, especially about the tight seats, but at this point I couldn’t back out. I just wanted to get some sleep. I was able to select a bulkhead seat hoping for slightly more legroom.

ProblemSSSS checking in

Once inside the 24 hour window, I checked in. Well, kind of. I couldn’t get my boarding pass. I thought maybe it was due to a secondary screening, or maybe just some sort of IT issue. American wouldn’t let me check in for my onward flights either.  Annoyingly, the error message said I couldn’t check in. After I landed in Miami, online check in wasn’t even available, so I had to go to a kiosk, which thankfully was uneventful.

Once at Tocumen airport in Panama, my suspicions about secondary screening were confirmed. The dreaded SSSS on my boarding pass. No one seemed to notice this at all during my initial screening, in fact, I later realized I had a half-full water bottle in my bag which no one noticed when going through security. Then I went to the Copa Club, had a drink, and left to get food, as the options there are pitiful; tiny cold cut sandwiches, and snack mix. At least the bar is fully srocked. There I tried a few Panamanian rums.

The new terminal 2 at PTY airport is quite nice, architecturally, at least.  The Copa Club is a nice space a level above the departure hall. Leaving the club to get a more substantial meal, because I was planning to just sleep on board. Unfortunately, the terminal options were very limited. Only one restaurant open that I could find, which was packed, so I got a sandwich at a small snack stand.

Onboard Copa Business Class on the Boeing 737 Max9

For my flight to Miami, there is additional screening at the gate.  There the SSSS on my boarding pass was noticed, and I was pulled aside before I could board.  The secondary screening consisted of an officer taking my passort as I walked through a metal detector, my bags scanned in the magenetometer, and then writing down my passport number. I was quickly on my way. At least that is all the additional screening I noticed. Thankfully the SSSS experience was basically an non-event.

Once on board, I found my seat, 1A.  Not exactly luxurious, but pretty nice for a narrow body, especially on a short flight.

Not a ton of legroom, but slightly more space than on seats in other rows.  Here is an image from another row:

I am generally a side sleeper anyway, so even at 6’3″, I fit relatively well into the seat.  It certainly isn’t spacious, but enough for me to sleep for most of the short flight.

I intended to sleep the whole flight. But I care about my readers…Blog research…something like that.  I opted for the meal. My Spanish skills aren’t strong, but sufficient to know my preference between pollo o pasta? Chicken and rice was actually quite tasty. Macarons were nice too.  If I wasn’t already tired and at the edge of my language skills I might have tried asking about the onboard rum options. I certainly could have asked in English too, but prioritizing sleep, vino tinto (red wine) seemed a good choice.

I ate a few bites of my food.  Okay, more than a few bites, but I only finished the wine and the dessert, reclined my seat and went to sleep.  I didn’t sleep all the way through, but i was at least dozing until final approach, when I had to put my seat upright.

So was it worth it?

In general, I’m cheap, and rarely would spend $150 for a better seat for a few hours. It is a flat seat, but a very short flight. In hindsight, I’m pretty content with the decision to buy this upgrade. I got a head start on sleep before landing in Miami.  There spent a few more hours in a hotel within the airport terminal, and then flew home on American, where I slept some more. Thankfully the upgrade on Saturday morning was not hard to get. Not the best night of sleep, in 3 separate sections, but once I arrived home, I was rested enough to get through the day.

Read the rest of this article at Was it worth it? Bid for Business Class on Copa 737 Max 9.

This trip report is relatively short, and will include the following installments:

• Capital One Lounge DFW
• The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky
• Breeze Airways Nice Class, Louisville to Charleston
• The Club at CHS, a Priority Pass Lounge
• Breeze Airways Nicer Class, Charleston to New Orleans
• Q&C Hotel Bar, Autograph Collection by Marriott, New Orleans
• The Club at MSY, a Priority Pass Lounge

The Flight Plan

As flight plans go, this one was pretty simple. I put together a circle with stops in Louisville, Charleston, and New Orleans. The only complication was severe weather in Kentucky two days before my trip. That canceled my nonstop to Louisville, necessitating a rerouting through Chicago. At least AA canceled my flight the day before, giving me enough time to figure out an alternative. The final routing ended up like this (more wonky pyramid than circle):

• 12/12/21 AA 1106 Dep DFW International (DFW) 16:35, Arr Chicago O’Hare (ORD) 19:09
• 12/12/21 AA 3680 Dep ORD 20:00, Arr Louisville Muhammad Ali International (SDF) 22:28
• 12/13/21 MX 291 Dep SDF 13:45, Arr Charleston International (CHS) 15:20
• 12/13/21 MX 202 Dep CHS 18:00, Arr New Orleans Louis Armstrong International (MSY) 19:05
• 12/14/21 AA 1768 Dep MSY 09:42, Arr DFW 11:30

I won’t review the American flights, which are your plain Jane domestic coach flights. This flight from LA to Dallas gives you a good idea of the experience (albeit in Main Cabin Extra). The main event for this trip was checking out upstart Breeze Airways, both in Nice and Nicer Class.

I also did get in a few lounges on this trip. First up was the (then) recently opened Capital One Lounge DFW. Later, I discovered a couple of Priority Pass lounges I didn’t expect in Charleston (The Club at CHS) and New Orleans (The Club at MSY). As The Club lounges go, they weren’t bad, and actually decent options for airports of that size.

The Hotel Plan

This trip required two overnight stays, one in Louisville and one in New Orleans. No trip to Louisville is complete without a stop at the historic Brown Hotel, so that’s where I stayed. I booked a “Deluxe” room, but ended up getting upgraded to a club floor room. Why, I’m not sure, seeing as the hotel seemed deserted. But I certainly didn’t complain about the palatial room.

Next in NOLA, I booked a Marriott Autograph Collection property, Q&C Hotel Bar. In typical New Orleans fashion, he hotel formerly known as the Queen & Crescent is a charming historic property. Unlike the Brown, though, standard rooms are about the size of a broom closet.

The Food Plan

Of course, no trip of mine is complete without some frivolous pursuit of food. In this case, the real purpose of staying at the Brown was to eat a Hot Brown sandwich in its native habitat. Several places in Louisville serve up the ridiculously large open-faced turkey sandwich smothered in bechamel sauce. But there’s something extra special about getting one where it was invented. Along with the Hot Brown, I picked up another Kentucky original, a Derby pie. The Brown didn’t invent the pie; that honor goes to the defunct Melrose Inn in nearby Prospect. But the hotel serves up a fine version of the chocolate walnut pie in its own right. (Despite the poor presentation in a plastic box, it was quite tasty.)

And what trip to Kentucky is complete without some bourbon? Louisville Airport’s got you covered, with the Bourbon Academy Tasting Room to enjoy a flight before boarding your flight.

Now, some of you probably want to know, why go back and finish these trip reports now? Well, it’s been one excuse or another to proceed slowly over the last three years. But finally, I’m at a place where I have at least some time to write regularly again. And more importantly, get caught up so I can move on to my more recent boondoggles. The Breeze and Capital One Lounge posts went up long ago, with the rest going up in the next few weeks.  Enjoy!

Read the rest of this article at Introduction: Will Fly For Derby Pie.

Hawaiian Airlines (HA) Flight 362

• Saturday, December 28, 2019
• Depart: Honolulu – Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Terminal 1, Gate A19, 15:54, 21m late
• Arrive: Hilo International Airport (ITO), Gate 6, 16:48, 19m late
• Duration: 54 minutes
• Seats: 2A, 2B, 2E
• Equipment: Boeing 717-200

Check-In and Boarding

The Saturday after Christmas, Honolulu Airport was bursting at the seams. That actually made the priority check-in come in handy. Regular security looked pretty nasty, too. The three of us had Pre-Check, so we got through in about 10 minutes. My mother had to go through the regular line, though, and it took her a good 15 additional minutes. Interisland First Class passengers can visit the Premier Club, but we decided not to go given our relatively limited time. Our inbound plane arrived nearly half an hour late, though they made up a little time cleaning up. We headed on board our 717 about 20 minutes behind schedule. It’s a plane I remain irrationally obsessed with, so I was quite excited to be flying this bird.

Stepping onboard, I saw a Hawaiian Airlines 90th anniversary badge painted by the door.

Hawaiian Airlines B717 Interisland First Class – Seating and Interior

As I took my seat, the First Class FA welcomed us on board. I mentioned my family decided to take over the entire cabin (since we booked 7 out of 8 seats). That gave the FA a good laugh.

Hawaiian Airlines B717 Interisland First Class consists of 8 seats in a 2×2 configuration. The seats are 18.5″ wide and feature 37″ of pitch, a gain of 7″ compared to Economy Class. These planes aren’t exactly spring chickens; our aircraft entered service on October 25, 1998. Perhaps surprisingly, the brown leather seats were still in pretty decent shape.

Legroom was certainly generous in these seats, with room to fully stretch out my legs.

For comparison, below is legroom in the coach cabin, which we flew back from Hilo to Honolulu. These seats felt really tight, even for the advertised 30″ of pitch.

My son certainly enjoyed the extra room to eat his Ruffles (the “orange cheese chips” as he calls them).

No in-flight entertainment is offered on board interisland flights. However, given that Honolulu – Hilo is probably the longest flight in the system, it’s not like you have time to miss the IFE. Of course, the greatest part of being up front in a 717 is how quiet it is up there. With the engines far behind you, it’s serenely quiet at cruising speed.

Hawaiian Airlines B717 Interisland First Class – Food, Beverage, and Service

The FA sprang into action a mere 8 minutes after take-off with a beverage service. Since I was flying First, I indulged in the obligatory mai tai. Including a mai tai selfie, of course.

There’s no food service, but passengers do receive a packet of “Pau Hana Cafe” snack mix. Although it’s packaged as “made exclusively for Hawaiian Airlines”, it’s not much different from what you find at other airlines and lounges.

My son, however, took a liking to it, helping himself when I got up to go to the bathroom.

Despite the short duration, I found service quite good on this flight. The FA warmly welcomed us on board, and hustled to provide efficient service. He even managed to offer drink refills despite just 34 minutes of flight time. That’s pretty impressive, even for an 8-passenger cabin.

Flightseeing

A mostly clear afternoon meant some really nice flightseeing on the way to Hilo, despite a filthy window. Before we even left the airport, we saw Alaska’s beautiful “Spirit of the Islands” livery on the taxiway.

Much like our flight back to the mainland a few days later, our route gave us outstanding views of Honolulu. Again, you could see the entire city stretching out past Diamond Head, and up into the mountains.

This flight heading southeast took us a little farther away from Diamond Head. You could still see straight down into the crater, though. And this time, a cloud deck created a pretty scene with the mountains disappearing into a sea of white.

Later, we passed over the island of Moloka’i, first over the dry leeward side, then the wet windward side.

As we began our approach to Hilo, we flew over the windward slope of Haleakalā on the island of Maui. I really hoped to see the summit of Haleakalā itself, but I picked the wrong side of the plane. Doh!

Final Thoughts

Do you really need the extra legroom and free mai tai on a short interisland flight? No, and so ordinarily, I wouldn’t pay for First Class on these flights. I’d rather save the money and settle for some free POG juice instead in coach. But if you anticipate checking a lot of bags, it might actually make sense. Occasionally, the buy-up to First runs less than or equal to the cost of two checked bags. If that’s the case, might as well spring for it.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Hawaiian Airlines B717 Interisland First Class.

Design and Ambiance

Upon entering the SFO British Airways Lounge in international terminal A, I was immediately captivated by its sophisticated design and tranquil ambiance. Entering when the lounge first opened at 1:30pm, I had the lounge basically to myself.

The lounge boasts contemporary furnishings and a stylish layout, creating a sense of understated luxury. The sleek décor and soft lighting contribute to a calming atmosphere, perfect for unwinding before a flight or catching up on work.

The British Airways Lounge offers an array of amenities and facilities to enhance the travel experience. There are several different types of comfortable seating options available. Choose between cozy armchairs to private workstations equipped with power outlets and USB ports. There are also options for those traveling alone, or those traveling as a group. Tables for dining and working to bar stools and more.

The lounge also provides complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, allowing guests to stay connected and be productive.

Food and Beverage

For those seeking ways to stay hydrated, the lounge features a well-stocked bar offering a wide selection of premium wines, spirits, and refreshing cocktails. This is all self service. Be your own bar tender and mix up a drink of your choice. 

There are also multiple coffee machines and tea options for those looking for something non-alcoholic. The fridge is also well stocked with soda options, water, and juices, and beer. Offering both local craft beer to San Francisco along with international favorites such as Heineken.

The British Airways business class lounge also features a large buffet of both hot and cold food for all guests. Choose from delectable dishes ranging from fresh salads to hot entrees, including curry. Build your own charcuterie board or opt for a sandwich. There are options for nearly everyone. 

SFO First Class Dining

During the remodel, the first class lounge space was enhanced and became a dedicated space for only those flying First Class. Meaning emerald members and those not actually flying first class lost lounge access to this space. First class Dining is only open to First class passengers flying flights operated by British Airways. Similar access rules apply, like to the Concorde room at London Heathrow terminal 5.

The First class dining area boasts a dedicated dining room where guests can enjoy a more substantial meal with table service. Two staff members worked this area and provided first class guests with exceptional service. Always keeping our drinks full. Food was good and during our 4 hours there, due to our flight delay we had time to try several items. Overall everything was good. I really liked the food, especially the dessert. Overall, I was impressed by the flavors and happy with the smaller size of the portions. Which allowed me to still enjoy the food while flying British Airways first class.

Drinks in the First Class dining area were also out of this world. The lounge manager Anthony has done an impeccable job of curating the experience and making it truly unique. He has a real knack for wine and alcohol options, which are not typically found in British Airways lounges. 

Instead of the typical Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle champagne which is standard across British Airways, we were treated to a $200 bottle of Taittinger Comtes 2012. The wine selection only got better from there as the manager featured both local and world class wine from around California. 

Beyond just the wine, which he also made available in the Business class lounge, the lounge manager was active in hosting guests, and creating an elevated experience. Curtailing recommendations to people’s pallets. This is so rarely seen and made for such a unique experience. I want to return!

The First class dining space may not have any windows like the rest of the lounge, but the service was impeccable. Plus the alcohol selection was amazing. Even the spirits were top shelf and featured options rarely seen, even in the best airport lounges. Hands down British Airways First Class dining alcohol selection is among the best of any first class lounge I have visited. This is all due the love the manager puts into his job!

British Airways Lounge Access

Passengers flying both in business class and first class can access the British Airways lounge. In addition, British Airways lounges welcome  British Airways Executive Club Silver or Gold Card members from their own frequent flyer program. Plus, all Oneworld emerald and sapphire status members traveling on a Oneworld airline in any class of service can access the lounge. Do note that American Airlines and Alaska Airlines elites must be on a long haul international flight.

All oneworld emerald members do get access to first class lounges per Oneworld policies. However, SFO first class dining is not part of the OneWorld lounge access program. Meaning, only First class passengers on scheduled flights operated by British Airways gain access to this space.

Bottom Line

The British Airways Lounge at San Francisco Airport undoubtedly offers a premium experience for travelers seeking comfort, relaxation, and excellent service. The lounge does get very busy, especially before an A380 flight. With the delay of our flight, both flights took off minutes apart from each other. This caused the main part of the lounge to be flooded with guests. Yet, even then the First class dining area remained a reprieve from the airport and the rest of the lounge. Food was good, and the alcohol was out of this world. Beyond Impressive. 

From its elegant design to upgraded culinary offerings and impeccable service, this lounge is truly a haven amidst the airport chaos. Plus with direct gate access and boarding from the lounge, everything about this place is a win.  Whether you are an executive club members frequent flyer or simply looking to indulge in a little luxury, the British Airways Lounge at San Francisco Airport is undoubtedly worth a visit. So, the next time you find yourself at San Francisco Airport, make sure to treat yourself to this oasis of comfort and enjoy an elevated travel experience.

Read the rest of this article at British Airways Lounge San Francisco.

Hawaiian Airlines (HA) Flight 44

• Wednesday, January 1, 2020
• Depart: Honolulu – Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Terminal 1, Gate E1, 12:33, 3m late
• Arrive: San Jose – Norman Y. Mineta International Airport (SJC), Terminal A, Gate 4, 19:56, 11m late
• Duration: 5 hours 23 minutes
• Seats: 12A, 12B, 12C
• Equipment: Airbus A321neo

Check-In and Boarding

We actually started our day with a tag flight from Hilo, so we checked in there. Hilo is a tiny airport, so check-in took hardly any time at all. As with all flights to the mainland, all passengers must undergo an agriculture screening. Make sure to do this and get a sticker before check-in, or they’ll send you back to get it done.

As we taxied to the gate in Honolulu, we passed ANA’s Honu A380. What does this have to do with Hawaiian Airlines? Nothing, but you could use some extra Honu A380 in your life.

Our layover at Honolulu was right at 2 hours, so I took my son planespotting to stretch his legs. Not far from our gate was a nice Japan Airlines Dreamliner.

Boarding began about 40 minutes prior to departure. Economy Comfort receives priority boarding immediately after First Class. Thus, we were among the first onboard the Economy Class cabin.

Hawaiian Airlines A321neo Extra Comfort – Seating and Interior

This particular A321neo entered service just two months prior to our flight. Ahhh, you could still get a whiff of that new plane smell. Anyway, Hawaiian’s Extra Comfort is kinda-sorta their equivalent to Delta Comfort+, American Main Cabin Extra, etc. It’s the same coach seat, but with 5 extra inches of pitch (35″ vs. 30″). The A321neo features 44 Extra Comfort seats in a 3-3 configuration, though spread over two separate sections. Well, I guess to be precise, three sections. Extra Comfort includes the first three rows of the Economy cabin, the exit row and the row behind, and then the overwing exit row and the two rows behind. The seats definitely looked brand new.

Differentiators between Extra Comfort and standard Economy are the color scheme (teel versus light brown) and the “Extra Comfort” moniker on the headrest.

I found legroom quite generous in these seats, with enough room to completely extend my legs.

Meanwhile, my son had plenty of room in his seat to curl up and sleep with the armrests raised.

All that said, Extra Comfort seats are the standard 17.3″ wide, so they’re not exactly spacious in that regard. Seat comfort, though, was decent. Despite the slimline design, Hawaiian’s A321neo seats feature adequate padding and thigh support. I didn’t experience back pain or saddle sore on this 5 1/2 hour flight. We flew Southwest from San Jose on the way over, and Hawaiian’s seats definitely win in the comfort area.

Similar to the Boeing 737-MAX, the A321neo interior includes mood lighting. The soft colors create a relaxing atmosphere aboard the coach cabin.

The other area where I really like the A321neo – it’s noticeably quieter than a standard A320 family aircraft. Even in Row 12, relatively close to the engine, it’s really quiet at cruising altitude.

Hawaiian Airlines A321neo Extra Comfort – In-Flight Entertainment

Similar to American and Southwest, Hawaiian offers only streaming entertainment on board. To that end, the seatback includes a phone/tablet holder to keep your device in place. While possibly user error, I had difficulty keeping my iPhone 6s from falling out. And my eyesight isn’t great, so I had trouble watching on my screen with the phone on the holder. Really, I’ve tried, but I just really don’t like this whole BYOD trend.

Each Extra Comfort seat includes both a USB port in the seatback, and a 110V outlet on the floor between seats. While I prefer outlets at seatback level, these forward-facing outlets aren’t bad, as you don’t have to contort to try and plug a device in. Note: only Extra Comfort seats include 110v outlets. Standard coach seats come only with USB ports.

Hawaiian offers a fair selection of options on its streaming service. While I’ve seen better, there are enough movies and TV shows to keep you occupied, especially on a shorter flight to the West Coast. The offerings include a selection of kids shows and international (mostly Japanese) TV and movies. With Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted on tap, I watched a few episodes as we crossed the Pacific.

Of course, there’s always the moving flight map. This one is OK. The mobile version provides basic flight information and a map position, but doesn’t offer much in the way of zoom or other points of view. Perhaps this has improved in the last three years..

Hawaiian Airlines A321neo Extra Comfort – Food, Beverage, & Service

Unlike extra legroom products on the other major domestic carriers, Hawaiian offers no differentiation in Extra Comfort as far as food and beverage goes, at least on Hawai’i-Mainland routes. That means unlike Main Cabin Extra, for example, you don’t get alcohol for free. About 45 minutes after takeoff, FAs offered a “Pau Hana Cafe” service. On this route, that included a chicken and pesto hot pocket, sweet onion chips, and chocolate covered macadamia nuts. And, of course, the obligatory POG (passionfruit-orange-guava) juice. If you don’t fancy POG juice, a full selection of soft drinks, tea, and coffee are offered.

Perhaps surprisingly, the hot pocket wasn’t bad at all. It had a reasonably flaky crust, and I found the filling fairly tasty. And of course, who doesn’t like chocolate covered macadamia nuts. The problem? This wasn’t really enough. I still felt hungry after finishing off the meal. The FAs did come back through with a second pass of the snack basket a little while later, which helped. But I really wished for something a little more substantial.

As for service, I often say the best coach service is the one you don’t remember. That’s because you usually remember service in coach for all the wrong reasons. Service on this flight definitely fell in to the former category. The FAs were pleasant, the meal service efficient, and they did make a couple of snack/water runs throughout. A perfectly reasonable experience in the back of the bus.

Flightseeing

Of course, half the entertainment on a flight to or from Hawai’i is the free stuff you get looking out the window. This flight definitely didn’t disappoint. New Year’s Day 2020 was a beautiful day in Honolulu, making the departure to the east nearly perfect. Our initial path right along the coast gave us a perfect view of Honolulu, all the way down to Diamond Head.

Soon after, we flew parallel to Waikiki Beach, with a spectacular view of the beach and mountains beyond.

Our flight path then took us right past Diamond Head. Close enough, in fact, for a view straight down to the visitor center in the crater. (We’d visited the crater just a few days before.)

I thought this shot was especially cool, showing the city suburbs crawling up into the mountains.

Finally, as we left Hawai’i behind for good, we passed Hanauma Bay and then Makapu’u Point, the easternmost point on Oahu.

In this second photo of Hanauma Bay, from a little farther out, you could easily see the far suburbs of Honolulu going up the hillsides.

Makapu’u Point was the last land we’d see for quite some time.

About 30 minutes later, a fitting end to our Hawai’ian vacation – a rainbow courtesy of some showers over the Pacific.

Then, about 2 hours before arrival, the sun set the building marine layer off the California coast ablaze.

Hawaiian Airlines A321neo Extra Comfort – Final Thoughts

Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t provide a lot of extras with Extra Comfort, besides the extra legroom. You get priority boarding and security, but that’s about it. Nevertheless, with prices ranging from $55-95 each way, depending on demand, that’s actually not a bad price for the extra room on a 5 1/2 hour flight. American, for instance, charges about the same for Main Cabin Extra from Dallas to Los Angeles. The only real difference is free alcohol.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Hawaiian Airlines A321neo Extra Comfort, Honolulu to San Jose.

The Aeropuertos VIP Club Partidas is small but efficient. With room for somewhere around 60-70 guests, this lounge is unlikely to ever feel that crowded. After all, the airport only serves about two million travelers per year. Despite being small, the lounge has everything you’d expect in an airport lounge. From showers to a sleeping area, a small buffet, and more. This lounge does a great job. It’s also open 24 hours! Meaning all customers can enjoy the space.

My visit to the lounge was around 10am before my flight to Sao Paulo where I connect onwards to New York. As I was flying LATAM business class to New York, my ticket included access. Do note within South America LATAM only offers premium economy on most routes. So this short jump was actually in Premium Economy. As it was somewhat early, the lounge was not busy.

Upon enter the lounge there is a bar to the right. The bar was empty during my entire visit. Maybe it was because it was early in the morning. Or maybe it’s more just a place to catch a game with a drink from the self-serve station.

The lounge has plenty of seating to choose from. From high top tables to couches and chairs around a table. There are options for both people traveling together and those who are traveling alone.

In the rear of the lounge is the kitchen and dining area. The buffet was very clean and offered breakfast items during my visit. Items included cured meats, cheeses and bread. There were locally made pastries as well as fruit. Alcohol was above the buffet and included both spirits and wines.

In the buffet area there was also fridge with cold beverages including soda, water, and beer. Next to this was also the coffee machine. Make an espresso based drink or a hot chocolate.

I did go for a glass of wine. After all, it’s rarely outside of Uruguay that you find the delicious Tannat grape. I did enjoy the glass of wine, even if it was early. Heck it’s always 5pm somewhere!

The dining area also has several tables and places to eat for travelers. This includes one large high top table for a group.

For those who are looking to catch a couple of Zzz’s or just sleep a bit there was a sleeping area in the lounge with daybeds. The room was fairly dark and very quiet. Great for sleeping.

In the back of the lounge you can find both a kids room and the toilets’ and showers.

This lounge also had another lounge within the lounge. It seemed as though it was either the first class lounge or maybe for the airports VIP guests. The Montevideo Airport has it’s own VIP program for frequent travelers which includes it’s own security line and passport control queue. I would assume those guests also get access to this second space. While I was in the lounge, the door was locked an only accessible via a fob.

The Extra VIP room did lok to have more food and beverages option. It also looked slightly more upscale and better kept than the broader lounge. Does anyone know who or how to get access to this space?

Bottom Line

The 24 hour Aeropuertos VIP Club Partidas at MVD is a great airport lounge for it’s size and location. There’s not a ton of food options, but there really is space for everyone. This lounge offers a ton of amenities for such a small airport and I really was impressed. It’s clean, rarely crowded and even has a VIP room or a lounge within a lounge. If you are traveling through MVD you will have access to this lounge via Priority Pass, airline programs, and if you a premium ticket. Overall a great lounge for it’s location.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Aeropuertos VIP Club Partidas Montevideo.

The Routing

I spent my three days in Finland in Inari, in the far north of Lapland. Getting to the Arctic Ocean, though, requires heading to Norway. (Well, technically that gets you to the Barents Sea, but it’s considered part of the Arctic Ocean.) After looking at several options, I decided to head to Ekkerøy, a small peninsula on the eastern edge of the fjord Varangerfjorden. Of course, anyone who follows my road trips knows I have to drive in a big circle. So I chose two different routes to come and go. To reach Ekkerøy, I headed along the north shore of Inari Lake, then east along the Varangerfjorden. On the return, I drove west through the Teno (Tana) River valley before heading south to Inari. Here’s a map of the full route:

The route followed the E75 about 65 km north from Ivalo, then Highway 971 along the north shore of Lake Inari. Continue 130 km, crossing into Norway where the road becomes Route 92, to Neiden. Here, turn left and follow the E6 80 km to Varangarboten. Turn right and rejoin the E75 to Ekkerøy, a further 65 km.  On the return, retrace your steps to Varangarboten, but this time, continue towards Tana. Just before Tana, 77 km from Ekkerøy, turn left at Route 865. Cross back into Finland about 20 km later, where it becomes Route 970. After about 50 km, reach the town of Utsjoki, and turn left to return to the E75. Another 125 km gets you back to Inari. One thing to remember – Norway is one hour ahead of Finland.

As far as crossing a country border, driving between Finland and Norway is like crossing between US states. There’s no border controls, so you literally just drive across, unless you have goods to declare at customs. I rented my car at Hertz in Finland, and going to Norway only entailed paying a €40 fee. (For €40, don’t get cheap. Just tell them you plan to drive to Norway and pay the fee.) There are no tolls on any of these routes. Like driving in Arctic Alaska, make sure to keep plenty of gas in reserve in case the weather traps you somewhere. Unlike the Dalton, though, I found gas fairly readily, in Neiden, Varangarboten, Vadso, Tana, and Utsojoki.

And finally, why Ekkerøy? I wanted to see the Ekkerøy Bird Cliffs, a natural landmark home to tens of thousands of nesting kittiwakes (seagulls). Unfortunately, they high tailed it out of town a few weeks before my visit. But the landscape of the fjords is equally fascinating, birds or no birds.

Date of trip: Sunday, October 23, 2022

A Nordic Road Trip to the Arctic Ocean

Sunday, dawned cold and frosty after the previous day’s first snowfall of the season. Unlike the previous day, though, Sunday dawned with a beautiful sunrise over Inari Lake. No, I’m not usually a sunrise person, but a 9 am sunrise in the Arctic is doable.

The first stretch along the E75 proved easy enough. Though still snowpacked in spots, the road’s in good shape, with light traffic and no snow. As an FYI, speed limits on regional roads in Finland are 100 km/h in summer, and 80 km/h in winter. The winter speed limits weren’t up yet, but the snowpacked roads made for slow going. At least my rental came with studded winter tires, making the going a little easier.

As I turned northeast along the north shore of Lake Inari, I hit a pretty good pocket of snow. I hoped for some nice views of the lake to the right, but the topography really doesn’t cooperate. Finally, about halfway along the shore, I found a pullout with a decent view of the lake below. I first surveyed the slushy mess of the road going and coming.

There are hiking trails you can take down to the lake, but I didn’t have the proper shoes for icy conditions. It sure did look pretty down below, though.

As I crossed the border into Norway, conditions improved, and the sun even came out. And then, as we reached the town of Neiden, I saw a waterfall just off the road. That called for an impromptu photo stop at Neiden Falls. Since it was still early in the season, the falls were still running pretty good. One thing that stood out – the low sun angle even at 1 pm in the afternoon this far north. It looked and felt more like early evening.at midday, even in October. Quite the difference from the midnight sun I experienced in Alaska.

As I headed north out of Neiden on the E6, the landscape transformed into a more mountainous one. The fresh snow, especially on the hills behind, made it a magical wintry scene. I said the landscape of the Brooks Range in Alaska was unlike anything I’d ever seen. That’s still true, but the Arctic covered in snow is pretty darned close.

A few miles north, I headed into a pullout with some hiking trails heading into the surrounding countryside. I didn’t have much time, but enjoyed the view of the winter wonderland surrounding me.

Once again, notice the dim midday sun as the long darkness of winter rapidly approaches.

The stretch from Neiden to Varangarboten features the most spectacular scenery of the  trip. Initially, you wind through low mountains dotted with occasional glacial lakes.

As you continue north, the road occasionally drops down to the fjords of the Varangerfjorden. It’s absolutely stunning in winter, with the snow capped peaks all around.

At other times, the road heads back up into the hills.

Heading east out of Varangarboten, the weather turned once again, with snow falling along the Barents Sea. This was probably the most treacherous section of road up to that point. Thank goodness for snow tires…

But the weather can change in an instant in this hostile environment. Not even 20 km farther, there wasn’t even a trace of snow, as temperatures here remained a few degrees above freezing. The little Norwegian villages you pass through provide an interesting contrast to the barren landscape.

If you didn’t know better, you might think you’re in coastal Ireland or Scotland.

A few miles short of my destination, I stopped at a pullout overlooking the Barents Sea. Yes, that’s a rocky beach down along the shore. The windy, 36 degree afternoon kept any potential visitors at bay, though.

At long last, about 4 hours after leaving Inari, I reached the village of Ekkerøy.  To reach the bird cliff, on the edge of town, turn right at the sign for Ekkerøy from the E75. The sign also includes a board for the “Fugelokalitet Bird site”.  Continue on the road through the village, then turn left at the sign that says “Feriehus”.  Then immediately turn left again, and you’ll see the parking lot for the bird cliff on the right. There is a sign with a trail map and description at the lot.

A short, 1/4 mile trail leads down to the ocean and the bird cliff. The trail is easy; however, there are large stones which become very slick in rain or fog. I’d think twice about wearing flip flops, even though the trail is short and easy.

At the bottom of the trail, you reach a rock-strewn beach that leads to the bird cliff. In season, you’ll find tens of thousands of birds on these cliffs. On this dreary late October day, though, it was just me and a couple of other humans braving the elements for a walk.

Of course, what I really came for was to stick my hand in the Arctic Ocean. And so, at last, I made my way down to the unforgiving Barents Sea. Like the main trail, the walk down isn’t hard, but the stones get slick in the rain.

And yes, I did stick my hand in the sea. I’d guess the water temperature was around 40 degrees. My mother mocked me for not sticking my feet in the water. Too bad, I didn’t bring a towel to dry off, and I hate wet socks more than anything.

After about half an hour here, I headed back to Inari. On the way, I hit the most treacherous conditions on the trip between Varangarboten and Tana on the E6. Sun earlier in the day melted much of the snow off the road. But the feeble evening Arctic sun meant it turned into a sheet of ice as sunset approached. Conditions quickly improved after I turned onto Route 865 to head to Finland. As I reached the border, I found a landmark I wasn’t expecting. The road passes through the northernmost point in both Finland and the European Union.

This marked my second trip north of 70 degrees latitude, though not my farthest north point on this drive. Earlier in the day, the E6 reached a latitude of 70 degrees 18 minutes around Varangarboten. My first trip north of 70 degrees holds my personal record for farthest north travel, though. That’s Deadhorse, Alaska, at 70 degrees 21 minutes north.

While I was there, I also took the opportunity to photograph the welcome signs to both Finland/EU (westbound) and the Norwegian county of Troms og Finnmark (eastbound).

After a brief stop here, I continued through the Teno Valley towards Utsjoki. While I hoped for some clearer skies and a sunset, this drive through the river valley certainly was bucolic.

Though slower than normal due to occasionally bad road conditions, the return trip also took about 4 hours.

Bonus Coverage – The Drive from Inari to Rovaniemi

I mentioned earlier that I booked my flight home from Rovaniemi, rather than Ivalo. That meant a 322 km (~200 mile) drive the next day.

I left the hotel a little before 9, and the sun began to rise on the way to Ivalo. I reached Leviäsalmi Lake just as the sun began to come up. A beautiful start to a beautiful day.

The sun soon rose above the horizon as the E75 highway hugged the shores of Leviäsalmi Lake and the forests of Lapland.

Heading south from Ivalo, I encountered my first wildlife of the trip, a herd of reindeer. Unlike the caribou I encountered along the Dalton Highway, these reindeer aren’t completely wild. Rather, they loosely belong to the native Sami herders that call Lapland home.

Though the roads were OK leaving Inari, a fog started to settle in approaching the ski resorts of Saariselkä. That made the roads a tad icy as we reached the mountainous terrain of the area.

The icy landscape didn’t last long, though. Continuing south of Saariselkä, the snow disappeared for good as the elevation dropped. The rest of drive to Rovaniemi was a much flatter forested landscape, like the ones you might find in northern Minnesota or southern Canada.

Nature had one more surprise and delight, though. Thanks to the frosty air, a sun dog appeared in the cirrus clouds up in the sky.

Final Thoughts

Though the conditions made things a little challenging, a road trip through Arctic Lapland and Norway is an easy day trip. If you fancy crossing a trip to the Arctic Ocean off your bucket list, it’s an easy add-on if you’re spending a few days aurora chasing in the fall or spring.

Read the rest of this article at A Nordic Road Trip to the Arctic Ocean.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Business Class Review

Flight: JL751
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Tokyo (NRT) to Hanoi (HAN)
Depart: 6:30 PM on Tuesday (6:31 PM actual)
Arrive: 10:55 PM same day (11:10 PM actual)
Duration: 6hrs 39mns
Seat: 8K Business Class

I left the Sakura Lounge and arrived at the departure gate right at our scheduled boarding time. Boarding was delayed by a few minutes but the actual process was very efficient and orderly. I’m always impressed by the level of service and communication provided by the Japanese carriers and I have always wondered why we can’t implement this same process here in the states. They had agents with signs directing passengers and lining people up in an orderly fashion. Boarding began at 6:10 PM for our 6:30 PM flight and even with a packed flight, we were only one minute delayed! That’s so impressive.

My aircraft for this flight was a three-year-old, Boeing 787-9, registration JA865J. It was configured with 38 Apex “Sky Suites,” business class seats configured in a 2-2-2, staggered forward-facing layout. These seats are great for couples traveling together or for solo passengers (if you can snag one of the true window seats).

According to SeatGuru, these seats provide 25.5 inches of width, 74 inches of pitch, and a fully-flat bed in sleep mode. I didn’t measure it but I don’t think those numbers are correct. The seat didn’t feel tight by any means but it didn’t feel like it was 25.5” wide either, so take those numbers with a grain of salt. Because of the staggered layout, every seat offers direct-aisle access and a high privacy wall to separate the two passengers. There is a small cutout for the true window-seat passenger to exit their seat without having to bother the adjacent, aisle-seat passenger but the two seats are close enough for the two passengers to converse and dine together.

Each seat is equipped with a large 23-inch personal entertainment system, two reading lamps, one universal electrical outlet and a USB port.

The entertainment options on this flight were very mediocre with only a handful of new Hollywood movies and TV shows. WiFi was provided but I did not pay for it so I couldn’t tell you how reliable or fast it was.

On this flight, I was seated in seat 8K, a window seat located in the aft business class cabin. There are two business class cabins on the Boeing 787-9s. The forward business class cabin has four rows of seats and the aft cabin has three rows of seats. I would choose a seat in the forward business class cabin if possible but I don’t think there was a noise or comfort difference between the two cabins.

Here’s the cutout from the window seat to allow you to get in and out.

And this is what it looks like with the divider raised between the two seats. If you’re looking for privacy, it really doesn’t get much better than this.

Waiting at our seats were a water bottle, printed menu, pillow, blanket, amenity kit, slippers and a pair of Sony noise-canceling headphones.

The Japan Airlines branded amenity kit was rather basic but it had almost everything you would need for a short international trip. The cloth pull-string case had a moisture mask, earplugs, eyeshades and a dental hygiene kit. It wasn’t a bad kit but socks, lip balm or facial moisturizer would have made the kit much more useful. The slippers were very comfortable and came with a shoehorn.

Storage-wise, these seats are not great. For window seat passengers, there are no pockets or bins to secure your personal items during flight and I ended up keeping all my items in my backpack, kept underneath the ottoman. There is a storage bin located behind your headrest but if you have to get up from your seat to use it, I don’t really consider it accessible (without contorting your body).

As I settled into my seat, the flight attendants came by with warm towels and cardigans.

The cardigan was nice but it was not necessary considering how warm the cabin was.

Once all the passengers were boarded, we pushed back from the gate and taxied to the runway for our 6-hour and 39-minute flight to Hanoi. It was wet and rainy with not much of a view.

Once we reached our cruising altitude, the seatbelt signs were turned off and the crew prepared for our meal service. Here’s a look at the menu.

Dinner started with a beverage service, which was accompanied by a package of Japanese rice crackers.

Up next was a selection from the bread basket and an assorted appetizer plate.

For my main meal, I went with the Japanese beef sirloin steak. It was small and a little overcooked but the sauce was quite tasty.

Dinner concluded with a small piece of green tea cake.

Overall, I thought the dinner service was good. The service was efficient and appropriately paced. The dishes did not sit on my table for too long but I also didn’t feel rushed either. It wasn’t the biggest meal and I’m definitely glad I ate in the lounge beforehand. Once my plates were cleared, I checked out the lavatory and changed out of my street clothes. The lavatories were stocked with additional body products and dental amenities.

The overhead lights were dimmed once all the passengers were done eating. I then reclined my seat, settled in for a movie and tried to nap for a bit. The seat itself was comfortable to sleep on. It looks a little tight in the pictures but it actually wasn’t bad. I can honestly say that I napped comfortably (once I stole another pillow). The blanket was perfect but the thin pillow was very flimsy. It was great for back support but not great for head and neck support. When fully extended, the bed measured 74 inches long.

I was able to snooze for a bit and woke up just prior to our initial approach into Hanoi. For a sub-seven-hour flight, I was hoping for a second meal prior to landing but nothing additional was offered. There were some packaged snacks in the galleys but nothing substantial.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Business Class Bottom Line

Overall, I was happy with this Japan Airlines Business Class flight. The pros included a great hard product with direct-aisle access for all passengers and a friendly and personable crew. The cons were very minor, in my opinion, a better amenity kit, thicker pillow, and more efficient storage solutions would have made this Japan Airlines Business Class flight much more memorable.

Have you flown in Japan Airlines’ business class? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

Read the rest of this article at Review: Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Business Class, Tokyo to Hanoi.

Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen is now part of Hyatt hotel’s program and guests can earn and burn points at this location. All Secret resorts became part of the growing World of Hyatt program when Hyatt took over AMR hotels. Secrets Moxché is just one of several hotels within the luxury all inclusive line of hotels.

Location

Located just a few minutes north of Playa del Carmen, Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen is a luxurious all inclusive resort that promises an unforgettable experience for its guests. The entire Yucatan is beautiful, but sometimes Cancun isn’t the place we want to be. Go further south and enjoy the beautiful less crowded shores of Playa Del Carmen.

 The hotel is nestled on a stunning white sand beach, close to a golf course and two other hotels. The hotel is just 32 miles from Cancun international airport and just a 10-minute drive from Playa del Carmen’s famed Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) for those looking to explore other parts of town during their stay.

Property

Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen opened in April 2022. In the Mayan language, Moxché loosely translates to “tree root,” and it’s a concept that is incorporated throughout the resort with live edge tables and wood accents throughout the rooms and hotel. The resort features two hotels, Secrets Moxche and Secrets Impression Moxche.

Like all good all- inclusive hotels, Secrets Moxche boasts amazing pools, beaches, and world class dining. There’s also private event space, available for parties, weddings and more!

Secrets Moxche Pools

There is no shortage of pools at Secrets Playa Del Carmen. Choose from one of 7 pools located throughout the prosperity, all with their own vibes and offering different types of places to relax. Two pools feature a swim up bar while another offers a beach bar with staff. No matter where you decide to land, or swim you’re going to be making a splash.

The first pool is a large lagoon with a very natural feel. On one side there is an elevated restaurant called Bamboo and a beach bar called The Cove on the opposite beach. Oftentimes live music will play at Bamboo, enhancing the atmosphere around the large but mostly shallow lagoon. 

Next up is the main pool. This large pool has a cross design. Oftentimes in the early morning hours I would find a couple of people swimming laps. During the day, it was mostly people just relaxing in the water. There is no bar service in this pool but there are staff which come by to check on you from the other bars. The pool has a fantastic cross resort design and connects the lagoon to the pools going east and west, and then the two hotel towers from north to south. 

Continue towards the beach and you will find the middle section of pools. Here there are also several hot tubs and very shallow pools. I found myself here more than once while seeking shade. There are also several hammocks above the water perfect for relaxing and reading in.

Next up, another pool which was about 4-5 feet in depth. This pool has a swim up bar known as Sugar Reef. This pool was mostly utilized for relaxing and having a conversation with a new friend over drinks. Most people standing around or laying around the side with a book or cocktail in hand.

Finally, the main pool. The main pool is located directly next to the beach. At the north end is the Mantaray swim-up bar, which was very lively during peak pool hours. Usually between 1-4pm. The activities team also host several events in this pool. Find people playing games from volleyball to bingo. There was even a football throwing contest. Next to Mantaray is also a small stage where musicians serenade the pool guests during the day.

Just when you thought there couldn’t be any more pools, guess what, the hotel features two man made cenotes. Tucked away between the main hotel tower and Sea Soul restaurant. These cenotes offer respite from the busy resort and due to the high walls, some fantastic shade. 

Then, only for preferred Guests, there is an amazing rooftop pool overlooking the entire resort. This pool offers the best views and upgraded food and drink options from the Preferred club restaurant and bar. 

Secrets Moxche Dining Options

What would a good hotel be without amazing food options? Secrets Moxche does not cut any corners when it comes to food. The hotel is home to an Executive Chef and three master chefs all internationally trained. Together Moxche brings you restaurant and food options from around the world. Offering over 10 unique array of international dining experiences, 11 if you could room service you cannot come to Secrets Moxche playa del carmen and ever leave hungry.

Dining options at Moche include

• Allora – Italian Cuisine
• Bamboo- Southeast Asian cuisine
• Barefoot Grill – Light Lunch Specialties
• Bisou- French Cuisine
• Dos Almas- Mexican Cuisine
• Ember- Fire Kitchen
• Market Café – international Buffet
• Seasoul- Fresh Seafood
• Suki- Pan-Asian Cuisine
• Observatory Preferred Rooftop – Mexican & International inspired meals

As a guest for only three nights I did not get to try everything. During my stay the highly sought after teppanyaki experience at Suki was sold out. All dining options are complimentary with every stay. Teppanyaki is among guests’ favorites. 

Menu sample from the preferred club at breakfast time:

I did indulge at Ember, the fire kitchen offering amazing seafood cooked over open flames and smoked items. This was a fantastic dinner, followed by dinner at both Bamboo and Bisou. Bamboo offered great vegan options and the escargot at Bisou was among the highlights of my dinner experiences. 

Lunch at Seasoul provided amazing ceviche and Yucatan inspired seafood recipes. Providing authentic flavors from the regions. Barefoot Grill was popular among guests for western items such as pizza, burgers, and caribbean jerk chicken. Which was not too spicy.

The resort also features a fantastic 24 hour coffee shop. Find light bites, ice cream, and handcrafted espresso drinks any time, night or day. Or spice up your coffee with a shot of baileys or Kahlua.  

For those looking to upgrade their dining experience there is an opportunity to take part in the Omakase tasting menu at suki with a chef’s tasting and sake pairing menu. This experience is extremely limited and needs to be booked in advance. 

Feeling hungry after the bar or late at night. Stop by one of the resort taco stands for authentic local flavors.

All inclusive Alcohol & Bars

The most common complaint I hear from guests who book all inclusive is the lack of decent alcohol options or long lines at the Bars. This is never the case at Moxche. The hotel features over 10 bars and not once did I ever see more than 2 or 3 people in line at a bar. Staff are quick to make a drink or whip up a cocktail for guests. The only real complaint about the many different venues was the lack of menu. Sometimes wanting something to guide me to a staff favorite or speciality drink, I was left using my own imagination. Yet, when asking for suggestions, staff were always friendly and happy to suggest something.

Also, Secrets resort features premium alcohol. Staff would often ask me what brand of alcohol I wanted. Hendricks, Tanqueray, Stoli, Absolute, Don Julio etc. It was all available. International premium alcohol included in the stay. 

Another fun part of the hotel is their sports bar. A great place to catch a sporting event on TV this bar was a popular place during sporting events.

The resort also features unique feature to the resort is the exquisite wine club and cellar. Offering 120 different labels of wine and curtail tasting experiences.

Secrets Moxché Entertainment

For those looking for something more to do than lay around a beach bar or swim at the pool, the resort offers endless day and nighttime activities. Head down to the beach for a swim, or utilize the resort’s sports equipment. Go kayaking or paddle boarding or snorkel and discover the ocean’s floor. There’s both beach and pool volleyball and an activity team leading Yoga, meditation, and games throughout the day.

The hotel features both a tennis court and one of the only racquetball courts in Playa del carmen. Centrally located, the hotel is also a perfect spot to get to all the other fun activities around playa from 4×4 rides to zipping, the hotel is only 10 – 20 minutes away from everything which you can self book.

After the sun goes down, head to the Moxche Theater which features a different nightly show. From Cirque du Soleil inspired shows to live music with song and dance, the Moche theater is an entertaining way to watch a show each night. After the show guests can dance the night away in the Gypsy Club. 

The Gypsy Club is a fun speakeasy, only accessible via a daily password. Just go to the resort pharmacy and you will be well taken care of by the mixologists. 

The Spa

For the luxurious seekers, there’s of course the world class Spa for relaxing.  Secrets resorts spas are committed to redefining and elevating the all inclusive experience.  I took part in a wonderful hydrotherapy treatment and enjoyed the spa’s private pool, sauna, and steam rooms.

The spa also features private cabana’s for couples, VIP suites, and a huge bridal suite. Making this resort an awesome option for wedding parties. 

The Spa’s 5 vip cabins have access to their own private pools. Offering a great way to disconnect from the world and the rest of the resort before or after a private spa treatment. 

There are also 16 regular spa rooms and the very unique Wellness center. The wellness center is a private cabana which can host spa parties for up to 20 people. From massages to manicures and more the wellness center features a private juice bar, and a learning inspiration bar where treatments are customized to each person and guests can pick and learn about different natural ingredients utilized in their custom treatments. 

Room & Suites

Secrets Moxche Playa Del Carmen resort has 485 lavish suites offering luxurious amenities, stunning views, and array room options for every budget. The rooms are stunning! The exquisite taste and exotic views will capture your heart at secrets moxché. 

My suite featured a huge king size bed, a sitting area, a mini bar which was restocked daily and an amazing ocean view. Overlooking the entire resort, pools, and ocean the balcony was my favorite part of the room. Plus each balcony features an oversize tub. A perfect place to relax with a glass of bubbles. 

The bathroom was also truly amazing. Featuring double sinks and a huge rainfall shower with a beautiful teak wood bench. The bathroom also had a window to the room which could be slid closed for additional privacy. 

The suites offer a contemporary design with an earthy feel including luxurious amenities such as top of the line bath amenities. Secrets Moxche really things of everything even providing guests with sunscreen, bug spray, lotion and more! 

Bottom Line

My Stay at Secrets Moxche Playa del Carmen was not long enough. After just a short 3 days, I didn’t want to leave.  The hotel was stunning and offered a luxurious experience at every turn. Staff are outgoing and friendly. They anticipate guests’ needs. The concierges are helpful and stay aware of every one’s experience to ensure the best options and make your stay that much better. Staff rarely say you are welcome, but instead answer with, “It’s my pleasure.” Secrets Moxche All inclusive resort is not your typical all inclusive, but instead an elevated luxurious experience that leaves you longing for more.

After two different stays in Playa Del Carmen, I can say, Secrets moxche is where you go to relax and unwind and Thompson Playa Del Carmen is where you go for a city party.  If you’re looking for your perfect vacation in the Riviera maya, contact me at Scott & Thomas Travel to book your next stay.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen.

Note: this post is part of my trip report series about my quick trip to Manchester in February, 2020.  Click here for the trip report index and introductory post.

The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Manchester

• Oxford Street, Manchester M60 7HA, UK
• Website: https://www.kimptonclocktowerhotel.com/
• Amenities: fitness center, pet friendly, free social hour, business center, free in-room snacks, 2 on-site restaurants

The hotel is an easy walk from most of central Manchester’s main attractions. It’s 10 minutes or less from the Science and Industry Museum and the University of Manchester, and about 15 minutes to Manchester Cathedral. While adjacent to the Manchester Oxford Road train/bus station, it’s about a 10 minute walk to Manchester Piccadilly. Manchester Airport, meanwhile, is 15-30 minutes by car, or 25 minutes by train.

Date of stay: Sunday, February 9, 2020

Check-In and Common Areas

After an…unexpected…3 1/2 hour drive from London to complete my journey, I sure was ready to head straight to my room. Fortunately, I found no line at the check-in desk, and headed towards my room within a few minutes.

A few words about the history of the hotel before getting started with the review. The building, originally completed in 1895 and expanded in 1912 and 1932, housed the Refuge Assurance Company. The Manchester-based insurance company used the building as its headquarters until 1987. After sitting unoccupied for several years, then-English hotel chain Principal Hotels repurposed the building as the Palace Hotel in 1996. Except for a 3-year stint branded as a Le Meridien from 2001-2004, it operated as the Palace Hotel until 2016.  It then reverted to The Principal Manchester, until its rebranding as a Kimpton in October, 2020. IHG actually suggested the hotel would take the Kimpton flag after it purchased Principal in 2018. Indeed, even in its pre-Kimpton days in early 2020, the hotel looked and felt much like a Kimpton.

Anyway, with that out of the way, the ornate lobby still maintains much of the original design, with numerous references to the Refuge Assurance Company. It’s a straight walk from the front door to the check-in desks through the rotunda. In addition, you’ll find some snacks and beverages for sale to the left of the desks, near the staircase.

The massive rotunda is unmistakable.

Neither is the giant horse sculpture in the middle of the lobby.

One thing I did find interesting was the relative lack of lobby seating, given it’s size.  There’s only a few benches under the rotunda, along with a couple of scattered chairs/couches.

The Kimpton Clocktower has two on-site restaurants, The Refuge and the Winter Garden. The Refuge offers full-service dining and a bar, whereas the Winter Garden offers afternoon tea and cocktails. In addition, The Refuge offers a Sunday Roast from 1-8 pm, if you don’t feel like heading elsewhere.

The hotel also boasts a large ballroom, along with several meeting rooms.

The Clocktower also offers bikes free of charge, for those who prefer to explore the city by bike rather than on foot or by Metro.

Of course, the most noticeable common area of the hotel is the distinctive clocktower. You can’t miss it walking around the Manchester city center. Somehow, I managed to get a few minutes of sun in the middle of Winter Storm Ciara, letting the historic building bask in all its glory.

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel Manchester – Guest Rooms

One thing you’ll notice straight away – the historic building has some odd shaped sections. The corridor leading to my room slanted inwards noticeably, for example. The design here isn’t particularly noteworthy, with muted colors you might find in any chain hotel.

I booked a standard room with two single beds. The beds take up the right side of the room, with some eclectic artwork and a mirror between the beds.

Also between the beds was a very old school rotary phone. I haven’t seen one of these in years. Anyone else remember the days when your cats would play with phone cords while you tried to talk?

To the left of the beds by the window is an armchair and small side table. While conveniently located to the bed, space to actually work is definitely lacking.

That’s but one of the…odd…design choices of this room.  There’s a TON of wasted space between the beds and the TV. I mean, the extra space is nice, but the layout feels very odd. More than that, at the other end of the room, you have a proper sized work desk – but no chair. I guess they intended it as a standing desk?

The other problem with this setup? The TV is so far away from the beds, it’s a little hard to see. Though the giant screen makes up for that somewhat. On the corner of the table is a “Tuck Box”, basically a small basket of complimentary snacks. One notable omission, though? There’s no coffee or tea maker in the room, so you’ll have to go elsewhere for your fix. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of places to grab a coffee or tea in the Manchester city center.

Plugs are reasonably plentiful, with one on the nightstand between beds, and two by the TV table. The problem, though, is the plugs by the table just aren’t very practical. Since there’s no chair to go with the table, you can’t really work with a laptop there, leaving you to work on the bed. That’s not the best idea, especially when jet lagged.

The bathroom, meanwhile, is surprisingly spacious for a historic hotel. It features a classic sink, with separate hot and cold taps, along with faux brick tile that feels representative of the building’s history. Personally, while I like the look, I find the separate taps a little awkward. If you want to rinse with warm water, you’ll need to mix hot and cold in a cup.

The bathroom features a shower/tub combo, with a deep soaking tub. It is a bit of a high step to get in, but I appreciated the deep soak after a very long travel day. Meanwhile, the shower includes both a rain shower head and a handheld unit.

Like the sink, the bath features some very classical looking knobs. It did take a while to figure out which knob controlled what. Water pressure was excellent, and the water nice and hot.

Toiletries are provided by Azzi Perfumerie, a British luxury brand though made in Italy. I found them high quality, and thankfully the bulk dispensers worked properly.

So overall, I have to give the room a mixed grade. The look and feel is very much Kimpton, more boutique than chain hotel with a mix of eclectic and historic design touches. But the design of the room itself is really quite clunky and confused. There’s a lot of wasted space, along with no usable place to work.

The evening reception didn’t exist yet when I visited. If it’s anything like the one at the Kimpton Argonaut in San Francisco, though, it’ll be a nice perk for hotel guests.

The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel Manchester – Location

You really can’t ask for a better location in the Manchester City Center. The hotel is adjacent to St. Peter’s Square, both the historic heart of Manchester and a hub for the city’s light rail system.

You’re also within easy walking distance of Exchange Square and Manchester Cathedral, roughly 15 minutes northwest.

And when you’re in the mood for a Sunday Roast like I was, the famous Albert’s Schloss is less than 10 minutes away.

Final Thoughts

The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel Manchester has the boutique hotel feel you expect of a Kimpton. It’s a mix of historic and eclectic that you see with the brand worldwide. It also enjoys an ideal location in Manchester, an easy walk to many of the city’s main attractions. My main complaint is the odd layout of the standard two single bed room I booked. There’s just a lot about the room that isn’t very practical. At the price I paid, it’s an excellent value, though prices can easily run 3x that rate during peak times.

Read the rest of this article at Review: The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Manchester.

Location

Located in the heart of Playa del Carmen, the Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House is a luxurious boutique hotel that promises an unforgettable experience for its guests. The hotel is nestled on a vibrant street lined with shops, restaurants, and bars, and is just a stone’s throw away from the stunning beaches of the Riviera Maya. The hotel is nestled in the heart of the entertainment zone, perfect for guests visiting and looking to take in the vibrant nightlife of Playa Del Carmen. It’s also very close to all other activities in Playa. Making it a great place to explore the Yucatan via private tours from Chichen Itza to Xcaret parks and ziplining and more. 

Property

The Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House is a stunning property that boasts a modern and chic design. The interiors are sophisticated and stylish, with clean lines and minimalist décor that exudes elegance and comfort. There’s local art and builds on the vibrant Mexican culture in a modern way.

The hotel is small, having a boutique-like feel. The 92 rooms and suites are spacious and well-appointed, with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer breathtaking views of the city or the Caribbean Sea from the second floor and rooftop.

Amazing Infinity Pool

The hotel’s amenities are second to none, with an array of facilities designed to cater to every need. Work up a sweat in the state-of-the-art fitness center and then spend all day relaxing by the pool. The rooftop infinity pool is the perfect place to relax and soak up the sun. During the day the rooftop is open to the public as an adults only day club. On the weekends there is a DJ, Friday – Sunday. Making the rooftop a popular place for those who want amazing ocean views, without the mess of the sand.

Additional Amenities

One of the standout features of the Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House is its dining options. The hotel’s signature restaurants include Cinco for breakfast and Lunch and Umi for dinner. UMI Rooftop + Tokyo Kitchen offers amazing views for dinner with delicious Japanese food and sushi. 

The Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House also has plenty to offer in terms of activities and excursions nearby. For those who enjoy the beach, just 3 short blocks away is sister hotel Thompson Playa Del Carmen Beach House. Soak up the sun and beach here. Beach access is included in part of your stay at the main house. 

The hotel also features a small gym in the basement. For those who are looking to work out while enjoying the World of Hyatt Playa del carmen property, there’s both cardio equipment and free range weights to meet your needs

Room & Suites

Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House features both standard rooms and suites. I stayed at this hotel for 4 nights over two reservations. The first night I was in a standard King room with Balcony. This was an upgrade from the Queen Room city view due to Hyatt Prive benefits, only available when booking via an approved agency. 

King Balcony

The King balcony room is 540 square feet and includes a private balcony with a table for two and a plus daybed for relaxing and taking in view of the ocean, Quinta Avenida and the lively city center. The king rooms have luxurious high tread count sheets and blankets, a sitting area, and lots of space to relax while taking in the city. The beautiful bathroom also includes a single sink and two stalls. A private stall for the toilet and another for the rainfall shower.

Thompson Suite

The next 3 nights, I took part in the Hyatt Prive promotion for this hotel which is currently, Stay 2 nights, the 3rd night is free. I booked a double queen balcony room and was able to use Prive to upgrade to a Thompson Suite. The Thompson Suite is a larger 840 sq foot room with a massive bathroom and lots of space to relax.

The wall floor to ceiling windows open to an extra large terrace with a private hot tub, daybed, and dining table for two.

Back in the suite, the extra large bathroom features double sinks, and two large stalls. One for the toilet and a second for a spa-like rainfall shower. From a large bench to the large space, easily enough for two. The bathroom and shower are absolutely amazing. After your shower enjoy the Thompson robes and slippers included in every room. 

Hyatt Prive Benefits 

As a Hyatt Prive guest, you’ll receive a range of complimentary perks during your stay at the Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House. These benefits may include:

First, enjoy complimentary breakfast every day for two.  You’ll receive a daily complimentary full breakfast for two guests at the hotel’s signature restaurant. Including Coffee, Juice, Eggs, and more. This can be a great way to start your day and fuel up for a day of exploring the town or relaxing on the beach.

Second, room upgrades are confirmed within 24 hours of booking.  You’ll be upgraded to the next room category upon arrival, subject to availability. This means you may be able to enjoy a larger room or suite with better views or more luxurious amenities than you originally booked. For this Hyatt Playa Del Carmen Thompson hotel you can enjoy the following upgrades

Possible Room Upgrades

Upgrades are possible when requested by your travel advisor via the Hyatt Privé program. There are several options available and it’s best to always use a Prive approved agency to ensure you can get one of the follow upgrades applied to your booking.

1. 1 Queen Bed to 1 King Bed
2. 1 King Bed to 1 King Balcony
3. 2 Queen Beds to 2 Queen Balcony
4. City View room to Thompson Suite
5. Thompson Suite to Junior Suite
6. Others subjected to availability.

Like all Privé benefits, enjoy early check-in and late check-out: You’ll have the option to check in early and stay for a 4pm check out late, subject to availability. This can be particularly helpful if you have an early morning arrival or a late departure flight.

Spend at the bar without worry. Enjoy a $100 hotel credit per stay. Great for use during the day at the pool parties or during dinner at Umi. 

Finally, each Privé stays comes with a welcome amenity: You’ll receive a welcome amenity in your room upon arrival, such as a bottle of wine or a fruit basket, to make your stay even more special.

And remember, with every Prive stay, you’ll also receive personalized attention from a dedicated Hyatt Prive advisor who can help with any special requests or arrangements you may need during your stay As Prive guests are Hyatt’s highest priority, thus, making Prive a great option even for World of Hyatt Elite guests. 

Bottom Line

When you are looking for a Hyatt Cancun or Hyatt Playa Del Carmen stay, the Thompson Main house is a great option for guests and colleagues alike. The hotel is not an all inclusive resort and perfect for those looking for a full service hotel, that is not a big resort. Enjoy the best benefits with Hyatt Prive during your stay. Not only can you save money with the Prive Only 3rd night free benefit, but you can enjoy all the benefits of Prive. The location of the hotel is great, especially for those who want to take advantage of the restaurant, bar, and club scenes of Playa Del Carmen. When you’re ready to book your Hyatt Prive stay, please reach out to use at Scott & Thomas.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Thompson Playa Del Carmen Main House.

KLM Crown Lounge 52 Location, Access, and Hours

The KLM Crown Lounge 52 is located in the non-Schengen zone, near the entrance to the F concourse. The lounge is open daily from 4:45 AM to the time of the last KLM flight, which is currently 10:25 PM (KL8990 to Mexico City). The lounge is accessible by:

• Business class passengers traveling with KLM or any of their SkyTeam partner airlines.
• Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members, and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers traveling with KLM or any of their SkyTeam partner airlines.
  • May bring in one guest free of charge.
  • May bring in additional guests (up to nine) with a 25% discount.
• All other passengers may purchase a day pass for 65 Euros.
  • Flying Blue Explorer members are entitled to a 10% discount.
  • Flying Blue Silver members are entitled to a 25% discount.
  • Day passes can be purchased at the lounge or online. Day pass purchases via KLM’s website are entitled to an additional 10 Euro discount.

KLM Crown Lounge 52 Review

Because it’s such a massive space, KLM has divided the lounge into four distinct zones: Polder (lockers, workspaces, food and drink), Dutch Mountain (entertainment and relaxation), Sea (sleep rooms, showers suites, and toilets), and Sky (Blue Bar and terrace).

As you exit off the escalator and scan your credentials for access, you will enter the Polder zone of the lounge. Here, you can store your bags, rest and relax, or seek assistance from one of the KLM agents.

This zone is the main seating area of the lounge. There are sofas and armchairs arranged around low tables, as well as single chairs along the windows. There is no dedicated business center but there are long communal tables you can plug in and work at if you can’t snag one of the individual booths. Large floor-to-ceiling windows line the entire length of the lounge and they let in plenty of natural lighting to make the space feel bright and welcoming.

Password-protected WiFi is provided throughout the lounge and European electrical outlets are provided by most of the seating areas.

Walking to the back of the Polder zone, there is a small self-serve buffet station, a dining area, and a small section of semi-private booths along the wall. As you can see from my pictures, this lounge is massive but it can also get very CROWDED. These pictures are from a Thursday morning at about 10:00 AM.

The Dutch Mountain zone is a large multi-level sitting area with sofas and booths leading up to the second floor (Sky Zone).

Up on the Sky zone, you will find the outdoor terrace and another large seating area surrounding the Blue Bar. For some reason, the outdoor terrace was closed during my visit so I didn’t get to go outside. But this area looked amazing and I would have spent all day out here.

Now, here is my main complaint about the KLM Crown Lounge 52. I don’t like being nickel and dimed and I hate it when things are not “all-inclusive.” When I’m flying business class, I want a lounge where I can order whatever I want without having to take out my wallet. The KLM Crown Lounge 52 does have a complimentary self-serve buffet area and hosted bar (I’ll cover that in a bit) but they also made this Blue Bar area a premium area where you have to pay for food and drinks. And the food and drinks aren’t anything more special than what other airlines serve in their normal business class lounges so there’s no reason to make this an upcharge area. But more annoyingly, there are no complimentary food or beverage stations located on the second floor. So if you are seated up here, and you don’t want to pay for something at the bar, you will have to walk downstairs every time you want a drink or a snack.

For reference, here’s the food and drink menu. Please tell me if I’m off-base here but I feel like these are all selections that can be provided complimentary.

Back on the first floor, the main dining room and a food station are tucked into the back corner. The food selection was fairly decent with a good mix of hot and cold dishes from cold cuts and yogurt to scrambled eggs and pasta. The buffet spread switched over from breakfast to lunch around 11:30 AM and I got to try out a little bit of both.

That being said, the drink selection was lacking with only a few bottles of spirits, some wine, and a handful of beers. I feel like they skimped out on this area so that people will go upstairs to buy a real drink from the Blue Bar.

Around the back side of the buffet area, there’s a nice coffee bar with barista-made coffees and teas and a little sitting area with cafe-style chairs and tables.

And towards the back of the dining area, a small set of stairs will take you to the Sea zone, where you can freshen up with a shower, relax in one of the loungers by the windows, or rent a day room for a quick snooze.

There is a kiosk located at the entrance to reserve a shower suite or day room.

The shower suites are actually very nice with rainfall showerheads and Rituals branded bath products. Shaving and dental kits are also provided for your use. Notice there is no toilet, which is kind of odd.

Shower suites are provided complimentary but day rooms are not. You must rent them if you want to actually get some sleep. Prices are 49.50 Euros for 3 hours or 75 Euros for 5 hours. The day rooms are for individual use only and couples will need to book their own day rooms.

And interestingly, there’s a room with several private VR experience booths that you can use to “recharge” your mind and body. These cost money so I didn’t use them, nor did I take the time to learn more about them, as they seemed a little gimmicky.

KLM Crown Lounge 52 Bottom Line

Overall, the new KLM Crown Lounge 52 for non-Schengen passengers is a massive space and a much-needed improvement over the old lounge. But I do have some problems with it. The pros include great food options to fill your belly and plenty of shower suites to freshen up after a long-haul flight. The design is warm and welcoming and the large windows make the space feel bright and airy. That being said, the lounge is always packed and the space can feel a little chaotic at times. I also don’t like the fact that you have to pay for certain things such as day rooms and decent drinks as it makes the experience feel less premium to me.

What are your thoughts? Am I being too critical here? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: KLM Crown Lounge 52 (Non-Schengen) Amsterdam.

But if you’re looking for something a little more special, then you can take the Santa Claus Express Train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and back. The Santa Claus Express Train is operated by VR, which is the national railway operator in Finland. They operate a modern fleet of trains ranging from regular intercity trains to high-speed and overnight trains and all their trains are equipped with modern facilities. To get to Rovaniemi, the official home of Santa Claus, you can either take the intercity or Pendolino day trains, or the overnight-sleeper trains.

The big difference between the day and night trains is that the overnight trains are primarily equipped with sleeper berths. They do have a small section of economy-class seating but I don’t recommend this unless you’re really on a budget. Whereas, the day trains are all equipped with economy and first-class seating; panorama seating, and private (non-sleeper) compartments. It should also be noted that the day trains from Helsinki to Rovaniemi will take you about 8.5 hours. Whereas, the overnight trains will take about 12 hours.

The VR Santa Claus Express Trains to Rovaniemi-Lapland are super affordable and if you book in advance, you can easily snag an economy class seat from Helsinki for about 30 Euros, with no baggage fees. Seats in first class (Ekstra Class), a private compartment, or in the panorama restaurant car will cost you slightly more. In this post,

VR Finland Intercity Santa Claus Express Train

In economy class, seats are arranged in a 2-2 configuration, facing either forwards or backwards. They all feature adjustable headrests, tray tables, and electrical outlets at every seat and some seats are also equipped with footrests. Free WiFi is provided on all trains for all passengers. There are storage racks located above the seats but they aren’t very tall. You can keep your coats and other small personal items up here but anything larger than a backpack will need to be stored in the luggage racks at the end of the cars.

The economy class trains are all configured with spacious lavatories, luggage racks, cell phone booths and bike racks.

For those traveling with small children, you can book a seat in the family car. These cars are configured with a small playground area to keep your kids occupied. 8.5 hours is a long time and kudos to any parent that can keep their kids entertained for that long.

In Ekstra Class, seats are arranged in a 1-2 configuration. These seats offer a little more space and comfort in a quieter cabin and all seats (except the seats facing another passenger) are equipped with footrests.

Passengers in Ekstra Class also get a dedicated space to secure their belongings, a cell phone booth with a padded seat, and their own lavatory. The Ekstra Class cars also feature a small self-serve beverage area with unlimited water, coffee and tea.

If you’re looking for something a little more private, then you can upgrade to a private compartment. These compartments come in 2-seaters or 4-seaters but you have to “buy out” the whole compartment if you want to use them. You can’t just book one seat in a private 4-seater compartment at the moment. Maybe this will change in the future but as of now, you can’t.

These private compartments are great because you get your own dedicated space to sit, relax, talk, and store your belongings. Each compartment is equipped with regular economy class seats, a fixed table, electrical outlets, and personal lighting controls. You can store your belongings in the oversize rack above your seat or in the center of the compartment. The compartments all have their own windows and the doors can be shut to give you more privacy.

On this trip, my friend and I booked one of these 2-seater private compartments and it worked out well for us. We loved having our own space and with the door closed, we could talk and listen to music without having to worry about disturbing any other passengers. If we did this again, I would for sure book another private cabin. That being said, I will admit that these cabins do feel a little tight. It’s not because the seat is any smaller than the normal economy class seat but because the enclosure of the compartment does make the space feel a tad constricting. We didn’t have a problem with it but it’s something to be aware of. I also didn’t like how small this table was and you have to twist your body a little bit to use your laptop.

But look at how spacious this overhead storage rack is. That’s a full-size international carry-on bag and a large backpack. We didn’t have to worry about our bags being stored outside and we could easily go in/out of them to grab whatever we needed during our train ride.

And here’s the 4-seater. It’s basically the same compartment but just double the size.

All of the day and overnight trains are configured with dining cars. Seating in the dining cars is on a first-come, first-served basis but of course, you can always take your food “to go” and go back to your seat if there is no seating available in the dining car.

Food-wise, I was very impressed with the quality of the VR trains’ food selection. I was really expecting a limited menu but they surprisingly had a good selection from salads and wraps to salmon soup and different kinds of pasta.

I wanted to point out that VR trains have both a dining car and a restaurant car. The dining car is what I just showed you above and the restaurant car is a seat that you can actually reserve. I don’t know why they call it a “restaurant” car as there is no restaurant there but I’m assuming they call it a restaurant car because the car has restaurant-style seating. I totally forgot to take a picture of this car for you so here’s one from their website. These seats feature a row of seats that face the window and two rows of seats that face each like a table at a restaurant. There is a small upcharge to book a seat in this car. However, no other amenities are provided for passengers in this car.

VR Santa Class Express Train Finland Experience

As I stated above, my friend and I booked a 2-seater compartment for our trip up to Rovaniemi. We booked the Intercity 23 train, which is a direct train from Helsinki Central Station to Rovaniemi Central Station. It did stop at several stations along the way but passengers did not have to get off or switch to any other trains during the entire journey. The train departed on time at 8:24 AM and arrived at Rovaniemi at 4:46 PM the same day. The entire journey took us 8 hours and 22 minutes and though that is a long time, it actually flew right by. My friend and I had our own space to watch a movie, chat and catch up. We enjoyed the views outside and even had a meal in the dining car. If you love train rides through the European countryside, you won’t be disappointed.

For two passengers, the base price of the ticket was 90.80 Euros. The upcharge for the private compartment was 18.20 Euros for a grand total of 109 Euros.

Santa Claus Express Train Bottom Line

Overall, we had a pleasant experience riding the Santa Claus Express Train to Rovaniemi. The train was clean and the journey was pleasant. The seats were comfortable and the private compartment was great. The views of the snow-covered trees were beautiful and the dining car had a great selection of food. I also appreciated the free WiFi to help keep us connected and entertained. That being said, eight hours is a long time to be traveling when a flight to Rovaniemi takes about 50 minutes.  If you’re short on time, then book a flight. But if you’re on a budget or have time to spare, then the Santa Claus Express Train will be a good experience for you and your family.

What are your thoughts? Have you been on the Santa Claus Express Train to Rovaniemi-Lapland? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi-Lapland.

This post is part of a larger trip report series about my trip to Alaska in August. Click here for the introductory post.

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort

• MP 231.1, George Parks Highway, Denali Park, AK
• Website: https://www.denaligrizzlybear.com/index.html
• Amenities: food truck, RV park, picnic tables, general store, guided tours, guest laundry

Like most hotels around Denali, the Denali Grizzly Bear Resort operates seasonally.  The resort typically opens from mid-Mayo mid-September (May 20 – September 12 in 2023). As mentioned above, it’s 7 miles south of the park entrance, at MP 231.1 of the Parks Highway. While on-site services are limited, several restaurants/shops are in Denali Park, 9 miles north. There are also a couple of restaurants a few miles to the south. When driving from Fairbanks, it’s 127 miles down the Parks Highway (Highway 3), about a 2 1/2 hour drive. Meanwhile, if driving from Anchorage, it’s 231 miles up the Glenn and Parks Highways, about 4 hours. The hotel can provide shuttle service from the Alaska Railroad Denali depot with advance notice.

Dates of Stay: August 6-9, 2020

Check-In and Common Areas

We drove in all the way from Wiseman, so we didn’t arrive until after 8 pm. Though the front desk was already closed, the clerk left the room key outside the front door. The next morning, we stopped in to sign the receipt and provide the credit card. I used that opportunity to take some photos of the entrance area. If you’ve stayed at limited-service tourist motels near National Parks out west, the overall feel looks really familiar.

Just like those family-style resorts out West, there’s plenty of kitschy tourist stuff out front.  First is the obligatory cheesy sign stating that cussing, spitting, and chewing are allowed.

There’s also a few items to amuse the kids, like these photo cut-outs and a cute bear-shaped directional sign.

At the exit, there’s also a helpful reminder to avoid a certain Griswold-like situation.

As an aside, yes, failing to retract the RV step can result in a very, very bad day. My dad once forgot to store the step after a stop at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. A closed shoulder on the Golden Gate Bridge took care of that problem, with unfortunate results.

There’s also a Thai food truck on the property, but during our visit, it wasn’t open. There are no other food/beverage facilities on the premises.

All guests receive access to a guest laundry facility behind the office.

Down by the Nenana River, there are several common use picnic tables with fire rings for cooking. While these are meant primarily for guests tent camping, any resort guest can use them.

And of course, the views of the Nenana River are 100% free. (You do need a state fishing license if you want to fish, though.)

Meanwhile, the Alaska Railroad tracks run on a bluff just the other side of the river from the resort. If you’re out and about as the train rolls through, you’ll get a nice view of the Denali Star train heading down the tracks.

The resort’s setup certainly is family friendly, with plenty of room for the kids to run around, and enjoy a cookout along the river.

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort – Campground

In addition to the hotel, the Grizzly Bear features a campground for both tents and RVs. The RV sites are large enough for full-size RVs, both with water/electric hookups, or dry sites (no hookups). The RV sites do NOT include sewer hookups, but there is a dump station near the office. All RV sites currently cost $60 per night.

The resort’s tent camping sites are down by the river. In addition to the picnic tables and fire rings, campers have access to common use bathrooms and showers. There is a fee to use the showers, though. These are similar to the facilities available at RV parks, which is to say, not fancy but functional. You might want to consider bringing paracord, a versatile rope that can come in handy for various purposes, you can get one on the Paracord Galaxy website.

A unique feature of the resort are the “tent cabins”. These are small cabins with beds, but no heat, water, or electricity. Essentially, it’s a way to camp without having to remain exposed to the elements outside. These run $52-60 per night, compared to $36 per night for a regular campsite.

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort – Motel Rooms and Cabins

The resort features two types of hotel accommodations, standard motel rooms and several stand-alone cabins. In total, the resort has 119 motel rooms at the back of the property.  Most of these front the Nenana River, although two buildings instead face the mountains. These are basic rooms, including two double beds, cable TV, a coffee/tea maker, and bathroom with tub and shower. There is a breakfast building across from the rooms, but it’s only available for groups of 14 or more.  Rates range from $309-329 per night during peak season, and $259-279 per night during shoulder season (first 3 weeks of the season in late May/early June).

Our family, however, decided to spring for a cabin. The resort features 30 cabins with varying amenity levels and price points. At one end are three very rustic cabins, with electricity but no water or toilets. With these cabins, you can use the same common restrooms available to campers. One such cabin is the “Mushers” cabin, which sleeps 4. Rates range from $128-155 per night.

One step up are two cabins with a toilet and sink, along with a picnic table out front. This includes the “Bootlegger” cabin. Rates for these cabins range from $172-182 per night.

One step up from these, meanwhile, are the 22 “Basic” cabins, which essentially contain the same amenities as motel rooms. These are also priced identically to the motel rooms, ranging from $259-329 per night, depending on season.

Finally, the resort features three “premier” cabins, which add a full kitchen to the mix. These range in price from $260-310 per night for the “Hunter” cabin, to $399 per night for the “Alpine” and “Railroader” cabins. The only difference between the three is sleeping capacity – 4 for the Hunters cabin, 6 for the other two. In addition, the Hunters cabin has no TV. Since we only needed room for three, we selected the “Hunter” cabin. (Although we took this trip 3 years ago, peak season pricing hasn’t changed much. We paid $280 per night in peak season.)

The cabin itself is recessed into the trees a bit, providing a quiet setting (it’s the cabin next to the blue SUV).

You actually have to walk to the back of the cabin to reach the entrance. This cabin includes a long front porch. While the porch technically overlooks the river, it was blocked by tree growth when we visited.

Close to the door is a small bench to sit and listen to the river a short distance away.

Upon entering the two-room cabin, you’ll find the kitchen to the right, and the dining area to the left. The kitchen comes fully equipped with a range, oven, small fridge, and basic utensils. So, you can cook all your meals here if desired. Note that the nearest grocery store is 18 miles north in Healy, so you’ll need a car.

The dining area includes seats for 4 around the table, and a small lounge chair.

During our stay, my son celebrated his 4th birthday. We marked the occasion with some cupcakes and candles we picked up in Fairbanks on the way in.

Also in the kitchen is a gas fireplace, which had plenty of oomph to keep the entire cabin warm. Even in early August, nighttime lows drop well into the 40s, so the heat came in handy.

The bedroom is small and simple, with two double beds and a couple of old photographs on the wall.

The bathroom, meanwhile, is tiny. The sink, thankfully, is outside, because the toilet/shower area is too small to get a usable photo. At least the water was plenty hot, and the water pressure good.

The resort does have WiFi, but guests only receive half an hour free for their entire stay. I found cell service pretty well nonexistent by the river, so you’ll need to pay for WiFi if you need to stay connected. The hotel charged $15 per day when we visited; it was fast, at least. On the bright side, the Grizzly Bear is one of the few hotel accommodations in the area that doesn’t charge “resort” fees for “free” WiFi.

Overall, I found myself a little surprised at just how basic this cabin was. Though we paid considerably less at Boreal Lodging, I found that cabin better appointed. Of course, it’s simply supply and demand at work. Denali gets a ton more visitors than Wiseman, and so lodging naturally costs more.

I Appreciated Their Flexibility, But…

First things first – I greatly appreciated the Grizzly Bear’s flexibility in re-tooling our vacation. We originally planned this trip for June, but while Alaska re-opened in time, Denali remained largely closed until July 1st. By the time this became clear, we were within the 60-day cancellation window. I figured for sure we’d flushed 50% of our money, but I reached out to the property about rescheduling. The resort’s manager graciously agreed to apply our full deposit to a re-do in August. He didn’t have to, but I appreciated that he did. That’s why I often prefer to use mom-and-pop establishments over chains, even at the expense of hotel points.

But…we found ourselves put off by the cancellation of all housekeeping services during our stay. I don’t actually mind the trend towards making daily housekeeping optional. If I’m traveling alone and staying somewhere only a couple of days, I really don’t need it. But it’s a different story when traveling with a 4-year old. You end up generating a lot of trash…and the bathroom especially really needs a cleaning daily. What really irritated me, though, was the front desk clerk’s insistence that nobody could clean our cabin “for our protection”. For once, I wish somebody could just be honest. “Our hotel is only 1/3 full, so we can’t afford to provide housekeeping right now”.

Final Thoughts

The Denali Grizzly Bear Resort is a decent enough option in the area, especially for those who prefer an actual hotel to a vacation rental. No, it’s not cheap, and the cabins are basic for the cost. But the resort is conveniently located to the park and other services, the accommodations functional, and I greatly appreciated the flexibility provided to reschedule our trip. It’s unfortunate they chose to play the hygiene theater game, but then again, who didn’t in the summer of 2020.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Denali Grizzly Bear Resort, Denali Park, Alaska.

Cabin Layout and Seating

The LATAM business class 777-300ER features a 1-2-1 cabin layout, providing every business class passenger direct aisle access. The cabin has a total of 56 seats, split across two business class cabins. There is no first class or premium economy on LATAM airlines. Just Business and economy class. LATAM does offer economy plus or LATAM plus, but this is actually just an economy class seat with additional leg room. 

Window Seats are great for those traveling alone. Couples traveling together should choose the middle seats in odd rows. These are loveseats. Even row seats have desks between the seats and the seats are closer to the aisle.  In Odd number rows, Seats A and L are the best as the seats are against the fuselage and closer to the window. Providing more privacy. 

LATAM’s business class seats become a full lie-flat bed that extends to a length of 79 inches, ensuring that passengers can rest comfortably during long-haul flights. The seat also includes a privacy screen, a personal reading light, and an adjustable headrest.

The new seats do not have doors, but the suites are absolutely massive. These might be among my favorite business class seats in the air with plenty of storage and personal space.

Each seat also comes equipped with several amenities. The seat has a water bottle holder and a bottle of water awaits each passenger. In addition, as this is a long haul flight, each business class passenger receives an amenity kit.

LATAM Sustainable Amenity Kit

LATAM has launched a new set of ‘travel eco kits’ for passengers traveling in its Premium Business cabins. The amenity kits feature design by emerging Latin American artists and are reusable. As are most amenity kits. Yet the positive side is that the bags are not wrapped in plastic.  As part of the airline’s commitment to eliminate single-use plastic the kits along with the blankets do not have any plastic wrap. Which is a real win. In addition, all the amenities are also environmentally friendly.

The kits contain a toothbrush made from bamboo. Even the plastic like protector for the head is actually a sugar cane cap. The earplugs are wrapped in Kraft paper and the socks and eye mask are made from recycled plastic. 

Cosmetic products, such as hand cream, lip balm and a towel, have been sourced from Feito Brasil – a B Corp brand with vegan products made from natural ingredients and raw materials. Making this all around one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable amenity kits of any airline.

Entertainment

The 777-300ER’s entertainment system includes a large touchscreen display that is loaded with movies, TV shows, music, and games. The system can be controlled through a remote or via touch, and it also includes noise-canceling headphones that will help you immerse yourself in your chosen entertainment. Additionally, each seat is equipped with power outlets and USB ports, making it easy to charge your devices during the flight.

Most of LATAM flights also feature gogo wi-fi. The slow service is available for purchase. As this was an overnight flight and I was planning on sleeping most of the flight, I did not purchase it. I believe the price was around $20 USD for the entire flight. Yet, as I did successfully sleep in the comfortable seat for over 7 hours, I actually do not recall the price of the wifi. 

LATAM Business Class Dining

The business class cabin on the LATAM B777-300ER provides passengers with a high-quality dining experience. On my late night flight from Sao Paulo GRU to New York JFK I had one of the best steaks I’ve ever had in flight. Perfectly cooked to medium rare. Juicy and not well done!

The airline’s culinary team has designed a menu that includes a variety of dishes inspired by the flavors of Latin America. Passengers can choose from a selection of appetizers, main courses, and desserts, along with a range of wines, beers, and other beverages. 

Upon boarding the flight, flight attendants greeted us with a pre-departure beverage and nuts. The nus as a snack before takeoff is a nice touch for premium business class.

Then before take off, the cabin crew asked each passenger if they would be joining them for meal service. Both orders were taken for both dinner and breakfast. When it came to meal time everything was served on a single tray. As departure was close to midnight, an express service made sense. Then while eating dinner, the crew came by with dessert and placed it next to my meal. Further speeding up the process.

Breakfast was also served as a single tray. I slept through breakfast service which started about 2 hours before landing in New York. I woke up and asked for breakfast about 50 minutes before landing. The crew graciously brought me my pre-ordered breakfast and coffee.

Per my partner, his breakfast sandwich was delicious. I wish I would have ordered the hot meal instead of the cold breakfast platter. Yet either way I was satisfied. Both meals were very well done. For both breakfast and dinner the bread was cooked perfectly. Meals this good are expected on premium airlines like Singapore or JAL. I was presently surprised by the service and quality of food on LATAM . A true win and a huge improvement from previous flights. Overall, a great food experience and better than any American Airlines flight to and from Brazil. 

LATAM Business Class Service

One of the highlights of the LATAM premium business class experience is the high level of service provided by the cabin crew. The crew members are trained to anticipate passengers’ needs and provide personalized attention throughout the flight. I found the crew to be interactive and sociable. Even joking and making the most of the flight. A bit sassy but in the best way. Also, onboard my flight my crew was fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. This is always helpful, making it easy to communicate with them regardless of your preferred language.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a comfortable and enjoyable way to travel to Latin America, flying in business class on a Latam 777-300ER is a great option. This is not my first time reviewing latam business class, but this is by far the best review and experience yet. With its spacious cabin, comfortable seating, advanced entertainment system, and high level of service, you are sure to have a memorable flight.

Read the rest of this article at LATAM Business Class Review Sao Paulo to New York.

Helsinki is a small airport and there is only one contract lounge, the Aspire Lounge, for all the major airlines outside of the oneworld alliance. The lounge is a contract lounge for Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, etc., and it’s also a Priority Pass partner lounge. The lounge is small and the amenities are lacking but it’s a decent place to rest and relax for a quick minute before your flight.

KLM Boeing 737 Business Class Review

Flight: KL1164
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Helsinki (HEL) to Amsteradm (AMS)
Depart: 6:56 AM on Friday
Arrive: 8:46 AM same day (1 mn late)
Duration: 2hrs 50mns
Seat: 3F European Business Class

I left the lounge at approximately 6:30 AM, and made my way over to gate 26, where my bird was waiting. Boarding started a few minutes later with zones 1 and 2 through door 1L.

On this 3-year-old Boeing 737-800, business class is arranged in a 3-3 “European Business Class” configuration with the middle seats blocked. I hate that European carriers sell these economy class seats as business class, but it is what it is. On this flight, I was seated in seat 3F, a window seat on the right side of the plane.

According to SeatGuru, these business class seats measure 17 inches in width and provide 33 inches in pitch. These numbers aren’t great but they do provide about 3 inches more in pitch than the regular economy class seats further back. These seats feature adjustable headrests, USB ports, air vents and personal reading lamps for each passenger. No personal entertainment is provided but device holders are conveniently built into the seatback to secure your own personal entertainment devices such as phones and tablets.

WiFi was provided on this flight. A full-flight pass can be purchased for 8 Euros and messaging (WhatsApp, iMessage, etc.) is provided free of charge. No other amenities including blankets or pillows were provided on this flight.

No pre-departure beverages were provided. Once all the passengers boarded the aircraft, we pushed back from the gate for a 30-minute deicing bath. We then made our way to the runway for our 2-hour flight to Amsterdam.

As we hit our cruising altitude, the seatbelt signs were turned off and the purser came by with a bottle of water and a hot towel. He then came by with a drink service and a boxed breakfast. No description of the box was provided but I later found a printed menu inside the box. I must admit, the box looked very pretty but the breakfast items inside were very lacking.

Inside, the breakfast box consisted of a chocolate croissant, bread roll with dried fruit, two thin slices of dried fig bread, cheese crackers and a small serving of plain mixed nuts. The purser then came by with a warm cinnamon roll. The presentation was on-point but man, this was such a disappointing breakfast. On a two-hour flight, I really expected something a bit more substantial. This was the only meal provided on this flight and there were no other snacks provided prior to landing.

Service-wise, the purser on this flight was just okay. He wasn’t rude or anything, but he wasn’t personable nor did he do anything that went above and beyond. He didn’t greet anyone, refer to anyone by their names and service items stayed on our tables for a very long time. He wasn’t really proactive in taking care of the passengers. He had to be asked for things and he didn’t really walk the cabin much to check on the passengers.

KLM Boeing 737 Business Class Bottom Line

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with this flight and I’m not even referring to the seats. Catering and service are two of the most important aspects of any business class experience and KLM failed to deliver on this flight. The service provided was mediocre at best. I give them credit for the presentation of the breakfast box but the contents inside were very lacking.

What are your thoughts? Have you flown KLM Business class recently? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam.

The Aspire Lounge is the contract lounge for the other airlines that fly to Helsinki including Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and others. It’s located in the Schengen area but you can also use it if you’re departing on a non-Schengen flight. Just make sure to save at least 15 minutes to clear passport control. The Aspire Lounge is also a Priority Pass partner lounge but entry is limited to three hours prior to your flight and is subject to space availability constraints. The lounge is open from 5:00 AM to 9:00 daily and children under the age of two are permitted free of charge.

The lounge is small but it’s actually bigger than one would expect. The main seating area of the lounge is located in the center, directly after the check-in desk. Here, you’ll find a variety of seating options from individual pods to table seating for multiple people.

The large windows bring in plenty of natural lighting and they provide great views of the ramp and runway below.

If you continue walking back toward the end of the lounge, you’ll find another small seating area that’s pretty quiet and secluded from the rest of the lounge.

And in the front of the lounge, you’ll find another small seating area with couches and work benches.

There’s also a small upstairs area with additional seating that most people won’t know about.

Food-wise, I was here twice and got to experience both breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, there was a very limited selection of cold cuts, breads, yogurt and oatmeal (but no toppings such as brown sugar, nuts or dried berries). And for lunch, there was a more substantial spread of hot cauliflower soup, which was very delicious, cold pastas and cold cuts.

For drinks, there was a small selection of spirits, wines and a Finnish beer on tap.

European electrical outlets were available in most of the seating areas and password-protected WiFi was provided throughout the lounge.

Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport Bottom Line

Overall, I would say this is a decent lounge for Priority Pass passengers but not a great lounge for business class passengers. The lounge offers a decent offering of food and drinks at lunchtime (breakfast was a little lacking), plenty of comfortable seating and nice views of the ramp and runway below but it is lacking in amenities expected of a true business class lounge.

What are your thoughts? Have you visited the Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge.

Luckily for me, I had a few hours to kill so I was able to get a shower in, grab a bite to eat and relax a bit before my connection flight. The new KLM Crown Lounge is a beautiful space with multiple zones for resting, working and socializing with your fellow passengers. It’s massive but since it’s the only lounge in the non-Schengen zone, it does get fairly busy. I’ll have a full review up in a few days but here are some pictures in the meantime.

I left the lounge at approximately 12:00 PM and made my way to gate D10, where my brand new Boeing 787-10, registration number PH_BKH, was waiting. This jet was recently delivered to KLM just a few months ago and it still had that new plane smell!

KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class Review

Flight: KL601
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10
Amsteradm (AMS) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Depart: 1:13 PM on Friday
Arrive: 3:27 PM same day (22 mns late)
Duration: 11hrs 14mns
Seat: 9K Business Class

Boarding started with business class passengers and SkyPriority passengers. Business class passengers boarded through door 1L and everyone else boarded through 2L. This was great in reducing foot traffic through the business class cabin and it made the boarding process much more pleasant.

KLM configured their Boeing 787-10s with just one business class cabin located between doors 1 and 2. These Jamco “Venture” business class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout and they offer plenty of space, privacy, and direct aisle access for all passengers. According to SeatGuru, these seats offer 20.5 inches of width and a full-flat bed length of 75 inches (6.25 feet).

Each seat offers a large IFE monitor, one USB and electrical outlet, multiple reading lamps and several storage spaces (but no air vents!). The IFE monitors are bright and crisp and KLM’s entertainment selection offers a good selection of new movies, television shows, music and other entertainment. WiFi was provided on this flight and prices weren’t unreasonable. KLM provides free messaging for all passengers and one hour of internet costs 8 Euros and a full flight pass costs 18 Euros. I didn’t connect to it so I can’t tell you how fast or reliable it was.

For storage, there’s an open storage compartment by your inside shoulder to secure your headphones, water bottles and other items. There’s also a shelf located directly underneath the IFE monitor for your laptop, iPad, books, etc., and another storage pocket down by your knee for your other small items. Additionally, for seats in the last row, you can also store items above your storage compartment to keep them handy during your flight.

Seat and lighting controls are simple to use and are located adjacent to the inside armrest.

The window seats are perfect for solo travelers and the center seats are great for couples traveling together. There is a center divider in between the two center seats but it can be tucked away to interact with your partner.

On this flight, I was seated in seat 9K, a window seat on the right side of the aircraft. Waiting at our seats were a pillow and duvet. The pillow was okay, a little on the flimsy side, but the blanket was good enough for the flight as the cabin was kept really warm during the flight.

A bottle of water, amenity kit, and a pair of generic noise-canceling headphones were also provided at our seats. The headphones were not great so bring your own. The Jantaminiau branded amenity kit was very nice and it featured both zippered and magnetic enclosures. Inside, there were socks, ear plugs, eye shades, a pen, and a dental hygiene kit. Rituals branded face moisturizer and lip balm were also provided. The Tulip and Yazu scent, developed exclusively for KLM, is light and refreshing and it’s one of my favorite exclusive scents for an airline.

There are three lavatories for the 38 passengers in business class. There is one located in the front of the cabin and two located behind the cabin. The lavatories were stocked with the same Rituals Tulip and Yazu scented body lotion, body mist and hair gel.

Once the majority of business class passengers were on-board, the flight attendants came by with hot towels and a pre-departure beverage of champagne or orange juice. Menus were then distributed and the flight attendants came by later to take our meal order.

With boarding completed and bags finally loaded, we then pushed back from the gate and taxied to the runway for our 11-hour flight to Los Angeles.

About 20 minutes into the flight, the beverage carts were rolled down the aisle for our pre-meal drink service. Drinks were served with your choice of either a small ramekin of mixed nuts or a mixed cheese plate.

An appetizer tray was then brought out with two options for starters, either a smoked bavette or a cup of tomato soup. The starter tray was served with a side salad and a warm bread roll. I didn’t know what bavette was but I decided to be adventurous by ordering that over the tomato soup. It was interesting to say the least.

For my main course, I went with the salmon and quinoa plate. I really wanted the Thai chicken but it was all gone by the time the flight attendant got to my seat. The salmon portion was very small and it tasted the way it looked. The fish was dry. The sides were soggy and it was drenched in sauce, which helped with the overcooked salmon but it wasn’t great.

For dessert, our options were either another cheese plate or a plate of petite desserts. I went with the petite desserts and they were delicious.

And then a piece of chocolate.

After dinner, our tray tables were cleared away and the windows were automatically dimmed and locked for the passengers who needed sleep. I then put my seat into bed mode and snoozed for about two hours. This seat was decent for sleeping. The outside armrest can be lowered to give you some additional shoulder width but the footwell is a little constricted.

After I woke up from my nap, I put my seat back up and worked on my laptop for a bit. In between meals, a small selection of snacks including a vegetarian sandwich and Stroopwafel ice cream were made available for passengers. I got a vegetarian sandwich and a stroopwafel ice cream. The sandwich wasn’t great. It was just two slices of bread with a thin spread of something.

Service-wise, this crew was nice but they weren’t the best. They seemed really rushed with everything and they weren’t really proactive with clearing plates and other service items. During the meal service, they came by several times to refill drinks but they were kind of non-existent in between meals. They weren’t very proactive with service and they just hung out in the galley for most of the flight. And they were very loud. Even with my earplugs in, I could hear them talking and laughing with each other and I know it kept a few passengers up.

About two hours before landing, the cabin lights slowly came on and a pre-arrival meal was served. Our two choices were either a burger or a dutch empanada. I went with the empanada and it was just okay.

KLM Business Class Bottom Line

This was my first flight with KLM and I can say that I wasn’t that impressed. Their hard product was solid and I appreciated the great amenity kit but the service and catering on this flight were slightly lacking. The crew felt rushed the entire flight and when they weren’t rushed, they were laughing and joking in the galley. They weren’t proactive in providing service outside of the meal services and the catering wasn’t great. I was slightly disappointed with this flight but I’m hoping this was a “one-off” and not the norm for KLM.

What are your thoughts? Have you flown with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines lately? If so, please let me know your thoughts below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles.

But before I get into my review, I want to clarify a few things. There are many names for this one area so if you’re searching for, or hear someone referring to Lapland, Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village, Santa Claus Holiday Village, or something similar, then it’s most likely all referring to the same place. The name of this general area is called Lapland, which refers to the northernmost region of Finland, and the name of the actual city where everything is located is called Rovaniemi. You may see signs such as “Welcome to Lapland” or “Fly to Lapland,” etc., but that’s just referring to the general area as the airport, train station, and city center are all located in the city of Rovaniemi. The “Lapland” area is actually so big that it spreads across four different countries: Finland, Noway, Russia, and Sweden. That’s why you will also hear references to the Swedish or Norwegian Lapland, etc. but for the sake of this post, I’m only referring to the Finnish Lapland.

Santa Claus Village is the name of the attraction where you can meet Santa, ride reindeer sleighs, and play with huskies; and Santa Claus Holiday Village is just one of the many resorts located at Santa Claus Village. And lastly, Santa Claus Village is a collection of independent stores and tourist attractions. There is no one company that owns everything so you don’t need to pay an “entrance” fee to enter the village and you can’t buy an “all-inclusive” pass for meals or attractions. You kinda have to just see what you want to do and pay for them individually. And because they are all individually owned and operated, you will find competing locations to ride reindeer, play with huskies, and meet Santa.

Santa Claus Holiday Village Location

Santa Claus Village and Santa Claus Holiday Village are both located about eight minutes from Rovaniemi Airport and about 15 minutes from Rovaniemi train station/city center. There are public buses that will take you from the airport to the city center and to Santa Claus Village but they aren’t the most convenient. Taxis are readily available but they are very expensive so in my opinion, the best transportation option is to rent a car. By doing so, you can travel back and forth between the airport, the city center, and Santa Claus Village and having your own vehicle will also allow you to explore the other parts of Lapland and go hunting for the Northern Lights on your own.

If you don’t want to rent a car, you could of course just take a taxi from the airport to Santa Claus Holiday Village and then book day/night excursions with transportation included but needless to say, that will be very expensive.

Santa Claus Holiday Village Accommodations

The website refers to the accommodations as “hotel quality apartments” but they’re more similar to cottages than apartments. Depending on how big your travel party is, you can rent a single cottage that can accommodate two adults/two kids comfortably or a double cottage for bigger families. On this trip, we booked a “classic cottage” for our three-day stay. The classic cottage is their base-level accommodation.

The cottages are all modern, clean, and comfortable. The floors are heated and every cottage comes with its own sauna. Inside, you’ll find two twin-size beds (pushed together), a sofabed, and a little dining area. The amenities include a small TV, water kettle, and coffee maker.

The dining table isn’t the biggest but for the two of us, it was perfectly acceptable.

There’s also a little kitchen so you can buy groceries and prepare your own meals. There’s a stove, sink, microwave and a small refrigerator.

Above the sink, you will find dishes, utensils, pots, and pans. Dish soap and a sponge are also provided for your convenience.

The en-suite bathroom has a standing shower, toilet, and sink. There’s not much counter space but you can keep your toiletries in the medicine cabinet above the sink or the drawers next to the sink. And because the Finnish love their saunas, every cottage is equipped with its own personal sauna, which can accommodate up to four people. Soap is provided but it’s very generic so bring your own shampoo and body wash if you don’t want to use the stuff you would normally find in a gym. Other toiletries such as lotion, shower caps, dental hygiene kits, etc. are not provided in the “classic cottage” category of rooms.

The cottages are actually pretty spacious so you won’t feel like you’re on top of each other. There are plenty of storage spaces to pack your stuff away and password-protected WiFi is also provided.

Outside, there’s a little sitting area and each cottage also has its own Christmas tree and parking spot.

Adjacent to the cottages are some outdoor firepits, gazebos, and little hills for the kids to go sledding. I tried to take a combination of both day and nighttime photos for you guys. The resort is beautiful during the day with the snow-covered treetops but at night, this place really shines.

Breakfast is included for all cottages and it’s held in the nearby Christmas House. Here, you will find a gift shop, restaurant, and one of the two Santas.

I will say that breakfast was the most disappointing part of this experience. I’m glad breakfast was included to help keep costs down but it wasn’t the best.

The hotel reception building is located at the entrance to Santa Claus Village. Here, you can check in/out, get help, book tours and excursions, or grab a drink in the lobby bar. It should be noted that the Santa Claus Holiday Village has a strict 4:00 PM check-in time. If your flight or train gets in earlier, you can store your bags at the reception desk for a small fee.

This is also where the Three Elves restaurant is located. It’s not considered fine dining by any means but it is more expensive than the other restaurants located at Santa Claus Village. If you want to splurge for a memorable experience, you can book one of these two private, glass igloos to enjoy your meal.

Santa Claus Village Experience

Santa Claus Village is truly a magical place but to be honest, you can easily do everything you want to do here in two days; one if you want to just do the highlights, or three if you want to take things a little more leisurely. As I mentioned earlier, we spent two nights here and that was plenty of time for us to do everything we wanted to do and explore the surrounding area as well. Here’s the overall map of Santa Claus Village and all the shops, restaurants and attractions that you can partake in.

Arctic Circle – One of the highlights of Santa Claus Village is its location at the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is a circle of latitude that runs 66°33′45.9″ north of the Equator. It marks the southernmost latitude where the sun can stay continuously below or above the horizon for 24 hours – these phenomena are known as the Midnight Sun in the summer and the Polar Night (“Kaamos”) in the winter. This is a very popular spot at Santa Claus Village and you can even check yourself out on the live Arctic Circle webcam. This is a free activity but a certificate saying you crossed the Arctic Circle will cost you.

Santa Claus – For kids, and those young at heart, meeting Santa Claus is a pretty significant activity. Luckily for you, there are two places in Santa Claus Village to visit him. Visiting Santa Claus is free at both locations but you will have to pay to get a picture or video with him (personal cell phones are not allowed). The smaller of the two places is located at Christmas House. There is nothing special about this location as it’s something you can expect to find at a nice mall.

The larger (and much better) place to visit Santa Claus is located at the Santa Claus Office. Here, you can walk a little path through the elves’ workshop and visit the big man himself. For us, this was a much better experience as he spent a good couple of minutes talking to us. This made the entire experience much more personable (and memorable). I don’t remember the exact price but I want to say it was about 30 Euros for a digital photo and video of your meeting with him.

But because he does spend some time with each party, the line does move slowly.

Mrs. Claus also has a house nearby for kids to say hi. It’s free to visit but we did not go in.

Reindeer Sleigh Ride – There are two reindeer farms where you can go on a sleigh ride through a small path. They are both about 5 – 10 minutes long and will cost you about 16 Euros/adult. These are convenient because they are right here but you can easily visit better reindeer farms outside of Santa Claus Village. Just Google them.

HuskyPark – Of all the things we did, HuskyPark was probably the most fun. Here, you can play with huskies or go on a husky sled ride. If you want to do the sled ride, you need to book in advance as they do sell out. And just like the reindeer park, there are cheaper options located outside of Santa Claus Village.

Post Office – This was also one of the cooler things we did. Here, you can buy postcards and postage and send out Christmas cards to all your family and friends. You can either have them sent out immediately or held to be sent out at Christmas time. I thought this was super cool as I sent cards to all my family and friends and they will be delivered around Christmas time 2023. You can also buy postcards from the Santa Claus Office but the postcards are slightly cheaper here. I forgot to ask but I hope they get stamped from “The North Pole!”

Something I did not know is that when kids write letters to Santa Claus and send them to the “North Pole,” the letters get delivered here. That’s because Santa Claus Village is the official home of the North Pole. They actually have “elves” that read the letters and send replies. How cool is that?

Snowman World – This is a brand new addition to Santa Claus Village. We didn’t pay to go in but it’s basically an attraction where kids can go sledding, tubing, and ice skating, and adults can enjoy a beverage inside an ice bar. You can even eat inside an ice restaurant.

Restaurants – There are plenty of dining places located on-site from quick and casual to sit-down and more upscale. I wasn’t planning on doing any restaurant reviews but I wanted to tell you about one place that we really enjoyed – Santa’s Salmon Place, located across from HuskyPark. It’s a little teepee-looking place so if you’re not looking for it, you will definitely miss it. It’s not a very big place and they only have one main entree but we enjoyed the food so much, we went back a second time. The menu is very limited: a simple salmon filet cooked over an open flame, served with bread and a Finnish salad. That’s it for 25 Euros. I know it’s pricey but it was definitely worth it.

Northern Lights – And lastly, no trip to Santa Claus Village is complete without a mention of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). To answer the obvious question, “Can you see the Northern Lights from Santa Claus Village?”, the answer is “it depends.” That’s because you need both solar activity and a clear sky to see them. Santa Claus Village is located north enough for you to see them, and on a clear night without any cloud coverage, you can see them from the village. But you will need to get away from the village to get a better view. That’s because you need a dark environment to see them better and Santa Claus Village is lit up with lots of pretty lights at night. So yes, you can see them but the further away you get from the village, the better your viewing experience will be.

But keep in mind, you need both solar activity and a clear sky. So even on nights when the solar activity is very strong, you won’t be able to see anything if there are clouds in the sky. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to us. It snowed the whole time we were there and we didn’t get to see much.

Other Activities – There’s obviously plenty more to see and do at Santa Claus Village. I just tried to give you some of the highlights. More info on Santa Claus Village can be found here.

Santa Claus Holiday Village Bottom Line

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Santa Claus Holiday Village. The accommodations are cute, the amenities are convenient and the location can’t be beat. I really appreciated the heated floors and personal sauna. This allowed us to play outside during the day and warm up quickly the moment we got back into our cottage. This truly is a magical place and we can’t wait to come back.

What are your thoughts? Have you visited Santa Claus Holiday Village? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: Santa Claus Holiday Village, Lapland-Rovaniemi Finland.

Weather Woes Threaten My Short Vacation

Many months ago, I planned a review trip centered around Virgin Atlantic’s new Upper Class on the A330-900neo. The catch? This required getting to Tampa by Wednesday, February 1 at 8:50 pm. Granted, booking separate tickets in winter always poses a risk in case of winter weather mischief. But starting in Dallas and catching the long-haul in Tampa seemed as low risk as just about anything. The other option involved catching the A330-900neo in Boston instead. No way I’m willing to take that chance in winter.

Anyway, about a week and a half before my trip, I became concerned about winter mischief. The official forecast for February 1 said 40s and maybe some rain in Dallas. But some of the weather models suggested trouble, and I’ve seen enough of these patterns to recognize it as one likely to overperform. Sure enough, by the weekend, it looked like an extended Texas ice storm headed our way. Cancellations started piling up on Monday. By Tuesday morning, I found this outside my door. (Yes, those of you from up north are probably laughing your a**es off.  But this amount of sleet shuts the DFW area down.)

My son certainly enjoyed the unscheduled school holiday, though.

About a week before my trip, icy conditions looked increasingly likely the first half of Wednesday. With that in mind, I booked an “insurance policy”, a refundable ticket on the last flight from Dallas to Tampa on Southwest for Tuesday night. During the night Monday, Southwest already canceled my originally scheduled Wednesday flight. For most of the day, though, it looked certain that the 9:25 pm departure to Tampa would actually operate. By 4 pm, with the flight still on and the incoming flight only 20 minutes delayed, I started making final plans to head to the airport. Then I got the dreaded text message from Southwest – flight canceled. Nothing available for Wednesday, either, with significant freezing rain expected on top of the sleet.

Ultra Low-Cost Carriers to the Rescue

The trip seemed doomed, but I stubbornly refused to give up. I scoured the Flighty app for alternatives. Spirit had a flight to Atlanta out of DFW, delayed to 11 pm but still scheduled to go. Now, Atlanta isn’t Tampa, but there are something like 16 flights a day between the two cities. So I decided to book it – but nothing else in case the flight canceled. A same-day booking, even on Spirit, wasn’t cheap at $223, plus $51 for a Big Front Seat. But if it saves the trip, it’s worth it, I thought.

Amazingly, I managed to find a Lyft driver willing to take me to the airport. Even more amazingly, said driver got us there in one piece. (Relax, he received a very generous tip for his trouble.) Even more super amazingly, as we headed to the airport, the inbound aircraft took off for Dallas. This might actually work! So as I sat at Terminal E waiting, I looked for options to get to Tampa the next day. The only flight that wouldn’t set me back $500+? A one-way on Frontier. Frontier is notoriously unreliable, but the flight timing provided a 7-hour connection in Tampa. Surely even Frontier could get that right. And so, I booked the one way plus a bag for $137, and crossed my fingers. (As an aside, I found this flight earlier, but decided not to book until I was certain the Spirit flight would operate.)

Boarding time came at 10:25, and we actually did start boarding the plane. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to settle in to a Big Front Seat.

I left home in kind of a hurry, and so I ordered a cheese tray. Yes, it’s the same cheese tray that’s been on the Spirit menu since at least 2018.

After this crazy day, I seriously considered treating myself to a BuzzBall.  Then I thought better of it, given my plans to enjoy myself on the plane the next night…

Anyway, an expiring Bonvoy free night certificate got me a free room at the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport. The next morning, bag drop at the Frontier counter took only a couple of minutes. (Interestingly, nobody asked to see ID.) With Pre-Check pretty quiet at 10:30 am, it took only a few minutes more to reach the gate. Sonny the Lemon Shark even arrived early to take us to Tampa.

Boarding began on time. Legroom is tight, but with a half empty plane, I ended up with an entire row to myself.

All’s Well that Ends Well

Sonny even got us to Tampa a full 23 minutes early. This meant a 3-hour wait until the Virgin ticket counters opened to drop off my bag. But seriously, I didn’t care at all. I made it onboard Virgin’s swanky new Upper Class on the brand spanking new A330-900neo.

The rest of the trip went off without a hitch, and I thoroughly enjoyed my glimpse of the Scottish Highlands two days later.

Exceptionally good fortune smiling down on me? Perhaps. But on this one day at least, my trip ended up salvaged from a pair of much-maligned ULCCs. That just goes to show you, when trouble strikes, don’t just give up on your long-awaited trip. Look for options even from nontraditional sources. Sometimes they could just bail you out when you least expect it.

Read the rest of this article at A Scottish Vacation Saved By – Spirit and Frontier.