Surprisingly, Penn Station was spartan. We could count the travelers on both hands. My wife originally had balked at traveling on Amtrak due to the fact that we’d have to navigate Penn Station, but it was a ghost town. The normally crowded lobby was populated with mask-wearing travelers who were easily six-feet or more apart.

Although sleeper accommodations provide access to the Club Acela lounge (and Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard® cardholders have free access through August 31, 2020) we opted to skip the small lounge and stay out in the larger lobby for a few minutes until boarding started.

Signs were posted everywhere in the stations and on the train that masks were mandatory except when eating on the train or in your private room.

This train travels from New York City to Albany where it’s joined by train 448 from Boston. Both trainsets join and travel to Chicago from there. In Albany the dual-mode electric/diesel locomotives are swapped for pure diesel locomotives. There’s always a long layover here (unless the train is late). The small bar outside the Albany train station is nice for a quick drink or snack on the longer layovers.

The outside of the dining car:

Each Viewliner Sleeper car has a display near the door that indicates the car number. We were assigned car 4812, Room B. The two Amtrak Bedrooms are labeled A and B, the 12 Amtrak Roomettes numbered 1 to 12 and the handicap accessible room is labeled H.

The sleeper Rooms have a couch that converts to a bed, a pull down bed, a chair that swivels and a bathroom that is also a shower.

While we didn’t stay on this train overnight, here’s a picture of the bed extended from another trip in a similar bedroom:

Shortly after departure the dining car was open. Our car attendant provided menus before we headed to the dining car so we could carefully review the options.

Contrary to what I’ve read online you are able to eat in the dining car or bring the food back to your room. The dining car had every other table blocked off for social distancing, but it was so empty it didn’t matter.

About a year ago, Amtrak switched to airline style prepared meals. The big kitchen in the Dining car is just used to reheat the meals.

The choices (both going up and returning) were Red Wine Braised Beef, Veggie Enchiladas, Chicken Marsala, Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, or Pasta & Meatballs.

While none of these dishes are remotely healthy or technically very good, they were sufficient to chase away hunger. The meal came with one free alcoholic drink as well.

All meals include a side salad and roll.

I chose the pasta and meatballs based on a review I read that said it was the safest bet. My more adventurous wife decided on the shrimp in lobster sauce – yes, that’s right, shrimp in lobster sauce on a train! She said it was tasty. Not gourmet, but the shrimp weren’t rubbery or over cooked and the yellow rice was a nice change from pasta or white rice.

On the return trip we had the pasta again and the Chicken Marsala.

The highlight of any Amtrak dinner is the Blondie brownie.

After eating we took in the glorious views of the Hudson River. On this particular day, the sun was reflecting off the wind rippled waves and we were delighted to share our love of New York with our sixteen-month-old daughter who was happy to stare out the window and not at an iPad. There is so much to see on Amtrak and plenty of room in an Amtrak Bedroom for young children to move about.

Overall, traveling during COVID-19 (at least in the northeast) was an easy process. It gave me plenty of time to read up on my new hobby: Woodworking.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Amtrak Sleeper Bedroom During COVID-19.

We landed in VCE after an overnight flight on Lufthansa first class from EWR via FRA and decided to take the slow vaporetto to buy some extra time before check-in. Watching the early morning, rush hour traffic on the canals was a welcome way to wake up slowly. Often a police boat sped past, sirens blaring, and snapped us out of our haze. The wake created caused the boat to bob, but otherwise it was a smooth ride. The vaporetto dropped us at the Santa Maria del Giglio ferry terminal just a short walk down a narrow passage to the unassuming side entrance of The Gritti Palace.

Walking into the lobby, it was clear we were someplace historic and special. The ceilings were rather low, and the room was lit by sconces made of Murano glass creating a gothic, candle-lit effect. Dark wood ceilings, velvet wallpaper trimmed with portraits painted in the darkest pallets made us feel as if we were in the old world. After leaving our bags at the bell desk, we sat outside at the hotel’s Gritti Terrace restaurant, next to the main entrance on the Grand Canal, and enjoyed cappuccinos and fresh Italian pastries. Across the canal we could see Peggy Guggenheim’s estate that now houses her famous art collection (a must-see while in Venice), as well as the grand Santa Maria Basilica with the large mid-morning sun rising alongside.

While watching fleets of gondolas, vaporettos and taxi acquei cruise by, the front desk advised us that our room was ready. We stopped off at a small office in the lobby to officially check in before being escorted to a Sestiere Suite.

Walking through the 15^th century palazzo that was formerly a private home before it became the permanent residence of Andrea Gritti, the 77^th Doge of Venice, we were struck by the lavish and ornate Venetian interiors, the rose-colored terrazzo floors and the framed photographs of all the hotel’s famous residents. It was fascinating to imagine the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Elizabeth Taylor, Ian Fleming, Keith Richards, George and Amal, and many more of the world’s most notable people walking the same halls over the centuries.

Our suite, at the end of a long hall on the third floor, opened into a small foyer where we placed our luggage. The living room, decorated in opulent Venetian style, had a velour patterned wall paper, a plush very comfortable sofa and Vintage oriental rugs. Nowhere is pattern on pattern on pattern more fitting than Venice. A flat screen TV sat on top an old writing desk that also housed the mini bar, as well as glassware and snacks. A welcome letter from the hotel manager and chilled bottle of prosecco had been placed on the coffee table and were appreciated and greatly enjoyed.

I was surprised that the bedroom was larger than the living room, about twice the size and had a spacious sitting area with a chaise lounge. The bedroom’s decor was a bit more relaxed and its two sets of windows opened out to the street where we had walked a few hours earlier. We could hear multiple church bells ringing off in the distance.

As if things couldn’t get any more luxe, we walked into a bathroom with floor to ceiling marble – the entire room was dripping in gorgeous, swirling grey Italian marble. Complete with standing shower, tub, his & hers sinks, bidet and toilet, as well as Aqua di Parma toiletries this bathroom did not disappoint. Across the hall was a long, spacious walk-in closet with soft terry robes and slippers, deep bureaus and a safe.

During our few days in Venice, the Venice Film Festival and the Venice Biennale were in full swing and we weren’t able to make reservations at many of the restaurants on our list, but we were pleased with every place, but will check the events listing before making a return trip.

The Gritti Palace proved to be the foundation of an exciting trip. Not only was the location perfect: walking distance to the Rialto Bridge and San Marco Square, as well as a short gondola ride to the museums and restaurants across the canal, but the hotel itself was so magnificent that we often wanted to remain on the terrace enjoying an Aperol Spritz watching the beauty and bustle of Venetian traffic on the Grand Canal.

Read the rest of this article at A Suite at The Gritti Palace in Venice, Italy.

Rush processing the Vietnam Visa at the Consulate

After showing ID and getting a visitor badge, it was a quick trip up the elevator to the office. Arriving just after they opened at 9:30am meant no lines. I handed over our passports, our completed applications and $80 each for the 30 day single-entry visa and another $30 each for the last minute rush fee and was told to have a seat — the visa would be ready in 30 minutes or less. Payment was accepted with a money order, bank check or cash. No credit cards accepted. While waiting, the office started to fill up as over a dozen people appeared to submit their applications.

Vietnam Visa By Mail

If I had planned in advance and applied by mail, there were two options: send your entire passport with one photo, the payment and a return envelope or make a color copy of your passport page and send two photos. In both cases you also needed to send the application and applicable payment. The nice thing about the second option is there’s no concern over your passport getting lost, instead they return a loose-leaf visa that you carry in your passport instead of it being affixed inside your passport.

We took our own photos at home in front of the wall and use the kiosk at CVS to print the pictures. It’s a pretty simple process where you download the Kodak kiosk software and upload your image for printing. Otherwise a CVS employee can just take your photo and print it for you. Either way it’s $12.95 for two passport photos.

Vietnam Visa On Arrival (VOA)

Our other option would have been to get a visa on arrival once we arrived in Vietnam. As James previously reported visa on arrival would have been $135 cash on arrival. During our trip, I spoke with another US citizen that arrived on January 19, 2017 and he said he paid the $135 in cash and had to wait about 45 minutes in the arrivals hall for it to be issued. I’m glad we did it ahead of time so as to not wait in the arrivals area after a long flight — if only I hadn’t procrastinated and wasted that rush fee!

Edit: In the comments of this post, some people report still been able get the $25 VOA (plus the cost of the letter of approval) since the price changes started in October 2016. Any reports before October 2016 don’t really help as this is a recent change. The person I talked to was only not allowed to select the cheaper option and was forced to pay $135. Other reports online indicate the same. It seems you may or may not be able to get the $25 VOA but it’s a gamble. Please let me know additional data points in the comments.

If you’re applying, I’d suggest calling the embassy you are mailing your application to and confirming the current rates. But overall it was a simple process.

Read the rest of this article at Getting a Vietnam Visa at the Last Minute.

The Covo Dei Saraceni is in the bottom left corner of this photo, right near the pier.

While the Covo rate was  ‎€330 per night, I booked the four nights through my Citi Prestige 4th night free benefit, so the average price for each night dropped to around  ‎€245.

We decided to rent a car from Hertz in Rome and drive to Guardiareggia to visit family friends and then continue driving down past Naples, through Sorrento, and over the mountain to Positano. The drive along the Amalfi highway is simultaneously exhilarating and daunting. The highway, carved out of rocky terrain looks out to the sparkling Tyrrhenian Sea over very, very steep cliffs. It’s essential to keep an eye on the road as the serpentine drive is laced with hairpin turns. More than a few times we were met face to face with a car, truck or bus while diligently remaining in our lane, but not too close to the road’s precipice that looked straight down into the sea. Buses have right of way and have no trouble taking their half out of the middle of the road. Regardless, this drive is worth it. It’s deemed one of the best coastal drives in the world and it will leave you with a sense of awe. It also presents a dramatic entry into one of the most esquisite places in Italy.

The Covo suggested we park at the closest lot that is a five to ten minute walk down several flights of stairs and sidewalks to the hotel. There is a porter service that delivers your bags down to the hotel for ‎€5 per bag. We made our way through the Positano streets, past the church and down the steps to the beach where the Covo dei Saraceni is nestled in between the beach and a rocky outcropping covered in bright bougainvillea and hibiscus flowers.

The lobby’s bar area with plush white couches and a library with panorama windows overlooked the beach and ocean. It’s a cozy spot for a relaxing evening drink. The bartender presented us with delicious canapes, olives and other locally inspired snacks every time we ordered drinks.

One level up is a lounge with a view of the beach next to the breakfast area with another view of the beach and the ferry dock that looks straight out to the sea.

Since the Covo Dei Saraceni is built into the side of a mountain, the first five floors are accessed by one elevator, then you walk down a hall and another elevator services floors six through eight. We had a junior suite on the 7th floor with a balcony with a table and two chairs. To say the view was fantastic would be an understatement. We took in the sun’s dappled reflection off the sapphire blue sea after waking. We’d  never seen anything so stunningly beautiful, and haven’t since.

Our rate included the Covo’s elegant full buffet breakfast which was beyond expectations and featured varied local options far different than usual buffet fare. From locally made ricotta cheese, a variety of homemade marmalade, prosciutto, freshly made sugar donuts and frittatas along with eggs, bacon and mushrooms – the buffet was something to look forward to each and every morning. Oh, and the coffee!

The buffet room overlooked the pier and you could watch people boarding the ferries to Amalfi, Salerno, Sorrento and other places right in front of the hotel.

The fifth floor included a roof top pool and bar area which we enjoyed in the afternoons after hiking and exploring Positano and neighboring towns.

Overall it is a wonderful property that can be hard to book. Many dates throughout the rest of the popular summer season were booked very early. At  ‎€300+ per night it’s not the cheapest place to stay, but with the Citi Prestige benefit bringing the total price down it was a great value.

Read the rest of this article at Hotel Review: Covo Dei Saraceni, Positano, Italy.

Pros: Exquisite rooms and common areas, evening champagne sabering, suites with butler service

Cons: Price depending upon the time of the year

When searching for a hotel in Rome, most from Hilton or Starwood were over €300 per night or an excessive amount of points. The St. Regis Rome did not have any basic rooms available on points, and the rate for their deluxe room was almost €800 per night. I had read that the St. Regis Rome was a category 7 hotel which would mean a redemption of 30,000 points a night. I called to see if there were cash & points availability in an upgraded room since I only had 45,000 points at the time and wanted to stay for two nights.

When I called, the SPG agent told me she could book me into a deluxe room for two nights for 43,000 points. I was confused: how could a category 7 hotel be around 20,000 points a night? Either way I booked it and thanked her. Then, upon returning to my computer, found that the St. Regis Rome had been lowered to a category 6 hotel over a year ago! I know everyone values their points differently and might save their points for lower category hotels, but we were looking forward to staying at a hotel with so much history and grandeur.

Upon arrival we were thrilled to be upgraded to a junior suite which comes with butler service. But since the room wasn’t quite ready (we arrived very early around 9am) we were invited into Le Grand Bar for complimentary coffee. The bar area was beyond our expectation, its ornate splendor ran through the huge center floral arrangement down to the plush and comfortable chairs and sofas. We spent each evening having drinks in Le Grand Bar taking in the atmosphere.

After enjoying the complimentary coffee we took in some of Rome’s famous sights. The Colosseum was a short cab ride away. We had purchased our tickets online ahead of time but the security line to enter the Colosseum was much longer than expected. Once inside, we skipped by others waiting to buy tickets.

After sightseeing we headed back to the St. Regis. We were escorted by one of the friendly staff and shown the turn of the century artwork throughout the old “Le Grand Hotel”. Upon entering our suite we found 15 foot ceilings, chandeliers in each room, and a lavish bedroom. The butler entered and offered us a welcome drink while explaining that he, or one of his colleagues, could be called upon at any time, shoes could be left outside for shining and two items of clothing could be pressed each day.

Each evening at 7pm the St. Regis Rome offered Champagne Sabering. The staff opened the champagne dramatically by sliding a saber along the bottle and forcing the cork out in one swift action. The lounge area was never crowded although a number of hotels guests enjoyed the complimentary champagne.

A photo posted by @upgrd on Apr 24, 2016 at 10:44am PDT

In the morning, the butler served delicious coffees and small pastries. All three butlers we interacted with were friendly and helpful answering our questions from information about Rome to shopping requests.

After each long day of sightseeing, returning to the St. Regis Rome was an elegant and relaxing affair. All of the staff, from the doorman to the concierge were courteous and always at the ready. Re-entry to our normal life was an unwelcome transition after spending a few days in such opulent luxury.

Read the rest of this article at Review: The St. Regis Rome.

Pros: Central location, large room relative to other Paris hotels, Westin Heavenly Bed.

Cons: Pricey, few common areas for relaxing at the end of the day, dark.

Walking in, the hotel has a courtyard that was under construction and a reception desk off to the right. It was underwhelming and a disappointment after spending a few days at the St Regis Rome and the Covo Dei Saraceni (reviews coming soon!) which both had exquisite common areas used frequently throughout the day for coffee, cocktails or just relaxing. Both days the Westin reception area was overcrowded with arriving guests and was being used as a staging area for corporate events.

The hotel restaurant The First offers breakfast for 40 euros. A little too steep for my budget so I can’t comment on the quality or service. I noticed the restaurant was bustling with activity in the morning and again at dinner.

The room was a standard hotel room, but large relative to other Paris and European hotel rooms, and featured a real king size bed. The bed and bedding were comfortable as you’d expect from a Westin. This was welcome after spending a few days on linen bedding at other hotels. The tub in the shower had a raised floor limiting height, so if you’re taller than 6 feet watch out!

There was a double door that led to a small gangway overlooking the street. In one direction was the Place Vendôme and the other a view straight into the Tuileries Garden.

A complimentary coffee or tea is offered per guest each day. Unfortunately that means calling room service, waiting and leaving a tip. The room service number never worked from my phone, I had to call the front desk each time to be connected to room service instead.

As a SPG Category 6 hotel at 20,000 points per night, I chose to pay cash as it’s certainly not worth that many points relative to the cash price. But if you can get a reasonable cash price and want to be centrally located to the tourist attractions and Paris fine (and expensive!) dining and shopping this hotel might be suitable for you.

Read the rest of this article at Review: The Westin Paris Vendôme.

The office is setup similar to the check-in counters at the airport.

The office is shared with a “It’s Easy” service center where you can obtain passport photos.

When I walked in, there was one agent working and she quickly took care of the two customers in front of me. She was then able to process my held reservation and apply the certificates and issue the tickets.  Some notes to remember about the certificates:

• If I didn’t use the full amount of these particular certificates, the agent would have re-issued me a new cert with the balance. The one year validity period would have restarted at that time.
• Vouchers are not transferable but you can present the voucher and purchase a ticket for someone else.
• I was buying two tickets, since my certs covered the whole cost of the first ticket, the total price of the first ticket was lowered since some of the taxes were removed. A nice added bonus! (except vouchers marked OU)

Overall a very easy and quick process. I was glad I didn’t have to take an extra trip to the airport, the location made the whole process simpler.

Read the rest of this article at American Airlines Manhattan Ticket Office.

Today it’s sweltering out, I just want something cool. I walk into the Emerald Coffee Shop, swipe my card and select a ready, freshly-made iced coffee and head straight back out. I didn’t wait in a long line, have to repeat my name three times to the barista (“Mmmmmm-eye-kah!”), or stand awkwardly near the crowded pickup area as people squeeze past. Instead I’m already half way down the street, cooled off and refreshed by my drink.

Last week, when it was a much cooler day outside, I walked in, performed the same quick swipe and walked out with a hot black coffee. Of course, they had lots of other options to choose from: lattes, cappuccinos, half-cafs, pour overs and more. But on that day, I just wanted a simple black coffee. And I got exactly what I wanted quickly and on my terms.

But I’m not always so boring. Another day I had a very early start, so I selected the red-eye iced coffee with a bit of half-and-half. The extra jolt of espresso under the hood gave me that boost I needed to go from 0 to 60 quickly. The half-and-half smoothed out the ride – no bitterness for me.

While I continue to dream that the Emerald Cafe exists, the Emerald Club from National Car Rental is free to join today. I’ve had three rentals in the past six weeks and it’s been great to try all sorts of cars. I selected a new Camry with leather seats and a USB charger for a long drive that required my phone to serve as my GPS. Having the ability to check cars on the Emerald Aisle for one with a USB port before selecting was very helpful. In Minneapolis, I selected a Volkswagen Passat. It was very roomy and had all the space we needed to drive family around on our long weekend stay. Another week, a brand new Ford Taurus with 11 miles on the odometer did the trick. It was nice to pull up to a client meeting in a brand new car.

The Emerald Club from National Car Rental gives me speed, choice and control whenever I travel.

If you’d like to make your next car rental this easy, join the Emerald Club today.

This post was sponsored by National Car Rental. All opinions are my own.

Read the rest of this article at Emerald Cafe.

After an easy connection in Charlotte, we arrived in MSP and spent the night at the Hyatt Place Airport South. The next morning we returned to the airport to pick up a rental car from National. With my Emerald Club membership I walked right past the counter and browsed all the cars on the aisle. My Citi Prestige provides Executive Status with Emerald Club so I looked up and down both aisles at the SUVs, sedans and even a pick-up truck that were available. When I walked back towards the front of the Executive Aisle I found Nancy already in the passenger seat of a nicely appointed Passat. I guess we had chosen a car!

Duluth is just over two hours from the Twin Cities. We had a relaxing drive up and stopped at Tobie’s in Hinkley to get one of their famous Cinnamon Rolls and a Caramel Roll. This would be the first of many treats in Minnesota that would make my clothes just a little tighter before my departure.

Duluth is a cute city with some very good food. This isn’t an exhaustive list or an in-depth review of any of the places listed, but I just wanted to mention a few good eats in case you’re looking for something when you’re next in Duluth. We visited:

Pickwick Restaurant & Pub
508 E Superior St
Duluth, MN 55802

A Duluth tradition, the Pickwick has been serving comfort food for over a century. While they have outdoor seating we opted to eat in the dining room overlooking Lake Superior both times we visited. We started with the walleye fingers which were light, crispy and delicious. I hadn’t had walleye before and I found it to be very delicate tasting without a lot of fishy-ness. It certainly wasn’t the fishy fried haddock I grew up on in upstate New York.

Then I indulged in the prime rib. It’s one of my favorite dishes if done right, but so many places do it badly. Luckily the Pickwick got it all right. It was a delicious piece with lots and lots of flavor.

We returned again another night and tried the deep fried hamburger and the walleye sandwich. The walleye was again excellent. Light, crispy and flavorsome. The deep fried hamburger, was novel, but not my cup of tea. The onion rings were tasty and salad a nice compliment to the heavier dishes.

At Sara’s Table – Chester Creek Cafe
1902 E. 8th Street
Duluth, MN 55812

Sara’s Table provides great comfort food. I’m going to sound like a broken record, but I had the walleye. I really enjoyed the light flavor and the simple breading both restaurants applied. Sara’s one up-ed their dish by providing a delicious wild rice risotto. (The photo doesn’t do the dish justice.)

New London Cafe
4721 E Superior St
Duluth, MN 55804

We popped in for a quick bite with the locals at this smaller diner. Breakfast was the usual staples of eggs, bacon and the like with a few twists thrown in like their cinnamon fritter french toast. I kept things simple and was pleased that my hash browns were actually browned. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to cook hashed-brown potatoes so they are crispy in all right places. New London Cafe prepared them perfectly.

While Duluth is probably off the beaten path for many of you, it’s a beautiful city with some great restaurants if you’re in the neighborhood.

Read the rest of this article at Good Eats in Duluth.

I took this flight last year in January, but not at the 01:30 departure time and I didn’t remember much about the quality of the aircraft (Boeing 777) or the impeccable service of the fourteen flight attendants on board.  This trip, I’m paying much closer attention, and am delighted at every detail Cathay Pacific puts into their business class service.

The boarding process was handled swiftly and each FA greeted onboarding passengers and served drinks while we settled into the small suite-like areas that were quite luxurious. Each “suite” came with a nice sized TV, a premium pillow and comforter, noise cancelling headphones and enough room to organize your belongings and stretch out on a fully reclining seat/bed for when it was time for shut-eye.

At take off I was exhausted, it was 1:30am after all, and I was quite full from having a late and delicious dinner at Momofuku in the East Village after the Reach for the Miles Meet-Up.  I passed on the dinner service, opting for sleep (advice from Fozz), so I could try to curtail any oncoming jet lag.

The fully reclining seat quickly turned into a super cozy bed making the 14:30 hour journey not only bearable, but enjoyable. The pillow provided support and the comforter was just warm enough.  I tossed a bit, but when I awoke at 8am EST I realized I must haven’t stirred that much as I managed to get in a full six hours of sleep. I awoke to a loud voice and wasn’t able to fall back to sleep.

I drank some juice and water (hydration advice from Mike), and applied some of the Jurlique lip balm from the useful amenity kit.  My dried out lips were instantly softened and I tried some of the face cream as well…fully hydrated.

I got up to stretch my legs and refill my water when I ran into a flight attendant delivering a fantastic looking hamburger.  Consulting the menu I saw that the burger was US prime beef with onion confit on a Kaiser roll and deemed a “snack”. It put any domestic business class service meal to shame and looked like something that just walked out of the kitchen at Minetta Tavern.  I was still too full to eat, damn!  Breakfast would have to be my meal and I decided to watch Mark Wahlberg in The Gambler before falling asleep again.

Cutlery gently clinking against china was the sound I awoke to, along with the smell of beef. I looked across the aisle and saw the girl in the adjacent seat polishing off the burger. The smell was divine, like salty perfume with a top note of pickle. I still wasn’t hungry, damn!  So I went to sleep again dreaming of breakfast and whether I’d choose beef congee or the avocado omelet.

When I awoke again I immediately looked at the clock on the remote and saw I’d logged another three hours! Then I smelled fragrant citrus floating through the cabin. Breakfast service was about to begin and I was ready, finally. It was still pitch black outside, but that was okay with me.

Breakfast came in three courses. The first was a fruit plate with cantaloupe, honeydew, berries and orange with a side of croissant and Bonne Mamman jam. Next was a cereal yogurt course, followed by the main. I chose the omelet that was a delicate blend of cheese, avocado and sautéed spinach with roasted tomatoes. A slice of bacon and a small potato gratin were on the side.  I found out that Cathay’s awesome Ceylon tea is their own brand.

The omelet was a fresh and flavorful, but didn’t come close to tasting the way the burger smelled. I’ll have to plan accordingly for the return flight!

Overall, Cathay Pacific’s Business Class service was splendid. There wasn’t anything to change. I’m looking forward to my return flight!

Read the rest of this article at Cathay Pacific Business Class JFK to Hong Kong.

This past weekend many of the UPGRD writers met in Los Angeles to discuss plans for the site for the year ahead.  Last Friday, while our own Kyle struggled to reach Los Angeles for our UPGRD meeting, I had an uneventful flight from Laguardia to Charlotte then onto Los Angeles. I even managed to escape the embarrassment of a faulty lock on the first class lav that made new friends out of many passengers.

After our meeting on Saturday and a great Reach for the Miles meetup at the Westin near LAX, I was scheduled to return from Los Angeles to New York on the 8am flight Sunday. I went to the boarding gate at 7:30am and I was one of the last people to board. (Why does AA board so early?!)

American A321T at LAX

Just as I sat down the gate agent announced over the aircraft PA, “We need five volunteers to take a later flight at 12:30pm. We are offering a $500 travel voucher.”

My head nearly hit the overhead bins as I leapt out of my seat and headed forward.

After a short wait for the flight to close, the gate agent processed my new boarding pass, travel credit voucher for the Voluntary Denied Boarding (VDB) and a breakfast coupon as well. Luckily Brad was still in town as he was staying for work. I opted to forgo the airport breakfast for a planespotter’s “brunch” at In-N-Out.

Important points about American Airlines Transportation Voucher Exchange Coupons:

• They are not replaced if lost – so treat them like cash
• It is not electronic and cannot be redeemed online
• In fact, they can only be redeemed at the airport or by mail after calling in
• Valid for one year from date of issue
• Vouchers are tax exempt (except vouchers marked OU)
• Vouchers are not transferable but you can present the voucher and buy a ticket for someone else

About an hour before the next flight I approached the gate and asked the new agent if they needed volunteers. She replied she did and the amount this time was $600; the catch: that the guaranteed seat was on the redeye nearly 11 hours later. Didn’t matter… sold!

As she took my boarding pass, she smirked and said “Oh you again?” I guess I’m not good at remembering faces.

I then headed to Brad’s hotel for some plane spotting, get some food and sight seeing. Overall it was a very profitable day. And I consider myself infinitely more lucky after seeing the number of stranded passengers sleeping in cots at JFK upon my arrival.

Qantas 747 Landing at LAX

Cots at JFK for stranded passengers

Read the rest of this article at A Silver Lining In The Clouds: Volunteering for a Bump.

Time to take a breather!

New Yorkers run busy lives and as a full-time freelancer it can get awfully difficult to maintain a professional schedule of lunch meetings, conference calls and general email follow-up. It seems like working on the go has become the norm.

This Friday was one of those days. I had a morning meeting in the Flatiron, a lunch meeting in Soho and then I needed to complete and email a report by 5pm. I thought I was going to have to take the L train back to my apartment in Brooklyn to finish the report, but Mike suggested I try Breather, a private workspace that is rented in thirty minute increments.

After my lunch I downloaded the app and logged on. Conveniently there were two locations in Soho on Broadway. One was booked, but the other (580 Broadway) was available. After reserving an hour slot at 4:30pm, I walked over and browsed in Zara for a few minutes. It’s next door!

The doorman said I could head up to the fifth floor after I showed him my phone reservation and before I knew it I was punching in the PIN number in the keypad lock on the door.

When I opened the door I was pleasantly surprised by a beautifully modern and spacious room. A great conference table similar to conference table in Singapore surrounded by chairs took up one half and the other had a comfy couch and chair, a charging station on a wicker end table, and a coffee table with a glass beaker filled with Tootsie Rolls.

I sat down and whipped out my report, then connected to WiFi, but didn’t know the secure password. I looked around the room and found an info poster with the password, along with other helpful info.

Thinking that I may need more time I tried to book another hour but was unable to. I called the 1-800 number on the info poster and was connected to a human! Wow! He said the space had been booked but that I could stay in the room until the cleaning custodian came sometime in the half hour in between reservations. Again, wow. They have the space cleaned after each reservation.

I would have liked to stay longer, but was able to get my work done and submitted on time. So, with a few minutes to spare, I enjoyed a few Tootsie Rolls and took a breather.

If you’d like to try breather, use this Breather promo code to get 1 hour free in any Breather location (and Mike will get a free hour after your first use).

Read the rest of this article at Breather: Rent a Private Workspace.

This property opened in 1989 and exhibits the typical design of that era: a themed entry, in this case a lush jungle filled with birds and tropical foliage, and then a walk through the casino to reach your room. However, don’t let the era it was built in fool you, the rooms have been upgraded and are well appointed. In addition, there are a large number of new restaurants that have been opened in the past few years. It feels like a new hotel.

I was assigned a Resort King on a mid floor. These rooms are large, with a king size bed and excellent pillows that were soft but supportive. The bed was comfortable and the room was quiet. Two important points in Vegas!

The MGM Mirage bathroom has a combo tub and shower along with hotel branded amenities. I was happy to see a curved shower rod to keep the shower curtain away from the tub area and provide more room while showering.

With it’s central location, good price and close proximity to other casinos on the strip MGM Mirage is an excellent option for your next trip to Las Vegas. I hopped on the train that connects the casino to Treasure Island and from there it’s a short walk across the street to the Venetian. The hotel is in walking distance of Caesars and Harrah’s. Other properties like Bellagio and Wynn are only a little farther up the road making a walk or cab ride easy.

Read the rest of this article at Review: The Mirage Las Vegas (Resort King).

From the parking lot it’s a very easy stroll into the Flight Center.

Alternatively if you come from JetBlue’s T5 terminal you can enter through the flight tube – which used to connect the checkin counters to the aircraft gates.

Once inside the architecture is amazing.

The building exhibits continuous curved surfaces that make this building unique. The ceilings curve down and become the walls, the walls curve down and become the floor. The departure board and information desk (pictured above) is one long curved surface from the table top curving up to the departure board itself.

“All the curves, all the spaces and elements right down to the shape of the signs, display boards, railings and check-in desks were to be of a matching nature. We wanted passengers passing through the building to experience a fully-designed environment, in which each part arises from another and everything belongs to the same formal world.”

— Eero Saarinen, 1959 from Architecture in the Twentieth Century by Gabriele Leuthäuser p250.

About a dozen people found us for the meetup. It’s always great to see new and old faces alike. Including one visitor who came up from D.C. to enjoy this iconic part of aviation.

As a tribute to the golden age of flying there was a couple dressed as a TWA pilot and stewardess.

There is still talk of the building being converted into a hotel but this was also said last year and nothing has transpired. It would be nice if this building was open more often, but we will have to see what happens. If you’re in New York next October, keep an eye out on the Open House New York website to see if this building will be open again.

Read the rest of this article at Another visit to the TWA Flight Center at JFK T5.

Use my Breather promo code to get 1 hour free in any Breather location (and I get a free hour for the referral after your first use).

The Breather app is fairly straight forward, either search for a time and location or use the map to zoom in on a preferred location and see what times are available.

You can choose a location from the map and see the room description and available times on the calendar.

On the day of my visit I signed in with the doorman and went up to the designated suite. Once at the suite, I logged into the Breather app and used the “check in” function to begin my reservation and, more importantly, get the unlock code.

In this case there are three Breathers in this location, each has a combination lock on the door. Once inside information is provided (on the wall) indicating the wifi password and where the bathrooms are located.

The rooms are clean and functional offering a table with chairs and a couch in this particular room. I’ve found these rooms to be very helpful in New York not just for meetings but for having a quiet place to make phone calls away from office and street noise.

The spaces range in size, this one is suitable for up to eight people. Some are smaller so you need to check the capacity in the app.

In addition to books for reading there is a yoga mat for relaxing. Just remember to breath…er.

Overall these rooms are competitively priced and easy to access. I hope they continue to add new locations uptown and grow into other markets.

Have you used a Breather or similar shared office? Where do you work when you’re away from your hotel?

Read the rest of this article at Breather: Office Space for Rent by the Hour.

By BriYYZ from Toronto, Canada (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Delta only has 16 747-400’s left in their fleet. And the 747 is dwindling in numbers at all airlines worldwide. Only a few airlines have ordered the newer 747-8I including Lufthansa, Air China, and Korean. It will be sad to see fewer “Queen of the Skies” around most airports over the coming decade.

Would you go out of your way to fly Delta’s 747 in the next couple of years? What’s your favorite aircraft type?

Read the rest of this article at Delta Retiring Their Boeing 747s by 2017.

Overall, it’s an impressive cabin. With In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) at every seat and seating for just 102 passengers, boarding should be quick and over head luggage space plentiful. These planes will use Gogo’s upgraded air-to-ground (ATG4) Wi-Fi throughout the cabin.

First Class

With United’s removal of First Class from their United p.s. aircraft, American will be the only carrier to provide three classes of service on this route. The private, spacious lie-flat seats have aisle access at every seat.

Passengers are provided Bose QuietComfort 15 headsets
(not pictured) for use with the 15.4″ touch screen IFE system.

As with Business Class, First Class passengers can reserve their meal before the flight. In addition, First Class passengers can experience American’s curb-to-curb experience with Flagship Check-in in New York and LAX and relax at the Admiral’s club or Flagship lounge.

Flagship Check-In Entry

Flagship Check-In Desk

Flagship Check-in connects directly to the Pre-Check TSA lanes outside this door.

Business Class

The Business Class cabin is outfitted with 20 lie-flat seats side-by-side in a 2×2 arrangement. The seats are spacious and slightly staggered for privacy and nearly identical to United’s international Business Class seating. Business Class travelers can also reserve a specific meal before the flight.

Business Class bulkhead foot well is slightly shallower than
the other foot wells, but not by much.

Economy Class

Due to the large First Class and Business Class cabins, there are relatively few economy seats compared to other planes this size. The Main Cabin (Economy) is equally divided between 36 seats in Main Cabin Extra (with 35″ of legroom) and regular Main Cabin seating (with 31″ of legroom). All seats feature a 8.9″ seat back IFE systems. Each seat is equipped with a USB plug and universal AC power outlet.

Main Cabin bulkhead seats have a lot of legroom due to the emergency exit door. However the seat width is slightly limited by the fixed armrest for the pivoting IFE TV.

Ample legroom at the exit row in the first row of the Main Cabin.

The cabin is as modern, spacious, and comfortable as any Economy Class seating can be. I find the seats to be better padded and a little more comfortable than the seating on Virgin America.

Galley

The entire cabin is well designed and very comfortable. It will be interesting to see whether the three cabin layout captures additional business on this competitive route. JetBlue is now installing lie-flat seats branching out from their Economy only model. Delta is also providing lie-flat seats in BusinessElite on this route and improved service and offerings in the air and on the ground. To compete with this, American is offering extra miles on this route from January 7th to March 31st, 2014. The likely loser in this war is Virgin America. Their recliner first class seating is far behind any of the other competitors. It will be interesting to see how this market evolves over the next 24 months.

Read the rest of this article at American Airlines New Airbus A321T.

Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions.

They will permit greater use of electronic devices from take off to landing as long as cellular devices are in “airplane mode”. Passengers can use hand-held devices such as e-readers, tablets and smartphones. But changes to this policy will not happen immediately, it will vary by airline on their specific policies and timeline.

Read the rest of this article at FAA Allows Use of Smartphones During Take Off and Landing.

The terminal captures the space-aged mindset of the late 50s when Saarinen was commissioned to design the structure. With sweeping arches and cloud-like interior — it epitomized the jet-age. His design was very detailed from the grandness of the open space to the detail in the 5 million tiny porcelain tiles covering the building.

Upon entering the terminal you are in the lower lobby where the lines of the reception desk meld continuously with the arcs of the departures board. It’s one giant swoop.

I got photobombed! 

After passing the information desk, at the top of the steps is the upper lobby area with the signature bright red lounge. In 1962, when the terminal opened (and long before T5 was built) the satellite terminals were very close. This lounge, and really any window in the building, provided amazing views of the aircraft and runways. Now, unfortunately, all you see is T5.

The couches have been reupholstered during the renovations over the past few years. They are soft and comfortable as you sink into them. They are far better than the current hard plastic seats with armrests found in almost every airport now. There was no concern about people sleeping on these couches when this terminal was designed.

Up the stairs is the first class Ambassador lounge. The lounge featured Eames love seats and a Noguchi fountain.

Glass on either side of the Ambassador Club entrance door

Ambassador Club Desk

The fountain and Eames love seats have not been renovated. With the rumored plans for the terminal to be converted to a boutique hotel it’s not certain what will become of this area.

After a nice stay I departed through the “flight tube” which would have taken you to a satellite for your departing flight. Today the flight tube connects with the new T5 in the baggage claim area near carousel 6.

It’s a wonderful terminal. I really felt a connection to the history of the terminal, the excitement of flying, the dawn of the jet age and a fascination for the incredible architecture it represents. Hopefully they’ll have another open house next year, or if it is converted to a hotel they will keep many of these great features.

Read the rest of this article at TWA Flight Center – JFK Terminal 5.

American has fees associated with changes to an award and redepositing the miles for most members.  The explanation of the fees is explained in a fairly dense description on the aa.com website. I’ve highlighted the basic facts here to (hopefully) make it easier to read. The main exception is that the fees are waived for Executive Platinum (EXP) members using miles from their own account. See the table below for a breakdown by status level:

The most confusing fee above is probably the last one. The strange wording of “original booking date” has some people confused. This was simply to stop people booking awards outside the 21 day window and then calling back the next day to move the departure to within 21 days avoiding the $75 fee shown in the first row above. Otherwise, if the departure date is after 21 days from the original booking date, then date changes are provided at no charge.

Read the rest of this article at Changing or Canceling an American Airlines Award.