I'm dancing as fast as I can.

So we've all seem those old westerns where the Mexican Banditos start shooting into the ground as they shout "Dance, meester." Well, I'm here to tell you it's all true. I've just completed my third MHD in 20 days and boy do my feet hurt. (No bullet holes at least.)

But I learned an astounding amount of stuff, which I will post here over the next several days. Not being as organized as some I didn't really keep notes -- not like I had the time in any case. So I'll just post the highlights as I remember them. They'll be in no particular order, and they'll appear as additional posts as time allows.

Some are informative, some are amusing, some are just observations. And some are crucial.

Just for interests sake, here are the flight itineraries:

MHD #2 (for 2001)
YVR-YYZ
YYZ-ORD
ORD-DTW
DTW-ORD
ORD-BWI
ORD-DTW
DTW-ORD
ORD-GDL
GDL-MEX
MEX-ORD
ORD-YYZ
YYZ-YVR

MHD #3
YVR-LAX
LAX-GDL
GDL-SFO
SFO-YVR

MHD #4
YVR-YYZ
YYZ-ORD
ORD-CLE
YUL-ORD
ORD-MEX
mex-gdl
gdl-ord
(mex-gdl flight cancelled - above two segments replaced with: )
MEX-ORD
ORD-YYZ
YYZ-YVR

You may notice some unusual "dis-connects" -- welcome to my world.


Punching holes in runways.

I don't really know why -- perhaps there's a competition on amongst pilots. Or maybe it's just the P.O.'d CP pilots. But on most of the flights on these 3 trips we experienced particularly hard landings, especially on the nose gear. And landing in ORD, MEX, and YYZ over the last two days has been quite exciting what with high winds and lots of turbulence. The topper was the landing in YVR tonight -- technically, the flight should probably qualify for three segments.


Aren't we special!

Landing in ORD from MEX early this afternoon, I was dismayed to see a large plane load of people enter the long tunnel just ahead of me. I was even more dismayed when I saw the huge crowd already in the customs hall. I solemnly took my place at the end of one of the lines for foreigners. It was disheartening to see the short lines for "US CITIZENS AND PERMANENT RESIDENTS".

There was an agent there pulling people out of the short lines who shouldn't have been there. She then started shouting "US citizens, permanent residents, and Canadian Passport holders -- over here!" Huh?! Don't ask questions, just quickly move to the nearest short line and shut yur yap.

A couple of minutes later I was being processed. I asked the agent if this was normal, or if it was only because of the huge lineups. He told me it's what they usually do.

So next time consider yourself some time savings. Keep in mind that nothing is in writing, and by the time that info is in your possession it's third hand.


You can't get there from here.

Many of my trips are changed midway, or made up on the fly. (Where am I going? I'll know when the plane lands.) On MHD #2 I was on a ship that was delayed, and was out of the cel-phone coverage area. Being on a J ticket, no problem of course. When I get back to land I'll just reschedule my ORD-MEX-GDL... segments for the next morning.

Only you can't book an AC flight number from the US to Mexico -- the flight has to start in Canada. It would have been OK if I'd changed the flights before the scheduled departure, but after that my entire itinerary disappeared.

So there I was at 1am in the Four Points at ORD, listening to the SE agent trying to figure out how to re-book the ORD-MEX segment on AC flight numbers. She asks someone else, and the solution is simple. Book YYZ-ORD-MEX, then cancel the YYZ-ORD segment.

But the earliest YYZ-ORD segment won't get me to ORD in time to make the originally planned 8:20am ORD-MEX flight, so she can only book me on the 1:05pm flight, thus messing up the rest of my flights. She suggests going to the airport early and seeing if I can get on the earlier flight as a standby. I heeded her advice and was successful.

It occurs to me later that maybe we could have booked the preferred itinerary for a several days later, adjusted out the YYZ-ORD segment, then change the date back. In any case the moral is clear -- do not under any circumstance let your US and/or Mexican segments lapse.


Watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat.

Hey wait. No rabbit. Where'd it go?

It would appear that if you make any change to your itinerary -- different flights, different dates, different seats, whatever -- you points for that segment will not be posted. Doesn't matter how small the change. Doesn't matter how many times you ask different people to re-insert your FF number on the PNR. Doesn't matter if they engrave your FF number down the entire length of the plane in 3 foot high digits -- it ain't gonna happen. Keep your boarding passes.


You pays yo' money, and you takes yo' chances...

...but not necessarily in that order. The MEX departure "tax" is still hit and miss. I got dinged once out of two trips, and even that once I almost didn't get charged. It appears to only happen at MEX, not GDL, and apparently not anywhere else either. It also appears to have something to do with how long you are in MEX.

I arrived in MEX at about 6pm on Saturday evening, connecting to an 8:25pm flight to GDL. That flight was cancelled, eventually, so I was rebooked right back to ORD from MEX, the next morning. Even though I had received my boarding pass the previous night, I had to present myself for the document check -- passport, etc. It was at this point I was dinged. Had I proceeded to GDL the previous evening, I would not have had to pay.


Will that be in US dollars, or in real money?

If you think you going to be hit with the departure tax, make sure you have money -- they don't take credit cards. Better still, make sure you have Mexican money -- pesos. I only had US dollars, and the charge was USD$33.50. Later on in the plane, I noticed I was given a receipt for 170 pesos.

Given that a US dollar is approximately worth 10 pesos, well, check out the math. I'm also a little sceptical about them not taking credit cards, though they did give me a fairly official receipt that was a carbon copy of the portion they kept. I guess if you're going to do MHDs on a regular basis, it would pay to keep a few hundred pesos handy.


That's it for now... more to follow.

[This message has been edited by Ken hAAmer (edited 04-09-2001).]

Thanks for the fine details Ken!

------------------
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BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2001: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html

Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
flyers'places - restaurant, bar & hotel recommendations: http://www.flyersplaces.com

Ken: You should get double miles for that last trip.

Thanks for the advice.

As always . . . priceless !

------------------
Got points. Got smiles.

Great trip reports, Ken!

This is similar to what happened to me in MIA in Feb. While I was lined up in the Foreigners line, I asked an INS agent who was standing near me if this was the line for Canadians. He told me "no, you can go to the US Citizens line". Then off I went to the shorter US Citizens line. As the agent was processing my passport he told me "This is supposed to be for US Citizens only". I said "I was told to use this line". He didn't say anything afterwards, and let me through. I guess it's hit and miss with the INS! All the staff in MIA aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed, so perhaps it's better in ORD

So here I am, stuck in the middle with...

...out anywhere to go.

As I mentioned earlier, I arrived in MEX about 6pm Saturday evening, with an 8:25 connection to GDL where I intended to spend the evening. I, and everyone else dutifully boarded the mobile lounge about 8pm, and waited. And waited. And waited. During the course of the wait, several announcements were made in Spanish only. But one of the gate agents sought me out after most of the announcements to tell me they were waiting for a pilot. And waiting. And waiting.

About 8:50pm, they asked everyone to get off the mobile lounge as the pilot still hadn't shown up, and they now needed the gate for another flight. The same gate agent recommended I head back to the lounge, which seemed to be closing as I entered a few minutes before 9pm.

I explained the situation to the agent and she made a phone call. She then explained she would come and get me when the flight was boarding, but, the flight might be cancelled altogether. She also explained that if this was the case, I would be given a hotel voucher, and dinner and breakfast vouchers.

And it came to pass that nothing came to pass. The flight was cancelled and I was sent to the "information" counter. Given that a flight to LAX had also just been cancelled there was quite a line up. Everyone was in good spirits and quite friendly however, with a few people "helping" me as I don't speak any (well, much, anyway) Spanish. I wasn't having any difficulty -- these people were just trying to be friendly and helpful. (BTW, that generally sums up my experiences with everyone I meet in Mexico -- a very friendly and gracious culture, in a word, civilized.)

After about 15 minutes, I was greeted by Eunice, who took amazing pains to take care of me. She escorted me from counter to counter, acted as my advocate when the ticketing people said they couldn't put me on an MX flight to ORD as this was an AC ticket, got me a voucher for a "better" hotel, and made sure I understood exactly what I was supposed to do. Not only was I very impressed the whole time I felt like I was in an Allstate Farms Insurance commercial -- "in good hands."

As I was supposed to depart GDL for ORD at 8am the next morning, and as they couldn't get me to GDL before about 10am, they agreed to put me on the direct MEX-ORD flight the next morning at 7:55am. It still left late.


In good company.

Using "good" in the loosest sense. I put MEX right up there with ORD and YYZ -- places you'd give your seatmate's right arm to avoid, but can't. So many valid MHD routings take one through/to MEX, yet amongst all my MX dealings it's the only problem. Surly staff (although not nearly so as YYZ,) endemic flight delays and cancellations (but not as bad as ORD,) seemingly endless walks from one gate to another, and general confusion caused in large part by not announcing the gate number for any flight until 30 minutes (sometimes only 20 minutes) before departure, by which time boarding should already have begun. Doesn't really matter though, 'cause there's no chance the flight will depart on time.

On MHD #2 I connect through MEX on GLD-MEX-ORD. I went to the lounge and was told the flight to ORD and gate number would be announced. About 20 minutes before scheduled departure it was -- gate 28 -- the furthest possible gate, and a good 10 minute fast walk. The lounge agent cleverly arranged for a golf cart, and I was there in about 3 minutes.

Where I found an empty gate. No people, no agent, no plane. Well maybe I just got here faster than everyone else, because people started arriving shortly thereafter. Still no agent though.

After several minutes an agent appears and starts setting the sign behind the counter LACSA flight #xxx to LAX. What?!?! It's now 6 minutes to scheduled departure and I'm clearly at the wrong gate. I check the monitors to find that the plane is still "Tiempo" -- on time -- only at gate 19, right accross from the lounge and still a 10 minute walk. I blast back as fast as I can. When I finally arrive at gate 19, which is right beside an MX info counter, I shout out "CHICAGO???" because it's not clear whether it's 19A, 19B, 19C, and so on.

The information guy tells me it's been delayed an hour. What the f...!!! Back to the lounge I go where I found a most apologetic agent. I'm still pissed of, but I guess it's not his fault. He seemed to be pretty meticulous about checking the flight.

When the flight again pops up on the screen, he calls the gate and insists they call him back when they actually start boarding. It's only a 90 second walk, so I should be OK. When the time comes I head to the gate and immediately board the ubiquitous mobile lounge. And wait. And wait. And wait. Eventually we get to the plane and board. And wait. And wait. And wait. We eventually land at ORD 2 hours late. Thankfully I have an afternoon flight back to YYZ, so I can sleep in.


Deja vu, all over again.

My MHD #3 connection in MEX has already been partially covered, but the most obvious thing was the "waits." Waiting for the gate announcement, waiting for the arrival of the mobile lounge, waiting to board the lounge, waiting on the lounge, and if you're lucky, waiting on the plane. If you're not so lucky, waiting at the information counter to get rebooked on another flight.

If at all possible, avoid MEX. Even the first flights of the day aren't certain to depart anywhere close to on time. Huge crowds, long line-ups, and the departure tax "crap shoot" all make this a solitary blot on an otherwise fine airline and country.


Smoking or non-smoking?

As others have mentioned, there are two available *A lounges at MEX. One is on the airside in the international terminal near gate 19. The other is on the landside of the domestic terminal, in the "A" section at the far (domestic) end of the airport.

The international lounge is small but attractive, cozy even. The problem is that while they have smoking rooms, the whole place is considered a smoking area, contrary to the signs. It also doesn't take many people to make you feel like you're in the economy section of a fully loaded 757.

The domestic lounge is much nicer, but potentially a very long walk from your gate. (When you exit the baggage claim or customs area, turn left and keep walking until you see a huge "Wings Restaurant" sign up high. Then take the escalator up and turn right.) It has a room full of high speed internet terminals, fax machines, printers, etc -- all the usual business centre stuff. It's also much larger, seems to have a better selection of beverages -- soft and hard -- and snacks. There are two televisions that can be set to different channels. And while I'm not sure why, there seems to be no smoke.

Unless you're pressed for time, or confined in the international terminal, I highly recommend the domestic lounge over the international.


Like a cruise, only faster.

I've never taken a cruise but everyone I know mentions one particular characteristic -- non-stop food. That's what an MHD is like -- if you're doing it in J (which is the only way, given the minimal additional cost) you get a full meal on pretty much every segment. And the food's been excellent, especially on the MX flights. And it's been pretty good on AC too of late.

Yesterday it was chicken tamales for breakfast, complete with an earthy and very delicious 3-chili sauce, complete with a fresh fruit plate, lots of fresh breads and rolls, and plenty of juice. On AC's ORD-YYZ flight I had an excellent chicken fajita (which was quite appropriate for a Mexican Hat Dance, even though the crew knew nothing of it) and a tasty walnut square for desert. And on YYZ-YVR last night it was a tasty smoked salmon salad with an OK (not great, but not bad) chicken and rice dish. (My seat mate -- he had the duck.)

I've had a few smoked salmon salads on MX as well of late, and it usually comes with an exotic (but Kraft quality and packaging) lemon vinegarrete dressing. MX has recently "upgraded" their J class food, and given that it was pretty good before they now have a pretty good selection of tasty meals.


Watch me make this rabbit disappear.

Did I say rabbit? Sorry, I meant glass.

What gives? Does someone at AC have a grudge against liquid refreshments. "Beverage service" now seems to be one, and only one, glass of the beverage of your choice before the meal, your choice of coffee, tea, or wine with meal, one beverage after the meal, and a glass of water before landing. (Of late, they've even been announcing that approximate schedule of dispensing.)

But come on -- you're sitting in a tube full of highly dehumidified air. It gets a might dry up there. Every other airline, including UA and MX, offer their J passengers non-stop re-fills of the beverage of your choice. You don't ask for it, the FA asks you. On AA I remember often falling asleep to half a glass of orange juice and awaking to find a full fresh glass of juice, and maybe some tea sandwiches or cookies to boot.

But on AC, especially last night on YYZ-YVR, it seemed the crew just couldn't wait to clear the cabin. Even with a � full glass of juice, I was repeatedly asked if I was finished with it. While I appreciate the efficiency of the crew and their desire to keep a clean cabin, give me a break. I'm thirsty. If I had my way, they'ed run a hose from the dispensing machine to my seat. It's not like the stuff is expensive. I'd guess that the average passenger that has wine and an after dinner drink consumes more dollars than I do in pop and/or juice.

Yeah I know you can always ask for more. But it seems such a hassle, both to me and the FA, especially after the MX FA comes around every several minutes and offers me a refill. Even on Southwest the FA plopped down the entire can of ginger ale and a plastic cup. And then a second can.

Maybe some bean counter is confusing liquid beverages with liquid fuel.


"Soylent Green is people! It's people!"

At one time, I used to wonder why AC employees wore green. Then I came to understand. When I asked them their name (as they didn't wear name tags) I always got a response like "gate agent, 149." I usually expected that "name" to be followed up by something like "Model 1-231889-010, Rev. E., manufactured 1972. Next service due in 19 days 4 hours." (BTW, they only time I ever asked anyone for their name was to be able to thank them for good service, preferably with a letter to AC. With CP, e-mail was fast, efficient, and effective.)

So I was quite surprised to find out on ORD-YYZ yesterday that "green" is people. They do have names. And now, they even have name tags. I thought it was a nice touch, and it really did make them seem more human.

They were also very friendly. We had an amusing little chat about why I would fly home to Vancouver from Chicago via Toronto when there was a direct flight. I of course then had to explain that I wasn't flying ORD-YYZ-YVR. I was actually flying ORD-MEX-GDL-ORD-YYZ-YVR.

But I notice nobody in YYZ wore name tages. Sorta like that disclaimer on old "Dragnet" reruns. Yeah, you know the one.


Still more to come...

[This message has been edited by Ken hAAmer (edited 04-09-2001).]

Thanks Ken, in ORD, it has always been like that. Canadians can go through the US Citizens line and as well as the Aussies. This has been the case since I was a child. I don't think it applies to all the U.S. airports, but sometimes they do it when there are long waiting lines. I know in HNL they don't do it but when the lines are too long, they will. I don't know about MIA. From the INS agent words according to FlyerAl's post, I think it's a common practice that Canadians can use the fast track line but the agent who later questionned FlyerAl is probably new to the job or less experienced.

Thanks Ken!

Ken -- great trip reports.

I am about to embark on an (extended) MHD, starting tomorrow, when I leave Aktau and begin a trip that will take me through twelve cities in five countries in thirteen days on five airlines. (My return to LHR starts in CUN and will be straight through CUN-MEX-LAX-YVR-YYC-YYZ-YOW...train to YYZ...YYZ-YUL-LHR, without a night to sleep. Whew!)

Your tips about transiting through MEX will certainly be useful! Sure glad I decided to stay two nights in CUN to (a) rest up from the travel through MEX and (b) to rest up for the travel through MEX. :grin:

SkinnyJ

The Neverending Story continues...

Two strikes, and you're out!

A few months ago I came up with a personal rule, and it has served me well. An airline gets one chance only to post a revised departure time for a delayed flight. So if my Sunday 14:45 ORD-YYZ UA flight is delayed until 15:00, as it was -- OK, no problem. But once they changed it again to 15:40 (coincidentally 5 minutes before the AC 15:45 flight) that's it -- they're toast. "Gimme back my 16 dollars." And off load my baggage. I'm outta here!

It seems not to have failed me yet. I don't mind a delay if they realistically know for certain when the plane will really depart. But once they start the creeping delays, it's clear to me that they either expect an unacceptably long delay and they're trying to hide it, or they have no idea when it will depart.

Not only that, by 3:40pm, they will have lost their take-off slot, and possibly landing slot as well, so they'll end up arriving even later, waiting at both ends of the flight.

And that 3:40 departure? Well, I changed to the AC 15:45 flight and boarded it, and the UA plane was still at the gate when we pushed back. I later checked the flight status online, and found the AC flight departed 4 minutes early and landed 1 minute early. The UA flight departed 2 hours 9 minutes late, and arrived 2 hours late, 8 minutes before my connection to Vancouver.

One life, one poster.� One flight, one delay.

�Obscure reference to a little know facet of the purest true MHDs, understood only by the most devout practitioners, and formerly only available in Latin.


LAX nuthin! These people are efficient.

Different strokes, different folks. Fisch's MHD really went south in LAX. There were a ton of problems, and after reading his trip report, I made sure to be at the aiport extra early.

But I needn't have worried. As I walked into the terminal and approached the MX counters, an MX employee came up to me, directed me to the correct line, asked me a few security questions and checked my "documents" -- passport in this case. I checked in in record time, and was directed to the lounges.

The problem for me was not finding them, but deciding which one I wanted. (You'll see an elevator as you walk towards security -- the elevator is straight ahead, security and gates are to the right. Go up.)

No, the problem was deciding which of about 5 *A lounges to use. I eventually decided upon the ANA lounge, just because it was the first one I came to. A small quiet lounge, pleasant enough, with a small selection of beverages and snacks, but not much else. I was surprised when the attendant brought me a hot towel. I gather that the lounge is only open for a few hours before the 11:25 departure of the ANA flight to Japan. No problem for me. I was only there long enough to suck back an O.J.

Off to the gate, where the was a large crowd of people. The agents had the situation well in hand however, and shortly after I arrived started making announcements in both Spanish and fluent, accent-free English.

I presented my boarding pass when the time came, along with my INSPASS I-94 form. To my surprise and for the first time ever, the gate agent knew exactly what it was and what she was supposed to do with it! (I know that, 'cause she explained it to a coworker while I was standing there.) Never before has that happened, regardless of the carrier. This woman clearly had her act together.

Don't know what to make of the different experiences I had vs. Fisch, but I guess it's the same old, same old -- good days and bad days. Flight took off on time.


Screwed!

I've posted this previously, but want to include it here for completeness. The baggages sizers on the X-ray machines at YVR are now screwed in place. I guess in a way we are too now.

It wouldn't be so bad if the cut little notches in the bottom, and rounded the top edge slightly, as UA does. That way little things like handles or zippers would get by. The prefectly rectangular shape of the cutout effectively reduce the usuable dimensions by 1-2" in both depth and width.

And compared to MX's baggage sizers, well, yowzers!

At YYZ they nonchalantly lifted the sizer several inches for me. I only needed about �" but they weren't taking any chances.


This section is closed.

Yeah, that's what I thought too. I mean, how do you close a section of a plane.

Nevertheless, on AC 142 from YVR-YYZ (an A330) the "mini-J" cabin (between the two gallies, 2 rows of 2-2-2) was "closed." Don't know why, but it was.

The main J cabin was filled, and some people standing by for an upgrade were turned down. I arrived after boarding started, so rather than join in on the cattle drive, I sat back and waited for boarding to almost complete. They were handing back certificates and apologizing.

Boarding late also meant there was no bin space for my carry on. An FA suggested I put it in the other cabin, again telling me that that cabin was "closed."

Seemed bizarre to me that they would deny people upgrades when they were entitled to them (and "entitled" is the correct word) and they were available. Perhaps they didn't order enough meals? Still coach food in a J seat would be worth a certificate to me. (More on this "closed" business later.)


What's on the telly? Looks like a penguin.

On some MX J class flights, they issue personal video players and movies. I finally figured out which flights. (Reading the pamphlet will do that.)

"Daylight" flights, over 3:30 long get the movies. There's a selection of 6 recent Hollywood releases. A reasonable selection, but more "Hollywood dreck" than I'd prefer. Still, it's nice to have it.

But on one ORD-GDL flight, departing at 8:45 am which is certainly daylight in my book) there were no movies -- quite a disappointment for me. The reason give was that the plane overnighted in ORD, and there was noone there to take care of the movies and players. Uh, sure. Oh well.

I looked forward to a movie ont he GDL-SFO segment, but it departed just after dark, so again, no movie. Fooey.

On my last MHD, the LAX-GDL flight did not qualify, being less than 3:30. But the FA just winked and said "I'm flexible." Bonus!

Some of the movies I've watched were "Gladiator" -- blockbuster in the Ben Hur tradition, "Almost Famous" -- great little movie, "Lucky Numbers" -- a silly but pleasant diversion, and "Red Planet" -- a dreadfully awful and unfunny alleged religious comedy about a bunch of the most beligerent, obnoxious, stupid, and undisciplined morons ever to pollute the big screen, sent on a mission to save the Earth. We're all gonna die.


What's on the telly? Penguins II.

This is when I decided to write my "corporate deafness" tirade. No announcement was made about the videos starting in J class, so I just kept trying to turn mine on. After many attempts, I started asking FAs if the videos had been started yet. They kept telling me that they would check, but I never heard back. I even asked the lead a second time about the videos. His response after I confirmed that mine was not working was to turn to my seatmate and ask if he'd like more coffee. Pzzzzt!

About this time, I realized that other passengers were in fact watching the personal TVs. I looked around the cabin, but as expected all seats were taken. That's it, I'm outta here -- there's always that "closed" section. I'll just meander back there and make myself comfortable. I did, and the TV worked. I settled in.

A while later the lead noticed me back there, and came back to tell me that there would be no service as that section was closed. (He didn't seem to have a problem with me being there, however.) I replied that that was OK, at least I'd have a TV. He explained to me how to turn it on. Well, yeah. I already tried that.

He went, I presume to check, and returned a short while later to inform me that my TV (and my former seatmates) were the only ones not working. He relented on the service issue, and brought me an OJ. He checked in on me a few times throughout the flight. But being ignored in such an obvious fashion sure steamed me. Enough to start an FT thread en route.

It was kinda weird being all by myself. Except I wasn't quite. There were 2 FA's back there, enjoying a comfortable ride and a nice meal. For the longest time (several hours) they just talked. I presumed they were deadheading.

Only they weren't. Towards the end of the flight they would occaisionally respond to a call button. And just before landing the took part in the cabin clean up. Before landing, they disappeared, I guess to the FA seats. Weird.


Where to stay along the way.

At MEX there are two hotels in the airport. The Hilton with a weekend internet rate of $125/night and a corporate rate of $165, and a Marriott with a weekend rate of $99. (Didn't check beyond that as I was there on a Saturday.) MX ended up putting me up at Holiday Inn affiliate in the Aeropuerto Plaze. The "Plaza" appears to be a compound for tourists and/or business travellers. A pleasant place with a swimming pool and garden in the central courtyard, 24 hour buffets, and fairly modest rooms.

I was pretty tired by the time I got to the hotel (23:30) so I just ordered room service and found a rerun of a recent Saturday Night Live. Wherever you stay in an airport hotel, take earplugs. Especially in places like MEX where 3am flights are the norm. And soundproofing a rarity.

There is also a hotel attached to GDL via an overhead walkway. Formerly a Holiday Inn it is now the Hotel Casa Grande Aeropuerto. When it was a Holiday Inn they had AAA rate of about $65. They've since had delusions of granduer and are now charging $100-$145 a night. It looks OK, but seems pretty empty. Not surprising at that rate.


I've become a marked man.

For the third time in a row, I've "pressed the button" and it's come up red -- referred to secondary inspection. No problems though, the inspections are cursory and quick, and the inspectors friendly and helpful to the point of helping you repack. But as I've said before, don't even thing about any funny business in MEX. Get caught (and you very well might) and you're hosed. Big time.

MEX now has new kiosks -- for reading the customs declaration card. Like those multiple choice examinations you took has a child, you have to fill in a bunch of numbered circles. You insert it in the kiosk, and the kiosk gives you the Green or Red signal.


Random thoughts.

RCC lounges have those black telephones with the credit card slot on the right side. But here's a trick -- local calls are free. There's even a data jack on the left side. Just plug in your modem and dial as normal. Doesn't even need a 9 in front of the number.

ORD lounges close at 10pm, which is strange given how busy the place is well after that hour.

Those MX 757 J seats have more room than any other J I've been in, save for the big CP/AC seats. MX 320s are OK, 727s a bit tight.

Expect your connections to take longer in MEX and GDL, and perhaps elsewhere. Mobile lounges are very common, and can waist up to 30 minutes.

RCC lounge agents are very helpful. But don't confuse them with the "guards" at the entrance -- they don't do anything but check admission credentials.

The LAX Westin is a great place to stay for LAX stopovers or overnight layovers. A good room can often be had for $79/nt.

Limit your MHDs to 3 a month, or less. They can wear you out in a hurry, especially if anything goes wrong.

There are new concierges in ORD, and they are very eager to please. Call on them. It makes their day, even if you just say hi.

Life is good.

Thanks Ken! Wisdom and thoughts from the master.

Geez Ken. You are going to put Arthur Murray out of business teaching dancing.

N ice update, KH. Your experience at LAX with MX was similar to mine. Too many helpful staff to direct me to the right counter, etc. Guess I missed the ANA Lounge. Seemed to me like all the open ones were oneworld alliance members the night I passed through. I agree the MX 757s have the best J seats I've experienced in a long while, save for the 763s with CP metal. (Movie on my overnight into MEX was "Ballad of Digger Vance", which has now been playing on just about every flight this past two months! Played on main screen, no personal videos on MX flights for me.)

As for the second A330 J cabin, I was having the same thoughts on my flight between YUL and FRA. We were given the first row in Hospitality, left side and the cabin in front was empty, all the Js being accommodated in the front one. Until the FAs spotted a couple of friends in the back of the plane and invited them into the private enclave for the trip. Maybe AC now has its own version of UA's employee class. Don't think the main J cabin was full Saturday night.

Whoops. I thought I was done with this thread, but I missed a couple of things. 2am posting will do that.

The first is a clarification about being ignored by AC FAs. I wasn't ignored after I moved to the mini-J cabin, although I wouldn't have bothered me to have been. No, I was steamed about the responses to my fourth request about the TVs -- the one where the lead simply offered my seatmate more coffee. That's were I was ignored.

More important is something else I learned along the way. I spoke of changing to the AC 3:45 flight on ORD-YYZ after the UA 2:45 flight was delayed until 3:00 and then 3:40. What I forgot was my concern about my connection to YVR remaining intact.

When I checked in with UA, I was re-re-re-assigned seat 1G, even though I had several times previously received 3D. (The significance of this will become apparent in a moment.) When the creeping/rolling delays began, I hussled over to the AC/Star Alliance counter in T2 and asked to change flights.

I then asked the agent if my YYZ-YVR connection would be OK, and was assured it would be. Being paranoid about these things, I called the SE desk a few minutes before the ORD departure and checked with them as well. The also assured me there would be no problem. So I got on the plane and flew to YYZ.

We landed on time, and marched the 20km hike to Customs. (Did I say km? I meant minutes. Must have been a Freudian slip.) Upon clearing formalities, it was first things first -- get the UA assigned 1G seat changed to something more preferable. I presented my UA/ORD generated boarding pass and asked for a change.

The agent gave me that raised eyebrow look. I had been offloaded from the YYZ-YVR flight. "Good thing you checked" was her response. I'll say. I did get my preferred seat.

I'm just guessing, but what I think happened was that after I no-showed on the UA flight, the rest of that itinerary was cancelled. So if you change your flights, especially at the last minute, it's probably worth your while to do what ever you have to to make sure your connection doesn't disappear. Asking the agent checking you in for the new flight to re-book you on the connection might do it.

These kinds of problems aren't normally an issue, as you often don't have that kind of flexibility. Of course, with an MHD J ticket, you have nothing but flexibility. Seems this benefit comes with a few catches, however.

I HAVE to do this. Heading to YVR to drop off some papers / contracts on May 1st, and turnaround flight is going to be $1600-$2400 for a T fare...

Now, the question is, PVR or CUN or a few days...

[This message has been edited by Whitey (edited 04-17-2001).]