Trip Reports - Costa Rica the long way! AA F,J/ AS F (Pics)

This trip is the 4th trip of my winter (Oct 2011-March 2012) as follow:
1) SEA-LAX-ORD-IST-ORD-LAX-SEA (UA F, Y+/TK Y/AS Y)
2) YVR-SFO-HNL-GUM-NRT-TPE-NRT-LAX-YVR (UA F, Y+)
3) SEA-SFO-PEK-BKK-HKT-BKK-NRT-PEK-SFO-SEA (UA F, J, Y+/TG F, J/NH J) Report Here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1352838-pek-bkk-hkt-ua-f-j-y-tg-f-j-nh-j.html)
4) SEA-SFO-JFK-MIA-LIR-MIA-JFK-SFO-SEA (AA F, J/AS F) [* This Report*]
5) YVR-JFK-GVA-ZRH-JFK-SFO-SEA (UA F, J/LX Y/CX F) Report Here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1354090-cathay-first-yvr-jfk-switzerland-pics.html)
6) PDX-SEA-MIA-LGA/EWR-DFW-SEA-PDX (AA F, Y/AS Y)
7) SEA-LAX-SFO-FRA-IST-AMM-CAI-ZRH-CPH-IST-ZRH-IAD-LAX-SEA (AS Y/ UA Y+/TK Y, J/SK J/LX J/MS Y) Report Here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1354484-petra-cairo-swiss-business-class.html)
8) SEA-ORD-IAH-ORD-SEA (AA F)
9) SEA-LAX-SFO-SEA (AS Y, AA F)
10) SEA-LAX-JFK-IST-LHR-DXB-VIE-MUC-TLV-IST-JFK-LAX-SEA (AS Y/UA J/TK Y, J/VS J/OS J/LH J/AA J) Report Here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1354990-london-dubai-tel-aviv-1-weekend-vs-upper-class-lh-os-tk-c.html)
11) YVR-JFK-LHR-JNB-CPT-JNB-FRA-FCO-FRA-SIN-BKK-CNX-BKK-HKG-HND/NRT-ORD-SEA (CX F, J/BA F, J/SA J/LH F, J/SQ J/TG J, JL J, AA F) [Report to come]
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7101/7334176852_ef068d7b27_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7334176852/)
Total of 180272 Miles in 6 months

Background:
This trip was a mileage run to Costa Rica. At first I thought I would not write about this trip since there was no long-haul flight in foreign carrier in F. However, I would like to document my best western meal experience on a short-haul flight!
The trip cost was only $433 for SEA-SFO-JFK-MIA-LIR-MIA-JFK-SFO-SEA which got me over 11,000 AA miles over a weekend. The cpm was at 3.9, quite good! I ended up got First class (and Business) the whole trip. I spent 1 night in NYC both ways and had 2 days in Costa Rica.

1. SEA-SFO (Dec-10, 2011) AS220 B737-900 [N302AS] (Domestic First: 4A)
I did not have Status with Alaska and most of the time I booked them through AA site to connect with AA flights, hence I never got upgraded with AS. However, I got 2 upgrade coupons from a friend that I applied to this itinerary. The rest of the trip was complimentary upgraded by AA.
Flight time was 1.46 hrs. Breakfast was served. Nothing fancy, just cereal and fruit plate. The service was great as usual. We had a great view of the bay area before landing.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7090/7346918048_639d47f75b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346918048/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7218/7346917954_773556e8ef_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346917954/)
I took the train to Terminal 2 and went into Admiral Club. It was my first time checking out AAdmiral Club in SFO. It was not bad. I requested to use the shower room (even United Clubs in both terminal 1 and International terminal did not have shower rooms!)

2. SFO-JFK (Dec-10, 2011) AA16 B767-200 [N323AA] (Business: 8J)
I flew on this route in J very often. I like AA over UA on this route because it was 767 instead of 757. I almost pick the same seat every time: 8A or 8J. The service was great: the FA addressed you by last name, and greeted “happy holiday” to every J passenger before we landed.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7234/7346917924_f4fc9f2da5_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346917924/)
I did not like the meal on the flight. I chose Chicken Pot Pie which was just ok. The flight time was 5.10 hrs and we landed in JFK on time. I took LIRR in to catch a dinner with my friends in Hellskitchen. I went out and had a few drinks. 3.30am, it was time to go back to JFK again since the next flight left at 5.45.

3. JFK-MIA (Dec-11, 2011) AA2297 B757-200 (Domestic First: 5E)
It took a while for E train to come, so I arrived at the airport quite late and they called my name once I got to the gate. Somehow my upgrade did not clear and I prepared to sit in coach. Once I settled in, I looked at one of the FAs and it was a familiar face. He was my friend!... I said hi and chatted a bit. After the boarding completed, there was 1 seat in First that was not taken so my friend asked me to go up there. I didn’t know why my upgrade did not clear… but I got op-uped again! Nice! I spent most of the flight sleeping since I only slept 1 hour the night before. The meal service on the flight was just egg etc.

4. MIA-LIR (Dec-11, 2011) AA2127 B737-800 [N967AN] (Business: 5F)
The load was very light only 5 pax in Business. Flight time was 2.35 hrs. The weather was nice the whole time. I saw the road to Key West. Then a little while after that we flew through Cuba. The water looked so clear… from the sky. The meal service was good. I love the salad. There were choices of Chicken and Salmon. I took the Salmon but didn’t like it much.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7071/7346917864_2210b2c430_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346917864/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7098/7161707931_4c4f3f273b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707931/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7090/7161707895_e79aa89ca1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707895/)
Once we landed I was the first pax that got off the plane. The immigration took less than a minute. We were the only aircraft at the airport. The weather was pretty humid and I felt it right away. I waited for quite a while (20+ minutes) until the car rental van showed up. After I got the car, I drove to the west coast of Costa Rica. I had 2 friends who took the trip but they stayed longer, they arrived 4 days before me. We stayed at JW Marriott Guanacaste. The hotel was very nice, we saw sunset by the pool. Here are some pics from the beach:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7240/7161707777_4f8b7e6b70_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707777/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7346917736_5ce9b74c1b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346917736/)

5. LIR-MIA (Dec-12, 2011) AA2130 B737-800 [N866NN] (Business: 5A)
After spending all morning on the beach, it was time for me to leave already. Oh well, short mileage run trip.. I drove back to Liberia, took me 2 hours. This time the airport had more planes.
When we were ready to board, the United plane arrived.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7218/7346917600_2dc185071e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346917600/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7095/7346917542_c90eb634de_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346917542/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7087/7161707671_12131b9007_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707671/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7237/7161707609_c0af9babc8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707609/)
Here comes the best meal I had on a short haul flight. Well I have to say the best “western” meal cuz I remember when I was a child and went to Phuket with a family (from BKK), even in Domestic (Thailand), they served Shrimp Panang Curry with Rice and fancy dessert on a 1-hour flight!
This meal looked simple but the salad was so fresh and tasted so yummy (the salad on MIA-LIR was almost the same and as good). The steak was cooked to the perfection, medium, soft and tasteful. I always think that steak does go well with Asparagus and this flight just hit me! Kodos to MIA catering. Well, they double-catered for the flight on both legs.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7346917420_ba708b8e3e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346917420/)
The flight lasted 2.17 hrs. After we landed in MIA, I went right to AAdmiral Club and asked the agent to put me on standby on the earlier flight to JFK.

6. MIA-JFK (Dec-12, 2011) AA2186 B757-200 (Domestic First: 5F)
To my surprise, even on standby, they were able to get me a First seat! The flight was somehow late for over an hour and a half. I had Pasta with chicken. It was ok. The flight time was 2.40 hrs. Once arrived, I went into Manhattan again but didn’t do much but sleeping.

7. JFK-SFO (Dec-13, 2011) AA59 B767-200 [N327AA] (Business: 8J)
This upgrade did not get cleared until I arrived at the gate. I had only 15 minutes before the boarding started but decided to take a shower at the Lounge.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7233/7161707505_a2c5eef0b2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707505/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7161707465_28d2cbc3db_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707465/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7346917298_09bb7da16a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7346917298/)
The flight time was pretty long, 6.00 hrs. Here are picture of the meal.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/7234/7161707395_e54b48e0e8_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707395/)

8. SFO-SEA (Dec-13, 2011) AS305 B737-700 [N615AS] (Domestic First: 4A)
Just another AS flight but I don’t get to fly 737-700 that often. Flight time was 1.37 hrs.
View of Seattle prior to the approach:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7161707305_36fb9b1658_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/boeing747-8/7161707305/)

Conclusion
I spent 3 and a half day on this mileage run trips… It seems long just to earn 11,000 miles but I also got to lay by the beach in a tropical weather (in December) for 24 hours so it was a nice break from a cold Seattle weather.

Excellent TR!! I am hoping to do a MR this year to put me back to E on AC that involves the sun for a couple of days... Fares from Canada are so hard to find :rolleyes:

Excellent TR!! I am hoping to do a MR this year to put me back to E on AC that involves the sun for a couple of days... Fares from Canada are so hard to find :rolleyes:

Thanks for the comment, I always make sure that I at least have a day at the destination.. especially going to a warm place in the winter :)

Great report. Thanks! ^

once again a great TR.

You are inspiring a lot of us including myself.....I would like to do some of what you have reported here and the other TR sometime after August this year.

Would like to see if someone thinks this way...PM me.

Great pics krub. Costa Rica looks amazing krub, I just went there last November too krub and I had a great time there!

Great report. Thanks! ^

once again a great TR.

You are inspiring a lot of us including myself.....I would like to do some of what you have reported here and the other TR sometime after August this year.

Would like to see if someone thinks this way...PM me.

Thanks guys, I will keep them coming :)

Great pics krub. Costa Rica looks amazing krub, I just went there last November too krub and I had a great time there!

How much did you pay? What part did you go? I was so surprised how the country has so many American tourists.

The beaches there didn't attract me as much, since I think you can find much better ones in Asia. I chose to spend most of the time around the mountains. I went to Poas, La Fortuna and Monteverde. I had only 6 days there since it was during my Thanksgiving break. It rained most of the time so the visibility was rather limited when I was there. However, Costa Rica is overall a pleasant country. It was such a stark contrast to Nicaragua where I had been a year earlier.