silverpie
Feb 22, 00, 7:56 pm
Leg I: CHA-ATL on Express Shuttle
Routine trip down after work. Shuttle driver drops me at the AC portal, but no one there--would have really preferred to pick up an itinerary before arriving for the flight the next morning (e-ticketed on a Websaver).
Courtyard Atlanta Airport II North
It was a Courtyard. Need I say more? : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Restaurant hours tend to the annoying--closed when I got there, and not opening in time for me to get breakfast before the next morning's flight. (That breakfast ends up being an ice cream bar from a vending machine. Even good airplane food tends to be inedible to me.)
Leg II: ATL-YYZ AC561
Thought I remembered there being a Maple Leaf Lounge at Hartsfield. It's now a Presidents' Club, and AC has no access. (At ATL, the layout is still based on the old AC/CO partnership--AC's gate is between NW and CO in terminal D, while UA is waaaaaaay back at the T-gates.) LAX is now the only MLL in the USA.
Pretty routine AC flight. Really wish they'd be more consistent about having the CBC news on these... did have one surreal moment when Chattanooga Choo-Choo played on the inflight radio. Customs is fairly routine.
Delta Chelsea
Under major renovations. Apparently, they have drawn down housekeeping staff to handle it. Despite a rush notification, the room still isn't ready by 4pm (I had arrived at noon, and 3pm is check-in time). They give me a different room, and when I arrive there, I notice my rate is listed as C$268.80! This differed materially from the quote I had of two at 120 and the third at 136, so yet another trip to the Privilege desk to get that sorted out.
During Saturday's shopping, I locate a bilingual NHL Monopoly set--as a hockey fan and a Monopoly collector, I had to jump on that one.
Sunday I spend playing chess out in Scarborough. I lost my first four games, but avert defeat literally by one move in the fifth round, and then push two pawns through to finally win in the sixth and final.
Monday, I sleep a bit late and then go bowling fivepins. It's a big adjustment for those of us who only have tenpins available at home. The best of my games was 129 (then again, I only average 103 at tenpins...)
An amusing incident as I'm going to deposit travellers' cheques (I travel to Canada enough that it has proven useful to have an account there). As we go through the process, the teller asks for my green card. He had no idea that I was from the States, nor that below the 49th, "green card" is the certificate of permanent resident alien status. He was in fact asking for my ABM card.
Further shopping ensues, including finding the aforementioned Monopoly set at C$15 cheaper than I had paid http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif, and the curious discovery that maple syrup is not subject to the GST/PST http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif. And one definite bad restaurant experience at the Pizza Hut near MLG--it took me half an hour to get a refill on a Pepsi when I was the only person in the waiter's area. That is the first time I can remember deliberately not tipping a waiter.
Stayed up until 3am watching the Hearts--not a good idea considering I would then have to wake up at 5 to catch my flight.
Checkout proves amusing, as they screwed up the billing and left off a night. (Given the argument I'd had at check-in, not paying for that night might have led to a prosecution for fraud.) Had a rather disconcerting moment on the way to the airport--the radio announcer mentions a stabbing murder the night before at Yonge and Dundas. That's way too close to my hotel. Upon checking out the paper, I determine that it was actually across Yonge from the hotel. Adult bookstores are not a Good Thing(tm).
And as far as the donut debate, having had both recently, I definitely prefer Tim Hortons' version of chocolate-cake glazed to Krispy Kreme's.
Leg III: YYZ-ATL AC560
Even without the bonus miles, I still decide to use the express check-in--find out I've gotten 18A, as good as I could expect from zero-status. Ask at the transborder MLL what the status of CP folk there is. They are already letting them in, and the official announcement was incomplete--an Empress Lounge card without elite status is enough. That's me. Have some ice water and then check my e-mail (web special BNA-LAS on WN! YES!), followed by heading out to the plane.
Flight back was routine--this time we did get the CBC News, but I was unable to stay awake.
Reach the ground and find out my friend in ATL won't be able to have lunch with me, so call and move my shuttle run up to noon.
Leg IV: ATL-CHA on Express Shuttle
Another routine trip, although I do find out in the middle that prices have been raised $1 per way.
Routine trip down after work. Shuttle driver drops me at the AC portal, but no one there--would have really preferred to pick up an itinerary before arriving for the flight the next morning (e-ticketed on a Websaver).
Courtyard Atlanta Airport II North
It was a Courtyard. Need I say more? : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Restaurant hours tend to the annoying--closed when I got there, and not opening in time for me to get breakfast before the next morning's flight. (That breakfast ends up being an ice cream bar from a vending machine. Even good airplane food tends to be inedible to me.)
Leg II: ATL-YYZ AC561
Thought I remembered there being a Maple Leaf Lounge at Hartsfield. It's now a Presidents' Club, and AC has no access. (At ATL, the layout is still based on the old AC/CO partnership--AC's gate is between NW and CO in terminal D, while UA is waaaaaaay back at the T-gates.) LAX is now the only MLL in the USA.
Pretty routine AC flight. Really wish they'd be more consistent about having the CBC news on these... did have one surreal moment when Chattanooga Choo-Choo played on the inflight radio. Customs is fairly routine.
Delta Chelsea
Under major renovations. Apparently, they have drawn down housekeeping staff to handle it. Despite a rush notification, the room still isn't ready by 4pm (I had arrived at noon, and 3pm is check-in time). They give me a different room, and when I arrive there, I notice my rate is listed as C$268.80! This differed materially from the quote I had of two at 120 and the third at 136, so yet another trip to the Privilege desk to get that sorted out.
During Saturday's shopping, I locate a bilingual NHL Monopoly set--as a hockey fan and a Monopoly collector, I had to jump on that one.
Sunday I spend playing chess out in Scarborough. I lost my first four games, but avert defeat literally by one move in the fifth round, and then push two pawns through to finally win in the sixth and final.
Monday, I sleep a bit late and then go bowling fivepins. It's a big adjustment for those of us who only have tenpins available at home. The best of my games was 129 (then again, I only average 103 at tenpins...)
An amusing incident as I'm going to deposit travellers' cheques (I travel to Canada enough that it has proven useful to have an account there). As we go through the process, the teller asks for my green card. He had no idea that I was from the States, nor that below the 49th, "green card" is the certificate of permanent resident alien status. He was in fact asking for my ABM card.
Further shopping ensues, including finding the aforementioned Monopoly set at C$15 cheaper than I had paid http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif, and the curious discovery that maple syrup is not subject to the GST/PST http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif. And one definite bad restaurant experience at the Pizza Hut near MLG--it took me half an hour to get a refill on a Pepsi when I was the only person in the waiter's area. That is the first time I can remember deliberately not tipping a waiter.
Stayed up until 3am watching the Hearts--not a good idea considering I would then have to wake up at 5 to catch my flight.
Checkout proves amusing, as they screwed up the billing and left off a night. (Given the argument I'd had at check-in, not paying for that night might have led to a prosecution for fraud.) Had a rather disconcerting moment on the way to the airport--the radio announcer mentions a stabbing murder the night before at Yonge and Dundas. That's way too close to my hotel. Upon checking out the paper, I determine that it was actually across Yonge from the hotel. Adult bookstores are not a Good Thing(tm).
And as far as the donut debate, having had both recently, I definitely prefer Tim Hortons' version of chocolate-cake glazed to Krispy Kreme's.
Leg III: YYZ-ATL AC560
Even without the bonus miles, I still decide to use the express check-in--find out I've gotten 18A, as good as I could expect from zero-status. Ask at the transborder MLL what the status of CP folk there is. They are already letting them in, and the official announcement was incomplete--an Empress Lounge card without elite status is enough. That's me. Have some ice water and then check my e-mail (web special BNA-LAS on WN! YES!), followed by heading out to the plane.
Flight back was routine--this time we did get the CBC News, but I was unable to stay awake.
Reach the ground and find out my friend in ATL won't be able to have lunch with me, so call and move my shuttle run up to noon.
Leg IV: ATL-CHA on Express Shuttle
Another routine trip, although I do find out in the middle that prices have been raised $1 per way.