JS
Oct 17, 02, 8:58 pm
Last weekend I took my family down to Greenville, SC, to "inspect" the area before I accept the job offer (see related thread moving! (http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/Forum44/HTML/006040.html) ). I was willing to bet it's not a sucky city, but I had to make sure anyway. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
I booked the tickets about a week and a half in advance, but I had a difficult time finding flights with five seats together. I've never had to ask people on the plane to move around to accomodate me and the kids, and I plan on not having to do so if it can be avoided.
Another purpose of this trip was to be out of the apartment over the weekend so I could have the floors of my co-op apartment sanded and varnished in preparation for sale. Like most co-ops, they prohibit floor sanding on the weekend, so we also had to be out of the apartment last Friday. Fares to GSP are even higher leaving on Friday than Saturday, so we spent the night at the LGA Marriott on Friday night.
Yes, I know the line of reasoning given by co-ops for prohibiting loud interior work on the weekend, which is that most people are at home on the weekend and wish not to be disturbed. However, in my co-op, almost everyone who lives there is in their apartment 20 hours a day, seven days a week! Mrs. Satan who lives downstairs from me is in her apartment 23 hours a day, seven days a week, and *****es every minute of it. So, I get to spend the night in a hotel room for no good reason. See why I hate living in NYC? I am surrounded by morons and their illogical rules, and most of my neighbors are tax consumers who complain non-stop! I give up, you people win!
We stayed at the LGA Marriott for $139. I did try Priceline for 3* at $80 but was rejected. I don't use Priceline on less than 3* hotels; I would rather pay the going rate to get flexibility, so that's what I did.
We ate at the hotel restaurant (Steinway I think is the name), which was expensive but not too bad. I've had better steak. But the waiter was very nice, and they didn't get mad when my wife dropped her wine glass on the floor, causing it to break. Smoking was not allowed in this restaurant since it has too many seats per current law. Why is that not good enough for Bloomberg? Should large restaurants have smoking sections with a negative number of tables, since zero is apparently too high?
At 4:45 AM we boarded a full Marriott shuttle bus for LGA. Rather than taking the logical route of Delta/Northwest terminal, then US Air, then the main terminal (one way road follows that exact path), we stopped at the main terminal first, then drove all the way back to DL/NW, and then US Air. I would have walked had it not been for the rain and three kids with us. Walking would have taken less time (the Marriott is the closest to the US terminal).
Usually I carry on one rollaboard (yes, that's right, one rollaboard can fit everything needed for five people if you pack appropriately). However, the CLT-GSP flight is a B1900, which doesn't even have overhead bins. So we checked in at the kiosk and handed over the rollaboard and stroller to the pleasant employee. No delay at security (still contract employees). Excellent start to the trip!
Saturday morning US1037 A320 LGA to CLT
We had seats 23DE and 24DEF, which is only one seat away from perfection, which would be window & center instead of aisle & center. The flight left on time, and a beverage was served, but no snack. Fine.
Connecting flight US5481 B1900 CLT to GSP
I love walking out on the tarmac to the plane. I wish every flight boarded outside, just like in the "good old days". Oh how I long for the days of boarding a Piedmont Airlines 737-200 with self-contained airstairs at LYH (Lynchburg, VA).
One of the passengers was a disabled woman who used a battery-operated wheelchair. After we boarded, we were delayed about 45 minutes while they re-arranged the luggage in the back of the plane. The B1900 is pretty small -- every seat except one is an aisle and window seat.
During this time, the pilots walked through the plane and greeted us. He looked at my three kids and said "three kids ... good" (translation: we just might make it under the weight limit). He asked people sitting in the back to move further up to help move the center of gravity forward, considering the heavy weight of the wheelchair in the back.
Luckily, all the luggage fit, and no one was booted off for weight restrictions. In a plane that size, the Dash-8 next to us looked pretty large.
After a 45 minute flight, we landed at GSP, deplaned quickly, and walked across the tarmac into the terminal. What a nice airport!
We picked up our rental car and started looking for a place to eat. The IHOP on I-385 was really crowded, so we continued south and stopped at Cracker Barrel in Simpsonville. The food was delicious. I think the official waitress for our table was new, because she had a backup waitress, who delivered an ashtray, the beverages, and the missing biscuits from one of the meals.
We spent the night at the Guest House Suites Plus for $89. Why is it "plus"? Is there a Guest House Suites Minus? Or a Guest House Suites Zero? For $89, you get the penthouse, which has a loft. Nice place.
The next morning, we ate the free continental breakfast and drank what was probably $5 worth of orange juice. We packed our stuff and checked out.
We looked at real estate ads, but we didn't have enough time to make appointments and see sales of existing homes. We did drive around Simpsonville, Mauldin, and the south side of Greenville, so it looks fine to me. Seems like a lot of country roads without legally being in "the country".
We stopped at a couple of those new home neighborhoods, only because you don't have to make an appointment to see anything. The houses are nice, but there's not really a "neighborhood" feel to it. At the last place, the sales agent suggested another one of their locations on the way to the airport. This one was way the heck out in the middle of nowhere, so we didn't bother to stop. After leaving that place, by the time I realized I had taken the wrong turn, I figured I might as well keep on going to Spartanburg and then turn back to GSP, which is halfway between Greenville and Spartanburg.
In Spartanburg we ate at Arby's, which was a delicious meal, as it always is at Arby's. At GSP, we turned in the rental car, and checked in with no line. The nice lady mentioned that we were taking the long way back to LGA. She didn't push for details, so I didn't bother to tell her that the only two return flights leaving in the afternoon with 5 seats in K inventory, along an allowed routing per the fare rules, with maximum three transfers, and five seats available for assignment were GSP-CLT-ORF-DCA-LGA and GSP-PIT-PHL-LGA.
Sunday afternoon US5276 EMB-145 GSP to PIT
I've managed to avoid RJ's until this trip, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. The seats are kinda thin, but they are more comfortable than CO mainline seats, and the legroom was actually OK (well, I did have my five year old next to me).
Just after take-off, I could see large thunderstorm clouds to our left and right. It was a beautiful sight, yet we had no weather delays; perfect combination. We had a beverage and pretzels.
Connecting flight US304 737-400 PIT to PHL
This plane was painted in the old "USAir" colors. We left about 15 minutes late, but we were never told why nor were warned of this tardiness at the gate or on the plane. Usually I wouldn't care, but the next connecting flight was the last one of the day with a scheduled layover of 33 minutes.
The flight attendants just barely made it back to our row before it was time to start descending (another beverage and pretzels). Usually I take my time eating the pretzels and sipping the Sprite, but I had about ten seconds left before it was time for them to collect the trash (oops, I means "service items"), so I gobbled the pretzels and swallowed the Sprite real fast.
Upon landing at PHL, we half walked/half ran all the way to the end of concourse B, down the walkway, then all the way to the end of concourse C. If it weren't for those stupid jetways, we could have leisurely strolled right across the tarmac to our connecting flight.
Connecting flight US1996 A321 PHL to LGA
I think this is the shortest mainline flight I've ever taken (89 miles). Yet it took 35 minutes to fly it. That's an average of 152 MPH, awfully slow for an Airbus A321!
On this flight there was no service, which did not surprise me. Although, 35 minutes isn't that much less than the 45 minute flight between PIT and PHL, so it's not impossible. Anyway, if I had any more pretzels and Sprite I probably would have exploded.
When they turned off the cabin lights on this flight, the lighted exit signs were painfully obvious. Do the signs really need to be that bright?
All in all, a very nice trip to Greenville. Everyone there is nice, the prices are reasonable, and the convenience stores don't smell bad. The only complaint I have is that I checked fares today, and now there is a sale LGA-GSP of $120 less roundtrip than what I paid and with fewer restrictions!
[This message has been edited by JS (edited 10-17-2002).]
I booked the tickets about a week and a half in advance, but I had a difficult time finding flights with five seats together. I've never had to ask people on the plane to move around to accomodate me and the kids, and I plan on not having to do so if it can be avoided.
Another purpose of this trip was to be out of the apartment over the weekend so I could have the floors of my co-op apartment sanded and varnished in preparation for sale. Like most co-ops, they prohibit floor sanding on the weekend, so we also had to be out of the apartment last Friday. Fares to GSP are even higher leaving on Friday than Saturday, so we spent the night at the LGA Marriott on Friday night.
Yes, I know the line of reasoning given by co-ops for prohibiting loud interior work on the weekend, which is that most people are at home on the weekend and wish not to be disturbed. However, in my co-op, almost everyone who lives there is in their apartment 20 hours a day, seven days a week! Mrs. Satan who lives downstairs from me is in her apartment 23 hours a day, seven days a week, and *****es every minute of it. So, I get to spend the night in a hotel room for no good reason. See why I hate living in NYC? I am surrounded by morons and their illogical rules, and most of my neighbors are tax consumers who complain non-stop! I give up, you people win!
We stayed at the LGA Marriott for $139. I did try Priceline for 3* at $80 but was rejected. I don't use Priceline on less than 3* hotels; I would rather pay the going rate to get flexibility, so that's what I did.
We ate at the hotel restaurant (Steinway I think is the name), which was expensive but not too bad. I've had better steak. But the waiter was very nice, and they didn't get mad when my wife dropped her wine glass on the floor, causing it to break. Smoking was not allowed in this restaurant since it has too many seats per current law. Why is that not good enough for Bloomberg? Should large restaurants have smoking sections with a negative number of tables, since zero is apparently too high?
At 4:45 AM we boarded a full Marriott shuttle bus for LGA. Rather than taking the logical route of Delta/Northwest terminal, then US Air, then the main terminal (one way road follows that exact path), we stopped at the main terminal first, then drove all the way back to DL/NW, and then US Air. I would have walked had it not been for the rain and three kids with us. Walking would have taken less time (the Marriott is the closest to the US terminal).
Usually I carry on one rollaboard (yes, that's right, one rollaboard can fit everything needed for five people if you pack appropriately). However, the CLT-GSP flight is a B1900, which doesn't even have overhead bins. So we checked in at the kiosk and handed over the rollaboard and stroller to the pleasant employee. No delay at security (still contract employees). Excellent start to the trip!
Saturday morning US1037 A320 LGA to CLT
We had seats 23DE and 24DEF, which is only one seat away from perfection, which would be window & center instead of aisle & center. The flight left on time, and a beverage was served, but no snack. Fine.
Connecting flight US5481 B1900 CLT to GSP
I love walking out on the tarmac to the plane. I wish every flight boarded outside, just like in the "good old days". Oh how I long for the days of boarding a Piedmont Airlines 737-200 with self-contained airstairs at LYH (Lynchburg, VA).
One of the passengers was a disabled woman who used a battery-operated wheelchair. After we boarded, we were delayed about 45 minutes while they re-arranged the luggage in the back of the plane. The B1900 is pretty small -- every seat except one is an aisle and window seat.
During this time, the pilots walked through the plane and greeted us. He looked at my three kids and said "three kids ... good" (translation: we just might make it under the weight limit). He asked people sitting in the back to move further up to help move the center of gravity forward, considering the heavy weight of the wheelchair in the back.
Luckily, all the luggage fit, and no one was booted off for weight restrictions. In a plane that size, the Dash-8 next to us looked pretty large.
After a 45 minute flight, we landed at GSP, deplaned quickly, and walked across the tarmac into the terminal. What a nice airport!
We picked up our rental car and started looking for a place to eat. The IHOP on I-385 was really crowded, so we continued south and stopped at Cracker Barrel in Simpsonville. The food was delicious. I think the official waitress for our table was new, because she had a backup waitress, who delivered an ashtray, the beverages, and the missing biscuits from one of the meals.
We spent the night at the Guest House Suites Plus for $89. Why is it "plus"? Is there a Guest House Suites Minus? Or a Guest House Suites Zero? For $89, you get the penthouse, which has a loft. Nice place.
The next morning, we ate the free continental breakfast and drank what was probably $5 worth of orange juice. We packed our stuff and checked out.
We looked at real estate ads, but we didn't have enough time to make appointments and see sales of existing homes. We did drive around Simpsonville, Mauldin, and the south side of Greenville, so it looks fine to me. Seems like a lot of country roads without legally being in "the country".
We stopped at a couple of those new home neighborhoods, only because you don't have to make an appointment to see anything. The houses are nice, but there's not really a "neighborhood" feel to it. At the last place, the sales agent suggested another one of their locations on the way to the airport. This one was way the heck out in the middle of nowhere, so we didn't bother to stop. After leaving that place, by the time I realized I had taken the wrong turn, I figured I might as well keep on going to Spartanburg and then turn back to GSP, which is halfway between Greenville and Spartanburg.
In Spartanburg we ate at Arby's, which was a delicious meal, as it always is at Arby's. At GSP, we turned in the rental car, and checked in with no line. The nice lady mentioned that we were taking the long way back to LGA. She didn't push for details, so I didn't bother to tell her that the only two return flights leaving in the afternoon with 5 seats in K inventory, along an allowed routing per the fare rules, with maximum three transfers, and five seats available for assignment were GSP-CLT-ORF-DCA-LGA and GSP-PIT-PHL-LGA.
Sunday afternoon US5276 EMB-145 GSP to PIT
I've managed to avoid RJ's until this trip, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. The seats are kinda thin, but they are more comfortable than CO mainline seats, and the legroom was actually OK (well, I did have my five year old next to me).
Just after take-off, I could see large thunderstorm clouds to our left and right. It was a beautiful sight, yet we had no weather delays; perfect combination. We had a beverage and pretzels.
Connecting flight US304 737-400 PIT to PHL
This plane was painted in the old "USAir" colors. We left about 15 minutes late, but we were never told why nor were warned of this tardiness at the gate or on the plane. Usually I wouldn't care, but the next connecting flight was the last one of the day with a scheduled layover of 33 minutes.
The flight attendants just barely made it back to our row before it was time to start descending (another beverage and pretzels). Usually I take my time eating the pretzels and sipping the Sprite, but I had about ten seconds left before it was time for them to collect the trash (oops, I means "service items"), so I gobbled the pretzels and swallowed the Sprite real fast.
Upon landing at PHL, we half walked/half ran all the way to the end of concourse B, down the walkway, then all the way to the end of concourse C. If it weren't for those stupid jetways, we could have leisurely strolled right across the tarmac to our connecting flight.
Connecting flight US1996 A321 PHL to LGA
I think this is the shortest mainline flight I've ever taken (89 miles). Yet it took 35 minutes to fly it. That's an average of 152 MPH, awfully slow for an Airbus A321!
On this flight there was no service, which did not surprise me. Although, 35 minutes isn't that much less than the 45 minute flight between PIT and PHL, so it's not impossible. Anyway, if I had any more pretzels and Sprite I probably would have exploded.
When they turned off the cabin lights on this flight, the lighted exit signs were painfully obvious. Do the signs really need to be that bright?
All in all, a very nice trip to Greenville. Everyone there is nice, the prices are reasonable, and the convenience stores don't smell bad. The only complaint I have is that I checked fares today, and now there is a sale LGA-GSP of $120 less roundtrip than what I paid and with fewer restrictions!
[This message has been edited by JS (edited 10-17-2002).]