Around the World in 28 Days
Dec 8, 2004, 1:43 am
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Birmingham, England
Programs: LH SEN, Hilton Diamond, AF/KL & BA basic memberships, Tufty Club Exec Plutonium
Posts: 1,668
Fit the Thirteenth
Hilton Garden Inn, Scottsdale Old Towen
The lure of the HGI is very simple, it’s very close to an area of Scottsdale I know well and in addition, it promises free broadband access. It’s also walkable[0] in PHX temperatures to the shopping mall rather than the Hilton Scottsdale resort, which isn’t,although I later find that the Hilton Scottsdale resort has a shuttle bus.
Anyway, they are all ready for me. I have an upgrade to a jacuzzi suite, free breakfast and free water. Wonderful, the room is a bit tatty but perfectly servicable. I sort out a couple of times, use the free broadband and get a nice solid sleep in.
Anyway, the next morning isn't mid-70's and sunny. It's low 50's and very grey. Hmmph. So I make my way to breakfast and thence to the mall for some shopping. A veritable orgy of consumerism then occurs as I find that various discounts plus the weakness of the dollar make a number of things very affordable. After a nice lunch break at Z'Tejas, I return using the Scottsdale "Trolley" to the hotel.
Now I was going to explore the Old Town, but by then it is starting to rain, quite heavily, which it continues to do throughout the weekend. In fact, the .8 inches over Sunday night is the main story on the news in PHX on Monday morning. I get a pizza delivered, it is enormous and cheap, just the way I like them.
On the Sunday, I visit some friends for an enormous lunch, explore the art galleries of Scottsdale and take a few murky pictures. I also spend hours packing and repacking my bags.
Monday check-out is very quick and it's straight onto the shuttle and back to PHX.
[0] This is for a UK definition of walkable rather than a US definition (which seems to be one block, or in Orange County not at all).
Hilton Garden Inn, Scottsdale Old Towen
The lure of the HGI is very simple, it’s very close to an area of Scottsdale I know well and in addition, it promises free broadband access. It’s also walkable[0] in PHX temperatures to the shopping mall rather than the Hilton Scottsdale resort, which isn’t,although I later find that the Hilton Scottsdale resort has a shuttle bus.
Anyway, they are all ready for me. I have an upgrade to a jacuzzi suite, free breakfast and free water. Wonderful, the room is a bit tatty but perfectly servicable. I sort out a couple of times, use the free broadband and get a nice solid sleep in.
Anyway, the next morning isn't mid-70's and sunny. It's low 50's and very grey. Hmmph. So I make my way to breakfast and thence to the mall for some shopping. A veritable orgy of consumerism then occurs as I find that various discounts plus the weakness of the dollar make a number of things very affordable. After a nice lunch break at Z'Tejas, I return using the Scottsdale "Trolley" to the hotel.
Now I was going to explore the Old Town, but by then it is starting to rain, quite heavily, which it continues to do throughout the weekend. In fact, the .8 inches over Sunday night is the main story on the news in PHX on Monday morning. I get a pizza delivered, it is enormous and cheap, just the way I like them.
On the Sunday, I visit some friends for an enormous lunch, explore the art galleries of Scottsdale and take a few murky pictures. I also spend hours packing and repacking my bags.
Monday check-out is very quick and it's straight onto the shuttle and back to PHX.
[0] This is for a UK definition of walkable rather than a US definition (which seems to be one block, or in Orange County not at all).
Dec 8, 2004, 2:53 am
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Birmingham, England
Programs: LH SEN, Hilton Diamond, AF/KL & BA basic memberships, Tufty Club Exec Plutonium
Posts: 1,668
Fit the Fourteenth
WN1654, PHX-LAX, Y, 6F
BA282, LAX-LHR, C, 61J
OK, so it is back to PHX Terminal 4 and the Southwest Check-In there. As usual, this is very quick, I get boarding group A and the TSA people are very helpful with my multitude of luggage. Going through security takes ages, but that’s due to the queue. Terminal 4 looks like a bit of a zoo, a quick glance at the boards reveals why, PHX can’t cope with a drop of rain, everything is running late.
Anyway, I pick up some vegetable fat wrapped pieces of peanut and lard slurry for a friend and settle down in the bar that allows smoking with a McPaper for an hour or so. After this passes, I head out to the gate and find that they are still claiming that WN1654 will be on time and they appear to be clearing the backlog.
About 12:10, an old livery 737-700 with winglets arrives at the gate, the passengers get off and they start to organise us for boarding. At 12:20 we board, the flight is quite light, only about 40% full, so it’s no surprise that we all get on very quickly and push back only 5 minutes late. Also, sitting where I do, I see both of my bags being loaded, so I’m a happy man. The one possible problem was that my bags didn’t make it off WN and then I’d be in stuck.
It’s the usual WN short flight, up, peanuts and drink, down. All done in one hour and ten minutes with an on-time arrival at LAX.
Ah, LAX, how I love thee. I do the chain-smoking trundle between T1 and TBIT, only being pestered four times by loopy Christians collecting for charity and asking me if I had been washed in the blood of the lamb. After the third, I start the “Dydy I ddim siariad yr iaith Saesneg” line which stops even the best European beggars.
Getting to TBIT, I manage to check-in fairly quickly and change my seat to 61J, which is about the best still available. Oh well, it will do. I then go outside, make a phone call and have a final cigarette before making a fatal error. I haven’t flown out of TBIT before and have forgotten that there is sod-all airside. So my plans of lunch, duty-free and BA lounge are a little stupid. Anyway, after spending half an hour dropping off my bags through the TSA because they have a shift change, I go through security where I get the special treatment of bags rummaged, laptop swabbed and full frisking, which takes away a good 20 minutes more.
Having found my fatal error (the tiny Duty-Free airside opens at 8:00pm), I have to reconcile myself to buying fags off BA, which is annoying as they don’t have my favorite brand and cost a good deal more. I head to the BA Los Angeles Lounge which is quite nice. It has drinks, it has sandwiches, it has nice fresh fruit, it has comfy chairs. OK, it doesn’t have loos, showers, restrooms or internet access, but it will do nicely for the next 2 hours. It also has Monday’s Grauniad as well as the usual selection of the Daily HateMail and the Torygraph. I have several sandwiches and some fruit, two Coronas and a nice comfy sit down.
Boarding is called on-time, First, Business and Silvers and Golds are invited to board first, I make my way upstairs, load up the bags into the bins and get settled. There are two free seats upstairs and one of them is next to me. I have to ask for my coat to be hung up. There is a slightly late run of water or juice, a couple of Italian passengers moan that there is no champagne as pre-flight drinks.
We take off about 15 minutes late, but are told this will be a short flight and that we will be on the ground in LHR about 45 minutes early. We are also told that it will be a trifle bumpy over the US portions of the flight.
I notice that they have the Mersault on board and decide to generally stick to this, so does most of the rest of the cabin. It is an excellent wine, I can understand why it is so popular and why we drank the plane dry of it.
The crew are brisk and efficient, but a little cool. I suspect they are slightly worried about the moderately rambunctious Italians, who they have already had to herd back to their seats twice.
Anyway, after drinks and cashews, we get handed the menus:
Appetisers
Prawn Cocktail
OR
Sun-dried tomato and basil savoury cheesecake on walnut, almond and pecan nut biscuit
Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
Main Courses
Grilled fillet steak in mushroom and red wine sauce
OR
Seared Atlantic salmon with dill and asparagus
OR
Mushroom cappalletti pasta
OR
Main Course chargrilled chicken Caesar Salad
Dessert
Triple Chocolate Brownie
OR
Fresh Fruit
OR
Selection of Cheese
There are two servings of bread, which is terrible.
I take the prawn cocktail, I’d have liked the cheesecake bit the dreaded walnut is in there. It turns out to be two huge fresh king prawns, an enormous scallop, a dozen leaves and a small tub of Marie Rose sauce. It is very good.
The Mushroom cappalletti pasta is very enjoyable, it has just spent the right time in the oven and has just right amount of mushrooms.
The Triple Chocolate Brownie is well up to the standards of BA desserts, it is excellent. I am offered a second one by the nice purser, but decline. I didn’t want to, but I did.
Coffee and Tea are then served, there are little boxes of choccies on the trolley, but a distinct unwillingness to hand them out unless asked, they are certainly not offered. No liqueurs are offered, but a Baileys over ice is brought on request.
I then settle down to sleep, it is a bit bumpy, but a Melatonin, a bit of tiredness and a moderate amount of alcohol all help in getting about 5 hours fairly unsound sleep. On waking up, I raid the larder for a second bottle of water and an awful apple and about 90 minutes out, cabin lights go on and breakfast is served.
Orange juice
OR
Ruby Grapefruit juice
OR
Banana and Mango Smoothie
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
OR
Cereal with fresh milk
Hot Bacon Rolls
OR
Cheese and Black Pepper Savouries
Selection of Breakfast Pastries
I have the Smoothie, Fruit and a Bacon Roll. The Smoothie is delicious, the fruit is too cold and the Bacon Roll is not as bad as advertised on the BA board. Of the pastries, there is no sign and therefore all the butter and preserves put out on each tray goes to waste.
The Purser hands out invitations to the arrivals lounge to about four pax, I am not one of them. As far as I am aware, there are no surveys done on the upper deck.
We have a quick circuit of the arrivals stack, but land about 40 minutes early and get to the gate very quickly. The usual 3 mile walk to immigration and the wait for bags (which came off in reverse priority sequence as expected) and then out to the arrivals hall to be met by my other half, who took me back to his for tea, pasta and a much needed shower.
Headed off to Euston for the 18:36 train and arrived back at my flat in Birmingham at 20:25 to a nice cup of tea from my lodger.
Only 24 hours after the flight, the miles have posted. No sign of 5 out of 6 of my QF flights, the last four Hilton stays or my bonus 15,000 yet. I see much chasing ahead…
I’ll do some summing up in a final post and that will be it
WN1654, PHX-LAX, Y, 6F
BA282, LAX-LHR, C, 61J
OK, so it is back to PHX Terminal 4 and the Southwest Check-In there. As usual, this is very quick, I get boarding group A and the TSA people are very helpful with my multitude of luggage. Going through security takes ages, but that’s due to the queue. Terminal 4 looks like a bit of a zoo, a quick glance at the boards reveals why, PHX can’t cope with a drop of rain, everything is running late.
Anyway, I pick up some vegetable fat wrapped pieces of peanut and lard slurry for a friend and settle down in the bar that allows smoking with a McPaper for an hour or so. After this passes, I head out to the gate and find that they are still claiming that WN1654 will be on time and they appear to be clearing the backlog.
About 12:10, an old livery 737-700 with winglets arrives at the gate, the passengers get off and they start to organise us for boarding. At 12:20 we board, the flight is quite light, only about 40% full, so it’s no surprise that we all get on very quickly and push back only 5 minutes late. Also, sitting where I do, I see both of my bags being loaded, so I’m a happy man. The one possible problem was that my bags didn’t make it off WN and then I’d be in stuck.
It’s the usual WN short flight, up, peanuts and drink, down. All done in one hour and ten minutes with an on-time arrival at LAX.
Ah, LAX, how I love thee. I do the chain-smoking trundle between T1 and TBIT, only being pestered four times by loopy Christians collecting for charity and asking me if I had been washed in the blood of the lamb. After the third, I start the “Dydy I ddim siariad yr iaith Saesneg” line which stops even the best European beggars.
Getting to TBIT, I manage to check-in fairly quickly and change my seat to 61J, which is about the best still available. Oh well, it will do. I then go outside, make a phone call and have a final cigarette before making a fatal error. I haven’t flown out of TBIT before and have forgotten that there is sod-all airside. So my plans of lunch, duty-free and BA lounge are a little stupid. Anyway, after spending half an hour dropping off my bags through the TSA because they have a shift change, I go through security where I get the special treatment of bags rummaged, laptop swabbed and full frisking, which takes away a good 20 minutes more.
Having found my fatal error (the tiny Duty-Free airside opens at 8:00pm), I have to reconcile myself to buying fags off BA, which is annoying as they don’t have my favorite brand and cost a good deal more. I head to the BA Los Angeles Lounge which is quite nice. It has drinks, it has sandwiches, it has nice fresh fruit, it has comfy chairs. OK, it doesn’t have loos, showers, restrooms or internet access, but it will do nicely for the next 2 hours. It also has Monday’s Grauniad as well as the usual selection of the Daily HateMail and the Torygraph. I have several sandwiches and some fruit, two Coronas and a nice comfy sit down.
Boarding is called on-time, First, Business and Silvers and Golds are invited to board first, I make my way upstairs, load up the bags into the bins and get settled. There are two free seats upstairs and one of them is next to me. I have to ask for my coat to be hung up. There is a slightly late run of water or juice, a couple of Italian passengers moan that there is no champagne as pre-flight drinks.
We take off about 15 minutes late, but are told this will be a short flight and that we will be on the ground in LHR about 45 minutes early. We are also told that it will be a trifle bumpy over the US portions of the flight.
I notice that they have the Mersault on board and decide to generally stick to this, so does most of the rest of the cabin. It is an excellent wine, I can understand why it is so popular and why we drank the plane dry of it.
The crew are brisk and efficient, but a little cool. I suspect they are slightly worried about the moderately rambunctious Italians, who they have already had to herd back to their seats twice.
Anyway, after drinks and cashews, we get handed the menus:
Appetisers
Prawn Cocktail
OR
Sun-dried tomato and basil savoury cheesecake on walnut, almond and pecan nut biscuit
Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
Main Courses
Grilled fillet steak in mushroom and red wine sauce
OR
Seared Atlantic salmon with dill and asparagus
OR
Mushroom cappalletti pasta
OR
Main Course chargrilled chicken Caesar Salad
Dessert
Triple Chocolate Brownie
OR
Fresh Fruit
OR
Selection of Cheese
There are two servings of bread, which is terrible.
I take the prawn cocktail, I’d have liked the cheesecake bit the dreaded walnut is in there. It turns out to be two huge fresh king prawns, an enormous scallop, a dozen leaves and a small tub of Marie Rose sauce. It is very good.
The Mushroom cappalletti pasta is very enjoyable, it has just spent the right time in the oven and has just right amount of mushrooms.
The Triple Chocolate Brownie is well up to the standards of BA desserts, it is excellent. I am offered a second one by the nice purser, but decline. I didn’t want to, but I did.
Coffee and Tea are then served, there are little boxes of choccies on the trolley, but a distinct unwillingness to hand them out unless asked, they are certainly not offered. No liqueurs are offered, but a Baileys over ice is brought on request.
I then settle down to sleep, it is a bit bumpy, but a Melatonin, a bit of tiredness and a moderate amount of alcohol all help in getting about 5 hours fairly unsound sleep. On waking up, I raid the larder for a second bottle of water and an awful apple and about 90 minutes out, cabin lights go on and breakfast is served.
Orange juice
OR
Ruby Grapefruit juice
OR
Banana and Mango Smoothie
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
OR
Cereal with fresh milk
Hot Bacon Rolls
OR
Cheese and Black Pepper Savouries
Selection of Breakfast Pastries
I have the Smoothie, Fruit and a Bacon Roll. The Smoothie is delicious, the fruit is too cold and the Bacon Roll is not as bad as advertised on the BA board. Of the pastries, there is no sign and therefore all the butter and preserves put out on each tray goes to waste.
The Purser hands out invitations to the arrivals lounge to about four pax, I am not one of them. As far as I am aware, there are no surveys done on the upper deck.
We have a quick circuit of the arrivals stack, but land about 40 minutes early and get to the gate very quickly. The usual 3 mile walk to immigration and the wait for bags (which came off in reverse priority sequence as expected) and then out to the arrivals hall to be met by my other half, who took me back to his for tea, pasta and a much needed shower.
Headed off to Euston for the 18:36 train and arrived back at my flat in Birmingham at 20:25 to a nice cup of tea from my lodger.
Only 24 hours after the flight, the miles have posted. No sign of 5 out of 6 of my QF flights, the last four Hilton stays or my bonus 15,000 yet. I see much chasing ahead…
I’ll do some summing up in a final post and that will be it
Dec 8, 2004, 5:54 pm
#35
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Originally Posted by iainbhx
This is for a UK definition of walkable rather than a US definition (which seems to be one block, or in Orange County not at all).
Great report!
Dec 13, 2004, 4:17 am
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Birmingham, England
Programs: LH SEN, Hilton Diamond, AF/KL & BA basic memberships, Tufty Club Exec Plutonium
Posts: 1,668
Fit the Fifteenth
The Summary
Airlines
BA: BA were, in my opinion, there usual selves, providing a high quality of service but with one or two niggly bits around the edges. The CW Flat Bed is wonderful and despite being a bit larger than normal, I had no problems with it.
QF: With the exception of Genghis in Garters (SIN-SYD), all the QF staff I ran into were pleasant and willing. The food was very good and the domestic business class a very pleasant surprise (BA please take note). QP's are very good as airline lounges go. I found the SkyBed annoying for a daytime flight and I found the Dreamtime seat reasonably adequate for a trans-Pac. Wines very good.
CX: I obviously need to fly CX more, my one flight probably would have been a pleasure if it hadn't have been for the jet lag.
JQ: Uuurgh, the legroom.
WN: WN does what it says on the tin, it's the only LCC I'm happy booking with.
Hotels
Hiltons: A vast disappointment. I know that I get spoilt with European Hiltons and with Islington, but I wasn't expecting the benefits to be eroded as much as they were. Only the Hilton Cairns and the HGI Scottsdale came up to scratch. I'd stay at the Hilton AKL and the Conrad Hong Kong again happily, but in the full awareness that I wouldn't be getting much for my Gold status. Perhaps I won't bother quite so much with Hilton in the future (even though I do make Diamond next Saturday).
Starwood: Well, I was very impressed by the Sheraton SYD, I must stay at more Starwoods.
Places
HKG: A lovely city which deserves a return trip and further exploration, shopping good, eating out OK (a bit more difficult as a lone traveller than I like), public transport awkward to understand except for the MRT, I didn't really do entertainment.
SIN: Surprisingly delightful, will be visited again soon. Shopping excellent, eating out excellent, public transport excellent, I didn't really do entertainment but will avoid Orchard Road bars in future.
SYD: A large city which probably deserves another week some time, a bit on the brash side. Shopping reasonable, eating out good, public transport fairly bad, entertainment very good.
MEL: I'm in love with MEL. Hilton crap, everything else wonderful.
BNE: I only did a brief day trip, it's clear that I've need to return.
CNS: I've done CNS, the scenery is lovely, the food is pretty decent, there really isn't any public transport and the entertainment is limited.
AKL: I met some nice people in AKL, people I'd like to see again. I'd like to see AKL in better weather as well.
PHX: OK, the shopping is still cheap and the Mexican is still decent and it was nice to see Darryl and his family again. However, if I do another RTW, I will be looking at routings NOT involving the USA.
Airports
LHR T1: If it wasn't for Zone R and Terraces, it would be a shop-infested dump. With Zone R and Terraces, it's a reasonable place. It would be nice if luggage could come off in a reasonable time.
HKG: Wow. Double Wow. A very good airport with lots of nice facilities. I think the Pier is slightly over rated, but still very good. They know how to handle luggage and check-in very well.
SIN: Good but overrated (well, T1 is). QF/BA lounge disappointing. Decent provision of cancer incubation units. Shopping is OK.
SYD International: QP good but I actually preferred the Domestic QP. Security nice and easy. Shopping looked OK and getting up to BAA standards
SYD Domestic: Nice QP, no queues, felt very spacious.
MEL Domestic: Oooh, shiny airport. Nice QP. Easy to use.
CNS Domestic: Small, but cosy. Decent QP. Very limited shopping
BNE Domestic: Felt a lot like MAN, plenty of room. Could do with a wider range of food outlets for LCC fliers.
AKL International: Nice QP, shame the cancer incubation unit is going, annoying departure fee.
LAX: Possibly the worst major airport in the world.
PHX: T4 is the best of a mediocre bunch of terminals. At least the TSA seem to be reasonably on the ball here.
All in all, I had a great time and I would happily do it again. I shall have to start saving my pennies and leave allowance in order to do it again. Apart from the Hilton on the Park Melbourne, I have no real gripes.
The Summary
Airlines
BA: BA were, in my opinion, there usual selves, providing a high quality of service but with one or two niggly bits around the edges. The CW Flat Bed is wonderful and despite being a bit larger than normal, I had no problems with it.
QF: With the exception of Genghis in Garters (SIN-SYD), all the QF staff I ran into were pleasant and willing. The food was very good and the domestic business class a very pleasant surprise (BA please take note). QP's are very good as airline lounges go. I found the SkyBed annoying for a daytime flight and I found the Dreamtime seat reasonably adequate for a trans-Pac. Wines very good.
CX: I obviously need to fly CX more, my one flight probably would have been a pleasure if it hadn't have been for the jet lag.
JQ: Uuurgh, the legroom.
WN: WN does what it says on the tin, it's the only LCC I'm happy booking with.
Hotels
Hiltons: A vast disappointment. I know that I get spoilt with European Hiltons and with Islington, but I wasn't expecting the benefits to be eroded as much as they were. Only the Hilton Cairns and the HGI Scottsdale came up to scratch. I'd stay at the Hilton AKL and the Conrad Hong Kong again happily, but in the full awareness that I wouldn't be getting much for my Gold status. Perhaps I won't bother quite so much with Hilton in the future (even though I do make Diamond next Saturday).
Starwood: Well, I was very impressed by the Sheraton SYD, I must stay at more Starwoods.
Places
HKG: A lovely city which deserves a return trip and further exploration, shopping good, eating out OK (a bit more difficult as a lone traveller than I like), public transport awkward to understand except for the MRT, I didn't really do entertainment.
SIN: Surprisingly delightful, will be visited again soon. Shopping excellent, eating out excellent, public transport excellent, I didn't really do entertainment but will avoid Orchard Road bars in future.
SYD: A large city which probably deserves another week some time, a bit on the brash side. Shopping reasonable, eating out good, public transport fairly bad, entertainment very good.
MEL: I'm in love with MEL. Hilton crap, everything else wonderful.
BNE: I only did a brief day trip, it's clear that I've need to return.
CNS: I've done CNS, the scenery is lovely, the food is pretty decent, there really isn't any public transport and the entertainment is limited.
AKL: I met some nice people in AKL, people I'd like to see again. I'd like to see AKL in better weather as well.
PHX: OK, the shopping is still cheap and the Mexican is still decent and it was nice to see Darryl and his family again. However, if I do another RTW, I will be looking at routings NOT involving the USA.
Airports
LHR T1: If it wasn't for Zone R and Terraces, it would be a shop-infested dump. With Zone R and Terraces, it's a reasonable place. It would be nice if luggage could come off in a reasonable time.
HKG: Wow. Double Wow. A very good airport with lots of nice facilities. I think the Pier is slightly over rated, but still very good. They know how to handle luggage and check-in very well.
SIN: Good but overrated (well, T1 is). QF/BA lounge disappointing. Decent provision of cancer incubation units. Shopping is OK.
SYD International: QP good but I actually preferred the Domestic QP. Security nice and easy. Shopping looked OK and getting up to BAA standards
SYD Domestic: Nice QP, no queues, felt very spacious.
MEL Domestic: Oooh, shiny airport. Nice QP. Easy to use.
CNS Domestic: Small, but cosy. Decent QP. Very limited shopping
BNE Domestic: Felt a lot like MAN, plenty of room. Could do with a wider range of food outlets for LCC fliers.
AKL International: Nice QP, shame the cancer incubation unit is going, annoying departure fee.
LAX: Possibly the worst major airport in the world.
PHX: T4 is the best of a mediocre bunch of terminals. At least the TSA seem to be reasonably on the ball here.
All in all, I had a great time and I would happily do it again. I shall have to start saving my pennies and leave allowance in order to do it again. Apart from the Hilton on the Park Melbourne, I have no real gripes.