brg

Fantastic TR as usual.
I wish you had kept on writing the other blog but can see the effort involved and why you had to stop.

BHD90

Great report so far.

I was in San Francisco last week also. Turns out we would have been on the same flight back to Heathrow!

DaveNCL

Day 4

I woke early again around 5am. You can bet your bottom dollar when I want to wake early tomorrow I won't be able to. When retuning on a TATL I like to wake early and get either a lot of walking or a gym session done. I find this helps when trying to sleep on the flight.

I browsed the Internet for a bit (more YouTube!) and then took a shower and went across the street for a coffee.

The idea then was to upload my photos from day 2, add the links to the text and then post. However my mac had other ideas. The uploading was fine but as soon as I try to go through the photos for the IMG links the flash player hogs all the memory. It took around 90 minutes to get 30% of the way through.

Happy Easter


As it was approaching 9am I had to give up to get out for the day. So frustrating not sure what is going on with my mac, maybe it is time for a new one.

First stop was breakfast at Blue Bottle Coffee where I ordered a cappuccino and poached eggs. Thanks to ESFLYER95 for the recommendation. The coffee was good and the poached eggs were nice. BTW who has jam with poached eggs? Just plain wrong.







The weather was a little confusing today, I went out initially in a polo shirt, as I did yesterday. It was chilly and before I went any further I needed a jumper, so I went back to the hotel and then to Union Square to pick up one of the HOHO buses. I didn’t do any research I just picked the first bus to come.

I went for the extra legroom seat










The main aim today was to cross the bridge in an easier fashion than yesterday and then visit Golden Gate Park.

This turned out to be the coldest and windiest bus ride I have ever taken. My god the weather this morning has changed since yesterday. I got across the bridge and just managed to hold onto my face but then the guide announced that the Golden Gate Park attractions were closed on a Sunday. There were some events taking place in the park but I decided to head back to Union Square.

















This was probably $45 slightly wasted, I enjoyed crossing the bridge on two wheels a lot more than on the bus and with the attractions in the park being closed it lost it's purpose. The guide was also a little bit boring, I lost count how many times he introduced himself. Given there wasn't much hopping on or off on the way it got repetitive. The wind didn't help as I couldn't hear some of it and I moved from the back of the bus as he was drowned out by the engine and exhaust.

I looked through a few shops around Union Square and then it was time for the second trip back to the hotel to pick up my gilet. This most annoying part about the weather is that I put sun lotion on this morning. I hate the stuff and it's even worse when it's not needed. It may have helped against the wind burn on the bus though.

Whilst at the hotel I attempted to finish off the day 2 section and book a few hotels for work but the chamber maid (do you still call them that?) came to clean my room. I relocated to the bar for a beer and managed to get day 2, part 1 uploaded.

For the afternoon I was a little stumped for things to do. I decided to head to Lombard Street for photos and I stopped off for lunch at an Italian on the way.



Pizza was OK but the base was too thick for my liking and the mozzarella was extremely salty.






From here I walked up to Lombard Street, possibly scaled is a better noun. Predictable chaos would be the best way to describe it this place. People in the road taking photos, cars driving down the road with passengers and drivers also trying to take photos. The police officers at either end had their hands full directing both people and traffic.



Or your car may not be where you left it when you return. Personally I would look downhill if it has moved.










Nice driveway!








Once I had all the photos I needed I decided to wait for the next cable car at the top to take me back towards Union Square. Having just missed a car it was a 15 minute wait for the next but I was kept entertained watching the police directing people, cars and generally everything moving as it should.







Quick, quick before it moves!


It was a little hard to take a good photo and hang on. I did get a good video though.






A fun ride back hanging off the side of a car and I went back to the hotel to relax. These last few days have certainly been tiring, very enjoyable but tiring.



I was in my room for a couple of hours just whiling away the time, I completed online check in without a hitch as I was expecting some problems. BA have still not taken the extra Avios from my account for the upgrade, oh well! I did get confirmation from BA today that they have refunded me my seat reservation fee from an exit row seat in WT from a work trip to Atlanta in February. I was WT+ on the outbound and then upgraded at the airport to WT+ again, you get your original seat fee back in this scenario. The upgrade cost was certainly worth it, it got to sit next to my colleague and there was only 8 of us in the cabin. I got 5 hours sleep and cleared a big backlog of email after skipping dinner so it was win / win.

As I wasn’t hungry, having eaten lunch late, I skipped dinner and headed to the bar for a few beers and to update my TR. This Golden Gate IPA certainly goes down well. My main gripe with the US is the poor lager / beer selection. I normally go with Yeungling, at least it has some taste to it, I’m not a fan of these light beers and for me the general US lager selection has no taste at all.

The bar area at the Grand Hyatt is a nice contemporary setting with a cosy atmosphere. It was never too busy but busy enough that it doesn’t feel odd.

Day 2, part 2 uploaded and day 3 was nearly ready to go so it was time for bed. Lights out at 22:30 as I planned to wake early tomorrow morning.

P.s. I fixed post 14, not sure why the quotes were not showing.

DaveNCL

I’m not sure I’ve done anything out of the ordinary. A quick trip so needed to four on the main sights, let me know if you do.

Thanks lukecdw

Construction in Union Square is a bit crazy, luckily my room is away from it and I’ve not been affected.

I stay away from KL unless it is a 747 or 787 route to be assured of new WBC, 1A on the 747 is a great seat. The 777 fleet are due for completion in the next few months if I remember correctly. BA get a tough time on the BA board (and in my earlier post) but at least you know what seat you are getting in business class.

Blue Bottle will appear soon in my TR!

Thanks for the comment canuckshark

Thanks crystal_cad, I was planning on the Cheesecake Factory for dinner on Sunday night until I realised it was closed, due to Macys being closed for Easter Sunday.

Thanks for the suggestions flyingeph12

Thanks offerendum

Loved the city, even it's hills!

Weather was great and as sneak preview to a later post F was great, massive difference from CW. It's set the new standard for me. I remember my first time in WT+ I felt like a king, those days were certainly cheaper!

Couldn't resist the shot with the plane.

I'm not superstitious or anything but I had a feeling I might get a ticket for some reason, so glad as it was an amazing experience.

Thanks adampenrith

Thanks gaobest

Thanks Katie

I passed the Argonaut Hotel, certainly looked nice from the outside.

Thanks mike&co

Thanks brg. There have been many times I still wish I was writing the there TR when I have come across things and though that would have been fun to include. It really does take a lot of time and this year there has not been the spare time to do it.

My main reason for stopping was I wasn't happy compromising on quality or becoming inconsistent with posts.

Really, small world BHD90. Flight back was excellent and I managed to make my 1 hour connection which was good.

G_CIVV

What a fabulous trip report, written in a lively and easy-going style and a delight to read with some great pictures.

The trip sounds like a fantastic break from the tribulations of watching our football team, though I guess you will be plunging back to earth on Saturday at Norwich.

San Francisco is in my opinion an amazing city and you appear to have done it justice. Looking forward to hearing how your first first went on the way home.

NWIFlyer

Fantastic trip report - I must have been to San Fran getting on for 20 times over the years, but I never tire of it and I'm still finding new places to see. There are lots and lots of hidden, very pretty passageways off the main streets which are delightful to wander through and a very marked contrast to the downtown and Wharf areas.

I imagine next year one or the other of us is going to struggle to find so many free dates, because one of our teams (if not both!) is disappearing through the trapdoor. I'll obviously be hoping you do plunge down to earth at Carrow Road on Saturday, but if you're down for the game let me know and we can compare San Fran notes over a beer!

DaveNCL

Day 5

All good things must come to an end and today is my last day in San Francisco. Boo, at least I have another 5 days before I go back to work.

I was awake before my alarm again and in the gym by 6:30 keen to get some exercise done and also tire myself out before the flight so I can sleep for a few hours.





After a shower I started to pack my things, my plan was to check out before I left and then come back to the hotel around 4pm to take a taxi to the airport. I had asked about a late check out but they were only willing to extend until 13:00 which wasn't much good as it would cut my day in half. To keep my room until 6pm it would cost 50% of my nightly rate which would have been $160, it just wasn't worth if for the 3 extra hours I needed.

I checked out at 9:30 and walked back down to the ferry terminal to take a look at the farmers market and get some breakfast. By this time I was pretty hungry having been to the gym and last eaten at 3pm yesterday.

Coffee, yoghurt and a danish pastry later I was refilled and on my way to the The Exploratorium.

















An interactive 90 minutes later I left and continued walking down to Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39 so I could see the sea lions, I had missed these on my earlier visits to the area.





































Realising I had not tried the Clam Chowder whilst in San Francisco I stopped of for lunch overlooking the marina, what a nice spot. I did the combo with a salad and then I had the IPA again.



Lunch with a view.






The chowder was nice although mine seemed to be missing chunks of seafood. Is it meant to have these?

After lunch it was time to walk back towards the hotel, I still had enough time before I needed to go to the airport but I wanted a quick look around the shops at Union Square.

It seems a simple walk back but experience told me there was at least one big hill to walk.






After the walk back and looking through a few shops I had got what I had come all this way for, a new pair of tracksuit bottoms to sleep in for the flight home!

A quick visit to the viewing level at my hotel on floor 36.










I collected my bags and the doorman had a town car already waiting which could take me to the airport. I was fortunate that there was no traffic and 20 minutes later we were kerbside. By this time excitement was starting to build a little for First.

Route SFO-LHR
Flight Number 286
Departure 1915 (Actual 1910)
Arrival 1345 (Actual approx 1340)
Seat 4A (First)
Aircraft 388





A short wait to check my bag and then a longer wait for ‘Premium’ security. Another case of people waiting in line for a good 20 minutes and then doing nothing to prepare themselves for the process.



Onto the lounge where I took a quick shower and then moved into the First lounge for a few drinks and snacks. My problem was there was no hooks in the shower room, so all my clothes and bag had to go onto the floor. When i suggested this improvement on returning the key I got a sneer. Just trying to offer feedback!





Overall I had around 90 minutes in the lounge which was a nice length of time to relax and upload some photos. The lounge certainly filled up as time went on, I’m not sure how busy the rest of the lounge was, as I was in early I got a good table next to the bar with a power socket.



When the lounge attendant came to notify us that boarding has started I packed my belongings and walked to the gate, finally arriving in the oasis of First.





Row 83 seems a long way away.


I won’t lie walking through 1L which was signposted as 'Rows 1-4' was very nice. Once I had unpacked and stored my belongings at my seat the important part started, pre take off drinks.

No need to mention what I ordered.


First impressions of the seat were excellent with lots more space than CW, certainly to the side and between the seat and the window. My only issue was there was no where to put a laptop, I had to get this down after take off. The CW trays works so well for this.









The app was posting a delay all day due to the late incoming arrival of the aircraft but it made up time in the air and we pushed back 5 minutes early, for the long roll towards the runway.















By the time the seat belt signs had gone off the crew were already in full flow. I planned to continue writng the TR for the first part until the meal was served, then I would watch a film during the meal before settling in for the night to get as much sleep as possible.



I decided to stay with Champagne and had to suffer Laurent Perrier Vintage as they had moved onto this once in the air. Very nice it was too.


Pretty much my only gripe on this flight was that they ran out of LP after one glass, I am not sure what we moved onto after that but it still tasted good.

Service was excellent all flight, dinner orders were taken and the service started not long after. This was good as it was already past 8pm and would allow sleep to be maximised.

I chose the tasting menu, not knowing when I would be back in First of the A380 I thought it made sense not to waste this opportunity, although the normal menu looked very good also.



















Watermelon and feta cheese salad was nice to get us underway. Feta always reminds me of Greek holiday when I was a child. One of the things I am hugely thankful to my parents for is that we always went abroad for two weeks in the summer when I was young.


The duck was a little non descript and dry but the dressing added a nice asian flavour.


The soup was excellent with distinct flavours, I commented on this when the cup was collected and I was offered more, so not to spoil the rest I politely declined.


Lobster was very nice. First time I've had lobster, it seemed a little tough but I would need to order lobster again to know if it was or not. For something served at 38,000 feet I am fine with that.


The main, although on a five course tasting menu I am not sure you can really call it a main, pork was totally opposite to the duck for starter. Moist and very tasty the plum jus and greens were very nice.


For desert I didn’t fancy the chocolate mouse so I switched to some fruit to round off what was an excellent meal. Small issue was the peach was not great in the centre.


I was a little shocked when the bowl turned up.


The only difficulty was the small plates with the lip edge made it difficult to cut any food without it flying off the plate.

After dinner I would love to say I polished off another 5 bottles of Champagne but it was a lot more sedate. Once my table was cleared I went to the bathroom to change into my tracksuit bottoms and by the time I came back my bed was made ready for the night. The wider, longer seat with the mattress / cover certainly increased the comfort levels, the bed length will never be long enough for my legs but I managed to find a position that worked.

Not quite First presentation in the loo.


No super size toilet area here compared to CW.


Ready for sleep






I got a solid 4 hours sleep and after a quick trip to the loo another 2.5 hours. I think I was probably the first one to bed down for the night and when I awoke after 4 hours there were still some people awake.

At 12pm local time and with 90 minutes left of the flight I woke to the sounds of breakfast being served. A quick check of the moving map and my watch said it was time to wake and sample some more dining. After dinner I wasn’t massively hungry but the green tea and smoothie were refreshing after sleeping.

Location on waking


I opted for yoghurt and compote along with some scrambled eggs and toast. Unfortunately the toast was cold when served.







With around 40 minutes to landing I beat the queues to freshen up and change clothes ready for landing. Despite the First Officer staying we would arrive early we got stuck in a stack and arrived at the gate only 5 minutes early, this was severely impacting on my connection time.

Throughout the flight I had a smile on my face, it was a great experience and something I need more of!

Unfortunately my time in First was approaching its end.




It was door 2L which was connected to the jetty so I was first off with a fast walk to the transit. I just missed a train but with the next one I was through domestic connection without any problems.

Route LHR-NCL
Flight Number 1334
Departure 1450 (Actual 1500)
Arrival 1600 (Actual approx 1606)
Seat 10C (Economy exit seat)
Aircraft 319



I was through security by 1405 and still there was no gate announced for my flight, so in the interest of trying new things I raced along to the First lounge for a quick beer. The lounge attendant did advise I could use the CCR with my inbound boarding pass but with not a lot of time a beer would taste the same in either lounge. It was just nice not to be in Galleries North. As soon as I sat down the gate was announced but it was only A11 so not a long walk back.



After getting myself through the connection process safely and quickly my next worry was would my bag make it. This connection was going to be the pinch point but at the same time the reason I decided to check my bag to begin with. When I arrived at the gate I asked the agent to check my bag status, it had been seen in the transit area but not loaded yet. At least it was off my SFO flight.

My decision to check a bag was due to me worrying that I would be last on the plane with no where to store a case and bag. In the end I needn’t have worried as I was first on and the plane was only 40% full.



My connection back to Newcastle was a formality, I had the full exit row to myself, not quite a First seat but it could have converted into a bed if I had wanted.







On arrival into Newcastle I got the dreaded email, I was in Newcastle and my case was still at Heathrow.



Oh well at least I didn’t need to wait for my case off the belt. I give my details to the baggage desk and the jumped in a taxi, 20 minutes after landing I was walking through my front door with an excellent excuse as to why I wouldn't be doing any washing tonight!

noniron

Great TR DaveNCL, I really enjoyed following your trip.

Good luck for the rest of the season, in Rafa we trust! As we used to sing on the Kop!

aeroman380

Always a great report!

stu1985

Great end. Glad you enjoyed your first F. It looked not too bad. I have a trip in F to JNB coming up this week - hope it is up to standard!

AvidFlyer1990

Great report once again, DaveNCL! Keep it up!

DEK

Wonderful report! Thank you!

Indeed clam "chowdah" should have lots of clams in it.

You should come to Maine and have lobster the way it's meant to be cooked/eaten (steamed, whole in shell, melted real butter and a bib) .

Oformula

Another fantastic TR from DaveNCL. I really enjoyed your Traveling Account Man series, and I'm interested to hearing your thoughts on the international OW experience compared to SkyTeam.

Oh, and come to DC sometime! You'll love it here.

DaveNCL

Thanks Chris, I hope all is well. Apart from NUFC!

I was down yesterday, simply Norwich had the battle and determination to win the game, so much so I barely celebrated our two goals as I knew what would happen next.

I've been resigned since our loss to Bournemouth a few weeks back.

Thanks noniron, Rafa had a very different squad at the Kop.

Thanks corruptcanadian

stu1985 I hope your F trip went well. South Africa is next on my list, just need to find a good deal.

Thanks AvidFlyer1990

DEK sounds good, that part of the US does interest me so it may happen soon, perhaps I tag that onto a Boston trip.

Thanks Oformula, I was in DC on Oct '14 and I had a great time.











Thanks everyone for your comments, I will try and post some final comments and conclusions at some point next week. Apparently I have to go back to work tomorrow! A trip to Moscow to start April, I love 6am flights on my first day back.

Anyway, it's only 8 weeks until my next holiday to NYC so it's not all bad.

Flyingboy200

Fantastic trip report. I always love reading your reports probably cause your a fellow Newcastle lad! I've had many great holidays in the city by the bay so the pictures brought back some great memories.
Thanks for taking the time to share with us man.