Stepping on the gas to Gold (BA, oneworld emerald)
Dec 12, 2016, 7:49 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Oneworld, *A; Hilton, SPG
Posts: 488
Thanks, and enjoy your travels!
Thanks! I'm procrastinating as usual 
. Turns out reading is so much easier than writing. Maybe I'll have to leave it to the experts after this one!
. Turns out reading is so much easier than writing. Maybe I'll have to leave it to the experts after this one!
Dec 12, 2016, 7:53 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Oneworld, *A; Hilton, SPG
Posts: 488
Day 3/BA Bronze: Admirals Club @ LAX T4; LAX-LAS, AA B737; ARIA Hotel, Herringbone
Despite the delay, I still had time to use the Admirals Club at LAX T4. I was really tired by this point, having flown quite a distance without a proper stop - so there were very few pictures taken.
Unfortunately, it was very crowded with very little space to sit in. There is again a Flagship Lounge at the very end of the lounge, which had a lot more space, but was not particularly interesting. After grabbing something to rehydrate myself, I decided to just walk around the terminal until my flight was called.
A cute Christmas train running around the roof
My flight out was also delayed by the jam in the aisle between the terminals (LAX control really needs to think about what they can do here…).
Gate area full of impatient passengers
When boarding was finally called over an hour after the scheduled time (and two gate changes later), I was glad to be able to settle in and nap a bit more.
The plane was a rather outdated 737.
Nothing much happened, this being a short flight. The flight attendants went around offering beverages as soon as they could, and a snack basket was passed through the cabin.
We arrived at LAS, and after a long taxi, disembarked into the D gates satellite.
The blue line train took us to Terminal 1, where I took an Uber to the Aria (which I booked using some discount, and ended up paying ~$30 for the room, excluding the taxes and resort fee).
I checked into a standard room (for one night), and found it quite decent, especially considering the price. The views were not amazing, but was at least open.
The room was reasonably large, with plenty of seating, which is unfortunately lacking in so many hotel rooms nowadays.
Useful, yet again not the most conveniently-placed outlets
Separated loo area
I liked how the shower and tub were zoned off into a small 'room', typical of Japanese hotels. Kept the steam and water in, and kept the area warm, making transferring from the shower to the tub easy and tidy.
Being quite tired, I decided to head to the Herringbone, an restaurant inside the Aria complex for dinner. The food was very good, and portions huge for its price. I do wish I had ordered less.
"Little Gem" salad of baby Romaine, smoked trout dressing, soft farm egg, croutons, Parmesan cheese. The dressing was less of a dressing than actual flakes (or rather decent chunks) of smoked trout. Really enjoyed this.
Tuna poke, with shoyu, Maui onions, toasted macadamia nuts. Good for a few bites, but the spice and the heaviness of the bread got to me very soon. Perhaps as a sharing plate
Mac N'Cheese (I can rarely resist it when I see it on the menu), containing (to my surprise) lobster!
Chilean sea bass, with farmer market vegetables and orange miso glaze. I found this the most disappointing part of the meal. It was not bad, and the fish was cooked extremely well, but something was off. Perhaps the orange miso glaze and the fish just did not go too well together for me. Then again, what would I know about good food?
After a quick walk around the hotel, I called it a night early, in preparation for my 6am flight the next day.
:-: TP count: 770; BA flight count: 3 (still need 0TP, 1 flight)
Unfortunately, it was very crowded with very little space to sit in. There is again a Flagship Lounge at the very end of the lounge, which had a lot more space, but was not particularly interesting. After grabbing something to rehydrate myself, I decided to just walk around the terminal until my flight was called.
A cute Christmas train running around the roof
My flight out was also delayed by the jam in the aisle between the terminals (LAX control really needs to think about what they can do here…).
Gate area full of impatient passengers
When boarding was finally called over an hour after the scheduled time (and two gate changes later), I was glad to be able to settle in and nap a bit more.
The plane was a rather outdated 737.
Nothing much happened, this being a short flight. The flight attendants went around offering beverages as soon as they could, and a snack basket was passed through the cabin.
We arrived at LAS, and after a long taxi, disembarked into the D gates satellite.
The blue line train took us to Terminal 1, where I took an Uber to the Aria (which I booked using some discount, and ended up paying ~$30 for the room, excluding the taxes and resort fee).
I checked into a standard room (for one night), and found it quite decent, especially considering the price. The views were not amazing, but was at least open.
The room was reasonably large, with plenty of seating, which is unfortunately lacking in so many hotel rooms nowadays.
Useful, yet again not the most conveniently-placed outlets
Separated loo area
I liked how the shower and tub were zoned off into a small 'room', typical of Japanese hotels. Kept the steam and water in, and kept the area warm, making transferring from the shower to the tub easy and tidy.
Being quite tired, I decided to head to the Herringbone, an restaurant inside the Aria complex for dinner. The food was very good, and portions huge for its price. I do wish I had ordered less.
"Little Gem" salad of baby Romaine, smoked trout dressing, soft farm egg, croutons, Parmesan cheese. The dressing was less of a dressing than actual flakes (or rather decent chunks) of smoked trout. Really enjoyed this.
Tuna poke, with shoyu, Maui onions, toasted macadamia nuts. Good for a few bites, but the spice and the heaviness of the bread got to me very soon. Perhaps as a sharing plate
Mac N'Cheese (I can rarely resist it when I see it on the menu), containing (to my surprise) lobster!
Chilean sea bass, with farmer market vegetables and orange miso glaze. I found this the most disappointing part of the meal. It was not bad, and the fish was cooked extremely well, but something was off. Perhaps the orange miso glaze and the fish just did not go too well together for me. Then again, what would I know about good food?
After a quick walk around the hotel, I called it a night early, in preparation for my 6am flight the next day.
:-: TP count: 770; BA flight count: 3 (still need 0TP, 1 flight)
Dec 17, 2016, 2:52 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Oneworld, *A; Hilton, SPG
Posts: 488
Day 4/BA Bronze: LAS-LAX, AA B737
With a disastrously early flight, I woke up, still half-asleep, and after the usual routines, checked out and requested an Uber, which whisked me back to the airport very quickly.
I was surprised to find so many people already at the airport, though thankfully, priority check-in had no queues (at the time). After printing out my boarding passes all the way to Dublin (the check-in agent said something like, “here are your boarding passes to Los Angeles, to New York, to London then to Dublin; all in a window seat!” in a tone suggesting that it’s a very long journey, and that I wasn’t the first one she checked in with such an itinerary [wink]).
Unfortunately, no Pre-check this time
Now I certainly would not buy my expensive headphone from a dispensing machine...
I spent my time walking through the airport instead of heading over to The Club at LAS (AA does not offer a lounge a LAS). In the end, I ended up at Starbucks again.
I wanted to get their holiday-spiced flat white, though they were out
Loving this year's design
Boarding was announced, and this time, the flight was on a refurbished 737. That said, my seat was somewhat dirty (luckily I did not require much width of the seat, and could avoid the stained part).
Insert to lose phone
Slide for throwing luggage down - never gate check!
Again, nothing much to write about, other than the views out the window. The traffic problem at LAX was yet to be solved.
Another full flight
:-: TP count: 830; BA flight count: 3 (still need 0TP, 1 flight)
I was surprised to find so many people already at the airport, though thankfully, priority check-in had no queues (at the time). After printing out my boarding passes all the way to Dublin (the check-in agent said something like, “here are your boarding passes to Los Angeles, to New York, to London then to Dublin; all in a window seat!” in a tone suggesting that it’s a very long journey, and that I wasn’t the first one she checked in with such an itinerary [wink]).
Unfortunately, no Pre-check this time
Now I certainly would not buy my expensive headphone from a dispensing machine...
I spent my time walking through the airport instead of heading over to The Club at LAS (AA does not offer a lounge a LAS). In the end, I ended up at Starbucks again.
I wanted to get their holiday-spiced flat white, though they were out
Loving this year's design
Boarding was announced, and this time, the flight was on a refurbished 737. That said, my seat was somewhat dirty (luckily I did not require much width of the seat, and could avoid the stained part).
Insert to lose phone
Slide for throwing luggage down
- never gate check!Again, nothing much to write about, other than the views out the window. The traffic problem at LAX was yet to be solved.
Another full flight
:-: TP count: 830; BA flight count: 3 (still need 0TP, 1 flight)
Dec 17, 2016, 3:25 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Oneworld, *A; Hilton, SPG
Posts: 488
Day 4/BA Bronze: The Qantas First Lounge @ LAX TBIT; LAX-JFK, AA A321T
The upcoming Transcon First flight gave me access to the Qantas First Lounge at TBIT. With nearly two hours (the incoming flight arrived a little earlier despite LAX traffic), I made use of the connector to walk between the terminals.
Long lines for TBIT security
Entrance to QF F lounge
Luckily, unlike some fellow FT'ers, I had no problems getting into this lounge, and was admitted very quickly. The loungedragon angel just reminded me my flight was boarding from the next terminal, and to leave enough time to walk back.
Rather empty
Not having had breakfast, I sought out the dining area immediately. The lounge attendants were very attentive, and after I chose my seat, were quick to offer a menu and ask what I would like to drink. Sadly, it was the breakfast menu, and the salt and pepper squid was nowhere to be found. The omelette, however, was a very welcome replacement.
Another fruit bowl to start - they were very good
View from the lounge - i.e. not much
All too soon, I made my way back to T4 to board the A321T back to JFK.
A very friendly welcome on board once again, with drinks offered. The amenity kit this time was waiting at the seat, though oddly, was one stamped with ‘Transcon Business’ - though that gave me an opportunity to see another version.
Once again, my pre-ordered choice was confirmed. The food was again well presented and better than expected. I'm starting to think my expectations were too low. Or may FT'ers have expectations that are just too high.
Everyone should go for the pretzel bread.
Smoked salmon cheesecake. Delicious, but somewhat too heavy for a starter
Very good salad of arugula and watermelon radish
Portobello gnocchi pillows that could have done with a little more 'creamy mushroom sauce' (I believe the 'sauce' was inside the gnocchi)
As we approached JFK, the captain announced that those sitting on the right side of the aircraft (hooray, that’s me!) would have amazing views of Manhattan.
:-: TP count: 1040; BA flight count: 3 (still need 0TP, 1 flight)
Long lines for TBIT security
Entrance to QF F lounge
Luckily, unlike some fellow FT'ers, I had no problems getting into this lounge, and was admitted very quickly. The lounge
Rather empty
Not having had breakfast, I sought out the dining area immediately. The lounge attendants were very attentive, and after I chose my seat, were quick to offer a menu and ask what I would like to drink. Sadly, it was the breakfast menu, and the salt and pepper squid was nowhere to be found. The omelette, however, was a very welcome replacement.
Another fruit bowl to start - they were very good
View from the lounge - i.e. not much
All too soon, I made my way back to T4 to board the A321T back to JFK.
A very friendly welcome on board once again, with drinks offered. The amenity kit this time was waiting at the seat, though oddly, was one stamped with ‘Transcon Business’ - though that gave me an opportunity to see another version.
Once again, my pre-ordered choice was confirmed. The food was again well presented and better than expected. I'm starting to think my expectations were too low. Or may FT'ers have expectations that are just too high.
Everyone should go for the pretzel bread.
Smoked salmon cheesecake. Delicious, but somewhat too heavy for a starter
Very good salad of arugula and watermelon radish
Portobello gnocchi pillows that could have done with a little more 'creamy mushroom sauce' (I believe the 'sauce' was inside the gnocchi)
As we approached JFK, the captain announced that those sitting on the right side of the aircraft (hooray, that’s me!) would have amazing views of Manhattan.
:-: TP count: 1040; BA flight count: 3 (still need 0TP, 1 flight)
Dec 21, 2016, 4:26 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Oneworld, *A; Hilton, SPG
Posts: 488
Day 4/BA Bronze: JFK-LHR, AA B772
This flight was booked as a BA codeshare, such that it would also count as a BA flight.
I had a tight connection of 57 minutes, though thanks toinsider intelligence expert advice on FT, I managed to squeeze enough time to grab some dinner at the Flagship Lounge/International First Class Lounge at Concourse A before boarding my flight to London.
The mash was good, the carrots were quite under for me
Boarding was efficient, although impeded by a lady bringing on four carrier bags (in addition to her personal item). Duty Free was clearly in business tonight.
I opted for seat 9A, a backward facing seat for better privacy. Storage options were so poor, it could compete with the BA seat (though with seat 62A on the 747 UD, BA wins
). I consider myself on the slim side, but I still found the seat quite narrow.
Seat controls pretty straight forward
I don't usually take these crotch shots (with nothing remotely inappropriate to show), but just to illustrate how narrow the seat was...
Clean loos
Worth noting the lav on the left side of the plane was the accessible loo, so there was plenty of space
Snack bar
Being a night flight, dinner was served on one tray (tray hidden by the second table cloth). It was perfectly fine, though not as good as the other meals I have had on this trip. The started and salad were good; the crusted prawns very large, but otherwise rather bland.
The fast track card and invitation to the arrivals lounge were tucked inside the menu.
I slept reasonably well in the seat - and was not disturbed by others’ movements as some have reported - and woke up around two hours before landing. I was quickly spotted by a flight attendant and offered breakfast, which was actually quite delicious.
Landing at sunrise again enhanced the view out the window, though the lack of photography talent meant no good pictures to show off.
:-: TP count: 1180; BA flight count: 4 (still need 0TP, 0 flights)
I had a tight connection of 57 minutes, though thanks to
The mash was good, the carrots were quite under for me
Boarding was efficient, although impeded by a lady bringing on four carrier bags (in addition to her personal item). Duty Free was clearly in business tonight.
I opted for seat 9A, a backward facing seat for better privacy. Storage options were so poor, it could compete with the BA seat (though with seat 62A on the 747 UD, BA wins
). I consider myself on the slim side, but I still found the seat quite narrow.Seat controls pretty straight forward
I don't usually take these crotch shots (with nothing remotely inappropriate to show), but just to illustrate how narrow the seat was...
Clean loos
Worth noting the lav on the left side of the plane was the accessible loo, so there was plenty of space
Snack bar
Being a night flight, dinner was served on one tray (tray hidden by the second table cloth). It was perfectly fine, though not as good as the other meals I have had on this trip. The started and salad were good; the crusted prawns very large, but otherwise rather bland.
The fast track card and invitation to the arrivals lounge were tucked inside the menu.
I slept reasonably well in the seat - and was not disturbed by others’ movements as some have reported - and woke up around two hours before landing. I was quickly spotted by a flight attendant and offered breakfast, which was actually quite delicious.
Landing at sunrise again enhanced the view out the window, though the lack of photography talent meant no good pictures to show off.
:-: TP count: 1180; BA flight count: 4 (still need 0TP, 0 flights)
Dec 21, 2016, 4:52 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Oneworld, *A; Hilton, SPG
Posts: 488
Day 5/BA Silver: BA Galleries North @ LHR T5A; LHR-DUB, BA A320; DUB-LCY, BA E170
Again, delays to TP and Avios crediting would mean I was officially still a Blue. Thanks to technology, I can play pretend and have another DYKWIA moment:
The LHR-DUB flight was the exact same flight as I took at on Day 2, with the same meal. The flight attendants were again very efficient (this time even more so, given that there were 12 rows in Club) and it was quite extraordinary how they managed to get through the service, all with smiles, and still offer a second bar service. This time, I deliberately chose the other side of the plane to get different views.
With lots of time, I walked to Terminal 2 at Dublin, but was disappointed to find there was not much to photograph. It was just another modern terminal without too much character.
Back in Terminal 1, I made use of the BA counters and Fast Track, for no good reason other than to try them out.
Rather than spend more time at the DAA Executive Lounge, I decided to wait out the time at Starbucks over more coffee, and just people watch.
My LCY flight would depart from the 300s gates (score!).
The one FA taking care of Club was friendly and again efficient, so much so that he managed to help out the other FA taking care of Euro Traveller later on in the flight. The food was different to the offering on the LHR service, with a not-as-enjoyable salad (compared to the sandwiches), but a decent dessert instead.
Looks more like the sun was setting upward into the clouds
Views of London on LCY approach were amazing, but my subpar camera yielded blurry photos (totally not my fault). How upsetting.
I finally understand why people like flying through LCY so much. From leaving the aircraft, it was five minutes and I was already on the platform waiting for the DLR.
:-: TP count: 1260; BA flight count: 6 (still need 240TP, 0 flights)
The LHR-DUB flight was the exact same flight as I took at on Day 2, with the same meal. The flight attendants were again very efficient (this time even more so, given that there were 12 rows in Club) and it was quite extraordinary how they managed to get through the service, all with smiles, and still offer a second bar service. This time, I deliberately chose the other side of the plane to get different views.
With lots of time, I walked to Terminal 2 at Dublin, but was disappointed to find there was not much to photograph. It was just another modern terminal without too much character.
Back in Terminal 1, I made use of the BA counters and Fast Track, for no good reason other than to try them out.
Rather than spend more time at the DAA Executive Lounge, I decided to wait out the time at Starbucks over more coffee, and just people watch.
My LCY flight would depart from the 300s gates (score!).
The one FA taking care of Club was friendly and again efficient, so much so that he managed to help out the other FA taking care of Euro Traveller later on in the flight. The food was different to the offering on the LHR service, with a not-as-enjoyable salad (compared to the sandwiches), but a decent dessert instead.
Looks more like the sun was setting upward into the clouds
Views of London on LCY approach were amazing, but my subpar camera yielded blurry photos (totally not my fault
). How upsetting.I finally understand why people like flying through LCY so much. From leaving the aircraft, it was five minutes and I was already on the platform waiting for the DLR.
:-: TP count: 1260; BA flight count: 6 (still need 240TP, 0 flights)
Dec 21, 2016, 5:22 am
#30
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 417
Absolutely fantastic latest instalments to this TR. I've been going through my upcoming trips since my last one, and been counting down the days. Was a great morning when the Gold card and bag tags were delivered!
Great pics of the flight into LCY too!! I can't wait to fly out of there in March in the babybus, will be the first time for me after working close by for nearly 20 years!!
Great pics of the flight into LCY too!! I can't wait to fly out of there in March in the babybus, will be the first time for me after working close by for nearly 20 years!!