richard, the secret freeway is the 509. If you live close to highway 99, just hop on and it turns into 509.
I am not and have never been an AA elite. Generally I only fly United and Alaska. I flew AA first class SEA-DFW a few months ago and thought the MD-80 service was atrocious. Four hours with no video and very little meal service. The main leg up United has is widebody service out of Seattle.
A little Fokker
For the evening, we reserved a Hertz subcompact for the AAA rate of CAD$30.69. When we got to the Gold counter, we saw a shining new black VW Beetle staring at us. We had never driven one, so we asked about upgrading. The agent told us CAD$15 more. Well, what the heck. We went for it. I rented the car on my Diners, getting me 1000 bonus miles for November. The Beetle has a small interior but fairly comfortable front seats and a stunning radioactive cobalt-blue display that pierces through the dark like cats eyes. We had a great time driving around, caught the opening of the movie The Bachelor, and returned the car the same night. It was about a 15-meter walk from the car return to the hotel. The movie, starring Chris O’Donnell and a host of beautiful girls, was a well-edited remake of a 1920’s Buster Keaton movie of the same name. We enjoyed it.
Hotel checkout was as excellent as checkin. The clerk called me by name, asked all the right questions, and even found a luggage cart for Hunnybear for us to make the short journey across the skybridge to the Canadian checkin. This is certainly the most convenient airport hotel I’ve stayed at and they bend over backwards for Platinums.
We checked in in time to visit the Empress Lounge, a two-story space with great windows upstairs overlooking the planes. Jonathan met us at about 8:30 and 10 minutes later we headed to the gate. The short flight to Montreal was on a Fokker F28, one of my favorite small planes. For the first time, I flew in one configured with two classes of service! The service on this flight should be a model for short-haul airlines. We got newspapers, coffee, and a delicious brunch plate consisting of smoked turkey and ham, fruit, and cheese. The single steward in business class was extremely pleasant and service-oriented. If Canadian flew this type of aircraft from SEA to PDX and YVR, I’d never take anything else. It certainly blows away Horizon and United Express.
Upon arrival in Montreal, we decided to rent a car. Avis gave us a Chrysler Cirrus for CAD$30/day, and we drove it downtown to the Four Points Sheraton with no trouble. Upon arrival, Jonathan and I were both upgraded to suites, being both Platinum. This hotel is far superior to the Four Points San Antonio, where I had a disappointing stay in August, but not up to the level of a regular Sheraton or Westin in terms of amenities or public areas. There is a small lobby, small elevators, and really not many frills. They do have quite a few suites, though, and our room was nice although not even as big as the deluxe room we had the night before at the Sheraton Gateway Toronto. The bathroom is the biggest disappointment, being rather small. I would probably try the nearby Sheraton Centre-Ville next time.
After settling in, we headed right out to have lunch at the famous Schwartz Restaurant. We waited in a New York-style line and then were seated family style with three other guest at a table for six. All three of us ordered the smoked meat sandwich. Hunnybear asked for it lean, but the waiter said if it’s your first time you should try medium. We all ordered medium, but I think next time we’ll try lean. The meat was great, but the bread was rather soft for rye. You can’t beat the price though—CAD$3.75 for a sandwich that would probably cost over $10 in New York. Everything was á la carte, so we each had a pickle for CAD$1.10. We split a plate of excellent cole slaw and a side of fries, each under CAD$2. The entire time we were there, a huge line of locals and visitors alike were queued up to eat at this Montreal landmark. We were glad we did.
Plans to explore the Old City evaporated when we returned wearily to our room after the long walk in the cold air to and from Schwartz’s. Instead, we watched Notting Hill on the On Command Video. I really enjoyed this movie despite fairly wooden acting by Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. Even though I don’t really consider either of them master thespians, I usually find that they’ve picked good movies to appear in. It was engaging and original.
After dialing up to check FlyerTalk and the latest news from the PiP (CAD$.95/local call, no threshold), it was time to go to the wedding. The groom was one of Hunnybear’s old friends, and the whole thing was done to perfection. Highlights were about a dozen different appetizers being offered on trays before the ceremony and the sweet table at the end, presented on a stage at one end of the ballroom. They even had rambutans and mangosteens, Asian fruits that I’ve enjoyed in Thailand but never before seen in America. We ate, drank, and talked until well after midnight and had a great time. Mazel tov, John and Marcie.
Next: Take the long way home