Minibus to LA

We arrived at the 1K/FC checkin around 11:45 and waited only a couple minutes for Laney to check us in. We told her we were very excited to be going on our anniversary cruise. It’s two years since Hunnybear and I met in the Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge in Bangkok Airport. Laney was very happy about that and got us checked in in no time. I warned her that my bag was heavy, being full of all the changes of clothes that I like to bring on cruises. I suggested that she could lighten in by not putting the “priority” tag on the bags, since those are ignored anyway.

We took the subway to the north satellite and headed for the 1K room, which was conveniently right across from our gate. Laura, the newest angel, was there. I asked her how her magic wand was doing and she said she’d give it her best zap. She was able to fix one problem and wait-list us for a better connection returning from Tampa. Laura has a fantastic attitude and will be a welcome addition to the Seattle 1K room.

Our flight was delayed about 10 minutes, but we boarded the 319 only a bit late. It’s a small pane. There are only eight FC seats, the cloth kind that are very comfortable sitting upright but don’t provide much thigh support. On 757s there is not enough legroom in the first row with these seats installed. On Airbuses, I don’t like the front row anyway because it’s difficult to see the video screen, which lowers from overheard. The angle is too severe and there is glare from the overhead lights. The viewing is much better in row 2. We took seats 2CD. One uniformed pilot sat in front of Hunnybear in 1D. The other five customers in FC were regular Mileage Plus members. In coach were one 1K and two customers holding XF first-class award tickets who couldn’t get space on this connection. United really needs to add a couple more rows of FC to these smaller aircraft.

There was no preflight drink service. The excuse was that the aircraft arrived late, but I’ve found that there is rarely preflight drink service when boarding is through the front on narrowbody aircraft. Other than that, though, the service was pleasant.

The safety video was one I hadn’t seen before: it was a cartoon! I liked it.

We got the full lunch service on this flight, including a menu! Lunch was a choice of filet mignon or a turkey wrap. We chose the filet and asked for it to be as rare as possible, but it still came out well done. It had a nice barbecue sauce. The spinach soufflé accompanying was superb. Hunnybear tasted the Eli’s apple cheesecake and found it to be excellent, but more like apple pie than cheesecake. There was also a salad with lots of radicchio or Belgian endive or something. (Once, at a very pretentious restaurant, I was offered a salad with some vegetable that was supposed to be a cross between radicchio and Belgian endive. I mean, give me a break!)

I’ll sure be glad when they stop showing that Y2K readiness video. After that, the short was “Sin City.” As much as I like Michael J. Fox, this show is just bad. Please! What’s worse, they decided they had to show a “Christmas episode.” Bah humbug.

We got a surprise at the end of the trip. Laney, at check-in, had apparently made a notation in the manifest that it was our anniversary! We got a nice bottle of Louis Martini cabernet sauvignon compliments of United. The people across the aisle were on an award ticket to Hawaii for their honeymoon, and got a bottle of champagne! I love these little touches.

We arrived at gate 69B, the farthest gate from baggage claim, now apparently home of all Seattle flights. But miracle of miracles—the bags were waiting for us when we arrived at the carousel! We called the Westin LAX, wheeled our bags out to the center waiting area, basked in the beautiful Southern California sun and 20 seconds later the shuttle arrived. The driver ported our bags and whisked us to the Westin. I stood by the Starwood Preferred Guest line even though I could see no one was manning it as usual, but I do it on principle. No one was waiting anywhere. We got checked in by Joey, who apologized that once again all the suites were taken (there was a convention at the hotel) but gave us a King room on the Executive Floor with a view of the airplanes! I just love that

Hunnybear and I had time to go for a run before dinner, and we chose a route that took us directly under the landing pattern of the airplanes. It was so great. If you’re here, turn left out of the hotel lobby and then left again at the first light. We ran for 15 minutes and then doubled back for more planes. When a DC-10 landed directly over us, I braced myself to be swept up in wake turbulence like in the movie Pushing Tin. Didn’t happen.

Dinner was at a superb Polish restaurant in Santa Monica called Warsova. The duck was utterly outstanding. In fact, everything was. Highly recommended. Try the chilled Polish vodka. After dinner we went for a walk on the Third St. Promenade. We saw the new Discover Channel Store, which was very cool. On the top floor there is a “spy camera control center.” There are casino-like spy cameras throughout the store and you can turn and zoom them from there. Or at least, you can if you can pry loose the kids playing with it, which I couldn’t.

We returned to our Heavenly Bed, watched American Pie (good summer high-school flick), and drifted off to our last sleep on dry land for a week!

Next: Avast there!