Hey folks,
I keep planning to write a trip report, but never seem to get round to it when I get back from a trip, so thought I would give the 'live' version a go. We're heading to Hawaii at the moment, having booked our tickets last month in the sale, ex-BRU. We went last year and had an amazing time, so decided to go back, try a different island and play around with the routing, as listed below -
Itinerary
LHR-BRU
BRU-LHR
LCY-JFK
JFK-LAX
LAX-HNL
HNL-LAX
LAX-MIA
MIA-LHR
LHR-LUX (assuming we don't, eh, get stuck in traffic or something...)
Cost
I thought it would be interesting to keep a live cost of the trip, covering transport and hotels. I'll update this as I go...
Flights
£30 - 2 x Avios flight from LHR-BRU (+9,000 Avios)
£3,662 - 2 x return flight BRU-HNL-LUX
26/09
£10 - 2 x tube tickets to LHR
£13 - 2 x train tickets BRU-Brussels North station
£0 - Hilton Brussels, paid with 40,000 Hhonors points
27/09
£38 - Taxi Hilton-BRU
£10 - 2 x tube tickets back into London
£30 - Taxi from home to LCY
£3 - Hilton JFK, paid with 40,000 Hhonors points, so just tax to pay
28/09
£90 - Taxi to NYC and back to the airport
29/09
£0 - Taxi from HNL to Hilton, Hawaiian Village (courtesy of American Airlines)
£3 - Hilton Hawaiian Village, booked with Club Intrawest membership, so just tax to pay
30/09
£22 - Taxi from Hilton to HNL
£236 - Return flights for two to the Big Island
£202 - A Mustang convertible for the week. Yeeha!
£10 - Two nights in Hilton King's Land, booked with Club Intrawest membership, so just tax to pay
2/10
£12 - Four nights in the Presedential Suite at the Hilton Waikoloa, booked on points, so just tax to pay
Total so far - £4,381
See below for a day by day account of how things are going...
LHR-BRU
This is the first part of our trip, essentially positioning ourselves for an ex-BRU departure. I've used BRU for this before and normally stay in the airport Sheraton for around £80. It's incredibly convenient, just 2 minutes walk from the terminal building, but this time, perhaps being a Thursday rather than our normal weekend stay, it was pricing out at £280, which didn't sit well with my inner Scotsman. After much searching I decided to give the Hilton in Brussels a go. Rooms were available at the same £280, but I also had the option of using 40,000 Hilton points, which made a lot more sense. The Scotsman in me was delighted at the prospect of a free stay!
Our trip started in the T5 GF lounge, with a few glasses of bubbles and some food. I was pleased to see that they had Tattinger back, rather than the white Castelneau that's been around for the last week or so. It's bad enough that we lost the pink Bolly, without losing Tattinger too! I wasn't too hungry so risked a rib and some slop. It wasn't great, but it was okay. Actually the rib was pretty good; tender and tasty, and the butter chicken was passable, although it needed a lot of salt to give it some flavour. I do still miss the light bites from the old Compass menu. I really hope things will improve by the end of October, when BS will have reportedly re-fitted the kitchens!
Our flight was running half an hour late, so we decided to squeeze in some shopping time before boarding. Ms Monkey tried her best to convince me on a £15k diamond Rolex and a £59k ring from Tiffany's, but somehow I managed to resist. I did take her style advice, though, and pick up a few things from Ted Baker for wearing in Hawaii. Ah, she does have her uses
We boarded and pushed back at 8.40, 40 minutes behind our scheduled departure time, but due to the anomalies of BA's scheduled flight times, we landed just 15 minutes late. It's a band 1 flight, so the catering on-board consisted of a biscuit and some crisps. Hardly haute-cuisine, but we had just eaten in the lounge, so it wasn't a problem. Getting off the plane and through security in Brussels was a breeze. It's such a small airport, so very little walking and no queues. Taxis in Brussels are very expensive and the journey to the city takes about 20 minutes, whereas it's a third of the price by train for two people. It only take 12 minutes and there are four trains an hour, so we decided to give it go. It's 5 minute walk from the station to the Hotel, so, given the number of Hilton points I seem to accumulate, I think this will beat the Sheraton in future! Check in was really easy, with the usual Diamond upgrade to what looked pretty much like the room I booked, but had Deluxe in the name. We were also given some free drinks vouchers and wifi codes, so we headed to the bar and blew them on some hot chocolate with rum. Rock and Roll, baby!! As we had a 5am start, we went to bed straight afterwards, with no idea of the fun we were to have the next morning...
Ms Monkey chilling on on the sofa in the Hilton lobby and our room
BRU-LHR
As always when the alarm goes off at 5am, the first thing I do is hit snooze. Unfortunately it was also the second and third thing I did, so we finally got up at 5.20. After rushing around like loons, we made it to the train station for 5.40. Bearing in mind we were on a 6.50 flight, this didn't give us a whole lot of time. To make things worse, the next train was showing a 10 minute delay, which meant we wouldn’t get to the check in desk until 6.25, which was cutting things a bit fine, so we went outside and grabbed a cab instead. Traffic was very light at that time in the morning, so we made it to the airport just before 6 and thank goodness we did. We arrived at the Club check in desk to be told that they had closed the flight early because it was over booked in CE and one of the crew hadn’t turned up! I suggested that she put us in economy instead, as there were clearly seats available, so she called the gate to see if they would accept us. By this time another 7 or 8 CE passengers had turned up to be told the same. In total there were 28 people booked into Club, with only 16 seats available. However, it is only a 45 minute flight, we had to be back in London and I knew BA would offer some kind of apology, so we weren’t overly bothered. Some people didn’t quite see it that way, though and were having a good old argument with the desk staff, demanding that they be given their Club seat. I could see their point, but it was an argument they were never going to win, as the situation was clearly out with the control of the agents. In the end we were given seats in economy and, once the commotion died down, one of the desk agents took us through priority security (as our new economy tickets did not allow Fast Track!) and escorted us to the plane. Boarding was on-going so we popped to Starbucks for coffee then got on. The flight was pretty uneventful, with drinks and a ham and cheese croissant served for breakfast. As we arrived at the gate one of the crew announced that, for those of us who were downgraded, there would be a couple of members of BA management to meet us at the top of the walkway and take our details, which they did. They were very pleasant and apologetic and I was impressed at how pro-active BA were about this problem, so well done! ^ I have no idea what we’ll end up with; apparently £30 plus the difference in fare between business and economy and some kind of gesture from customer relations, particularly as we are both gold card holders, so it will be interesting to see what we get.
Once we got off the flight, we had the usual, slow trek through passport control to endure. It wasn’t too bad, maybe 15 minutes, but seriously, if they manned more than 3 desks the queues would go down so much quicker. It was while standing in this queue that the tummy cramps kicked in. By the time we got through passport control I was waddling to keep things in and when I finally reached the toilet all hell broke loose!! It was at this point that I started to wonder if it was just a coincidence that Baxter-Storey had just scored 2 out of 5 for their poor lounge hygiene! Luckily things cleared up as the morning went on, but that 65 minute tube journey back to Islington was fraught with danger!
LCY-JFK
After an eventful start to Friday I was hoping that the rest of the day would be somewhat more relaxing. I was working from home and had a lot of stuff to finish off, but I was hoping to sneak in a haircut at some point. Unfortunately, the holiday pixies had other plans! I ended up spending the day in front of my laptop with my phone glued to my ear, trying to fix a truck load of problems that cropped up at work at the last minute. On top of that, I still had some stuff to organise for our trip, including flights from HNL-KOA. We’re spending most of the week on the big island, so it would have made more sense to fly there, but annoyingly there was no availability direct from LAX-KOA on the dates I needed, so we booked to fly in and out of HNL. Flights between the islands are only 45 minutes and about £100 return, so it wasn’t the end of the world. It was during my third conference call of the day, while trying to pay for my flights, that I realised I no longer had my wallet and it was nowhere to be found. Cue major panic as I desperately tried to re-trace my steps! I knew I had used my oyster card to get out of the tube station, and was pretty sure I hadn’t lost it in the 100m between the station and home, but I did remember checking the mail box downstairs on the way to my flat. I also remembered placing my wallet on top of it and mentally reminding myself to pick it up when I had finished. Unfortunately that message got lost somewhere between my brain and my hand, so I found myself prancing around the flat in my underwear in a mild panic, desperately trying to find something to wear, while at the same time doing my best to sound like I still cared about the conference call. Luckily it finished a few minutes later, so I was able to dash downstairs in the desperate hope that my wallet was still sitting where I left it. Unsurprisingly it wasn’t. So, with four hours to go until our flight to New York, I found myself with no credit cards, no driving licence and, for the second time that morning, a strong urge to visit the bathroom! Desperately trying to keep my composure, I dashed down to the concierge to see if she had found it. She hadn’t, but luckily the nice women in 9B had and handed it in! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relieved. I did stop by her flat to say thanks, but she wasn’t around so that’s top of the list of things to do when we get home. Over the next couple of hours, in between work calls, I managed to pack my case and eventually we made it into a cab. Following a drive over what seemed like every speed bump in London, apparently to avoid traffic, we arrived at London City Airport around 14.45, just over an hour before our flight was due to depart.
I’d been looking forward to this flight for a while as it’s so different to the normal trans-Atlantic trips from Heathrow. I’d heard the whole process was pretty slick, so wanted to experience, and maybe judge, it for myself. Check it was very straight forward, with a dedicated desk for the JFK flight. With only one bag to check each, it didn’t take long. Our bags were checked all the way to HNL, which was great as we didn’t want to have to trek them into New York with us. Security was very quiet, so within 10 minutes of pulling up at the airport we were sitting in the dedicated lounge at gate 24. Apparently you can get escorted through security if it’s busy, which is a nice touch, but not necessary on this occasion. On the way to the lounge I could see our little A318 sitting on the tarmac, ready to whisk us to JFK. I have to say, in real life it’s even smaller looking than I expected! I had heard mixed reviews about the lounge area, so had pretty low hopes, but I have to say, I was very impressed! It looks just like a normal Galleries Club lounge, with the same material on the seats, a well-stocked bar and a nice buffet. It was reasonably quiet when we got there and nobody had opened the champagne yet, so having dumped our carry-on bags, that was my first stop. Popping the cork made it feel like the holiday had actually started! After a couple more glasses and some snacks, boarding started at 3.30. The anticipation built as we walked up the stairs and were welcomed into the cabin by the all-male flight crew. We were in seats 2J and K, so didn’t have far to go and first impressions were - WOW! It’s such a small plane and a completely different layout to the normal Club World cabin. I’d say that, despite the seats facing straight on, it actually feels more like First. The seats seem a lot bigger than the usual Club seats and, with the high back behind you and the glossy white of the seat in front, it feels very private. Somehow the planets seemed to have aligned as we got on-board and Ms Monkey actually gave up the window seat on this flight, so being on the inside definitely added to the feeling of privacy. No pre-flight drinks were offered, but to be honest, with only 25 people to board, there really wasn’t time. The doors were closed by 3.40. and, following a quick chat with ATC, the pilot announced that we were leaving the gate 10 minutes early. This is where the advantage of LCY really kicks in. We didn’t have a 5 mile taxi and we didn’t have to queue behind 12 other planes, all fighting for a take-off slot at LHR. Literally within 3 minutes of leaving the gate we were powering down the runway, into a very steep ascent and on our way to Shannon.
The A318 carrying us to JFK and the LCY lounge at Gate 24
About 10 minutes into the flight hot towels were given out, followed by the first round of drinks. Menus were also handed out and our meal orders taken. We both opted for more champagne (Tattinger, NV) to drink, but there seemed to be a good range of wines and spirits available. Shortly after the first drinks’ service, iPads were handed out, pre-loaded with this month’s entertainment. I have to admit, I actually prefer them to the normal IFE system as they are far more user friendly. The case the iPad comes in doubles as a stand, but there is also an arm in the seat that can be pulled out to mount it on. However, it was obviously designed with something else in mind as it becomes more of a balancing act than a proper mounting. Still, it served its purpose. There were actually quite a few films on the iPad that I wanted to watch; in the end Monsters’ University won. About 20 minutes into the flight our starters were served. I had a shrimp cocktail with asparagus, which was nice, but the sauce was a little bland. Ms M had courgette parcels with goats cheese. These were served cold, but I think they would have been better warm. Another drinks round followed the starters, so again, we both had more bubbles. Well, it would be rude not to! Now, being a bit of a geek, one of the things I was most looking forward to trying on the flight was the OnAir system. I had heard that it was purely for data, not voice, and that it wasn’t particularly fast, but I wanted to try it for myself. Getting online was as simple as switching airplane mode off; my phone immediately picked up a signal and I received an iMessage from one of my daughters. It was really cute to be able to send messages back and forth and keep in contact with each other mid-flight. I tried to access FlyerTalk, but the connection was too slow, so the page took an age to load. With my Facebook app. running in the background, however, I did receive updates as the flight went on and I was able to post a new status. It’s not a great system, but it’s a nice to have. It did have one or two surprises to offer though, but more on that later… About 40 minutes into the flight the seat belt signs came on and it was time to land in Shannon. The run in was nice, with good weather, so decent views of the countryside as we descended. As BA003 no longer offers a pre-clearance facility, we stayed on-board while the aircraft was refuelled. This only took about 20 minutes and then we were up in the air again and off to New York.
The starters
The second part of the flight started off much the same as the first, with a round of drinks served about 10 minutes after take-off. Standard Club World wash bags were also handed out. I settled down to watch more of the film and noticed just how comfortable the seat was. It definitely felt wider than a standard CW seat and a little softer too. There is also a kind of in-built pillow, which is really nice when the seat is reclined. While I was watching the film I decided to switch my phone on again to take advantage of the OnAir system to send some more messages (who says men can’t multi-task!?). Yes, I could have done that while stopped in Shannon, but it just wouldn’t have been the same! There is a leaflet in the seat pocket explaining how OnAir works, detailing how it uses GPRS to allow access to data and SMS, but that voice is disabled and things like Skype are blocked for ‘passenger comfort’. Funnily enough, it was just as I was reading this that my phone started ringing. Caller ID said it was voicemail, so while I knew it wouldn’t work, I thought I’d try answering it anyway. And there it was, loud and clear, a voicemail at 30,000 ft from one of my friends. To satisfy my own, idle curiosity I tried making an outgoing call, again not expecting it to work, but it did! I spent the next half hour calling friends and chatting about my trip. Speech from either party was a bit delayed, but it was acceptable. I dread to think how bad it’s going to hit my phone bill, but it was worth it for 1) the kudos of chatting to my friends from the plane and 2) being able to do something that wasn’t supposed to work! Damn, I need to get out more
While I was chatting to my (potential!) future mother in law about 45 minutes into the flight, the call dropped and I wasn’t able to call her back. She’s a bit of a worrier and we haven’t called her since, so she probably thinks we’ve crashed somewhere over the Atlantic. There’s every chance we could return home to our own funerals…
The dodgy iPad holder and the salad starter
About an hour into the flight dinner was served. The first course was a green leaf salad, which, I have to be honest, was a bit dull. It was just lettuce and a little bottle of dressing, with no other vegetables. For the main course, I had the beef, which was surprisingly tender (by BA standards) and was served with chunky chips. Ms M had salmon, cooked exactly the way she liked it following a chat with one of the crew who seemed genuinely keen to get it right for her. I can’t actually remember what we had for dessert, but I know I ate it all, so I’m sure it was nice. After dinner the lights were turned down and the rest of the flight was straight forward and relaxing. The cabin crew were unobtrusive and the trip was very comfortable. I don’t recall noticing any extra turbulence compared to a larger plane and although it was noisier inside than a 747, I had my Bose QC headphones on for most of the flight so it didn’t bother me. I fell asleep for a few hours at some point, so it can’t have been too bad. A further round of drinks, sandwiches and some hot snacks were served as the lights went on about an hour and a half out from JFK and then it was time to land. My biggest concern on the ground, given the lack of pre-clearance, was how long it would take to get through customs and, as we left the flight and approached the customs’ hall, my worst fears were realised. The queue was horrendous! Easily a couple of hours. However, in keeping with how wonderful and slick the rest of the flight was, we were directed to our very own fast track clearance section and were kerbside within 10 minutes of getting off the plane and half an hour before the flight was even scheduled to land! From start to finish, this flight was a joy. We had an excellent crew, the seats were very comfortable, the food was better than normal and everything just ran like clockwork. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it again. In fact, I think it will become our preferred way to cross the Atlantic. Assuming the ability to fast track through US immigration remains, I actually see the loss of pre-clearance in Shannon as a benefit to this flight, as the time lost in New York is more than made up by the time gained in Shannon.
Our main courses
Ms Monkey relaxing on the plane and an unexpected sunset as we approached JFK
I appreciate this is getting a bit long winded, so I’ll try to keep the next section short! As I expected us to arrive at the airport around 8.15 and not clear customs until after 10, I figured there was no point staying in NYC over-night. Our flight to LAX was at lunchtime the next day and I expected us to spend the time in between sleeping. A decent hotel in Manhattan was going to set us back between £150 and £200, so I figured I’d save a bit more money and book an airport hotel on Hilton points. With all that in mind I booked the Hilton JFK for our overnight stay for just 40,000 points. As everything went so smoothly and our luggage was checked through to HNL, we arrived at the hotel before the flight was even scheduled to land, so we could easily have spent the night in New York. However, we had saved a lot of money and we had a plan. We were both pretty tired so we decided to have a couple of drinks then head to bed so we could have an early start. The plan the next morning was to take a taxi into Manhattan for breakfast, go up the Empire State building and then take a stroll around Central Park, before heading back to the airport for our Flight to LA. The room in the JFK Hilton was pretty standard; a very comfortable King bed, a decent working desk and quite a pleasant bathroom with a large, walk in shower. The executive lounge, on the other hand, was pretty awful! Poor quality samosas and alcohol you had to pay for! It was marginally cheaper than the bar, but with no atmosphere, so we headed to the bar for a couple of beers, then bed.
We got up at 6 the next morning and took a cab into the City, which dropped us off by the Empire State building. As I hadn’t brought any cash with me, we asked the driver to stop off at a cash point on the way. Six cash points later and I was faced with the rather awkward situation of being unable to withdraw cash from any of the three cards I had with me. ‘Unable to process the transaction’, apparently! Luckily the driver was able to call his office and, for a 10% surcharge, take a card payment, which worked fine. He also agreed to pick us up, so we had transport back to the hotel and then onto the airport. First stop from there was breakfast! We found a typical NYC café and ordered some eggs, over easy, with sausage, potatoes and toast. It was the filthiest breakfast I had eaten in years, but it tasted soooo good! From there we wandered round to the Empire State, bought our tickets and headed up to the 86th floor. The weather was perfect and the views were spectacular! Tickets to the 86th floor were $27 each. We paid an extra $17 each to then go up to the observatory on the 102nd floor, but in hindsight, it wasn’t really worth it as the views were no better and it was fully enclosed behind glass, so lost a lot of the wow factor of the open area below. After the Empire State building we took a 36 block walk down to Central Park, stopping en-route for the obligatory pictures with a couple of New York’s finest, and generally enjoyed the atmosphere of the city. It was 9.30am by the time we got there and the park was starting to get very busy with joggers and families out enjoying the weather. We walked around for an hour or so then headed back to our pre-arranged pick-up point to meet our driver and head back to the hotel to pick up our bags.
The view from the Empire State building
Ms Monkey getting herself arrested before being let loose in Central Park
Thanks for staying with me this far. I'll follow up soon with the journey to LAX, the horrendous delay before heading to HNL and a rather unpleasant enounter with a jelly fish!