I’m not a morning person and no matter how exciting a day it is, I always have trouble getting started. Today was the exception to that as I was up within 2 minutes of my alarm going off at 5AM - setting the alarm on my phone, iPad, and the hotels alarm clock might have had something to do with it too.

I took a nice long hot shower and made sure I did an extra good job as it might be a while before I could shower again and I had a very long way to go.

I threw on the prelaid-out clothes and packed the electric gizmos I had out to charge over night.

I ran through the list to make sure I had everything: wallet, keys, phone, camera, passport, tickets, paperwork, sanity….. sanity…. oh wait, I never had one of those, well…never mind, and off I went into the the cold Boston morning.

I bid the Hotel 140 adieu and trudged through the snow over to the Back Bay station. I lucked out that there was an Oak Grove bound orange train a minute out. the it was 27ºF/-3ºC and I was wearing shorts.


Typical cold morning in Beantown

Changing to the the blue line at State, it would take me out to Logan. If I wanted to, I could have gone back to South Station and caught the Silver line to the airport too, but the Silver Line really should not be considered part of the subway system as the MBTA does in IMHO. For starters, it’s a hybrid bus, and as soon as you exit the tunnel in Southie, you feel like you spend an hour going around in a circle and waiting 5 minutes at every light which seem to be placed every 20 feet, before finally going back into the tunnel out to the airport.

I always have this fear when ever going to Logan to catch a flight from Logan, that the train will get stuck in the tunnel under the harbor and I miss my plane. As usual, that didn’t happen, but unlike usual, I was there in plenty of time and didn’t have to rush.


I confirmed on the board that my flight was on time, which it was.

Arriving at terminal C from the free airport shuttle bus, I took notice of the changes since my last visit. As it is that jetBlue took over the whole terminal (Excluding Cape Air), they’ve done a good job of trying to clean and modernize it, but I do kind of miss the old vibe that made you think of the way flying used to be, which I never got to experience , but wish I could.


Very colorful!

When I first started flying jetBlue, they only used the right hand pier. I loved that I always used to get lucky and never had to wait in a long line to get through security then, and was always through in under 5 minutes. Since they’ve grown and added the central security behind the check in counters, it looks like a line to get on the newest mega ride at a theme park. I however had been given he ‘Even more speed; option which lets you go to an express security lane.

I had to wait inline to drop my back off for about 5 minutes, and even with the express lane, waited about 10 minutes to be screened, but made it through, unscathed.



BOS to LAX

Flight: B6 287
Seat: 17F
Aircraft A320-232
Reg: N794JB
Name: Pretty Fly for a Blue Guy.



It was a B-E-A-utiful day for flying, well, at least taking off from BOS. Clear blue sky, a gorgeous sunrise, and a nice view of the city across the water.



Sunrise over the city of Boston and some blue tails (Stupid window glare).


My ride: N794JB. “Pretty Fly for a Blue Guy” indeed!


N324JB Heading down to MCO this morning.

Boarding began on time. I, as always on jetBlue, found myself in a comfortable seat, with a nice decent size screen. I’d checked the listing for the free DirecTV channels on offer, but there wasn’t much good on until later in the flight. There would however be free WiFi courtesy of jetBlue Fly-Fi service. This will be my first time flying with any plane so equipped and was curious to see how it worked.


Loading ops in full swing! Note the ladder for the fueling under the wing.

Pushing back from the gate I saw something that caught my attention? Are those a United tails??? They Are!!! What are they doing here? They have their new home over in Terminal B. I query on a.net explained that their are still some gates controlled by Massport here in Terminal C that they let UA RON in.

I also noted that the barcode tail design seems to be becoming the default design. Including my flight, there were 6 other barcoded tails around.


First time seeing an A-320 with the new sharklets and who’s the intruder in the background?


G-VIIG taxing out for departure to LHR


So along with my bird, there are 3 other barcoded tail designs


Another sharkleted A-320, N827JB: “It Takes Blue to Tango”, heading down to FLL


Boston and the harbor in perfect morning light.


Take off was quick and smooth off of runway 4R, which was a nice change as historically I’ve always departed on 22R.

Take off Video:

Once above 10k ft, I tried to access the Fly-Fi system. jetBlue has been offering it for free at a lower bandwidth for free with a small fee for full service, during the beta test period. However, on today's flight, it was fully open at no charge for the whole flight. I believe that as this was one of the premier business routes (Along with BOS-SFO and JFK-LAX/SFO which have the Mint service). At first it wouldn’t connect so I waited 5 minutes then tried again and it worked wonderfully. The speed both in bandwidth and ping times was impressive. Naturally the first thing I did was open FlightRadar24 to compare with inflight map and track our progress while watching TV.


Yup, I’m on the right flight!


Ooops


Us along with all the other B6 Flights that morning. It’s obvious that BOS and JFK are their main bases.


The cabin crew member servicing my section was awesome, I wish I’d gotten his name. He was the tall black guy with big hair. He had a relaxed, friendly, while still being professional, demeanor about him. During the drink run I asked for water and cranberry juice. When he extended his hand to me with two bottles of water, I assumed only one was for me and the other for the gal next to me. When he wouldn’t release them as I grabbed only one, he goes “naw, man, take ‘em both.” Then handed me two cans of cranberry juice. I know their small and I appreciated getting what Americans consider full size servings, especially without asking. When the snack run occurred, I gave me two bags of Doritos. I was a very happy passenger.


No problem staying hydrated here.

I’d also like to give my thoughts on jetBlue's catering. When compared to other US carriers, I can’t help but be impressed with what they has to offer. For starters, there are the items from the snack basket which are free, and handed out generously (BTW, the Terra Blue chips are excellent! had some on the second snack run later in the flight):

DORITOS® Tortilla Chips
Keebler® Elf Grahams
PopCorners® Popcorn Chips
Skeeter™ Nut-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Snyder's® 100 Calorie Pretzels
Terra® Blues Potato Chips



If you want something a little more substantial, you can get something from the ‘Eat Up boxes”. There are 5 different ones, which are $6 to $7 and change throughout the year.

Currently they are:

The Shake Up box:
Rondele Cheese Spread
KIND Bar Mini — Cranberry Almond
NY Nut Factory Roasted Cashews
Vermont Smoke & Cure BBQ Beef Jerky stick
Stacy's® Pita Chips

The Perk Up box:
Gilman White Cheddar Cheese Stick
Cheez-it Cheddar Cheese Crackers
GoGo Squeez Applesauce — AppleApple
KIND Granola Bar — Oats and Honey
Yum Earth Naturals Fruit Snacks

The Fill Up box:
Field Trip Turkey Jerky
Plain M&M's
PretzelHaus Soft Pretzel
Heritage Spicy Brown Mustard Dip

Cheer Up box:
Trio of Premium Cheeses: Swiss, Cheddar and Smoked Gouda
Almonds
Crackers

The Pump Up box:
Dip-in Hummus — Original
Oloves Olives — Basil Garlic
2 Degrees Snack bar — Chocolate Banana
Mary's Gone Crackers Mulitgrain Crackers
Enlightened Roasted Broad Beans

Now, if that still isn’t enough. On flight from BOS and JFK to LAX, LGB, and SFO, for flight departing before 8:59PM, they also have their Eat Up Cafe which is priced between $3 to $12 and currently has 6 selections

Grilled Chicken and Brie Sandwich - Grilled chicken, brie, arugula and cranberry mustard on a rustic roll, served with a side of fresh fruit.

Kale Salad - Cannellini beans, dried blueberries and cranberries, quinoa and grape tomatoes over chopped kale and spring greens, served with white balsamic vinaigrette.

Veggie Platter - A selection of fresh vegetables including carrots, snap peas, celery, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini with an avocado-Greek yogurt dip.

Sirloin Sandwich - Top sirloin steak, red-wine caramelized onions, white cheddar cheese, spinach and horseradish cream on a rustic roll, served with a side of fresh fruit.

Spicy Soba and Korean-style Chicken - Korean-style grilled chicken and buckwheat soba noodles with sesame-seasoned carrot and cucumber slaw, a hard-boiled egg and spicy chili glaze.

Chobani Outs - Bring some excitement to your breakfast with new Chobani Oats - the Chobani Greek yogurt you love, now blended with gluten-free steel-cut oats and real fruit.

Now on top of all that, if you’re flying on one of their Mint flights, in Mint class you also has access to their Tapas Menu.

IMHO, that’s above and beyond what almost any other airline in the world offers for the Y cabin in terms of variety, and healthy, unique options.

For beverages it was the usual assortment of Coke Products:

Coke® / Diet Coke® / Coke Zero® / Sprite® / Sprite Zero®
Seagram's® Ginger Ale
Seagram's® Seltzer Water
Seagram's® Tonic Water
Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Ocean Spray® Orange Juice
Ocean Spray® Apple Juice
Ocean Spray® Pineapple Juice
Campbell's® Tomato Juice
Mr. & Mrs. T® Bloody Mary Mix
Fuze Iced Tea®
Dasani™ Bottled Water

And if you wanted something a wee bit stronger they also have:

Alcoholic beverages ($6 - $9)

Beer
Angry Orchard Hard Cider
Brooklyn Brewery Lager
Bud Light®
Harpoon Brewery UFO White
Heineken®
Samuel Adams® Lager
Spirits
Finlandia® Vodka
Jack Daniel's® Whiskey
Dewar's® White Label®
Bacardi® Rum
Bombay Sapphire® Gin

Wine
Reserve Sainte Cecile Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve Sainte Cecile Sauvignon Blanc
Segura Viudas Sparkling Wine
Wine pairings
Save 15% with our Cheer Up & wine pairing

Segura Viudas Sparkling Wine
Segura Viudas' handcrafted Brut Cava (Spain's bubbly answer to French Champagne) is nothing less than a party in a bottle. Graced with notes of apples, lemons and a soft, almost creamy effervescence, it's as much fun to drink as it is refreshing to sip.

Reserve Sainte Cecile Cabernet Sauvignon:
A berry-basket of fruit and hint of purple flowers welcomes you as you sniff the wine. In the mouth you'll taste cherries and plum, with an underlying note of cedar and dark chocolate. Fine tannins support all this for a lovely texture and long finish.

Reserve Sainte Cecile Sauvignon Blanc:
Aromas of bright citrus and guava, with a hint of juniper invite you to taste and swirl the wine in your mouth before, reluctantly, swallowing. The wine offers the impression of a bright sunny day, with perfect lemon-line notes and a crisp, green apple finish.



So now that I’ve made my case (and won), I don’t want to hear anyone else poo-pooing my beloved jetBlue offerings again!

*ah-hem*

There were some storms over the midwest that day. The clouds blocked any view of the ground and their was some occasional light chop, all the way until we crossed the Mississippi, then I was treated to some awesome views.

It was also about this time i got a notice that their was a new message on the Facebook group we’d created for planning purposes:



Lauren being a self admitted bad traveler who quite frankly can be anxious about mundane things in her own home, I knew I’d have to reassure her so I did some quick checking and saw that they had a 1h 45m connection so I figured they should be fine and told her so.


If you look closely at the google screen capture, at the bottom is says they’re flying from the “Serious Fraud Office”!!!!


Shortly after, she sent this:



Still have 45 mins, in theory, they’ll be Okay…..

I sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of my flight watch the scenery as we fly over the Rocky Mountains. I applaud the pilot for making sure to avoid Utah at all costs!


Mormons be crazy!

I then had wonderful views of the Grand Canyon, and then David Dam on the Colorado River, and Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport ( IFP ).





It started to get hazy again as we cruised over California, Appropriately enough I had just enough time to catch an episode of the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire’ before landing.



On landing I decided to try out my new GoPro Hero 3+ to film the landing, which was on 24R. You can see if the video the infamous in-n-out burger.


Arriving in terminal 3, I took a moment to look around. I’m perplexed why people say it’s a dump. I’ve been in terminal 1 about 7 year ago and at least in the baggage claim area it certainly needed some work, and Terminal 4 isn’t too bad if not for lack of adequate seating.

It was a little too early for lunch and I needed to charge my phone, so I walked over to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) which was right next door.

Since the previous April, I’d been following the progress of the TBIT renovation and expansion online. While the new concourse area had been open for almost a year only the west side gates had been in use as the Southside gates had been blocked by the old concourse area, however the South east gates had been opened just a few weeks prior. the other big remaining piece of the project was the finalizing of the check in and security hall.

As Check-in for my next flight (Which I’m not revealing ’til part 3) didn’t open till the evening, I searched around to find an outlet to plug my phone into and take a seat for a bit.

Finally finding one on the arrival level, north side, by the bathrooms, I decided to check on Dave and Laurens progress.



…. 14 minutes to connect……

I then used the FB discussion to relay to Chris that if they don’t make their flight, we’d just stay another night in the Hostel that he was already at in Auckland and wait for them to catch up.

I then went out and caught the shuttle van to the Parking Spot…… wait….what??????

For those of you who have not been to LAX, or have never had the opportunity to go to the afore mentioned spotting hill and In-n-Out burger, here’s a little trick (Or “Hack” if you will). Go and catch the Parking Spot courtesy shuttle to Sepulveda (BEWARE: They have two locations so make sure you get on the Sepulveda one). Upon arriving at the garage, tip the driver a few bucks (i.e. pay them off for their silence, ha ha) and walk to the other side of the office and on the back wall you’ll see this.



Go through and grab yourself a burger (or two) and walk across the street (Caution, there’s usually a mile long trail of cars at the drive through, don’t get hit). If you’re like me and happen to have a camp chair with you, get that sucker out and enjoy your burger with the best sites around!


Yours truly


Doesn’t everyone travel with a camp chair?


Yes, I did eat two of these double patty burgers! Carpe Diem!

The weather was decent for spotting. The overcast skies kept the temperature comfortable.

This is what it’s all about:


About 4:30 it was starting to get dark out, so I packed up my stuff and took the courtesy shuttle back to TBIT (again, paying there driver off that he didn’t see anything), and waited to check in.


Coming up in Part 3: Find out what airline will take be down under, will Dave and Lauren make their flight???, and temporary security area bogglement!!! Stay tuned!!!!!!