START PART 3
Took the hotel shuttle back to EWR at around 10 a.m.. While waiting for the shuttle I took the opportunity to use the free lobby wifi to check in on my upcoming flight with the United App. All looked fine at this stage.
View at some United flights
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The civilized world in the background ;-)
However at the United Club Lounge and once again connected to a free wifi the app showed a “!” in the margin and a new boarding time at about 6.35 p.m. What? It turned out that the UAXXXX was canceled due to mechanical reason. The United staff in the lounge tried their best to help and offered first offer me first a flight to DCA instead but I had a rental at IAD. Second option was Amrack (!) but no way; I am a flying man. I insisted her to put me SBY on UA1992 and hoped my SAS Star Alliance Gold level would give me an advantage.
At the gate I had qualified to a 3rd place out of a total of 14 on the list. With a real BP in the hand I notice my seat was in Plus!
Nice “upgrade”.
Stylish!
Extra legroom on the A320. Nice lighting in the cabin.
Great and short full flight. Well done United!!
Avis shuttle was easy to be found and was in no time at AVIS. As an AVIS Preferred my car was ready, a Toyota Avalon. Ehe. I asked for something more US and site crew picked a white Ford Escape Titanium for me. Escape or Avalon? Did I do the right thing? I later looked it up on the internet and it did not like that bad.
My rental car for the next couple of days.
I had downloaded areas into my Samsung Tab 709 unit that became a Lifesaver really during the next three days as there are lots and lots of roads in the DC area!
First life saved was from IAD to the Hilton Springfield but after some 35 min drive in not too bad traffic I parked at the large free parking outside the hotel. After check in I ended up in the bar with two colleagues to prepare for both the site visit next day as well the company meeting. Now I needed to speed up work and finish my presentations and findings from the past two visits so I went to my room. The room was at the top floor (12th) and at the far end of the corridor and the elevators. Very spacious and I felt OK based on that this was now my home for the next three days. Nice to settle in for a while!
Hilton Spingfield Bathroom.
Hilton Spingfield Room detail.
Hilton Spingfield Room TV.
Hilton Springfield. Desk area.
Hilton Springfield. Bedside detail.
Hilton Springfield. Houlihan´s run the food and beverage detail at this property.
Hilton Springfield. Houlihan´s drink menu.
The reason why I gained some weight on this trip ;-).
PRECOR in the gym at this property.
Hilton Springfield. Breakfast. Nice two-some seating option. Ideal for singe too.
Hilton Springfield. Breakfast. Thanks!
Hilton Springfield. Breakfast. Dawn is very present. Clean area outside.
Hilton Springfield. Breakfast. Kryptonite or Mint Jelly, give me a break. Mint Jelly and Bacon? Someone loaded up that later.
Hilton Springfield. Breakfast. A favorite every morning I was here.
Working days at Hilton Springfield. Tuesday was split up and I found out that I had full two hour break after lunch so adding 45 min lunchtime and was out of the building. It is only some 20 min ride to down town Washington but the traffic junctions can be a bit tricky.
Hilton Springfield. Houlihan´s happy hour meny.
Hilton Springfield. Houlihan´s famous mushrooms.
Hilton Springfield. Houlihan´s fryer sure worked!
Hilton Springfield. Room with a view. The messy junction and D.C. upper right in the distance (20 min away).
Hilton Springfield. D.C. in the distance.
After work on Wednesday we had a loud discussion where to go and have the final diner and beers. The Yard won as it is located within walking distance from the property. They had a lot to pick from. Happy Hours until 6 p.m.
The Yard 5 min walk from Hilton Springfield just my the Springfield City Mall Shopping Centre.
Beer menu at the Yard. Impressive.
A beer Eldorado – the Yard Springfield
The Yard – Crab Cake. Ok!
Hilton Springfield – Exterior.
Hilton Springfield – Lobby Exterior.
After dinner we went back to round things of and I made the bad idea to order an Old Fashion. It was OK but should be taken before dinner early in the evening to be enjoyed.
Final day in the USA. I checked out from hotel. Now this last night was on points + money and the first two money only. Later it turned out the the Honor system was not able to give me points for the >$300 spent on the first two days as there was an overlap and therefore I had to call Honor and ask them to manually remove the last night and put in the two in first. Strange!
Any way left the hotel at 11 a.m. and headed back to Dulles to return my rental. Discovered upon filling it with gas that the EZPass transponder was stuffed in. However the AVIS staff reassured me that the Toll stations can read the registration sign and some 4-5 days later I got my credit card charged some $14. I am fine with that.
Before SK926 was about to leave gate B40 at 5.15 p.m. I spent my time in the TK Lounge. Same food as last time.
TK Lounge at IAD Detail – Green wall. Gives away a nice aroma of Turkey Pine Forest.
TK Lounge at IAD Detail – Waterfall wall.
TK Lounge Dulles. Seating detail in the bar section.
TK Lounge Dulles. Seating detail in the bar section viewing the tarmac.
TK Lounge Dulles. The bar.
TK Lounge Dulles. The bar – wineselection.
The TK Lounge staff told me most people are here in the evening with the TK flight leaving.
TK Lounge Dulles. Flights around the time I was here.
TK Lounge Dulles. Lovely!
I like the ease boarding international flights from Dulles.
I picked seat 50A to be able to jump over and get a 4 seat row and get some horizontal time. Indeed this happened.
SK926. View from seat 50A.
SK926. Facts about the trip IAD-CPH.
SK926. Not bad at all. Economy Dinner.
SK926. Breakfast. Economy.
SK1416 SDT 0800 a.m. Last row of the A300neo! Sun rises over Scandinavia.
SK1416. South of Stockholm.
SK1416. Over Stockholm
Bonus:
“View from a room”:
http://www.flyertalk.com/articles/ph...tel-rooms.html
END OF PART 3
SUMMARY in PART 4