After 15 years of being a member of FlyerTalk, I’ve finally decided to write a trip report. I’m taking a trip to visit a friend in Hong Kong and to visit Shanghai Disney Resort. I’ll be traveling for almost two weeks and am really looking forward to it.
Overall, here are my plans:
DCA-JFK in Delta Comfort+
JFK-FRA in Singapore Airlines Suites
FRA-SIN in Singapore Airlines Suites
Spending a day in Singapore, SIN-HKG in Singapore Airlines First Class
Hong Kong Disneyland
HKG-PVG in Cathay Dragon Business Class
Shanghai Disney Resort
PVG-HKG in Cathay Dragon Business Class
HKG-ORD in Cathay Pacific First Class
ORD-DCA in American Airlines Domestic First
Hope you enjoy following along!
Part 1:
DCA-JFK in Delta Comfort+ operated by Endeavor Air
ERJ-175 N272PQ, Seat 5A
The last time I travelled in Singapore Suites, I took Amtrak from Washington Union Station to New York Penn Station and took the Long Island Railroad to Jamaica, Queens. I planned to do that again, but found a very inexpensive flight on Delta Comfort+, so I decided to take that instead. Because I wanted to insulate against delays since I’m flying on separate tickets, I took a relatively early flight. I stopped in the DCA Delta Sky Club for a quick bite to eat. The hummus and chicken worked well on a sandwich but the Israeli Couscous Salad wasn’t very tasty.
The flight was uneventful, though I discovered that seat 5A is extremely narrow. At least it has a lot of leg room. On the short flight, drinks in the Comfort+ and Economy classes were on request only, so I ordered a Margarita, which was a nice way to start the trip.
After landing at JFK, I stopped by the Delta SkyClub in Terminal 4 for the first time as SQ wouldn’t be opening its checkin desk for about an hour. It’s nice, though it was pretty full. However, it wasn’t too hard to find a seat. They were offering a truffle and wine tasting at the checkin desk, which was a nice welcome.
I picked up my checked luggage and headed to the SQ checkin desk at 3 – I was kindly told that they would be opening at 3:15 after they had their pre-opening briefing. Checkin was smooth, of course, and I was offered to be escorted through security. I said I’d be heading to the casino for a bit and the checkin agent told me I was welcome to stop back by on my way in if I’d like to be escorted through security.
I took the JFK AirTrain to Jamaica and then the free ResortsWorld Casino shuttle bus. Traffic was kind of busy, so it took a while to get to the casino, but I really wasn’t in a hurry. The casino was an average non-Vegas casino, and had lots of slots and video tables. There aren’t any live dealers there. I went because I had a ton of points on the myVegas facebook game, so I redeemed for a $50 retail gift card and a $25 food credit at the casino. I was also given a $35 free slot play signup bonus. I ended up playing through that, winning a little and then losing my winnings, so I left even with regard to cash, but with $50 of some nice skincare stuff from the retail store and a free lunch. I grabbed a Lyft back to JFK and stopped back by the checkin counter to be escorted through security. That was quite helpful as the line was long.
After clearing security, I decided to stop in to the Swiss Lounge. Upon checking in, I was told that it wasn’t the lounge for my flight and I was welcome to use the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. I said that I had never been to the Swiss Lounge and wanted to check it out, and was welcomed in. (I don’t think he was trying to bar me from entering, but more letting me know that I had the option of a much nicer lounge.) As I had read on reviews, the Swiss Lounge is a bit cramped and full. It offered a little buffet and two areas with self-service beverages. I had a seltzer water and left for the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.
After arriving to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, I asked about taking a shower. The attendant said I should come back in 3-4 minutes after she finished cleaning one of the shower rooms. I grabbed a beer from Fire Island and returned, finding my shower room ready. The shower was nice and had Cowshed body washes and lotion. That room didn’t have shampoo and conditioner, which I think was a stocking error. No big deal, though, as it wasn’t really necessary to wash my hair. After a refreshing shower, I went to the dining area and had some champagne and curry, which was tasty.
I moved over to a more relaxing area and ordered a Virgin Redhead, which was a nice signature cocktail.
I finished with a Turn Down Toddy, which had a really great presentation, just as boarding for my flight was called.
