Please enjoy my chronology of lounge visits and other minutia posted in near-real-time as I journey from Las Vegas - San Juan and back on 9 different flights this weekend. Our story begins hours before the flights start.
6:30am May 18, 2007
I call BMI to enquire (UK spelling) why I can't sign up for a Diamond Club membership via the website. I am already an email subscriber and this prevents me from completing the registring. The lovely India based agent does not quite understand my request, but eventually succeeds in signing me up. I then complete UA OLCI but leave my UA Premier number in there so I can retain E+ seating.
5:16pm May 18, 2007 UA 1639 LAS-LAX A320 Ted (rar1) seat 3F
I arrived at the gate 20 minutes before scheduled departure and approached the GA. I first asked for a BP reprint then had her change my FF# to my BMI number. I notice the FAs pointing customer names on the manifest to the Captain. As the door is closing, they reopen it and David Hassellhoff himself hops onboard into seat 9A & 9C. The flight goes smoothly until about 12,000 feet above ONT. All of a sudden, the plane shaked violently pivoting towards the right three times. I hear the captain ask ATC if we are following a heavy. ATC responds in the affirmative and immediately lowers our speed to 210 knots from 250 knots. The rest of the ride through the LA valley was uneventful. We cruise up to gate 71A and Ted snuggles into bed. The walk from Terminal 7 is uneventful with the windows on both sides of the terminal and lasts 5 minutes.
6:30pm May May 18, 2007 Continental President's Club LAX T6
I flash the matron my temporary WorldClub card and welcome letter. She warmly welcomes me to the club and invites me to enjoy the complimentary cocktails. I ask the matron how the American Eagle shuttle runs to which she responds 9pm - plenty of time for me to visit the DL/NW/AS clubs
There is a spread of Atkins Advantage Bars on the counter, so I gleefully grab 2 bars. The club is relatively standard with nice views of the DL gates and comfortable leather chairs. Food selection is better than expected with both Monterrey Jack and Cheddar Cheese present alongside several varieties of potato/corn chips, peanuts, pretzels, crackers, as well as long italian breadsticks. The bartender is friendly and makes me a tasty dry gin martini. The onions in the martini taste great, but were minute. I ate both cheese packs as well as the italian breadsticks and poached some snacks for my foodless UA flight, received a few phone calls, typed this post, and headed over to gate 62a for the AE shuttle. Next stop is the Terminal 2!