USA West Coast In BA Club World
Aug 6, 2019, 1:13 am
#61
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: UK, but sometimes wish it was USA
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,388
Aug 6, 2019, 12:17 pm
#62
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 89
We’re currently in the middle of a similar trip. We got 4 flights out LGW to LAS in J and the four of us are flying back in J from SJC. We only booked the seats about 9 months out so if you’re lucky then 4 seats are made available at times. Keep an eye on seats as they do open up throughout the year. We picked a car up in LAS and are working our way back over to the coast. Currently in Yosemite but made the mistake of arriving on a Saturday in August when the traffic is really heavy but the scenery is stunning!
But I've been doing some digging tonight and it looks like you can change/cancel reward flights for a small fee.
So if I don't get the route I want, I will keep an eye on things and maybe set up an alert.
Aug 6, 2019, 3:30 pm
#63
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 96
Aug 6, 2019, 3:51 pm
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,907
I was there in 2016.
Some ideas;
Explore the Hotel Del Coronado ( iconic hotel
Seaport Marina
The USS Midway Aircraft Carrier and Museum ( lots of aircraft on displayt on the carrier deck and you can go into the lower decks also)
Maritme Museum ( just up the waterfront from the USS midway)
Old Town San Diego
Sea world
Balboa Park ( numerous museums and the zoo)
I took a hop on hop off trolley bus tour -very good and a ferry from Coronado island to Marina Park/Convention centre
Walk through the Gaslamp area
Regards
TBS
Aug 6, 2019, 4:05 pm
#65
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 89
Hi,
I was there in 2016.
Some ideas;
Explore the Hotel Del Coronado ( iconic hotel
Seaport Marina
The USS Midway Aircraft Carrier and Museum ( lots of aircraft on displayt on the carrier deck and you can go into the lower decks also)
Maritme Museum ( just up the waterfront from the USS midway)
Old Town San Diego
Sea world
Balboa Park ( numerous museums and the zoo)
I took a hop on hop off trolley bus tour -very good and a ferry from Coronado island to Marina Park/Convention centre
Walk through the Gaslamp area
Regards
TBS
I was there in 2016.
Some ideas;
Explore the Hotel Del Coronado ( iconic hotel
Seaport Marina
The USS Midway Aircraft Carrier and Museum ( lots of aircraft on displayt on the carrier deck and you can go into the lower decks also)
Maritme Museum ( just up the waterfront from the USS midway)
Old Town San Diego
Sea world
Balboa Park ( numerous museums and the zoo)
I took a hop on hop off trolley bus tour -very good and a ferry from Coronado island to Marina Park/Convention centre
Walk through the Gaslamp area
Regards
TBS
Aug 6, 2019, 4:36 pm
#66
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,907
Hi.
San Diego is expensive for hotels esp in summer then I looked
I stayed at the hilton gas lamp hotel that was nice but it iis a city hotel. I will have a look and get back tomorrow evening
Regards
. Tbs
San Diego is expensive for hotels esp in summer then I looked
I stayed at the hilton gas lamp hotel that was nice but it iis a city hotel. I will have a look and get back tomorrow evening
Regards
. Tbs
Aug 6, 2019, 5:03 pm
#67
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex
Posts: 131
I did this trip for my honeymoon in September 2017 -
LHR - SAN Diego (BA First on a 777-300)
Was in our hire car within 1/2 hour of landing. No imagination queues! (Doing LAX in January 2020, not looking forward to the queues)
San Diego for 4 days, lovely city. Stayed in the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Lovely hotel, walking distance to main attractions etc. Absolutely loved SAN Diego. USS Midway was great. Going over to Coronado Island is great. Eat here for breakfast - Clayton's Coffee Shop
979 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118, USA
https://goo.gl/maps/RCoGZZWzEThH7zZh9
Drove to Anaheim for 3 nights to do Disney. Disney in California is amazing (if that’s your kind of thing) such a different feeling to Florida or Paris. Would highly recommend if going with the kids.
Then drove to Santa Monica. Stayed in Shutter on the Beach. Not cheap but again amazing. Right near the pier, (eat in bubba gumps on the pier!) and driving distance to Hollywood etc. 4 days here I believe (did universal studios one day)
Then drove to Santa Barbara. Stayed in Harbour View Inn. Right opposite the pier and walking distance to the Main Street. Very chilled. 3 nights here. Tim to recoup after SAN Diego, Disney and Santa Monica
Then it was time for the big drive up high way 1 to Monterey, but stopped off in Pismo Beach for the night. Stayed at Inn on the Cove. Not walking distance to Pismo Beach but close enough. Went quad biking on the sand dunes (a must if there)
Onto Monterey. Lovely town. Stayed in Monteray Plaza Hotel and Spa. Right on the water. Very chilled. Canoeing is a must to see the otters. Aquarium was good. Again, chilled place but very nice. 4 nights here.
Then drove one up to San Fran. Loved the drive in, and the city was amazing. Great vibe. Totally different to say NYC. Go to Alcatraz. Drive over the bride to Sausalito (go to Lighthouse Café for breakfast!)
1311 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
https://goo.gl/maps/TMTi7uKTt1GEEBaGA
And then sadly flew home. San Jose to Heathrow in First in the 787-9
We didn’t do Vegas. Both done it before. Like others have said, Vegas is Vegas. If you want to do it, see it then do it. But personally I’d say there are many other and better places to see in California.
Just to two cents worth!
LHR - SAN Diego (BA First on a 777-300)
Was in our hire car within 1/2 hour of landing. No imagination queues! (Doing LAX in January 2020, not looking forward to the queues)
San Diego for 4 days, lovely city. Stayed in the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Lovely hotel, walking distance to main attractions etc. Absolutely loved SAN Diego. USS Midway was great. Going over to Coronado Island is great. Eat here for breakfast - Clayton's Coffee Shop
979 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118, USA
https://goo.gl/maps/RCoGZZWzEThH7zZh9
Drove to Anaheim for 3 nights to do Disney. Disney in California is amazing (if that’s your kind of thing) such a different feeling to Florida or Paris. Would highly recommend if going with the kids.
Then drove to Santa Monica. Stayed in Shutter on the Beach. Not cheap but again amazing. Right near the pier, (eat in bubba gumps on the pier!) and driving distance to Hollywood etc. 4 days here I believe (did universal studios one day)
Then drove to Santa Barbara. Stayed in Harbour View Inn. Right opposite the pier and walking distance to the Main Street. Very chilled. 3 nights here. Tim to recoup after SAN Diego, Disney and Santa Monica
Then it was time for the big drive up high way 1 to Monterey, but stopped off in Pismo Beach for the night. Stayed at Inn on the Cove. Not walking distance to Pismo Beach but close enough. Went quad biking on the sand dunes (a must if there)
Onto Monterey. Lovely town. Stayed in Monteray Plaza Hotel and Spa. Right on the water. Very chilled. Canoeing is a must to see the otters. Aquarium was good. Again, chilled place but very nice. 4 nights here.
Then drove one up to San Fran. Loved the drive in, and the city was amazing. Great vibe. Totally different to say NYC. Go to Alcatraz. Drive over the bride to Sausalito (go to Lighthouse Café for breakfast!)
1311 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
https://goo.gl/maps/TMTi7uKTt1GEEBaGA
And then sadly flew home. San Jose to Heathrow in First in the 787-9
We didn’t do Vegas. Both done it before. Like others have said, Vegas is Vegas. If you want to do it, see it then do it. But personally I’d say there are many other and better places to see in California.
Just to two cents worth!
Aug 6, 2019, 6:14 pm
#69
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
Aug 7, 2019, 2:13 am
#70
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 24
Incidentally less than 24 hours later 2 seats opened up in F for 2 days earlier so I cancelled and snapped them up.
We spent 2 days on our honeymoon there last year and loved it and wanted to go back for a longer trip. We stayed in the gaslamp area so looking for more of a beach location this time. I actually thought prices in SD were a lot more reasonable last August compared to other areas in California we stayed at (SF, Napa, Carmel, Santa Barbara, Laguna).
Aug 7, 2019, 6:13 am
#71
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 64
Aug 18, 2019, 10:52 am
#75
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 89
Got my return flight sorted. SFO-LHR on the A380, with four seats upstairs.
Ideally I would have like to have stayed a couple of days longer. But having kept an eye on flights in the previous weeks, I decided I was unlikely to get business from SFO on the day I wanted.
It’s worked out quite well, all in all. I really wanted to go on the A380 and despite the slight risk of older IFE on the 747, there is still something special about travelling on one, especially in the bubble.
My wife was keen to keep the number of flights to a minimum. So she is delighted we don’t have to get a US domestic flight anywhere.
When we get back to London, we have a four hour wait for our UK domestic flight. Unfortunately they did not have any Club seats available on that flight. So we are in economy. Which is a pity, because it means we can’t use the lounge in LHR.
Ideally I would have like to have stayed a couple of days longer. But having kept an eye on flights in the previous weeks, I decided I was unlikely to get business from SFO on the day I wanted.
It’s worked out quite well, all in all. I really wanted to go on the A380 and despite the slight risk of older IFE on the 747, there is still something special about travelling on one, especially in the bubble.
My wife was keen to keep the number of flights to a minimum. So she is delighted we don’t have to get a US domestic flight anywhere.
When we get back to London, we have a four hour wait for our UK domestic flight. Unfortunately they did not have any Club seats available on that flight. So we are in economy. Which is a pity, because it means we can’t use the lounge in LHR.