Nope. Second trip down. I'm going to spend a day in Colonia, as well.

But leave no more than a day for Colonia (with much of it spent just getting there and back). IMO, once you see the terrain and the logistics of just what it was that the Spanish and Portuguese were fighting over for centuries, you've pretty much gotten the handle on what the place is about. All the rest is mostly routine old buildings with a few interesting exhibits and some souvenir shops.

WHOA!

How did I miss this post?!

I need to get that baby printed and plastered to the wall!

Gotta Love UA's "Friendly" Skies
 

Airline elite status is such a ridiculous addiction at times. Thanks to UA's little C fare mistake last year to AKL, I got UA Premier out of just one trip. And, since it's quite likely I may end up living in Chicago before the end of 2008, it makes sense to fly UA some and keep that status, if not take it to a higher level. Besides, the prospect of eventually redeeming those awards on an international Star Alliance airline is quite appealing. So, as a result, this week and next, I'm on UA. And as usual, they are running from one extreme to the other — either wonderful, or down right nasty. Monday's flights were fine. Friendly crews (although the purser on my IAH-ORD flight was a little too serious at times, but she was polite and not bossy), on time flights, clean planes, no complaints. This morning, on the other hand, just about every UA employee I've encountered so far has made it clear they'd rather be doing almost anything else other than working for UA. At RDU there was the woman at the ticket counter who yelled out "If you're going to Dulles and still in this line, you're late. You should have been here an hour ago. Either get up here to the front of the line and or you can just wait until we find you a seat on a later flight." That was my flight she was referring to, but fortunately, I was already at the kiosk checking in. 20 minutes later I'm on board the plane, and the flight attendant announces "If you're on your phone, turn it off NOW. I just closed the door. Once again, because I know 90% of you never listen to us, end your conversation and turn your phone off now or we will turn it off for you." This was her first announcement about turning off phones after closing the door; it wasn't like she'd walked through the cabin and seen passengers still chatting away. Then came the safety announcement, and her directive to "Stop talking, stop reading, and pay attention." Then on approach to IAD, we were all treated to her yelling on the PA "PUT YOUR SEATS AND TRAY TABLES UP NOW! SIT DOWN AND DO NOT GET UP AGAIN UNTIL WE'RE AT THE GATE!" Where'd UA find this woman? Was she a prison matron or boot camp drill sergeant in a former career? Now I'm at the gate at IAD waiting for my flight to ORD. At the adjacent gate is a flight boarding to SJU. The agent boarding that flight has announced three times now "If you're not a Global Services, 1K, or first class passenger, do not step on the red carpet. I will not board you if you're on the red carpet and you are not a Global Services, 1K, or first class passenger." Then we get that again in Spanish. Next came a two minute rant about passengers bringing up the wrong boarding pass. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am tired of you bringing me the wrong boarding pass. Check your boarding pass before you walk up here. If it doesn't say 'San Juan,' it's not for this flight. Put it away, find the San Juan boarding pass, and then come up here. You will not hold up this line anymore with the wrong boarding pass. We must get you out of here on time and you're just slowing it down by coming up here with the wrong boarding pass. And once again, IF YOU'RE NOT A GLOBAL SERVICES, 1K, OR FIRST CLASS PASSENGER, DON'T STEP ON THE RED CARPET!" And of course, we got to here this all in Spanish. I don't think she even realized that she completely stopped boarding for about five minutes to lecture everyone on which boarding pass to use and who was entitled to step on her precious red carpet. And of course, that flight is now pushing back about ten minutes late.

So, two more flights to go. Hopefully the ORD people will be in a better mood than those at RDU and IAD this morning. Or maybe the UA task master came out and whipped them last night as well, and they'll be just as surly.

Oh how I look forward to my CO IAH-ATL flight with a 5 day complimentary EUA tomorrow morning.

Adding that to your cache of Aeroporn, eh? :p

Nothing like drunk posting at 7:28am home-time :D

You are going about this *A thing the wrong way, IMDO (D=Drunken). You see, with a comp to BD Gold, your AKL fare would have left you only 10K short of requalifying for Gold for another year (and with approx 33,000 Destinations Miles after 25% Gold Bonus on BIS). It only takes 37,500 Destination Mi. + $475 for a cash+mi roundtrip reward to Europe in C. Your options would include LHR-LAX on NZ (Lie-Flat), BD's new lie-flat C, and SQ's NYC-FRA route, as well as the other *A carriers plying Europe routes (SK, LH, LX, OS, UA). I won't include US, as you would have to be mentally deficient to redeem with them for TATL C service.

To get that additional 10K, you could either spend $500 or so on a roundtrip in Y to Europe at an off-peak period, or spend slightly more for a UA Q-UP. At 300% earnings for Q-UPs, you would only need to fly 3,333 BIS mi. to get that last 10K for Gold (which isn't hard, with the prices/routings UA has available). Your BD Gold Status would also get you RCC access on domestic flights. RCCs suck, but they're better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. To requal for *G each year thereafter, you would only need 38,000 EQM, which you should be able to earn (if creative) on three or less flights, at a cost of $2,250 or less (assuming an average of $750 for each Q-UP).

Never mess with the Otter. Even while inebriated, he remains an oracle of frequent-flyer wisdom.

That UA gate agent must have had some serious sandpaper on her toilet seat.

Wisdom doesn't live here anymore. I just like to pimp BD. I have managed to earn with BD, after a grand total of 2 itineraries with *A...69,937 Destination Miles (RDM). My conversion of EQM to RDM after surpassing 55k EQM will not credit until February (nor will my 25% January Gold BIS Bonus), which will push my RDM total from those two flights to 88,374mi. I have spent about $3,000 for those two tickets (an AKL Mistake fare and a MIA-ORD-HNL-DEN-SAT Q-UP). 3.4cpm, all in premium cabins. Not exactly a terrible ROI. Coincidentally, despite having already redeemed 50,000 of those mi for a roundtrip LH F itinerary to Europe, I still have enough left over for a roundtrip in J to Europe (if redeeming cash+mi rewards)

That will also cost $100 payable to NWA

Haha...nice try. :D

I'll take a page from CO's book, claim WX, refuse to rebook you for free then charge you the $100!

I have managed to to obtain this rather dodgy looking Quiche at the LAN Lounge. Should I eat it? So far as I know, I am not allergic to either Tapir or Cayman.

Yum! Is that white stuff mold??

It's either Alpaca cheese or Hardboiled Cayman egg. I haven't worked up the nerve to determine which it is...yet.

I see. From the picture it looks like it's on top of the quiche and not inside. I don't know, it looks a little dried and unappetizing to me! :)

Remember though, "real men eat quiche"!

That was definitely one of the more interesting morsels I've ever tucked into. It didn't so much melt in my mouth as...colonize it :p