iahphx

Yeah, most East Coast types don't know about SNA. A nice, easy, quiet airport.

Of course (assuming you're actually headed somewhere for a reason) the determining factor in selecting a SoCal airport is "how far is it from my ultimate destination." I have found local traffic to be mind-boggling at times.

And LAX isn't a horrible place to pick up a car. Just slower than at SNA.

The only SoCal airport I have yet to try is CLD (Carlsbad). I was actually booked to leave from there this spring but there was a schedule change and the LAX connection got terrible. I just cancelled and rebooked to SAN. From what I had discovered, CLD seems to be somewhat of a PITA though for cars (higher prices) and hotels (few), so I don't think I'll try to book from there again.

Exleftseat

I sleep very well in planes, especially since I don't work anymore. PHL has good and free Internet throughout the airport, so I intend to catch up on mail and maybe skype with my wife, who is in Japan. Started this morning, countdown timer says 7 days, 6 hrs

bryanwallace

sorry for this amateurness but what is this ita of which people speak

The Juiceman

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

GoingAway

You're thinking sleep and I'm thinking no shower for 7 days???

flyer89

Man and here i am... Booked four roundtrips back to back and I thought that was "good" enough... Apparently I was wrong...

I r admired you sir. I will "aim high" just like you next time if a good deal is posted up here. ;-)

itsme

I envy you. I can think of no ability more valuable to a MRer than an ability to "sleep very well in planes." I find it next to impossible no matter how tired I am to sleep in a fully recumbent prone position, which of course isn't an option unless one is flying biz or first on an internationally configured plane. Ambien doesn't do much to me at home, except facilitate sleep, and I tried it just yesterday on a transcon returning home and stayed awake only to stagger as I made it to the car, which fortunately my wife was there to drive.

Yes, I thought of that too, but I figured he could avail himself of the restroom sinks and rely on deodorant. Gritty, yes, but not as much of an issue in my eyes as the sleep one and other comfort issues, e.g., food and distraction. (Do many airport food facilities stay open all night?)

I will ask you the same question: how old are you? I dont' know whether this would have been easy/pleasant when I was young, but sure isn't getting more so with age.

craz

I will 2nd this, Im asking myself if I wasnt craz(y) for doing my NRT run a few days after getting back from a weekend trip out to LA. Seems I just cant bounce back the way I used to beable to when I was alot younger then I am today. But it was the only way I could have gotten the NRT run in w/o any problems.

If I was EXLEFTSEAT I would try if time allowed a couple of hours in a hotel on either end especially on the wekend when its alot cheaper. A nice hot bath to soak in and simply lying in the bed for a few hours even w/o any sleep is worthwhile. If he doesnt have any status with any Hotel chain then use www.betterbidding.com and Priceline a hotel on the cheap that has a free airport shuttle. Ive done that when I was gonna be in Vegas for 6 hrs and due to all the segments and crazy routing, didnt want to even see the strip let alone a casino, I simply found a cheap stay with a chain I needed the stay credit with and took a nice bath and lied down in the bed for a few hours before retracing everything back to NY. The 2nd time I took swimming trunks with me and hit the hot tub when I got to the hotel

flyer89

-89 is the year I was born.

Just like him, I also sleep well on the airplane, however, one of my tricks is to pick different side...seats for each flight. For example, PHL-SFO (Window seat A), SFO-SAN (can be window again), return SAN-SFO-PHL (would be F window seat on the right side).

The reason is that I don't want to put too much stress my sleeping on my right or left side for too long. So I just switching back and forth to reduce that stress. No ambien needed either.

itsme

Funny, I was boarding my transcon flight back home yesterday and heard the guy behind me on his cell phone saying how he wanted to be on the right side of the plane, but was going to be seated on the left. I thought to myself how stupid right vs left, but then realized that for reasons I don't know, I chose the right over the left when I have the chance. (While we stood on the jetway, the last 2 people to board and holding back until the last minute, this guy said about two dozen times to whoever was on the other end, who I can only imagine must have been a GF, "I didn't say that, I didn't say that, I didn't say that...;" throwing in once or twice some protest that he had been "mistranslated.") I only wish that some simple expedient like one side flying out, other side flying back would help me, but nothing other than fully recumbent prone position, preferrably with a comfortable pillow under my head, will do for me. Were it otherwise, MRing would be so much pleasanter for me. But even if I were doing it in internation biz or first, I think 7 days of flying would be well beyond my endurance limits. Hell, WAS-SGN last month was an endurance test, though I managed the UG out and back.

Anyway, PHL-SAN out and back in a day at a super fare, and if I didn't have to schlep up to and back from PHL for the purpose, but more than that I leave to you young hardcore types. (Too bad it isn't possible to pay surrogates for this.)

BryanIAH

I'm left handed so I'll choose an aisle seat on the right side or a window seat on the left side. I know it may sound weird but it helps when I need to write or eat next to a righty.

Exleftseat

Well, let's just say I find ways to clean myself and I assure you I smell pretty nice. Old soldiers can always adapt. The shaving is a bit of an issue, I presume, but maybe a chance to see if I can still sport a beard.

As far as the suggestions for going to a hotel keep in mind that the nightly layover in PHL is only 4 hours. Getting out of the airport, waiting for a hotel shuttle, checking in, showering. Then maybe nap for an hour or two? Returning to the airport, going through the security hassle? Couldn't do that. And yes, which serious FTer wouldn't be, I am pretty much in bed ( no pun intended ) with most major chains and their respective Frequent guest plans.

PHL airport is pretty comfortable, they play great Jazz all night long, CNN gives me the news and the Internet is provided free and it is fast.

Thanks all for your concern,I am having a great time, but let's get back to the original reason for this thread. After all this is the Mileage run forum.

Bowgie

There is one of those Courtyard-type hotels across the street from the airport, and Courtyard by Marriott to the west of the airport.

The airport has a large parking on site. First two hours is free, then $5 per day. Maximum of 30 days. You pay at the machine with a credit credit card. To find the lot, turn left as you enter off of Palomar Airport Road.

For transit connections to Oceanside or Encinitas, NCTD's 309 bus stops in front of the airport.

UA has only one person to staff the ticket counter and the gate. This means at T-30, she leaves the ticket counter and does gate duty. If someone arrives at T-29 without a boarding pass already printed, he won't be able to fly. The UA agent will not leave the gate area to print the pass.

iahphx

Thanks. Sounds like a better airport to use for locals than folks headed to SoCal. Free parking. Cool!

Rental cars were sparse and expensive when I was checking -- almost twice the price as at SAN.

itsme

Quaint. How many flights do they have per day there?