Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Community > Trip Reports
Reload this Page >

The Trip of a Million Lifetimes: 30 F/J Flights Around the World in 69 Days

The Trip of a Million Lifetimes: 30 F/J Flights Around the World in 69 Days

Old Aug 18, 2013, 10:06 am
  #76  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Southern Alberta
Posts: 20,550
I am truly enjoying reading your outstanding TR. Thanks
airbus320 is offline  
Old Aug 19, 2013, 12:30 pm
  #77  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott, AAdvantage, United, Club Carlson
Posts: 1,687
Nice work!
BostonFlyer1624 is offline  
Old Aug 19, 2013, 1:09 pm
  #78  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
8. IPC-SCL on LA in J

Easter Island - Santiago

LA 842

Departure Time: 1:10PM

Boeing 767

Business Class Seat 4A

Duration 4.5 hours

After 3 great days in Easter Island, my wife and I boarded our flight from Easter Island to Santiago. LAN had done a great job with a comfortable flight on the way into Easter Island three days before, and we were looking forward to a comfortable flight to Santiago. A comfortable flight is exactly what we got.

The flight was pretty full, and so the Easter Island airport lounge was busy, but not too packed. The airport is open air and breezy, and comfortable while waiting for your flight. The incoming flight from Santiago landed right on time, one hour before our departure. Sure enough, in that hour they were able to deplane, offload bags and cargo, and reload the passengers and provisions. We got off on time.

We boarded in the "preferente" line, this time doing so with more confidence than back in Lima because we had "Premium Business" marked on our boarding pass.


Premium Business check-in at IPC was very quick. We were checked in within a matter of minutes.

The jetway in Easter Island, a bit more "islander" than your typical jetway back home.

The 767 which would take us back to Santiago.

A better shot of our 767 back to Santiago.

The business class cabin on our flight from Easter Island to Santiago.

Awesome legroom demonstration on LAN business class.

Pre-departure beverages were offered, either water, champagne, or orange juice. Lady Tocqueville and I were both thirsty, so we opted for water. We took off on-time, and enjoyed excellent views of the island on our way out over the pacific.

The lunch menu was pretty solid, and the drink menu strong too.

Lady Tocqueville ordered the beef, which was overcooked and chewy. I, on the otherhand, went with the Agnolotti pasta, which was delicious and really hit the spot. I paired it with the suggested Sauvignon Blanc, and was pretty pleased with my decision. Check it out, below.


During lunch, I watched the movie Ted with Mark Wahlberg about that Teddy Bear turned miscreant. It was pretty funny, and I enjoyed it. After that, I started watching episodes back-to-back-to-back of season seven of Entourage from HBO. The episodes were edited for drug use, nudity, and language, but somehow still entertaining.

The flight went by quickly and comfortably. Before I knew it, we were on final descent into Santiago. I was excited to get into Santiago to meet up with Lady Tocqueville's parents who were waiting on us at the hotel, and to check out mainland Chile.
beofotch is offline  
Old Aug 19, 2013, 2:01 pm
  #79  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 11
Well, that's a good aspirational trip for you guys, but you've largely missed the West Coast of your own United States. I've seen most of the places you're going to, and they're great, but... I suggest seeing the U.S. (particularly because you're so young) before you you venture abroad. But you've laid out a good itinerary!
caravan70 is offline  
Old Aug 19, 2013, 3:11 pm
  #80  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Southern Alberta
Posts: 20,550
Another great segment report.
airbus320 is offline  
Old Aug 19, 2013, 4:12 pm
  #81  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: IAD
Programs: UA GS, 1MM; Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 561
Loving the updates, thanks. T.
fivevsone is offline  
Old Aug 20, 2013, 6:08 am
  #82  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
9. Marriott Santiago

Marriott

Santiago, Chile

3 nights Award Redemption

Suite Upgrade

After landing from Easter Island at 7:30PM, Lady Tocqueville and I picked up our Hertz rental car at the Santiago Airport. I had booked the rental car on a discounted Delta rate, and included unlimited mileage andtolls in the Santiago area. After a short 20 minute drive, we managed to not get lost and find the Marriott Santiago. This hotel is great for having a rental car, since underground parking just beneath the hotel is free.

Our check-in was very smooth, with the front desk agent thanking me for being a Platinum Premier guest, and letting us know we had been upgraded to a suite, the biggest they have on the top floor, room 2508. We would have lounge access, and chose wine and cheese to be delivered the next day to be our check-in amenity.

This hotel was an exceptional value. We got it on Marriott pointsavers for only 20,000 points per night, less than the Marriott in Charlotte, NC even. And this was a finer hotel. Our room, on the top floor, was massive and very comfortable.


You know you are going to be in an awesome room when there are double doors to the entrance of your room. You know, just in case they need to wheel in a grand piano or something.

The view of our living room at night did not do the view justice. We had a beautiful view of the Andes, and massive windows on two sides.

This is a view of the bathroom from the living room. There is also a bathroom entrance from the master bedroom.

The master bedroom, with very comfortable king-sized bed, and another set of windows with beautiful view.


A dark view into the bathroom, which had a separate toilet, separate massive bathtub, and separate shower. Water pressure and temperature in the shower was great.

Overall, the room was fantastic, and for a Suite in a major metropolitan city, was such a value at 20,000 points per night.

I, regrettably, did not take pictures of the concierge lounge which was also excellent. The breakfast spread was fantastic, with over 30 items to choose from. This included meats, cheese, fruits, pastries, eggs, bacon, and even an espresso machine. In the evening, the snacks and drinks were great. Sparkling wine and Malbec were complimentary, with a full set of chocolates, dips, and chips. We spent alot of time in this lounge, and got great utility out of these full spreads.

After three nights, we checked out to head to the airport for our next destination, Mendoza, Argentina. It was another quick 20 minute drive to Santiago airport, a quick return for South American standards at Hertz, and we were on our way to check-in for our next flight, Santiago to Mendoza for 5 nights in Argentine wine country.
beofotch is offline  
Old Aug 20, 2013, 7:01 am
  #83  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
10. SCL-MDZ on LA in Y

Santiago - Mendoza

LA 932

Departure Time: 2:05PM

Airbus 320

Economy Class Seat 7L

Duration 1 hour

After returning the rental car in Santiago, we proceeded to LAN check-in. We had economy class seats on an economy only flight, but LAN "premium check-in" at Santiago still accepted us. This was a pleasant check-in because it was in its own room apart from the main terminal. Much more peaceful for check-in.

The check-in agent provided the boarding passes for Lady Tocqueville and I, and her parents, and we were off through immigration and security. We had about 90 minutes prior to boarding, so we went to the American Airlines admirals club in Santiago. They admitted us by virtue of our business class tickets issued by AA, even though today's segment was in Economy. It is neat to check-out these American-based airline club outposts in foreign countries. This one was pretty standard, if a bit outdated, but had a great food and drink spread.


A pretty generous booze spread. Being lunchtime, we kept it simple with coke or orange juice.

Light snacks food spread. The tomato soup in the gray canister wasn't too bad, especially with shredded cheese added to it.

View of the club from our seats.

We headed to our boarding gate, which was previously occupied by a big TAM 777. Also, at the gate next to us was a massive Qantas 747-400 Longreach getting ready to push back to Sydney.

The 747-400 Qantas Longreach as seen from our boarding gate.

We boarded, as usual now, with in the Preferente line and were among the first on the plane. The plan was new and clean and comfortable, although seat pitch was again small for my 6'4" frame, it was manageable for a short flight.

View of the cabin during boarding.

The monster seat-pitch on LAN economy class flights.


We took-off, headed south, crossed the Andes, and cruised back North towards Mendoza. The flight was so short there was no food or drink service. We just sat back and enjoyed the spectacular views of the Andes. Pictured above is leaving Chile and crossing the Andes into Argentina.

All in all, an uneventful flight. Once in Mendoza we waited about 20 minutes to go through immigration and customs. We had to show them proof of our Argentina "Reciprocity Fee" Payment. Just like Chile, Argentina extorts $160 from each American that comes into their country. That is $160 that doesn't go into Argentina's private sector, and instead into the coffers of the dysfunctional government.

We picked up our rental car through Hertz. The "upgrade" was to a Chevrolet Classic LT. At first it looked pretty rinky dinky, but it worked out. And it fit right in amongst the jallopies we saw all over the road in Argentina. It was a 35 minute drive to our Posada in Mendoza. We were very excited about 5 nights staying on a living, breathing wine and olive oil farm out in the countryside.
beofotch is offline  
Old Aug 20, 2013, 3:28 pm
  #84  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Southern Alberta
Posts: 20,550
Enjoy the wine in Mendoza.
airbus320 is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2013, 4:46 pm
  #85  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: United 1K, AA Exec P, Lifetime Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Avis Pres. Club, Hertz Gold
Posts: 94
awesome trip-

random question but what app or website enables that picture on the front page with the map showing the red line connecting the airport codes?
peterk814 is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2013, 6:52 pm
  #86  
Used to be planetrain
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: United, Marriott
Posts: 179
Originally Posted by beofotch
10. SCL-MDZ on LA in Y

All in all, an uneventful flight. Once in Mendoza we waited about 20 minutes to go through immigration and customs. We had to show them proof of our Argentina "Reciprocity Fee" Payment. Just like Chile, Argentina extorts $160 from each American that comes into their country. That is $160 that doesn't go into Argentina's private sector, and instead into the coffers of the dysfunctional government.
Great report thus far! You're hitting the areas in South American I'm planning a trip to soon, so you're helping me with some of the legwork.

You can thank our country for the $160 fee from those countries. I don't believe they'd charge us that if we didn't extort it from their visitors. Because of those, I'm going to be dropping $420 just to enter Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. :/

Anyway, keep up the great report! Can't wait to hear about wine country!
unleashlife is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2013, 7:11 am
  #87  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold (BIS), AA LT Plat (CC SUBs & BD), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 3,227
Originally Posted by peterk814
awesome trip-

random question but what app or website enables that picture on the front page with the map showing the red line connecting the airport codes?
I certainly don’t mean to be rude or pushy, but it looks like: http://www.gcmap.com/ (Great Circle Mapper).
Dr Jabadski is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2013, 10:01 am
  #88  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
I asked before but didn't see the answer. Perhaps the question or answer got overlooked so I'll ask again.

Are you advocating faking an injury to avoid certain TSA checks?

Thanks.
farbster is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2013, 2:38 pm
  #89  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott, AAdvantage, United, Club Carlson
Posts: 1,687
Originally Posted by farbster
I asked before but didn't see the answer. Perhaps the question or answer got overlooked so I'll ask again.

Are you advocating faking an injury to avoid certain TSA checks?

Thanks.
Stupid and baiting questions don't deserve answers.
BostonFlyer1624 is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2013, 3:39 pm
  #90  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
11. Wine Farm Posada in Mendoza

Posada Cavieres Wine Farm

Maipu, Mendoza, Argentina

5 nights paid cash (use Xoom to get the "blue market" rate 8.2 Argentine Pesos per 1 USD instead of official 5.2 Argentine Pesos per 1 USD rate).

Standard Room


The Mendoza region of Argentina is a wine-lover's dream. The city itself is pretty pleasant for South American standards, and the dry, dusty, irrigated surrounding wine regions are pretty, interesting, and bursting at the seams with barely discovered delicious wine. We had a couple "mainstream" hotel options in this region, including the Park Hyatt Mendoza and the Sheraton Mendoza. However, for a bit of a different experience, we opted for the Posada Cavieres Wine Farm in Maipu, about 15 miles from downtown Mendoza. We felt like it would be idyllic and relaxing to stay on a living, breathing wine and olive oil farm. The reviews on TripAdvisor were excellent, and there was a great discount if Paid in USD cash. So Lady Tocqueville and I, and her parents went for it.

On the way from Mendoza Airport, we stopped in downtown Mendoza to pick-up cash at the Xoom money exchange service. The government officially sets the rate of Argentine Pesos (ARS) to USD at around 5.2ARS per USD. However, the real rate is closer to 8ARS per USD, and there is a blue market you can participate in to get ARS at a better value. We used Xoom and the money was ready for pick-up at a travel agent in Mendoza at a 8.15 rate.

It was about a 20-25 minute drive from Mendoza to the wine farm in Maipu. The farm is set about 1/2 mile down a dirt road from an intermediate road. When you pull in, you see the vineyards immediately. The proprietor, Hans, has his house on the left, and three guesthouses and a beautiful lawn are on the right. The massive sheepdog, Tommy, greats you right away.


Tommy, the beautiful and friendly resident sheepdog at Posada Cavieres Wine Farm.


Tommy heading into the vineyards, which have just been pruned to prepare for the coming growing season.

Hans has just renovated the guesthouses, and they are extremely comfortable, especially for an agriturismo type experience. The walls are thick adobe, and drown out sound incredibly. The sheets, pillows, towels, etc. are new, clean, and comfortable.

We had Guestroom, or posada 1, and my in-laws posada 2. Each posada had its own en-suite bathroom. Each morning, Hans or his wife Alina would cook breakfast, including eggs, toasts, fresh jams, ham, cheese, coffee, tea, and cereal.

The night we arrived, Hans had prepared a typical Asado for us, or an awesome mixed grill-out of local fresh meats. The chorizo and multiple cuts of meat were delicious.

We spent 5 days touring the Mendoza region, from the desert, to the mountains, and many of the vineyards in-between. Two vineyards gave us the opportunity to have a behind-the-scenes tour, which will be covered on www.freeinfreedom.com in the near future. These were truly exceptional experiences, where we were even able to have an hour-long, personal wine tasting with the chief wine-maker of a large exporter of Argentine wines.


Our Chevrolet Classic rental car from Hertz parked on the lawn, in front of the guesthouses
Hans's house, defender 90, and barn with the vineyards in the distance

The wine - for sale inside the posada for ~$6-14 dollars a bottle!


Hans getting the grill ready for our Asado on the wine-farm


Delicious meat going on the grill
XXX



Butternut squash also made a delicious appearance
I got so carried away taking photos of the Asado, I forgot to take pictures of our rooms. They were equipped with a water heater, newly installed hot-water heater for the bathroom, and beautiful tile, rustic wood, and a comfortable bed. We spent 5 very comfortable nights there.



The kitchen connected to the guesthouses shows you the rustic charm, yet solid comfort of the accommodations.

Hans took time to give us maps and directions to local restaurants, and scenic drives. We pushed our Chevrolet Classic through the paces, taking it on multiple beautiful mountain dirt roads. We did about 300 miles through the Mendoza region total.

[caption align=alignnone" width=584] Mendoza Scenic Drives[/caption]

After 5 spectacular days and nights of eating fine food, learning about fine wine, and spending time with family, we had to reluctantly say goodbye. Hans and his wife were great hosts, and our time in the Wine Country was excellent.

We brought the rental car back to Mendoza airport, and check-in for our next destination, the metropolis of Buenos Aires for a flight and 3 night stay.
beofotch is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.