A well-deserved vacation: HKG/TPE/SIN and back the long way
Jul 8, 2016, 11:01 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 273
A well-deserved vacation: HKG/TPE/SIN and back the long way
So, as some of you may have heard, there was a rather large typhoon that swept through Taiwan last night. While it ended up being quite mild in Taipei, I decided to stay in for the evening which gave me an excuse to start writing my first trip report! Here we go...
—
With my plans to go back to university for a graduate degree settled, I decided to give myself a generous vacation this summer as, well, this could be the last big chunk of free time I have in a long while. (I come from an academic family, so trust me, the polite stream of grad student horror stories has been closing in for months.)
Luckily for my sanity, I've still got a bit of time to spare. Add in my recent card bonuses and the fact that I haven't made a large redemption for a bit; well, that means it's trip time.
Coming up:
—
With my plans to go back to university for a graduate degree settled, I decided to give myself a generous vacation this summer as, well, this could be the last big chunk of free time I have in a long while. (I come from an academic family, so trust me, the polite stream of grad student horror stories has been closing in for months.)
Luckily for my sanity, I've still got a bit of time to spare. Add in my recent card bonuses and the fact that I haven't made a large redemption for a bit; well, that means it's trip time.
Coming up:
- A brief stop in Los Angeles (AUS - LAX on AA)
- Tokyo layover (LAX - HND on DL)
- Week with friends in Hong Kong (HND - HKG on CX)
- Off to Taipei (HKG - TPE RT on CX)
- Singapore quickly (HKG-SIN on UA)
- "Well, I'm sure that can get me somewhere..." (SIN-BKK-AMM on TG and RJ)
- Repositioning with a brief stop in London (AMM - IST - LHR on TK and AF)
- That's a wrap (LHR - JFK on VS)
Jul 8, 2016, 11:12 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 273
Austin to Los Angeles (AA 2263) • seat 10F / Y on an Airbus A319
I've been home for a few weeks visiting family, so I was able to take advantage of a great airport shuttle service called "Sure, I have time to drive you to the airport" 
The new-ish AUS has always been one of my favorite airports in the country, perhaps coming second to SFO's international terminal in terms of nice, glassy, airy looks. The amenities can't be beat, though. Hometown pride (all local vendors in the concourse), friendly people, and high quality brisket right next to my gate!
Today's positioning hop to LAX was on a shiny new A319 (revision 06/16). It was a dull, uneventful flight, which isn't the worst you can ask for. I'm really digging T-Mobile's free hour of inflight Wi-Fi for subscribers, which definitely beats the $9 I'd have to pay otherwise. #corporateshill
1.1 Overnight in LA
I stayed at the Aloft El Segundo right down the street from LAX. It’s a decent hotel, but the main draw was that it was really cheap that night and I could continue drop a couple of points in the SPG bucket. As a side note, you know how Aloft is trying to market their hip vibe? It definitely felt too forced for me. I mean, I enjoy the skills of a good DJ but you really don’t need one at the pool of an airport hotel… but better it definitely beats the Travelodge down the street.
The next morning, I had about 7 hours before I had to hit the airport so I decided to check out the LACMA (recommended by many) and the surrounding neighborhood. One Uber and a lot of traffic later, I managed to extract myself from the airport suburbs. First up was Farmer’s Market for breakfast. Mmmmmmm… huevos rancheros and watermelon agua fresca, complete with fresh tortillas.
My next destination was nearby. LACMA, or the LA County Museum of Art, or LACMA, is apparently the biggest museum on the west coast.
Also big. (“Floating Mass”)
It’s gigantic, but a quick breeze through the museum was just what I needed to kill some time. A good European collection, a touch of Islamic art, the Japanese pavilion… and a lot of modern art (ranging from Warhol to the “let’s bolt a plain white sink to the wall” type).
Hey, look, it’s that thing!
I had another hour to kill, so I entered another work of art across the street which housed the Petersen Automotive Museum. The exterior is gorgeous.
Now we're talking! I’d like one of everything, please.
The museum was a little on the small side given the price of admission ($15), but the collection was definitely worth the time. Sadly, it was time to head back to grab my bags and head to LAX.
Another Uber back, more of the city’s signature traffic, then the hotel shuttle, and then a traffic jam at the LAX offramp… such is life. I did have the chance to meet an interesting lady from London on the shuttle—she had just done the entirety of Route 66 from Chicago to LA! We then got to talking about Britain and the EU. As it happens, we disagreed and I’ll leave it at that.
The new-ish AUS has always been one of my favorite airports in the country, perhaps coming second to SFO's international terminal in terms of nice, glassy, airy looks. The amenities can't be beat, though. Hometown pride (all local vendors in the concourse), friendly people, and high quality brisket right next to my gate!
Today's positioning hop to LAX was on a shiny new A319 (revision 06/16). It was a dull, uneventful flight, which isn't the worst you can ask for. I'm really digging T-Mobile's free hour of inflight Wi-Fi for subscribers, which definitely beats the $9 I'd have to pay otherwise. #corporateshill
1.1 Overnight in LA
I stayed at the Aloft El Segundo right down the street from LAX. It’s a decent hotel, but the main draw was that it was really cheap that night and I could continue drop a couple of points in the SPG bucket. As a side note, you know how Aloft is trying to market their hip vibe? It definitely felt too forced for me. I mean, I enjoy the skills of a good DJ but you really don’t need one at the pool of an airport hotel… but better it definitely beats the Travelodge down the street.
The next morning, I had about 7 hours before I had to hit the airport so I decided to check out the LACMA (recommended by many) and the surrounding neighborhood. One Uber and a lot of traffic later, I managed to extract myself from the airport suburbs. First up was Farmer’s Market for breakfast. Mmmmmmm… huevos rancheros and watermelon agua fresca, complete with fresh tortillas.
My next destination was nearby. LACMA, or the LA County Museum of Art, or LACMA, is apparently the biggest museum on the west coast.
Also big. (“Floating Mass”)
It’s gigantic, but a quick breeze through the museum was just what I needed to kill some time. A good European collection, a touch of Islamic art, the Japanese pavilion… and a lot of modern art (ranging from Warhol to the “let’s bolt a plain white sink to the wall” type).
Hey, look, it’s that thing!
I had another hour to kill, so I entered another work of art across the street which housed the Petersen Automotive Museum. The exterior is gorgeous.
Now we're talking! I’d like one of everything, please.
The museum was a little on the small side given the price of admission ($15), but the collection was definitely worth the time. Sadly, it was time to head back to grab my bags and head to LAX.
Another Uber back, more of the city’s signature traffic, then the hotel shuttle, and then a traffic jam at the LAX offramp… such is life. I did have the chance to meet an interesting lady from London on the shuttle—she had just done the entirety of Route 66 from Chicago to LA! We then got to talking about Britain and the EU. As it happens, we disagreed and I’ll leave it at that.