Please excuse the title, but when both our destinations began and ended with A, and were mainly flown on AA, it seemed appropriate

It’s a trip to ArizonA (PHX) and AlaskA (ANC) to see some old friends from Northern VirginiA (NoVA for the cogniscenti) who had moved out of our usual orbit, and which also gave us the additional opportunity to go places we’d never been and fly with an airline* we wouldn’t normally consider touching with the proverbial barge-pole

* That’s Stobart Air, operating as Aer Lingus Regional … more on that later.

So … as with all these things, you start poking around on ITA Matrix, learning the advanced routing codes and generally either weeping, or swearing at the computer [I did both, frequently]. But eventually we had the routing, at a sensible [YMMV] price, and obviously [generally] in the right sort of seats. It went like this:
JER-DUB … Stobart/EI Regional. In Economy [eeek]
... Overnight at DUB Hilton
DUB-CLT … AA Business
CLT-PHX … AA Domestic F
... A week visiting our friends there, and then …
PHX-ANC … AA Domestic F
... Another week visiting our other friends, and then …
ANC-PHX … AA Domestic F
PHX-CLT … AA, Domestic F
CLT-DUB … AA, Business
And finally …
DUB-JER … <shudder> Stobart again, Economy. Still, it saved many, many �����

From the BAEC perspective, that’s 820 TPs, and from my Bank Manager’s POV it’s:
EI … �240 each*
AA … �1608 each

* That includes all their extra baggage fees, which are a minefield! About half of the cost was baggage!

Add to that :
Overnight at DUB Hilton [I need the points] = �135 [ouch!]
A 9-day car rental (SUV) in PHX with Avis/BA = �251
Homewood Suites at PHX and ANC = �870 + �1406 = �2276. ANC is an expensive place when the weather is civilised!!

�6,500-ish for the whole bash for the 2 of us … I won’t even think about �/TP, this was seeing friends, OK?

So, off we go into the wide blue yonder … will you travel with us? It’s not far
……………..

DAY 1 - Mon 4 Jul 16

JER-DUB, 1250-1430
EI 3343, ATR-72

A nice leisurely start to this trip, which is just as well because we are going to be flying in <shiver> Economy. Yes, Economy!! We had become extremely tired of the inconvenience of the shuffling between LGW and LHR, and the associated costs, and decided we could save a LOT of ��� and inconvenience by flying direct JER-DUB with EI Regional (operated by Stobart Air). It worked on this occasion, as we were travelling in the summer months, when EI favours JER with direct flights to DUB: at other times it will, sadly, be back to the LGW/LHR shuffle.

We waded through the complexities of the EI website, and with a bit of advice from the BA �ber-Guru (corporate-wage-slave) paid the extra for our desired baggage allowances Wow, they really do make that difficult! Our 2 tickets cost �235, including T&F, but that’s only HBO. So then the extras started - we paid the PLUS fee of �129, which allows one checked bag each up to 20kg, advance seat selection and a few other things. But 20kg each isn’t enough for this trip, so increasing the weight of one bag to 25kg was �16, and to allow for some US retail I paid for 2 bags up to 40kg [total] for a further �60. Then there’s an Admin fee of �28 (??) bringing the total to �479. Wow, they really know how to add costs to a cheap flight - double the basic cost, as i noted in the Introduction!!

On with the journey … and despite lacking any OW privileges on this occasion, we were pleased to find an empty EI desk to receive our bags at Jersey Airport at 1115. We had already checked in on-line and printed our BPs: interestingly, EI allows OLCI 30 days out, and covers the return journey at the same time. But, lacking Lounge access, we were forced to use the public areas. Did you know there’s a huge upstairs waiting room, that nobody seems to use?





“Our” ATR 72-600 was an anonymous wet-lease, and despite the un-nerving appearance of rows and rows of seats was surprisingly comfortable. Even the ‘knee room’ seemed better than BA’s Club Europe. The cabin was remarkably quiet too, despite the huge propellor blades whirling around near our ears. We declined to purchase any on-board refreshments, having studied the price list!







After a completely uneventful flight we arrived at an increasingly familiar DUB T2, and wheeled our cases across to “Zone 14” [2017 Edit = Now renumbered as Zone 16] to catch the Hilton shuttle bus. I noted that the signage at the pickup point had been enhanced in a positive manner, and gladly noticed the Hilton bus was there … but sadly it was the BA Crew bus, and they don’t share with paying punters, so we waited 20 minutes until it returned.



I think the DUB Hilton has been covered well enough in other TRs, but I did notice that they have been ‘enhancing’ things too. No snacks in the room [although plenty of free water], and no free drinks vouchers either … hmmm Still, we had a nice Pulled Pork roll downstairs in Burnell’s, and settled for an early night pending our early start the next day.

DAY 2 - Tue 5 Jul 16

DUB-CLT, 0955-1305
AA725, A332

Up and about at 0530, we sorted ourselves out and headed for breakfast at Burnell’s at 0630. They do an excellent [and free] Buffet Breakfast … one of the best we’ve ever encountered. And so, fed and watered, at 0700 we boarded the pre-booked Shuttle Bus back to T2 … €2 each [the outbound leg is free] and charged to the room.

The AA desks are on the left side of T2 Departures, and they were rammed. There were hundreds of people in the queues, and even the Priority line was long … it took 30 minutes to reach the desks! One interesting aspect is the local staff who conduct ‘security profiling’ while you wait … we were ‘interrogated’ at some length, in a charming way, with loads of questions about where we were going, what we did etc. By 0745 we reached the front of the queue, dropped the bags and were given our BPs … suitably overprinted in BOLD with “TSA PRECHK”, “DOCS OK”, “PRIORITY” and “BUSINESS”. Very reassuring that they know who we are, and nice to be back in the world of Premium travel after the Stobart experience

OK, it’s time to enter the USA. Upstairs to Security, which was a bit slow [5 mins] and then through the shops and downstairs to the US enclave … which was empty! Screened again, and then to the recently-installed ePassport machines [neither of which worked for us] and on to the Immigration desk. A charming Border Agent [ex-USAF] who had spent some years serving in the UK had time to chat about places and things we both knew, and fortunately remembered to stamp our passports at the end of all the conversations! And by 0815 we were in the USA [in theory] and made our way to Gate 426 where our great silver [OK, grey] bird was waiting for us.



The usual efficient AA boarding process started at 0915, and we settled into our spacious seats (2H/3H). We like this aircraft, and particularly the 1-2-1 configuration and having places to put things!.





Whilst enjoying the nice cold champagne PDB I snapped photos of another AA A332 making its way to the runway, a ‘proper’ Stobart (EI-FAT would fly us home at the end of the trip) and the unusual sight of an EI A320 in ‘legacy’ colours. [/Spotter]







We pushed back on the dot of 0955, and eventually got airborne at 1020 … DUB is a very busy airport at times, and it was only a couple of hundred yards from the Gate to the Runway! The usual drinks run, with AA’s lovely warm nuts, was followed by lunch at 1125. We had pre-ordered all our main courses on AA.com, and had bravely gone for the steak option … I was not disappointed.

Salad + Salad. The green caterpillar was a nice addition, as was the bread plate!



Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Oxtail Ravioli. Perfectly cooked [to my taste] and the oxtail ravioli was utterly delicious. Definitely one of my better in-flight meals!



Inevitably I finished with the Ice Cream Sundae, coffee and port



Not finding anything I wanted to watch on the IFE, I then evaluated the horizontal seating arrangements … to be woken at 1700 by the pre-recorded AA Charity announcement! Oh, wait, that should be 1200, CLT time … probably. The flight deck announced we would be early, but in fact we reached the gate at 1305 … so an impressive on-time performance at both ends. Well done, AA ^

I must also note that ‘our’ FA was absolutely wonderful, and friendly. “If you want anything, just call me, even if i’m on a break”. I even got a peck on the cheek from her at the end of the flight!

Hello again, CLT - we’re getting quite used to you nowadays! We walk from Gate B20 to Gate B6, where we find our next leg is delayed by 30 minutes until 1500 Never mind, we’re close to the fairly inadequate AAdmirals Lounge at the B-Gates, so we relax there for an hour.

CLT—PHX, 1435–1551
AA686, A321

Back at Gate B6, things seem less well organised than usual and the flight is completely full. No interesting photos, just a bog-standard AA 321 in 2A/C. Legroom and a decent lunch will suffice for the 4 hours to PHX.





At this point I suppose I should abase myself before the FT Community and admit that I hadn’t actually checked on the mileage for CLT-PHX, which is a tad under 2,000 miles and thus losing me a whole bunch of TPs (150, twice). However, we have other trips planned for the membership year, so I’m not going to lose sleep over it.

And here we are in sunny PHX for the first time. This is one BIG airport! A long walk to Reclaim, enhanced by the fact that our carousel was the furthest from the entrance. Retrieve our bags, which appeared to have received "Priority" handling, and retraced our steps through Reclaim to “Door 2” which leads to the free Shuttle buses to the consolidated Rental Car Center on the far west end of the airport. Land-side is a warren of service roads to the 4 Terminals, and it’s 3 miles from T4 to the Rental Center … I said Phoenix Sky Harbor is big! The Shuttle deposited us at the front door, and dragging our 2 large cases we made our way to the elevator and down to the basement parking level where Avis operates.

An inconspicuous office booth announces it’s presence for Avis Preferred, where I present my Avis/BA voucher. A quick check of my Driving Licence number, and I’m directed to parking bay P23, some 100 yards away in the gloom, where our trusty steed awaits us. Oh - an upgrade!! No, not a Ford Escape, or even a Similar, but a shiny black Kia Sorento. Nice!



Now to find my way out of this place!! As it transpired, it was really quite easy, and actually signposted effectively. Out of the Rental Center, turn left, right at the next junction and then right again to the signed On Ramp for Interstate 10 East. About 2,000 yards around 3 sides of a square, so to speak. And then about 11 miles down I-10E to Exit 160, left at the lights onto Chandler Bvd and left again at the next lights to the Homewood Suites, Phoenix/Chandler. Extremely easy, even in my slightly befuddled state after an early start and 12 hours in the air.

We are becoming fans of Homewood Suites in the US. A large 1-bedroom suite with a decent-sized sitting room, kitchenette, adequate bathroom, large bed … and the bonus that they have smoking suites! Add to that a reasonable [free] breakfast daily, and a [free] light evening meal [Mon-Thu], and we are well contented - we are not big, or pretentious, eaters.

Like the airport, Greater Phoenix and it’s associated sub-cities is BIG … some 40 x 30 miles or so. But it’s all essentially one huge grid, N/S and E/W, so navigation is easy. And, most conveniently, the friends we’ve come to see are just 6 miles away, effectively straight down Chandler Bvd to the west, in the Ahwatukee foothills. And here’s a picture of a foothill from their garden …



More to come in the next Part.

Part 2 …………… A week in Phoenix.

Oh, you don’t need to know about shopping trips and afternoons in their swimming pool and stuff like that. Suffice to say our days were pleasantly [and leisurely] occupied, as we wandered around various shopping centers - older folks tend to do that! We also concentrated on getting to know the area, as it’s likely we will be returning in the Spring for a longer visit. As I noted earlier, navigating the grid was easy, and the roads were all very wide and with fairly light traffic. Even the little side street cul-de-sac by the Hilton was 4 lanes wide!

However, one day we all went out to lunch in the middle of nowhere … Tortilla Flat, some 40+ miles NE of Chandler and away in the hills. Lots of evocative names, as we headed out to Apache Junction, and then on the Apache Trail into the mountains. Have a few pictures of the journey and the destination …







Ah ... there it is, at last!



Population of Tortilla Flat is 6
And, to my surprise, it’s covered by Google Street View! A couple of souvenir shops, a tiny museum, and the Bar/Restaurant where the walls are completely papered with Dollar bills. A very popular establishment and a very scenic drive!












Oh, I must also mention Rudy’s … a Southwestern BBQ chain establishment, about 100 yards from the hotel. Delicious!! We grabbed a carry-out on a couple of occasions.








And so, after a week of unbroken sunshine with temperatures of 110�-118�F/43�-48�C, it was time to head to the Frozen North …

Part 3 ……………………. “North to Alaska”

Thu 14 Jul 16

PHX-ANC, 1715-2151
AA653, A319

I almost successfully navigated the return to Sky Harbor via I-10. In true American fashion, they initially had signs saying “Rental Car Return” on the Interstate highway … and then they didn’t, so I left I-10 too soon and found myself at the Eastern end of the airport. Ho-hum … grind through 3 miles of confusing lanes of road, including one stretch where [on the other side of a low hedge] was traffic going the other way on what appeared to be the UK side of a dual carriageway! Very disconcerting! However, all was recovered, we found our way into the Rental Centre, descended the dedicated Avis ramp to the lower level, and dropped the car. With our cases we returned to the surface and the Shuttle stops. Now I’m clearly losing my looks, as I was identified as someone needing assistance, when a staffer took our bags and placed them kerb-side, whilst also ushering us to the front of the queue! “Shuttle to Terminal 4 … wait here”, which we did for some 10 minutes, before eventually being dropped off at the right place. To add insult to previous injury, iWife was then offered a wheelchair as we entered the Departures hall! Check-in/bag drop was performed by the surliest and most miserable staffer I have ever encountered. Whatever, that’s her problem. TSA Pre✓ took but a few moments, and we settled in to the Admirals Lounge for an hour.

At 1645 we were boarded in the usual efficient AA manner, and settled in to 1A/B in the tiny Domestic First cabin … just 2 rows of 2-2 seats I don’t know why I picked Row 1 … DYKWIA moment? It was soon obvious that legroom was less than ideal for the 5.5 hours to ANC. Careless moment, should know better!



However, the prompt arrival of pretzels and PDB champagne alleviated my suffering, and the discovery that they had loaded some Sauvignon Blanc [instead of the almost inevitable US-style Chardonnay, which we hate] raised our spirits further.

Push-back was on the dot of 1715, as advertised … AA seem to do so well in that respect. Taxying out offered some interesting views, as we passed over and under and alongside roads on the way to the runway!







And then up and away …



Drinks were served at 1745, and the main meal at 1820, by our very nice and personable male FA. We had pre-ordered the Herbed Chicken, which was rather good. However, again there was a slight overload on salad-y starters.







Drone. Drone. Boring. Uncomfortable. Legs starting to twitch. Can’t sleep, but some people can. It must be awful back there in Coach.



And then it became apparent that we were possibly approaching Alaska, as the dry dusty plains gave way to Rocky things with white tops … WooT







… and through the scratched windows came the sight of the setting sun, as 2240 turned into 2140 [local time] …



… and we arrived at the Gate exactly on time again! Heading for reclaim, we were met by our friends who we hadn’t seen for 10 years - gosh, they haven’t changed a bit! Bags collected [prioritised again!] they then kindly drove us to our new location … Homewood Suites Anchorage! There we discovered we had snagged a ‘space available upgrade’ from a Studio to a proper Suite for the princely sum of $64 for the 8 days. Contentment! After quickly unpacking, and a moment to catch our breath, we crashed at 2359 local.



After 8 solid hours of sleep, it was time to get going and discover some of Alaska. Shower, dress, draw the blackout curtains to reveal … sunshine!! Indeed, our entire week was blessed with dry and sunny days, with temperatures in the mid-70s/~24�C. After navigating our way down the very long corridor to the Lobby …



… where we enjoyed a decent [free] breakfast, and asked Reception to hail the Hilton shuttle-bus to take us Downtown [which was up to the north of us] to the Anchorage Visitor Center. This is a most useful hub for various city tours and other touristy things. (City Tour is 1 hour and $20, if that’s your thing). But on this, our first day, we just wandered to the Police Museum, checked out the Shopping Mall and some Tourist-y shops, and sat awhile in the Town Square. I have to say there’s not a lot to Anchorage, it seems, although they’re well geared up for the Cruise Ship tourists.







Then it was back to the Visitor Center, where there are free phones to call your hotel’s shuttle bus … a very helpful setup.







We headed back early, as we were being picked up to return to our friends’ place for a BBQ - which they do rather well!



Out and About

We were utterly spoiled by our friends … they had both taken time off work to really show us around. And they certainly did that! We were whizzed here, there and everywhere with 2 knowledgeable local guides [they’ve been in Anchorage for 10 years now]. The following pictures give a small taste of the things we saw …

Lake Hood, right by the Airport … A huge seaplane base for all those folks heading into the wilds to go fishing, hunting or whatever. An extraordinary sight - there must have been over 100 floatplanes there. And masses of other light aircraft parked on the dry bits nearby. ATC at ANC must be quite good fun!







Anchorage Saturday Market, where you could spend a small fortune and meet some very friendly huskies!





Part of Chugach State Park, and a large lake … such things clearly appeal to the local community, but a bit rural for our taste!





Eagle River Nature Reserve - it was here that our host was once pursued by a curious bear to the very end of the boardwalk!



City Water Park and [paved] Trails



Potter Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary. Moose footprints in the sand, probably. Or bears. Or elephants. We did however see a distant Bald Eagle perched on a branch, through binoculars, with some difficulty!





Anchorage Museum … a most interesting 2 hour wander though the various exhibits, many highlighting Native culture and dress. I’m not, by nature, a museums person, but I found this one really interesting. Excellent dioramas showing the lifestyle of the native Americans, and their amazing clothing, and an insight into their lifestyle ... definitely worth a visit, especially with the OAP discount!











An Exciting Day Out

Tuesday 19 Sep. A new record temperature for the Airport - 79�F/26�C

Primary destination was the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Portage, some 40 miles SouthEast down the Seward Highway. The road follows the coastline and is basically the ONLY road heading south. It wasn’t long before we encountered signs of the wildfire that had been burning since Saturday … right above the road!





That small obstacle overcome, we reached our destination and wandered the various enclosures to get our first close-up views of Alaskan wildlife [even if not in the wild]. Now then. children, can you name all of them?











Having spoken nicely to the animals, and not having been eaten or gored, it was time to go and eat some animals … and thus we headed to “Double Musky” in Girdwood. This is a very popular [if unpretentious] local eating place, as was evidenced by the queue forming at the door waiting for the 1700 opening time! It may not look much, but the food was superb and the wines [by the glass] sensibly priced - their cellar bottles can be seriously expensive!





Given the enormous size of the main course portions [20 oz steak, anyone?] 3 of us decided to feast on an assortment of appetisers at around $12 each - Bang Bang Shrimp, Steak Tips and Mushrooms stuffed with scallops









Having settled the bill, time came to retrace our route back up Seward Highway. Which worked until around 1905, when we hit a tailback of traffic on this 2-lane road. And stopped. Completely. There was a brief movement at 1950, which moved us several hundred yards. And then we stopped again. It was clear that the problem was the wildfire up the road .. and that was about 10 miles further on! By this time, there was probably another 10 miles of traffic behind us, and with no side roads to take as an option we could be here for the night, as the stationary traffic stretched into the far distance!!



Then suddenly there was some southbound traffic … and at 2140, nearly 3 hours after we hit the tail of the traffic, we were all mobile again! By 2200 as the sun was going down we were back at the hotel, and desperate to sleep!!



After that experience we’d had enough of Alaska, and decided to go home!!

Thu 21 Jul 16

The day dawned overcast, with persistent rain/drizzle. This clearly reinforced our decision to go home! A flurry of packing, a light lunch and an attempt to grab a couple of hours sleep [which didn’t really work]. Dinner downstairs at 1700, with our friends joining us for a drink courtesy of the Guest Services Manager [bless her], and then we braced ourselves for the journey home with the Shuttle to the airport ‘booked’ for 2230. Excuse me? This is past my bedtime already!!

Bags dropped, a wad of BPs printed, TSA Pre✓ painless, what’s to worry about? Ah, of course, we were politely denied access to the Alaskan Boardroom Lounge!! OWE flying AA carries no weight here!! Oh well, go and perch at the Gate with the Public, then




ANC-PHX-CLT-DUB-JER awaits!

Part 4 ……………………… the LONG journey home.

Fri 22 Jul 16

ANC-PHX, 0125-0752
AA511 A319

0125??? You must be joking!! Oh, well, needs must, I guess. This time it was in 2A/C, again in the mini 8-seat F cabin. I remember little about it, and took no notes apart from push-back at 0130 … I do not function at such a time of day, especially having been out of bed for nearly 18 hours already! However, at some stage we were provided with snack meal [some Hummus] and later a ‘normal’ Cereal and Yoghurt breakfast.





We landed at PHX at 0740 [local]. Here was the one nervous part of the trip, as an AA schedule change had cut a leisurely 1h 30m connection into one of 42m. However, on disembarking we found that our departure gate was just 2 gates along the pier, and was commencing boarding in 10 minutes! Yay! We decided not to bother with a Lounge, but instead hovered by the Priority Boarding line, in a Lice-like manner

PHX-CLT, 0835-1542
AA1899, A321

We were settled on board at 0800 (4A/C this time), PDB’d in a suitable manner and pushed back at 0840 - oooh, 5 minutes late, AA!! By this time we’re heading into the sunrise, so it must be time for another meal. Ahh, Breakfast 3 … or is it a lunch? No, it has the fruit plate again, so that’s definitely another Breakfast - probably.



Somewhere along the way, there was that dreaded “Is there a Medical Professional on board?” announcement … oh, no, please don’t have to divert, we have further connections! As it transpired, the poorly pax seemed to be OK with care and attention and we trundled onward to CLT, arriving at 1530 [local] and somewhere next month as far as my brain could determine.

CLT-DUB, 1810-0635
AA724, A 332

Those times were the planned times, but it was not to be. There’s a 1h delay while they wait for a replacement aircraft to fly in from ORD [coming from a Hangar, according to the AA app] - it also appears the outbound DUB-CLT went u/s. That’s actually good news, as we were facing a 4h layover in DUB without Lounge access. Oh, and another check on the excellent AA app shows that our luggage [now 3 pieces] has arrived at CLT too, so the short connection at PHX didn’t cause a problem. Phew!

Eventually the replacement a/c arrived at D3 at 1815, at which point an army of cleaners descended on it. To be accurate, they actually ascended onto it, up the stairway beside the airbridge. How dirty can it get in a hangar at ORD? Ho-hum, another 30m or so to wait. Eventually, at 1915, we were boarded and settled into 1H/2H in those nice single window seats. iWife is now 100% convinced that 1H is her favourite seat



At 1940 we pushed back, and launched on the penultimate sector … a simple TATL. Dinner was soon served … well, I was starving by this time, having lost count of the number of meals since whenever it was. This was a Thai Chicken starter [YAY! - not a salad, although of course one was also provided] followed by a VERY nice steak [again] with a dipping bowl of “thyme jus”.







Then, again finding nothing I wanted to actually watch on the IFE, I decided to go horizontal and relax with some ‘classical music’ before drifting off to sleep



Sat 23 Jul 15

I am apparently still flying. At 0700 I was awoken to enjoy yet another breakfast [how many is that now?], which I vaguely recall was some fruit, cereal and Greek yoghurt. No photo, though - how many breakfast pictures do you people need to see?? And then we were descending towards DUB, and our charming FA went round the cabin shaking hands with everyone and wishing us all a safe onward journey … how VERY nice!

We landed at 0800 [1h 30m late] - and we were off and away to …

• Immigration, where at 0810 we had the pleasure of having a gap opened in the Tensa barriers for EU passport holders. Goodbye Americans, your longgg line starts over there
• Reclaim next: 1st bags arrived at 0820, and our 3 arrived at 0821 ^
• Departures next: up in a lift to the next floor, where self-tagging seemed to be the EI preference. I coped with the technology brilliantly
• Kerb-side next: a couple of ciggies in the designated smoking zone on the ground floor restored us sufficiently to face Security without TSA Pre✓.
• Security: back up 2 levels, where we encountered minimal delay. Well done, Dublin Airport Authority ^
• Duty Free: nothing we wanted, and their cigarette offering was pathetic!
• Gate 333, then. Somewhere a long way away, on the ground floor, with the most malodorous toilets I’ve encountered at a Western airport. DAA, you just lost that tick

Thirty minutes of Kindle-reading and people-watching kept us occupied until we were put on the bus at 1015 … and waited for the last meandering pax.
1035: we boarded the aircraft …

DUB-JER, 1050-1240
EI 3342, ATR72.

This time it was the regular Stobart Air seating in EI-FAT, which was perfectly acceptable for a couple of hours. At least as much knee-room as BA offers on s/h, and the big 6-bladed propellor by the window didn’t seem to generate much noise. So, apart from a lack of free F&B or OWE boarding benefits, there was nothing to complain about - except the baggage charges!









At 1230 we were in JER, disembarking last, and waited just 5 minutes for our non-priority bags. The taxi home had us through the front door at 1300 in some time-zone or other, and wondering when our next breakfast would be served.

And after our 30-hour journey home, we were rather tired, and thus retired early to bed … The Cat can stay in her ‘hotel’ until Sunday lunchtime

Part 5 ……………. Reflections.

Overall, it was new and interesting, which is what foreign travel should be. Whilst the inspiration of the trip was to meet up with old friends, it also gave us the chance to see two dramatically different States of that massive country called the USA, And, as an aside, it was also interesting to compare a specific social parameter … what the people are like at the customer interface. I mean the register clerks in stores, or the hotel cleaners, or the servers in eating places. Ignore the middle class and the rich [not that we met any of the latter, and they’re universal]. It’s the ordinary, and usually ignored, people that give you a feel for a State, or even a country. I won’t elaborate in detail, but that perspective tells you quite a lot about what folks are like, wherever you go ... and everyone we encountered seemed friendlier than those on the East Coast.

Stobart. Despite the annoying/complicated/expensive baggage arrangements with EI, and the lack of TPs, we were actually well pleased with our Stobart experience. The CC were all charming, the seating acceptable for a couple of hours, and we had no complaints at all. Ah, if only they operated JER-DUB all year round, instead of just in the Summer season.

AA. I’m definitely getting very comfortable, in every sense, with flying AA instead of BA. Apart from a couple of minor hiccups, our 8 sectors were pretty much on time to the minute. Boarding was well managed, with little evidence [that we saw] of people trying their luck. We had absolutely no issues with the FAs: OK, slightly different to BA in their approach, but some of them were really excellent. Food was perfectly acceptable, and occasionally very good. The downside was the F seats on the A319/A321 ... after an hour or two I found them quite uncomfortable ... lack of thigh support? The AA app is excellent: user-friendly and logical, and the baggage-tracking facility is a great comfort when doing multiple connections. And I liked aa.com, with the ability to PYOBP for ALL pax and sectors with just one click [and with an Ad-free option]. And I like their BPs, with the nice bold DYKWIA overprint about PRIORITY and TSA PRE

PHX/AZ. A mega-city of sprawling suburbs, without any real charm factor - but then we happen to like US suburbia! The weather was predictably lovely and warm, our hosts were lovely [and thanks for use of your pool!] and we are looking forward to a longer visit to expand our exploration of the area.

ANC/AK. Hmmm … AK is great if you are into hunting, shooting, fishing, cycling or hiking. Some wonderful scenery, of course. We enjoyed a lucky spell of excellent weather, and with excellent company and caring hosts we got to see a lot more than if we’d tried to do it as independent travellers.

Avios/TPs. AA TPs/Avios credited within a day or two, so no complaints there. We even got 137 Avios for the return Stobart leg, although I had to ask BAEC [on the Gold line] why we weren’t credited for the outbound - it appears that for some unknown reason, we had been booked as A outbound [non-earning] and W inbound [earning]! Double-dipping with HHons, and the BA “Quadruple Avios” deal, will give us ~10,400, and there’s another 741 from the Avis/BA car rental. A further 38,640 accrued from the flights, and 820 TPs to start this membership year’s Gold renewal. That will do nicely.

Long multi-sector routings. The ex-DUB was an desirable aspect on cost grounds, and realistically that just meant adding CLT as the only ‘extra’ stop on the way. The night-stop at DUB outbound was essential for connection purposes, but I now wonder whether doing the entire 30-hour run home from ANC was the best idea. Perhaps break the journey? But then we really wanted to get the travelling done as quickly as possible. It was hard going, but we coped OK, even as 'older people'


Whew … that was longer than I had expected … I hope you enjoyed it!
Next trip is with BA, JER-UK-IAD, so not nearly as complex or interesting [hopefully].

I love an uncle-T report!

I do like your reports Uncle T and this one was no different.

I had never thought about visiting Alaska but your pictures are starting to sway my thinking on that one (especially the scenery as you were flying in to Alaska). Those steaks on AA look great - if only BA could sort their game out here (although I see we now have a new game of 'tell the crew how many minutes you want the steak in the oven for'!). The AA domestic food doesn't look too bad - breakfast looks quite nice actually! I went EI (Stobart) from ABZ - DUB last year on my HNL trip. I quite liked them too - happy enough crew and I had a nice Irish beer. Those wee windy up planes do get thrown about a bit though!!

Thank you both ... very kind!

I had absolutely no complaint about the food - it's only airline food, but perfectly edible [and well cooked!]. As to the ATR, I had long experience of SOU-JER on assorted twin-turboprops (F-27, ATR, Q400, SD-330) and agree that they can provide some 'interesting' in-flight experiences!

Really interesting trip report. You did well with your steaks - they were done to death on our A330 flight, much better on the 757, so I guess it does all come down to the crew. We did the journey back from OGG straight through in the same 30 hour timeframe, and I have to say I think it helped with jet lag as my body had no idea what time zone it was meant to be in by the time I got home, and although I was exhausted the afternoon I got back, I've had no problems sleeping at the right time.

A very enjoyable read - thanks for taking the time to share. DUB certainly seems like a good place for starting a trip if you are not LON based (or even if you are) as I noted when I was there yesterday, there is a huge range of destinations available and the pre-clearance would be great. I think my parents will be considering it for their next trip as it is no harder to get to from INV than LHR is.

Great TR again Uncle T! Thank you.
I've used Stobart ABZ/DUB a couple of times now - it really is a pleasant experience.
I'm seriously looking at an Alaska cruise for the not-too-distant future - as much as I prefer warm places. I think it's a must-see at least once.

Really enjoyed your tale and pictures, thank you.
Think I will check out these Homewood Suites. Also need to check out Alaska.

Well done with the Sorrento. My favourite SUV.

I would avoid the AK "cruise" experience and try and do it more yourself - a lot more chilled out and if taking the Inside Passage, takes you a lot closer to land than the big cruise ships could. Alaska Marine Highway System have a fairly extensive ferry network and pricing options, if somewhat more rustic than the cruise ships.

Thanks for responding, guys ^

cosmo74 ... despite our ages, we tend to prefer just 'getting on with it' on the homeward trip. But, several days on, we're still both bloody tired and waking at stupid hours in the 'dawn's early light!! we're still convinced this is the way, rather than breaking the homeward journey, although we did succumb to a night in DUB ex-HNL as we were bouncing around LHR/LGW on the way home!

MrMutton ... we're DUB-addicted on price [allowing us MORE holidays] but it's a PITA to do it from JER. Ahh, of only EI wasn't seasonal!

JamieABZ ... we were staggeringly lucky with the weather. We actually got more of a tan in ANC than we did in PHX, mainly because in PHX you tend to hide from the sun! But ... you wouldn't have wonderful local guides as we had!

Iamnotlost ... Smoking rooms aside, Homewood offers you a decent 'home base' for your holiday, with good kitchen facilities and somewhere comfortable to collapse at the end of the day. See also my SAV TR [in my signature]. They're bloody good value, and give a lot for your money ... they're just not up-market or flashy. We are totally persuaded by the product, having done 3 of them in the last year. Oh, and I ran a Sorento for several years in UK and JER - 9 years, and it never even popped a lightbulb!

Stez ... Yes, but you have restless feet and much more energy than Elders! A fair comment, though ... big Cruise ships are

Oh I've been on a few "rustic" cruise ships too!
Probably true, I'm cruise-obsessed - I look and look a land-based holidays and usually end up cruising, but I reckon Alaska needs some more hands-on time.