United to Maui
Sep 3, 2003 | 9:07 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA 1K, AA Gold
Posts: 3,640
United to Maui
I spent a fantastic Labor Day weekend with a friend in Maui. Being a loyal Premier Executive, I booked a travel package on United, even though nonstops on HA were only $50 more expensive. Fares from NYC were a bit steep, so I cashed in AA miles for my friend to fly in (UA had no award seats available).
A few days before the trip, I called UA to get listed for F. Since both long haul flights were down to about 4 seats left in F, I wasnt hopeful of clearing using my 500 milers. But I was told that since I was on a wholesale fare, I was ineligible to be upgraded. I was not a happy camper, but figured I might be able to pull off some magic with Easy Check In. Since I was working on Thursday, I did my first online checkin with UA, and at no point did I have an option to get listed for an upgrade. I also checked at the gate at SEA, and was told I was on a fare that was ineligible for upgrades, even though I would earn miles. Rats. The gate agent took away my home-printed boarding pass and replaced it with a real one.
UA 1173, 28 Aug, SEA-SFO, 1:23pm 3:21pm, A320
This flight was fairly normal, except a woman across from me had a wet seat cushion (probably due to water leaking from someones bag of grapes). So a F/A goes and swaps the cushion with another empty seat, so she can keep her aisle seat. The flight was overstaffed with 4 F/As, so the simple beverage service was quick and efficient.
Upon arrival in SFO, I got out my cell phone to catch up on some work related calls, except my calls would not connect. I called Verizon and was told that there have been lots of problems with using cell phones in SFO, and they suggest I leave the airport. I move out to the gates near security and am able to make a few calls, but am a bit miffed that I wasted all that time troubleshooting while other passengers seemed to have no problem with their phones. I wonder if this is because the Verizon towers near SFO are overloaded or if the airport just is built in a way that blocks the reception. I picked up a sandwich to tide me over after the main meal, and arrived at the gate for OGG about 10 minutes before departure. I didnt even bother asking about getting into F, as I figured the UA computer made it impossible for an agent to upgrade me.
UA 35, 28 Aug, SFO-OGG, 4:40pm 6:48pm, B757
Since Im carrying all carry-on bags, Im a bit worried about finding bin space since Im so late to board, but there is no problem at all. The flight is only about 75% full, although the E+ cabin is packed solid. 12D isnt too uncomfortable, but I watch with envy as menus get passed out in F. Using my 500 milers to upgrade Hawaii flights is really attractive because mid-con F service (i.e. SEA-ORD) is really nothing special.
Service begins with beverages, followed by beverages and dinner. The choices are stuffed shells or chicken with rice and carrots. The side dishes include sesame flatbread, a salad, and a pecan cookie. I hear the F/As mumbling something about some meals being underheated, and sure enough my carrots are ice cold. I ask to have my meal warmed up, and the F/A is surprised because she says my tray feels warm. This is now the third flight Ive been on where underheated meals have been served and then reheated, but this was the only time that my meal was affected, and this time I was the only passenger who requested my meal to be reheated. (Its always a mystery how they track which meals are whose) About 20 minutes later, I get my meal, minus the salad. I figure they cooked the salad, even though the 757/767/747 service carts have a heating element that only heats the main dish. About half way through my meal, a F/A brings me the salad, which I thought was very kind.I thought they forgot about it.
It was then time for the Halfway to Hawaii game. I didnt have a calculator or laptop, so I did lots of napkin math, and tried to calculate the exact time based on the forecasted headwinds for each stage of the flight. Unlike my last trip (LAX-KOA) where I spent 20 minutes strategizing with my parents (and having someone in front of my parents win the game thanks to my advice), I kept dead silent. It turns out the woman in 13C (recall Im in 12D) wins the game, and Im off by just two minutes, so I dont get the sparking wine. Darn. Too much luck involved, though.
I was hungry towards the end of the flight, and when I brought out my sandwich to eat, a F/A came by and offered me a beverage. Wow good service. There was no full beverage service pre-arrival, just rounds of orange juice and water. We land in OGG right on time, just as the sun is setting. I meet my friend (she flew in from DFW about 1.5 hrs earlier) and we head off to Hertz to pick up our car. See the Hertz forum for details, but I think the agent was trying to blackmale me into upgrading to a convertible by insisting a 2 year old Buick Century with 25K miles was the only full size car on the lot. The security agent at the exit gate was really cool. He noted that the car had dents and scratches all over it (Id missed it, because it was dark) and that the fuel tank was empty. I complained when I returned the car about this lousy service and was given an adjustment.
Anyway, we stayed at the Outrigger Royal Kahana (in Kahana, between Kapalua and Kaanipali) in an oceanview condo. It was on a nice quiet beach, but the resort was nothing amazing. We hardly spent any time in the condo, so it didnt really matter.
Brief highlights of what we did on Maui:
- Beach walks and resort hopping in Kaanipali, Wailea, and Kapalua. We got kicked out of the pool at the Grand Wailea, but spent several hours lounging around the Ritz Carlton. Some of the resorts were empty (i.e. Outrigger Wailea, Renaissance Wailea), whereas others such as the Ritz Carlton, Grand Wailea, Sheraton, and Westin were more crowded.
- Shopping in downtown Lahaina.
- Snorkeling north of Kapalua
- Full day circle trip to Hana. We left at 7am and drove the whole road. Went swimming in the waterfalls and in the sacred pools. Missed the red sand beach and black sand beach, since we wanted to minimize driving in the dark. The drive is an experience, and luckily the Buick was in such bad shape I wasnt afraid of any scratches from the dirt roads.
- Sunrise bike trip down Haleakala. Well, not really. We got picked up at 2am and were up at the summit by 5am. At 6am, they cancel the bike ride due to rain, and were back at the hotel at 8:30am. 6.5 hours wasted. Luckily we got our money back. Since this was on the last day of the trip, we couldnt reschedule.
- Sunset at the lava fields south of Wailea. Amazing views.
- Dinner at Maalea Waterfront. The restaurant is in a tacky location, but is lively, and has great views of the harbor. Great selection of fresh fish.
- Shopping at Safeway in Lahaina. The prices are not that far off the mainland. Much cheaper than grocery stores on the Big Island.
- Used Maui Revealed as our bible. That guidebook is awesome it has lots of candid commentary.
We didnt get enough sleep, nor did we have enough time to relax, but it was our first time on Maui and we wanted to see everything. The hotel had a good late checkout policy - $25 to stay until 3pm, $50 til 6pm, and $60 til 10pm. Works out well when you are flying on a redeye. We checked out at 3pm, and made it to OGG at around 3:50pm for my friends flight to ORD at 4:35pm. Luckily she didnt miss her flight, but was cutting it close. I then had some beach time for a few hours, and then headed to dinner at Sushi Go in Kahului. Its a conveyor belt fast food sushi bar. It wasnt crowded, and the sushi was all raw fish and looked rather disgusting. Not wanting to get sick, I had two pieces and then headed to the airport completely tired and ready for some shuteye.
UA 46, OGG-SFO, 1 Sep, 10:00pm 5:47am +1, B767-300 (domestic)
The Hertz bus was mobbed with people but luckily I was able to bypass checkin lines and use Easy Check In as I had no carry-on luggage. Then I noticed Easy Check In gave me an option to upgrade my ticket. Yahoo! I listed myself for F, completely prepared not to clear because F was close to sold out. No VIP security lines at OGG, but I was on my way to the gate in 20 minutes. I was a bit hungry, but past security there was nothing except sit down dining. I was too tired for that.
I was paged about 35 minutes before departure, and upgraded to 5J. But this was a bit of a waste of upgrades, because red eyes have lousy meal service and the domestic 767-300 has lousy F seats. Pre departure drinks (water, guava juice, OJ) were offered. We were completely full and pushed back a few minutes early. That got my neighbor talking: why would an airline push back early? Ive never seen that before Then my neighbor starts talking about how NASA botched the Columbia launch, how all TSA security measures are worthless, how another 9-11 is inevitable, how airlines should sell proper F meals and how airlines are idiots for not raising ticket prices $10 and providing a proper meal, etc. He then explained he had no status, but always used his miles to upgrade to F, and never flew Y (huh how would you have enough miles?). He complained to the F/As about lack of ice cream, lack of port, etc. I am normally cursed with having chatty seatmates on redeyes, but he was good entertainment til I lost interest.
The meal was lousy, as expected. It started with a ramekin of Hawaiian themed snack mix (pretzels, peanuts, macadamias). It was a deli plate with 3 slices of meat (ham, roast beef, turkey), a small sourdough roll, some melon slices, grapes, and a freshly baked cookie. I polished it off and then went to sleep. No water glasses or water bottles were distributed after the meal, but I didnt care since I was tired. I slept like a baby and awoke to ice being smashed for the pre arrival beverage service. We landed in SFO a few minutes early. Overall, it was a great flight since I slept. I just wonder if I could have slept in coach and saved my 500 milers. But it did make me feel good to upgrade a non upgradeable ticket.
UA 74, SFO-SEA, 2 Sep, 7:00am 8:54am, B757
Since Easy Check In doesnt allow you to choose what segments to upgrade, I was also listed for F on this flight and it hadnt cleared by the time I left OGG. Nonetheless, I figured I could burn 2 more 500 milers to get another hour of sleep. But I saved my 500 milers, because F checked in completely full. My T fare ticket just didnt make the cut on this flight, which was jammed with high status business travelers (being a Tuesday morning after a holiday). Service was lightning quick, because the 757 was overstaffed with 5 F/As, and 3 F/As can finish the Y beverage service very quickly. No breakfast mix or breakfast bars, but the afternoon snack mix. I got some sleep, and we landed early in SEA and was at work by 11am.
Cant wait til the next trip to Hawaii...but its not scheduled :-(..
A few days before the trip, I called UA to get listed for F. Since both long haul flights were down to about 4 seats left in F, I wasnt hopeful of clearing using my 500 milers. But I was told that since I was on a wholesale fare, I was ineligible to be upgraded. I was not a happy camper, but figured I might be able to pull off some magic with Easy Check In. Since I was working on Thursday, I did my first online checkin with UA, and at no point did I have an option to get listed for an upgrade. I also checked at the gate at SEA, and was told I was on a fare that was ineligible for upgrades, even though I would earn miles. Rats. The gate agent took away my home-printed boarding pass and replaced it with a real one.
UA 1173, 28 Aug, SEA-SFO, 1:23pm 3:21pm, A320
This flight was fairly normal, except a woman across from me had a wet seat cushion (probably due to water leaking from someones bag of grapes). So a F/A goes and swaps the cushion with another empty seat, so she can keep her aisle seat. The flight was overstaffed with 4 F/As, so the simple beverage service was quick and efficient.
Upon arrival in SFO, I got out my cell phone to catch up on some work related calls, except my calls would not connect. I called Verizon and was told that there have been lots of problems with using cell phones in SFO, and they suggest I leave the airport. I move out to the gates near security and am able to make a few calls, but am a bit miffed that I wasted all that time troubleshooting while other passengers seemed to have no problem with their phones. I wonder if this is because the Verizon towers near SFO are overloaded or if the airport just is built in a way that blocks the reception. I picked up a sandwich to tide me over after the main meal, and arrived at the gate for OGG about 10 minutes before departure. I didnt even bother asking about getting into F, as I figured the UA computer made it impossible for an agent to upgrade me.
UA 35, 28 Aug, SFO-OGG, 4:40pm 6:48pm, B757
Since Im carrying all carry-on bags, Im a bit worried about finding bin space since Im so late to board, but there is no problem at all. The flight is only about 75% full, although the E+ cabin is packed solid. 12D isnt too uncomfortable, but I watch with envy as menus get passed out in F. Using my 500 milers to upgrade Hawaii flights is really attractive because mid-con F service (i.e. SEA-ORD) is really nothing special.
Service begins with beverages, followed by beverages and dinner. The choices are stuffed shells or chicken with rice and carrots. The side dishes include sesame flatbread, a salad, and a pecan cookie. I hear the F/As mumbling something about some meals being underheated, and sure enough my carrots are ice cold. I ask to have my meal warmed up, and the F/A is surprised because she says my tray feels warm. This is now the third flight Ive been on where underheated meals have been served and then reheated, but this was the only time that my meal was affected, and this time I was the only passenger who requested my meal to be reheated. (Its always a mystery how they track which meals are whose) About 20 minutes later, I get my meal, minus the salad. I figure they cooked the salad, even though the 757/767/747 service carts have a heating element that only heats the main dish. About half way through my meal, a F/A brings me the salad, which I thought was very kind.I thought they forgot about it.
It was then time for the Halfway to Hawaii game. I didnt have a calculator or laptop, so I did lots of napkin math, and tried to calculate the exact time based on the forecasted headwinds for each stage of the flight. Unlike my last trip (LAX-KOA) where I spent 20 minutes strategizing with my parents (and having someone in front of my parents win the game thanks to my advice), I kept dead silent. It turns out the woman in 13C (recall Im in 12D) wins the game, and Im off by just two minutes, so I dont get the sparking wine. Darn. Too much luck involved, though.
I was hungry towards the end of the flight, and when I brought out my sandwich to eat, a F/A came by and offered me a beverage. Wow good service. There was no full beverage service pre-arrival, just rounds of orange juice and water. We land in OGG right on time, just as the sun is setting. I meet my friend (she flew in from DFW about 1.5 hrs earlier) and we head off to Hertz to pick up our car. See the Hertz forum for details, but I think the agent was trying to blackmale me into upgrading to a convertible by insisting a 2 year old Buick Century with 25K miles was the only full size car on the lot. The security agent at the exit gate was really cool. He noted that the car had dents and scratches all over it (Id missed it, because it was dark) and that the fuel tank was empty. I complained when I returned the car about this lousy service and was given an adjustment.
Anyway, we stayed at the Outrigger Royal Kahana (in Kahana, between Kapalua and Kaanipali) in an oceanview condo. It was on a nice quiet beach, but the resort was nothing amazing. We hardly spent any time in the condo, so it didnt really matter.
Brief highlights of what we did on Maui:
- Beach walks and resort hopping in Kaanipali, Wailea, and Kapalua. We got kicked out of the pool at the Grand Wailea, but spent several hours lounging around the Ritz Carlton. Some of the resorts were empty (i.e. Outrigger Wailea, Renaissance Wailea), whereas others such as the Ritz Carlton, Grand Wailea, Sheraton, and Westin were more crowded.
- Shopping in downtown Lahaina.
- Snorkeling north of Kapalua
- Full day circle trip to Hana. We left at 7am and drove the whole road. Went swimming in the waterfalls and in the sacred pools. Missed the red sand beach and black sand beach, since we wanted to minimize driving in the dark. The drive is an experience, and luckily the Buick was in such bad shape I wasnt afraid of any scratches from the dirt roads.
- Sunrise bike trip down Haleakala. Well, not really. We got picked up at 2am and were up at the summit by 5am. At 6am, they cancel the bike ride due to rain, and were back at the hotel at 8:30am. 6.5 hours wasted. Luckily we got our money back. Since this was on the last day of the trip, we couldnt reschedule.
- Sunset at the lava fields south of Wailea. Amazing views.
- Dinner at Maalea Waterfront. The restaurant is in a tacky location, but is lively, and has great views of the harbor. Great selection of fresh fish.
- Shopping at Safeway in Lahaina. The prices are not that far off the mainland. Much cheaper than grocery stores on the Big Island.
- Used Maui Revealed as our bible. That guidebook is awesome it has lots of candid commentary.
We didnt get enough sleep, nor did we have enough time to relax, but it was our first time on Maui and we wanted to see everything. The hotel had a good late checkout policy - $25 to stay until 3pm, $50 til 6pm, and $60 til 10pm. Works out well when you are flying on a redeye. We checked out at 3pm, and made it to OGG at around 3:50pm for my friends flight to ORD at 4:35pm. Luckily she didnt miss her flight, but was cutting it close. I then had some beach time for a few hours, and then headed to dinner at Sushi Go in Kahului. Its a conveyor belt fast food sushi bar. It wasnt crowded, and the sushi was all raw fish and looked rather disgusting. Not wanting to get sick, I had two pieces and then headed to the airport completely tired and ready for some shuteye.
UA 46, OGG-SFO, 1 Sep, 10:00pm 5:47am +1, B767-300 (domestic)
The Hertz bus was mobbed with people but luckily I was able to bypass checkin lines and use Easy Check In as I had no carry-on luggage. Then I noticed Easy Check In gave me an option to upgrade my ticket. Yahoo! I listed myself for F, completely prepared not to clear because F was close to sold out. No VIP security lines at OGG, but I was on my way to the gate in 20 minutes. I was a bit hungry, but past security there was nothing except sit down dining. I was too tired for that.
I was paged about 35 minutes before departure, and upgraded to 5J. But this was a bit of a waste of upgrades, because red eyes have lousy meal service and the domestic 767-300 has lousy F seats. Pre departure drinks (water, guava juice, OJ) were offered. We were completely full and pushed back a few minutes early. That got my neighbor talking: why would an airline push back early? Ive never seen that before Then my neighbor starts talking about how NASA botched the Columbia launch, how all TSA security measures are worthless, how another 9-11 is inevitable, how airlines should sell proper F meals and how airlines are idiots for not raising ticket prices $10 and providing a proper meal, etc. He then explained he had no status, but always used his miles to upgrade to F, and never flew Y (huh how would you have enough miles?). He complained to the F/As about lack of ice cream, lack of port, etc. I am normally cursed with having chatty seatmates on redeyes, but he was good entertainment til I lost interest.
The meal was lousy, as expected. It started with a ramekin of Hawaiian themed snack mix (pretzels, peanuts, macadamias). It was a deli plate with 3 slices of meat (ham, roast beef, turkey), a small sourdough roll, some melon slices, grapes, and a freshly baked cookie. I polished it off and then went to sleep. No water glasses or water bottles were distributed after the meal, but I didnt care since I was tired. I slept like a baby and awoke to ice being smashed for the pre arrival beverage service. We landed in SFO a few minutes early. Overall, it was a great flight since I slept. I just wonder if I could have slept in coach and saved my 500 milers. But it did make me feel good to upgrade a non upgradeable ticket.
UA 74, SFO-SEA, 2 Sep, 7:00am 8:54am, B757
Since Easy Check In doesnt allow you to choose what segments to upgrade, I was also listed for F on this flight and it hadnt cleared by the time I left OGG. Nonetheless, I figured I could burn 2 more 500 milers to get another hour of sleep. But I saved my 500 milers, because F checked in completely full. My T fare ticket just didnt make the cut on this flight, which was jammed with high status business travelers (being a Tuesday morning after a holiday). Service was lightning quick, because the 757 was overstaffed with 5 F/As, and 3 F/As can finish the Y beverage service very quickly. No breakfast mix or breakfast bars, but the afternoon snack mix. I got some sleep, and we landed early in SEA and was at work by 11am.
Cant wait til the next trip to Hawaii...but its not scheduled :-(..
Sep 3, 2003 | 10:00 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Seattle
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 1,570
Nice story DAS...
Seems like it just may be better taking UA in Y these days.
Save your 500 milers for a Premium Transcon if possible.
Aloha no ka kou.
------------------
Patrick A. Inouye, LMT
volunteer trip reports moderator
Seems like it just may be better taking UA in Y these days.
Save your 500 milers for a Premium Transcon if possible.
Aloha no ka kou.
------------------
Patrick A. Inouye, LMT
volunteer trip reports moderator
Sep 3, 2003 | 10:25 pm
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
Programs: UA Gold & MM; DL & AA credit card dirt status; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Fool's Gold
Posts: 4,838
Interesting comment about using Verizon at the airport. I made about ten calls from various places at UA's terminal in SFO last week, on my Verizon Motorola V60. Full signal strength no matter where I was (baggage claim - Wed. 8am, RCC - Thur. 5pm, near Gate 83 - Thur. 6pm).
Suspect Verizon was just giving you lip service.
Suspect Verizon was just giving you lip service.
Sep 3, 2003 | 10:36 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2002
Programs: AA EXP, BA GLD, FT < 30 y
Posts: 2,106
Surprised that you got kicked out of the pool-- where was the "Aloha Spirit"? Did they have bands? The pool there is great, though.
The meal service on UA doesn't sound like much in F, worse than AA, in fact. Still, I am surprised that you had the guava juice-- they got rid of that on AA. Was it the Hawaiian Sun in a can or served from a carton?
The meal service on UA doesn't sound like much in F, worse than AA, in fact. Still, I am surprised that you had the guava juice-- they got rid of that on AA. Was it the Hawaiian Sun in a can or served from a carton?
Sep 4, 2003 | 9:44 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA 1K, AA Gold
Posts: 3,640
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CharlesMD:
Surprised that you got kicked out of the pool-- where was the "Aloha Spirit"? Did they have bands? The pool there is great, though.
The meal service on UA doesn't sound like much in F, worse than AA, in fact. Still, I am surprised that you had the guava juice-- they got rid of that on AA. Was it the Hawaiian Sun in a can or served from a carton?</font>
Surprised that you got kicked out of the pool-- where was the "Aloha Spirit"? Did they have bands? The pool there is great, though.
The meal service on UA doesn't sound like much in F, worse than AA, in fact. Still, I am surprised that you had the guava juice-- they got rid of that on AA. Was it the Hawaiian Sun in a can or served from a carton?</font>
For the pre arrival beverage service, I was told no guava juice was left (hmm, I wonder where it went), but they managed to find some.
Yep, the Grand Wailea has wrist bands... so no big surprise...
Sep 4, 2003 | 9:46 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA 1K, AA Gold
Posts: 3,640
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ual744777sta:
What is the half-way to Hawaii game?
</font>
What is the half-way to Hawaii game?
</font>