Yikes!! House hunting in Manhattan... via Virgin America and American First Class
Apr 30, 2017, 11:11 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
MrsWT73 will be envious of your relocation.
There were more food photos than property photos (laughing).
Best of luck with the relocation and thanks for sharing. ^
There were more food photos than property photos (laughing).
Best of luck with the relocation and thanks for sharing. ^
Apr 30, 2017, 11:12 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,535
Also agreed about DanielW's picture but... where's his TR??? I want to see a TR for everywhere he travels!
Apr 30, 2017, 11:18 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,588
Wow I definitely didn't think lax to jfk was under 5 hours!
Sudden thought - why didn't you use Mint? :-)
Anyway another thought as I read your check-in pictures... WE NEED MORE PICTURES OF SFO777. Sorry for shouting but...
Finally since you did fly AA on return, will you stop booking them for the rest of 2017? I can understand that you may already have them on upcoming itineraries.
My "bad" experiences on AA and UA are the main factors for avoidance when I book my 2-4 annual trips... but maybe it would differ if I flew more.
Sudden thought - why didn't you use Mint? :-)
Anyway another thought as I read your check-in pictures... WE NEED MORE PICTURES OF SFO777. Sorry for shouting but...
Finally since you did fly AA on return, will you stop booking them for the rest of 2017? I can understand that you may already have them on upcoming itineraries.
My "bad" experiences on AA and UA are the main factors for avoidance when I book my 2-4 annual trips... but maybe it would differ if I flew more.
I booked AA this time since the price was right. AA Business Class was only $900 per person vs. $1,239 for Mint. I used Amex Pay with Points which brought the cost down to $0 and 40,500 miles per person. Then I used AA Business Extra upgrade certs to bump us to First. The flight also earned me 9,100 AA miles so the net net cost was only 31,600 miles.
We're not convinced we're moving yet so are going back in a couple of weeks to spend more time and decide. And yes, there will be lots more food pics.
Apr 30, 2017, 2:03 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Programs: BA Bronze, Emirates Silver, Virgin Silver, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,399
Wow at the view from your hotel!
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip on Virgin America although given it was a short hop from SFO to LAS I didn't get as much food as you did on your journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip on Virgin America although given it was a short hop from SFO to LAS I didn't get as much food as you did on your journey.
Apr 30, 2017, 2:08 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: St. Paul, MN
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, IHG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 448
Great report as usual, SFO777. Looks like you saw some beautiful apartments! Virgin America also looks very nice - it's a shame that product is going to be going away.
All best!
All best!
Apr 30, 2017, 2:11 pm
#23
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
SFO777 this is good advice; how about a move to where I live, Miami Beach? Miami, is a world class city; being a resident in Florida is financially beneficial, and travel to Europe, the Middle East, South America, is direct!
For your luxury weekends, there is always Key West or Palm Beach & Mar-a-Lago.
Apr 30, 2017, 3:08 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
Apr 30, 2017, 3:32 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
It's been nearly a year since we moved from Denver, and Mrs. SFO777 has decided that the beautiful but sleepy 'burbs of southern coastal Orange County and its dearth of good restaurants isn't for her. So where to next? LA? No. San Francisco? Nope. Back to Denver? Not yet. Paris? Not practical. So, here we are at LAX Saturday morning heading to New York. We've always loved visiting and thought, what better place for an urban fix and great restaurants. So we decided to check it out and see how it felt and how bad the prices are for a lot less space. Crazy airfares this weekend but I lucked out and was able to find two 25,000 mile Virgin America saver First awards on alaskaair.com. Unfortunately, VX operates from the armpit of LAX, Terminal 3.
Apr 30, 2017, 4:06 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,588
I've lobbied without success for low/no tax red states to no avail. SFO777 this is good advice; how about a move to where I live, Miami Beach? Miami, is a world class city; being a resident in Florida is financially beneficial, and travel to Europe, the Middle East, South America, is direct! For your luxury weekends, there is always Key West or Palm Beach & Mar-a-Lago.
We like the four seasons plus month after month of oppressive summer heat and humidity is just not for us.LOL. How well I know. Thanks TheBOSman.
Apr 30, 2017, 5:11 pm
#28
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CLE
Posts: 1,886
There's always Cleveland. Just kidding. The majority of my relatives have moved South; Atlanta and southern Florida. I'm stuck in CLE until retirement. Five more years to go. My plans are to extensively travel the world because the stress of my occupation and travel is the only way I can remain relatively sane. I did live in NYC for one year in the early 1990s. It was an experience.
Apr 30, 2017, 5:11 pm
#29
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: AA 2 MM, AA Platinum, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 62
Great trip report as usual. As someone who lived in NYC for 25 years, I would highly recommend the East Side anywhere from 50th street to 80th street. Other areas come and go, but Mid-town East Side and the Upper East Side have all the features that make Manhattan great.
Apr 30, 2017, 6:19 pm
#30
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Long Island, NY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 731
French-style Sole
Originally Posted by SFO777
Mrs. SFO777's Roasted Dover Sole was to die for. OMG. With Potatoes with Lemon, Herbs and Brown-Butter.
Pan-grilled Sole is my favorite fish when I visit France. I thought it was only served at "Le Bernardin" in NYC.
