A 72 hr trip to Miami via the St Regis Bal Harbour & Miami Beach on Alaska Airlines
Mar 15, 2018, 5:48 pm
#16
Original Poster
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
St Regis Bal Harbour.
Junior Ocean Suite King
Miami, USA
When I was scrolling the hotels in Fort Lauderdale / Miami on the Starwood site, I happened across this aspirational property. It happened to have Cash and Points availability at 15,000 SPG points and $275 USD per night, in addition to free night awards at 35,000 SPG points. The regular rate for our dates was $1,217 USD per night so by redeeming Cash and Points, I managed to get a redemption rate of $0.062 cents per point; a great value!
Although I had them, I didn’t use a Suite Night Award as the only available category was to a Junior Suite; an increase in room size by 25 sq and had a galley style kitchen. I figured I would gamble and hope for a SPG Platinum benefit upgrade at check in as the coupon wasn’t getting me a double sized room or anything. That strategy ended up paying off as we were upgraded into the room category of the SNA without using it.
We departed the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina and self-drove to the St Regis Bal Harbour. I found the traffic in the area to be really bad. Google Maps kept saying that it was 40 minute’s drive which would end up being an hour by the time everything was all said and done.
We drove up to the three-tower complex that is the St Regis Bal Harbour. The signs were clearly marked and there was an army of staff available to unload the car. The valet ticket was quickly handed over and we were led inside by a member of the valet staff.
We were walked to the reception and were led to a chair for the seated check in. We had a glimpse of the wonderful grand entry hall which looked really elegant. The hotel did a wonderful job on this space which is otherwise quite tiny.
Our check in host proceeded to start the room assignment. She picked up on our initial Your 24 request of 10 AM to 10 AM and was going to offer a Atlantic Suite if we were prepared to wait until it was ready, but after learning we were going to request a late check out for 3 PM, we opted for a Junior Suite which would be ready immediately and with a confirmable late check out of 3 PM (otherwise we’d need to be “out” at the regular time of 12pm). I wasn’t in a fighting mood with the front desk for the Atlantic Suite since it’s well above the standard suite level and we were already being offered at two category suite up-grade from what we had booked. Besides, we were there at 12 PM and who wants to wait around until 4 PM for a room to be ready?
During this process, we were offered a glass of champagne or juice. We were thanked for our “many years” of our SPG loyalty; always a nice touch. Interestingly enough, the reception host commented that she “hoped” that Marriott would continue to offer the same great service to their Platinum guests. It was a bit of an ominous tone but probably the reality of what is the future to come.
The reception staff seemed to co-ordinate with the valet desk through a headset. I thought that it was a bit of a low rent touch similar to being in a GAP clothing store. The other part which was a low rent touch was the Resort Fee of $35, which included a host of items. Why there is a need to charge guests a $35 resort fee on a room that is $1,000+ a night is beyond me.
After the check in process was completed, we were introduced to our Butler Antonio. The butler escorted us to our room, and provided us an explanation of the property features. We had an explanation of the restaurants and the elevator keypad which automatically assigned the floor.
We were led to the Junior Suite #2306 on the twenty third floor. Even the arrival experience in the hallways was pleasant with hall couches, marble and live orchids. I happened to notice on later trip up the elevator that the regular floors do not have the same luxurious marble, instead there is just carpet. A random hallway photo accessorized by MrsWT73.
The suite is nicely appointed with every possible amenity. In addition to being well featured, the room was in excellent condition with very little wear and tear.
There was a nice and well-appointed bathroom with a champagne menu for the bath. There was also a TV in the wall for the women’s sink.
I can't say I have ever been anywhere that offers the option of caviar in the bathtub for $200.
A floor plan layout for those that are interested.
Unfortunately, not much living space in the Junior Suite. It was perfectly suitable for our short stay.
There was a small kitchen area near the front door. It had a hot plate and other accessories.
Sub Zero chest fridge and freezer. Most of these bottles were their’s. . .
There was ever amenity in the room mini bar, including whisky, tequila among others. None was complimentary but it was a nice feature to have immediate access to it, if needed.
The junior suite faced the south side of the building (the sunny side) and pretty good view, although partially obstructed, of Miami Beach. The suite also had a peek a boo view of Miami Beach in the distance over the tops of the towers. Overall, I was happy with the room assignment given our Cash and Points rate.
The room also had a large outdoor patio at 210 sq ft. There was a functional table and chairs out there, but the best part was the loungers. The deck was accessible by wide glass sliding doors, and most times that we were out on the deck, we left the doors open to the suite.
We spent the day down at the pool deck. It wasn’t super sunny but it was relaxing. I managed to get in the last of my book Tom Clancy Truth Faith and Allegiance. For Tom Clancy fans that haven’t read it, the last scene concludes on an Etihad A380 with a Residence flying passenger.
After the sunshine quit for the day, we were up to the deck for 5 o clock fizz along with the sunset. With an east facing property, this isn’t much. We had a self-catered bottle of Nicolas Fueillante that had chilled nicely in the Sub Zero along with champagne flutes that were already in room. It was a super convenient way to end the arrival day. I ended up spending some time on the phone with Aeroplan (who’s supposed Elite Priority contacts 1-800 number didn’t work from my dialing zone despite being advertised on the membership card to the contrary). I had received an Expert Flyer alert opening up business reward space on our Boieng 787-9 flight from Vancouver to Toronto. I quickly called and scooped our upgrade up for our upcoming Tanzania trip.
We didn’t have any dinner plans and I hadn’t (for a change) done any research on restaurants to dine at in the Bal Harbour area so we opted to eat on property. We freshened up and headed down to the St Regis Wine Vault and Bar for our “included cocktail” that was part of the resort fee. Our host explained that they were offering a gin-based drink with soda and rosemary, or a house white (Pinot Grigio) or house red (Malbec). I went with the gin-based drink and MrsWT73 went with the pinot grigio. Neither drink was very exciting. There was a live piano player that was playing, which was a nice way to start the evening.
We were both feeling hungry by this point so headed over to the (in house) B&H Burger Bar. It’s set up in an elegant 1960’s feel with a jukebox and red leather booths. I had a Foie Gras Burger with wagyu beef, seared foie gras, roasted shallot, swiss cheese, frisee, truffle butter, truffle aioli, served with French fries. The whole burger was excellent. I had this paired with a Californian Pinot Noir, which was unfortunately less than excellent (flat tasting – not corked, just bland). Dinner for two with two glasses of wine came to $109 with the included 18% service charge.
The next morning, we started the day with coffee on the terrace as delivered by the St Regis Butler. It wasn’t delivered by our butler Antonio today and we actually never saw him again. The weather wasn’t co-operating with us and it was quite stormy outside.
We eventually went down to Atlantikos for breakfast. We had selected the SPG Platinum breakfast benefit, which included a full buffet breakfast. The Atlantikos Restaurant is a smallish space. We arrived at about 9:30 AM (on a Saturday) and were the last of the people not to face some sort of a wait as the staff turned over tables. Thankfully, there was an army of people working and the delivery and turn overs were well executed and fast.
The buffet featured the usual features for a hotel of this caliber. There was an egg omelette station, an self pour mimosa station which made MrsWT73 really happy. The label of the sparkling wine was a house label “St Regis Californian Sparkling Wine”.
There was smoked salmon and a honeycomb station.
Fruits and smoothies and parfaits. Unfortunately, I did not get a shot of the room itself due to the swirling around of customers and wait staff.
When the check was presented, we were asked to sign for a $25 X 2 SPG Breakfast tab, that included the 18% service charge. The whole bill was taken care of and did not appear on our folio.
After breakfast, I took a poke through the gym which is situated across from Atlantikos. It was bad timing after all that food; I never ended up using it.
We went up to the room and enjoyed a glass of wine on the 210 sq deck while we waited for the weather to improve. It only took about an hour and we headed down to the beach itself.
The hotel offers complimentary on the beach loungers. The day beds are at a chargeable rate. We were set up by the attendant and enjoyed a few hours of sea waves and Miami Beach shoreline. I started on my new book “Thank You for Being Late” by Thomas Freidman. The pool staff were quite friendly and chatty. I happened to be wearing a Hurley “Bali” T-Shirt and I ended up having a short chat with an hotel employee who was from Indonesia there initially and now working here. There must not be many visitors to Indonesia from Miami as I saw him more than once and he seemed really happy to chat with me about Bali. Unfortunately, the bad weather continued and we didn't get all too much sun.
Our 3 PM check out time rolled around quickly. After a cleansing shower with the wonderful Rememde Alchemy Mousse and a goodbye to the beautiful views from the suite, we headed down to the front desk for check out. The check out was handled promptly and professionally by our Russian host who was able to proactively have our car brought up.
From the time that we had booked it, I wondered if the St Regis Bal Harbour would deliver, or would it have been an over rated mess similar to our experiences at the St Regis Mauritius. MrsWT73 vowed never to go back to a St Regis property it was that bad until I showed her a version in a concrete jungle in one of her favorite cities around.
The St Regis Bal Harbour was an excellent experience. I am happy to report that both the hard product and the soft product were excellent. We were really impressed with the suite and the amount of room that we had, along with the terrific loungers on the large deck.
The staff were very well trained in service delivery, and we felt respected and served with every guest contact that we had. That’s not something that I can say all the time, even at some of the nicer places that we’ve been to. Every staff interaction that we had was pleasant and professional.
The only negative that I can mention is the ridiculous resort fee for a high rise property that actually has, very little, resort that surrounds it. Charging guests $35 per night on an average daily rate of usually higher than four figures for the use of fitness classes, a base level cocktail or bike rentals seems ludicrous from my perspective.
MrsWT73 enjoyed it so much, she ended up telling our check out host that we will be back. I guess the St Regis brand is now to her liking? =) This property is easily one of the best Starwood properties that we have stayed at and is priced accordingly.
Junior Ocean Suite King
Miami, USA
When I was scrolling the hotels in Fort Lauderdale / Miami on the Starwood site, I happened across this aspirational property. It happened to have Cash and Points availability at 15,000 SPG points and $275 USD per night, in addition to free night awards at 35,000 SPG points. The regular rate for our dates was $1,217 USD per night so by redeeming Cash and Points, I managed to get a redemption rate of $0.062 cents per point; a great value!
Although I had them, I didn’t use a Suite Night Award as the only available category was to a Junior Suite; an increase in room size by 25 sq and had a galley style kitchen. I figured I would gamble and hope for a SPG Platinum benefit upgrade at check in as the coupon wasn’t getting me a double sized room or anything. That strategy ended up paying off as we were upgraded into the room category of the SNA without using it.
We departed the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina and self-drove to the St Regis Bal Harbour. I found the traffic in the area to be really bad. Google Maps kept saying that it was 40 minute’s drive which would end up being an hour by the time everything was all said and done.
We drove up to the three-tower complex that is the St Regis Bal Harbour. The signs were clearly marked and there was an army of staff available to unload the car. The valet ticket was quickly handed over and we were led inside by a member of the valet staff.
We were walked to the reception and were led to a chair for the seated check in. We had a glimpse of the wonderful grand entry hall which looked really elegant. The hotel did a wonderful job on this space which is otherwise quite tiny.
Our check in host proceeded to start the room assignment. She picked up on our initial Your 24 request of 10 AM to 10 AM and was going to offer a Atlantic Suite if we were prepared to wait until it was ready, but after learning we were going to request a late check out for 3 PM, we opted for a Junior Suite which would be ready immediately and with a confirmable late check out of 3 PM (otherwise we’d need to be “out” at the regular time of 12pm). I wasn’t in a fighting mood with the front desk for the Atlantic Suite since it’s well above the standard suite level and we were already being offered at two category suite up-grade from what we had booked. Besides, we were there at 12 PM and who wants to wait around until 4 PM for a room to be ready?
During this process, we were offered a glass of champagne or juice. We were thanked for our “many years” of our SPG loyalty; always a nice touch. Interestingly enough, the reception host commented that she “hoped” that Marriott would continue to offer the same great service to their Platinum guests. It was a bit of an ominous tone but probably the reality of what is the future to come.
The reception staff seemed to co-ordinate with the valet desk through a headset. I thought that it was a bit of a low rent touch similar to being in a GAP clothing store. The other part which was a low rent touch was the Resort Fee of $35, which included a host of items. Why there is a need to charge guests a $35 resort fee on a room that is $1,000+ a night is beyond me.
After the check in process was completed, we were introduced to our Butler Antonio. The butler escorted us to our room, and provided us an explanation of the property features. We had an explanation of the restaurants and the elevator keypad which automatically assigned the floor.
We were led to the Junior Suite #2306 on the twenty third floor. Even the arrival experience in the hallways was pleasant with hall couches, marble and live orchids. I happened to notice on later trip up the elevator that the regular floors do not have the same luxurious marble, instead there is just carpet. A random hallway photo accessorized by MrsWT73.
The suite is nicely appointed with every possible amenity. In addition to being well featured, the room was in excellent condition with very little wear and tear.
There was a nice and well-appointed bathroom with a champagne menu for the bath. There was also a TV in the wall for the women’s sink.
I can't say I have ever been anywhere that offers the option of caviar in the bathtub for $200.
A floor plan layout for those that are interested.
Unfortunately, not much living space in the Junior Suite. It was perfectly suitable for our short stay.
There was a small kitchen area near the front door. It had a hot plate and other accessories.
Sub Zero chest fridge and freezer. Most of these bottles were their’s. . .
There was ever amenity in the room mini bar, including whisky, tequila among others. None was complimentary but it was a nice feature to have immediate access to it, if needed.
The junior suite faced the south side of the building (the sunny side) and pretty good view, although partially obstructed, of Miami Beach. The suite also had a peek a boo view of Miami Beach in the distance over the tops of the towers. Overall, I was happy with the room assignment given our Cash and Points rate.
The room also had a large outdoor patio at 210 sq ft. There was a functional table and chairs out there, but the best part was the loungers. The deck was accessible by wide glass sliding doors, and most times that we were out on the deck, we left the doors open to the suite.
We spent the day down at the pool deck. It wasn’t super sunny but it was relaxing. I managed to get in the last of my book Tom Clancy Truth Faith and Allegiance. For Tom Clancy fans that haven’t read it, the last scene concludes on an Etihad A380 with a Residence flying passenger.
After the sunshine quit for the day, we were up to the deck for 5 o clock fizz along with the sunset. With an east facing property, this isn’t much. We had a self-catered bottle of Nicolas Fueillante that had chilled nicely in the Sub Zero along with champagne flutes that were already in room. It was a super convenient way to end the arrival day. I ended up spending some time on the phone with Aeroplan (who’s supposed Elite Priority contacts 1-800 number didn’t work from my dialing zone despite being advertised on the membership card to the contrary). I had received an Expert Flyer alert opening up business reward space on our Boieng 787-9 flight from Vancouver to Toronto. I quickly called and scooped our upgrade up for our upcoming Tanzania trip.
We didn’t have any dinner plans and I hadn’t (for a change) done any research on restaurants to dine at in the Bal Harbour area so we opted to eat on property. We freshened up and headed down to the St Regis Wine Vault and Bar for our “included cocktail” that was part of the resort fee. Our host explained that they were offering a gin-based drink with soda and rosemary, or a house white (Pinot Grigio) or house red (Malbec). I went with the gin-based drink and MrsWT73 went with the pinot grigio. Neither drink was very exciting. There was a live piano player that was playing, which was a nice way to start the evening.
We were both feeling hungry by this point so headed over to the (in house) B&H Burger Bar. It’s set up in an elegant 1960’s feel with a jukebox and red leather booths. I had a Foie Gras Burger with wagyu beef, seared foie gras, roasted shallot, swiss cheese, frisee, truffle butter, truffle aioli, served with French fries. The whole burger was excellent. I had this paired with a Californian Pinot Noir, which was unfortunately less than excellent (flat tasting – not corked, just bland). Dinner for two with two glasses of wine came to $109 with the included 18% service charge.
The next morning, we started the day with coffee on the terrace as delivered by the St Regis Butler. It wasn’t delivered by our butler Antonio today and we actually never saw him again. The weather wasn’t co-operating with us and it was quite stormy outside.
We eventually went down to Atlantikos for breakfast. We had selected the SPG Platinum breakfast benefit, which included a full buffet breakfast. The Atlantikos Restaurant is a smallish space. We arrived at about 9:30 AM (on a Saturday) and were the last of the people not to face some sort of a wait as the staff turned over tables. Thankfully, there was an army of people working and the delivery and turn overs were well executed and fast.
The buffet featured the usual features for a hotel of this caliber. There was an egg omelette station, an self pour mimosa station which made MrsWT73 really happy. The label of the sparkling wine was a house label “St Regis Californian Sparkling Wine”.
There was smoked salmon and a honeycomb station.
Fruits and smoothies and parfaits. Unfortunately, I did not get a shot of the room itself due to the swirling around of customers and wait staff.
When the check was presented, we were asked to sign for a $25 X 2 SPG Breakfast tab, that included the 18% service charge. The whole bill was taken care of and did not appear on our folio.
After breakfast, I took a poke through the gym which is situated across from Atlantikos. It was bad timing after all that food; I never ended up using it.
We went up to the room and enjoyed a glass of wine on the 210 sq deck while we waited for the weather to improve. It only took about an hour and we headed down to the beach itself.
The hotel offers complimentary on the beach loungers. The day beds are at a chargeable rate. We were set up by the attendant and enjoyed a few hours of sea waves and Miami Beach shoreline. I started on my new book “Thank You for Being Late” by Thomas Freidman. The pool staff were quite friendly and chatty. I happened to be wearing a Hurley “Bali” T-Shirt and I ended up having a short chat with an hotel employee who was from Indonesia there initially and now working here. There must not be many visitors to Indonesia from Miami as I saw him more than once and he seemed really happy to chat with me about Bali. Unfortunately, the bad weather continued and we didn't get all too much sun.
Our 3 PM check out time rolled around quickly. After a cleansing shower with the wonderful Rememde Alchemy Mousse and a goodbye to the beautiful views from the suite, we headed down to the front desk for check out. The check out was handled promptly and professionally by our Russian host who was able to proactively have our car brought up.
From the time that we had booked it, I wondered if the St Regis Bal Harbour would deliver, or would it have been an over rated mess similar to our experiences at the St Regis Mauritius. MrsWT73 vowed never to go back to a St Regis property it was that bad until I showed her a version in a concrete jungle in one of her favorite cities around.
The St Regis Bal Harbour was an excellent experience. I am happy to report that both the hard product and the soft product were excellent. We were really impressed with the suite and the amount of room that we had, along with the terrific loungers on the large deck.
The staff were very well trained in service delivery, and we felt respected and served with every guest contact that we had. That’s not something that I can say all the time, even at some of the nicer places that we’ve been to. Every staff interaction that we had was pleasant and professional.
The only negative that I can mention is the ridiculous resort fee for a high rise property that actually has, very little, resort that surrounds it. Charging guests $35 per night on an average daily rate of usually higher than four figures for the use of fitness classes, a base level cocktail or bike rentals seems ludicrous from my perspective.
MrsWT73 enjoyed it so much, she ended up telling our check out host that we will be back. I guess the St Regis brand is now to her liking? =) This property is easily one of the best Starwood properties that we have stayed at and is priced accordingly.
Mar 20, 2018, 3:07 pm
#19
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
Resort fees are total BS.
Heck it's not even just resorts doing the BS now. Went to book the Hilton Midtown in NYC a few weeks ago and saw this:
Daily $25.00 Mandatory Charge will be added to the room rate and includes: Urban Destination Charge with premium guest internet access (3 devices); daily $15 beverage credit in Lobby Lounge or Bridges Bar; daily $10 food credit in Herb N' Kitchen (grab and go only); local and toll-free calls.
Opted for another hotel.
Enjoyed the report.
Heck it's not even just resorts doing the BS now. Went to book the Hilton Midtown in NYC a few weeks ago and saw this:
Daily $25.00 Mandatory Charge will be added to the room rate and includes: Urban Destination Charge with premium guest internet access (3 devices); daily $15 beverage credit in Lobby Lounge or Bridges Bar; daily $10 food credit in Herb N' Kitchen (grab and go only); local and toll-free calls.
Opted for another hotel.
Enjoyed the report.
Mar 31, 2018, 3:04 pm
#20
Original Poster
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
Thanks. S.R.. My knowledge of upscale cars has been lessened lately!
The cocktail benefit was a little disappointing offerendum. I would have thought that we would have been given a choice of a few off a separate menu, instead of a house pour drink.
An Urban Destination Charge apodo77? What is that code for... high rent? ��
Resort fees are total BS.
Heck it's not even just resorts doing the BS now. Went to book the Hilton Midtown in NYC a few weeks ago and saw this:
Daily $25.00 Mandatory Charge will be added to the room rate and includes: Urban Destination Charge with premium guest internet access (3 devices); daily $15 beverage credit in Lobby Lounge or Bridges Bar; daily $10 food credit in Herb N' Kitchen (grab and go only); local and toll-free calls.
Opted for another hotel.
Enjoyed the report.
Heck it's not even just resorts doing the BS now. Went to book the Hilton Midtown in NYC a few weeks ago and saw this:
Daily $25.00 Mandatory Charge will be added to the room rate and includes: Urban Destination Charge with premium guest internet access (3 devices); daily $15 beverage credit in Lobby Lounge or Bridges Bar; daily $10 food credit in Herb N' Kitchen (grab and go only); local and toll-free calls.
Opted for another hotel.
Enjoyed the report.
Mar 31, 2018, 3:07 pm
#21
Original Poster
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
Alaska Airlines
AS 35 – Economy Class (T)
FLL-SEA (Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport – Seattle Tacoma International Airport)
Feb 3, 2018
06:30 PM – 10:22 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-900
Flown: Boeing 737-900
We left the wonderful stay at the St Regis. We drove to the airport and filled up the rental car. We returned the car to Avis without any issue. From the rental car center, it was a quick 5 minute walk to Terminal 1.
We had completed on line check in via the Alaska Airlines App. The App seems to be a little clunky at times and it usually takes us a few tries to get it to work. I suspect this is because we are almost always on international flights with Alaska which may cause some challenges. It frequently seems to forget all our entered information causing us to re-enter everything again. Luck was on our side because the check in worked on the third try.
Call me old fashioned, but I still like to have a paper boarding card. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps for collectables sake, even though most are the same old thing. We stopped by the Alaska desks to get one from the kiosk. Unfortunately, there was a long line even in the First Class line and no kiosks to be found. With that, we just abandoned the thought of the paper boarding pass and headed straight for the TSA Pre-Check line.
We were through in about 10 minutes. The Fort Lauderdale airport seems to be undergoing a bit of a refresh since many of the concourse shops after security were boarded up behind construction panels.
With breakfast wearing off, we went to Chili’s for a late lunch. MrsWT73 proclaimed her joy “Oh great, I finally get to eat at a Chili’s”; an airport staple around the America’s. The service was prompt and cheery, like most of our experiences in Florida. Today’s serving was a turkey avocado bacon sandwich with fries. Nothing like a light meal before a long flight!!
Over at the gate, MrsWT73 was called up to the podium for an “important message”, which was a cleared upgrade on the list. As an MVP Gold, she was #2 on the list at the flight closing time. As an MVP, I ended up as #15 on the list again and would have to settle for the comforts of 17F as the exit row.
We were delayed getting out by 15 minutes due to some last-minute seat changes and re-accommodation of a family with infants that required some seat swapping. There was an announcement from the captain that the flight was a long one at 6 hours and 40 minutes. Nevertheless, it was a nice sunset at the gate… including some great overwing views.
Once airborne, it was a mostly smooth flight. Despite having the sandwich, I opted for buy on board again and had the Sonoran Chicken Skillet with chili roasted chicken, served with brown rice, roasted corn, red peppers and savory black beans. It was almost all that but otherwise different than the usual buy on board offerings.
I had a major cougher behind me in 18F. Every sixty seconds!!
In summary, a great flight up to Seattle without any major incidents. Although there is no upgrades from the middle rows, having the extra room was beneficial for such a long trans continental journey.
AS 35 – Economy Class (T)
FLL-SEA (Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport – Seattle Tacoma International Airport)
Feb 3, 2018
06:30 PM – 10:22 PM
Booked: Boeing 737-900
Flown: Boeing 737-900
We left the wonderful stay at the St Regis. We drove to the airport and filled up the rental car. We returned the car to Avis without any issue. From the rental car center, it was a quick 5 minute walk to Terminal 1.
We had completed on line check in via the Alaska Airlines App. The App seems to be a little clunky at times and it usually takes us a few tries to get it to work. I suspect this is because we are almost always on international flights with Alaska which may cause some challenges. It frequently seems to forget all our entered information causing us to re-enter everything again. Luck was on our side because the check in worked on the third try.
Call me old fashioned, but I still like to have a paper boarding card. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps for collectables sake, even though most are the same old thing. We stopped by the Alaska desks to get one from the kiosk. Unfortunately, there was a long line even in the First Class line and no kiosks to be found. With that, we just abandoned the thought of the paper boarding pass and headed straight for the TSA Pre-Check line.
We were through in about 10 minutes. The Fort Lauderdale airport seems to be undergoing a bit of a refresh since many of the concourse shops after security were boarded up behind construction panels.
With breakfast wearing off, we went to Chili’s for a late lunch. MrsWT73 proclaimed her joy “Oh great, I finally get to eat at a Chili’s”; an airport staple around the America’s. The service was prompt and cheery, like most of our experiences in Florida. Today’s serving was a turkey avocado bacon sandwich with fries. Nothing like a light meal before a long flight!!
Over at the gate, MrsWT73 was called up to the podium for an “important message”, which was a cleared upgrade on the list. As an MVP Gold, she was #2 on the list at the flight closing time. As an MVP, I ended up as #15 on the list again and would have to settle for the comforts of 17F as the exit row.
We were delayed getting out by 15 minutes due to some last-minute seat changes and re-accommodation of a family with infants that required some seat swapping. There was an announcement from the captain that the flight was a long one at 6 hours and 40 minutes. Nevertheless, it was a nice sunset at the gate… including some great overwing views.
Once airborne, it was a mostly smooth flight. Despite having the sandwich, I opted for buy on board again and had the Sonoran Chicken Skillet with chili roasted chicken, served with brown rice, roasted corn, red peppers and savory black beans. It was almost all that but otherwise different than the usual buy on board offerings.
I had a major cougher behind me in 18F. Every sixty seconds!!
In summary, a great flight up to Seattle without any major incidents. Although there is no upgrades from the middle rows, having the extra room was beneficial for such a long trans continental journey.
Mar 31, 2018, 3:57 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,521
Apr 7, 2018, 4:11 pm
#23
Original Poster
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
Apr 7, 2018, 4:14 pm
#24
Original Poster
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
Alaska Airlines
AS 963 – First Class (U)
SEA-YVR (Seattle Tacoma International Airport- Vancouver International Airport)
Feb 3, 2018
11:05 PM – 12:03 AM + 1
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
The last installment in this particular segment; and one that is not all too exciting. I was upgraded courtesy of Alaska MVP status on this route which always seems to feature upgrade space in the First Class cabin. Being the last flight of the day, the aircraft sits on the ground at Vancouver International Airport at the gate overnight until the 6 AM departure the next morning. There is the usual comfortable seat…
Tonight’s flight departed Seattle from C9 with a 7 minute delay. As per usual, there is no in flght service for the short 30 minute flight. There was the usual bottle of Dasani water at the seat, in lieu of a pre-departure beverage.
It was a dark and miserable night when we arrived in Vancouver. It was a rainy and wet walk to the car, which was parked at a nearby airport maintenance facility (not under a covered walkway).
All that rain meant that my second “home” up in Whistler was getting hammered with snow. I close off this trip report with some scenic photos from the next weekend when I was back on the hill.
Thanks all for following along on my 72 hours in Miami!!
Coming up: Spring Break in Vail Colorado via Alaska Airlines Companion Fare
AS 963 – First Class (U)
SEA-YVR (Seattle Tacoma International Airport- Vancouver International Airport)
Feb 3, 2018
11:05 PM – 12:03 AM + 1
Booked: Boeing 737-800
Flown: Boeing 737-800
The last installment in this particular segment; and one that is not all too exciting. I was upgraded courtesy of Alaska MVP status on this route which always seems to feature upgrade space in the First Class cabin. Being the last flight of the day, the aircraft sits on the ground at Vancouver International Airport at the gate overnight until the 6 AM departure the next morning. There is the usual comfortable seat…
Tonight’s flight departed Seattle from C9 with a 7 minute delay. As per usual, there is no in flght service for the short 30 minute flight. There was the usual bottle of Dasani water at the seat, in lieu of a pre-departure beverage.
It was a dark and miserable night when we arrived in Vancouver. It was a rainy and wet walk to the car, which was parked at a nearby airport maintenance facility (not under a covered walkway).
All that rain meant that my second “home” up in Whistler was getting hammered with snow. I close off this trip report with some scenic photos from the next weekend when I was back on the hill.
Thanks all for following along on my 72 hours in Miami!!
Coming up: Spring Break in Vail Colorado via Alaska Airlines Companion Fare
Apr 9, 2018, 11:24 am
#25
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
Thanks, worldtraveller73, for the extensive review of the SR Bal Harbour. Certainly agree with your comments about the resort fee: when a hotel is typically over $1,000 a night, the added fee for benefits you generally receive as an SPG elite is a little ridiculous. I doubt it's of any consolation, but we just did a long weekend at the Ritz Carlton Bal Harbour which has a $25 fee, and a whopping $250 pet fee (usually RCs are around $150). Unfortunately, like baggage fees, hotels aren't going to give up this free revenue. Thanks again for taking the time and sharing!
Apr 9, 2018, 8:02 pm
#26
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: St. Paul, MN
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, IHG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 448
Great finish to your report, Worldtraveler! I have enjoyed seeing many of your photos as well on instragram, and just got back from a weekend in Seattle. My experience with AS on the SEA-MSP was similar to yours and I enjoyed 17F!
Thank you for sharing.
Matthew
Thank you for sharing.
Matthew
Apr 21, 2018, 11:47 am
#27
Original Poster
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
Thanks, worldtraveller73, for the extensive review of the SR Bal Harbour. Certainly agree with your comments about the resort fee: when a hotel is typically over $1,000 a night, the added fee for benefits you generally receive as an SPG elite is a little ridiculous. I doubt it's of any consolation, but we just did a long weekend at the Ritz Carlton Bal Harbour which has a $25 fee, and a whopping $250 pet fee (usually RCs are around $150). Unfortunately, like baggage fees, hotels aren't going to give up this free revenue. Thanks again for taking the time and sharing!
Thanks for the continued readership 757! Seattle is great for a visit.