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Old Jan 11, 2020, 9:30 am
  #1  
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Join Date: Apr 2009
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A festive trip to New Orleans - BA First and AA

Me and some friends had said for years that we would go to New Orleans. One of the girls and her bf had been four times and the group of us thought it would be a great trip to do together. Years and years passed and we never did anything about it. Until last year. On New Year's Day 2019 in our hungover state, we agreed that 2019 would be the year we finally went to New Orleans. They flew direct to MSY from LHR whereas I took a little more circuitous route. Given that I am in Aberdeen, I didn't feel so bad not booking the same flight as them. The re was a deal on Business Class flights to Vegas so I jumped on that (going through LAX first and for which flight I managed to use some Avios to upgrade to First Class). Flights from LAX to MSY were ridiculously expensive when I was looking - over £650 so I shelled out some Avios and I was booked.

Final routing: ABZ - LHR - LAX - LAS - LAX - MSY - DFW - LAX - LAS - LAX - JFK - LHR - ABZ. Yes, quite creative!

A few weeks before departure the prices on the MSY flights went down significantly so I cancelled my Avios booking and paid with cash. Those extra 200 tier points would come in handy.

The day of departure came - a Saturday. I took the bus to Aberdeen airport in the early afternoon. From my place, it takes just under an hour. Check-in wasn't open when I arrived so I waited about 10 mins until the staff came down and then left my case and headed to the lounge. I've reviewed Aberdeen lounge before so I won't say much. It's still a great wee lounge and a very pleasant place to spend some time before the flight. The staff there are all wonderful.



Before long, our bird from London arrived along with some other traffic.





BA1309, ABZ - LHR, G-EUYA, A319

It was starting to rain as we were boarding so it was a quick dash up the steps and onto the plane.



These flights down south to London don't take long at all. Just enough time to "enjoy" the Afternoon Tea and have a few drinks.



I went with the sandwiches today rather than the Ploughman's lunch (I do wish they'd swap out the blue cheese on that to a nice cheddar.....). The sandwiches were OK. The scone is always my favourite part! Decent crew on this flight giving regular top ups which is always appreciated.





Given that it was getting close to 4pm, the sun was starting to set so the views out of the window were lovely.









Not much of a loop the loop and we were in Heathrow. Bags didn't take long to arrive and I was then on my way to the Hilton Garden Inn just beside Hatton Cross tube station for the evening.







It was a pretty quiet evening. I had a few beers and soemrghing to eat and then headed to bed at a decent time given that I was getting up around 6.30am to head back to Heathrow.
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Old Jan 11, 2020, 10:56 am
  #2  
 
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Liked the first part and looking forward to reading your latest TR but jeez what a route you are taking!!!
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Old Jan 11, 2020, 3:57 pm
  #3  
 
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Here we go again Stu ^..I’m heading to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras next month so reading this one with interest.
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Old Jan 11, 2020, 8:12 pm
  #4  
 
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Look forward to seeing your thoughts on my beloved hometown. Hope y’all had fun!
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Old Jan 12, 2020, 2:24 am
  #5  
 
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Great start as always!!
Hope that you managed a visit to the Preservation Hall. Looking forward to the rest.
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Old Jan 13, 2020, 11:24 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by nequine
Liked the first part and looking forward to reading your latest TR but jeez what a route you are taking!!!
I like to keep things interesting

Originally Posted by mike&co
Here we go again Stu ^..I’m heading to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras next month so reading this one with interest.
Mardi Grad is something I want to do another year. Hope you enjoy it!

Originally Posted by dat4life
Look forward to seeing your thoughts on my beloved hometown. Hope y’all had fun!
Had a fantastic trip - more to come soon!

Originally Posted by roadwarrier
Great start as always!!
Hope that you managed a visit to the Preservation Hall. Looking forward to the rest.
Thanks roadwarrier - we did indeed get to Preservation Hall and I absolutely LOVED IT!
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Old Jan 13, 2020, 12:05 pm
  #7  
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Not too early a start on the Sunday morning - I got to the airport around 8am for my 10.40am flight. I had a massage booked for 8.20am and wanted to grab some breakfast in the Concorde Room (rather than in the hotel). The First Wing was pretty quiet at this time of morning and I was through into the lounge before long (welcomed by the usual horse and bucked of fizz).



Nice Christmas tree in the CCR!



I grabbed a seat on the terrace and was promptly offered something to drink. I had a small glass of fizz before heading to the Elemis spa.









I had a great back and shoulder massage with the therapist exclaiming that I had one of the biggest knots in my upper back she's ever seen. Guess a guy needs to take a compliment when he can get it, huh.....?!

Back through to the CCR which had got a bit busier but I managed to get a booth in the 'restaurant' to grab a tasty cooked breakfast.



Boarding was across at the B gates so I did what I usually do and use the underground walkway rather than take the transit across. A guy in the lift was curious as to why I pressed level -4 and decided to join me when I explained that the underground walkway rarely has anyone in it and is a nice way to get a bit of peace and quiet before your flight.

My Queen of the Skies waiting to take me to LAX.



BA283, LHR - LAX, G-BYGF, B747

I boarded and was passed over to one of the First Class crew and shown to my seat in the nose.



Fizz and some warm nuts were offered on the ground along with pyjamas, washbags and the menu for today's flight.











Flight time of 10 hours 45 minutes announced by captain and we were off on our way.



Around 20 minutes after take off, drinks and canapés were served. And of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't order at least one Bloody Mary on the flight!



The crew came around taking orders for lunch and I asked to delay lunch by a few hours which was absolutely no problem for the crew at all. I watched a film and enjoyed a few beers before the prompt member of crew came to me and asked if he could set my table. Nothing better than sipping a nice cold beer while looking out of the window thousands of feet above land.





The truffle linguine was delicious, although a little on the salty side. Nice to see a different type of starter on the menu though.



As avid readers know, I am a fan of BA's soups - the broccoli soup was no different. Hit the spot!





Decided against the beef and went for the pork cutlets which were really tasty with the apple. Some nice dauphinoise potatoes on the side made for a decent main course.



Meal finished off with some ice cream and some delicious dessert wine.



Oh, and some tea and a whisky!



The views as we crossed Greenland were amazing - the pics don't really do it justice but it was beautiful with the sun setting too.







The crew made up the bus for me and I grabbed some shut eye. I find the BA seat really comfortable for sleeping once the mattress topper is put on and the duvet is very cosy.



After a few hours napping, I grabbed a drink and some popcorn and listened to some music.



Some more spectacular scenery!







Before long, we were on the west coast of the US and it was time for the second meal service.



Opted for the lamb tagine which was pretty good.



Finished with the very light rhubarb and ginger timbale.







We arrived into a dull LAX slightly ahead of schedule.



I thanked the crew for a very good flight and made my way to get stamped into the US. I think we must have timed it badly because immigration was crazy - it took over an hour to get through. By no means as long as I have heard some people wait but it's really the last thing you want to do after coming off of a long haul flight. I picked up my case and re-checked it (who knows why on earth you have to do this in the US?!) and then headed to find myself a lounge to relax in before my connecting flight to LAX. Things had brightened up a bit.





Of course, I headed to the Qantas First Class lounge in the international terminal. I love the fact that there's a walkway which connects TBIT to T4. I chilled for a while and then got a bit peckish so decided to grab a snack knowing that I wouldn't get anything substantial until I got into Las Vegas.





I headed back to Terminal 4 but the flight posted a delay of around half an hour. Rather than traipse back to TBIT, I went into the AA Flagship lounge to sit out the half hour.



AA504, LAX - LAS, N521UW, A321

Boarded and took my seat in the front row and the chirpy crew on this sector had already opened the bar to do pre-departure drinks for those of us up front.





The usual snack basket was passed around.



After landing, I grabbed my case and hopped into an Uber to the hotel - a DoubleTree quite close to the airport. It was still relatively early - about 8pm - so I decided to stay up and have a few drinks in the hope that I could avert jet lag. A decent sleep was had and I woke up around 6.30am to the sun starting to rise. Managed to nap for a few more hours and I was ready for the day ahead!

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Old Jan 18, 2020, 12:27 pm
  #8  
 
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Yay! Another trip report from you! Thank you for sharing. Great pics^
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Old Jan 18, 2020, 8:27 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Nice report. I enjoyed it,
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Old Jan 25, 2020, 5:14 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Andriyko
Yay! Another trip report from you! Thank you for sharing. Great pics^
Thanks! More to come hopefully later today.... have been away the last 10 days!

Originally Posted by HawaiiFlyerDC8
Nice report. I enjoyed it,
Thanks HawaiiFlyerDC8 - more updates on the way!
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Old Jan 25, 2020, 8:46 am
  #11  
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Vegas airport is a bit of a dump, really. And there's no AA lounge there. Why on earth not, I do not know - they seem to have a decent number of flights leaving from LAS. Anyway, I managed to find a corner away from the constant chiming of the gambling machines and waited for the flight to be called.

AA2942, LAS - LAX, N337PJ, B737

Our Boeing 737 pulling into the gate.









Los Angeles coming into view on approach to LAX



The layover in LAX was a good few hours so I went back to my happy place.....





I do love the Bloody Marys that they serve in the QF FLounge at LAX - topped off with olives and celery and a great kick!



AA2084, LAX - MSY, N823AW, A319

Boarding commenced around 4.30pm and we were welcomed on board by a great flight attendant. I can't remember his name now but he was fantastic. There were three rows of F and instead of telling each individual passenger what the choices for the meals were, he just stood at the front and spoke out loud. Shame for those in Row 4 who were going to miss out

Fully open PDB bar with this guy doing refills before we even got off the ground.



Someone didn't take the advice to switch phones to flight safe mode as someone's started ringing as the guy was finishing the safety announcement. He immediately said over the PA: "We can all hear your cellphone which is quite clearly not in flight safe mode and I know exactly who you are so I would shut it down now"

The sun was setting just as we took off over the coast from LAX and it made for some absolutely beautiful views on the way out.







Bye LAX! See you in a week or so!











On AA, it always seems so long before the flight crew let the cabin crew jump into action. Like almost at causing altitude level. In the UK, the crew can be out of their seats a few minutes after take off ready to start the service. Anyway, when our guy was let up, he handed out some warm towels and then served warm nuts and did a few drinks rounds.





I opted for the filled pasta. Despite looking not amazing, it actually tasted great. It was washed down with a few glasses of red and some great chat with the crew guy. He really seemed to enjoy his job and went to pains to chat to every passenger.



Some ice cream to finish. Not the amazing sundae which you get on the Transcon flights but still great.



After three and a half hours we landed in New Orleans. "We're at the recently opened terminal tonight folks", said the guy cabin crew member, "so if you get lost then don't ask us because we've never been here before!"

A great flight with AA!



I can't really compare the new terminal at MSY to the old one because I was never at the old one. The new one is great though. It's open, airy, bright and still in pristine condition. I've got some more pictures of it in the return part of the trip.



I hopped on the hotel shuttle bus and got dropped off at the Hilton. I was the only non member of cabin crew / flight crew on the shuttle bus. Checked in by a lovely lady who wanted me to keep speaking "because I JUST LOOOOOOOOVE that accent, honey!"

A quick night cap in the bar and I was ready for bed!



Couple of pics of the hotel courtyard from the next morning.



stu1985 is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2020, 12:49 pm
  #12  
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So - up and about for my first day in New Orleans. I grabbed breakfast at the hotel and then got the shuttle back to the airport where I hopped on a bus which would take me to my hotel - the Troubadour. It located in the Business District but only around 10 mins walk from the French Quarter. I had booked a standard room but ages before the check-in date, I was upgraded to an "Urban view Suite" - yes folks, I looked across to a parking lot and some other office buildings lol. The room itself was very nice though and the bed was amazingly comfy! There's a rooftop bar at the hotel too which does give some city views (although the night I went, it was a bit too foggy to actually see much!)

















It was around 2pm and my friends were on Bourbon Street so I took a walk right to the end of the street and met them in Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar. It's a great place - built in the 18th Century and one of the oldest buildings in New Orleans. We had a good few drinks in here while catching up and decided that today would just be a day of sampling the bars which New Orleans had on offer. After a while, we walked round the corner to Bar Tonique and sampled the local delicacy - Sazerac - a delicious whisky cocktail laced with absinthe. It is absolutely lethal and three were enough for me before we decided that we needed to grab dinner.

Typical of the atmosphere we felt in the bars in New Orleans - they are open to all.



I wondered what the hell this was.....



.... but read that it was the new Hard Rock Hotel which was being built in the city and it partially collapsed on October 12. Nothing has really been done since. Indeed, I was reading just this week that one of the dead bodies still inside the building was exposed after the tarpaulin covering it blew away. I think that the city do something with it soon - it was a real eyesore on the skyline.

Anyway, we made it to Pat O'Briens just after 6pm for the duelling pianos and it was absolutely brilliant. Two ladies - one at each piano. Grab a napkin, write your request on it and return it with $1 and they'll play your request. Sometimes they'll do it individually, sometimes they will duel with each other. It really was a great evening. Helped along, of course, by one of the most famous drinks in New Orleans - the Hurricane.



It's a strong rum based cocktail with lemon juice and some sort of passion fruit sugar in it. We didn't actually realise just how strong they were until some of the locals asked if they could take a photo of all the empties which we had on our table.....



Let's just say that the rest of the night was messy. We ended up in some dodgy karaoke bar singing karaoke and downing more Hurricanes. The next morning was a bit of a struggle to say the least but we all met up at a Ruby Slipper cafe for some breakfast. I was in no mood for eating but thought that a bacon Bloody Mary may go some way to curing me.....



It worked for a few hours. While the others went back to their apartment to nap, I decided to take a walk and see some of the city and I'm glad I did.



The paddle steamer was cute and there was a person at the top playing Christmas tunes out of the pipes.







The French Quarter has some beautiful buildings in it.



The Louisiana Supreme Court - in such an unassuming location - right across the street from some art shops and cafes.



I was in need of a nap so headed back to the hotel and then met the rest of the gang at Chickie Wah Wah in the early evening.



This was a great place and, of course, there was live music when we arrived consisting of a married couple and their mate. The woman had the most brilliant voice and I could have listened to her all evening. However, we had to leave as we had a ghost tour around the city booked. It was kinda fun. This guy walked around the city with us and told us all sorts of horrible stories about people who had been murdered in the city or of weird goings on. It included the story of the murder of Addie Hall in 2006. Her boyfriend who murdered her took his own life a few days later and a note he had on his person led the police to their flat where they found his girlfriend's dismembered corpse in the oven and fridge along with hand-written notes he had scrawled over the walls. It was kinda freaky standing right outside the apartment where all this happened. Our guide then told us some story about a voodoo doll that someone bought but tried to get rid of and it supposedly kept coming back to her and she woke up with it in her bed one night. Whether you believe that or not is another matter..... All, in all, it was a good tour though.

We then headed to the Hi-Ho lounge where there was some more live music on.

After a day of fresh air and drinking, it was a much earlier night than the night before (by that, I mean around 1am!).
stu1985 is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2020, 8:48 pm
  #13  
757
 
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I don't know what it is, but those pasta dishes that AA serves makes me so hungry sometimes ... Looks so tasty on this cold night!

Thanks for sharing!
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Old Jan 29, 2020, 6:39 am
  #14  
 
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That is an absurd number of hurricanes. How many of you were there? I can feel the hangover from here.
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Old Jan 29, 2020, 9:23 am
  #15  
 
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Great as usual stu1985
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