A Weekend Getaway in NYC: 72 Hours in the Big Apple
Oct 2, 2022, 8:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,643
A Weekend Getaway in NYC: 72 Hours in the Big Apple
Mrs. WS93 and I spent the past weekend in New York for our first true getaway since we moved into our new house in Austin. She traveled up on Sunday for work and then the plan was for me to follow along later in the week, on Wednesday night. Due to my work schedule, the only real viable options were the 6:10p on UA to EWR or the 5:20p on DL to JFK. Because of price, and the fact that we were staying in Chelsea the first night, UA won out over my preferred DL.
For the return, both Mrs. WS93 and I were on the DL JFL-AUS direct on Saturday night. For our hotels, we stayed at the Renaissance Chelsea and the Four Points by Sheraton SoHo. I won’t really be reviewing the Renaissance as it had already had a few nights of being lived in by the time that I arrived.
Hope you all enjoy this quick trip up to the Big Apple!
In this Trip ReportLinks to Previous Trip Reports
For the return, both Mrs. WS93 and I were on the DL JFL-AUS direct on Saturday night. For our hotels, we stayed at the Renaissance Chelsea and the Four Points by Sheraton SoHo. I won’t really be reviewing the Renaissance as it had already had a few nights of being lived in by the time that I arrived.
Hope you all enjoy this quick trip up to the Big Apple!
In this Trip ReportLinks to Previous Trip Reports
- She Let Me Get Away With This?: A Semi-RTW Honeymoon via UA, QR, EY and AF J
- Better Make it a Double: Bachelor Party on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
- Silicon Hills: Moving to Austin
- Another Birthday Adventure: Skiing in Park City
- Denver, Tahoe and Points In-between: Mileage Running for 2022 Status
- The Redneck Riviera: A Week in Destin
- On Our Way to See the Tigers Play!: Weekend in Los Angeles
- Especially in Michigan: 48 Hours in the Great Lakes State
- A Semi-International Vacation: Long Weekend in the US Virgin Islands
- Searching for Snow: Skiing in Colorado Again and Again
- Sun, Sand and Surfveza: Christmas in Tulum
- South Texas Road Trip: 36 Hours in the Gulf
- Crisscrossing the EU: Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Portugal
- On my way to see the TIGERS Play: National Championship Weekend in New Orleans
- Heaven to Hell and Back: Colorado, Chicago, and the Cayman Islands
- Traveling for Turkey: Thanksgiving in Western North Carolina
- Christmas in Europe via AA, BA, and AF
Last edited by wakesetter93; Oct 18, 2022 at 5:13 pm
Oct 2, 2022, 8:30 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,643
AUS-EWR via UA Y+
I left the house around 2:30p for my flight to Newark. Usually, I wouldn’t leave for the airport this early, but I had a client call that got scheduled at the last minute for 3:30p and these have been running long in the recent weeks, so I figured it was better to take it from the United Club rather than risk racing to the airport in rush-hour traffic. This turned out to be a good call as I-35 was already a parking lot even at 2:45p on a Wednesday. Cars were even deciding to make their own off-ramps to the service road.
Texans making their own off ramps
Finally free of the traffic
I made it to AUS a little after 3:00p and after parking in the garage I made my way down to the terminal. The path is a little long and convoluted depending on the level that you park on, but I still found myself at the CLEAR checkpoint by 3:15p. Security was a breeze and by 3:20p I was heading up the elevator to the United Club.
The United Club is one floor up from the concourse, but it is an interior space, with a few windows looking over the ticketing area but otherwise there wasn’t much of a view. The club definitely isn’t the nicest but, with a call that required some semi-privacy and peace and quiet, I forked over $59 to the UA lounge dragon and was admitted. After my call was over, I had the chance to briefly explore the club and gran a quick bite to eat before heading down to Gate 31 to catch my flight to EWR.
AUS United Club Bar
AUS United Club Water Station
AUS United Club Buffet
AUS United Club
United Airlines
UA 312
AUS-EWR (Austin-Bergstrom International – Newark Liberty International)
Seat: 22F (Economy)
B737-700 (N17753)
Scheduled: 6:15p-11:00p
Actual: 6:08p-10:30p
As a lowly UA Silver I still managed to gram seat 22F at check-in, which meant I would at least have a couple extra inches of legroom during our flight up to Newark. The GA’s boarded us quickly and we pushed off the gate a few minutes early. After a quick Taxi, we were airborne and headed towards New York. Once at altitude, the FAs came through the aisle with a snack and beverage service. UA generally has decently priced WiFi and I spent the $8 to connect for our 3+ hour flight. The flight went by quickly and before I knew it, we were descending into EWR.
Departing AUS
Golden hour
Snack/Beverage service
Blurry approach to EWR
Upon landing we had a short taxi to gate C114, which strangely was located on a lower level of the terminal, and we had to take an escalator up to the main level upon landing. Once curbside, I had a roughly 8-minute wait for an Uber before meeting my driver and heading into the city.
Arrival at EWR
Unbeknown to me, the Holland Tunnel into the city is closed daily from 11:00p-5:00a due to ongoing repair work necessitated by Superstorm Sandy. We arrived at 11:02p, just as the police were closing off the road. This allowed me to take the scenic tour through new Jersey on our way to the Lincoln Tunnel. This delay ended up adding 15 minutes to my trip and I arrived at 11:30p, one hour after landing.
Renaissance Chelsea Lobby Bar
Renaissance Chelsea Check-in
Texans making their own off ramps
Finally free of the traffic
I made it to AUS a little after 3:00p and after parking in the garage I made my way down to the terminal. The path is a little long and convoluted depending on the level that you park on, but I still found myself at the CLEAR checkpoint by 3:15p. Security was a breeze and by 3:20p I was heading up the elevator to the United Club.
The United Club is one floor up from the concourse, but it is an interior space, with a few windows looking over the ticketing area but otherwise there wasn’t much of a view. The club definitely isn’t the nicest but, with a call that required some semi-privacy and peace and quiet, I forked over $59 to the UA lounge dragon and was admitted. After my call was over, I had the chance to briefly explore the club and gran a quick bite to eat before heading down to Gate 31 to catch my flight to EWR.
AUS United Club Bar
AUS United Club Water Station
AUS United Club Buffet
AUS United Club
United Airlines
UA 312
AUS-EWR (Austin-Bergstrom International – Newark Liberty International)
Seat: 22F (Economy)
B737-700 (N17753)
Scheduled: 6:15p-11:00p
Actual: 6:08p-10:30p
As a lowly UA Silver I still managed to gram seat 22F at check-in, which meant I would at least have a couple extra inches of legroom during our flight up to Newark. The GA’s boarded us quickly and we pushed off the gate a few minutes early. After a quick Taxi, we were airborne and headed towards New York. Once at altitude, the FAs came through the aisle with a snack and beverage service. UA generally has decently priced WiFi and I spent the $8 to connect for our 3+ hour flight. The flight went by quickly and before I knew it, we were descending into EWR.
Departing AUS
Golden hour
Snack/Beverage service
Blurry approach to EWR
Upon landing we had a short taxi to gate C114, which strangely was located on a lower level of the terminal, and we had to take an escalator up to the main level upon landing. Once curbside, I had a roughly 8-minute wait for an Uber before meeting my driver and heading into the city.
Arrival at EWR
Unbeknown to me, the Holland Tunnel into the city is closed daily from 11:00p-5:00a due to ongoing repair work necessitated by Superstorm Sandy. We arrived at 11:02p, just as the police were closing off the road. This allowed me to take the scenic tour through new Jersey on our way to the Lincoln Tunnel. This delay ended up adding 15 minutes to my trip and I arrived at 11:30p, one hour after landing.
Renaissance Chelsea Lobby Bar
Renaissance Chelsea Check-in
Last edited by wakesetter93; Oct 2, 2022 at 8:42 pm
Oct 5, 2022, 7:58 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,643
Thanks Chaz_12!
Oct 5, 2022, 5:33 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
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Four Points by Sheraton SoHo
For the first two nights of our trip, we stayed in the Renaissance in Chelsea. However, due to my late arrival and the fact that Mrs. WS93 had already spent a few days in the room, I opted to skip it. The hotel is very well appointed and has a cool, but funky vibe that I haven’t typically seen at Renaissance branded properties. Now onto the Four Points, though there isn’t much to talk about.
When we originally planned this trip, we were booked at the Sheraton in Tribeca. However, when I arrived in NYC, Mrs. WS93 wanted to switch to the Four Points as that is where our friends were staying. She gave me the address, and without checking it, I booked it. It turns out that this was the one next to the Renaissance and not the one that they were staying at in SoHo. The next day we realized our mistake and finally had the booking correct. Thankfully, the prices were reasonable even though we ended up booking it just one day before our arrival. Though, having never stayed at a Four Points before, I had no clue what to expect.
At check in, the line was short but the staff working the desk were struggling to figure out something so I had a maybe 5 minute wait before I was checked in. No acknowledgement of my Titanium status or any sort of upgrade, but whatever, we're here to see the city. The lobby consisted of a small seating area and a small bar. On the backside of the bar was an Italian restaurant but we never went in. Upon first glance this hotel was tiny, and that was only confirmed upon getting on the elevator and stepping off on the 15th floor. There were only 8 rooms per floor and all of the doors were almost directly off of the elevator which made this very fun as I had suitcases, the people trying to get on the elevator had suitcases, and the maid had her cart there as well.
Stepping into the room was like a blast from the past. Think roadside Hampton Inn in the 90’s, complete with a wall mounted AC unit. The room was one big square with a king bed against one wall, a sliding window that faced out to the street on another, and a wardrobe, shallow desk and a TV on the third wall. The TV was very old and even the Phillips logo was pixelated. The window didn’t have a great seal and when an ambulance drove by I felt like it was parked in the room next door.
Four Points SoHo king Room
Ancient TV
High enough that we got a decent view
On the desk there was a coffeemaker and a couple complementary bottles of water. In the interest of full disclosure, we used those coffee cups for the wine I brought with me from the Renaissance.
The bathroom was small, but functional and had toiletries from ACTIV.
Next to the bed was a phone, clock, and the remote to the TV. The TV remote didn’t have a guide button, nor was there a printed one in the room so I had to use the TV Guide channel (Yes that still exists apparently) to find that they only had local channels of which, half were in Spanish. But, once again, we were here to see the city!
The hotel did its job which was to be clean and, in the city, so no real complaints. They also granted us a 4:00p checkout without hesitation. If I just needed a place to sleep and the price was right, I would stay here again though in hindsight we should have kept our reservation at the Sheraton.
When we originally planned this trip, we were booked at the Sheraton in Tribeca. However, when I arrived in NYC, Mrs. WS93 wanted to switch to the Four Points as that is where our friends were staying. She gave me the address, and without checking it, I booked it. It turns out that this was the one next to the Renaissance and not the one that they were staying at in SoHo. The next day we realized our mistake and finally had the booking correct. Thankfully, the prices were reasonable even though we ended up booking it just one day before our arrival. Though, having never stayed at a Four Points before, I had no clue what to expect.
At check in, the line was short but the staff working the desk were struggling to figure out something so I had a maybe 5 minute wait before I was checked in. No acknowledgement of my Titanium status or any sort of upgrade, but whatever, we're here to see the city. The lobby consisted of a small seating area and a small bar. On the backside of the bar was an Italian restaurant but we never went in. Upon first glance this hotel was tiny, and that was only confirmed upon getting on the elevator and stepping off on the 15th floor. There were only 8 rooms per floor and all of the doors were almost directly off of the elevator which made this very fun as I had suitcases, the people trying to get on the elevator had suitcases, and the maid had her cart there as well.
Stepping into the room was like a blast from the past. Think roadside Hampton Inn in the 90’s, complete with a wall mounted AC unit. The room was one big square with a king bed against one wall, a sliding window that faced out to the street on another, and a wardrobe, shallow desk and a TV on the third wall. The TV was very old and even the Phillips logo was pixelated. The window didn’t have a great seal and when an ambulance drove by I felt like it was parked in the room next door.
Four Points SoHo king Room
Ancient TV
High enough that we got a decent view
On the desk there was a coffeemaker and a couple complementary bottles of water. In the interest of full disclosure, we used those coffee cups for the wine I brought with me from the Renaissance.
The bathroom was small, but functional and had toiletries from ACTIV.
Next to the bed was a phone, clock, and the remote to the TV. The TV remote didn’t have a guide button, nor was there a printed one in the room so I had to use the TV Guide channel (Yes that still exists apparently) to find that they only had local channels of which, half were in Spanish. But, once again, we were here to see the city!
The hotel did its job which was to be clean and, in the city, so no real complaints. They also granted us a 4:00p checkout without hesitation. If I just needed a place to sleep and the price was right, I would stay here again though in hindsight we should have kept our reservation at the Sheraton.
Last edited by wakesetter93; Oct 5, 2022 at 5:48 pm
Oct 5, 2022, 11:02 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: KUSA
Programs: Whatever AMEX Plat comes with... I buy on price.. Spirit Big Front Seat, want First/buy First
Posts: 1,484
That part made me seriously laugh as I was just explaning this to colleagues a few days ago. I did about an 18-month assignment in Dallas that ended a few months ago and at first complained about the pickup truck that I was given as a company vehicle (the one benefit was I could drive it on the airport and park on the ramp next to my office under D16). Then in traffic one morning saw folks following what clearly were repeatedly used as their own off-ramps and said what the heck, this is why I have a pickup!
Oct 6, 2022, 12:59 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,643
That part made me seriously laugh as I was just explaning this to colleagues a few days ago. I did about an 18-month assignment in Dallas that ended a few months ago and at first complained about the pickup truck that I was given as a company vehicle (the one benefit was I could drive it on the airport and park on the ramp next to my office under D16). Then in traffic one morning saw folks following what clearly were repeatedly used as their own off-ramps and said what the heck, this is why I have a pickup!
Oct 17, 2022, 9:57 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,643
Exploring New York
Our first day in the city was a workday for both Mrs. WS93 and I. She worked from her company’s office in Chelsea and while I had plans to go into my office, I decided just to work from the hotel. I did head out and meet her for lunch, which had a great view of the city before returning to wrap up for the day.
Great lunch view
Once done with work, Mrs. WS93 met me back at the Renaissance and we headed out to meet out DFW based travel friends for dinner. We jumped on the Subway at 23rd street and a couple of stops later we were at 50th Street and 8th Avenue where we grabbed dinner and drinks at B Side Pizza.
After dinner, it was a quick walk around the corner to the Walter Kerr Theatre where we saw Hadestown, which was fantastic! They had a small bar at the rear of the theatre and we grabbed a couple of expensive drinks to go along with the show. The drinks did come in reusable cups with lids so I brought them back to keep on the boat.
After the show, we walked down 6th Avenue in the general direction of our hotel, grabbed a drink at the speakeasy ‘Patent Pending’ located inside Patent Coffee, and made a 1:30am grease stop at a food truck near the hotel.
The next day, I spent the morning doing some work before meeting up with Mrs. WS93 at another one of her NYC offices for lunch before moving our stuff from the Renaissance to the aforementioned Four Points.
More lunch views
Our DFW based friends were also staying here and we all met in the lobby before heading out for the night. Our first stop was at Katana Kitten in West Village where we had some cocktails and snacks. It was located directly next to RedFarm which, according to my wife, has “the best soup dumplings in the world”. Though it was a Friday night in New York, we decided to see if we could squeeze in for an appetizer, but they were rented out for a private event. Undeterred, we found another bar around the corner to kill time before heading to our dinner reservation at Cosme.
Katana Kitten
Drinks
KK burger
Cosme, was the real star of the show as the restaurant was founded by Enrique Olivera who also has Pujol in Mexico City (Which is ranked as the 9th best restaurant in the world). So, we knew we were in for a treat!
We started off with a round of drinks.
Then the herb guacamole and corn tostadas
And the Tataki al pastor
Followed by the farro esquites with goat gouda and milpa tamal
And finally, the mole de la casa and duck carnitas
We were so stuffed from dinner that we skipped dessert and instead headed for a nearby cocktail bar, Mace, for a nightcap before turning in for the night.
The next day, the weather had turned cooler and there was rain on the way. First, we needed caffeine so we met up with our DFW based friends in the lobby and headed out to Maman for coffee. From there, we started a stroll over towards Thai Diner for lunch. However, we didn’t quite make it there before the skies opened up, forcing us and some other ill-prepared New Yorkers to take shelter in a building entryway. We had a great lunch, though I didn’t think to grab any photos.
Hiding from the rain
After lunch, the girls wanted to do some shopping, so we wandered around for a bit before meeting up with some of our NYC based friends at Bandit’s for a final drink.
Surprisingly, there was nothing in this fridge
What a deal!
We came across a random parade as well
With that, our time was coming to a close, so we headed back to the hotel to finish packing and head to JFK to catch our DL flight home.
Great lunch view
Once done with work, Mrs. WS93 met me back at the Renaissance and we headed out to meet out DFW based travel friends for dinner. We jumped on the Subway at 23rd street and a couple of stops later we were at 50th Street and 8th Avenue where we grabbed dinner and drinks at B Side Pizza.
After dinner, it was a quick walk around the corner to the Walter Kerr Theatre where we saw Hadestown, which was fantastic! They had a small bar at the rear of the theatre and we grabbed a couple of expensive drinks to go along with the show. The drinks did come in reusable cups with lids so I brought them back to keep on the boat.
After the show, we walked down 6th Avenue in the general direction of our hotel, grabbed a drink at the speakeasy ‘Patent Pending’ located inside Patent Coffee, and made a 1:30am grease stop at a food truck near the hotel.
The next day, I spent the morning doing some work before meeting up with Mrs. WS93 at another one of her NYC offices for lunch before moving our stuff from the Renaissance to the aforementioned Four Points.
More lunch views
Our DFW based friends were also staying here and we all met in the lobby before heading out for the night. Our first stop was at Katana Kitten in West Village where we had some cocktails and snacks. It was located directly next to RedFarm which, according to my wife, has “the best soup dumplings in the world”. Though it was a Friday night in New York, we decided to see if we could squeeze in for an appetizer, but they were rented out for a private event. Undeterred, we found another bar around the corner to kill time before heading to our dinner reservation at Cosme.
Katana Kitten
Drinks
KK burger
Cosme, was the real star of the show as the restaurant was founded by Enrique Olivera who also has Pujol in Mexico City (Which is ranked as the 9th best restaurant in the world). So, we knew we were in for a treat!
We started off with a round of drinks.
Then the herb guacamole and corn tostadas
And the Tataki al pastor
Followed by the farro esquites with goat gouda and milpa tamal
And finally, the mole de la casa and duck carnitas
We were so stuffed from dinner that we skipped dessert and instead headed for a nearby cocktail bar, Mace, for a nightcap before turning in for the night.
The next day, the weather had turned cooler and there was rain on the way. First, we needed caffeine so we met up with our DFW based friends in the lobby and headed out to Maman for coffee. From there, we started a stroll over towards Thai Diner for lunch. However, we didn’t quite make it there before the skies opened up, forcing us and some other ill-prepared New Yorkers to take shelter in a building entryway. We had a great lunch, though I didn’t think to grab any photos.
Hiding from the rain
After lunch, the girls wanted to do some shopping, so we wandered around for a bit before meeting up with some of our NYC based friends at Bandit’s for a final drink.
Surprisingly, there was nothing in this fridge
What a deal!
We came across a random parade as well
With that, our time was coming to a close, so we headed back to the hotel to finish packing and head to JFK to catch our DL flight home.
Last edited by wakesetter93; Oct 17, 2022 at 10:12 am
Oct 18, 2022, 5:12 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,643
JFK-AUS via DL Y+
We retrieved our bags from the Four Points and called an Uber over to JFK. Traffic was worse than usual on a Saturday afternoon and we arrived at JFK more than 1h 15m after departing Manhattan. Our Uber driver also seemed determined to ignore the GPS directions as he knew a “faster way”. Once curbside at JFK we headed straight for the T4 security checkpoint and, thanks to CLEAR, we were through in no time.
After clearing security, we headed for the T4 SkyClub. Upon arrival we found a long line stretching down the concourse, but DL was being proactive with agents out checking access requirements and providing us with tickets showing we had already been verified so that we could skip verification once in the club. It only took 10 minutes or so and we were admitted.
Once inside, we found a pair of seats near the entrance, and I headed off in search of food. They had a fresh pasta area near the main bar/buffet and I brought back some sustenance for Mrs. WS93. With her settled I went off to explore the lounge and do some plane spotting from the large windows that overlooked the ramp from both sides of the club. The lounge was packed and the SkyDeck was closed so I just headed back to our seats to pass the rest of the time.
We left the lounge at T-5 and made our way down the escalators to gate B46. We arrived just as First Class boarding was wrapping up and Comfort+ was called soon after.
Delta Air Lines
DL 655
JFK-AUS (John F. Kennedy International - Austin-Bergstrom International)
Seat: 12A (Comfort+)
A320-200 (N330NW)
Scheduled: 6:05p-9:18p
Actual: 6:04p-8:55p
Once on board, I settled into seat 12A and after a quick taxi we took off into the soup. Though the weather was nasty on the ground, once we punched through the clouds it was a beautiful day for flying. The FA’s made a pass with the snack basket and I grabbed some chips and pistachios and settled in to watch the LSU game. Unfortunately, Dish and ESPN were in a spat and Delta uses Dish for their in-flight TV so I had to pay the $30+ for a streaming Wi-Fi pass to watch the game on my phone.
The FAs came through with a beverage service and I sipped a vodka soda as we chugged west through the dwindling light, overflying Memphis and the Mississippi River at dusk. By this point, my Tigers were down 17-0 with 8 minutes left to go in the 2nd quarter against a terrible Auburn team. A quick ring of the FA call button and I had a bottle of Woodford and a cup of coffee as I watched LSU steam back to a 21-17 victory!
We touched down in Austin just after 9:00p and with no checked bags and no traffic, we made it home by 9:30p. That even allowed me to get enough sleep to make the brunch portion of the AUS Craft Brewers Festival DO!
Thanks for coming along on this quick trip up to NYC. Next, we’re off to Baton Rouge for Homecoming and to watch LSU take on Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium!
Paradise awaits
After clearing security, we headed for the T4 SkyClub. Upon arrival we found a long line stretching down the concourse, but DL was being proactive with agents out checking access requirements and providing us with tickets showing we had already been verified so that we could skip verification once in the club. It only took 10 minutes or so and we were admitted.
Once inside, we found a pair of seats near the entrance, and I headed off in search of food. They had a fresh pasta area near the main bar/buffet and I brought back some sustenance for Mrs. WS93. With her settled I went off to explore the lounge and do some plane spotting from the large windows that overlooked the ramp from both sides of the club. The lounge was packed and the SkyDeck was closed so I just headed back to our seats to pass the rest of the time.
We left the lounge at T-5 and made our way down the escalators to gate B46. We arrived just as First Class boarding was wrapping up and Comfort+ was called soon after.
Delta Air Lines
DL 655
JFK-AUS (John F. Kennedy International - Austin-Bergstrom International)
Seat: 12A (Comfort+)
A320-200 (N330NW)
Scheduled: 6:05p-9:18p
Actual: 6:04p-8:55p
Once on board, I settled into seat 12A and after a quick taxi we took off into the soup. Though the weather was nasty on the ground, once we punched through the clouds it was a beautiful day for flying. The FA’s made a pass with the snack basket and I grabbed some chips and pistachios and settled in to watch the LSU game. Unfortunately, Dish and ESPN were in a spat and Delta uses Dish for their in-flight TV so I had to pay the $30+ for a streaming Wi-Fi pass to watch the game on my phone.
The FAs came through with a beverage service and I sipped a vodka soda as we chugged west through the dwindling light, overflying Memphis and the Mississippi River at dusk. By this point, my Tigers were down 17-0 with 8 minutes left to go in the 2nd quarter against a terrible Auburn team. A quick ring of the FA call button and I had a bottle of Woodford and a cup of coffee as I watched LSU steam back to a 21-17 victory!
We touched down in Austin just after 9:00p and with no checked bags and no traffic, we made it home by 9:30p. That even allowed me to get enough sleep to make the brunch portion of the AUS Craft Brewers Festival DO!
Thanks for coming along on this quick trip up to NYC. Next, we’re off to Baton Rouge for Homecoming and to watch LSU take on Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium!
Paradise awaits
Last edited by wakesetter93; Oct 23, 2022 at 8:05 am
Oct 18, 2022, 8:46 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,643
Oct 19, 2022, 12:41 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: PHL/LAX/MAD (for now)
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, AmEx Membership Rewards
Posts: 874
After clearing security, we headed for the T4 SkyClub. Upon arrival we found a long line stretching down the concourse, but DL was being proactive with agents out checking access requirements and providing us with tickets showing we had already been verified so that we could skip verification once in the club. It only took 10 minutes or so and we were admitted.
Once inside, we found a pair of seats near the entrance, and I headed off in search of food. They had a fresh pasta area near the main bar/buffet and I brought back some sustenance for Mrs. WS93. With her settled I went off to explore the lounge and do some plane spotting from the large windows that overlooked the ramp from both sides of the club. The lounge was packed and the SkyDeck was closed so I just headed back to our seats to pass the rest of the time.
Once inside, we found a pair of seats near the entrance, and I headed off in search of food. They had a fresh pasta area near the main bar/buffet and I brought back some sustenance for Mrs. WS93. With her settled I went off to explore the lounge and do some plane spotting from the large windows that overlooked the ramp from both sides of the club. The lounge was packed and the SkyDeck was closed so I just headed back to our seats to pass the rest of the time.
Great TR, as always!