LOL!
We have the hotel dots now.

Good morning B:rolleyes:x

Good afternoon. I haven't been on here in quite a while. Even longer on MP. Dealing w/ two kids, one who is almost 6 weeks old is tiring. Went to bed @ 2:30 last night/this morning. This kid wakes up every few hours and wants to eat. Why can't he just grin and bear it like the rest of us? ;) Some of us need our beauty sleep.

P.S. Been a faithful follower of BBQ Thursday. It has been exclusively Luling City Market for BBQ on Thursday - thankfully they are close to work.

I've done it in under 60 minutes including immigration and public transit in Zurich, Berlin and Frankfurt - a bit longer in Paris. Carry-ons only, and of course Customs is just walking out the green lane.

I've done it in FRA, too. That one's easy, with frequent trains. Assuming you don't get a bus gate it is a piece of cake. Never tried the other two.

NYC is slower by far. So are most Asian cities I've been to. SYD is pretty easy but the walks are longer there and immigration can get backed up pretty badly.

I would've been at about 60 minutes from HND had I not missed a transfer on the platform for my train. That cost me 15 minutes because I was confused. I'd make that next time no problem. The 15 minutes walking at the other end while trying to get my bearings in the dark in Tokyo was a bit longer than it should've been as well.

It certainly isn't better than many airport/city links out there but it does make Tokyo a reasonable contender in that space, something that NRT cannot provide.

And I'm talking about wheels down, not door open or off the plane or past immigration. Doing that in 60-90 is impressive for just about any major city.

ZRH is about as easy as FRA, depending on your destination.
TXL requires a bus, but it runs every 5 mins and takes you to the subway - there are actually 4 bus lines from TXL. I have no idea how it will be when the new Brandenburg airport takes over (nor do I know its code nor the date that happens.) I do think Berlin is a really cool city to visit.

NYC is terrible at each airport. Plus if you arriving international, you have to deal with DHS/CBP/ICE or whatever they call themselves.
A lot of cities abroad have timed transfers that work extremely well when you know what you are doing but don't work if you don't hustle. It's amazing to me how much better other systems seem to be at keeping to a schedule.
Wheels down makes it more impressive. I am curious what the move to make HND an international airport will do to NRT, and why NRT is still considered the flagship. It is actually an interesting dilemma. In no way can the trek to NRT be considered convenient. I would think that UA & DL should both fight to shift as many of their flights to HND as possible as quickly as possible. I'm guessing the time of day restrictions will eventually be lifted if the airport has as much new capacity. I am truly surprised that UA hasn't fought harder for slots at HND - it feels like they were asleep, considering that DL got 2 slot pairs and AA 1.

Yes, ZRH is pretty efficient this way. I have done it under 60 minutes (everything included) to hotel near main train station,

All of the announcements were about arrival at "Tokyo International Airport" and not "Haneda" which I found entertaining.

The time of day restrictions and the significant onward flight banks that both offer makes this untenable at this time. In many ways they are artificially protecting NRT the same way that JFK/LGA and IAD/DCA are so protected.

I know that UA applied for a few options and DL won where there was direct competition. That DL got two and UA none and now DL has suspended one for a year is rather insulting. Then again, there's the possibility that, much like the recent round of Brazilian slots, UA feels that they have a strong enough portfolio at NRT and they don't need the HND services. That they are in an ATI now with NH certainly supports that theory in many ways. That's something DL cannot rely on.

It never lost that name when they opened NRT. They still expect to expand the international end of HND some more.

I wonder if the 5th Freedom Rights are specific to NRT. I suspect not, because I think Pan Am and Northwest Orient had them before NRT was opened as the new airport for Tokyo, so perhaps they can go back to HND.

I don't think it makes a lot of sense to split the UA (or DL) operations, but if NH has enough onward connecting flights from HND, maybe UA should shift, if they can get the slots - and the time of day restrictions relaxed/improved/mitigated.

If the earthquake/tsunami hadn't happend, losing out on HND slots would have been a bigger loss for UA & CO

You can add SIN and GVA to list of very well connected airports as well.

I was in/out through TXL last week and talked about the new airport (BER) with staff. There will be S Bahn and RB/RE service to the airport. In June 2012 (next June) it is scheduled to open; the LH staff are really looking forward to it.

poasty poast

Good to see you in your original "avatar" here.

Back home after a long day at work..and a massive headache to go with it.:rolleyes:

Why is it not BBQ Thursday yet? :(

I grilled a leg of lamb last night. It was delicious.

I'm having leftovers for lunch today. :cool:

Because it is Wok Wednesday? :confused:

Not according to the cafeteria menu. :rolleyes:

Oofta!

Really bummed that I cannot get to LA this weekend. The B6 $4 fares between BUR-LGB are awesome (the good kind).

It's been a while since I stretched my legs here out of the box.

Evening Box.....

Ah, yes.....obviously a very savvy marketing move by the good folks at B6 to "do their part" and help alleviate "Carmaggeddon" this weekend in LA when the Interstate 405 freeway between I-10 near Santa Monica and U.S. 101 in the valley is shut down for a construction project.....

"It's the end of world, folks, and here on Eyewitness 7 News, you'll see Carmaggeddon absolutely live!"

Four bucks ain't bad, either: back in 1976, one had to pay $24.00 to fly one way between BUR and LAX in a Sikorsky S-55 helicopter operated by LA Airways....

But the question is: will there be cocktails offered on the B6 BUR-LGB service? Will there be wodka?? :p

Block time is similar to JFK-BOS so they could, in theory, do a quick service. If they route out over the ocean and then come back in they could probably do a full one.

Interestingly enough, they do have all the standard bits about checked bag fees, UM fees and the like in the fine print on the offer so they are treating it like a real flight. It is just a ridiculous routing.

Which means that you are chomping at the bit trying to figure out a way to get yourself on it. ;)

ETA: You may now proceed to eat your heart out with envy. mersk862 has just booked a round trip stating that it cost him less than his dinner will that evening. :D

AS used to fly ONT-BUR with a 72S.....which was another ridiculous routing as well. I was in F on one of these flights and actually got served a cocktail (which I had requested).

However, the complete routing of these AS flights were SEA-ONT-BUR-SEA or vice versa......so not so crazy after all.

And mersk862 appears to be one of the lucky ones: I just checked the B6 website and both BUR-LGB roundtrips are now apparently "Sold Out".....:(

Only took about 2 hours to sell out. I would've been all over it but I cannot get away for the day. Such is life. I did see that mersk862 got one based on my tipping him off that they were on sale. :cool:

I'm traveling elsewhere this weekend, so I hesitated for a moment before quietly repeating "book first, ask questions later" and actually trying to book myself a flight. Sadly, sold out.

I'm still not quite sure how I would have cheaply gotten to some combination of LAX/BUR/LGB, but I imagine the entertainment value would outweigh paying few extra cpm to get there.

How's this for a routing:

ANC-FAI-SCC-NUI-BRW-ATK-AIN-BRW-NUI-SCC-BTI-FAI-ANC

All that for 10,000 miles. :p

I'll be doing it next week.

Wanna do it for Summer Solstice DO next year, monitor? :D

your moment of zen

http://i.imgur.com/OHnzV.jpg

Dept of Redundancy Dept?

Isn't Presidential Platinum part of OnePass Elite?
Isn't Business First = Continental International Business?

Happy BBQ Thursday (CDT)!

While PresPlat is OP elite, BF isn't International Business.

Complete madness. Just make sure that I get enough upgrade coupons for the flight to OME or wherever you guys end up scheduling that DO.

Once upon a time, international business was a step up from domestic F in that the dining options were significantly better. However, this has deteriorated over the past 2 years to the point where it is not worth paying extra for international F since it is no different than domestic F in either seat comfort, entertainment or food. Such a shame.

I really wish I could have ridden in a premium cabin on CO just a few years ago, but my first time was just a year and a half ago... I'm sure it would have been a much better experience...

You are insane. :D In the best possible meaning of the word (sounds like fun)!

Back in the mid-90's, I was flying the family (total of 5) back from SJU to CLE via EWR. CO switched the plane from a 737 to a DC-10 which was a BF plane (barcalounger seats similar to todays 767 with similar loop entertainment, which was almost state of the art back then). At that time, you had to use instruments to upgrade from coach to F, but I had a pile of them and wished to use them for the flight. CO initially gave me grief since they had planned the catering for only 16 passengers and the plane switch had increased that considerably. However, they managed to board the meals and upgrade those who were able to be upgraded. It was a great flight and the food was at the BF level. That was also the first time my kids got to fly in F. A very pleasant memory.

I am very jealous of all the neat Alaska lines Mrs. Mackie has from when she lived in ANC.

F on the three class DC-10-30 operated by CO SYD-HNL-LAX was a terrific experience......

BBQ Thursday has commenced. ^

I'm sure the DC-10s were simply amazing. I was looking at video ads from the 70s, and the lounges on the planes looked cool with the air pong games. :D :p