IAD-SFO-IAD & IAD-ORD-MSY-IAD
January 6th, 2009
IAD-SFO: (With wife to celebrate her birthday) Check in at reconditioned IAD (gate C-17) RCC. First day it is open. Marvelous improvement over what I used to call “the Cave.” Windows look out to tarmac and the area has far more open space and fewer walls. Nice job. Flight over is on 757. Service is OK from my perspective, “just excellent” from my (non-frequent flying) wife’s. Celebrity (sort of) sightings: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and former House Transportation Committee Chairman Bob Matsui (D-CA-Ret.) are in 1st class with us.
SF Hilton and Towers at 11AM and check in at 17th floor towers desk. Room not ready, so off to ride cable cars, have lunch and see the sites leaving bags with concierge. Check-in no problem upon return at 4PM. (thanks for the help and advice, sggolf!) Vgrove drops off voucher for free dessert (but I don’t get to meet him http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif ) and off to Cornelian Room for dinner (thank you vgrove for the free dessert!). Top of the Mark for drinks and jazz. Then down to the Hilton on cable cars.
SFO-IAD: 8:30Am flight C class on 777. Nice service and food, only downside is that we are in middle section (but with no third person in the section with us). Nice quick trip and my wife enjoyed turning 31 in style!
IAD-ORD-MSY: (back to business) A classic routing http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif . At gate, find out that upgrades were “never requested.” I requested them on the website (let this be a caution to you and a lesson to me to call and make sure they get the request). Anyway, they upgrade the whole itinerary anyway. Another problem is that the schedule has changed (six days early, according to my UA schedule book) and my flight is now scheduled to depart in 20 minutes. Which gurantees a five minute wait on the people-mover, and no time at the nice new RCC. Flight is 757 (had expected a 737) and breakfast is served.
ORD RCC is absolutely packed. Finally find phone to check e-mail.
ORD-MSY was supposed to be 737 too, but is changed to 757, too. I like this new schedule! Lunch is ok, and is served by the same “First Flight Attendant” as on the IAD-ORD segment. The plane we were on was going on to MSY-IAD and she is a DC based FA who is working IAD-ORD-MSY-IAD that day. We talk about the madness that is New Orleans. At MSY, my checked bags, with “First Class” (not “Priority”) tags are the absolutely LAST bags onto the belt…I mean, I was standing there all alone as every single other passenger had collected their bags and left. I swear they saw the tags and did it on purpose…
Chateau Sonesta offers no points and no frequency program. Conference is uneventful but Commanders Palace, Clydes, Louis XVI and NOLA are still fantastic. Pat O’Briens and Bourbon street in general lead to three post 3AM evenings (mornings) in a row.
MSY-IAD: Switch to a nonstop home Friday night rather than an ORD connection Saturday = no Friday night on bourbon street, fewer status miles, but a much happier wife. Domestic priorities prevail. At the airport, meet up with Beckles for a FREE beer at Delta CRC. I swear I thought that CRCs were charging for drinks. Shows how much attention I have been paying. As I said to Beckles, now that I know, I will be trying to sneak into CRCs more often! Beckles and I explored the newish terminals and then he bid me a bon voyage and I pre-boarded. Thanks for taking the time to come out, Beckles! Don’t worry NJDavid, I had a Delta CRC employee snap a photo that I will scan and forward for the candids site! Nice flight on A-319 in one of the only eight first class seats. This time my bags (with “priority” tags) were among the first off the belt. I’ll be back in N.O. in a couple weeks and hope to see the B-man and whoever else cares to come out then!!!
I had hoped you'd started training for PiP tennis tournament (my money's on you http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) but instead I find you enjoying the fine, rich French cuisine of Commander's Palace, Louis XVI, and NOLA and partying on Bourbon 'til three?!?
Well, since you were with Anne I guess that is OK.
Thanks for report and a belated Happy Birthday to your wife!
23 JUN UA277 IAD-ORD 17:00-17:58
23 JUN UA1789 ORD-MSY 19:18-21:31 (just in time to get started on Bourbon Street)
Staying either at Marriott or Hilton Riverside.
25 JUN UA914 MSY-IAD 12:45-16:04
As for the Domestic Bliss, Anne is in Chicago for a conference this week, so must be feeling at least OK. I have a travel blackout of August 2-27 to prepare for the EDB (Estimated Date of Birth) of August 20. She has been consistently early the first two times, so we're frontloading the blackout...
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MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!!!
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