Sin City and Beach Loving

[NDiddy]

Well folks the Diddy's are at it again with a 2 week jaunt across the Pacific to Las Vegas with a short break in coughet before heading back home. This is technically our penultimate USDM redemption with a few airlines that I haven't sampled before to hopefully make the TR a lot more informative for all AFFer's. There is a bit of a back story with this trip but first the itin:

MEL - SYD QF Y - Citibank PMG - Our last redemption
SYD - LAX UA F - USDM
LAX - LAS WN Y - Paid
LAS - LAX WN Y - Paid
LAX - ICN OZ F - USDM
ICN - BKK TG J - USDM
BKK - HKT PG Y - Paid
HKT - BKK PG Y - Paid
BKK - SYD TG F - USDM
SYD - MEL QF/VA Y - Citibank PMG/VFF redemption

I know looking at the itin that I could have done a bit more on USDM redemption but the lack of decision making regarding hiring a car to drive the LAX-LAS route coupled with wanting to fly TG F back to AUS made the itin look the way it stands at the moment. Some fun things happening on this trip include an all day Grand Canyon tour with a flight and helicopter as well as a couples only resort booking in coughet which I'm really looking forward too.

So a quick run down on the back story. I helped a mate of ours book his first USDM redemption and we are actually meeting in LV a day after the Diddy's land. The fun part is that his partner has no idea about us being there so we're really looking forward to surprising her. Armed with a new phone, this TR will include photo's, including the hotels plus the Grand Canyon tour. Oh and I almost forgot, although I haven't lost hope of ever owning a supercar I will be driving 2 of them when in LV. A Ferrari 458 Italia and the new McLaren MP4-12c await me on our third day in Vegas!!

Hope you all enjoy, it begins tomorrow

 

[jetlagger]

Well folks the Diddy's are at it again with a 2 week jaunt across the Pacific to Las Vegas with a short break in coughet before heading back home. This is technically our penultimate USDM redemption with a few airlines that I haven't sampled before to hopefully make the TR a lot more informative for all AFFer's. There is a bit of a back story with this trip but first the itin:

MEL - SYD QF Y - Citibank PMG - Our last redemption
SYD - LAX UA F - USDM
LAX - LAS WN Y - Paid
LAS - LAX WN Y - Paid
LAX - ICN OZ F - USDM
ICN - BKK TG J - USDM
BKK - HKT PG Y - Paid
HKT - BKK PG Y - Paid
BKK - SYD TG F - USDM
SYD - MEL QF/VA Y - Citibank PMG/VFF redemption

I know looking at the itin that I could have done a bit more on USDM redemption but the lack of decision making regarding hiring a car to drive the LAX-LAS route coupled with wanting to fly TG F back to AUS made the itin look the way it stands at the moment. Some fun things happening on this trip include an all day Grand Canyon tour with a flight and helicopter as well as a couples only resort booking in coughet which I'm really looking forward too.

So a quick run down on the back story. I helped a mate of ours book his first USDM redemption and we are actually meeting in LV a day after the Diddy's land. The fun part is that his partner has no idea about us being there so we're really looking forward to surprising her. Armed with a new phone, this TR will include photo's, including the hotels plus the Grand Canyon tour. Oh and I almost forgot, although I haven't lost hope of ever owning a supercar I will be driving 2 of them when in LV. A Ferrari 458 Italia and the new McLaren MP4-12c await me on our third day in Vegas!!

Hope you all enjoy, it begins tomorrow

Look forward to the TR..
Wish you safe & pleasant travels.

 

[NDiddy]

Look forward to the TR..
Wish you safe & pleasant travels.

Thanks jetlagger - Wish I had a QF F lounge pass for Syd. Something tells me I should stock up on the grub in the Koru lounge

 

[NDiddy]

Sorry about the delay all, been exceptionally busy in LAS but it's been a great tip so far. Might have to post more either in the lounges or when we get to HKT but let's start now and see how far the night will take us.

 

[NDiddy]

Bah dont you just hate it when you write a long post and then tablet cracks the wobblies and loses your post...grr. anyway aff says ive hit my pic limit so ill have to work out how to do that in the lounge tomorrow. Sorry for the false start, hopefully ill have something up soon

 

[NDiddy]

So we're back from our trip and a great time was had by all. Trying to stay up a while tonight so I'll post as much as I can get through without falling asleep. Right Take 2:

The Diddy's avoided an OMGo'clock start with a 9:00am departure from Mel to Syd. It has been a hectic few months for both Diddy's and with the Mrs coming off night duty this trip would see us spend more time together than we have over the last month or so. The day began relatively painlessly and after a quick check of the passports we promptly got in our taxi which arrived at 7:00am. Being a Monday, I knew we would be in for some freeway traffic and sure enough as soon as we hit Essendon airport the freeway was backed up with a 20km drive till we got to the Airport exit.

We arrived at Tullamarine just passed 7.30 and made our way to the relatively empty Qantas Kiosks. Flight was absolutely chockers with the only seats available towards the front of the plane being 52A/B. BP's and baggage tags printed we headed to the baggage drop off area which once again proved to be more difficult than I'm sure was intended. This time the machine claimed I had multiple bag tags on my luggage and I spent the next 5 mins trying to peel the almost unpeelable stickers from the past 3 trips.

That ordeal over we breezed past security, grabbed a quick coffee airside and headed for the gate. Boarding commenced at 8.35 and it seems like the priority lanes were being enforced and adhered too. Since we were right at the back of the plane we were one of the first to jump onboard.

Flight Details

MEL-SYD
Flight: QF418
Aircraft: Boeing 767
Seats: 52A/B
Class: Y Citibank PMG redemption

Scheduled departure: 09:00
Actual departure: 09:25

Scheduled arrival: 10:35
Actual arrival: 10:45

While boarding was completed quickly, the IFE system was not working and the pilot asked the engineer to take a look. After about 10 mins he was on the PA stating that the issue couldn't be fixed and that the IFE system would need to be disconnected which would take about 15mins and a bit of "paperwork" We weren't too fussed as our connecting flight was only scheduled to leave at 13:50 and I was tracking UA840 which hadn't even arrived in Melbourne yet.

Push back was at 9:25 and we were in the air about 10 mins later. Some pics of the interior before the rest of the pax came on board:


No personal screens on this particular 767 but seats were comfy enough albeit a bit worn on the armrests.




Really good leg room with a gap from my knees to the seat in front.

 

[NDiddy]

The crew were very mature but unfortunately not a very happy bunch on this flight. With the IFE system going down the safety demo had to be performed by the FA's and the 2 standing near us were far from impressed with having to perform the task. It's a shame really as my most recent flights with QF had some great FA's and the one's of this flight should take some pointers from the SouthWest FA's that we experience on our LAX-LAS-LAX flights. More on that later.

We really didn't have much of a breakfast and I was expecting (incorrectly) that breakfast would be available on this flight based on our last Mel-Syd with QF but I was sadly wrong and ended up with the obligatory cookies and coffee combination:


Tasty all the same

Some shots from the wing and on approach to Syd:





We touched down around 10:40 and quickly picked up our bags and caught the train to the International terminal for our flight to LAX. Overall it was an OK flight but below the standard I had come to expect from QF based on our last 4 flights.

 

[NDiddy]

We originally had a J booking on this flight but about 3 or so months out from the trip I noticed some F availability show up and a quick call to USDM got us into F with no additional charges. I wasn't sure what to really expect on F with UA except not to have high hopes on the food. Walking to the UA counters I could see that the economy section was pretty full but the Business/First counters were almost empty:



I wish I had seen RooFlyer's TR and tried to get into the SQ lounge but after a getting through Immi, Security and TRS we made our way to the Koru Lounge. I love taking a shot once you walk through the doors and seeing a plane at the gate that you can view from the window:


Was expecting the KA flight parked here with its stark blue but today it was a MH bird

Some more plane spotting from the lounge:


That's our bird ready and waiting

 

[NDiddy]

Boarding announcement was made in the lounge and we made our way to the gate which was quite close. Upon arrival at the gate, boarding was just commenced and we happened to stumble straight into the line and we were on board.

Cabin pics:





Once on board, the purser for the cabin Ralph came and introduced himself and walked us through the tough "decisions" we'd need to make on this flight, what we would like to eat/drink I must say Ralph was fantastic and we spent some time having a great chat to him. He even started talking in his Australian accent which was hilarious. Sadly however he was about the only FA who had any decent engagement with the pax in F.

The seat:

 

[NDiddy]

The seat (cont'd):











I must say, it was really difficult to fault the hard product. The seat was wonderfully comfortable and I slept for a good 6 hours in bed mode. There is an abundance of storage and connectivity options for the techies amongst us.

 

[NDiddy]

The headset for the IFE:



Amenity Kit:






Hands for Hope creams and sprays with shoe horn, sleeping mask and socks



A full and comprehensive review of this kit and the contents can be found here:
Amenity Kit Review: United Airlines Global First

I really liked this kit and it's a very strong offering compared to say Thai on their 747. The bag is functional and is now my travelling toiletry kit. The products especially the hand sanitizer are well thought through and there certainly is an abundance of stuff in this offering if not necessarily exotic.

 

[NDiddy]

Flight Details:

Flight: SYD-LAX
Aircraft: 747-400
Seats: 1A/1K

Scheduled departure: 13:50
Actual departure:14:11

Scheduled Arrival: 10:20
Actual Arrival: 10:16

Once in our seats I opted for the champagne which was a Deutz Brut Extra-Aged 2000:



Quick snap of the lavatory before take off:


Not particularly special - very much like the Thai 747

 

[NDiddy]

Menu's:







Images are a little hard to read so here's the online version from UA:
United Airlines - Wine Program

 

[NDiddy]

About an hour into the flight lunch was ready to be served. I didn't have high expectations but there looked to be some nice choices in there:

Table setting:


Prawns with vegetable tart:

This was surprisingly tasty

Tomato, Lentil and Basil soup

Yum!

The enormous salad:


Rack of Lamb

Everything apart from the lamb was OK

 

[NDiddy]

And to finish off, Ice Cream with caramel topping...Also Yum!


After lunch I stuck with a couple more glasses of the Chateau Greysac Medoc 2009 and settled into watching a couple of movies before a snooze of about 6 hours. As I mentioned before, this hard product was fantastic. The bed was extremely comfortable and it didn't take long for the zzz's to come this Diddy's way.

As I mentioned previously, apart from the purser the remainder of the FA's were utterly robotic and very disengaged from the pax. It's not so much what they did but what they didn't do. No warm smiles, asking if everything was OK, it was just going through the motions. Something to keep in mind if paying for F on UA but for what we paid for this trip I was more happy to ignore the lack of engagement.

Woke up relatively refreshed and a couple of hours prior to arriving in LAX, breakfast was served:



Loved the large coffee cup

The Californian coast line:


Overall apart from the food and FA attitude this was a pretty good flight, all things considered. It made the pacific crossing less painful than it needed to be and I would certainly consider F again on UA if we had to head back to the States on either USDM or LifeMiles.

We arrived slightly ahead of schedule and to my utter surprise we were outside Terminal 7 30 minutes after the plane doors opened. Great LAX experience!

Next the Diddy's head of to LAS on WN...

 

[NDiddy]

When planning for this holiday initially I wanted to drive from LAX-LAS but after a few discussions with friends and some online reviews of this drive I decided that we should probably fly. Ended up finding some very cheap SWA flights for about 70AUD each way and quickly grabbed them. The tickets included 2 free bags per person upto 23kgs per bag.

We decided to walk across to terminal 1 rather than taking the shuttle and after about 5 or so mins we arrived in the SWA check in area. Since we were very early, about 3.5 hours before our flight we briefly considered getting on an earlier flight but the price differential was about 280USD each and we decided to slum around terminal 1 airside grabbing some Starbucks and Pizza.

Flight Details

Flight: LAX-LAS
Aircraft: 737-300
Seats: 26D/27D

Scheduled Departure: 14:25
Actual Departure: 14:42

Scheduled Arrival: 15:30
Actual Arrival: 15:29

For those who are unfamiliar with the WN boarding procedure, there are no seats allocated and you are boarded based on zones (A,B,C). These Diddy's very unfortunately in zone C and by the time we got onto the plane the first 25 rows were completely full. We sat behind each other though and for an hourish flight it was OK.

Seat:




Although an older aircraft there was plenty of space between the knees and the seat in front and ample room underneath to stretch the legs.

Cabin:

May be only half a dozen or so free seats on this plane.

Complimentary tea, coffee, juice or soda is offered. I went the Coke:


Flight was fine until we were about 30 mins out of LAS when what I can only imagine to be a massive wind or turbulence banked the plane to the left for about 3 seconds. Quite unnerving and the lady I was seated next to on this flight started the "Lord help me Jesus" at the top of her lungs which caused a bit of a domino effect with some of the pax around us. While I'm sure it was nothing, it was surprising that the captain didn't make a PA announcement. Seat belt signs were on and nothing else exciting occurred upon our arrival in LAS.

I really rate WN for shorthaul across the US. Their FA's are very friendly and smiles were abundant with lots of southern charm. Would happily fly them again in a heartbeat.

 

[NDiddy]

Mrs Diddys birthday was a few days before our flight and as she was on night duty we decided to have the birthday dinner when we arrived in LAS. For the occassion we chose L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand. This was a restaurant we were desperate to try when we were in Paris in Jan but settled that time for Le Cinq. LadyC this one is for you

The kitchen:

We were seated at the bar on this occassion along with all the other couples and it was great to get a first hand glimpse of the kitchen.

The menu:

9 courses and some wonderful wine to accompany the meals.

1. Foie gras parfait with port wine reduction and parmesan emulsion - Champagne, Vue Clicquot Ponsardin Brut NV




2. Alaskan King Crab on a delicate gelee and a cream of spiced fresh peas - Champagne, Vue Clicquot Ponsardin Brut NV

 

[NDiddy]

3. Maine diver sea scallop, haricot verts and shimeji salad on a bed of sushi rice - Chardonnay, Domaine Les Heritiers des Comte Lafon, Macon-Villages 2011


4. White Onion tart with smoked bacon, quail egg "mirror" and green asparagus - Chardonnay, Domaine Les Heritiers des Comte Lafon, Macon-Villages 2011


5. Seared duck foie gras with sweet and sour wild berries - Rose d Anjou, Sauvion, Loire Valley 2011


I foolishly missed picks of the next 2 menu items but we had:

6. John Dory cooked on the skin served with a tomato-saffron bouillion - Rose d Anjou, Sauvion, Loire Valley 2011

7. French style hangar steak with roasted shallot and shi****o pepper - Medoc, Chateau Tour Seran, 2006

8. Mango mousse atop an almond cake, toasted coconut ice cream - Moscato d'Asti, Gianna Doglia, Piemonte 2011


9. Warm chocolate cake, creme de menthe sorbet and chocolate mint crunch - Moscato d'Asti, Gianna Doglia, Piemonte 2011


What a magical night this was. Mrs Diddy was spoilt rotten for 3 hours as we wined and dined till about 10.30pm. Can highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting something a bit special in LV. The wait staff and sommelier were fantastic and very chatty about all things food and wine.

 

[NDiddy]

You may recall that we were surprising a friend of ours and it was a great re-union in their room after we pretended to be room-service delivering a midday snack. The poor girl was in shock for the next hour but for us it was more relief that we did not have to hide this any more. After spending a great day/night we decided on an early night for our all day grand canyon tour the following day.

For those planning a grand canyon trip, be aware that there is the Grand Canyon West Rim and South Rim. Big difference. The cheaper option is the West Rim and you can easily get there by car, bus or even chopper. However for an authentic grand canyon experience you can't beat the south rim for that postcard perfect picture. To get there and return in a day requires a plane trip from LAS or from BLD (Boulder City) which is where I start this post.

The itin is straight forward enough:

BLD - GCN (Grand Canyon National aiport in Arizona)
Chopper from GCN to the South Rim
GCN-BLD

The day started relatively early with the shuttle arriving at the hotel at 7.30 for the quick trip to Boulder City for our 9:00am departure.

Check In

Lots of people at the airport but the check in counter was empty when we arrived:


Some great views of the tarmac and a great day for sightseeing in the air:


Our aircraft was a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter:

 

[amaroo]

Great timing! Starting to review options for our X-mas break.