A "French-Apple" Adventure

[littl_flier]

Prologue

For those that haven’t already noticed, littl_flier has the FF and travel bug epidemic and it was time for the next overseas adventure. For various reasons, I’d been looking at visiting Montreal, but I was also keen to visit NYC and see the sights. I bit the bullet in May and booked a bargain whY fare BNE-JFK with Qantas on a complete whim, just two hours before the sale finished. Thanks to AFF & FT and a desire for those extra few SC’s, I had asked my TA to route me BNE-SYD-LAX-JFK in both directions utilising the daily QF LAX-JFK service. I’d found that getting to Montreal on a combined ticket was quite expensive and so this seemed like the next best deal. Plus, I’d get to spend some time in one of the most exciting, vibrant cities on earth. Whilst I’d travelled by myself before and generally prefer it, I was keen for a Travel Buddy to join me.

Over the next few weeks as I tossed up what I was going to do, I happened to mention it to one of my best friends who immediately jumped at the opportunity to visit NYC. Whilst we’d worked together in my current role, she (from here-on in referred to as SWMBO ) had decided that accounting wasn’t for her and decided to have a change of degree and take up Nursing. To some extent, we would be on opposite ends of the scale now and as a full time student, cost savings would be reasonably important for her. Needless to say, this would be a trip with some “firsts”.

As SWMBO confirmed her arrangements, the struggle was now on to get her a reasonable fare to NYC, and not the $2,800 that QF had on offer at the time. After I’d spent literally hours on student websites combining one way fares to LAX and then another to NYC, I came across a QF fare for ~$2000 that would do the job. The only catch was that travel must be in the most direct manner. To cut a long story short, we opted for a fare that would route BNE-LAX-JFK and JFK-LAX-SYD which would allow us to travel together for all segments except BNE-LAX and would only require a simple SYD-BNE sector booked separately. (which the TA realised after ticketing could have been included in the fare as there was no LAX-BNE flight on Thursday’s and gave SWMBO the price at 50%) SWMBO hasn’t travelled overseas for a couple of years and suffers excruciating ear pain, so if we could be together, our friendship might last a little longer.

Over the next couple of months, we decided we would spend about a week in NYC, followed by 5 days in Montreal. With his “student” and “accountant scrooge” hat on, we decided we would prefer to catch the train between New York and Montreal, and this would give us an opportunity to sleep and relax, and actually see some scenery along the way.

No matter how much of a scrooge I had to be though, there was no way that I was catching the train back to NYC, so for 8000 QF points each and USD$35 in taxes, we now had our Montreal-New York sector booked on AA which would connect us nicely to QF107 onto Sydney. So now our air travel was officially confirmed as BNE-SYD-LAX-JFK and YUL-JFK-LAX-SYD-BNE for myself, and direct to LAX for SWMBO.

Accommodation was always going to be a student’s worst nightmare in NYC but SWMBO had heard rave reviews about the Big Apple Hostel, right in the heart of Times Square. It’d been 7 years since littl_flier had last backpacked (on a school tour) but surprisingly, I was happy with her decision. At USD$37 per night, it was a bargain and meant I could save a few extra dollars for the shopping and upcoming DONE4. (I know this a website about points so I’m probably breaking all the rules by Youth Hostelling so sorry about that) For Montreal, I managed to justify to SWMBO the Four Points Sheraton where I picked up an unrestricted rate of CAD$100 including taxes, another complete bargain. At least I’m guaranteed of a good nights rest with no bed bugs and no one to pinch my Ipod.

As the year flew by and my client commitments started to quieten a little, the great guys on AFF and FT helped plan our trip. On FT, the crew officially decided that we should take Amtrak for the train trip rather than travel by bus, and the crew of AFF gave littl_flier the run down on the “must do’s” in New York. Now it was time to enjoy the holiday.

After a manic day in the office tying up loose ends and trying to organise everything for two weeks leave, my first sector is in 7.5 hours with a wake-up call of 3:50am. After a last minute call to SWMBO detailing the meeting spots at LAX (QP if possible) and the contingencies plans if SWMBO mis-connected, everything was sorted. With 25 hours of travel ahead, it’s time for littl_flier to head to bed.

 

[Keith009]

Have a great trip. I can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[simongr]

Probably a little late now but I can't help but extoll the virtues of "earplanes" - they don't work for everyone it seems but with mrssimongr they have dramatically reduced ear pain when flying.

 

[Shano]

Look forward to the rest of the TR. Enjoy!

 

[littl_flier]

The Adventure Begins

After a restless couple of hours sleep due to storm cells moving through the area, I woke at 3:30am, 15 minutes before the alarm was due to go off. I felt like I’d already taken one of KiwiFlyer’s RTW in 60 hours challenges. After a berocca, a couple of vitamins and some toast, I was ready to face the world. A quick shower did a world of good and I finished the last of my packing.

At 4:30 I piled everything into the car for the hour long trip to the airport. There was still water on the roads but the traffic was quiet at that hour. We arrived at the airport around 5:20 and were inside at the International Connections counter within five minutes. The customer service representative was reasonably helpful but also grumpy at that time of the morning. I presented my passport and he looked up the details and printed off the boarding passes for me and mumbled something along the lines that I shouldn’t be in Business class. With this fixed he reprinted the BNE-SYD and SYD-LAX BP’s. After tagging my bags to JFK, he asked me for the address I was staying at in the US and told me I was free to head upstairs. I decided to quickly enquire why he hadn’t tagged my bags “Priority”. (which would later be helpful because at LAX, F, J and Priority luggage was loaded onto one carousel and Economy onto the other) I was informed that this wasn’t a benefit for either Qantas Club or OW Ruby which I thought was a little strange but I didn’t really know whether this was true or not. I mentioned this seemed a little strange at which point he consulted his guide card. He still wasn’t sure and so yelled to the supervisor on duty 15 metres away who mentioned I would be allowed them. With the bags now tagged, I was on my way.

I passed through security and managed to dodge the explosives test again. We walked upstairs and entered the Qantas Lounge. My mother and sister had decided to come for the drive to drop me off and say goodbye. The rules of the Qantas Club indicate that only 1 guest is allowed to accompany the member but the QP staff member barely looked at my boarding pass and didn’t raise a question about my two guests. The QP was rather quiet at this time of the morning but there was plenty of food and drink on offer. I had my usual fruit salad and a glass of juice. When I returned, my sister was excited that she was sitting opposite James Courtney who looked vaguely familiar to me, but I’d never have guessed who he was. (James is a V8 racing car driver and was on the Australian version of Dancing with Stars for those who weren’t quite sure)

About 6:10 as boarding was due to commence, it was announced that boarding would be delayed by twenty minutes due to the late arrival of the inbound aircraft from Perth but they were hoping to be fully boarded for a 6:40 pushback, only 10 minutes behind schedule. There were also other delays that morning including one where the QP staff plainly announced that a crew member had not turned up for work and a replacement would need to be found. I had another glass of juice and enjoyed spending some time with the family. We also had a quick conference call with my father who was in Melbourne for a reunion. I’m pleased I’m not the only family member that goes hoarse on a Saturday morning.

An initial boarding call was made in the lounge at 6:30 and we walked the short distance to Gate 23. After a quick goodbye, I was on the aerobridge for the start of the adventure.

 

[littl_flier]

QF 507 BRISBANE – SYDNEY (468 MILES)
Scheduled Departure: 6:30 Scheduled Arrival: 9:00
Actual Departure: 7:00 Actual Arrival: 9:20
Aircraft: VH-ZXG “Karratha”

Today’s SYD flights were heavily loaded but for some reason this flight still had wide open availability on EF. Despite this, the flight was still 60% loaded and boarding took longer than expected. This was probably fortunate as I’d left my jacket with my sister. As she’d got to the car and realised, she raced back through security and up to the gate. The fantastic gate attendant had printed another boarding pass for me and came onboard to deliver it. Another great experience from Qantas!!!!

Five minutes later, the Captain announced that final cargo was being loaded and we would pushback in the next couple of minutes. Thank goodness I hadn’t left the 1hr 10min connection in SYD because I would have been pushing the boundaries. We pushed back at 7:00 and taxied for take off at 7:05am.

It was great to see that I wasn’t the only flight freak onboard today. The gentlemen behind me and his son were plane spotting the different airlines and aircraft types and even commenting on the taxiway names and the runway.

There was some mild turbulence on takeoff but nothing to write home about. Breakfast was served approximately 15 minutes after takeoff but was a disappointing affair. On offer was Special K, some apple pieces and the usual hard bread roll. No juices were offered either.


Unfortunately my preferred radio channel, Billboard, wasn’t playing today so I had to listen to the “Love” channel. With serenade after serenade, I was feeling soppy and in the mood so I decided the “Thank God You’re Here” on the main screen was probably better with 24 hours still ahead of me. Prior to this, Enough Rope with Elton John was screening.

As we commenced our descent, the Captain informed us that we would be landing directly to the south but would have a long taxi back to the Domestic terminal. I still had a substantial wait so I didn’t mind. We didn’t break through the cloud until very close to the ground where we landed onto Runway 3 at 9:14.

As were taxiing back, the First Officer came onto the PA to mention for those interested, the SQ A380 would be taking off beside us in the next couple of minutes. I was lucky enough to see the plane take off on its way up to Singapore. It was incredibly quiet and seemed to glide effortlessly along the runway before rotating and climbing into yonder. I also saw the bird land in SYD a couple of weeks earlier but I can’t wait for QF’s first arrival in August 08. :mrgreen:

The man and his son behind me were quite excited and spotting the aircraft, though they weren’t sure who the Viva Macau aircraft belonged to. As we were taxiing, I saw Wunala Dreaming landing and VH-OGL, a QF 767 that was decked out in the Wallabies livery. As we arrived at the gate, I had a quick chat with the man and his son who were in SYD for the day so they could have a couple of hours on the simulator at Darling Harbour before flying back on a 73H flight later that night. Now that’s my ideal Saturday!!!

I was off the aircraft quickly.

 

[littl_flier]

Domestic to International Transit and Qantas Club

The Domestic to International transit desk is located opposite Gate 1 in Sydney but I knew that the buses only left every 20 minutes at 9:00, 9:20 and 9:40. I had just missed the 9:20 so I popped upstairs to the QP for a glass of juice and to use the restrooms.

At 9:35, I headed downstairs to the Transit Lounge where my BP was scanned and I joined the group waiting for the bus. The bus trip itself was non-eventful and quite pleasant. I enjoy driving past the QF hangers and I was surprised to see the number of QF747 aircraft in them. We also passed the BA birds that do the SIN and BKK runs which were looking very tattered and in need of a paint job.

As we arrived at T1, I dashed straight upstairs and was through security and immigration and in the Lounge by 10:00am. Qantas is currently performing maintenance on their old Qantas Club in Sydney but I had a couple of hours up my sleeve so I decided to lounge hop. The lounge was quite small and tattered with the renovations. The food on offer was quite poor also. It was 7pm in New York though, so I poured myself a glass of champagne while I checked AFF & FT and spent twenty minutes on the phone to our IT department trying to work out why I couldn’t access the work network remotely. We didn’t come to a solution, but that just means no emails for a couple of weeks. I had another couple of glasses of champagne and helped the person next to me with their Footnotes problems.

The QP staff were fantastic and ensured that SWMBO and I were still sitting together for LAX-JFK and blocked the middle seat. She informed me that there would only be 55 in economy for the LAX-JFK sector so we would have plenty of room to spread out once on board.

At 11am, I left the QP and walked past the new FLounge. This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it out in February before the QP BNE AGM “party flight”. On the way, I stopped and bought myself a magazine and withdrew some Aussie $ as a last resort for the trip.

The temporary lounge is located opposite Gate 24. I think this used to be the Temporary FLounge so it was ten times better than the normal lounge and had a better range of drinks and snacks on offer. It was also a lot quieter than the other lounge. I poured myself a glass of Baileys and sat down to admire the view. A few last calls to family and friends and a check-in with SWMBO and I was ready to go. SWMBO had troubles in BNE and Qantas thought she was from Papua New Guinea. :shock: All was sorted though and I informed here that her flight was on time and I had seen it leave SYD. For those who aren’t aware, on Saturdays QF175 runs SYD-BNE-LAX with SYD-BNE as a positioning segment. QF have announced that this service will run daily from March so this will no doubt put an end to that. It also means no more FLounge brekkies for those lucky enough.

At 11:30, boarding was called in the Lounge and I made my way to Gate 30. The majority of passengers had boarded so the lines weren’t too bad. I was subjected to secondary screening but was cleared and joined the end of the line.

My BP was accepted and I knew I was finally on my way!!!!

 

[Tooner]

Good work! Looking forward to the next instalment!!

 

[littl_flier]

Sorry for the delay everyone, I now respect how hard it is to keep a TR in realtime.

Probably a little late now but I can't help but extoll the virtues of "earplanes" - they don't work for everyone it seems but with mrssimongr they have dramatically reduced ear pain when flying.

Thanks Simongr, I remember you mentioned these earlier so I'd told SWMBO about them. They worked a treat and whilst she experienced pain, at least there was no spontaneous crying.

 

[littl_flier]

QF 107 SYDNEY – LOS ANGELES (7491 MILES)
Scheduled Departure: 12:00 Scheduled Arrival: 6:30
Actual Departure: 12:07 Actual Arrival: 6:07
Aircraft: VH-OEJ “Wunula Dreaming”

I made my way down the aerobridge and was greeted at door 1L by the CSM and another FA who pointed me in the right direction. I made my way to my seat which was in the third row of economy (although on my side it was the second row because of the crew rests) and the last row of the mini-cabin. This turned out to be ideal as I could recline my seat at all times, including meals, and not worry about the person behind me. Even though boarding was only 15 minutes in, the majority of economy was already boarded. I stowed my bags in the overhead locker and took my seat.

The aircraft I was travelling on was Wunula Dreaming, the QF 747-400ER that is decked out in the aboriginal artwork. This is also the 747 that has been re-fitted with the new fabrics. I quite like these new fabrics and the cabin looks quite refreshing!

Although the seat pitch is nowhere near as big as on NZ, (34” versus 31”) I still had plenty of room to stretch out with my seat reclined. The safety briefing was performed and we taxied out. We had an excellent FA looking after the mini-cabin, though some may describe him as too much of a larakin. He certainly didn’t mind having fun and had all of us laughing which was a nice way to start a long flight.

One thing I wish QF would implement is the moving map that NZ and a few others have showing movements on the ground. This also gives us the opportunity to see our flight path as we take off.

At approximately 12:10, we commenced our roll and took off. I was initially surprised at how long it took before we took off but I remembered that the flight was full and QF usually carry as much cargo as they can on these flights. We climbed through some low cloud on our way to 31,000 feet.

The audio system was booted up shortly after take-off and I watched the news. Pre-lunch drinks were soon served which included a wide range of spirits, beers and softdrinks. I had a rum and coke to get me started.

Lunch was served shortly after and I chose the chicken which was quite nice, though a little on the small side for a long haul flight. There was also a reasonable side salad (though it was a little bland) and a few little snacks. I washed it down with a bottle of white.

During lunch we were briefed by the First Officer who advised us that we were hoping for a reasonably quick flight to LAX and should be landing about 25 minutes early. Most of the flight would be spent around 31,000 feet but we may have to climb higher later in the flight.

About two and half hours into the flight, the Snack on Q bags were handed out which contained a bottle of water, some chocolate, a biscuit pack and another small snack. Splice’s were also handed out which is a great touch as passengers watch movies. I tried the new Harry Potter movie but didn’t find it the most entertaining so I watched a couple of television shows.

After having a few drinks in the lounge and a couple on board, I was well and truly ready for sleep so I nodded off for a couple of hours. (and the three hours sleep might have had some influence) Cadbury Hot Chocolate was also handed out during the next couple of hours but I missed this because I was knocked out.

About 7 hours into the trip, I awoke and was feeling a little peckish. My friendly FA helped me out with another Splice and organised a Business Class snack for my seatmate who was after something a little more substantial. I also enquired about the Comfort Packs that QF normally offer to their whY passengers in case I missed but I was told that it hadn’t been loaded. Not to worry, but the face mask would have been nice. Sure enough, five minutes later a Business Class amenity kit was delivered to me which was a nice touch!

I dozed for a couple of hours before I woke again as the ride started to get a little bumpy south-west of Hawaii. I was surprised how long it took the Flight Deck to switch the seat belt sign on as we bounced around the sky. The turbulence was probably the worst I have experienced mid-flight but nothing earth shattering. I was in the bathroom at the time so I quite enjoyed the experience but I can imagine an uneasy flyer might not have enjoyed it so much.

After I was seated, I watched “Knocked Up” which was quite funny and every guys worst nightmare, followed by Thank God You’re Here.

About 1.5 hours from LAX, breakfast was served. I chose the omelette which was quite nice and filled a hole. Immigration forms were also handed out straight after breakfast was collected. I spent the last hour of IFE watching Thank God You’re Here before the IFE was turned off at the top of descent. As the captain announced we would be commencing descent, we were also informed on the election results to mixed reactions around the cabin.

Descent was relatively normal but we flew through some thick smoke which I could smell in the cabin. I found out later that this was the result of the Malibu bushfires starting again. The sun was just rising as we descended early into Los Angeles. We had arrived about 25 minutes early and were towed to our gate. After switching off the seat belt sign, the captain informed us that US immigration wouldn’t let us off until our scheduled arrival (no doubt they were still in bed) so we stood in the aisles. I had a great chat to the FA about life as QF long haul FA, their quite tiring schedule and his upcoming roster. What surprised me is that he only gets approx 20 nights home a month. 25 minutes passed and we deplaned.

Next, the US immigration zoo.

 

[littl_flier]

US Immigration & Admirals Club

I made my way quickly downstairs passing a few people and walked into the zoo at US immigration. Even though we were the only flight being processed in T4, only one immigration official was processing foreign residents to start with whilst there were four processing US residents. On a Qantas flight where the majority of passengers are non US residents, I though this was pathetic and not the best arrival to the United States. Fortunately, as the US passenger line decreased, a second staff member began processing non US residents. The line was still long but I enjoyed talking to my seatmate who was travelling to Chicago for a work conference.

At 7am, two more officials started work and began processing non US residents. I was still forty people from the start of the line but was lucky to be picked as the first person to move over to the US resident counters now it was cleared. So with fingers scanned, photo taken and a few questions, I was through to pick up my bags. The First, Business and Priority tags were loaded onto one carousel and Economy bags on another. I collected my two bags off the priority carousel (which wasn’t moving) and made my way through customs. Not a single question was asked and I was pointed to Flight Transfers to drop off my bag. I quickly stashed a few items I wouldn’t need until New York and headed upstairs.

As I already had my Boarding Pass, I proceeded straight to security. It was a Saturday morning at LAX so all the tourists were out and about with a couple having no clue about what to do. I took of my shoes, belt and jacket, emptied my pockets and placed my bag on the tray. As I went to pass through, I was also asked to remove my skin-tight jumper. Now completely undressed, I waddled through the metal detector trying to keep my jeans from revealing my underwear.

As I was standing in line, I made friends with an Aussie from MEL who was on a trip to a little town outside Chicago where he was moving with work. We had a great chat and it turned out he wasn’t flying until 11am. I hadn’t been to the Admirals Club at LAX so I made a comment that he looked like he knew where it might be. He grinned and led the way. As we got to the Admirals Club he bid me farewell which I thought was a little strange but it turns out he was only QF Silver. So what do I do? Invite him in as my guest of course. Technically we weren’t travelling together so we had no right to entry but the AAngel didn’t question it. Our boarding passes were scanned and drink chits were handed to both of us. Needless to say, with a 3.5 hour layover, he was pretty grateful.

At the top stairs, I grabbed a key from the QF staff member and enquired on the status of SWMBO’s flight. Everything was on time so I ducked off for a shower. I was feeling pretty good before, but a shower did a world of good and I felt more human than when I woke up 20 hours ago.

I hadn’t been to an AAdmirals Club before but AFF and FT had told me not to expect much. There were some muffins on offer, along with Tea, Coffee and Orange Juice. The selection doesn’t compare with a QP but it was a nice sanctuary from the crowds at the boarding gates below. There’s also a few computers with Internet but Wifi is on a pay only basis. From the main part of the lounge there is a view over the Bradley (TBIT) terminal.

All too soon, the boarding call was made for QF107 to New York and I farewelled my new found friend and wished him well for the move. SWMBO hadn’t appeared in the lounge yet so now it was time to reunite and see how she was fairing.

Next: QF107 to New York, some sightseeing and a SkyBed (of some sort)

 

[littl_flier]

QF 107 LOS ANGELES – NEW YORK (JFK) (2467 MILES)
Scheduled Departure: 08:50 Scheduled Arrival: 4:50
Actual Departure: 9:07 (Gate) 9:34 (Runway)
Actual Arrival: 5:28 (Runway) 5:40 (Gate)
Aircraft: VH-OEJ “Wunula Dreaming”

I made my way downstairs to the gate which was directly opposite the AAdmirals Club. There was no line at check-in and most passengers had already boarded. I had arranged with SWMBO that we would meet at the boarding gate but I thought she may have given up on me as others boarded. I asked the Gate Attendant (AA) whether she had boarded. After typing in her seat number I was told that she had.

So I ambled on board and was pleased to see a very empty cabin both in J and whY. As an aside, I was surprised that QF continue to make this run when the loadings are so light but I spoke to an FA later who mentioned that most of the money comes from freight. Obviously QF is breaking even after increasing the service to daily earlier in the year.

Back on track though and sure enough, there was no SWMBO anywhere to be seen but after five minutes or so, she turned up. It turns out she had been too busy shopping somewhere to join us. I was getting a feeling I wasn’t going to see anything except department stores in New York and my extra baggage allowance coming home might get maxxed out.

As we approached departure time, the captain advised us that we would have to wait for a connecting passenger who hadn’t turned up but their bags has been loaded. The FA’s also advised us that we could place our personal belongings on seats to reserve them but asked us to remain seated in our assigned seats until after takeoff. As I mentioned earlier, there were only 55 in Economy today filling the 265 seats. Consequently we would have plenty of room to spread out making our own SkyBeds.

With the ‘missing in action passenger’ onboard, the doors were quickly closed and we pushed back. I noticed that an AA 767 had been waiting for us to vacate the gate. We passed the other QF 747 (how sweet it is to see two giant kangaroos amongst a flock of silver birds) and had a long taxi before takeoff on 24R. I noticed we rotated a lot quicker this time than when we left SYD. Shortly after takeoff, the captain informed us we would turn 225 degrees before heading over Vegas, just north of Denver and out over Chicago. Today we would climb to 37,000 feet.

As soon as the seat belt sign had been switched off, there was a fight for seats before everyone either settled down, or played tourist. I felt like I was on an Antarctic sightseeing visit on this sector as people crowded the windows for glimpses of some great American scenery. We passed over the top of Vegas, the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon before the scenery turned into snow capped mountain ranges. I had an interesting conversation with the CSM who was down the back taking pictures from the doors. We chatted about all things from the lifestyle to Qantas and the new products and the A380 “scarebus” contracts. At one stage, we saw a nice piece of scenery but had no idea where we were so he picks the phone up and rings the “drivers”. :shock: They were a tad busy with ATC so we never did find out what it was.

Speaking of ATC, I was simply amazed by the amount of traffic. At one stage we had a United aircraft pass perpendicularly a couple of thousand feet below us and there was a steady stream of aircraft flying in the opposite direction. Great plane spotting!!!

A light lunch was served quite early in the flight which was a choice of ravioli or a Caesar salad. The usual drinks were offered. (apologies for not posting a menu, I left it in a meeting room at a client site overnight and it was promptly thrown out) As we approached Denver, I took the opportunity to lie down and have a nap. Sure enough, I slept soundly and woke about 30 minutes from JFK as preparations were made for descent.

There were amazing views of the New York skyline as we circled before landing. Bear in mind, it was dark but the lights seemed to stretch for an eternity, broken of course by intermittent patches of water. We landed into a fine, but cool (4 degrees) NYC and taxied to our gate.

With such a light load on board, deplaning was quick and we made our way downstairs to baggage collection. Unfortunately this wasn’t the quickest of tasks. SWMBO’s bags appeared promptly but mine were no where to be seen. As everyone disappeared and the baggage carousel stopped, I began to get a little worried. At least I was standing next to a couple of J class passengers, a First passenger and Platinum member, all of whose bags should have been the first out. A couple of minutes later, the carousel spun into life again and there appeared our bags.

We made our way outside into the chilliness of New York City, aware that one of the most exciting cities on Earth was awaiting. The line for the taxi took about 25 minutes, but soon we were inside and on our way.


NEXT: Exploring New York City!

 

[drron]

Hopefully the fun is now about to begin.NYC is certainly a great city and very easy for visitors though at times a little overwhelming.
I do suspect some US baggage handlers go to a special course in identifying premium luggage and making sure it comes out last.
Keep on enjoying your trip.Snowing again here in the north of NY state.

 

[Keith009]

I look forward to hearing about NYC - hope you've had some big shopping expeditions there!

 

[Reggie]

I began to get a little worried. At least I was standing next to a couple of J class passengers, a First passenger and Platinum member, all of whose bags should have been the first out. A couple of minutes later, the carousel spun into life again and there appeared our bags.

So much for priority baggage heh. Anyway good work littl_flier.

 

[littl_flier]

Thanks for the comments guys. NYC was vibrant, engergetic and amazing to the point where I'd take a two year secondment to work in NYC over London, despite the rumoured minimum 60 chargable/billable hours per week. :shock:

Some photos next, Thanks QF009.

 

[littl_flier]

Before I post a little more on NYC, I wanted to post some photos from the LAX-JFK which was a great sightseeing flight whilst I was awake.

Part of the Hoover Dam

An Aussie's excitement at seeing snow capped mountains. Over Colorado.

Over Colorado, a cool perspective from 38,000 feet

Cool paddock shapes

The inside of Wunula Dreaming, the Aboriginal painted Qantas 747. Note the new seat colours. Love that red.

 

[littl_flier]

The taxi ride itself was uneventful apart from our driver doing 80 mph down back streets. The view of the New York skyline before entering the tunnel to come downtown was simply breathtaking.

We were at the hostel within 30 minutes of leaving the airport and were dropped off into a busy west on 45th street. The thing that struck me was the amazing location of the accommodation. It was literally a 75 metre walk to the heart of Times Square and was opposite the Millennium Hotel. But more on the accommodation later.

Neither of us was very tired after a nap so we decided we would head out and experience the NYC nightlife. First Impressions: this really is the city that never sleeps. Nothing we had seen in the movies or on television could prepare us for this optical sensation.

View from outside hostel

Times Square

I had my heart set on a piece of New York pizza for dinner so we found a cosy little café which had eight options. For those who haven’t been to NYC (or are uneducated like me wink) the pizza is stored in refrigerated cabinets and is then reheated in the oven in front of you. The problem with this as we’d discover over the next week was that often you only got a luke warm pizza. Nevertheless, it was very tasty and filled a hole.

We decided to walk right around Times Square. I loved the people sitting on the streets painting pictures and portraits (though I am rather pleased we don’t have so many street vendors at home) and large crowds would often gather to watch. SWMBO had her portrait drawn later in the week and the artist spent an hour and a half with her whilst they discussed all matters of the world. The list price was $10 but he did such a wonderful job that we gave him $30 for his efforts. Needless to say, he was very pleased!

We walked past the Virgin Store and noticed there was a huge Thanksgiving sale on. The bargains were amazing and movies that were in the cinemas at home were on DVD for $10. As I piled myself up thinking I could start filling Christmas stockings, I made it to the checkout where a gentlemen kindly reminded me that they wouldn’t work in Australia. Well that was a let down but I’m pleased I found out now and not when I got home.

 

[littl_flier]

We also visited the M&M store which is a must for anyone into chocolate or who has little kids. The store features the largest wall of chocolate in the world and customers can mix all different colours of M&M’s to make a special NYC treat.

We spent an hour wandering around the store (it’s over two levels) and experiencing the atmosphere of little children running wild. There are plenty of different themes as well and M&M have even tailored parts toward New York.

There was anything M&M on offer.

 

[Reggie]

Mmmm looks like you or SWMBO is giving us the finger.:shock: