Showing posts with label IAD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IAD. Show all posts

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Good Travel Day

Good travel day so far.  Star Alliance Gold members can use the Lufthansa lounge at IAD or DTW even if they aren't flying Lufthansa.
Lufthansa Lounge IAD - LH Likes Roses

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Good Morning From IAD

Sunrise is a pretty time to be at the airport, stop for a moment and enjoy it sometime.
Sunrise at IAD

Thursday, January 26, 2012

South American Adventure - MVD-SCL-MIA-IAD-DEN

  1. Booking
  2. DEN-IAD-ATL-MIA
  3. Miami
  4. MIA-SCL
  5. SCL-IPC
  6. Easter Island
  7. IPC-SCL
  8. Santiago
  9. SCL-MVD
  10. Montevideo
  11. MVD-SCL-MIA-IAD-DEN
What would you do with a 13 hour layover in Santiago?  I could go into town and see something or stay in the airport and fill up on sushi and beer in the lounge.  I had just been in Santiago the day before and there wasn’t anything in town I felt I had missed, so I took the lounge option (it was also less risky as the public transit is not exceptionally reliable and saves me 2 hours standing in line at customs). 

Lucky for me, LAN helped shorten the layover because my flight from Montevideo was delayed an hour.  I arrived at the airport about 75 minutes before departure to check my bag.  Check in was very leisurely and the agents were exceptionally friendly and talkative. They seemed sincerely interested in my experience in Uruguay and my travels that day. Once my boarding passes were printed, I asked how long customs would take; they said not to worry, there was no need to rush because the flight would be a little delayed.  
Montevideo Airport, MVD
Montevideo airport has an entertaining display about the history of aviation in Uruguay that includes photos, tickets, and a small plane (not as large as MKE's museum, but still a welcome enhancement).  I also picked up some souvenirs (the tea cup and straw things that everyone has in town) and enjoyed the grand vistas the terminal provides. For an airport with four gates, it presents an impressive figure and has quite a few amenities like an observation level and indoor garden.

Montevideo Airport, MVD
I love airports that give large sweeping views and Montevideo is the best example I have found. Airports should inspire and build excitement about flight. Large windows that lift your view to the sky are a great way to convey those strong feelings and emotions. Seattle's food court area does a similar job too, though on a smaller scale. Too many airports in the US, like LGA, IAD, and BOS, have low ceilings with limited windows and views blocked by jetways.  Airports should be inspirational, not a utilitarian exercise in moving people and things.  Montevideo does a great job at this and new terminals should aspire to be like it.
Montevideo Airport Aviation Display, MVD
Montevideo Airport, MVD, Gate Area
Customs and security took maybe 5 minutes.  The duty free store had a very good wine and liquor selection, but no cigars (US$17 for a carton of Camels though).  There was a very wide selection products and decent prices.  The terminal has free wifi and little else to do but look out the window. Regional carrier Pluna has some really cool looking paint designs, take a look at their planes.
Montevideo Airport, MVD
LAN Chile 318 in Montevideo
My flight boarded 30 minutes late and departed about 90 minutes late.  This was my first flight on an Airbus 318 and I was excited to try out an new airplane model; turns out it is just like a 319 or 320, just not as long (the nerd in me was still happy to check off a new aircraft type).  The in-flight entertainment was a news program (looked recently updated with a long sports section) and a light snack served in coach.  The plane did have 6 flight attendants; double what a US airline would staff.  It turns out two of them are dedicated to duty free sales.  The flight was enjoyable with some great views of Argentina and the Andes.
LAN Chile 318 Business Class
LAN Chile 318 Coach Class
Snack in coach on LAN Chile 318
LAN Chile 318 Leg Room in Coach
Once on the ground, I went to the connecting passenger area and entered the departures area.  Once there I found the first LAN VIP Salon and took a seat with a view.  I had wifi, two magazines to read, and endless plates of sushi and finger sandwiches.  After a few hours, I was bored and went for a walk to see what each end of the terminal looks like.  There are quite a few stores in the airport, but they all seem to carry the same items.  Still, it is a good way to kill time and stretch. 
LAN boarding area, makes Denver look orderly
Next I decided to check out the other LAN VIP Salon in Santiago.  It was like the first one but slightly larger and with many more people.  I found a nice quiet corner to do some work, but after an hour or two, a family tried to take it over for their exclusive use.  They knew that being loud and letting their children run around and scream was a great way to get their own space.  A short while after I moved (and refilled my plate and glass) a lounge attendant told them to keep it down and start parenting (or so I thought, her tone sounded like she was threatening to kick them out). There was also a couple that rearranged the chairs to make a bed; again detracting from the lofty feel of the place.  I was able to keep occupied with work emails, Google voice calls home, and Netflix for the next couple hours while trying to tune out the increasingly louder lounge (the smaller more peaceful lounge closes at 6pm).

After filling up on sushi, beer, and reading material, it was time to go home. Boarding was delayed again though after 12 hours, what's another 20 minutes? Business class was about 40% full, so I had no seat mate and spread out.  I was really tired and ready to pass out asleep, buy stayed up to have dinner.  It was a similar dish to my previous meals on LAN, but just tasted a little off, maybe the soy sauce and wasabi effected my palate. The cheese plate was welcome as always and I wish United would add it to their in-flight service. I also never got my ice cream for desert; a problem with the crew's attention to customers, not limited catering supplies.
LAN Chile 767 Business Class Meal from Santiago (SCL)
After my tray was cleared, I reclined the seat flat and was out like a light.  The crew woke me 30 minutes before landing for the light breakfast option, a croissant and fruit.  I nibbled for a few minutes, trying to shake my groggy feeling. Before I knew it, the cabin was being prepared for landing.  The customs line at Miami was short and slow, but I wasn’t in a rush because I checked my bag. 

I made it through customs (polite and friendly agents, just very slow and methodical), grabbed my bag and went to check in for my United Airlines flight 3.5 hours away.  The United agent said it was too early to check in, but I could get on an earlier flight.  I was inside the checked bag window, but she said it would most likely make the flight.  I jumped on the offer to go home early even though if my bag didn't make it, I would have to wait 4 hours for it in Denver. 

The flight to Dulles was a little delayed, good news for my bag, but I couldn't see the loading operation to make sure it was there.  I didn’t clear an upgrade, but had the first row in coach with miles of legroom.  My flight seemed to be a regular commuter flight for United employees.  Everyone knew everyone and there was a lot of shop talk.  The segment was uneventful and before long I was in Dulles and off to the final part of my trip.  I had a 40 minute connection, not enough time to visit the Lufthansa lounge, but fine for a leisurely stroll to the gate.
First row in coach on United E170
The flight to Denver was 99% full and my upgrade didn’t clear again.  I slept most of the flight so it was the best of the day.  The landing was smooth and the taxi quick.  I made it to the baggage claim area in time to see my bag pop up on the belt.  My trip was over and my bag made it with me, if a few minutes later.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

South American Adventure - DEN-IAD-ATL-MIA

  1. Booking
  2. DEN-IAD-ATL-MIA
  3. Miami
  4. MIA-SCL
  5. SCL-IPC
  6. Easter Island
  7. IPC-SCL
  8. Santiago
  9. SCL-MVD
  10. Montevideo
  11. MVD-SCL-MIA-IAD-DEN
I needed to get to Miami to start my award trip because the British Airways pricing was only cheap if you were flying on a single airline (this has since changed).  I purchased a round trip on United via IAD both ways.  The pricing worked out best if I left a few days earlier and I needed some SPG stays to make Platinum again, so I added a 2 night Miami vacation to my trip.

I wanted to arrive at least a day ahead of schedule anyway in case something unexpected happened and I missed my LAN flight.  Since these flights were different tickets and different alliances, if United made me miss my LAN flight, LAN or United wouldn’t have to do anything to help me out.  A similar rule applies to cruise ships, show up the night before just to be safe.  As it turned out, something did happen.

My DEN-IAD flight was uneventful.  My upgrade cleared and I had the basic United first class experience.  The breakfast was the standard mediocre fare, unlike Continental’s great offering, and I settled in for my flight.  We landed a few minutes early and I was off to the Lufthansa lounge by B gates train stop.
Lufthnsa Senator Lounge IAD

Star Alliance Gold members can access any Lufthansa lounge (or Singapore in SFO) with a same day ticket on a Star Alliance flight.  My boarding pass was all I needed to for access.  I only had about 20 minutes before I had to leave for my flight to Miami, but was able to grab a snack and relax a little.
Lufthnsa Senator Lounge IAD

I got to my Miami flight close to the end of boarding.  I saw on the monitor that they were looking for volunteers, so I added my name to the list and waited in the gate area to see if I would be needed.  After the last few people boarded, I was told to board and took my seat on the CRJ-700.  Four more people came on, but there was only one open seat.  The gate agent pulled me and another two off, the ground crew grabbed my bag out of the hold and I would soon be $400 in United vouchers richer.  I found some routing options as the agent was processing the other removed passengers and trying to find out why her count was so far off.  She called me up, handed me my vouchers and tickets for Delta to go to Miami that night.  I asked if there were other options, but she said no.  I went back to the Lufthansa lounge for a few more hours.  Decent German food and alcohol took the sting out of having to go through Atlanta.
Economy on Delta's MD-88

My flight to Atlanta was on a MD-88 and rather uneventful.  The flight was mostly empty and I had my own row.  We landed on time and I was only a mile away from my flight to Miami.  I got to the gate at the start of boarding and it was a zoo.  The flight was full and I was in the second to last row.  Luckily I had space for my bag and a window seat.  Unluckily, the guy next to me was huge and the guy behind me was yacking away on his phone.  We landed a few minutes late; I was just about the last person off and found the Sheraton Miami Airport shuttle to take me to my hotel for the night.