All Installments:
Trip Report: TPA-ORD-NRT-HKG on UA/NH in C
Trip Report: InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong
Trip Report: Holiday Inn Macau
Trip Report: Conrad Hong Kong
Trip Report: HKG-SIN-DPS on SQ, T3 @ SIN, new T3 SKL
Trip Report: InterContinental Bali
Trip Report: DPS-SIN-PVG on SQ, PVG-YYZ-ORD on AC, Renaissance Suites O’Hare
Trip Report: Hong Kong and Macau

We got to HKG via the Airport Express at around 8:30AM for our 10:30AM flight. We proceeded to SQ check-in, which was quick and friendly. We actually went separately as the other person waited around the corner with the bags, since we had slightly more than the carry-on allowance between the two of us (read: kitchen sink).

As AJ was up at the desk he overheard three guys from Star Alliance talking to the station manager about how they were doing “audits,” and they proceeded to stand there as they snooped in on the agents. Hopefully my future employer.;)

Departures hall

SQ check-in

Once we had our BP’s we proceeded to security, which took all of five minutes. We then did some duty free browsing, followed by a visit to my favorite Star Gold lounge in the world, the Thai Royal Orchid lounge. It was a bit of a haul (in the mid-40′s area while we were leaving from the 20′s), but well worth it.

The friendly agent made a copy of our boarding passes and promptly admitted us.

The lounge was basically empty, and I checked my email while AJ used the massage chair (which I love, especially after a longhaul from the US).

Thai lounge seating

Computers

More Thai seating…

Food selection (somewhat limited at this time)

More food

After about 30 minutes in the lounge we decided to make a quick stop at the RCC before heading to the gate (and also to have SQ donate $40 to UA, if ya know what I mean).

The RCC was totally packed, not surprisingly. In the lounge we overheard a guy on his phone saying something along the lines of “they offered me a first class seat for taking the flight through Chicago instead of my current seat in business class through San Francisco, but I declined. That would mean two hours less at the beach.” While AJ could relate to the guy, I nearly had a heart attack!

RCC (pardon the lighting)

More RCC shots

RCC drinks/snacks

While the Thai lounge is substantially nicer than the RCC, this is still without a doubt the best RCC in the system, in my opinion.

After a few minutes in the RCC we headed over to our gate, where boarding was just starting. We got in the Business/First/PPS line, and were promptly aboard.

HKG-SIN, SQ857, 1030-1410

This was a regionally configured 777-200, and we were seated in the forward business cabin. I’m going to avoid going on and on about SQ, because frankly it’s always the same– consistently excellent! As usual, everything was offered promptly, in abundance, and with a smile. Why continue raving about it?

Cabin looking forward before takeoff

Looking across the plane

Anyway, for pre-departure bevvies I had pineapple/orange/whatever juice and AJ had OJ.

PDB beverages

The flight was about half full, and we pushed back on time. We were airborne in no time, and service began shortly after takeoff.

Socks/eyeshades passed out shortly after takeoff

The curtains were closed quickly so that the people up front wouldn’t have the eyesore of having to look at us lowly Biz passengers.

Curtains

Drink orders were taken, and I went with one of their signature fruity cocktails. Forgot which one exactly.

Drink after takeoff

While I had originally done “Book the Cook” for chicken, I preferred the steak on the menu and the FA’s had extras, so gladly swapped it out for me.

The meal service took the better part of an hour, which is always a nice way to pass a flight.

Appetizer, along with the best thing about SQ, GARLIC BREAD!

Excellent steak

Dessert along with some water

The service on this flight was truly superb, although it’s not too tough to get used to. I watched some sitcoms for most of the flight while AJ tried to study. I saw what has to be the funniest Two and a Half Men episode (Jake starts middle school), along with a great episode of The Simpsons (Marge starts a business). My apologies to the other passengers that had to put up with me laughing my rear off.

I also read the in-flight magazine, which had a mention of the new male uniforms. They’re a HUGE Improvement. The old suits (which were suitable for a 1970′s disco party, IMO) are now replaced by classy black suits. Big, huge thumbs up on that.

New male uniforms

I took a short nap before landing, and forgot to keep the menu, so sorry, no description of the meal on this flight.

We landed into a rainy SIN and had a long taxi to our gate which was in T3, something I was looking forward to seeing.

Overall I was quite impressed by T3. It’s not anything absolutely stunning, but it’s nice, modern, convenient, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. Good enough for me!

T3

Shops area of T3

Ceiling, hmmm…

We then headed to the T3 SKL, which is relatively new. This lounge is a substantial improvement over the old lounge, in my opinion. While the food selection was good at the old one, this one was much more modern and spacious, something the old one really lacked. I know I’m a bit extreme in saying this, but this one just doesn’t feel like a refugee camp anymore (by SQ standards)….

Walking towards the lounge

SKL seating area

Seating area and food service area

More seating…

Drink cooler

Even more seating!

I bet you can guess what this is!

We headed to the gate right as boarding started, where we were handed immigration forms which were pretty big. Shortly thereafter they called boarding for business class, but basically the whole plane proceeded on board (one weakness of already checking boarding passes before passengers get in the holding area).

SIN-DPS, SQ946, 1640-1910

The flight was full, including up front. There was an American family seated across from us, and I couldn’t help but think “Did a family really fly paid business all the way from the US?” Stay tuned for an interesting turn on that situation…

I’ll let pictures do most of the talking here, since it was a typical SQ flight.

This time we were on a regional two cabin 777-200.

Business cabin from our seats in row 12

Drink service began shortly after takeoff, and I chose some other random drink from the cocktail menu. It was a bit too strong for my taste, but still not bad.

Drinks

While I had done “Book the Cook” again, I swapped with AJ. He took my pre-ordered beef, and I ordered another beef entree.

The menu read as follows:

A Savoury Note
Yam somo
Thai style pomelo with prawn salad

The Main Event
Cod fillet with steamed mussel in moroccan spice sauce, baby leek, peas, carrot and fettuccine

Beef rendang
Braised beef with vegetables in coconut gravy and steamed rice

Braised chicken with ginger and spring onion, seasonal vegetables and noodles

A Sweet Note
Ben & Jerry Ice Cream
Choice of vanilla for a chance or berry nice

A Connoisseur’s Choice
Gourmet coffee
Selection of tea

Since this flight was only two hours and pretty late, the appetizer was on the same tray as the main course. I went with the braised beef, and it was incredible. Really really good. I’m also a huge fan of the foccacio (in addition to garlic bread, of course).

My dinner

AJ’s dinner

Dessert

Incredible sunset as we approached Bali…

We got into Bali right on time. I’ll save everything from getting out of the jetway for the next post, since part of the benefit of being a club guest at the IC is the arrivals service.

More to come…

All Installments:
Trip Report: TPA-ORD-NRT-HKG on UA/NH in C
Trip Report: InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong
Trip Report: Holiday Inn Macau
Trip Report: Conrad Hong Kong
Trip Report: HKG-SIN-DPS on SQ, T3 @ SIN, new T3 SKL
Trip Report: InterContinental Bali
Trip Report: DPS-SIN-PVG on SQ, PVG-YYZ-ORD on AC, Renaissance Suites O’Hare
Trip Report: Hong Kong and Macau

I’m going to try and write all of the hotel and flight reviews first, and then go back to talk about the destinations a bit.

We got to the Macau Ferry Terminal at around 4PM and took a cab to the hotel from there. The ride was five minutes at most. 

Hotel exterior

Full hotel exterior

At check-in I presented my Priority Club Platinum card and the agent immediately got another agent to handle check-in, who turned out to be the ”front desk supervisor.” She was very professional, gave us her business card, and said she had upgraded us to a club suite.

Based on what I had seen previously on the website, all of the suites had just one king bed, so one of us was going to sleep on the couch. When she realized there were two of us she said “Hmm, would you prefer two beds?” I explained that I didn’t know they had suites with two beds but that we’d much prefer that.

She got us a suite on the top floor, and within a few minutes we were on our way. She told us to call her if we ever needed anything.

The one thing that’s annoying as all heck about this property is that the elevators can take quite a while, it’s anything but nonstop service.

Regardless, we found our room and were quite impressed overall, considering the rate was under $100 all-in.

Upon entering was the living room, which had a nice couch along with two chairs and a flat screen TV.

Living room

 There was also a small table with a few chairs.

Dining area and living room

The bedroom was a decent size with yet another TV. This is where the major weakness came in– the bed was hard, REALLY hard! If I were to take a hammer to the mattress to try and break it, I’d break the hammer before I break the mattress. I really think they stuffed the mattress with bricks, because there’s no other plausible explanation for how hard the mattress was. I’ve been to plenty of hotels with “hard” mattresses, but this one was a new experience for both of us…

We called housekeeping for some comforters, and they brought up five of them…. I’m guessing the hard bedding is one of their more frequent complaints.

Bedroom

Bedroom looking towards bathroom

Off the side of the bedroom is the bathroom, which is alright although has the strangest in-room lighting I’ve ever seen. It’s the definition of flourescent, and almost painfully so.

Bathroom

All of the toiletries read “Executive Club,” which I thought was pretty funny since they didn’t strike me as being any different than the standard ones.

Toiletries

Within a few minutes of getting to our room they brought up a newspaper and plate of fruit.

Fruit and newspaper

We explored the hotel facilities a bit and were pleasantly surprised by the nice sized gym, hot tubs, and pool. Sadly I forgot to take a picture of the pool, but it was a really good size for such a hotel, and was very nicely designed.

Gym

Whirlpools

By that time it was 5PM, which is when the club lounge opens for the evening. Ultimately we were upgraded to this so I shouldn’t be too critical, but there seemed to be a reason it was always empty. The food and drink selection were quite limited. While the design was fine, I never actually saw anyone else in it.

Club lounge

Club lounge (extent of drinks in back right)

Evening snacks

We went there again for breakfast and saw that the breakfast selection was about as continental as what I’d expect on a Continental flight from TPA-EWR in coach.

Fortunately (and this is a really big plus), breakfast is free in the restaurant for club guests. It would usually cost $20USD per person, so that was a great feature to have for free. The breakfast in the restaurant was top notch, with everything one could possibly want.

We were once again checked out by the front desk manager, who was exceedingly professional.

Overall I give this hotel an A+ for effort (the upgrade, personalized check-in, fruit plate, etc.) and a B+ for execution, which is pretty good. Considering our low rate (which is still the standard rate at this hotel) and what we received (upgrade to a club level suite which includes free breakfast in the restaurant), I’d happily return.

All Installments:
Trip Report: TPA-ORD-NRT-HKG on UA/NH in C
Trip Report: InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong
Trip Report: Holiday Inn Macau
Trip Report: Conrad Hong Kong
Trip Report: HKG-SIN-DPS on SQ, T3 @ SIN, new T3 SKL
Trip Report: InterContinental Bali
Trip Report: DPS-SIN-PVG on SQ, PVG-YYZ-ORD on AC, Renaissance Suites O’Hare
Trip Report: Hong Kong and Macau

OK, it’s about time I get started on this report, before I forget all the details. Sadly it’s 5AM and for some reason I couldn’t sleep last night (must have something to do with jetlag, although I usually don’t have much trouble with timezones). Regardless, it presents a good opportunity for me to get an early start on the day. I’ll be breaking up the trip report into separate sections for each of the travel sectors and each of the hotels to keep them somewhat short and easy to read.

Enjoy!

Sadly my morning started way too early at the hour at 4:30AM, and sadly I didn’t get to bed before 3AM the night before, which made for a short night. I packed my bags, showered, checked my flight status, etc. By around 6AM I was at the airport. I went straight for the security line, which was about 20 minutes long, and made it to the gate right around the time boarding started. I texted AJ to make sure he actually woke up, and fortunately he did. 

As I got aboard I heard the agent announce that they were oversold and looking for volunteers, but I overcame my impulse and proudly marched by her without so much as “I’ll do it, please pick me, please!”

UA1575, TPA-ORD, 0700-0850

As soon as I got aboard I could tell it was a great crew. There was an unaccompanied minor in the seat behind me, and one of the FA’s was incredibly cheery talking to this kid and playing games with him. She kept quizzing him on what her name was and other stuff, and I couldn’t help but smirk for a good ten minutes. The flight attendant kept looking over at me and laughing about the fact that I was smiking, and said “I’ve had waaaaaaaay too much coffee this morning,” to which I couldn’t help but respond “really? I would have never guessed…”

I then heard her say to the kid “usually we’d have a safety video coming up, but our audio and video system is broken today so it’s going to be a manual presentation. Since I knew that meant a skykit, score one…

The rest of the flight was pretty uneventful. The FA brought a skykit to everyone in my row (what lucky seatmates I had!), and I talked to her for a good portion of the flight. The flight felt like a transpacific flight on an MD80, because without audio or video, there was really very little to do.

We got into ORD on-time, and I met up with AJ, who was arriving from BWI, in the gate area.

We headed to the incomparable RCC for a few minutes and then got a call from one of the FlyerTalk FA’s who was at ORD that morning. We met up with her at the Starbucks and talked for about half an hour. We’ll leave out who exactly it was, but it’s one of the few resident FA’s I hadn’t met before, and she was hilarious.

We then went to the gate of the ANA flight (C10) to get our BP’s, and then headed to the C16 RCC. Upon entering I was proactively offered drink chits, while AJ was asked if he was 21, which I found pretty funny, both because he’s older than me and because he’s a Global Services. He ended up jokingly arguing with the agent for a few minutes.

At around 10:30AM boarding began, and we headed to the gate.

ORD-NRT, NH11, 1050-1345+1

We were seated in 5AC, and upon entering the FA’s brought us to our seats (tough job on their part, had to walk a whole three feet!). As usual they were extremely friendly, and they brought around all of the amenities, including newspapers, magazines, slippers, menus, etc. For “security reasons” ANA doesn’t do pre-departure beverages and they also don’t allow the use of electronic devices on the ground, so the boarding process is somewhat boring.

Before we knew it the door was closed and not surprisingly there was just one passenger in first class, and business was maybe half full. As we began our taxi three ramp workers were standing by our side of the plane and waving as we taxied past. It was pretty funny, since one of the guys clearly didn’t understand the culture involved here, and looked both confused and had a strange wave, basically wondering why they were waving for the better part of three minutes as we started out engines and taxied. We had a quick taxi for departure, and were airborne in no time. One of the things I love about NH is that they have a nose cam, which can be pretty awesome to watch.

As soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off the curtains were closed and a sign was placed on the F curtain saying that it was actually F in front of us (shocker).

Cabin view from row five

Within a few minutes champagne and green tea were offered, along with towels. I remember having the green tea last time I flew ANA, and I find it disgusting. Still, I chose to take it again because I love the color, and it was once again undrinkable by my taste, but still worth it just for looking at.

Drinks and towels

Shortly thereafter the cool little appetizer tray was served, along with drinks. I love the look of the little plate, and the contents are usually pretty decent too.

Appetizer plate

The meal service then began, with tablecloths being distributed first. The menu read as follows:

YOUR FIRST MEAL

Kaiseki course

Savor the refinement of classical Japanese cuisine. Our master chef selects nature’s finest, freshest ingredients to create a menu that evokes the essence of the season. A choice of hand-crafted sake perfectly complements this special dining experience.

Zensai
Prawn roulade
Baked golden brown squid
Simmered whelk shell
Smoked duck breast
Sweet corn terrine

Kobachi
Braised eggplant in light soy sauce
Assortment of simmered seasonal vegetables.

Shusai
Sake-steamed sablefish with special sea urchin egg broth

Sunomono
Snow crabmeat and lightly vinegared mozuku seaweed with a hint of ginger

Steamed rice

Miso soup and assorted pickles

Dessert
ANA’s original tropical parfait
Fresh seasonal fruit
Cheese

International course

Savor the refined taste of European dishes using nature’s finest and freshest ingredients. To accompany your main course and dessert selection, we invite you to choose from our sommelier’s collection of premier wines.

Salmon paupiette and fresh figs with mango sauce and fresh garden salad.

Pan-fried beef tenderloin with herb crust and tarragon sauce
Pan-roasted cod with creamy mushroom sauce
Portabella mushroom cannelloni marinara

Two kinds of bread with a choice of lsingy butter of extra-virgin olive oil

ANA’s original tropical parfait
Fresh seasonal fruit
Cheese

LIGHT DISHES

Snack Menu

We invite you to choose from our light dishes, to be served whenever you wish. Please also feel free to help yourself to an assortment of snacks from our self-service counter at any time.

Bowl of hot Japanese udon noodles
ANA’s original ramen (cup of instant Chinese Lamian noodles)
Petit bowl of fried tofu with vegetable broth
Japanese-style creamy rice porridge
Toasted pork cutlet sandwich
Chicken breast and tuna mayonnaise light sandwich
Cup of hot consommé soup
Premium ice cream

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE

Petite Japanese Course

Chilled buckwheat soba noodles with smooth yam and seaweed

Inari-zushi filled with minced shrimp

Fresh seasonal fruit

Petite International course

Curried scallop and chicken fricassee with vegetables

Bread roll

Fresh seasonal fruit

We both went with the international selection. The first course was very good actually, and I’m not a fan of salmon.

Salmon paupiette

 AJ and I both went with the beef as the main course, and this was disappointing. Either it wasn’t cooked well or totally fat, because I would have needed a butcher knife to pray on this slab of meat. Basically inedible, but ultimately I was fine with that since my goal when flying is to not die of eating too much, which can be a challenge at times in premium cabins.

Beef tenderloin

The dessert, as usual, was excellent. Pure deliciousness!

Dessert, yum!

The meal service was done at the perfect pace, and the service was attentive. Overall the meal was quite disappointing, mainly because of the main course. Also, while the FA’s were attentive, they didn’t “wow” me as much as they did on my last NH longhau flight.

Another disappointing aspect of the flight was the entertainment. While NH’s selection is limited compared to other airlines, I’ve generally found enough good movies to stay entertained. This time, not so much, sadly. I sat in boredom for a pretty good portion of the flight, which is rare.

After the meal service AJ took a nap (a really long nap), so I tried to entertain myself best I could. I walked around the cabin a bit, which was quite empty. On the 777-300 business class is massive, with three separate cabins. Between the center and rear business cabin they have a pretty cool “bar” area with drinks, snacks, amenities, magazines, etc. Pretty nice feature.

About five hours after the main meal FA’s came around to see if anyone wanted a snack. I went with ramen noodles, which were quite good. I also took a Perrier.

Ramen noodles

As I was placing the tray table back into the side of the seat I somehow managed to cut my finger, and it was bleeding a bit. I went to the restroom and got a tissue, and as I was walking out there was a look of horror on the face of the FA, as if I were bleeding to death. She asked if I was ok, and I said I was fine, just got a little cut. She basically ran for the emergency kit (which was only a few feet away), fumbled through it as if it were a life-death scenario, and took out a few band-aids. Instead of just giving it to me she actually put it on for me, and gave me some extras for later. I was surprised she didn’t give it a “get better”" kiss too. Very nice, caring service!

A bit later in the flight when AJ woke up we both went for a round of ice cream. It was delivered promptly and was tasty, although there’s not much that can be done wrong with packaged ice cream.

Ice cream

As I was about to put my tray table back into the seat the same FA that acted as a nurse to me ran over and put the tray table away from me, which made me crack up.

About an hour before arrival into NRT the FA’s came around with the pre-arrival meal, and we both went with the western option (again). It was pretty good, although it’s somewhat disappointing that they have only one western option pre-arrival.

Pre-arrival meal

We got into NRT on-time, and overall the flight was a bit disappointing, at least compared to my last longhaul NH flight from IAD which was top notch. The service was good (although not as stellar as on my last flight), the food wasn’t very good (at least the main course), and the entertainment was lacking somewhat.

While I would definitely fly them again, I would choose SQ over them from now on, at least in business.

At NRT:

Since we were only connecting we tried to find the security line for international transit, but sadly the line was closed. We just kept walking and eventually found a line at the other end of the concourse which was open. We recleared security and went to the transit desk to get our onward boarding passes, but the line was way too long.

We then decided to go to the NH lounge, but of course it took them a good ten minutes to let us in because we didn’t have boarding passes (yet). Eventually they let us in, after explaining to them that we’d go when the line gets shorter. We headed to the shower rooms to freshen up, and then hung out in the lounge for a while using the wifi.

After a couple of hours we went to the transit desk to get our boarding passes. The transit desks at NRT drive me absolutely bonkers. There was one person in front of me in line, and I had to wait for half an hour!!! If this place isn’t the definition of inefficiency, I have no clue what is. Of course they’re beyond friendly, but it’s still very hard to be patient when all you want is a boarding pass to be printed, which takes all of 15 seconds.

We then walked through the terminal for a while, eventually terminating our adventure at the RCC. We spent the remainder of our layover there. I was pleased to log onto priorityclub.com and see that our room at the InterContinental Grand Stanford had been upgraded to a club deluxe harbor view, something which was pretty surprising since this hotel is notoriously stingy when it comes to Royal Ambassador upgrades.

We headed to the gate for our connection about 45 minutes before departure and made it there right as boarding began.

NRT-HKG, NH911, 1845-2225

We settled into our seats, 3AB, and were almost immediately offered magazines, newspapers, etc. The menus were also distributed within a few minutes. By the time the door closed basically every seat was taken, and the fun cartoon began displaying on the video screens. It seems like they only do this intra-Asia, but it’s basically a manners video about how to act on an airplane. Pretty funny stuff…

We began our extremely long taxi, and were eventually airborne. The seatbelt sign went off within a few minutes, and the captain came on the PA as we reached our cruising altitude. This had to be the highlight of the flight. This captain had a thick, southern US accent, and had the most pilot-like voice out there. I knew other airlines in Asia had US pilots, but I didn’t realize even NH (or in this case their subsidiary) did. I would have loved to talk to this guy and get his story, as he seemed like quite the personality on the PA. I was about ready for him to announce that Channel 9 would be on, based on the way he made his announcements.

Shortly thereafter the beverage service began, and I took some sake and sparkling water. The little snack basket was also served, which has to be one of my favorite parts about NH. I wasn’t really hungry so didn’t have the meal and instead just lounged around for a few hours.

Snack basket and drinks

For those interested, the menu read as follows:

MENU

Flavors of Japan course

In classic Japanese style, fresh seasonal ingredients are prepared to reveal their essence and color. For your summer dining pleasure we offer octopus, which reaches its peak flavor at this time. Enjoy the fresh and sweet, subtle yet bold taste of this delicacy from the summer ocean.

Zensai and kobachi

Octopus and kelp-cured salmon sashimi

Simmered Japanese char and beef galantine

Lightly vinegared mozuku seaweed

Shusai

Stir-fried beef with sansho-peppered soy sauce

Steamed rice

Miso soup

Premium ice cream

International course

Peak-of-season ingredients, exciting taste combinations from around the world, and a light, elegant touch add up to a sophisticated style of dining. To accompany your course, we invite you to choose from our sommelier’s collection of premium wines.

Appetizer

Marinated shrimp in vinaigrette

Rosette of marinated salmon

Main course

Pan-fried beef tenderloin with jumbo mushroom

Fresh garden salad

Bread roll

Premium ice cream

Western meal

We arrived in HKG right on time, and made the long trek to immigration. The line was about 20 minutes long, which is about average for HKG in my experience. We bought tickets for the Airport Express to Kowloon, headed to the station, and within a few minutes the train left. We got to Kowloon shortly before 11PM, just in time to catch the last bus to the Grand Stanford, which got us to the door of the GS right around 11:20PM.

Hong Kong at last!

More to come…

OpenSkies announced today that they’ll be dropping their 30 seat coach cabin in favor of 12 more PREM+ seats. This isn’t really new news or anything, the FA’s already knew this on the inaugural when I commented on how good the food is for a coach product, since the catering is the same in PREM+ as Economy.

(Hat tip to Online Travel Review)

Also, per OpenSkies’ blog, they’ll be starting service from JFK to AMS on October 15. It’s great to see the airline growing, and I’m sure they’ll be quite successful with their business model.

I finally did something today that I never thought I could pull off. I convinced a non-Channel 9 captain to flip the switch. Here’s the skinny:

Right around the time the door was closing for my Ted flight I asked the FA whether or not the captain was turning on Channel 9. She said she would check, but never got back to me. During her pre-flight announcement, the captain said “if there’s anything we can do up here in the flight deck to make your flight more enjoyable, please don’t hesitate to let the flight attendants know and they’ll pass it on to us.” That sounded like an invitation to ask for Channel 9, so I got busy writing a note to the captain, and handed it to the FA about an hour into the flight. She said “Oh, I forgot to tell you, the captain said she wouldn’t turn on Channel 9. Actually two of us called the flight deck since two of you requested it and we both didn’t know the other one did, and she said no both times.” I explained it was a very friendly, non-hostile note, and just asked her to pass it on. She basically said it wouldn’t work, but did it anyway.

About 15 minutes later the purser comes to my seat and says (with a smirk on her face) “the captain asked me to tell you that she usually doesn’t turn it on for security reasons, because if there’s an emergency she wants the crew to know before the passengers.” I nodded in approval, and then the purser said “she also asked me to tell you that she’s making an exception just for you, Channel 9 is on. She says you’re good…. really really good.” She then commented that she didn’t know what I wrote, but some reverse psychology must have been involved.

So that’s right, for the first time ever I convinced a captain to turn on Channel 9. I was proud to say the least, and asked the purser to thank the captain for me.

While I don’t have the note anymore, it read somewhere along the lines of:

Dear Captain,

First and foremost, thanks for the safe ride. As someone that flies about 200,000 miles a year on United, I can’t thank you guys enough for the safe and professional job you do up front. The fact that I can get on a United plane and always know that I have the most professional pilots out there is one of the many reasons I choose to fly United.

You mentioned during your pre-flight announcement that we should let you know if there’s anything you can do to make our flight more enjoyable, so I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy Channel 9. I completely understand that it’s at the discretion of the captain, a policy which I have the utmost respect for and appreciate since ultimately you should feel comfortable. At the same time I’m always fascinated by listening to ATC, and it’s one of the many reasons I choose to fly United.

I know you guys have been going through tough times as a company lately, but I just want you to know that the reason I choose to fly United isn’t because of your pathetic upper management, but rather because of the great frontline employees. I sympathize greatly with all of the employees at United, especially considering that your upper management doesn’t know the first thing about “shared sacrifice.”

Thanks again for the safe ride and your consideration.

Regards,
Ben

Score one for lucky. A bit of buttering up is all it takes…

For those that just love gazing at pictures of hotel rooms they could never afford (at least that’s the case for me), take a look at Elite Traveler’s 101 Top Hotel Suites of the Year list. Some pretty impressive suites there which really make me wonder where they finally draw the line when it comes to “enough being ’nuff.”