airport drunk

First of all I have to apologize for not updating my blog for a full year! Writing about my travels was getting repetitive and monotonous. I'll try my best to step it up this year though, as it is an exciting time to be a Continental frequent flyer, now that they've joined Star Alliance. More airlines, more lounges, and more attractive benefits... I'm writing this from the Presidents Club in Houston as always, on my yearly trip to Vegas for the January conventions. As soon as I land I have a meeting with a guy who runs a Las Vegas dating blog.

Travel from Costa Rica was no different than usual, even despite the security issues that have been going on since Christmas.

Anyway instead of writing in here I should really be finishing up a new project. Plus I have a plane to catch. Talk to you later.

I love this place... It's too bad they cranked the membership price up another $200, but this year I'm planning to get a Platinum American Express which includes the membership so I should be alright. Just waiting to board my flight to Vegas and enjoy another few hours in a first class cabin (I hope they have a good cheese platter to match all the wine I intend on drinking!)

Too bad my Westjet flight tomorrow will just be Ghetto First Class (exit row with some drink vouchers haha).

I love waking up to a couple of emails saying that my two flights from Costa Rica (SJO) to Houston and from Houston (IAH) to Vegas (LAS) have been upgraded thanks to my elite status... Tomorrow is going to be one relaxing travel day. I even stocked my Eeepc with some great vegas movies like 21 and Oceans 11.

Got some crazy plans coming up... Next week I'll be flying to Las Vegas (again), but then the next day heading over to Vancouver for the weekend. Back to Vegas, then staying for 3 weeks (lots of business to take care of), then back to BC (although technically flying to Spokane this time) to spend a month at a ski resort, sort of an extended vacation.

Hopefully I can manage it all, I'm basically packing for a 2 month trip with 1 carryon duffel bag (not counting my checked snowboarding gear, which I also stuffed my pants and jacket into).

I was just browsing around Flyertalk and found a link to another members travel blog, with a description about Qantas' new first class... Goddamn is that insane. Makes me want to cruise down to Australia or wherever just so I can try it out.

The seat faces forward for take-off and landing. There is limited legroom but with plenty of knee room in this position. Other than take-off and landing, there does not seem much point in the forward-facing position. All the other features of the seat are best used when the seat is swivelled.
...
There is a pop-out coat hook to hang your jacket when you first arrive while waiting to hand it to an attendant, or on landing after being handed it back. There is also a hook on the seat wall to hang the headphones so you don't need to stuff them into a cubby or have them loose on the tray table or shelf.

It's too bad I don't get to experience the cool international planes with all my domestic and central american hops. Oh well, I do plan on hitting Europe this year so we'll see.

I don't have much to say, I'm exhausted from four days of walking... I probably walked at least 100 miles. I do have to say that Halloween in New York was amazing, I've never seen a street party so big, and everyone was in a costume. Pretty damn cool. I'm actually looking forward to going home though. I'm also disappointed I didn't get my choice of the Alex Hotel for November 1-2, from the [url=http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=863668]Leading Hotels of the World Promo[/url] that managed to take up like two full days of my life.

I also picked up a new carryon suitcase... It's a Kenneth Cole Leather Duffel, it's exactly 45 linear inches and has wheels, so you can carry it like a duffel or wheel it around if it gets too heavy. Definitely a classy item (and not cheap either at $750!) I just hope I don't get grief from it as it isn't the dimensions of that stupid metal bag sizer thing that no ones carryon items even fit in... So far no problems on the way home, we'll have to see how anal they are on my next flight because of the lack of overhead space these days.

I have to say, it's really convenient that Continental runs direct flights from Costa Rica to Newark... I decided to take a long needed vacation in New York and Boston, and having the nonstop flight all the way to the northeast was a pretty nice change of pace. My EeePC held up great for the whole 5+ hour flight... Watched two full movies (we unluckily had a plane without in flight entertainment... I've been noticing that more and more on Continental flights and it's kind of unnerving...)

EWR is a bit of a zoo, ended up having to take a shuttle to a nearby hotel where my rental car reservation was at, then was on my way. Spent a couple nights in Jersey, did a mini Sopranos tour (I even saw Tony's house and the Bada Bing!), and partied with a few friends... Then off to Boston, which was actually a really nice drive... New England is beautiful in the fall (and I'm not much of a cold weather guy either).

I thought this was a great use for a decomissioned airplane: Apparantly Stockholms Arlanada airport will have a hostel of sorts built in a converted Boeing 747.

Swedish hotelier Oscar Diös is converting a Boeing 747 into a 25-room, 86-bed airport hotel. Most of the rooms in the Jumbo Hostel will not be large (6×3 meters) considering each has three bunk beds. Also, most rooms will not have en suite bathrooms though they will have wi-fi access and flatscreen TVs (that, along with the normal selection of channels, will also display airport flight information). There will, however, be one luxury suite available in the former cockpit.

I want to see what the cockpit suite looks like :)

Didn't get a chance to update until now... Just on my way back from a five day trip to Atlanta. Ended up taking Spirit through FLL to ATL. Purpose of the trip was a convention at the W (it turns out there are two W hotels in Atanta, one downtown and one on "Perimeter" which isn't actually in the city). I think the downtown location would have been nicer, but the staff at the W Perimeter were nothing short of amazing. I had booked a full suite which was actually more like two connected rooms... One had a few sofas, a desk, 42" plasma, and where its bathroom would be, a kitchen. The other had a king sized bed and a very nice bathroom. Kudos to Starwood for the upgrade!

Aside from the usual power outlet shortage at FLL (even the hallway ones seemed to be non-functioning), trip went fine... I'm travelling with an Asus EeePC nowadays which is great because I can actually use it on a plane (I've got very long arms, so for me to open my 15.4" notebook in coach I have to have the bottom of the laptop touching my stomach and either stick my elbows out a foot in either direction, or do this trick that makes me look like a tyranasaurus. Anyway, this thing has uber battery life (I can watch two full movies on a battery, provided they are divx dvd rips because there is no dvd drive), and it made every flight a whole lot more pleasant thanks to Spirits lack of IFE (fancy term for In Flight Entertainment used on boards like Flyertalk). I barely took my PSP out at all (which I swear by usually).

This trip was kind of unexpected, but fun... I'm getting a little tired of my luggage setup though, I'd like to get something in leather next. Time to go luggage shopping.

Just waiting to board another nice and short non-stop flight back home to San Jose. The Fort Lauderdale airport has a couple of ok bars, although everyone is fighting over power outlets, and a couple of them don't even work. (Look for my rant on airport power outlets sometime soon).

One of the highlights was a big party on a casino cruise ship going out of Miami. Open bar, free food (although cruise ship food leaves a lot to be desired), and one of the companies I do business with gave me $1000 in chips to gamble with. I even wore a white linen suit for the occasion (hey, I'm a Miami Vice fan, what can i say).

Had a great time, except for Hurricane Fay (or is it Gustav now?) towards the end. That really ruined the Orlando days... Managed to do Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (my favorite park) together in one day just because of the lack of lineups (it was raining lightly), but had to cancel Disney the next day because of heavy rains. Instead went to the mall and did some shopping (nice vacation).

It'll be good to go home though, I'm a bit worn out from all this driving (although averaging 90mph all over the state on nice flat, wide, and straight roads makes road tripping fun!)