First a little bit of back story....this weekend was my first mileage run, and it was AWESOME. I know it will not impress the veterans out there that do multiple segments all over the country, but I picked up BWI-LAX at $160 all in to get around 4,600 miles. I also got to spend a day at Disneyland, which was the first time I have ever been to a Disney property. It only took 24 years, but I had so so much fun! I'll have a full hotel review up in the coming days.
But...to the real point of my story. Today I came back to work after an awesome weekend and was talking about it with a few co-workers. Not one, not two, but four separate co-workers told me that they saw a story on tv or read a story on the internet about people that "do crazy things like fly just to get frequent flyer miles" and they immediately thought about me!
I told them that it was EXACTLY what I was doing this weekend, but I was no where near as awesome as those of you that go fly tens of thousands of miles in a weekend. They still looked at me like I was absolutely nuts and couldn't fathom why anyone would do that on purpose.
It really got me thinking how weird this hobby appears to those on the outside. I mean just a year ago I was in the same boat, I would have thought...why would anyone want to connect when they could fly direct? Why would you fly to just get the miles? What's the big deal about an airport lounge or a seat up front?
But this hobby really opened my eyes to the benefits of elite status and how it can be fun to just fly where the fare takes you! Without the idea of mileage running in my head I never would have found that great fare from The Flight Deal, which is now a site that I check furiously every day and can't wait to see a tweet from, I never would have been able to go on a trip with my gf and have one of the best days of my life running around Disneyland like a bunch of little kids and riding every ride in sight. This hobby isn't just something that gets us the seat up front, the free drink in the lounge or even the pajamas in first class. It's a hobby that allows the average Joe like me the opportunity to spend more time making memories with those that I love while exploring the world. Those extras....those are just the icing on the cake.
Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles. Show all posts
Monday, December 3, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
United Club LAX - Terminal 6
As previously mentioned I traveled to Los Angeles last week for a work trip and stayed downtown at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel and was less than impressed. So when I had the morning to kill before heading back to Washington, D.C. I didn't really feel like staying around so I left early and headed to LAX.
I must have missed the notoriously bad Los Angeles traffic because after about a 20 minute taxi ride I arrived to the United check-in area and was headed to security. After a just as long 20 minute wait in the security line I was through to Terminal 6 to wait for my flight. Even after burning time in the security line I still had over 3 hours before my flights so I decided to burn one of my two United Club Lounge Passes that comes with the United MileagePlus Explorer card.
I found the United Club Lounge in Terminal 6 right across from Gate 62 and right next to my departure gate so it was perfect!
I was buzzed in and handed off my pass to the desk attendant and she politely welcomed me to the United Club and asked how long it was until my flight. I told her just about three hours and she replied, "Oh good, you know some people come in with their passes and only have about 30 minutes before their flight. It's such a waste to stay for that short amount of time so I always tell them to hold onto it."
I thought this was a very nice gesture. The last time I used one of my lounge certificates the desk agent was very sour in her demeanor. She was clearly not pleased I had a lounge pass instead of a membership and when I asked her about my flight and to see if there were any aisle seats closer to the front of the plane available she just replied the flight was full without even knowing where I was going....so it was easy to say that this was a much better experience.
The only complaint I have about the lounge in Terminal 6 at LAX is that it is a bit small. The lounge is very long, but it is not very wide so the seating areas are quite small.
When you walk into the lounge there is a business center to your left and just behind the check-in desk there is a set of six or seven work stations with lights and power connections if you want to do some work. From there you turn left and head down the aisle and pass a few sitting areas on your right side with some pretty neat views of the United gates. It was great to watch a few of the big jets come and go as I was waiting. At the end of the lounge is the bar area with a few more chairs and about four or five bar tables to sit down at.
In the middle of the lounge is a little pantry which has the typical United Club offerings of crackers, salty mix, trail mix, a few pastries, soft drinks, water, assorted fruit and my favorite....the Tillimook cheese. After living in the Pacific Northwest for a few years with my parents and falling in love with Tillimook cheese I always have to grab it when I see it...and United Clubs are about the only place to find it outside of the Pacific Northwest. The only bad part is they are in the hardest to open plastic packages ever! I always spend ten minutes looking like an idiot trying to get them open. But it's always a welcome snack to take with you or eat in the club.
Next to the pantry area is a small TV area which is where I settled in for the three or so hours I had left before my flight. It was the day after the election and I had missed being in Washington for the election so I was feeling deprived of my full surround-sound political environment and the background noise of CNN was exactly what I needed to get me back on track. I booted up the work computer and knocked a few things off my to-do list and the three hours flew by and it was time to get on the flight home.
There is nothing extra special about this lounge, but it has everything that I like about United Lounges: A quiet place to get some work done, good wifi, good drinks, outlets and Tilimook cheese so I was a happy camper and it was a great use of my lounge pass.
I must have missed the notoriously bad Los Angeles traffic because after about a 20 minute taxi ride I arrived to the United check-in area and was headed to security. After a just as long 20 minute wait in the security line I was through to Terminal 6 to wait for my flight. Even after burning time in the security line I still had over 3 hours before my flights so I decided to burn one of my two United Club Lounge Passes that comes with the United MileagePlus Explorer card.
I found the United Club Lounge in Terminal 6 right across from Gate 62 and right next to my departure gate so it was perfect!
I was buzzed in and handed off my pass to the desk attendant and she politely welcomed me to the United Club and asked how long it was until my flight. I told her just about three hours and she replied, "Oh good, you know some people come in with their passes and only have about 30 minutes before their flight. It's such a waste to stay for that short amount of time so I always tell them to hold onto it."
I thought this was a very nice gesture. The last time I used one of my lounge certificates the desk agent was very sour in her demeanor. She was clearly not pleased I had a lounge pass instead of a membership and when I asked her about my flight and to see if there were any aisle seats closer to the front of the plane available she just replied the flight was full without even knowing where I was going....so it was easy to say that this was a much better experience.
The only complaint I have about the lounge in Terminal 6 at LAX is that it is a bit small. The lounge is very long, but it is not very wide so the seating areas are quite small.
When you walk into the lounge there is a business center to your left and just behind the check-in desk there is a set of six or seven work stations with lights and power connections if you want to do some work. From there you turn left and head down the aisle and pass a few sitting areas on your right side with some pretty neat views of the United gates. It was great to watch a few of the big jets come and go as I was waiting. At the end of the lounge is the bar area with a few more chairs and about four or five bar tables to sit down at.
In the middle of the lounge is a little pantry which has the typical United Club offerings of crackers, salty mix, trail mix, a few pastries, soft drinks, water, assorted fruit and my favorite....the Tillimook cheese. After living in the Pacific Northwest for a few years with my parents and falling in love with Tillimook cheese I always have to grab it when I see it...and United Clubs are about the only place to find it outside of the Pacific Northwest. The only bad part is they are in the hardest to open plastic packages ever! I always spend ten minutes looking like an idiot trying to get them open. But it's always a welcome snack to take with you or eat in the club.
Next to the pantry area is a small TV area which is where I settled in for the three or so hours I had left before my flight. It was the day after the election and I had missed being in Washington for the election so I was feeling deprived of my full surround-sound political environment and the background noise of CNN was exactly what I needed to get me back on track. I booted up the work computer and knocked a few things off my to-do list and the three hours flew by and it was time to get on the flight home.
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| View from the TV Area |
There is nothing extra special about this lounge, but it has everything that I like about United Lounges: A quiet place to get some work done, good wifi, good drinks, outlets and Tilimook cheese so I was a happy camper and it was a great use of my lounge pass.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Review: Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles: Beautiful Lobby...Nothing Else
Another week and another trip....I recently checked-in on Foursquare and it informed me that I had checked in to my third straight airport and it was my third airport in as many weeks. I know this is nothing for the average road warrior, but for me this is so much travel. I now have so much respect for those that are on the road all of the time, and I can't imagine how hard it is, even if you do get to travel all the time.
Anyways...onto the real story...I was headed to Los Angeles for five days on a business trip. I ended up staying at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel which is located at 5th and Grand Street in downtown Los Angeles.
The first thing you notice about the hotel is just how absolutely beautiful it is. The hotel opened in 1923, and upon its opening it was the largest hotel west of Chicago at over 70,000 square feet. The arcatecture in the lobby is just stunningly beautiful. The 1920s accents are still there and the murals on the ceilings and carpeted stairs with brass railings beside stone walls just take you back to a whole new era. The hotel has been featured in many movies, including the original Ghost Busters and was even the host to the Oscars when it was first started. There are tons of old pictures of the orignal Oscars with many celebreties. The hotel just has a cool feel all around.
But I wish the same could be said for the area outside of the lobby....
I arrived at the hotel after a flight from DC and I was ready to just head to my room and head to bed because I had a 5:15 wake up call waiting for me the next morning. I arrived in the lobby and there was a flight crew from an A380 flight checking in (about 20 people it seemed like!) and milling about the lobby. Their crew leader was at the desk getting all of their keys in line and so I waited patiently. Then three other desk clerks walked out of the back and started chatting on their own and working on the computer completely ignoring me. After waiting for about 5 minutes the agent helping the crew leader get keys in order finally realized I had been waiting and told her colleagues to help me!
One finally came over and checked me in. I was offered an upgrade to the Club Floor for $50 a night, but it wasn't really clear what came with the upgrade besides a bit of a bigger room so I declined. I later read that the Club Floors are supposedly haunted...so I'm glad I passed :p.
I was given a standard king room on the 8th floor. I took to old elevators up to the 8th floor and walked into the room. The first thing that struck me was the yellow walls and yellow lights and the 1920s accents. I can appreciate that the hotel wants to keep some of the old features of the building and keep the charm alive. But, it looked like this room hadn't been updated since the hotel opened. The yellow on the walls and the yellow light in the room along with the dated furniture made the room feel old, dark and cramped.
When I walked into the room a decent sized closet was on the right and the tiny tiny bathroom was on the left. I say tiny, and I really mean it. The door swung open directly open in front of the toilet and when it was open it was less than an inch from the toilet brim. This was a tight squeeze bathroom with no room to move around.
The room its self had a standard king bed, a desk, a tv, dresser and a chair. The easiest way I could describe the feeling on walking into this room was that this hotel may have a five-star lobby, but it has a two-star set of rooms at best.
The other main gripe I had was the total lack of outlets in the room. There was only enough that you could have the two main lamps that provided light in the room on at one time...nothing else....To make coffee you had to unplug one lamp and then plug it back in later. At 5:30 in the morning, it was the last thing I wanted to do every day. There was also no plug next to the bed, which is bad for me because I use my phone as an alarm clock. I finally figured out that if you pull the bed out you can reach an outlet that is built into the wall behind the bed and has one extra plug.
I'm not arguing that the hotel needs to go fully modern....I just think that there are ways to improve the rooms enough to match the lobby and keep some of the old style.
I was also not impressed with the hotel restaurant at all. The staff was horrible...I ate there for breakfast twice and it was a pain to get any attention from them and one morning they even all stood around my table to chat while I was eating. For that pleasure I got a $10 bowl of oatmeal one day and a $19 omelet along with $4 coffee that was restaurant grade and never got refilled.
To put it bluntly...if you want to see this beautiful hotel, just go into the lobby and don't waste your time in staying the night.
Anyways...onto the real story...I was headed to Los Angeles for five days on a business trip. I ended up staying at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel which is located at 5th and Grand Street in downtown Los Angeles.
The first thing you notice about the hotel is just how absolutely beautiful it is. The hotel opened in 1923, and upon its opening it was the largest hotel west of Chicago at over 70,000 square feet. The arcatecture in the lobby is just stunningly beautiful. The 1920s accents are still there and the murals on the ceilings and carpeted stairs with brass railings beside stone walls just take you back to a whole new era. The hotel has been featured in many movies, including the original Ghost Busters and was even the host to the Oscars when it was first started. There are tons of old pictures of the orignal Oscars with many celebreties. The hotel just has a cool feel all around.
But I wish the same could be said for the area outside of the lobby....
I arrived at the hotel after a flight from DC and I was ready to just head to my room and head to bed because I had a 5:15 wake up call waiting for me the next morning. I arrived in the lobby and there was a flight crew from an A380 flight checking in (about 20 people it seemed like!) and milling about the lobby. Their crew leader was at the desk getting all of their keys in line and so I waited patiently. Then three other desk clerks walked out of the back and started chatting on their own and working on the computer completely ignoring me. After waiting for about 5 minutes the agent helping the crew leader get keys in order finally realized I had been waiting and told her colleagues to help me!
One finally came over and checked me in. I was offered an upgrade to the Club Floor for $50 a night, but it wasn't really clear what came with the upgrade besides a bit of a bigger room so I declined. I later read that the Club Floors are supposedly haunted...so I'm glad I passed :p.
I was given a standard king room on the 8th floor. I took to old elevators up to the 8th floor and walked into the room. The first thing that struck me was the yellow walls and yellow lights and the 1920s accents. I can appreciate that the hotel wants to keep some of the old features of the building and keep the charm alive. But, it looked like this room hadn't been updated since the hotel opened. The yellow on the walls and the yellow light in the room along with the dated furniture made the room feel old, dark and cramped.
When I walked into the room a decent sized closet was on the right and the tiny tiny bathroom was on the left. I say tiny, and I really mean it. The door swung open directly open in front of the toilet and when it was open it was less than an inch from the toilet brim. This was a tight squeeze bathroom with no room to move around.
The room its self had a standard king bed, a desk, a tv, dresser and a chair. The easiest way I could describe the feeling on walking into this room was that this hotel may have a five-star lobby, but it has a two-star set of rooms at best.
The other main gripe I had was the total lack of outlets in the room. There was only enough that you could have the two main lamps that provided light in the room on at one time...nothing else....To make coffee you had to unplug one lamp and then plug it back in later. At 5:30 in the morning, it was the last thing I wanted to do every day. There was also no plug next to the bed, which is bad for me because I use my phone as an alarm clock. I finally figured out that if you pull the bed out you can reach an outlet that is built into the wall behind the bed and has one extra plug.
I'm not arguing that the hotel needs to go fully modern....I just think that there are ways to improve the rooms enough to match the lobby and keep some of the old style.
I was also not impressed with the hotel restaurant at all. The staff was horrible...I ate there for breakfast twice and it was a pain to get any attention from them and one morning they even all stood around my table to chat while I was eating. For that pleasure I got a $10 bowl of oatmeal one day and a $19 omelet along with $4 coffee that was restaurant grade and never got refilled.
To put it bluntly...if you want to see this beautiful hotel, just go into the lobby and don't waste your time in staying the night.
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| King bed with no plugs (See the yellow lighting) |
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| Sitting Area/Desk |
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| TV, Bed and Closet |
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| Tiny Bathroom |
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
United Silver...What I didn't think was possible. Plus maximizing a mileage run and hotel promotions
Back when we started this blog I was just easing into the idea of trying for elite status on some airline next year, throwing this year out of the question because of time and work. But then I added a bit of work travel I was not expecting and an extra trip to the west coast and realized that I was only about 5,000 miles away from United Silver.
I know that some of the benefits can be obtained with the United Mileage Plus card, which I already have, but I was interested in some of the other possible benefits, including the possibility of upgrades (of course) though that is slim, priority screening and best of all the possibility of Economy Plus.
My parents live in Seattle so at least a couple of times a year I make the trip from Seattle to DC and I always pay for Economy Plus to give me a little extra room on the ride over. If I could avoid paying those fees a couple of times a year it would really save me some money.
So...for the past few weeks I have been looking for mileage runs to try to cross 25,000 miles on the year when The Flight Deal, which you have to follow on a regular basis for all things mileage run, posted a deal for BWI to LAX for $191 all in. I quickly booked two tickets for Kelsey and myself and now I when all of my travel is done I will be 500 miles short of 25,000 and will need one short run to help push me over.
The best part is that while in LA Kelsey and I have each booked one night at the Radisson in Anaheim near Disney Land so that we can take advantage of the Radisson Stay One Get One promotion. We can use those earned free nights to book a night in December in New York City before we go to Europe and save another free night for another trip where a cheap hotel (read: free hotel) room is needed.
The best way to get to your travel goals is to look at where you stand...what you want to do...and the best way to get there in as few steps as possible and for as little money as possible. :)
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