Erk's 2014 Pacamerican Circle

[erkpod]

Winterhawks win 5-2 for a perfect winning run since I've watched them (3 in a row) & now 5 wins in a row. I will not be surprised if they are the champions like they were in 2013.

Final day in Portland tomorrow...

 

[bass_ke]

Still keenly reading erk!

Booked tickets to the us myself for oct/nov and am in need of tips!

 

[erkpod]

Still keenly reading erk!

Booked tickets to the us myself for oct/nov and am in need of tips!

Have you been to the US before? Do you have anything that you have on your must see list?

 

[erkpod]

My SFO - PDX trip on VX has just credited 6 days after the flight which has been typical for VX, DL & Agoda on this trip. This was despite me losing my boarding pass on board the plane. Because of losing SC from last year, I seem to be treading water.

Last full day in PDX today.

Next is PDX - ATL - MIA (overnight in MIA) - JFK.

 

[bass_ke]

Have you been to the US before? Do you have anything that you have on your must see list?

First time!

Roughly so far looking at hitting up SFO, LAS and a circuit out through Rachel to indulge my nerdy side with a is it to the little A'le'inn

Then looking to spend most of our time on the east coast, wanting to see Miami, visit some friends in Asheville NC, New York and Boston.

We have 5 1/2 weeks

 

[erkpod]

First time!

Roughly so far looking at hitting up SFO, LAS and a circuit out through Rachel to indulge my nerdy side with a is it to the little A'le'inn

Then looking to spend most of our time on the east coast, wanting to see Miami, visit some friends in Asheville NC, New York and Boston.

We have 5 1/2 weeks

Out of that list, I can comment on SFO, LAS & NYC. Allow at least 3 full days for a taste or longer if you can.

SFO - Love it! I'd start with a double decker bus or Aqua Duck tour to get your bearings. You'll probably spend most of your time at Fisherman's Wharf, downtown & the Castro. Get a Muni passport (1, 3 or 7 days) & you'll have unlimited public transport with Muni & cable cars. Especially important considering a cable car fare is $6 flat fare. You must do the cable car & the vintage streetcars.

Vegas - Bet with your head but not over it. Even if you aren't a betting man, go for a walk through a couple of casinos. My favourite to walk through is New York New York (mainly for the shops).

Walk the strip by day & night. Totally different vibe. Also check out downtown & the Fremont St Experience by day & night & the nearby container park.

There are courtesy shuttles from the various casinos that will take you to other casino, especially if they aren't on the strip. My example was Rio (off the strip) to Harrahs (on the strip).

Many of the things you will need in a casino are there - it's designed so you don't want to leave, especially when it is hot. Some casinos have virtual alliances & some are basically phyiscally joined.

The strip gets busy so you may not want to get a cab. The regular buses are totally fine & cheaper.

NYC - Love NYC also. You'll probably want to be in the thick of the action in Manhatten. Subways & buses are perfectly fine. Once again, a flat fare applies so get a daily or weekly Travelcard.

Remember airline style security applies at the Empire State Building & to the Statue of Liberty. If you don't want to be on the island in front of the statue but want to see it, a good option is the free Staten Island ferry. Broadway & Times Square is where a lot of the action is. You'll probably want to go to Ground Zero & the 9/11 Memorial site.

General tips:

Allow a day or two after arrival if you decide to hire a car.

Lots of people will expect tips - much beyond the usual ones you might expect. Tour guides, shuttle van drivers, bar staff, housekeeping & a lot more. Even if it isn't stated, there will often be a sign or a tip jar. Some bars have a one drink minimum if there's live music.

Don't expect free wifi in hotels. I've got a $70/month prepaid SIM with T Mobile aimed at Internationals for unlimited data, US calls/text.

Don't give to homeless people/panhandlers. You'll find so many of them & once you give to one, others will swarm you. A common scam is people will hand you a CD. You think it's free. It isn't.

Try & blend in with the locals.

US banknotes look the same if you have a boylook. They aren't different colours like ours.

Take at least one powerboard & an extension cord. Plug all your chargers etc into that & plug the cord from the powerboard into an adaptor then the adadptor into the wall.

And finally, Americans generally love Australians but some aren't used to our accent. If you use Australianisms that aren't inspired by Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin, they'll have no idea.

 

[erkpod]

Day 21, Portland OR
Tuesday 21 January

I started today downtown where I fnished last night's action, Ground Kontrol. It is part video arcade (video games downstairs, mostly pinball machines upstairs) and part bar. Most of the games date from the 1980's & 1990's. It's open as all ages 1200 - 1700 & then 21+ after that. They also have trivia nights & live music there. Pinball machines are cheap with $1/credit or $2 for 5 credits (all by using quarters). Great place!

Spent the afternoon photographing buses & light rail downtown & had the best fries of the trip from a Hawaiian place in Pioneer Place.

In the evening I hung out with a new friend who showed me a steakhouse ... a steakhouse that happens to also be a strip club. After all, it is Portland which has a large number of strip clubs.

Back to the hotel & some hockey talk & now I'm all packed to leave in my shuttle for the airport in about an hour. No point sleeping now...

 

[erkpod]

Last day of streetcar riding today



Love these signs at Ground Kontrol





8003 miles to kangaroos



Poor Larry...

 

[erkpod]

Funky lighting in the male loos at Ground Kontrol

 

[bass_ke]

Thanks for the tips Erk'd one

Say, when is it you transit through the OOL house?

 

[markis10]

And finally, Americans generally love Australians but some aren't used to our accent. If you use Australianisms that aren't inspired by Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin, they'll have no idea.

Like if you should by chance inadvertently find yourself in the Tenderloin area of SFO "thats not a knife, this is a knife" LOL

 

[erkpod]

Thanks for the tips Erk'd one

Say, when is it you transit through the OOL house?

No worries!

March 18 & 26.

 

[erkpod]

Flight Report, DL2482 PDX - ATL
Wednesday 22 January

Plane: I am on it now. Can't tell you the tail number right now. It's a B737. Edit: N3734B

Captain: Not sure.

CSM: Tom

Seat: 20C

Check-in: Used priority lane with several others. Guy was calling out names of FF programs/tiers that could use the lane. I said I was VFF Gold but had no idea what a Velocity was. He did allow me to stay in the line.

When I did check-in (with the VFF card & passport, guy tells me that there's a $60 USD baggage charge. I stand my ground & say that's not right because I'm gold, man.

As I mentioned earlier in the report, DL shows me as VA silver because that's what I was when I booked the flight. I've since gone gold & have the card (which he has in front of him, Global Wallet side up.

Calling someone on the phone, he keeps on telling the guy on the phone that I'm Virgin Atlantic gold but the boarding pass says silver. I correct him & say that I'm VA & that VS is VS. In the end, he over-rides the charge but the boarding pass remains the same. Lining up would have been 5 minutes & 10-15 minutes at the desk. He thanks me for my patience & wishes me a safe flight.

Security/TSA: Went through the priority (non TSA Pre) line with my VFF SG card. Forgot that I had a Pepsi in my pocket so withdrew from the line to drink that. Back in the same line that moved fast. Advised to leave belt on only for them to ask me to remove it after going through the scanner. Quick massage of the belt buckle area & I'm off.

Lounge: Lounge time basically eaten up by check-in delay. I ask the front desk to see if they can see if my VFF number is on tomorrow's MIA - JFK flight. Lounge Angel says she'll do her best but to double check with the service desk or reservations in MIA. I'm told boarding has started so I better go straight to the gate:

Boarding: Boarded towards the back end of boarding but lots of people in front of me on the aerobridge. Didn't use the Sky Priority lane as there was no point. Usual story about slow boarding.

Safety demo: On screens. Video from at least last year does not reflect current IFE procedures. Cabin crew didn't really go into detail about IFE use.

IFE: Drop down screens. There's a Toni Collette movie on - don't care which one. Those pax who are awake are mostly BYOD.

Am using a daily inflight wifi pass. Soeeds not super fast as you'd expect but OK for AFF, Twitter & Facebook.

No inflght map so I had to use my own.





Did an early inflight speed test. The app doesn't allow a plane as an option when it asks you where were you when you did the test.





To be continued...

 

[erkpod]

Greetings from 37000ft over Kansas.

 

[erkpod]

Lots of air traffic in & around ATL as I head down under FL240.

 

[erkpod]

Flight report ATL - MIA DL1860
Wednesday 22 January

Plane: B757 N6700
Captain/CSM: Unknown

Seat: 33C

Check-in: BP issued on previous sector at PDX

Lounge: ATL Skyclub similar to LAX. Male lounge angel recognised my VFF card without prompting. Female lounge angel confirmed my flight MIA - JFK does have my VFF number after asking the PDX lounge angel to add it. Was unable to add at time of booking. Short visit to lounge. No VA hotdogs. LOL

'Boarding: decided not to push priority boarding with silver on BP.

IFE: Seatback screen comparable in content & size to previous VX trips. Inflight wifi day pass not working. Mobile day pass is one device only. Live chat operator gave me a free discount code to upgrade to multi device (1 at a time) which is $16/day USD compared to $12 USD for one device.

 

[robd]

A really interesting TR Erk. I love the post at 39,000ft. 81 of 6640 visible - WOW! Which app are you using for this?

 

[UP4014]

Greetings from 37000ft over Kansas.

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Dear me, 4 Erkies in that last pic.

Matt

 

[bass_ke]

Good work on the beardo!

May I have inspired you with the force of the red beard?

 

[erkpod]

A really interesting TR Erk. I love the post at 39,000ft. 81 of 6640 visible - WOW! Which app are you using for this?

I'm using Plane Finder. The amount of visible traffic on the app is staggering!