Trip Report: A 'conference' in Las Vegas, and a short stint in NYC

[JMFK]

Still wet outside, but I wanted to walk the High Line, it’s a really cool piece of urban architecture and a really great idea – I’m sure it’s lovely when it’s not pissing down rain!

I abandoned that plan and after walking Chelsea a little more, I conceded I couldn’t be outside today, so headed back to the hotel to drop my bags and head to MONA.

My new room wasn’t ready unfortunately, so I just dropped off my things and headed back out. It was raining even harder now, and it turns out I wasn’t the only one in NYC to think of going to MONA when it’s wet out.

Half of Manhattan’s tourists were forming a snaking line outside and my hotel umbrella had already succumb to the islands winds, so I wasn’t about to stand outside waiting unprotected!

Instead I plugged Niketown into Google Maps and headed there to get my girlfriend some new runners she wanted.

After 5 levels on mayhem I had to head back to the hotel to chill out, do some work, and book a broadway show!

The new room was ready and was MUCH better than my other one. It was a King Bed on a high floor. Room 1906.




It felt more spacious because of the larger foyer area, plenty of room for luggage. It also had a HEAPS better view, and way more natural light. The other room looked across the alleyway to an office building.



I couldn’t get tickets to Of Mice and Men with James Franco, so I instead decided to go and see Bryan Cranston in All the Way, as I was a big Breaking Bad fan.

The man can act! I know nothing about American politics or LBJ, but I was engrossed in this play from the very beginning, it really was incredible and I highly recommend it.

I heard from all the whispers that there was someone important in the audience – Secretary of something….the 20 odd not-so-secret-service standing around was also a bit of a giveaway.

Probably should of taken a jacket to the Theatre, as I walked out into this.

 

[JMFK]

It was cold this morning, real cold! There was a dusting of snow overnight. Crazy to have gone from sweating early in the week, at 25 degrees, to waking up and it being 1 degree outside!



Threw the healthy breakfast out the window this morning and went with the Eggs Benedict Duo. Was pretty tasty and came out super quick.



It was freezing outside, but it was sunny, so I decided to walk the whole of central park, as I’d only down the bottom half when I was last in New York a few years ago.




It was a fair walk! While I was up there, I also ventured into Harlem to check it out briefly.

I really enjoyed my sandwich from Katz’s Deli last time, and I don’t care if it’s packed with tourists – it’s awesome. So I caught the subway from Harlem down to Katz’s deli – lined up for about 10 minutes and then enjoyed my Rueben!



Man, it’s a lot of food! Had to walk it off so wandered back to the Hotel via SoHo, stopping at a few shops along the way.

I’m about to head back out to Chelsea for another look at the Highline, as well as dinner at the Markets, plus I have to grab a gift for my mother!

I’ve gotta be up at 3:30am tomorrow to head to the airport for my 6am flight to LAX. Looking forward to checking out Flagship Checkin + Lounge as well as First Class on the new A321 aircraft.

 

[coles525]

Do you have a samsung S4 or above? They have a program called walking mate, which tracks every step to walk. It works best (only!) if you have the phone in your pocket.

I found out from a co worker, it was already installed on my phone as a Samsung app.

Screen shot attached of yesterday's walking.

 

[craven morehead]

You seem to have no problem finding your way around. Great report thank you :mrgreen: Hilton Hotels not appealing to me at all so far.

 

[drron]

Tom is right.A"biscuit"is a scone.We really like the cheese biscuits at Red Lobster.
Also love Chelsea Markets but I am no vegan so it is usually a lobster roll for me.
Enjoying the TR.

 

[JMFK]

You seem to have no problem finding your way around. Great report thank you :mrgreen: Hilton Hotels not appealing to me at all so far.

AT&T mobile hotspot and google maps work like a charm!

I too am feeling much less enamoured with Hilton in the US. My previous experiences in Asia have been excellent, but this is my first trip to the US since reaching Diamond nearly 3 years ago.

I walked into Hilton Midtown the other day as I needed the restroom (haha) and that felt like a full service Hilton I was used too - huge lobby, lots of restaurants, meeting spaces etc. Juxtaposed to the Fashion District hotel I am in now, this doesn't feel worthy of the Hilton namesake. Perhaps a DT property or even less. It's certainly comfortable, but it's not like a Hilton I'm used too. I guess there is a reason it was cheaper than the other Hilton properties in town.

 

[JMFK]

Do you have a samsung S4 or above? They have a program called walking mate, which tracks every step to walk. It works best (only!) if you have the phone in your pocket.

I found out from a co worker, it was already installed on my phone as a Samsung app.

Screen shot attached of yesterday's walking.

I'm sure one exists for the iPhone...I thought to download one but never got around too it. I wish I had!

 

[robd]

What about the bar fridge? What is the design flaw?

Enjoying your report, by the way

 

[amaroo]

What about the bar fridge? What is the design flaw?

Enjoying your report, by the way

My guess....it's like a giant spot light

 

[robd]

My guess....it's like a giant spot light

Good for a bit of vino if you wake up a bit parched in the middle of the night though

 

[amaroo]

First stop was Dumbo, as I had to get 'that' shot of the Manhattan Bridge!

View attachment 27300

That is a cracker of a photo! Is that the Empire State in the background?

 

[JMFK]

That is a cracker of a photo! Is that the Empire State in the background?

I have no idea!

 

[QF029]

AT&T mobile hotspot and google maps work like a charm!

I too am feeling much less enamoured with Hilton in the US. My previous experiences in Asia have been excellent, but this is my first trip to the US since reaching Diamond nearly 3 years ago.

I walked into Hilton Midtown the other day as I needed the restroom (haha) and that felt like a full service Hilton I was used too - huge lobby, lots of restaurants, meeting spaces etc. Juxtaposed to the Fashion District hotel I am in now, this doesn't feel worthy of the Hilton namesake. Perhaps a DT property or even less. It's certainly comfortable, but it's not like a Hilton I'm used too. I guess there is a reason it was cheaper than the other Hilton properties in town.

I actually like the FD Hilton. The flagship New York Hilton you refer to is regarded by many as the worst Hilton in NYC.

 

[JMFK]

I actually like the FD Hilton. The flagship New York Hilton you refer to is regarded by many as the worst Hilton in NYC.

Yeah, I'm aware of it's reputation, that's part of the reason I didn't stay there.

I merely meant in regards to it's appearance and facilities, it was more on par with what I have come to expect from Hilton in other parts of the world. Granted I have limited US experience with the brand.

 

[JMFK]

Up early to catch a ride to JFK. Opened up Uber and had a car within 4 minutes. Much better availability than at home!

Surprisingly no traffic in NYC at 4am, so a trouble free run into the airport.

Flagship Check-in wasn’t open yet, but the Kerb-Side check-in took care of me. There was a 7 or so minute wait to be fondled by the TSA before making my way to the Flagship Lounge.

It was upon entry that I had my first, sincere, customer service experience since entering the United States. After leaving the Hiltons of NYC, where you could count the number of words uttered to you during check-in and out, on one hand, here was this bubbly (it was 4:45am) woman, warmly welcoming me to the lounge, and asking if there was anything at all she could do for me while I was here.

When she handed me the swipe key to the Flagship Lounge, she said “Here’s the key to the magic kingdom” which made me laugh.

Inside, I’m the only one here. It’s certainly more Qantas Business Lounge than what I would call a First Class lounge. But comfortable and plenty of seats with power for those working.



Most food doesn’t come out til 5:15am, but in the meantime there is fresh fruit and bagels etc on offer.




This none of the hot options made it out in time.



5:30 rolls around, and it’s time to head to the gate.

 

[JMFK]

The plane was already pretty much full by the time I got there (at like 20 to) – the Lounge Angel did mention that “these new planes tend to get boarded pretty quickly, watch your watch”

It’s been my experience that you don’t even need to show your boarding pass to get on your plane, and I haven’t had so much as a ‘Welcome Aboard’ on any of my (3) AA flights. I was in Seat 1A. First and Business were completely full, I couldn’t see down into economy.

I didn’t get great photo’s I’m sorry, felt way to self-conscious! I’m pretty sure this is a Cathay J class seat – if it’s not identical it’s very, very similar.




Meals were served pretty quickly after take off. A choice of granola, omelette or waffles. No menu presented, FA took orders from the seat – I basically just repeated verbatim what was said to me.

I went with the waffles, but probably should of gone with the omelette. Holy sugar batman!

Fresh fruits and yoghurt with granola came out first. I bet you woulda been annoyed if you’d ordered granola for main too!



Next were the waffles. They were tasty, and a nice treat, but as I mentioned, way to much sugar for 6:30am.



Post meal, I had to crash out as I was super tired. Reclined into bed mode. This seat is much for comfortable than the FL business seat. It’s fully lie flat, obviously, so that probably helps. But even though I would say it’s a narrow seat, it felt more roomy than the FJ seat, and that helped make me feel more comfortable, and so I was able to better sleep.

1A is obviously close to the Galley, and the crew were quite noisy in there, banging crockery etc, and I was awoken a few times to their laughter and chat. It’s not like I was the only one trying to sleep either, everyone in the cabin was reclined.

The amenity kit.

 

[JMFK]

After collecting my bags, it was time to jump on the free shuttle to Hilton LAX. It’s less than a 5 minute drive to the Hotel. It’s an fairly old hotel, but was probably renovated in the last couple of years.

I got room 1223 – booked as a day rate room at $89 and given late checkout til 8pm.




Good size room, pretty comfortable. Not that it really mattered; this was really just a storage locker and shower before my flight tonight at 1130pm.

I changed into something more comfortable and headed down to the lobby, fired up Uber, jumped in a car and head to Venice Beach. I people watched for a while, took a few token photos and went passed Muscle Beach. It’s an interesting spot.

I felt I needed coffee, so I headed off towards Intelligentsia Coffee to get my hipster on.

I wasn’t disappointed. It was great coffee. There were a bunch of cool eateries and shops around here too, much better than down on the boardwalk. It’s on Abbott Kinney Blvd if you ever want to check it out.

I’d heard great things about In n Out Burger, so that was on my list for lunch.

I was still kinda full from my coffee, so I’d decided I’d take the long way and walk back along Venice beach before walking up Washington Blvd to In n Out. It was 3 miles. A long 3 miles!

But it was worth it. What a burger! I grabbed a chocolate shake and fries to go with it. Thoroughly enjoyed.



By now it was 4pm, and during my walk, I’d noticed some flags for a National Geographic photo exhibition at a Gallery in LA. Intrigued, I googled it and made the decision to head in. After all, I didn’t need to be back until 7pm at the hotel.

Fired up Uber again, and headed to the Annenberg Space for Photography. Great exhibition, interestingly they were using 4K monitors to display the images as opposed to prints. They were all in slideshow format, grouped into themes. This digital display allowed for over 500 images to be shown, something they’ve never done before.

Time to head back for a shower, and some quick nibbles in the exec lounge.

It was 20 minutes to closing time, and the lounge was quite full, and there were only scraps left. Also my first time encountering a cash bar at an exec lounge. I had to do a double take when he asked for money. I didn’t bother to take any pics of the lounge itself, but not a bad view of two of the runways.



During a chat with a fellow in the lounge. I got a text message. Bummer.



Delayed inbound passengers had pushed as back an hour or so.

Even though it’s a short shuttle ride away, I had a few bags and a chauffer transfer with Qantas, so I decided to use it. Great Cadillac picked me up and a very friendly driver. It was probably 15 minutes from Hotel to Curb with the traffic.

Check-In was a breeze, though I wish Qantas had sky cap’s!

 

[JMFK]

After collecting my bags, it was time to jump on the free shuttle to Hilton LAX. It’s less than a 5 minute drive to the Hotel. It’s an fairly old hotel, but was probably renovated in the last couple of years.

I got room 1223 – booked as a day rate room at $89 and given late checkout til 8pm.

View attachment 27392
View attachment 27393

Good size room, pretty comfortable. Not that it really mattered; this was really just a storage locker and shower before my flight tonight at 1130pm.

I changed into something more comfortable and headed down to the lobby, fired up Uber, jumped in a car and head to Venice Beach. I people watched for a while, took a few token photos and went passed Muscle Beach. It’s an interesting spot.

I felt I needed coffee, so I headed off towards Intelligentsia Coffee to get my hipster on.

I wasn’t disappointed. It was great coffee. There were a bunch of cool eateries and shops around here too, much better than down on the boardwalk. It’s on Abbott Kinney Blvd if you ever want to check it out.

I’d heard great things about In n Out Burger, so that was on my list for lunch.

I was still kinda full from my coffee, so I’d decided I’d take the long way and walk back along Venice beach before walking up Washington Blvd to In n Out. It was 3 miles. A long 3 miles!

But it was worth it. What a burger! I grabbed a chocolate shake and fries to go with it. Thoroughly enjoyed.

View attachment 27396

By now it was 4pm, and during my walk, I’d noticed some flags for a National Geographic photo exhibition at a Gallery in LA. Intrigued, I googled it and made the decision to head in. After all, I didn’t need to be back until 7pm at the hotel.

Fired up Uber again, and headed to the Annenberg Space for Photography. Great exhibition, interestingly they were using 4K monitors to display the images as opposed to prints. They were all in slideshow format, grouped into themes. This digital display allowed for over 500 images to be shown, something they’ve never done before.

Time to head back for a shower, and some quick nibbles in the exec lounge.

It was 20 minutes to closing time, and the lounge was quite full, and there were only scraps left. Also my first time encountering a cash bar at an exec lounge. I had to do a double take when he asked for money. I didn’t bother to take any pics of the lounge itself, but not a bad view of two of the runways.

View attachment 27394

During a chat with a fellow in the lounge. I got a text message. Bummer.



Delayed inbound passengers had pushed as back an hour or so.

Even though it’s a short shuttle ride away, I had a few bags and a chauffer transfer with Qantas, so I decided to use it. Great Cadillac picked me up and a very friendly driver. It was probably 15 minutes from Hotel to Curb with the traffic.

Check-In was a breeze, though I wish Qantas had sky cap’s!

 

[JMFK]

After navigating TSA it was time to head to the uninspiring oneworld lounge. It was a complete zoo. Maybe 10+ families, absolutely chockers. I couldn’t be bothered snapping any pics.

I went for a walk to stretch my legs, and found the new lounge location. It’s no where near ready from what I can see, so the April delivery wasn’t even close.



Onto the John Duigan and seat 13F. Even though I was only SG at the time of booking, I managed to snag a seat in the coveted Emerald City.




Gee, the Skybed really is very good, I think.

Straight into my PJ’s before take off, as I wanted to be fresh for the morning.

I skipped supper, as I was still full from earlier in the day. Breakfast order given, and off to the land of nod.




So about 1.5 hours out from LA, (yes LA) the Captain wakes me up to let us know that’d we’d turned around 5 hours ago after two fuel pumps had failed. They couldn’t get the 26 tonnes of fuel from the wings to wherever it needed to go, meaning we didn’t have enough fuel to make it to Australia. There weren’t any engineers in Honolulu, so it was back to LAX. He signed off with ‘enjoy your breakfast!’

Great.

I did feel in safe hands though, which is why I like Qantas.

After saying to the FA that I didn’t even realised we’d turned around, she mentioned that the turbulence we felt in the middle of the flight was caused by turning back into the planes air stream…or something.

Breakfast would have been lovely it hadn’t been served cold.

 

[JMFK]

On landing, we were greeted by several fire trucks and police cars – captain mentioned he thought the brakes might get a bit hot…haha. I guess we were considerably overweight.

As soon as the wheels hit the ground I was on the phone to Qantas to get a new flight, as I had a pressing engagement on the Sunday.

The AA flight had obviously posted, and I was now a freshly minted WP, so the agent told me that as a WP a seat had been held for me on tonight’s QF94 and all was confirmed. Thanks Greg.

Some time later I checked my booking reference on my phone, and there were two flights on there, QF94 that night, and one the following day.

Confused, I rang Qantas back again to confirm. This particular agent told me that a seat had been held for me, but it was going to be up to Airport Staff to ‘validate the coupon’ and get me on that flight.

It was an absolute shambles on the ground. No real Qantas ground staff, just contractors in QF uniforms who had no idea what was going on.

We were told to collect our bags, then join a queue for the hotel. No one had mentioned rebooking. Indeed when I spoke to one ground agent and asked about confirming new flights, she just cut me off and told me there weren’t many seats available….and I’d have to call. I was too frustrated to explain my conversation with the call centre, so I just went off to find someone else.

Phone to the ear, clipboard in hand, this Qantas lady looked important, indeed, she was looking after the First Class passengers.

I swooped in on her and had my new flight confirmed. Success.

I felt really sorry for the other passengers who didn’t really know how to ‘work the system’ – particularly for all those in economy. Indeed, I saw one guy on a payphone at the hotel, desperately trying to get any flights home – with a red QFF card, I suspect he would have had little hope for today.

We were almost fully loaded at 464 passengers, so I felt a bit sorry for the ground staff too.

They shipped us off to the Sheraton Gateway LAX.

Like all LAX hotels, it was pretty old, but had had a recent reno.

Checked-in, and given room 1452. It’s what Sheraton calls their Traditional Room. I lucked out and got a club level – tried to swipe my card for club access, but no dice haha – free water in the room though!




It’s an accessible room, but no real difference I can tell except for the cavernous bathroom entry.



We were given 3 meal tickets, $16, $18 and $25.

Great fitness centre, so I went for a run before having lunch in the lobby bar. Minus one $18 meal voucher. It was $17.45 for a chicken sandwich.

I’m about to go down for dinner, before heading back to the Airport. I’ll have access to the F lounge this time too!