Trip Reports

Category Archives for Trip Reports.

On to Melbourne

by Gary Leff

melbourne
Jun 21 2005

Monday, June 13 Westin Sydney Westin is built around an old Post Office (the Intercontinental was built on top of the old Treasury building). We checked in about 1pm and were given a ‘deluxe room’, number 1806. The door has electronically-controlled signs for do not disturb and service room – you flip a switch inside the room by the door, and the appropriate note lights up outside. Our room certainly had a fantastic bathroom. It wasn’t the Nui, I couldn’t feed the fish from my tub, but it had a large glass window between the bathroom and the room (with an electric-controlled screen between the two) and separate toilet and shower rooms housed in frosted glass. Here’s the sink. The shower had two heads – one directly above from the ceiling, and one coming out…

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In Sydney

by Gary Leff

sydney
Jun 21 2005

In Sydney We stopped by the Sydney Fish Market on the way to my family’s place from the airport to pick up dinner, then Thursday went to the Taronga Zoo (let me know if anyone wants pictures, for the moment I’ll just share this sign which particularly amused me). Then lunch on the water and back to change for the evening. My family had arranged a private tour of the Opera House, and then we had prime seats for a new play, Two Brothers. (Which was fine, some of the humor a bit too locally Australian for us really to get, but for a political play it was way too unsubtle for my tastes – in the very first scene we learn that conservatives are characterized by their heartlessness and desire to see immigrants die…

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Heading to Australia

by Gary Leff

sydney
Jun 21 2005

Monday, June 6 1:50 pm Depart Bora Bora Motu Mute Airport Air Tahiti Flight 459 The night before we received a ‘departure letter’ with a printout of our folio, a Starwood Luxury Collection survey, and a departure time. We were scheduled for 11:30am which would have left us with 2 hours at the BOB airport – way too long with nothing to do. I went to the front desk and had them change our departure until an hour later, which I think caused them to make an extra airport boat run as there were a couple of other folks from our resort on the plane and they didn’t come over on our boat. After approaching the airport dock by boat, checkin at BOB took 2 minutes tops. There was no line and the airport was…

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On to Bora Bora

by Gary Leff

bora bora
Jun 18 2005

Wednesday, June 1 11:10 am Depart Papeete Intl Tahiti Faaa Air Tahiti Flight 452 Egads, we were about 45 minutes ahead of my planned schedule. After a 5 minute cab ride (1500 CFP) I went to check in. There are 2 domestic terminals at Faaa and 1 international. Entering the airport, the first terminal is for Air Moorea, then the international terminal, followed by Air Tahiti (VT). Several shops, an upstairs restaurant, downstairs shops, Bance Socredo, McDonald’s, and business center. Checkin requires you to first screen all bags, which then receive a tag. You take them over to checkin yourself after that (at least at LAX at the TBIT the bags are taken to checkin with you and you aren’t allowed to touch them after screening, couldn’t you put something dangerous in after receiving the…

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Best and Worst Burger

by Gary Leff

burger
Apr 13 2005

One of the worst cheeseburgers I ever ate was onboard a United Airlines flight to San Francisco when it made me sick. For awhile in 2001 that became the standard lunch offering on first class transcontinental flights. Occasionally it was edible, but flight attendants had a hard time preparing it and more often than not the bun was served rock hard. It was supposed to be a ‘gourmet’ burger but it just wasn’t. I’ve long grilled my own burgers with a pat of butter inside the patty. It keeps the burger moist and juicy even if I overcook the meat. But Tyler Cowen offers an idea that I hadn’t thought of myself: stuff it with blue cheese as well. Yum! As for me, I’d add some mushrooms and grilled onions and that might be the…

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Some notes from recent travels

by Gary Leff

alaska airlines
Feb 23 2005

I flew a couple transcon flights on Alaska Airlines. The first, a breakfast flight, was very disappointing. The first class flight attendant spent the majority of the flight in the galley reading. She had a sour demeanor, and made requests unpleasant. Breakfast was sparse. The return flight was a different story entirely, a much more pleasant crew and a filling lunch. Still, the pitch is tight on Alaska’s first class product and the seats are old and visibly worn. Security lines were long at both Reagan National and Seattle. Not surprising, it was a holiday weekend. The first class/elite lines in Seattle make a huge difference. It’s a shame that National doesn’t offer this (and neither, unfortunately, does Dulles). Seattle is the original home of shoe removal. It’s commonplace nowadays, but it seemed to start…

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Air Tahiti Nui Special from Los Angeles to Tahiti and Paris

by Gary Leff

air tahiti
Jan 07 2005

Only good on a few dates and flights, but nice values nevertheless: Hot Winter Specials – 2 Romantic DestinationsJust in time for a Valentine’s Day Getaway!!Take your Sweetie to Tahiti or go to France for Romance! TahitiMoana Economy $395 per person, plus tax Poerava Business $2000 per person, plus taxParis (CDG)Moana Economy $498 per Couple, plus taxPoerava Business $3400 per Couple, plus tax*** Tahiti Instant Purchase Special ***$395 (plus taxes) per person – Moana Economy Class $2000 (plus taxes) per person – Poerava Business ClassValid only by combining the following designated flights:Southbound – Los Angeles to Papeete, TahitiFlight # TN1: January 23, 30, February 3, 6, 13, 24 & 25.Flight # TN301: February 22. Northbound – Papeete, Tahiti to Los AngelesFlight # TN2: January 31, February 7, 9, 14, 16, & 28.Flight # TN302: February…

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