View from the Wing

In Sydney

by Gary Leff on June 21, 2005

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…

Heading to Australia

by Gary Leff on June 21, 2005

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…

On to Bora Bora

by Gary Leff on June 18, 2005

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…

Where I was at…

by Gary Leff on June 18, 2005

After posting about my hiatus on the 26th of May, I received several emails asking what the beautiful beach photo was. The answer: the Intercontinental Beachcomber Resort on Tahiti, which frankly was just an airport hotel. I was on an award trip during which I spent a whopping 670,000 miles and points, including: 290,000 American Airlines miles (2 first class tickets to Tahiti, Australia, and back on Air Tahiti Nui and Qantas); 176,000 Starwood points for a 5th night free award at Bora Bora Nui; 60,000 Priority Club points for 2 nights at the Intercontinental Tahiti; 24,000 Priority Club points for a night at the Intercontinental Sydney (during a 20% off award sale); and several other redemptions. After a flight to Seattle in Alaska first class, a stay at the W Seattle, then down to…

Heh

by Gary Leff on June 17, 2005

Jun 17 2005

Via David Rowell, 280 fully armed soldiers boarded a chartered DC10 to fly from Atlanta to Kuwait. M-16s, pistols, bayonets and knives were everywhere. But, as the soldiers made their way through airport security, they had to surrender nose hair clippers, pocket knives and cigarette lighters.

Free HHonors Points

by Gary Leff on June 17, 2005

Jun 17 2005

500 free Hilton points for filling out a 7 question marketing survey. Points post instantly. Hat tip to Free Frequent Flyer Miles.

Hiatus

by Gary Leff on May 26, 2005

May 26 2005

I don’t plan to blog again until June 18th. See you in a few weeks!

Cathay Pacific Visa for Canadians

by Gary Leff on May 24, 2005

May 24 2005

Canadians can get a Cathay Pacific Visa Platinum card from RBC Bank. The annual fee is stiff at CA$150, but the card earns 1 AsiaMile per Canadian dollar spent — pretty good earning — on top of the 5000 AsiaMiles with first purchase. The AsiaMiles program permits upgrading on British Airways and American in addition to Cathay Pacific, and some of its awards are incredible values. 60,000 AsiaMiles buys you a business class award of less than 5000 miles each way. That would yield a British Airways ticket from the U.S. East Coast to most destinations in Europe. American charges 50,000 miles in coach for that. AsiaMiles is my program of choice for transferring eBay Anything Points, by the way, since 1 eBay point yields slightly more than 1 AsiaMile.

Virgin Atlantic Gets Aggressive in Australia