SouthWest saved the day twice after I was on 3 different flights that I got cancelled from on the same night !!

The background:

I was in Las Vegas hoping to head home after a week of work. I was on AA flight 1871 flying at 16h50 and landing at about 21h30 in Dallas.

That was the start of a very intense evening which ended with me being on all those flights that got cancelled, buying points to top up my balance and then landing at Love Field at 01h20 in the morning. Of course on any normal Saturday morning after a week away this would have been fine. Get home late, sleep late and then carry on with my weekend.

But no!

A quiet weekend away with my wife ?:

This was the weekend I had arranged to fly to Palm Springs at 07h20 on Saturday morning with my wife for a weekend getaway. The dates ended up being chosen by work restrictions and the fact that I had a 50,000 point voucher from Marriott Bonvoy which was expiring on 26 May.

I had had 3 x 50,000 point vouchers, using the first 2 for nights at the St Regis in Bangkok. I would recommend everyone to stay at this hotel sometime, it was wonderful.

As a result of this I thought to myself, “why not stay at a local St Regis hotel ?”. Well, not so easy. It seems it costs much more to stay at most US based St Regis hotels. My surprise was that it cost 88,000 points per night to stay at the St Regis, Palm Springs on the dates I wanted. I was quite shocked by this, I cannot fathom how that hotel would be double as good as the one in Bangkok seeing as it was costing double the points.

So I carried on looking and then saw the Westin, Rancho Mirage, Resort and Spa. It seemed to be a nice resort type hotel with spa and golf course and pool complex so I booked it. (There will be a separate review of our stay at this Westin.) We booked 2 tickets on SouthWest using my wife’s Companion Pass and so were ready to fly from Dallas but now I am stuck in Las Vegas.

Back to me trying to leave Las Vegas:

I was booked on AA flight 1871 departing at 16h50 and landing at about 21h30. Then the delay messages started. First AA 1871 delayed to 17h08. Then AA 1871 delayed to 18h00. And AA 1871 delayed to 18h50. Finally AA 1871 delayed to 19h05.

I was staying at the Wynn and had arranged checkout for 15h30. I had originally planned to leave the hotel at 14h15 to drop off the rental car and then check-in for the flight. As each delay happened I was able to stay on in my room waiting. Once the delay to 18h50 happened I got worried that the flight might end up being cancelled. Now some of the next time details might not be 100% accurate as it got a bit complicated from here on but I will list it as I remember. On the app I tried to book a flight which was flying at 18h00 but for some reason it put my booking on hold, it would not confirm the flight.

I rushed off to the airport, totally forgetting that the car rental place in Las Vegas is a ways away from the airport. So I had to deviate to the car rental return place, check the car back in, wait in line for the bus to the airport and then ride the bus. All the while my battery was draining from 20% power left. After having to pause while I was driving I was back trying to confirm the flight. I was not able to and it eventually disappeared from my list.

The lovely gate agent Miriama:

I was told by the lovely American Airlines agent named Miriama that it was because I had not confirmed within 30 minutes. That is all good and well but my MyCWT site was convinced that I was on the flight and kept on giving me updates on the progress of the flight. Well, that flight was also eventually cancelled.

By now I had been informed that there were intense thunderstorms over Texas and there were all sorts of delays because of flights not being able to land or take off from Dallas. I was convinced that I was not going to get to Dallas in time for my flight to Palm Springs at 07h20. Sometime around this time my original flight AA 1871 was also cancelled.

I had by now taken over Miriama’s counter as I was asking her about either flights to Dallas after midnight or flights directly from Las Vegas to Palm Springs. Interestingly American does not fly to Palm Springs from Las Vegas even though it is so close. I would have to take an indirect flight. There was one via Miami. Yes Miami. I would have to fly to the other side of the country to get a flight to Palm Springs. I was not sure if that was a good idea as in a worst case scenario I could even hire a rental car and get to Palm Springs quicker.

Flying to Dallas after midnight !

So by that point because of the original cancellation American now had me rescheduled on AA flight AA 2649 which was to take off at 05h00 and land at DFW at 09h30. That was no good. Now I was dealing with agent Tina who was also lovely and helpful. She got me cancelled from AA 2649 and tried to help me get booked on AA 2526 that looked like it would take off at 00h30 and get me to Dallas by about 05h15. My wife could then pick me up at DFW and we could go on to Love Field for our SouthWest flight to Palm Springs at 07h20. Cutting it fine but still feasible.

By now there were flights being cancelled all over the board as one by one flights were not taking off from Dallas and so were not going to be landing at Las Vegas in time for their onward flight. The thunderstorms in Dallas were scheduled to run until around midnight and so with pilots and flight crews running out of time there were not going to be many flights from Dallas until the normally scheduled flights on Saturday morning. Unluckily AA 2526 also got cancelled.

SouthWest to my rescue:

Now SouthWest would save the day for the first time.

By now I was thinking about other ways to get to Dallas and so I thought about SouthWest. I tried to book a flight on SW 611 departing at about 17h35 and landing at about 22h10 but did not have enough points. So there I was sitting against the wall in Las Vegas airport where I know there is a secret wall plug that I can use to power up my phone (which by this time was down to about 3% power). In 2009 I had first used this spot to power my computer watching movies overnight while I waited for a normally booked flight at 8am after I had arrived in Vegas at 9pm. I have used it many times since. It is one of the few power plugs available outside security.

I bought 6000 points for $90, which was normally $180 dollars but there was a sale on. Lucky me !!! Back to my booking. Luckily the Southwest points updated quickly and I was able to go ahead with booking flight SW 611.

Then the delays started with this flight too. SW 611 delayed to 18h54.

Departure board at about 18h30

Then SW 611 delayed to 19h18.

SW 611 delayed to 20h06.

Departure board at 20h55

On this board you can see there are at least 14 flights delayed by more than an hour and 3 flights cancelled.

I had every expectation that this SouthWest flight would also be cancelled. But it wasn’t. Eventually a plane pulled into the gate and we were told to start boarding at about 19h48. Strangely enough with all the people affected by the cancellations this flight was only 2/3 full.

Quite empty rear of the aircraft

As a result of the flight being so late there were some taxi delays and we eventually took off at about 20h50. We landed at Love Field at about 01h20 and parked at Gate 12.

My flight arrived at gate 12

There was still a lot of activity at the airport at that time because of all the people impacted by the storm. My flight was still flying on to Kansas City at about 01h55 (only 2 hours late) and the passengers were drearily waiting to board.

Gate 12 at 01h20 in the morning

On walking out to the baggage area there were so many passengers draped all over couches and leaning against walls watching videos or sleeping. They had all been affected by the delays and were waiting for the next morning.

I waited for my luggage, called a Lyft driver and got home at about 02h20, then hopped into bed and slept for 2 hours before getting up in time to leave for the airport at 5.

SouthWest to the big rescue:

Now SouthWest would save the day for everyone.

Under every normal circumstance I would not have experienced what I did at Love Field that morning. I would still have been tucked up in bed catching up on sleep but for my trip to Palm Springs at 07h20..

On arriving at the terminal it was unbelievable how many people were there. There were about a hundred people in line to be helped by the counter agents. There were also about 80 people in line to check in their bags and this was in the section where you self check in, print the tag, attach it yourself and then stand in a (normally) short line to have your id checked and have the bag checked in.

SouthWest had brought in all the troops:

The really cool thing was I could see that SouthWest had pulled out all the stops. There were agents at every counter to help with re-bookings and to help with checking bags.

And then security. All the security gates were manned, every x-ray machine was active and there were agents everywhere. There were hundreds of people in the general line and my wife joined the end of that line. I went through TSA-Pre, there were at least 30 people ahead of me but the line went smoothly. The general line was interesting to watch. There was a continual movement of people moving forward.

I imagine SouthWest had called almost every employee they could gather to be at Love Field so early to help that Saturday morning. It was a very impressive performance by everyone involved. I did not see any passengers getting upset, and I am sure that was because they could see that the lines for baggage and security were moving so quickly and smoothly. I waited about 15 or so minutes and my wife came through normal security. There were more than a hundred people in line before her and it took her less than 20 minutes to get through the id check line and then through the security machines. I have seen lines like that take over an hour in Orlando.

There were many flights taking off early, I am not sure if SouthWest had booked extra flights or not, it definitely seemed like it.

Our plane to Palm Springs via Phoenix took off on time.

Congratulations SouthWest:

So well done SouthWest after the intense thunderstorms. You handled it very well and those few thousand people on Saturday morning must have been very grateful for your actions. It was a job very well done.

Outside view of the 2 towers

Fountain, sign and bridge over International Drive

Valet parking rates

Arriving to acrobatic dancers galore:

I arrived at the Hyatt Regency, International Drive, Orlando at about 7 on a lovely spring evening but on entering the lobby I was immediately struck by the cacophony of sound and movement. There were hundreds of young girls and their parents moving all over. I found out later that this was an acrobatic dance event with girls from all over the country competing. They were in the hotel for the next 3 days and there were positives and negatives to them being there. The laughing and giggling and happy movement all over the hotel was fun to experience but of course this also meant longer lines for food and drinks in the hotel shops.

The nice large pool

The pool restaurant and the pool were a hive of activity with lots of girls swimming before or after their performances. The parents had many different ways of passing the time while their daughters were busy but more on that later.

Part of the reception area

I was checked in by Carolina, a lovely lady who made the check-in a fun experience. I found out that there are 1634 rooms in this hotel, rates starting at about $205 per night for a standard room. The rooms are in 2 separate towers and I ended up in tower 2 on the 18th floor. On exiting the elevator I saw that the ice machine was in a room just one door down. This meant it would be less than 40 meters from my room to get ice, quite a bonus. There were 5 elevators which definitely served the crowds well. I don’t think I ever had to wait more than a minute or 2 for an elevator.

Sign at the elevators explaining getting around

22 floors available

A nice sitting and meeting area was opposite the elevator lobby on the 18th floor.

Hallway meeting area

Entering my room:

My room was a standard 2 bed. I see there are rooms at the Hyatt with Regency Club access which provide daily continental breakfast, light snacks, hors d’oeuvres, desserts and drinks. Quite a yummy thought, I would most likely not even leave my room or the Club if I booked that, I would be snacking all day. My room had quite a bit of space, there is a chaise lounge, a desk and chair and a small round table with a foot stool.

Standard room with 2 beds

Chaise lounge

Table, drawers and tv

It has most of the normal, required amenities. A decent sized safe, ironing board and iron, small refrigerator, toiletries and nice size TV set.

In cupboard safe

Refrigerator

The bathroom is also a good size with the basin and a large counter on the left, toilet in the middle and the bath with shower on the right. Having them in line gives a lot more space for moving around.

Soap, toothbrush, mouthwash and shower cap.

Basin with towels

Bath toiletries

Bath and shower

The Pharmacopia toiletries are really nice. There was soap, shampoo, conditioner and body wash provided. I know that you can usually get any toiletry item you need if you phone downstairs. I have had razors, shaving cream and many other items provided to me over the years.

Also in the room was a coffee machine, ice bucket and tongs and a luggage rack. There is a large cabinet under the wall mounted TV set that has many useful drawers.

Ice bucket and coffee machine

Top drawer with bible

There is a small cube clock on the center table between the beds that has power plug points as well as USB ports.

Cube clock with power points

There is rather a pleasant view for a room at the back of the hotel facing the convention center side.

The view is of the number 1 tower and the rooftop garden party area.

View from my room

Here is a picture of an event that was held on the rooftop garden area one evening.

Rooftop garden events area

All in all, I stayed 7 nights and the room played a large part in the pleasant time I had.

The Convention Center side:

There are at least 15 smaller meeting rooms and 2 big ballrooms. The Regency and the Windermere are the 2 ballrooms that can hold about 5,000 people each so really big events can be held here.

Convention center hallway

Ballroom lobby

As the signs say there is also a Skybridge over International Drive to the Orange County Convention Center where all manner of massive events are held.

I was very pleased to see that 4 of the meeting rooms are named after Space Shuttles. Quite appropriate seeing as the Cape is only an hour away.

Boardrooms named after Space Shuttles

Dinner at Fiorenzo Italian Steakhouse:

This was a fun experience. If you are alone and would like to sit at the bar, Fiorenza has a different evening in store for you. They have large community tables for single people, the idea being that you can chat to the people at your table if you so choose. On the one occasion that I sat at those tables there was a lady eating who read her book so she didn’t take part in conversation, and a man who was there for the truckers convention who was fun to chat to for a while.

Entrance to Fiorenzo Italian steakhouse

I had really good lamb chops which come served with seasonable vegetables, cauliflower puree, salsa verde and leek top oil. A gorgeous combination. Also a side of truffle fries which are decadent but wonderful. It was a top class meal, the chops were perfectly seasoned and medium-well done for me. An Absolut vodka with orange juice rounded the meal off. It is a highly recommended experience.

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/florida/hyatt-regency-orlando/mcoro/dining

A friend and I ate at Fiorenzo a few nights later and we both had pasta dishes which were also fine to eat.

After that meal, a visit to the extensive fitness center:

For a hotel that size they have a suitably large gym available. I counted at least 4 different workout areas, including an area with mats for yoga type activities.

Treadmills and pedal machines

Workout machines

Weights with a view

They have water dispensers, towels, banks of pedal machines and a multitude of treadmills.

Inspirational message

Towels galore !

What do a dance event a trucking expo and a software convention have in common ?

 Their love of coffee:

There is a coffee shop cum snack bar cum supermarket that has a very useful array of items. You can get a cappuccino, a small hot pizza, a bottle of wine, an ice cream, a salad and all manner of other items. The next thing they have in common is loving coffee and snacks. The store was constantly busy with a line for the 3 days the dance contest was on, and it only became slightly less busy once they were gone.

Coffee snack store

Salads, fruit and other cold items

Many types of drinks available

Wine selection

The pizza maker

Restaurants and bars:

There is another store which stacks clothing and other Hyatt and Orlando mementos. It also has drinks and snacks available.

Store with mementos

There is the B-Line Diner which I heard does a great breakfast, and I experienced some absolutely decadent deserts.

B-Line diner

Ad in the elevator

Rocks Bar is a big bar with a view over the pool.

Rocks bar

View of the pool from the bar

What do a dance event a trucking expo and a software convention have in common ?

Their love of the pool:

The third thing they had in common was using the pool and vicinity. The girls spent hours in the pool when they were not competing. The truckers and software attendees did not spend as much in the pool but spent more time more around the pool at Urban Tide for hamburgers, salads and such, Coconuts Pool Bar in the Grotto pool and Rocks, the bar which overlooks the pool.

When it comes time to leave:

There is a computer station in the lobby for checking flights and printing out boarding passes and such.

Computer station

Oh, and about the parents keeping themselves occupied.

There are many couches and chairs and alcoves all around the hotel and as I strolled through I saw many different groups of parents seated around. Some were chatting, some reading books or computers, some even dozing. The ones I saw while I was in Fiorenzo having my wonderful lamb chops meal were having the most fun. There were 7 or 8 mothers having an absolute ball enjoying copious amounts of wine. They were at the table opposite mine and it was such fun watching the dynamics of the group in action. I am sure they had more fun than all the other parents had the whole week…

How good is the hotel ?

The Hyatt Regency is very good at doing what it does best. It is a large hotel with thousands of guests but it has the facilities to keep those guests busy and happy.

There is so much to keep you busy that I am sure you will enjoy your stay at the Hyatt Regency, International Drive, Orlando.

The strangest bag check-in:

There was a bit of an inconvenience when I tried to check my bag. I had landed in Toronto the previous night, collected my bag from the carousel, spent the night in a hotel and then arrived at the airport in the morning for my flight. I couldn’t check my bag on the self check terminal and so called over a representative to help me. He checked in the system and said to me “The system says your bag is still in the airport in transit to Dallas”. I said ” That is silly as here it is” pointing to said bag. It got weirder as he said the system will not allow me to check the bag as it is in the system on my name already.

and a bit stranger still:

After a bit of muddling in the system and not being able to sort it out I eventually had to check it on my wife’s ticket. Now that complicates the story even more as my wife was not checking in to the flight. Seeing as I had had to stay overnight we had booked her another ticket to fly on to Dallas the previous night. I still had her ticket so I took it out and used it to check my bag. There didn’t seem to be any other way to get my bag on the flight seeing as the agent had said it was proving impossible to put it on my ticket.

Toronto airport has a full customs area to check all passengers flying into the United States. Once you are through you are technically in the United States already as once you land in Dallas you just walk off the plane into the terminal with no checks.  

At the gate I was concerned that if my wife didn’t board there might be complications with my bag so I explained to the agent that my wife was not going to make the flight. I asked if she could move the bag to my ticket and she said sure, and one minute later gave me a new baggage tag with the suitcase on my ticket. Strange but true. 

The flight had been announced as full and I saw later in the flight that they had sold my wife’s ticket as there was a lady who sat next to me in her seat. So it ended up being a win-win for me and them.

On board:

https://www.aircanada.com/us/en/aco/home//onboard/fleet.html#/

The flight is around 4 hours but we are in an Embraer E175 which is a smaller design and has a seating plan of 2+2.

Embraer E175 2×2 seating

There is a sweet looking overhead unit that has the light, air vent, button for calling the attendant, a speaker and seat belt sign.

Overhead unit

The plane has such small overhead baggage bins that most normal sized hand luggage had to be checked at the gate as they won’t fit. 

Small luggage bins

Air Canada has a fun safety message video that takes staff to many different regions in Canada, they interact with local people and then demonstrate the safety procedures with local and airline equipment. On a mountain or on a snow covered field, it is quite a fun video. 

Air Canada safety video

As you can see the Embraer E175 has a really nice entertainment system with a good sized screen. There was a nice choice of newer films but I delved into the past and caught up on one of the Twilight series of movies that I hadn’t seen. 

Safety and food card:

The safety card was well past its prime but was still informative. Exit procedures for water and land and a sweet pictogram of how to put a safety jacket onto a baby.

Safety card with water evacuation

and the land evacuation

Meals, snacks and drinks list

Meal combinations

On board facilities:

So I toured the toilet in the interests of a complete review. Small and everything you would expect of an on board loo. Many no smoking signs, paper tissues, seat covers, toilet rolls. A clever jacket hook on the door. 

Basin and hand soap

All the paper you will need

No smoking on either side of the door.

View from the window:

There was a pleasant view of a fellow Air Canada plane taxiing past.

View from the window

I ended up purchasing a fruit and cheese board which was rather tasty, had a cup of hot tea and overall had a really nice flight. On arrival in Dallas there it was. After an interesting journey my bag was ready for collection on the carousel. 

And that is the end of my trip and the story of how I got my bag on the Air Canada flight from Toronto to Dallas.

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ausdthx-hampton-suites-austin-downtown-convention-center/

Front entrance

I was there for a convention so there was a premium on hotel rooms in the area. The rooms were around $240 at the start of the week and $300 once the convention started. The Hampton Inn is in a great spot only one block away from the convention center as well as being 2 blocks away from the Ann Richards Bridge, famous for the ‘flocks’ of bats that emerge at sunset  When it comes to meal time the hotel is in an optimum position. Directly across the road is Gus’s World Famous fried chicken, PF Changs Chinese restaurant, a great sushi restaurant, a good Thai restaurant and a coffee shop. Next to the hotel is a crepe restaurant and to the side are 2 smart steakhouses. Downtown Austin does have a lot of places to eat.

On arrival the first thing I saw was the small valet stand. Valet prices are $12 for 2 hours, $22 for an 8 hour day or a high $52 overnight.

Valet parking rates

Lobby and check-in:

I stay in 40 to 50 hotels a year so I start categorizing them according to expectation upon entering the lobby. Some hotels do not put much into a lobby, it is just a place to enter or hang out while waiting for a ride. Other hotels have fancy lobbies with large check-in areas and big lounges, maybe even a lobby bar.

The Hampton Inn and Suites Austin downtown is one of the former. A small lobby with a staircase on the left going up to the second floor breakfast and office area. There is a really interesting large round sofa against the stairs which is very comfortable. On the right is a small 2 person check-in desk and just past that is a small area with drinks and candies for purchase.

Round staircase in lobby

Office facilities

Entrance to the elevators

Front desk

Check-in went quite smoothly. Gave him my Hilton number and was given a bag with 2 bottles of water and a bag of nuts – Oh the perks of status!

Luckily I sleep through anything so I don’t have to ask for a room away from the elevators or the ice machine. I do normally request a high room and on this occasion was given the 9th floor out of 16. Later riding up with some of the other guys I work with I saw they had rooms ranging from the 5th floor to the 15th so I am not sure if my request meant anything.

9th floor and the room:

Hallway artwork

On exiting the elevator I saw that the ice machine was right next to the elevator. Oh I wish all hotels did this. I have sometimes spent 10 minutes searching for the ice machine in some of the bigger hotels I stay at.

Machines for ice and water

About 20 yards away was room 911, my home for the week.

Room 911

On entering the room a small counter with coffee machine and ice bucket is on the left just past the bathroom door.

This counter also contained the half size fridge. Hooray for the fridge, it means I can keep milk, cheese, soda and other small items cold.

Fridge

The room is pleasant with wire basket drawers, a couple of footstools, a desk and all the other room facilities.

Cupboard, iron, ironing board, safe

Wire drawers

Chair and table

Desk and chair

Foot rests

Bed and side tables

Pretty bathroom:

The bathroom has a lovely basin with a wide counter and toiletries in wall mounted plastic bottles by Zero% Natural Kind Formulation.

towels

soap and remover

shower gel, conditioner, shampoo

sink and hair drier

Nice art work

Breakfast area:

The Hampton Inn and Suites Austin downtown is one of the Hampton Inns that provides a free breakfast. It is quite a comprehensive breakfast too, cereal, oats, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, waffles with strawberries and nuts, toast, fruit and a coffee and tea station. It was really nice to be able to pop in and get something every morning on the way to work.

fruit baskets

cheese omelettes and potatoes

tea and coffee station

Part of the breakfast area

Other facilities:

There is a nice pool available on the 4th floor as well a complete gym.

pool area

Gym

In the lobby is a small snack store named Treats, with a variety of items such as ice cream, wine, candy, drinks, Hot Pockets meals and Keep Austin Weird t-shirts.

Treats unique store

Austin bat bridge:

You might have heard of the bat bridge in Austin. The Ann W Richards Congress Avenue bridge is known for the millions of bats that fly out every evening after sunset. It felt like bit of a gyp the day we went though. We stood on the northern bank on the alcove landing that juts out over the river. There were a lot of people that stood near us. There are people that stand on the bridge, on the other bank, and many people that are on the water in kayaks or boats or charter boats. Many companies take visitors out on the water every night.

Austin bat bridge

Boats on the river

The photos were taken almost an hour before the bats came out. We stood in a really bad place because it seems the bats fly out from the opposite side of the bridge and we could hardly see them against the dark sky. The boats know as they are there everyday so if you do go make sure you stand near the boats. Those bats also flew out quite a time after sunset so it had become quite dark and hard to see them. The videos of the bats you can watch on the internet will show you much more than you will see in person.

Credit for the video to Bat Conservation International.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwWGvf38TVM

Overall impression:

Overall it was actually a very pleasant stay. The facilities in the room are nice and useful and the pool, the gym, the free breakfast area, the store, the office area and the vicinity to the Convention Center all make a great experience.

The Hampton Inn and Suites Austin downtown is well recommended.

Arrival at DFW airport:

I arrived at DFW airport at about 12h30 on Saturday for my 14h30 flight. As I have said before I always plan to arrive 2 hours before flying as a precaution in case of traffic problems or delays at check-in or security. This experience was great. Priority check-in was just a few minutes and then bonus! No-one in the TSA-Pre line. From arriving at check-in to getting through security took me only about 5 minutes.

American Airlines check-in counter at Terminal C

TSA-Pre check-in line

Off to the Capital One lounge:

Seeing as I was through so quickly my next move was naturally to catch the Sky Link train across to Terminal D and the Capital One lounge.

Stairs up to the SkyLink

The lounge was rather busy today, Saturday at 12h45, so it took a moment to find a place to sit. Luckily I found a comfy seat at the window so I could sit and watch the planes taking off while drinking a cappuccino.

Cathay Pacific Cargo plane speeding down the runway

Cathy Pacific Cargo plane taking off

I am trying each of the cocktails on the menu, so today I had the BlueBonnet containing Lemon vodka, Apricot, Lemon sour, Texas wildflower honey, Butterfly tea float. A really interesting combination but it was rather sweet. Definitely tasty if you like a sweet drink, so I enjoyed it a lot.

Capital One lounge drinks menu

Attached is a picture of my snacks on this visit. Always enjoyable to visit this lounge.

Snacks, cappuccino, Bluebonnet cocktail.

Boarding the aircraft:

I boarded the aircraft in Group 3 and sat at my normal seat at the window. American Airlines has 9 groups that passengers are divided into according to priority status and ticket price. My status gives me instant access to seating as soon as my ticket is booked so I am normally able to get a seat at the window near the front of the plane.

On board the 737-800.

View from the window seat

The safety card is its normal informative self, showing evacuation procedures and on board requirements.

737 safety card

737 evacuation procedure

Health information and drinks list

I believe the seats near the front of the plane have enough leg room. I am 6 ft tall and am always comfortable on the 737.

Available leg room.

Each seat has an electric plug which helps with laptops, tablets and phones.

Plug at the seat.

The 37 minute flight:

The pilot did his pre-flight announcement and there it was. He announced that the flight would take 37 minutes and we would be flying at 20,000 feet. So no time for drinks to be served or a movie to be watched, just enough time to maybe watch one episode of a sitcom. The entertainment supplement listed all the movies that are available, maybe on a next flight I can find out about “A man called Otto”.

Inflight Entertainment

List of available movies

Live TV, audiobooks and podcasts and music.

Austin-Bergstrom airport:

https://www.austin-airport.com

Before you knew it it was time to land. The landing was smooth and we trundled along to our gate. We walked up the ramp into the airport and at the gate I turned and saw that the plane would be boarding again in about 30 minutes for the return 37 minute flight to DFW airport. I could ask those passengers “So is it worth it to fly 37 minutes or rather drive instead?” too.

I wandered down the passage heading to the baggage area, passing the great chicken sandwich place on the left and the must-have barbecue place on the right. There is even a Joint chiropractic branch at Austin airport. Right at the end you go down a floor to the baggage area. There is an interesting display of guitar art on the carousels, all based on the importance of music to Austin.

Baggage carousels.

Keeping Austin weird

We waited 15 to 20 minutes for our bags so that added to the flight duration.

Evaluation of the flight:

The American Airlines flight from DFW to Austin had only taken 37 minutes but I had spent 3 and a half hours from arriving at DFW to leaving Austin airport.

The positioning of the taxi, Lyft and Uber area at Austin airport does not help to make leaving smooth. You exit the main airport building, cross the busy streets, walk into the parking garage, go down a floor by elevator, then have more than 5 minutes walk through the garage, then cross the road to the next garage which has areas for each type of transport.

Whenever I work in San Antonio I normally drive, mainly so that I can stop in Lockhart – the barbecue capital of Texas. It is a 4 hour drive and that is similar to the time I would spend in the airports. So the 3 hour drive to Austin would have been easy. Of course I would also have had to pay $52 a night for 7 days for parking at our downtown hotel. The cost compared to the time saved makes it more difficult to decide.

There are positives and negatives associated with driving or flying so I will let you all make up your own minds about this flight.

So is it worth it to fly 37 minutes or rather drive instead ?

It is sad because it means you are leaving the gloriousness that is a Thai island and going back to your un-island like life.

Koh Samui airport sign

I did a review of the flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui in the ATR 72-600 turboprop plane and this is our return flight. Bangkok Airways seems to alternate between the ATR 72-600 and the A 319 on this leg. While I was waiting for my flight I kept my eye on the runway and saw the earlier ATR 72-600 flight to Bangkok take off around 45 minutes before our flight.

Arriving and baggage check-in:

The whole check-in experience at Koh Samui airport is interesting. It starts normally at the counter with checking a bag and getting your boarding pass. Then when you want to go through you have to wait. There is a sign that says something like “Wait 5 minutes and if you see your bag on the screen then go to security”. There is a video monitor that has a shot of some bags in a room. Every now and then another bag gets put there. I guess it means they saw something in your bag that they need to check. So we stood around with the other travelers for a while, my wife continuously asking “Is it time ?”. I had to do the clock watching as within about 2 minutes she was asking “Can we go through yet ?”. I waited about 6 minutes and then said “We should be good by now” and we walked on.

Waiting at the gate:

The next part of Koh Samui airport is not like any big city airport. There are pathways that lead through palm trees between gift shops and coffee shops and other shops. It is all in the outdoors and the vegetation looks like you are still at the beach. It was actually quite fun and enhances the “Oh I wish I was staying on the island longer” feeling. Eventually you reach the departure hall for your gate. I believe there are only 2 gates and we were at Gate 1.

Entrance to gate 1

Gate 1 waiting area

Of course, even though we may be flying on a domestic flight, when traveling on a foreign passport we always arrive at the airport a bit earlier just in case. The check-in was rather quick and even with the “6 minute baggage wait” we had about an hour to wait for takeoff. So I went and found a store, bought coffee and shrimp flavored chips and we nibbled and people watched, making up stories about each group of passengers and why they were on the island. I saw our plane land, saw the other ATR 72-600 take off and then it was our turn.

Boarding:

This time boarding was by groups because you enter the plane as normal as opposed to the first 10 rows loading first for the ATR 72-600 where you enter from the rear. We rode out to the plane on the cool open air carts which take you right past the plane and drop you on the tarmac. Nice picture taking opportunity again !

Bangkok Airways A 319 “Hiroshima”

Cool shot of A 319 engine

https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Bangkok-Airways

We were in group 3 and sat in row 18.

Inside A 319 with 3×3 seating

The takeoff was smooth and we had one last view of the beaches as we flew over.

Coastline directly after take-off

Once again I paid close attention to the safety card. Being an Airbus this plane has rafts that inflate once the door has opened which is quite comforting.

Safety card with land and water evacuation

A 319 safety card

Surprise meal again:

After we leveled off they started the meal service. Once again it was a nice surprise to have it on a 75 minute flight. I guess that will be the norm for most Bangkok Airways flights.

The meal was a pasta dish which was delicious, lovely texture of the pasta and nice vegetables in the sauce. We also received those delicious spicy banana chips, water and then your choice of soft drinks or tea or coffee.

Nice pasta meal.

After the meal the flight was nearly over and then we crossed the coast of the mainland. One extra bonus was that we flew past Bangkok airport to land from the north so I had a great view of the whole airport.

View of Bangkok Airport

I was very impressed when I first passed through Bangkok airport on the way to Koh Samui and I was looking forward to being there again.

Another opportunity for photographs on the tarmac as we were picked up by bus and driven to the specific gates that Bangkok uses. One last picture of our plane used on the Bangkok Airways flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok. The color is slightly off as I took it through the tinted window of the bus but it is a great reminder of the flight.

Conclusion:

It will not really matter if you get the ATR 72-600 turboprop plane and enjoy a propellor powered flight or if you get the Airbus A 319 for your flight to Koh Samui. Either way Bangkok Airways provides a very pleasant way to get from the mainland out to the islands and southern parts of Thailand. I am glad I had the opportunity to experience it.

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/yyzgs-sheraton-gateway-hotel-in-toronto-international-airport/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0

Having flown from Bangkok via Narita to Toronto on Air Canada there was a delay with the flight onwards to Dallas so I had to spend the night and fly out the next morning. It was a Wednesday night and the hotels didn’t seem overly busy.

Booking process:

There were quite a few hotels in the area with prices ranging from 22,000 points up to at least 40,000 points for the one night. I have status with multiple hotel brands so I eventually decided to book the Sheraton by Marriott which is connected to Toronto Airport terminal 3. There is also a train linking terminal 1 with terminal 3. That station is linked to the bridge connecting the hotel to terminal 3 so the ease of use is great.

I stopped at the check-in desk and asked if I could book there with miles. “No, only on the website” was the reply. I had the app open and ready so I stepped aside, selected and pressed confirm, and had a booking number within 30 seconds. I spent 35,000 Marriott miles which was higher than I had planned but I decided that the ease of use of the trains was a good enough reason for the splurge. The Sheraton Toronto airport hotel review was on.

The USP Express train service is available to whisk you into Toronto from terminal 1 (one stop away from the hotel). I always try to go to the highest point in any city I visit so once I had checked in I caught that train to Union Station and went up the CN Tower. The Tower is less than 10 minutes walk from the station under a covered walkway, but my story of that visit is for another time.

Hotel room:

I was given a room on the 4th floor. I was offered the opportunity to upgrade to the Sheraton Club Lounge. For about $60 extra you have access to a private lounge, a hot breakfast buffet, all day refreshments and evening hors d’oeuvres. It seemed like a good deal but I knew my schedule would not allow me to enjoy the facilities much. Once I got off the elevator the first thing I did was look for the ice machine. A room temperature soda is just not for me so ice is an important part of any hotel stay. The room itself was rather pleasant and large.

Hotel room – picture courtesy of Marriott.com

I had no problem powering up my computer as well as recharging my phone and iPad as there is a power and usb plug point next to the bed with 2 of each power point.

Power and usb adapters

My ice bucket got filled with ice as soon as I had put my bags down. A Keurig coffee machine with coffee and tea bags was also supplied. In the morning I love a hot cup of tea so I filled up the Keurig, boiled the water without a pod, put a cup with tea bag under the spout and there it was. A steaming hot cup of tea just the way I like it.

2 complimentary bottles of water were also available along with the already in service ice bucket.

Keurig coffee machine, water and ice bucket

I used the safe on the top shelf of the cupboard to lock up my computer and iPad when I left to go downtown. The cupboard also contained an iron, ironing board and hangars.

Safe, Iron, Ironing board, Hangars

The view out of the window was pleasant, at least there were no warehouses or parking garages blocking the view.

View from the window

Bathroom facilities:

The bathroom was average size with some really pleasant toiletries. They were Gilchrist and Soames brand. There was body wash, conditioner and shampoo in squeeze bottles in the shower which also had a nice hand shower. On the counter was Gilchrist and Soames body lotion, hand wash and soap. I splashed all of those products on when I showered in the morning, I smelt rather glorious when I left the room.

Gilchrist and Soames body wash, conditioner and shampoo

Gilchrist and Soames hand wash, body lotion and soap bar

Shower with hand spray

Basin and towels

Hotel facilities:

Interesting to see the top class fitness facilities available at this hotel. There is a comprehensive fitness center that is open 24 hours a day. It has weights, exercise bikes, treadmills, as well as sauna room and steam room. There is also a newly opened Peloton Bike and Studio for hitting your cycling goals. Then there is the indoor heated swimming pool available 24 hours a day too. The hotel seems proud of these facilities as it gives a prominent place to these details on their website.

Hotel take out dining:

I got back from downtown Toronto at around 9pm and so decided to order take out from &More by Sheraton, the lobby bar / food venue.

I heard the glorious chatter before I saw the bar. It was absolutely bustling at 9pm, I think mostly as a result of it being the closest hotel to the airport. There were people checking in, sitting at the bar, eating at the tables, just a nice and busy area.

I ordered sweet and sour wings and fries. There were many options on the menu but I was in the mood for a safe choice. To quote the hotel website it prides itself on “reflecting all of what Toronto has to offer, highlighting locally sourced ingredients from our new cuisine.” From what I could see the guests were throughly enjoying the “new elevated food and beverage philosophy”.

The order took about 15 minutes to prepare which gave me enough time to go upstairs, refill the ice bucket, pour a cola and get the room ready for dinner.  The food was really tasty, the wings that I did not finish that night became a breakfast snack before I left my room in the morning.

Conclusion:

The room itself was rather pleasant and large. Great bathroom amenities as well.

All in all this was a very pleasant stop on my trip. I don’t often stay at Sheraton when I use the Marriott brand but this hotel was a nice surprise and I will be on the lookout for more Sheratons in future.

This Sheraton Toronto airport hotel review ended up being a happy event.

Hotel Room featured image – thanks to Marriott.com

This is the first lounge in the Capital One lounge network, the next lounges will be opening at Denver and Washington DC airports.

https://capitalonetravel.com/lounges/partner-lounge-network/?utm_source=plnvxpdp

Card attributes:

The card has a $395 annual fee and includes a 10,000 mile annual bonus, a $300 annual travel credit, up to $100 towards TSA or Global Entry and other benefits. You also have access to the Priority Pass and Plaza Premium international network of lounges.

Airport access:

Terminal D is the mainly international terminal at Dallas/Fort Worth airport. The Capital One lounge near Gate D22 is directly opposite the down escalator from the Sky Link inter terminal train.

I am normally at the airport about 2 hours before take-off. My TSA-Pre clearance means that I am normally through security within 15 minutes and then I head straight to the lounge. If I am flying from a different terminal I hop on the Sky Link train and go to terminal D. I always set an alarm on my phone as a reminder to leave the lounge to take the train back to my gate in time for boarding.

Outside entrance to the lounges

Main entrance and the hosts

Entrance:

The signs outside say Capital One Lounge and American Flagship Lounge. You go through the entrance hall and take the elevator up to floor 5. On exiting the elevator the Capital One lounge is to the left and an AA lounge is to the right. You supply your Capital One Venture card and boarding pass to the lovely people at the desk, they will offer you a card with the wi-fi code on it and then you are in.

2 or 3 people tables

Counters for working on

Featured art work

Tarmac view:

My favorite aspect of this  lounge is the magnificent view over the runways to the west of the terminals.

View from inside the lounge

I have spent many hours sitting at the window with a cappuccino or 2 watching a myriad of planes taking off and landing. 

My 2 favorite drinks

The tea area

Bar area:

The bar at the opposite end of the lounge which has various recommended cocktails. On my latest visit I tried the Turtle Creek Spritz cocktail. It has rose wine, sparkling pink grapefruit as well as grapefruit liqueur. It was really tasty, fruity and refreshing. I have a mission to try all the cocktails on my next few trips.

Wine and spirit list

Cocktail and beer list

The bar

There are also regular drinks, non-alcoholic cocktails as well as local draft and craft beers. This bar interestingly enough is where you obtain the hot coffee drinks. I love the cappuccino. I often order 2 so I can mellow longer. Water, soda and tea is also available around the lounge.

The bar also specially recommends the Nickel City Frozen Irish Coffee. It has Irish whiskey, cold brew coffee and vanilla cream. Rather special!

Meal area:

Breakfast juices

Being there early in the morning I had a variety of breakfast items like sweet potato overnight oats, yoghurt parfait, french toast, croissants, etc to choose from. The oats were a first for me, rather yummy as was the yoghurt.

Sweet potato oats and yoghurt parfait

French toast

Devilled eggs and vegetable hummus

Elegant cutlery

By the time I left for my flight just after 10h30 they had started putting out lunch type items such as bourbon glazed meat balls, deviled eggs, hummus and vegetables and bbq brisket sliders, The meat balls and sliders have quite a Texas bent to them, flavorful with a bit of a kick.

The Capital One lounge concept is to provide you with a lot of smaller dishes to try rather than a buffet or other main type of meal.

Take out station:

Conversely I also look forward to leaving as I then get to choose from the delightful take out station with a variety of food and drinks specially packed for taking on the plane or for snacking on while waiting at the gate. 

Fridge of take out options

Rest rooms and showers:

The rest rooms are spacious and clean, really pleasant to use. They are bathroom size with a basin, shaving mirror and storage unit.

Facilities instructions

Basin and shaving / make up mirror

The commode

Shower suite:

I had a lovely warm shower on my latest visit. The room includes a toilet and is nicely fitted with a hairdryer, shampoo, conditioner, soap, and extra towels. There is a cupboard with hangars for your coat or other clothes, even hooks behind the door. 

Shower suite entrance

Basin with hair dryer

Soap, shampoo, conditioner

The shower head

Place to hang your jacket

The other head

Other facilities:

There are other facilities like a nursing room, cycling and yoga room, a relaxation room and a multi-faith prayer room. The prayer room includes washing facilities if that is what your religion requires. 

The exercise cycles have a video monitor for distraction while cycling but there is also a view of the tarmac and runway visible through the window that should also keep you happy.

Exercise bicycles in the fitness room

Multi-faith prayer room

Multi-faith room washing facilities available

Conclusion:

Capital One lounge entrance sign

Capital One has made a great decision to start with airport lounges. The concept is different to other lounges but all in all the Capital One Lounge is a great addition to the lounges available to travelers at Dallas/Forth Worth international airport..

It is my personal favorite and I stop there every time I fly out of DFW.

ATR 72-600 turboprop plane

https://www.atr-aircraft.com/our-aircraft/atr-72-600/

We had landed at Bangkok Airport after a long flight from the USA, had a very pleasant experience with the Coral Executive lounge in the domestic terminal and were ready for the flight to Koh Samui.

Coral Executive Lounge in the domestic terminal

Flight boarding:

There is a downstairs area of 3 or 4 gates that are used for passengers that have to be taken out to their planes by bus. Group one (rows 1-10) was called and went through, boarded the bus and were taken to the plane. Then Group 2 (rows 11-20) was called and the same happened with us. 

I always enjoy being taken out to a plane by bus. It means we pass close by some really big planes that I would not normally see from up close.

ATR 72-600

The Bangkok Airways planes look older as there are a lot of oil stains on the wings, looks like they haven’t been washed in a while.

We flew on Bangkok Airways HS-PZE. Just looking at the flight plans for the past week this plane has flown between Bangkok and Koh Samui, Phuket, Rayong, Sukhothai, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap and Lampang at up to 8 flights a day.  

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/hs-pze

We had to check one piece of our hand luggage as this plane has quite narrow luggage racks on board and the thicker suitcases will not fit. We boarded through the entrance at the back of the plane and took our seat in row 18. This plane has 2+2 seating so I had the window and my wife had the aisle. 

Inside the ATR 72-600

I love flying but for some reason I have always been a bit tentative about flying commercially in a propellor plane. In the past I flew between 3 different islands in the Caribbean by smaller propellor plane with no problems so I have no real grounds for my tentativeness. The engines sounded wonderful as they started up, there is such a reassuring growl sound to the propellors as they get up to speed. 

We flew quite low, around 20,000 feet but because the whole flight is over the sea there was nothing to look at but the wide, gloriously blue Bay of Thailand.

On board Service:

Bangkok Airways advertises themselves as Asia’s Boutique Airline and that is why they have the service provided.

Asia’s Boutique Airline

The flight is less than and hour and a half but you are still served a breakfast meal and drinks service. 

Breakfast meal

Cut fruit – papaya, dragon fruit and pineapple

Omelette and potatoes

The meal was really tasty. It was an omelette with potatoes and sauce, some cut fruit (papaya, dragon fruit and pineapple) and a packet of dried banana crisps which I loved. The spice used on the banana chips is intriguing. There is a really tasty tamarind orange drink that comes with breakfast which I also loved. You are supplied with a small bottle of water with your meal and then there is tea and coffee available too. 

Water, orange juice and tea

 It was a very pleasant unexpected meal on a shortish flight. 

ATR 72-600 safety card:

Safety card symbols

Being out over the water meant the safety card was quite important. It is fun looking at a card in a language with a different alphabet to your own. The card had English, Thai and Chinese words. This plane has no rafts on exiting so your life jacket will be extra important. 

Safety card front page

Land evacuation instructions

Water evacuation instructions

The safety card looked really well used but all the information was very clear. 

In-Flight Variety booklet

There is also an In-Flight Variety booklet with in flight shopping available. Some useful holiday items like sunglasses and hats were available. A nice touch for flights out to the islands and holiday resorts. 

Exiting the ATR 72-600

Landing at Koh Samui:

It was an uneventful trip. We landed and then taxied to a parking area on the tarmac. We exited from the rear again and got on small open air carts for transportation to the luggage area. It was a fun way to arrive in the sun at Koh Samui airport.

Koh Samui airport sign

There is only 1 baggage carousel that I saw and the bags were out within 10 minutes. 

Baggage area

As you walk out of the baggage hall there is a road where some buses for different hotels are waiting. It is not initially apparent but there is another pickup area ‘upstairs’ off to the left and up an escalator. That was where we were meeting our ride. 

Our Bangkok Airways flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui on the ATR 72-600 turboprop plane was great. It made a pleasant start to our island vacation. 

Bangkok Airways advertise themselves as Asia’s Boutique Airline and they provide a very enjoyable experience.

The Priority Pass selection of lounges in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International airport is rather extensive. There are at least 14 lounges available in the 7 International Terminals and domestic terminals A and D.

https://www.prioritypass.com

Our time in the  Coral Executive lounge was a delight after the tedium of flying in from Dallas.

It did take a while to find as Bangkok airport makes you wander through many duty fee shops on the way to your gate. 

Entrance to Coral Lounge

The ladies who welcomed me

Entering:

In Terminal A the lounge is on the left as you veer right while following the passage to gates A 2-9.

After a friendly greeting the ladies will ask you for your Priority Pass card as well as your boarding pass. On the wall behind them are clocks featuring the time in London, Bangkok, Shanghai and New York.

The lounge itself is on the smallish side, but at the time we were there (6h30-08h00) it was not very busy. There are a variety of seating options including a long high table that seats at least 10, smaller 4 seat tables and more intimate 2 seaters. 

Long table with at least 10 seats

Interesting seating arrangement

Tables for 2

Seating for 4

View of the lounge

We chose a quiet table at the large window which had a lovely view of a rainbow of green hedges forming a maze type garden. 

View of the outside garden

Drinks:

England instantly came to mind on seeing the quaint tea cart. Very pretty cups are available for the delicious flavors such as pomegranate, lemon and ginger, and peppermint.

My favorite is always a full Nescafe coffee station. Three different sized mugs are available for the small, medium and large drinks you can select. I of course had a very enjoyable large cappuccino. 

The Drury tea cart

Nescafe coffee station

Eating options:

I was immediately struck by the unusual aromas coming from the breakfast buffet. I saw items with a Thai connection that I was not used to such as stir fried broccoli and shrimp. That made me eager to stop by and try as many options as I could. There was cereal, toast, croissants, and a whole variety of main dishes. Omelets, chicken ham, rice, stir fried broccoli with shrimp, fruit and many other choices were available.

There is a cute little pink oven that can be used for heating croissants and things, and a light green toaster for toasting.

The pink oven and green toaster

Breakfast buffet

Stir-fried broccoli and shrimp bowl

The refrigerator nearby had milk, cut fruit, deserts, soda, water, fruit juice, iced tea and other choices. Sorry for not noticing if there was beer as I don’t drink it so I might have missed it.

We had a lovely meal of cereal, then rice with broccoli and shrimp, and then a croissant and some fruit. Cappuccino’s were enjoyed, as well as tea and fruit juice. It was a wonderful place to stop for an hour and a half before boarding.

One piece of advice so you don’t get caught as we were. There are x-ray machines you will pass through as soon as you leave the lounge and go through to your gate and any of the small water bottles you might have taken from the lounge will be confiscated straight away.

The Coral Executive Lounge in the domestic terminal was the perfect interlude on our way out to the islands.

This was the only lounge I was able to review while at Bangkok airport (customs and baggage issues), but there are at least 14 Priority Pass lounges available in the Domestic and International terminals. If they are anything like the Coral Executive lounge then you cannot go wrong.