Questions and Answers

Is Mikewarren really [USER=4]@Lucky[/USER] or [USER=7]@Tiffany[/USER] trying to drive traffic to Ask Lucky?? ;);)

Just kidding. Kind of. If I travelled as much as [USER=5445]@Mikewarren1000[/USER] on premium transcons, I’d be trying to spend less time in airports and planes, not more.

Hi [USER=4556]@OCTinPHL[/USER], I think you’ve provided some helpful responses but if you feel like someone is taking up too much time it’s probably best to skip the thread rather than call out individually. We all only have limited time and just do the best we can :).

[QUOTE=”Gaurav, post: 66051, member: 79″]Hi [USER=4556]@OCTinPHL[/USER], I think you’ve provided some helpful responses but if you feel like someone is taking up too much time it’s probably best to skip the thread rather than call out individually. We all only have limited time and just do the best we can :).[/QUOTE]

I was kidding. I enjoy providing what info I can, as I learned so much from here when starting out…

[QUOTE=”Gaurav, post: 66051, member: 79″]Hi [USER=4556]@OCTinPHL[/USER], I think you’ve provided some helpful responses but if you feel like someone is taking up too much time it’s probably best to skip the thread rather than call out individually. We all only have limited time and just do the best we can :).[/QUOTE]

I too, like [USER=5445]@Mikewarren1000[/USER] and most of us on here, love travel. As a former historian I have long been fascinated by the history of travel; as a past employee of a Fortune 250 company I am also fascinated by the finances of large companies (I’m not in finance). And as someone who is basically self-employed now, I have learned how to maximize my travel resources – through sites such as OMAAT.

[USER=5445]@Mikewarren1000[/USER] – Keep those questions coming! Seriously, I wish I had a resource like this when I was a pup road warrior many years ago. Even when I answer a question, I learn something. Many people benefit from the questions and answers here, not just the ones posting the questions and the ones answering.

[QUOTE=”Gia, post: 66054, member: 1566″][USER=5445]@Mikewarren1000[/USER] – Keep those questions coming! Seriously, I wish I had a resource like this when I was a pup road warrior many years ago. Even when I answer a question, I learn something. Many people benefit from the questions and answers here, not just the ones posting the questions and the ones answering.[/QUOTE]

Forgive me – it was a poor attempt at humor!

My point being I love learning from Q&As here. I loved reading answers (still do), and I love answering. Sometimes the answer is that airlines do things we don’t like.

[USER=507]@Mike[/USER] asked why Polaris seats are arranged that way? He likes reverse herringbone better. So do I. But UA made a choice. He likes Polaris lounges because they let all J passengers in. AA’s FL only allow FL F and J. He likes UA’s policy better. AA made a choice – be exclusive. Nothing wrong with questions; I guess my point is that just because you don’t like the answer doesn’t make it less valid. UA has 46 more seats in a 77W. UA also makes more $ than AA (at least in recent years, according to their respective 10-Ks). Obviously UA is doing something right. Perhaps UA’s Polaris seating is why. If enough J fliers feel like [USER=507]@Mike[/USER], maybe they’ll start anew with reverse herringbone. Heck, even AA paused “Oasis” for the time being. Though that may be MAX-related more so than customer feedback.

[USER=4556]@OCTinPHL[/USER] – No worries!
[USER=5445]@Mikewarren1000[/USER] – Flagship lounge access can be a bit confusing. The qualifying J flights are: all flights to Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, Mexico City, New Zealand and South America which covers a lot of territory (excuse the bad pun)! Additionally, domestic three-class nonstop Transcon flights. The reason the Flagship Lounges are so much better than the Admiral’s Clubs is because the traffic is limited.

Thanks Gia! I think my main issue with Flagship is the private dining and how they dont let J in. Even if its an aircraft with no F. Seems silly. But i know i had this debate in another thread.

[USER=4556]@OCTinPHL[/USER]- wasnt offended in any way i got your humor. But i am absolutely not trolling and not Ben or Tiffany. And yes probably too much time on my hands lol.
However, travelling & food are my 2 things so ya i can geek out about those 2 things 🙂

[QUOTE=”Mikewarren1000, post: 66059, member: 5445″]

[USER=4556]@OCTinPHL[/USER]- wasnt offended in any way i got your humor. But i am absolutely not trolling and not Ben or Tiffany. And yes probably too much time on my hands lol.
However, travelling & food are my 2 things so ya i can geek out about those 2 things :)[/QUOTE]

I agree on flying for food! I’ve been know to cross continents (or oceans) for a weekend just to go a restaurant. Noma comes to mind. As does Kusakabe in SF.

I guess I’d rather get somewhere quickly, even in a recliner, than add four hours to a flight. BTW, I agree on LAX –> YUL. Premium to BOS makes sense. But LAX-MIA is a direct flight for me. And I guess because I live in PHL I would never route myself through JFK to get here. Now, when flying with a colleague based in north Jersey, I try to route us through JFK (for the premium). He prefers driving to PHL rather than JFK, and he usually wins. But that is only when we travel together. And I’m talking domestic. Flat seat wins any day when crossing an ocean.

This whole transcon going out of my way to get premium, i have been given some Shit for this before, its all good. My chef friends understand flying for food but dont get how i geek over the actual airline food and going out of my way for a better meal on a Transcon flight….

Flat seat wins domestic too though. I find it so hard to enjoy anything recliner now given about 5 years or so of a ton of flying and routing to get the Flat seats & better service

[QUOTE=”Mikewarren1000, post: 66064, member: 5445″My chef friends understand flying for food but dont get how i geek over the actual airline food and going out of my way for a better meal on a Transcon flight…[/QUOTE]

I’m with your chef friends. You should seek professional help for going out of your way for a better airline meal. 😀

Better airline meals only exist on foreign carriers. ;):D

[USER=5445]@Mikewarren1000[/USER] – The dining in Flagship, which I’ve only done once isn’t anything to go out of your way to get in my experience. I’m sure there are some epic airline food offerings on some carriers but it’s often a heavy lift to plan those routes and carriers for a specific destination that your job sends you or for a vacation. I have very low expectations of airline food and I instead pursue the amazing restaurant offerings that are available in the great cities of the world where I am privileged to visit in the course of my work and leisure travel. When I geek out over food, it’s usually looking at photos on TripAdvisor restaurant listings. When I make flight, hotel and rental car reservations, I also do some research and make restaurant reservations. The restaurant experiences are usually the highlight of my trips, not the lounge or hotels.

Agree that those flat seat transcons are wonderful! I’d sure like to see some from SAN.

[QUOTE=”Gia, post: 66073, member: 1566″][USER=5445]@Mikewarren1000[/USER] – The dining in Flagship, which I’ve only done once isn’t anything to go out of your way to get in my experience. I’m sure there are some epic airline food offerings on some carriers but it’s often a heavy lift to plan those routes and carriers for a specific destination that your job sends you or for a vacation. I have very low expectations of airline food and I instead pursue the amazing restaurant offerings that are available in the great cities of the world where I am privileged to visit in the course of my work and leisure travel. When I geek out over food, it’s usually looking at photos on TripAdvisor restaurant listings. When I make flight, hotel and rental car reservations, I also do some research and make restaurant reservations. The restaurant experiences are usually the highlight of my trips, not the lounge or hotels.

Agree that those flat seat transcons are wonderful! I’d sure like to see some from SAN.[/QUOTE]

You have Delta or Mint no Gia? From San Diego.. Although nothing to Dallas or Houston how we have from LA, both of which i use often..

I of course agree with you the highlight of food trips is certainly the restaurants not the airline food.

Had some amazing food in Montreal earlier this summer (and a few good meals in Toronto too), that i am really missing right now

Agree that Mint is wonderful but unfortunately, all my trips have international destinations that are not served by JetBlue. I actually had one of those DL 757s scheduled to JFK earlier this year as a part of an international itinerary with Alitalia but they switched the flights to ATL. I’m not Nostradamus but my reading of the tea leaves is that these premium transcon flights will increase to a lot more destinations in the future especially with the new aircraft options entering the fleets of the major carriers.

[QUOTE=”Gia, post: 66081, member: 1566″]Agree that Mint is wonderful but unfortunately, all my trips have international destinations that are not served by JetBlue. I actually had one of those DL 757s scheduled to JFK earlier this year as a part of an international itinerary with Alitalia but they switched the flights to ATL. I’m not Nostradamus but my reading of the tea leaves is that these premium transcon flights will increase to a lot more destinations in the future especially with the new aircraft options entering the fleets of the major carriers.[/QUOTE]

I believe you’re right on that!! Except for the better Transcon options i would trade you LA for SD for quite a lot of other things 🙂