Au Revoir, Jamaïque, Bonjour Montréal! The Jetlag Junkie Journals Jamaica (and other exciting locales) Pt. 3

As this is in journal form, it is a tad rougher around the edges than my normal posts.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - Kingston, Norman Manley International Airport, Jamaica; and Toronto, Pearson International Airport, Canada


Checking out that morning in the Club Sandals Concierge Lounge was a snap, and after a quick breakfast down in the Southern Table (the Biscuits & Gravy, oh my lord...), and I was on the Shuttle Bus bound for Kingston promptly at Noon.  After a very smooth (compared to my arrival, this was a dream ride) 2 hour ride, we arrived at Norman Manley Airport in perfect time.  Check-in with Air Canada Rouge was a snap.  I had heard stories both good and bad about Rouge, but I had to check them out for myself.  Within 20 minutes I was past security, and up in the sterile area waiting for my flight to be called.

Because of space limitations, you can't wait at your assigned gate for your flight to be called and have to wait in the main terminal until boarding is announced.  Fine by me, I had a great view of the ramp.  So I found me a spot to sit next to the window with a convenient wall jack to plug into and charge my phone, and whiled away the hour or so until time to leave the island (which I really couldn't wait for).

Boarding was a relatively painless process in those cramped confines by the jetway, and since I was in Premium Economy, I was in one of the first groups to board.  I had booked myself in 13A, the window, the 2nd row of Premium Economy.  I have to admit, I was so happy getting on that gorgeous plane, I really couldn't wait to get off Jamaica.  Don't get me wrong, I learned a ton about the Sandals and Beaches Resorts and met some incredible people from the Resorts, Pleasant Holidays, and fellow AAA Travel Agents, but, as far as my own personal travel, All Inclusive Resorts nor the Caribbean (except for St. Maarten) are my cup of tea.

The 4 1/2 hour flight to Toronto was fantastic.  After takeoff, I switched seats and let the guy next to me have my window seat (a 6'9" Jamaican basketball player takes up a ton of space, after all) while I got situated in the empty row behind.  All 3 seats were mine, so I spread out and even gave Philbin his own seat, haha!  The Flight Attendants thought that was hilarious and loved Philbin, especially after I told them why I take him with me on my journeys.  Back the flight at hand, I was on the 26 year old former Canadian Airlines Boeing 767-300ER registered C-GHLK.  I can already hear the grumbles from my readers at the age of the plane, but I have to tell you, she was well maintained, and even though she had an older layout and seats, she performed the flight admirably, and I really have no problem selling Air Canada Rouge (especially from the West Coast of the US to leisure destinations like Athens, Greece or Kingston, Jamaica).  The space in Premium Economy is perfect for someone of my size, and I passed the flight plugged into the inflight power, cranked up my music, and began journaling my trip thus far.

As with most landings I've experienced in the Boeing 767, this one was feather smooth.  Deplaning was quick, making it a breeze to get through the kilometers of corridors (seriously, have you been through Toronto's Pearson Airport trying to get to Customs?) before hitting Customs and Baggage Claim/Recheck.  Once through, and another round of security screening, I made my way through with a brand new boarding pass (I think I left the original in Customs...*shrugs*), and parked my tired keister at my departure gate.

I still don't know why people give Air Canada such a hard time or have issues with them (I wont go into the Travel Agent side of dealing with them), but every segment I've had thus far on them has been simply exceptional, both on Rouge and the mainline Air Canada flights, and let me tell you, this 40 minute jaunt to Montreal on a mainline Airbus A320 was no exception.  A quick departure and climb up to 31,000 feet (FL310 *grins*), just enough time for a beverage run through the cabin by the ever attentive and efficient crew, and we were on the descent into Montreal's Dorval/Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport, arriving just after midnight.

Photo Credit Joe Pries

By the time I deplaned, collected my luggage, it was almost 1AM, and by the time the Hotel Shuttle collected me, got myself check in to my hotel, and into my room, it was well past 2 in the morning.  I was so exhausted I didn't even bother unpacking my CPAP machine, I passed out the instant I hit the pillows.

Thursday, September 20, 2018 - St. Laurent, and Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada

I woke up incredibly late.  I used to stay in this hotel (the Sheraton Montreal Airport) quite a bit about a decade ago, when I made frequent trips to Montreal, and let me tell you, it's showing it's age.  I used to stay in Sheraton hotels almost exclusively, but in the latter part of the 2000's they stopped being the upstanding hotel brand they used to be, which is understandable as to why their parent company was bought by the Marriott Hotel chain a couple of years back.  But I digress, back to the present.

It took me a good hour or so to drag myself out of bed, and get myself ready for the day.  I was still a little tired, so a shower was definitely in order, I still had that island stank on me.  Yuck.  Once I got myself out the door (and housekeeping eternally pissed at me for shooing them away three times already!) I hightailed it to the airport and caught a cab to the shopping mall in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, where I holed myself up in Jack Astor's for what I had been craving (and one of the reasons I flew to Montreal in the first place), a big plate of a real Quebec delicacy, Poutine.  This is such an awesome dish, it's what comfort food up North is.  French Fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy, and sometimes with chicken, bacon, or smoked meat thrown in.  My plate at Jack Astor's had chicken AND bacon thrown in, and I was in Quebecois heaven while letting my arteries scream.

Poutine.  Worth traversing the continent for!

After the amazing repast and reconnection with Poutine, I hung around the town with several very special friends and family.  After a fantastic dinner, evening drive around the D.D.O (as Dollard-des-Ormeaux is known), we ended up at a great Irish pub and spent hours catching up.  I didn't make it back to the hotel until after 10PM.  This junkie was definitely feeling the jetlag.



Friday, September 21, 2018 - Montreal, Canada - Newark, NJ - San Francisco, CA - and Home

As usually happens the night before catching an early morning flight, I only get about 2 to 3 hours of sleep.  That being said, I was up and ready by 4:15AM, got my stuff together and hauled myself downstairs and on the first shuttle of the day for the airport.  Gave my luggage over to United, pre-cleared Customs and made it to my gate by 5:30, with a bit of time to grab a souvenir or two for Susie, and get some breakfast before boarding.

Photo Credit maarten-sr @ airliners.net

There was only 21 people aboard this flight to Newark, but United has rolled out a new 6-group boarding process, and it was in use on this flight, slowing things down quite a bit.  Once i got my self settled into the tiny Embraer 145, I fell asleep just after pushback, all the way through takeoff, the majority of the flight, and finally woke up during descent into Newark's Liberty Airport, with an AMAZING view of Manhattan and Lady Liberty out my window.  As usual with the 145 landings in Newark, we plunked ourselves down and came to a VERY quick stop to make way for departing traffic behind us.

After unfolding myself from the confines of the Embraer, I caught the shuttle bus from Terminal A, where we had parked, to my old haunt of Terminal C (formerly my beloved Continental's domain).  I could see the Boeing 777 I was about to get on just two gates down from the dropoff.  My layover was far too short, but as usual when in Newark, I see the weirdest things, like a well suited traveler coasting down the concourse on a longboard.  At 8 in the morning.  You can't even get me to remember my name at 8 in the morning let along try to balance my large posterior on one of those things.  More power to him, and I bet he made his flight.  As I said, my layover was far too short, and before I knew it, I was comfortably ensconced in seat 44L of the 22 year old Boeing 777-200 and on my way westward.

Luckily, I was awake for the entirety of the flight, and I have to admit, I am quite pleasantly surprised with United Airlines, at least with this flight (not that my flight from Montreal was bad).  Managed to film the takeoff and climbout from the very cloudy Newark airspace, before I settled back and just enjoyed the ride.  The Boeing 777 is truly a magnificent plane, and I have yet to have a bad flight on one, in all 38 times I've had the pleasure of riding on one.  Shortly after rocketing out of New Jersey, the very attentive crew started the first beverage service and sold food as well.  I had my own drinks with me, so I bought a few munchables to last me the 6 hour flight and I went back to reading and listening to my music, periodically gazing out the window and watching this amazing country pass by underneath.

After what seemed like no time at all, we were cruising over familiar territory.  First the Rocky Mountains, than I could make out that we were hurtling over Central Utah, with Utah Lake (not to be confused with the larger Great Salt Lake further to the North) and the cities of Provo, Spanish Fork, and Payson passing by, all the while beginning a slow descent into the Bay Area.   The approach into San Francisco was beautiful, and unfortunately we didn't have another plane parallel with us on landing (it's on my bucket list), but I did get the landing on film, and as with the Boeing 747, you can't have a bad landing on the 777.  We greased the landing, and pulled off the runway with nary a misplaced hair from braking.  I was shocked there was no ground hold due to lack of gates, as for the last few months, that's all I had been hearing about from my SFO bound and based friends in the airline industry and clients.  I made it a point to be one of the last ones off the plane, and I thanked the crew profusely, turns out a few of them were ex-Continental Airlines folks working their last flight of the day before deadheading back to their base in Houston, Texas.

This layover was quite a bit shorter than the earlier one, and after picking up another souvenir for Susie, I hightailed it to my gate in time for the gate staff to call final boarding!  Hurriedly grabbed my boarding pass and ID, presented both at the gate, then again at the end of the jetway, before stepping foot on the SFO tarmac and power walking the path to my waiting SkyWest Embraer 175.  I was the very last person aboard and I quickly got in my seat and wiped the sweat as we pushed back.  Phew!

The flight went by fairly fast, and again another fantastic ride, with no one in the seat next to me.  Before I knew it, we were landing, and in my haste to deplane, I left my cell phone aboard!  I didn't even realize this until well after I made it home.  I was going to show my family some of the photos and videos I took, and my phone was no where!  So I filed a report with United and hoped they would find it (They did find it, 3 days later, AFTER I had gotten a new phone).

Aside from the phone snafu, this was yet another adventure I had where memories were made, as well as several new friendships, plenty of laughs, and a LOT of job-related learning took place.  Stay tuned for my next adventure and posts, and thank you for your continued support and readership, this not-so little Jetlag Junkie is eternally (and humbly) appreciative!  As always, I do appreciate the feedback and comments!

Photo Credit Dmitriy D. Kuzin @ airliners.net

*All photos the author's except where noted*

See and Be Seen: Sandals Ochi Beach Resort, Jamaica

**Disclosure:  This trip was part of a FAM (Familiarization) Trip sponsored by AAA, Pleasant Holidays, and Sandals Resorts.  Please note that all photos are the author's own, except where credited.  As a travel industry professional, I make a big investment in first hand experiences, and I spend a lot of time to keep up with my accreditation and staying up to date with current and future developments in the airline and travel industries.  This means attending conferences, seminars, site inspections, FAM (familiarization) Trips, and even group trips.  I have been able to have some of these experiences shown and described in my blog entries at a reduced cost or comped by the hotel, tour operator, cruise line, or other supplier.  The feedback supplied is based on my own personal experience.  The first hand experience allows me to better serve my clients and match the experiences they are looking for.**

There are hot spots where the glitterati like to go see and be seen, and then there are HOT spots where EVERYONE must see and be seen.  The redesigned, revitalized, and rebranded Sandals Ochi Beach Resort is of the latter.  Buzzwords like trendy, upscale, luxurious, or awesome don't begin to describe this resort.  You'll just need to come down and see it for yourself.

Getting there is easy, from either Montego Bay or Kingston, it's about equi-distant from either airport at about an hour and a half away.  I flew in and out of Kingston on this occasion, and the folks at the Sandals Arrivals desk adjacent to the baggage claim got me on the road in mere minutes.  In fact, I spent more time in line at Customs than I did on the road to Ocho Rios.  But that is neither here nor there, this blog entry is all about the resort itself.

Set upon a very hilly span of 100 acres, the Sandals Ochi Beach Resort boasts 519 rooms, suites, and villas in 21 different bookable categories (ask your local reputable travel agent for details and which would be best for your needs), with 17 different dining choices and 11 bars (not to mention the Caribbean's ONLY genuine speakeasy, the Rabbit Hole, on property) to indulge from.

The resort is actually split in two areas, with the main road to Ocho Rios going through.  The South, hilly side houses the Great House where you will find check-in , concierge services, several pools and dining and athletic options, as well as the gift shop for the resort.  Here is where you will also find the more upscale Butler Villas (each villas has up to 4 bedrooms in it and their own private swimming pool as well), and the exotic Romeo & Juliet Honeymoon Villa Suites further up the hill in more reclusive privacy.  Definitely the place to be, and NOT be seen.  A word about the Butlers, they are amazing.  They have been trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers, and they anticipate your every need, day or night.

Check-In is a cinch at Sandals, especially if you have access to the Concierge Check-In Lounge, around the corner from the main desk.  Just go on in, have the attentive staff get your check in rolling while you take it easy with a freshly made adult beverage and wait for your Butler or Concierge take you to your room.  After a short wait a very quick check-in, I was taken by cart up to my room, or so I thought.

The room looked great, and the Butler showed me around, until we got to the bathroom and found it flooded!  "Ya mon, no problem" I was assured as we hauled out of there and got myself re-situated in another room.  Once again, the Butler showed me around and we made sure the room was up to snuff, which it was, and he left to tend to the rest of his appointed rounds while I settled in and waited on my luggage.

The rooms are very nicely appointed and laid out, with entry into the quite spacious living room, with sofa, work desk and access to the patio and private pool beyond.  Off to the side of the patio doors is a little nook with a bar featuring a mini fridge stocked with beverages, and a wine rack with several selections from the Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks collection.  Into the bedroom and the full size wardrobe, nicely sized closet with safe, and King sized 4 post bed incredibly high off the floor (I banged my knees several times, not sure why, as the bed I have at home is just as high!).  The bathroom is also quite nicely laid out with toiletries supplied by the in-house Red Lane Spa in good quantity.


Moving on.


In the Great House you've got a few selections for wining and dining, from the low key and well lit Polo Lounge, with all sorts of top shelf liquors and drinks available, to the AMAZING French restaurant Le Gourmand, just downstairs, and the Southern Table for amazing Southern US Comfort Food (the Biscuits and Gravy were phenomenal!)  Just off to the side of the Great House you'll find a rather odd looking black door...that would be the entrance to the much hyped (and totally living up to said hype) Rabbit Hole Speakeasy.  On the other side of the Great House you have Dino's Pizzeria and the Jerk Shack, with some amazing Jamaican cuisine available (you HAVE to try the Jerk Chicken or Pork, simply to die for!)

Take a ride on The Hop jitney from the Great House Village down to the Beachside Village and you have the main Riviera Beachfront Tower, and along with the magnificent beachfront and all the accompanying activities, you also have AMAZING foodie-centric dining options as well.

From incredible Italian specialties at Valentino's, amazing Mediterranean (i.e. Greek, Italian, and pseudo Turkish) seafood at Neptune's, or a romantic over-the-water dining experience at Kelly's Dockside (try the Surf n Turf, you'll thank me later), the choices are virtually endless.  Another favorite of mine that I recommend is Kimonos, one of the few teppanyaki style restaurants in Jamaica.

Another perk is for the golfers, you have unlimited golf opportunities with no green fees and free transfers from the Ochi Beach Resort to the Sandals Golf and Country Club.

In closing, I have no problem at all recommending or booking my clients at the Sandals Ochi Beach Resort.  As far as All-Inclusive resorts go, it can't be beat, especially if you find yourself booked in one of the Butler Villas or the Romeo & Juliet Suites.  The thing that sets this resort apart from others is the staff though.  Incredibly attentive and on top of things, you will be taken care of and pampered from touchdown to departure when staying at Sandals Ochi Beach.

 

Mi Irie: The Jet Lag Junkie Journals Jamaica (and other exciting locales) Pt. 2

As this is in journal form, it is a tad rougher around the edges than my normal posts.

Sunday, September 16, 2018 - Kingston and Ocho Rios, Jamaica

As I alluded to in the last post, Customs clearance and baggage delivery took a bit, but I was finally officially in Jamaica and thanks to the efficient guys at the Sandals transfer desk, I was on my way to Sandals Ochi Beach within minutes.

The ride from Kingston's Norman Manley Airport to Ocho Rios though was bumpy as all get out, and after 2 hours of getting knocked about in the van, I finally arrived at the resort.  Stepping out of the van I was greeted by one of the butlers and offered a cold towel.  If you've ever been to any Caribbean island and you feel that pre-storm humidity, these cold towels are a godsend.  I thanked the butler for the towel as he took my luggage and escorted me inside to the Concierge Level Check-In Lounge, and directed me to a seat until I could get checked in.

It was finally my turn to check in, and after turning over my credentials, I was informed my room wasn't ready, but if i wanted to, a butler could show me around the various food options that were open at the time and I could grab some lunch while my room was being prepared for arrival.  Fine by me as I was starving by this point.  The butler showed me around to several restaurants and explained what they had, and I decided to try the outdoor Jerk Shack, as most everyone I've talked to so far about this resort swore by it, but after a few bites, I just wasn't much of a fan, aside from the fact I can't really handle anything too spicy while I'm on the medications I'm on at the time.  Luckily, there was one of the resident felines lounging at the side of my table, so he got a good chunk of the chicken, while I feasted on the fish.  Happy kitty.

Finally, my room was ready, or so I thought.  The room looked great, until the Butler showed me around and we entered the bathroom to find it flooded!  

"Ya, mon, no problem" replied the Butler as we hauled out of there and back to the lounge.

Another 25 minutes later, I was given another room, a little bit further up the hill from the original room, but that was fine by me.  The Butler showed me around and we made sure the room was up to specs, and he left to the rest of his appointed rounds while I settled in and waited for my luggage.


 I was assured the luggage was on it's way up within a few minutes twice, but, in actuality, it didn't show up in my room until about 7PM.  Not a great way to win a skeptical agent over, but hey, there was 4 days left for that to happen, as I was there to be shown how to market these resorts to prospective Luxury Travel clientele.


Initial snafus aside, my luggage arrived just in time for me to start unpacking, and freshening up for the remainder of the night.  On the agenda was a Welcome Reception where I was acquainted with the 32 other agents, including another one from my own AAA Club, out of the Vacaville, CA office.  There were a pair of BDM's (Business Development Managers) from Pleasant Holidays as well (that's who AAA uses to book Sandals and Beaches Resorts through).  At the time of writing I have only booked these resorts only a handful of times, compared to other resorts like Riu, Hedonism or Hard Rock.

The reception was fantastic, and the accompanying dinner at Kimono, the beachside Teppanyaki restaurant, was pretty good as well, and the conversations I got dragged into with the group I was seated with were laced with hilarity and good vibes.

After dinner a few of us decided to hit up the Rabbit Hole, the only speakeasy on the entire island, and you had to have the password to get in the door or no entry for you!  Awesome.  Once inside though, there was this killer group belting out some amazing jazz, and the bar was on top of the drink action.  I had to have one at least, so I nursed that the rest of the evening there, before retiring for the night.

Back in my room I wasn't tired at all, despite the late hour and needing to be in class the next morning by 8AM.  My stomach started growling so I ordered some snacks from Room Service and got to reading my book (I was reading Robert Service's new book The Last of the Tsars: Nicholas II  and the Russian Revolution) while munching away.  I gotta say this...the Room Service was fantastic, and while they say it would take 40-60 minutes to get the food, it was there in less than 20 each night I ordered.

Monday, September 17, 2018 - Sandals Ochi Beach Resort

Sleeping in those beds was OK, but the height might be an issue for my shorter or older crowds, I bashed my knees and legs several times getting on and off the bed.  Ouch!

The morning started off great, even though I woke up late due to my cell phone still thinking it was in a different time zone!  Thankfully the conference room our seminar was in was fully catered and caffeinated with that amazingly delicious Blue Mountain Coffee Jamaica is known for.  A few cups of that and I was wired well enough to pay attention and power through the entire 4 1/2 hour long training course.  If you ask me though, it was so jam packed full of information I need to use to see Sandals and Beaches resorts that it could've served us a bit better had we added another hour or two, but we did have other matters to attend to that day as well.

Unfortunately there was only 20 minutes in between the time the training ended and the property tour began, so it was a quick grab n go situation at the pizza stand by the pool, before we were separated and sent off in groups around the property (both the Butler Villa side, and the Beachfront sides were covered), and at one point we were caught in a torrential downpour!  I won't go into massive or intricate details on each resort in these journal entries as I'll leave the details for each blog post I do on each individual property (as per my work rules for being on the FAM in the first place), but suffice it to say, we covered just about every part of the resort.  By 3PM we had finished the tour and left on our own.  I hightailed it back to my room to get back to work with a group I was putting together, and call home and check in on the family before getting ready for the night's shenanigans.

Dinner was late that night, met up with the group at the front desk by 8:30PM or so to catch the Hop shuttle to the lower portion of the resort for dinner at Kelly's Dockside Grill.  A fantastic place, with a great vibe and great food.

The festivities after dinner that night were unforgettable.  First stop was the Polo Lounge in the Main building for a bit of karaoke.  What happened there was insanity, pure and simple.  First off, I think I was the only one that was stone cold sober in the lounge, and I was also first up to the mic, doing my rendition of Metallica's "Enter Sandman", and riling the gathering crowd up.  After a few of my cohorts did their songs, I was back up, doing a hideous cover of KISS' "I Was Made for Lovin' You".  The funniest thing happened during this song though...while I was singing, this girl was grooving to the song and coming up to me and grinding against me...all the while my cohorts were hooting and hollering.  I thought it was hilarious.  Afterwards, we went for another round down the Rabbit Hole, me nursing water the whole time.  The adrenaline started wearing off by then and I made my way back to my room, where I was starting to unwind when the phone rang.  Turns out it was that girl that was grooving in the Polo Lounge earlier, wanting to know if I made it back to my room alright and if I needed anything or some extra company.  I said I was alright and I'm beat so I was going to sleep.  Found out earlier that night she and a few of her friends work at the resort too, and I guess in their off time solicit guests who are there on their own. *shrugs*  I passed out shortly after anyways.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - Sandals Royal Plantation Resort, Sandals Golf and Country Club, and Beaches Ocho Rios Resort



Gathering with the usual cast of misfits (love you guys, every last one of you.  Except for the creeper, lol!) for breakfast in Le Gourmand, the French Restaurant on property, we retold and went over the last night's shenanigans before hopping out buses to the first property on today's tour, the Royal Plantation Resort, adjacent to the lower beachfront portion of our resort.  This resort is a neat and luxurious smaller resort with only 74 suites, all with Butler service, and some of the best beachfront I've seen on the island yet.  The suites are nicely apportioned, and this would be the place I send my higher scale clientele with no handicaps, as there are stairs everywhere, so the beach is not accessible at all for those in wheelchairs or other mobility devices.

Next up was a trip to the Sandals Golf and Country Club, with its well manicured 18 holes and rolling fairways, not to mention great views of the sea (when it's not overcast and threatening to rain!).  After a quick run through the Pro Shop, we all piled into golf carts and tooled around the course with a few stops along the way taking us to the highest point on the island (at 780 feet above sea level) and some remarkable trees and vegetation lurking about.  Easily the funniest and most comical part of the day...or so I thought.


Last stop, and my favorite of all, was the Beaches Ocho Rios Resort, which is geared more towards families with small children, teens, or kids on the Autism Spectrum.

From the instant I got off the bus, I turned into a 5 year old when I was met by none other than Oscar the Grouch of Sesame Street fame.  Beaches has a deal with Sesame Workshop to use characters and whatnot for programs throughout the resorts, which I thought was awesome, especially after learning the attention to detail the resort go through for their guests.


This property is HUGE, and the tour was easily the longest of all, and took a while to get through, but that's alright, that's what we agents were there to see.  We were taken through all three parts of the resort, I especially liked the Greek area, with the buildings mimicking those you'd see on the island of Santorini.  The rooms we went through were fantastic (not to mention running into more characters from the Street), and great for families large and small.  The waterpark was pretty big too, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second sending a family with kids or teens here at all.  Afterwards, lunch was held in the cavernous Venetian Restaurant with, of course, a Sesame Street theme, but with some seriously fantastic adult food.  We also got a quick introduction to Beaches Autism Programs as well, something I am pursuing my certification in once I get back stateside.




Returning to our resort, I went back to work on the group I was putting together, only to find out they had gone around my back and booked everything on their own, piece by piece, saving them a grand total of $14 per person.  Ugh.  Oh well, now I can unwind and relax until dinnertime, which was our farewell dinner, again at the swanky Le Gourmand, and let me tell you, hilarity ensued at my table, thanks to several of us imbibing a bit too much, and over analyzing certain songs, or digging up others somewhat famous ex's (I'm STILL laughing about that, by the way).  Another final round down the Rabbit Hole, then saying my goodbyes I headed back to my room to get some of my stuff ready to leave tomorrow.

That does it for Part 2, hope you enjoyed it, Part 3 will be published October 8, 2018.  Stay tuned!

Ya, Mon! The Jet Lag Junkie Journals Jamaica (and other exciting locales) Pt. 1

As this is in journal form, it is a tad rougher around the edges than my normal posts.

Friday, September 14, 2018 - Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California

For once I did NOT have an early morning pre-dawn departure out of Salt Lake City.  So instead of driving myself to the airport as I usually do, I got a lift from my Mom in her brand new Jeep.  After a few quick errands, we made it to the airport in decent time, all the while explaining my trepidations about this trip to her in full detail.

Check in was a snap as usual with American Airlines, and I managed to see some of my friends there as well.  Through Security I went and since I have CLEAR, I breezed right through, without having to take my shoes and belt off.  Stopped by the tech store for a new set of headphones before ending up at gate F5 (formerly A5, renamed the F Gates due to the new airport construction and concourse realignment going on), where my ride to LAX was waiting, a 3 Year Old Embraer 175 regional jet.

Having paid extra for the increased space of Main Cabin Extra (American's Premium Economy product, and more often than not a fantastic deal if available at check-in, in this case for a paltry additional $35), I settled into my seat, and before I knew it, we had pushed back and were on our way out to the West runway for departure.  Takeoff was quick, and I was surprised at the power the 175 has, and how quiet it is at full takeoff power.  Seeing as how I was in the window seat, I passed right out after takeoff and slept most of the way to LAX.

Waking up as we passed over Big Bear Lake and into the Los Angeles valley, we floated down the runway and stopped short of crossing the other runway to allow for a departing flight to takeoff before pulling up to American's Commuter terminal.  I have to admit, I love coming into LAX on American from SLC, I have a soft spot for the Commuter terminal, too, as it affords me the chance to ride the shuttle to American's main terminal (where baggage claim is), allowing me to drool over the planes going to and fro on the South Runways, as well as seeing all the planes up close and personal parked at the gates from Terminal 7 to Terminal 5.

Quickly off the plane and down the ramp I went, and found myself in a MASSIVE line waiting for the shuttle to Terminal 5 (thankfully with only ONE piece of luggage this time!).  By the time I got to Baggage Claim, my bag was already waiting for me, so I grabbed it and ran out the door to wait for my ride to the Hilton LAX.

I didn't have to wait long at all, and it was no more than 25 minutes from touchdown to checking in at the hotel, pushing my way upstream through a group of senior passengers trying to get on the bus as we were truing to get off, let alone collect our luggage!  Easy, people!

As a Hilton HHonors member, check in was a snap, they had my keys and bottles of water ready, I even got an upgrade to a corner view room.  The way up to the 13th floor was entertaining in it's own right, as the elevators require you to punch in your floor before entering, and you will be assigned an elevator to take you up, with no controls inside the car.  It was hilarious watching people run into the elevator you are in all willy nilly, then silently watch them as they freak out at realizing there are no buttons to push for their floor ANYWHERE, then watch the look on their faces as they realize the gaffe they made.




My room was 1330, with an unbelievable view of the South Runway complex on one end, and the entire arrival/approach area on the other, with a work desk conveniently placed in between both windows, offering killer views whilst tapping away and keeping up with my clients ( a Travel Agent's work is NEVER done, after all).  I was in avgeek heaven that night, as my Instagram feed shows!  I could literally spend hours upon hours from that vantage point, and let me tell you, it was hard for me to not get distracted from time to time.  Thank God I pushed through, otherwise, I would've had some pretty annoyed clients (and coworkers) back home.

Because I left a few things pending at work, I grabbed my phone, laptop and briefcase and headed up to the Executive Lounge on the 16th Floor (again with the awesome fool=proof elevators) to plug away and finish up what I could in the waning hours of the last workday of the week, while my travel suppliers were open, and having access to some of my trusted co-workers back in Utah to help me out.  I didn't finish up until about 9PM, and thankfully the lounge had some great appetizers and dinner choices that night.

Saturday, September 15, 2018 - Los Angeles, California

Waking up to the rumblings of of something large and heavy, I waddled to the window in time to see a ghost white Boeing 747-400F rumble down the runway.  Now THAT'S my kind of wake up call!

It took less than a few minutes to get myself ready and I headed back up to the Executive Lounge to grab some breakfast to no avail, thanks to it being completely packed with Asian tourists from wall to wall, with no seats available and all the food being gobbled up in record pace.  So I shelved that idea, and went out of the hotel and next door to Carl's Jr. to clog my arteries.

Due to my status in the HHonors program, I was allowed a late checkout of 1:30PM, which was absolutely perfect for me, as I did have work to continue before I played around later that day.  Once downstairs, though, i simply checked out of my room, asked to have access to the lounge until 6PM, and left my luggage with the bell desk until ready to hop to shuttle back to LAX.  Made sure to grab my travel bear, Philbin (more on him in another post), and out I went, making my way to the Mecca for us avgeeks, the In N Out Burger joint on the periphery of LAX at the corner of El Segundo Blvd. and Westchester Parkway.  Being the avgeek paradise spot that it is, there were quite a few out there today as I (and Philbin, of course) enjoyed my animal style burger and fries, whilst watching the afternoon arrivals from around the world come screaming in from above.  I spent a good 3-4 hours just basking in the Southern California Sun, fast food scents, and jet engine sounds.  Easily my favorite thing to do in LA, I've brought Susie here, I REALLY want to bring my Dad here, I know he'd enjoy a burger and Coke and watching the planes come in.

Returning to the hotel (after a NASTY tumble on the sidewalks of El Segundo walking back), I spent the last few hours in the Executive Lounge tending to my bruised and battered arm, as well as having a stiff pre-departure beverage or two to ease the aches and pain.  The Lounge was pretty empty even though it was getting on in the afternoon and the hors d'oeuvres were just being rolled out.  Knowing I wouldn't be eating on the plane, I filled up a few plates and enjoyed watching the late afternoon departures to Europe and Asia find their way skywards into the Sun.

Back at LAX to begin the next phase of the trip, the AAA sponsored FAM (familiarization) at the Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  From LAX it was just a matter of hopping on American Airlines with a stop in Miami, and onto Kingston.  Unfortunately, the red-eye flight from LAX to Miami is on American Airlines new Boeing 737 MAX 8.  There have been so many bad reviews about the plane that I was wondering if I should just eat the cost and change my ticket to a different flight, but, being the consummate travel professional I am, I had to give the bird a chance.

Dreading the regular Economy Class seating crunch, I gladly paid to upgrade again to Main Cabin Extra, hoping against all hope not to add to the negativity surrounding the MAX 8.  The seating in MCE isn't bad, but the window seats are definitely a bit cramped.  The ride would've been great, as there was no one in the middle seat, until the very last minute before the door closed for pushback.  A non-rev was boarded and sure enough, they plunked him down next to me, and he was NOT a small person, neither was the guy in the aisle seat.  So I did what I do best, and slept the majority of the way to Miami.  Halfway through the flight, I got a little antsy, and I couldn't wait to land and start breathing normally again.


Sunday, September 16, 2018 - Miami, Florida and Kingston, Jamaica

Arrival into Miami was great, and a bit early, so I hurried off the plane, slightly disappointed the MAX 8 left such a negative imprint on me.  I am definitely going to second guess my travel options when I see this as the equipment type.

My layover in Miami was 4 hours long, but went by quickly, thanks to grabbing a bite to eat and taking my meds the instant I got into the concourse.  Found a cozy corner by my departure gate, turned on my music and cracked open my latest book to while away the time.

The flight to Kingston was far more comfortable than the MAX 8, as this was on an older not as cramped Boeing 737-800, and the hour long flight passed by quickly.  Before I knew it, we were on our way into Kingston, and I have to admit here, I was shocked at the size of the airport...and how it looked.  It took a while to get offloaded, considering I was in the 2nd to last row, and I gradually made my way down the jetway and into Customs, which took about an hour and a half to get through, considering how many people were in line from the 2 flights that just came in aside from mine, and how slow the Jamaican officials were.



Even after that long wait in Customs, I still had to wait for my luggage, then I finally made my way to the Sandals Resorts transfer desk, and before I knew it, in a shocking display of speed by the Sandals agents, I found myself in a private van and on my way to the resort, even though we must've taken the bumpiest road possible, because I shook, rattled, and rolled ALL the way to Ocho Rios.  More on that in the next installment, though.

Part II of the Jet Lag Junkie Journals Jamaica will be published on Monday, October 1, 2018.  Stick around!

Puddle Jumping: Hopping the Pond to New Adventures

Photo credit Joe Pries

Back in the olden, golden days of flying, to get to anywhere remotely off the beaten path in Europe you had to get on a flight from your local airport, to (usually) New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, where depending on the airline, you were hoarded into a cavernous cabin of a Boeing 747 of either International icons of TWA, one of the myriad International carriers that berthed at the International Arrivals Building, or even the much forsaken Pan Am, then off to a European Capitol, where you would connect yet again to exotic locales like Zagreb, Athens, or Naples.  In those days, it was simply inconceivable to ask for nonstop access to cities like these from any point in North America.

Fast forward 30 years or so.  With the advent of aircraft such as the Airbus A350, Boeing 787 and longer ranges on the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families, airlines are now taking advantage of routes previously not considered, or routes that used to operate, but were never profitable for any variety of reasons.  Let's take a look at 3 of them.

Route 1:  Chicago/O'Hare - Athens, Greece

This route is near and dear to my heart, for a few reasons, not just because I am a proud Greek.  The history of service from North America to Greece goes back to March 31, 1946, when TWA began service from Washington, DC to Athens, with stops in New York, Gander, Shannon, Paris, and Rome.  Nonstop service from New York followed in 1966 with Boeing 707's, and Olympic Airways joined the fray with their own 707 (and later Boeing 747) services from Athens to New York, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, and Chicago...which is where this tale starts.

American Airlines recently announced a boat load of new European services for Summer 2019, and finally, after a LONG time waiting, and an online campaign that sparked an entire group on social media (Chicago-Athens Nonstop) and led to a petition signed by over 1,700 people clamoring for such service (spearheaded by yours truly,  Chicago-Athens Petition), new service to Athens will commence from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

What makes this route work is not just the size and economics of the plane used, but also the immense connecting opportunities American Airlines has in and out of Chicago, as well as the local O&D (Origin & Destination) travelers, Chicago being 2nd largest Greek community outside the New York City area.  With a departure time of 5:10PM and arrival the next morning at 11:30AM, the flight is perfectly time for those folks making connections from smaller communities in the Western US, thereby eliminating making a double connection to get to Athens.  On the Greek side, this arrival time makes for quite a few more convenient connections to other Greek destinations.

The return flight is also well timed for those coming from the islands, with an afternoon departure of 1:30PM, arriving into Chicago by 5:25PM, right in the middle of the evening rush of International departures, and rush hour traffic.  With American's powerful hub, dozens of connecting opportunities exist as well, especially to places on the West Coast such as Denver, Salt Lake City, Billings, Reno, Las Vegas, and Seattle.


Route 2:  Newark, NJ - Naples, Italy

Photo Credit Joe Pries

This flight looks incredibly interesting to me, as up to now, there really hasn't been much for travel from North America to Italy, aside from the typical arrival points of Rome, Milan, and Venice.  For a travel agent like me, with as many bookings as I get for Southern Italy and Naples, this flight makes all the sense in the world, even if it is operated by aging Boeing 767 aircraft.  United is definitely trying to reclaim the title of New York's #1 Airline that was held by predecessor Continental Airlines for decades before.



The beauty of this flight is the arrival time in Naples of 8:05AM.  Now, there's a few options for connections out of Naples, but the majority of folks coming off the United flight will be heading south to the Amalfi Coast, or Sicily.  Plenty of time to catch their bus, taxi or private ride down.  I predict this flight will see more than its fair share of people on holiday packages like those provided by Perillo Tours or Homeric Tours from the USA, checking out the beauty of Southern Italy.

I for one, would love to try this flight out, and maybe I will this coming Summer.


Route 3:  Philadelphia - Dubrovnik, Croatia

Photo credit Joe Pries

It amazes me how this offering took so long to come to fruition.  Back in the 80's and 90's the old JAT Yugoslav Airlines used to fly to New York's JFK from Zagreb with DC-10's off and on.  Now with Croatia's tourism exploding higher and higher these last few years, this should've been a no-brainer from the start.  As with United's flight to Naples, I fully expect to see American fill their 767 to the brim with packaged tourists making the most out of their unforgettable trips to Croatia.

You might be pondering why American would start such a flight from Philadelphia, and not from New York or even Chicago.  Well, Since it's merger with US Airways, American inherited the massive hub in Philadelphia, full of connections from all over the US.  Yes, American has a very large focus city in New York at JFK Airport, however, that they use for the higher yielding business traffic that is covered by corporate contracts to London, the West Coast, and other select destinations.  AA tries hard not to send the leisure tourists through their JFK terminal, and instead routes the majority of all seasonal European services through Philadelphia and Charlotte.


Well, that is my look at 3 of the new routes coming out for Summer 2019.  I'd love to hear any feedback from my followers and fans!

Photo credit Joe Pries

Gutter Ballet

Most of you who know me, or read my posts, know that I am a capitalist through and through.  My thoughts and opinions on various topics usually side with management or Wall Street.  In this case though, I'm departing from the norm.

By now, you have probably heard of the story from Friday, August 10, and the theft of a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 from a Cargo/Maintenance stand at Seattle/Tacoma Airport by a "disturbed and disgruntled" Horizon Air employee.  I won't go into the story of the joyride around the skies of Puget Sound either, that's been covered.  Nor will I paint the employee as disturbed, disgruntled, or suicidal.  It is still FAR too early to to start guessing.  What I will do in this post though, is go through the turmoil the front-line employees face at not only Alaska Air Group (AAG, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and it's regional subsidiary Horizon Air), but at other airlines as well.  I'm also going to touch on the subject of suicide.  It's more of an epidemic in this country than opioids, the Mexican cartels, or porn (yes, the Governor of Utah says porn is an epidemic).

As I stated above, normally I take the side of management in airline employee relations.  In this case, especially against AAG (and JetBlue Airways, my friends there tell me the almost exact same horror stories), I am firmly on the side of the employees.  Thanks to a management that is hyper-focused on its costs - perhaps at the expense of it's employees well-being - Alaska and Horizon employees work in a stressful environment.  AAG has been battling with Delta Air Lines and it's massive new Seattle hub.  Alaska Airlines, itself still integrating Virgin America, a merger which some industry watchers feel is a costly, badly-timed, and poorly-executed merger, went to the negotiating table with it's various unions in order to come up with a plan to cut costs further that would allow the merger to go through.  Work rule changes were adopted, and the cost-cutting became so micromanaged that AAG's flight attendants were instructed to stop offering the popular Biscoff cookies as a snack.  Passengers and Flight Attendants alike came close to a revolt, and the airline capitulated.

If you listen to AAG's earnings calls or read their SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) filings, the company's Board of Director's and Executive Management will do ANYTHING to keep the stock price from falling.  That is simply all they care about, employees and services be damned, as long as Wall Street is happy and the JD Power awards keep coming in.

BUT..the JD Powers awards reflect only what the passengers opinions are, not the airlines' employees.

AAG's employees (whose unions appear to be impotent in helping their members) bear the brunt of the cost-cutting actions.  Several colleagues at AAG have come forward and told me of their woes at AAG.

"We get those shiny JD Powers awards, and instead of bonuses like at Delta, we are given Positive Space passes instead.  How will positive space passes feed my kids?"  - Alaska Customer Service Agent, Seattle.

The positive space passes might be great for the bright eyed interns who work for nothing and are gaining experience while in school, but it does not cut it for someone trying to feed their family to pay the bills (a stark contrast to Delta Air Lines, who in 2017 awarded it's employees $1.1 Billion in profit-sharing).

"Mandatory Overtime is killing us.  I come home with my paycheck not showing the correct amount of hours as OT, sometimes none at all.  We get worked to the bone by the powers-that-be, and we love our work, but we also need to get paid for it." Horizon Ramp Agent, Boise.

Stations all over the AAG system do it.  Some use it to good effect and keep the operation humming nicely, and the employees happy.  Others, like at the hubs, not so much.

"I was sent to training in Seattle.  I had told about my health issues to the trainers and they said it wouldn't be a problem in the training rooms.  2 days later I was on a flight home to SLC for a flareup of my Chron's disease.  My boss back home was surprised but was under orders to reassign me to a non customer-facing position."  Alaska CSA/Ramp Agent - Salt Lake City.

AAG trainers and their superiors are known for churning and turning their training classes, usually with a few dropouts or burnouts.  There have been cases of AAG employees reaching out to AAG HR for physical, medical or mental help.  All AAG did was give them the Employee Assistance Hotline number and never bothered following up.  A few have tried committing suicide, but thank God they survived.

"I was struck by a debilitating disease and my superiors promised my position would stay the same and once I was better, they would make whatever accommodations necessary to aid in my return to work.  Not only did I get my diagnosis, but I found out I was pregnant as well.  Once they found out, I was out of their picture." JetBlue Systems Controller, Orlando.

It's amazing to think some of these supposedly beloved companies are this harsh on employees.  Or is it?  I've worked at JetBlue as well, and let me tell you.  It doesn't surprise me in the least.  These airlines that are under pressure need to wake up and realize their medically challenged folks need to be looked out for.

Now, I watched the press conference the other day with leaders from AAG, Horizon, and the Port of Seattle.  Only briefly did they gloss over the Employee Assistance Program.  A single sentence.  That's it.  Done.  Next Question.

Depression and Suicide are an epidemic in this country, and no one is willing to have a frank and honest conversation about it.  Thousands of us suffer and fight the demons in silence.  I've fought them since I was about 15 years old.  The silence must stop and we need to speak up.  Us airline folk tend to stick together, especially during the hardest times, but we don't have to fight alone.  If anyone ever needs to talk, I'm always around.  You see tons of posts from blissfully ignorant and pseudo-helpful folks claiming they will listen if you need to talk and then post the number to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, but who better to listen to you than a real friend or cohort who knows exactly what you're fighting with?  I'm not saying the NSPH is a bad thing, far from, it has helped many people overcome and get help.  It might have done a world of good for Rich, instead he may have only seen one way out.  We don't know.  I refuse to paint him into any corner until the investigations are complete.  My condolences to his family and friends, and to my friends at AAG.


For airlines like AAG and JetBlue, it's a race to the bottom, quite literally, into the gutter.  The dance the employees make to keep up appearances and keep the flights on-time and profitable, and bags onto the carousel within 20 minutes, is at best, a ballet on razor blades.  To my dearest friends in the trenches, keep up the fight, and make Brad Tilden, Robin Hayes, and their respective Boards of Directors LISTEN.