It has been almost four weeks since I started my trip, and it feels like both yesterday and such a long time ago. I have really enjoyed writing this blog series about the trip, as it is a way to enjoy it again. I feel the same way about the journey planning stage and looking… Read More A Golden Trip Part 10 – Reflections of a weary traveller
I woke up after a good night’s sleep – the first night in a bed since I had left Las Vegas. Check out was at 11 am, and I took an Uber back to the airport. Whilst it would have been possible to walk as it was only a month and a half, the footpaths… Read More A Golden Trip Part 9 – The final upgrade
Stepping off a first-class transatlantic flight and onto a slow, crowded bus is quite a comedown but necessary to get to terminal three. The process is relatively simple but not what one could go speeding. I had around two hours between arrival and departure and ended up with about 30 minutes in the lounge. I… Read More A Golden Trip Part 8 – A long Helsinki Shuffle
Entering Terminal 7 from the AirTrain, I headed to the far left hand side where the first-class checking area is located. When I first flew from here in 2014, a dedicated security channel for first-class passengers took you up the ramp and deposited you outside the Concorde Room door. Alas, this is no more, and… Read More A Golden Trip Part 7 – My last flight from Terminal 7?
One of the stranger parts to me about flying into an American airport is that you are dumped straight into the terminal and can wander around freely. I know it’s not unusual, but I don’t often do it on the European flights that I take. It also means one can access the lounge on arrival,… Read More A Golden Trip Part 6 – A day in New York
I quickly transferred through the airport and was soon at the taxi rank. I decided to take a taxi rather than Uber as some were at the rank. The strip is split into zones, and the Tropicana is in Zone 1, meaning a flat $19 fare plus tip. It’s about $7 more than an Uber,… Read More A Golden Trip Part 5 – What happens in Vegas…
I crashed at the hotel at about 10 pm the previous night and slept very well until about 5 am. I decided to get up and see what the hotel offered regarding breakfast. As a Hilton Diamond member, I should have got a $15 dining credit. There was nothing on the menu that took my… Read More A Golden Trip Part 4 – Hopping around the West Coast
As most of my flying originates in London, I rarely go through flight connections. I arrived at Terminal 5 on the bus from Terminal 3 and was quickly through fast-track security, only to be dumped at the top of the escalator into standard security. In the middle of the holidays, there were lots of families… Read More A Golden Trip Part 3 – First Class across the Atlantic and the USA
As I had about 4 hours to wait once I landed in Malaga, I decided to spend some time in one of the bars in the arrivals area, which had outside seating. A large beer and coffee were about €8, and there was plenty of action around the terminal to me amused. It turned out… Read More A Golden Trip Part 2 – A Finnish Night
I had booked my original trip about a year ago, so it is not an understatement to say that I was looking forward to starting. In true toddler fashion, The Poppet decided that she would wake at midnight the night before travel. After an hour of cuddling and settling in my bed, I was able… Read More A Golden Trip Part 1 – Positioning Inverness to Malaga
Mister Airmiles 