Travel Diary

It was time to return. I’d let about eight years slip since I last visited the Big Apple. Just a lot of other vacations got in the way. It was time to head across the states once again.

I also was going to indulge a big. Alaska was partners with American Airlines and I had a LOT of miles saved up. Why not treat myself? I opted to use about 25,000 miles and $5 to purchase a first-class ticket out to New York. It would be nice to sit in a fully reclining seat once again. I did not realize that I would not actually be getting any miles for these flights since I was using rewards miles. That part was still a little new to me. No matter.

I drove to SFO. Having to drive the extra distance was not idea, but American flew out of SFO and I had no choice. It was also a very early flight. I arose around 4am.

There isn’t much traffic at that hour. Very easy drive to ParkSFO. That’s my go-to spot for when I fly there. After parking, I took the shuttle to the terminals and headed in. One source of confusion was that I could not select my seat online. I headed to the ticket counter and asked about my seat. Oddly, the service was friendly, yet quite slow. And of course they give preference to their own elite members first. Understood. I suppose there was no hurry. Nothing else to do until the plane departed. The lady said they would assign that at the gate. Odd, but okay. I then went to the gate. It took some time, but finally I held a business class ticket with a seat number in my hand. I was all set.

Bonus: SFO had a very cool Antique Scientific Instruments display. It’s always a bonus to get a mini museum for free in an airport.

While business class isn’t first class, it is still quite nice. I did notice that first class appeared to be exactly the same as business on American Airlines, just with the rows only having one seat instead of two side by side. In comparison, British Airways has a far better first class experience from what I observed, though to be fair, I wasn’t in AA’s first class section.

I had the aisle seat and they are situated as 2x2. No photos out the window for me. Again, fewer options when using rewards miles on a different airline. I should ask about getting an open window seat in the future (just in case one isn’t occupied). Flight attendants won’t upgrade your class, but some may allow a seat switch in the same class.

The menu was decent, but pretty generic. They don’t try to get fancy with the wording. Scrambled eggs are “scrambled eggs.” A boiled egg is “boiled egg.” Nothing to see here. It’s a little ironic that the menu mentioned the “restauranteur” as there was nothing on the menu suggesting a need of anyone doing anything special.

For a drink I ordered a mimosa. Coincidentally, so did the chap next to me. I wonder if he stole my idea. Tasty drink but being served in a plastic cup does taint the experience somewhat.

The food was good. Again, no comparison to the elite business classes around the industry, but AA does not claim to be that. And their prices are also attractive. The biggest perk is the seat turning into a bed. With a pillow and a duvet, it’s easy to fall asleep fast when you’re lying completely flat. That’s the main reason I bought the pricier ticket.

The amenity kit had the standard items: face mask, socks, toothbrush, pen, and perhaps some lotion. It’s fun to get those things, but I also keep the waste factor in mind. And the mask and socks were not terribly high in quality. Not a complaint. Just an observation.

The entertainment screen was large, though I never bother with them. If I want to watch something, it’s already downloaded to my smartphone. Thus, the reason I got the largest screen out there for iPhone.

Finally, we landed at JFK. It was first time back there in years, at least in terms of heading into Manhattan.

I was prepared for the next part. I had to take the air train to Jamaica Station and then take the LIRR to Penn Station. For the first part, they still only take physical tickets, which is a bit of a pain, but the LIRR ticket I purchased on my phone ahead of time. It’s a fairly fast journey considering the distance. Next thing I knew, I was heading up the exit escalator at Penn Station, out into the streets of Manhattan.

As in any huge city, there’s a lot of energy in the air with all the people walking about. Even passing by Madison Square Garden is pretty mesmerizing.

The weather was cool, but not freezing. I headed to my hotel and checked in. The room was nice, though nothing too fancy. Prices in Manhattan do take some getting used to. They are fairly steep.

Then I was on my way to meet a friend of mine and see a show. I met up at a fun pub to grab a drink before the show began. Prices at the bar would be far better than prices at the theatre. Afterwards, it was a short walk to see “Come From Away.”

Technically, it was the first Broadway show I’d ever seen. And it was entertaining. I liked it, though didn’t love it. But the price was fair and it was something to talk about. They were strict about the mask policy and inspected vaccination cards before letting people enter.

After the show, we grabbed some street vendor food. I noticed many carts don’t list their prices. Certainly, they will tell you if you ask, but I imagine displaying the prices scares people away. I think I had a Philly Cheese Steak for $12. Nothing special, but did the trick.

Then we met up with my friend’s friend named Kat. We all killed some time having drinks at a bar. Nearby, some tables were filled with people celebrating something or another, but one thing was certain: they were drinking like there was no tomorrow. Was kind of fun to observe.

We left the pub and I escorted Kat to the subway. Then as it wasn’t too late, I just wandered around NYC for another hour or two. The city never sleeps. Why should I? And there are so many great photo ops with all the tall buildings and neon lights. Well, LED lights now. But still very colorful.

Before returning to the hotel, I popped into a 7-11 to pick up some beer and snacks.