#887300 by whiterose
05 Nov 2014, 21:59
Wonderful holiday in Fort Myers Beach, not been before and for the first time since we had small children, we did absolutely nothing. Hotel was first-rate, Pink Shell Beach Resort. Had good reviews on Trip Advisor, well deserved. Highest possible standards. It’s at the northern tip of the island that is Fort Myers Beach, hotel is right on the beach and backs onto the Marina. Great views and fantastic sunsets. Very shallow sea, you could walk out for 50 yards and still only be knee-deep but hotel had several good pools.

Given that I’d failed to do OLCI for the outward flight, I was surprised to be able to do so for the return, until I got to the point of paying for luggage. Put in my card details, waited, then “Your transaction could not be completed”. Maybe UA doesn’t like English credit cards. Tried again. Same result. I abandoned it thinking that if I continued and the transactions had actually gone through, I might be paying UA several hundred dollars and no doubt struggle to get it back.

We’d booked the taxi driver who took us from airport to hotel to collect us for the return, nice guy, turned up on time, smooth journey. Check-in wasn’t all automated as at EWR for the outward journey, they actually had real people and a helpful woman too, confirmed that my card payment hadn’t gone through. Paid and picked up receipt for payment and our boarding passes. Once again I got TSA pre-approval but OH didn’t, so I was straight through security but OH as usual set off alarms with his artificial knees and had to have a pat-down.

On to the gate, very similar to the one at EWR, again a woman at the gate announcing small plane, limited cabin-baggage space, carry-ons would have to fit into the frames. Boarding was quick, this time maybe a newer plane than the outbound, again we had paid for Economy Plus but this time the seats did recline and did have IFE screens though not much available unless you paid. One drinks run with tea/coffee/water.

Because I’d had such pain and deafness on the outbound flight, I’d researched this and found that I should chew gum (not my scene at all but I did) and on the descent, to hold my nose and try to blow through it and sure enough, that makes the ears pop. I must have done it at least a dozen times as we descended, but it worked, I didn’t have the pain or the deafness. Anyone know why I got it on a domestic flight but never do on a TATL flight?

Dull flight really, nothing special, not as cold as the outward flight, landed on time at EWR. We were quickly off the plane and through to arrivals where we were met by youngest son, beaming with pleasure at seeing us. Off to luggage carousels where we waited. And waited. And waited. Took 35 minutes from arrival at the carousel before the luggage came through.

So a wonderful holiday, great hotel which I could unreservedly recommend but we’ll be in no hurry to fly UA again. And we were then back staying with YS and DIL for another ten most enjoyable days before we flew back to UK.
#887578 by Syrome
09 Nov 2014, 16:49
Thanks for the TR, I've flown UA many times and on this route too as we have an aprtment in Marco. Seems the typical domestic offering, which is good and not good at the same time. :) as for the ear popping thing, I've done that since I was young out of habit. Perhaps the plane took a steeper descent than normal or the pressure is kept at different levels than your VS flight? I honestly have no idea. Colds and sinus buildup which is common this time of year can also exacerbate the pressure buildup in the head. I flew back to LHR with a cold and could barely hear what the CC were saying for most of the flight, not to mention the descent. Indeed chewing gum or having a candy to suck on can help as well as the holding the nose trick. They also make earplugs called earplanes which are supposed to help normalize the pressure whilst flying. Never tried them.

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