V-Flyer

After a very pleasant few days in San Francisco, it was time to come home.

I'd been staying at the Westin St Francis on Union Square. Fantastic location with the hotel itself been OK, had better but also had a lot worse. On checking out, the agent even credited me my last days internet usage for some reason so I only ended up paying for 3 days usage instead of 4 [?]. Usual over-priced, slow 1Mb connection but it served it's needs. There's supposed to be both wired and WiFi in all rooms, except my wired access didn't seem to want to work. I prefer using wired so I can connect up my travel router meaning I can use both my Macbook and my iPhone. Any how, the WiFi was working so I opted for that instead. I'd added on an international roaming bolt-on to my O2 iPhone account (20 for 10MB, be careful though, this doesn't go very far and you do need to monitor your usage carefully).

Anyway, back to the TR......After checking out of the hotel, I walked down the hill to the Powell Street BART station (much much easier than the walk up from the BART to the hotel!!!) The BART takes about 30 minutes from here and currently costs $8.50 each way.

Arrived at SFO and made the short walk to international departures. VS check-in had just opened. Had a few minutes wait in the PE line but was soon checked into my allocated seat 20G. This was also my first time departing SFO without using the VS Clubhouse [:#] Not to worry as there are far worse airports to sit and wait in. I stayed landside until about 15:00 (with several trips outside for a nicotine fix). The weather was fantastic today, the best it had been so far. Nice and warm and sunny. I'd had a text of my Mum saying it was heavy snow at home again - joy of joys!!

Security was fairly quick and painless. SFO has a full body scanner on trial there. It was only by complete accident that I ended up in that line. I've no issues using such technology and it means no more pat downs. The full body scanner was taking it's time (it looks like there's a remote private viewing screen somewhere and a TSA agent was receiving approval via a radio to let pax exit the scanner once the scan had completed). As this process was quite slow the TSA started directing pax though to the ordinary lines, myself included, so I never actually got to try it in the end.

I made my way to gate 11 where the VS 20 was departing from. Boarding was started at about 16:15, which in the usual VS manner, was fairly chaos.

Another full flight today in all cabins. Pre-departure drinks where offered along with hot towels as usual. We pushed back at about 17:00 and where airborne by 17:15.

The bar service was soon offered and V:Port was switched on. I think Decembers films where still in use. Decembers film guides was certainly still in the seat pockets.

Not long after, dinner was served. I opted for the barbecue chicken. Again it was well presented but wasn't quite a good as the food on the way out. The other choices where lamb curry or red pepper gnocchi (I don't know and I didn't ask but this was the veggie option!!!)

Tea/Coffee was served after and before long, the trays where cleared and the cabin lights dimmed. I finished watching Star Trek then grabbed some sleep. My blanket didn't last long as it was far too warm (as usual)

Surprised myself by getting at least 5 hours sleep as I was woken up by the breakfast service. The usual egg muffins [:$] where offered, so I asked for something else and was offered a fruit platter with the usual drinks.

Seat belt sign was put on about 25 minutes from landing. No stacking at this time of day and we where on the ground at LHR by 11:00. Captain came on to tell us no gates where available yet due to all the delayed departures because of the extra security for US flights. We taxied forward a little bit and then stopped with a jolt. Apparently the hydraulics for the on the ground movements had failed. The Captain said this was probably due to the temperatures we had encountered on-route. I think he said it reached about -70'C outside at one point. A tug was on it's way to pull us onto stand. This took about 20 minutes and by 11:30 we where finally on stand. The usual long walk to immigration and quite a queue at the one working IRIS booth.

Bags where already coming off the belt by the time I reached it and I was soon outside T3 arrivals.

Overall another great VS flight. The 2 cabin crew who where looking after Premium did a fantastic job and where both a credit to VS. Nothing was too much trouble for either one of them the entire flight.

One thing I did notice was that both the CSS's where wearing the FSM uniforms as well as the actual FSM. Not sure if this is a new thing or not [?]

Another thing I also noticed was those scanners you now walk though/under as you go though the green channel. Anyone know what they are for [?]

Regards

James

Another great TR. Thanks for the info about the BART - how easy is to use with a wee bit of luggage?

Thanks

Paul

Paul

Using the BART with luggage it quite easy. There are wide entry gates, lifts and escalators at most, if not all BART stations.

Regards

I was wondering about the BART too, though now I'm more concerned about that hill, as I'm booked at the Marriott so far, which I think is near the Westin.

Cheers for the TR! [y]

Mike

Yes indeed, the Marriot is another block further up the hill from the Westin. The hill itself is not too bad, it just makes it worse as there's usually quite a lot of people in that area. There are cable cars running up and down Powell street, but there's often a long queue for those.

Regards

Thank you for the return TR, James.[y]

I do like SFO. I hope you had a look at the various exhibitions in cases around the terminal - near the security gates and some at the back of the check-in desk area and the museum too. It really is a civilising influence but hardly anyone seams to look at either which is a pity. And as the main hall is so large you get a good work out too !

I used the new scanner last September with no problems at all and I had no privacy issues. Rather the scan than being patted down by a total stranger. The main delay was in waiting for a couple of trays to put my hand luggage in for normal screening.

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

James

Thanks for your TR which is up to your usual informative standard [y]

Your report of the CC is yet another example of consistency that seems to becoming more common

Take care

buns

quote:Originally posted by mitchja
The other choices where lamb curry or red pepper gnocchi (I don't know and I didn't ask but this was the veggie option!!!)



The red pepper gnocchi is one of the best vegetarian options in PE in a long time! [:D][:D]

Great TR James, thanks. We love the Westin too [^]

Another great TR.

Just home here and found a TSA card at the top of my case. Good job I use a TSA approved luggage strap/lock around my solid walled case.

I think that's only the second time I've ever had my bag inspected.

Regards

quote:Originally posted by mitchja

One thing I did notice was that both the CSS's where wearing the FSM uniforms as well as the actual FSM. Not sure if this is a new thing or not [?]



Didn't see this first time I replied. After last years redundancies there is a imbalance of crew numbers in the different ranks. So at the moment there is a lot of crew working out of rank.

Thanks for clearing that up Tinkerbelle [y]

Regards

Great TR James and as I am hopefully off to SFO and Yosemite next month quite useful [:)]

quote:Originally posted by mitchja
I prefer using wired so I can connect up my travel router meaning I can use both my Macbook and my iPhone. Any how, the WiFi was working so I opted for that instead.


I use an Asus WL-330GE as my travel router - a brilliant piece of kit about the size of a packet of normal (non superking) cigarettes. It will connect wired or wirelessly to a Net connection and then share it.

Last year we had 2 x netbooks and 2 x Nokia N95s (VoIP) connected at each location we stayed. This is also pretty useful in places like the Wynn where they charge per device. I connected both wired and wireless depending on location.
It has the useful ability to connect to a wireless SSID and then rebroadcast your own (home?) SSID for all devices. This means at each new location only the one device needs re-configuring.

Mine is configured exactly the same as my home router so whenever I set up everything connects automatically.

I got mine for under 50 delivered but they can be had for the same price in US dollars - well worth the investment


HTH


Mark

I don't know if my D-Link travel will connect to wireless (sounds like a similar size to yours). I guess it will, but only ever used it with a wired connection before now; plus I didn't have the instructions with me [:I]

Regards