At the Today Show, originally uploaded by Peter S on Flickr.
At the Today Show
Central Park – The Lake
Central Park – Turtle Pond, originally uploaded by Peter S on Flickr.
A beautiful evening in Central Park.
Editor’s Note: I mistakingly posted this as Turtle Pond. It is actually The Lake. Sorry for the confusion.
A wonderful day at Yankee Stadium
My dad and I went to Yankee Stadium today. We had a great day and quite enjoyed it. It has always been a dream of mine to go to a game there and I finally fulfilled that dream.
It was a blast. I enjoyed just walking into the stadium and seeing it with my own eyes. We had a ball and got to see a great game also. (The Yankees won in the bottom of the 12th on a bases loaded hit batsman.)
It was a beautiful stadium. An old stadium, but a great stadium. I will hate to see it come under a wrecking ball here this fall. The new stadium will be nice, have wide aisles and seats, and even wider concourses. But it won’t be the same. A stadium that has seen a lot since 1923.
The only thing that we didn’t get to see was Monument Park. We got there as the stadium gates opened and by the time we got to the line, it was closed and they wouldn’t let us line up. That just sucked.
If you are a baseball fan out there and haven’t seen a game at Yankee Stadium, do it now. Before the catedral of baseball is gone.
Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty, originally uploaded by Peter S on Flickr.
Heading to NYC
I am heading to NYC in just over a week for a much needed vacation. The main reason for the trip is for my Dad and I to visit the ultimate temple of baseball, Yankee Stadium.
We will be there right after the All Star game and we are looking to take in as much of the city as we can. I have been there a couple times before, but my Dad hasn’t.
The plan so far is to take it easy on the first day. We are going to take a sail on a Schooner Adirondack in the afternoon and that is all we have planned. We will probably squeeze some other things in.
The second day is the Yankee’s game. We are going to get there early to see Monument Park and just take the whole thing in. It is going to be a special treat to see it and we wanted to see it before it gets torn down. (That should be a crime.)
The third day we are going to see Boeing Boeing. It has won a Tony and it should be fun. It is a mantinee on a Sunday, so we will have time to see a bunch of other things before and after.
The fourth day is that we have a tour of the NYSE in the early afternoon through my Dad’s broker, so we have a lot of time to do stuff.
We fly home late on the fifth day, so we can get up and see some sights we missed before heading out to the airport to fly home.
My Dad and I need to get together and get some more things planned.
If you have any suggestions for something to see or a restaurant to eat at, let me know in comments. I am looking for something that is local, not a tourist place, specifically the restaurants. I got some from my sister in-law who used to live there, but always looking for more.
I’ll be blogging throughout my stay, so keep checking back. I’ll be reviewing what we have done and reviewing the restaurants we are eating at.
United and Continental Plan Cooperation – Linking Networks and Services
I received the following email today from United about United and Continental linking their networks and services, including their frequent flyer programs. This is the first of probably a series of combinations, mergers, or cooperations that will occur in this market.
I still won’t fly either airline unless I have to because the service is so bad, especially charging for the first checked bag. Good luck, you’ll need it.
As a valued Mileage Plus member, we wanted you to be among the first to hear that Continental and United today announced plans to cooperate globally, linking our networks and services worldwide to deliver new benefits to you. In addition, Continental plans to join United in the Star Alliance®, the most comprehensive airline alliance in the world.
Once implemented, this new partnership, will easily enable you to take advantage of the resources of both airlines to enhance your overall travel experience, and receive more value from your Mileage Plus membership.
First and foremost, this partnership will include new frequent flier reciprocity that will enable you to earn miles when flying on either airline and redeem awards on both carriers. Travel on either carrier will count toward earning elite status. Similarly, members of either airline’s airport lounge program will have access to both Continental’s Presidents Club network and United’s Red Carpet Club® lounges.
Second, together with Continental, we will be able to offer you a more comprehensive domestic route network and together with our Star Alliance partners, greater choice of service throughout the entire world.
Starting in the U.S., you are going to see United and Continental develop extensive code-sharing that will facilitate travel whenever your itinerary involves both carriers. We will be able to provide you with a coordinated process for reservations/ticketing, check-in, flight connections and baggage transfer.
Internationally, Continental and United will establish joint ventures that will allow us to cooperate with each other and with other Star Alliance airlines throughout the world. These joint ventures will enable us to provide you with highly competitive flight schedules, fares and service to more destinations than we do today.
In short, once regulatory approval is obtained, this new partnership between United and Continental will expand your choice of flights and destinations, and improve your ability to earn both miles and elite status in Mileage Plus. Together we will offer you more value whenever you fly. We expect to bring you the benefits of our cooperation starting some time in 2009, and until then, we will keep you informed about our progress.
We appreciate you and your business, and we look forward to seeing you on your next flight.
Sincerely,
Robert Sahadevan
Vice President – Mileage Plus
Why would I want to fly American Airlines?
I have rarely flown American Airlines and I will probably never, ever fly them again.
Today American Airlines announced that they are going to be charging $15 for the first checked bag. United Airlines announced that it is “seriously studying” charging for the first bag.
That is ridiculous. I was upset when United said they were going to charge for the second checked bag, but now for the first one?
The airlines are struggling with a business plan that is getting hammered with competition and soaring fuel prices. So they are cutting services, flights, and charging more for different things.
This is only going to alienate the flying public. I think this bodes well for airlines like Frontier who still treat their passengers well.
I switched a couple years ago to flying Frontier Airlines over United for personal flights and only fly United or another carrier when work says I have to. I don’t need frills, but I want to be respected and treated fairly. I am getting that on Frontier, not on the other airlines.
Frontier is stuggling a little bit, but I think they will come out of this mess a stronger airline that will survive into the future.
I am not so sure about American, United, Continental, and others. Charging for the first bag is just plain stupid and makes bad business sense.
It is going to make boarding a flight harder, people are going to be carrying more on board, and it is just going to be a mess.
And if they are charging for the first and second bag. They better not lose it. If someone is paying for it, it better be waiting when they get to the luggage carousel. They are paying for a service, the airline better deliver!
Flight from Washington, DC, to Denver is a long one
The flight home to Denver is quite a long one, about four hours long.Flying east, the trip is almost an hour shorter than the return flight.
The anticipation of getting home might play into the length of the
flight even longer.
As you can tell, I am ready to get home. I should be home in time to
surprise the kids and pick them up at school.
It should be a fun weekend, even though I was gone only a couple of
days.
Air Travel
Even though it is a burden sometimes, going on an airplane flight isstill interesting, fun, and adventurous.
I am heading out on a short business trip and having the ability to fly
somewhere in a few hours and be in a city that you are not used to is
intriguing. It is always fun if you haven’t been somewhere before or
have been somewhere many times.
It is always interesting on the ride in on the shuttle from the parking
lot. Where are people going? Are they on a business trip? Or is it a
vacation? It is always fun.
Today there was a couple going to Port Townsend, Wash., to see there new
grad niece; an older couple flying to Stockton, Calif.,; a younger
couple heading off to vacation in Jamaica; and a man heading to Tampa
Bay for a business meeting.
As you can see, it is an intresting group of people heading to different
areas of the country or world.
Finally, it was a relaxing early morning at the airport. It was nice to
take a few minutes to enjoy breakfast, watch the airport wake-up and see
the first few flights take-off. Denver International Airport is sure
beautiful and relaxing in the morning.
Air travel is not as a glamerous as it once was, but it is still
something that intrigues and excites me.
Good job United Airlines
I have previously given United Airlines a hard time for their serviceand most of it is deserved. The flight attendants on my flight to Salt
Lake City this morning were gruff with all the passengers.
But when they do something good I want to recognize them also. I am
flying on United Flight 526 from Salt Lake City back to Denver and there
were two soldiers on our flight. There were some open seats in first
class and the flight crew moved them there.
The flight crew was also really nice and helpful. I really enjoyed
flying with them back to Denver.
Good job United!
Mile High Soapbox 