Cruisinaltitude.com: It's about the journey

New blog home

2009-10-13T01:11:00.002-05:00

I've started a new home for this blog at http://www.cruisinaltitude.com so please check it out there.

All you can jet in 30 days - I'm in

2009-08-19T18:14:00.003-05:00

Houston, TX. Wed. 19 Aug., 2009. I took the plunge and I'm now a member of the All you can jet in 30 days club. Yup, this is the JetBlue Airways (B6) offer where you can basically fly their system in 30 days for $599 plus some taxes if you head to international destinations.

The purchase experience was not too bad, I had a wait time less than 5 mins. when I called. My first call failed as I could not hear the agent when she came on the phone, but the second one was fine and in about 10 minutes, I was the proud owner of a confirmation number. It took a little longer as I forgot to join TrueBlue, their frequent flyer program so I had to do that before I bought the pass. It was a simple process and took about a minute to accomplish.

I did the smart thing and used my Citibank MasterCard that gives me miles on American Airlines' AAdvantage frequent flyer program of course. JetBlue only gives me 35 TrueBlue points and I need 100 for a free ticket. So Goal #1 accomplished which is scoring as many AAdvantage miles for this trip. Any purchases made during the trip will also be on this card to maximize the mileage earnings of course.

The agent was very pleasant and advised me of the following when she was done:

JetBlue is ticketless
JetBlue offers beverage snack services only
One checked bag and one carry on are allowed for free, there is a $30 charge after that per bag

I was then asked if I wanted to book any trips, so I immediately secured my trips home on four consecutive weekend Sundays starting on Sunday, 13 September 2009. The e-mail confirmations came in rapid succession.

I am still figuring out my itinerary. Using the JetBlue's schedule application is quite a bear I'm afraid. It needs quite a lot of work. As an example, I choose NYC metro area in the "From" box since they serve four of the five area airports and I got no cities in the "To" drop down. I've had to use a schedule tool at http://www.cruisinaltitude.com to help me, which works quite well in filling the gaps.

So off to continue planning my routings now.

Follow my travels on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/mskonfa1990.

They won't start until 11 or 12 September, 2009. But you never know, I may be on a flight on 8 September, 2009.

Related Blogs/Posts:

A totally different journey - I went to a gun and knife show

2009-08-16T22:31:00.005-05:00

Houston TX Aug., 16, 2009. Today, I did something different. This is something I had never done before, I went to a gun and knife show.

Yesterday, I was driving around and saw a sign on the highway directing me which exit to take from I-10E so I could make it to the gun show. I wanted to do something completely different and outside of my realm of knowledge so this was it. I wanted to be like a fish out of water and learn something new.

I checked online and it was also taking palce today from 10a-4p at a cost of $8.00. I headed downtown Houston, TX and got to the show about 12:30p or so at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

I did notice crudely made signs encouraging me to join the NRA and get free entry as I walked in. Inviting I thought. They had a few anti-Obama signs as well.

I walked in with my camera on my shoulder and I was told by a Houston Police Officer in uniform that I had to check it. I made small talk about having to check it and that it was not dangerous, the Office laughed.

I also did not get my ticket so I went outside and paid in cash. No credit cards accepted the guy told me.

Once back inside, I checked my camera with the other guns that the Houston Police Officer had checked. You see there was a sign outside that said you cannot take your concealed weapon inside. For some reason I was expecting a metal detector, silly me.

So I gave my ticket and walked in. The lady gave me a card to fil out for a door prize adn well as sign up for e-mails about upcoming shows.

As I entered, the first thing I saw was a guy standing with an automatic weapon on his shoulder. He was selling it. Odd, I thought, then I saw another guy and yet another guy. I guess it was the norm. I did not want to ask for fear that I said something silly and insulted the guys. Don't think I want to upset anyone at a gun and knife show.

I started walking down the aisle looking at the guns and there were plenty. I can't tell you what they were as I have no idea. Except that there were hand guns and big gun like they have in war shows on TV and the movies. I could not understand why a person would buy one of the war type guns for home use. I was scared to ask though in case I picked the one guy who would be pissed at me. I have a few friends who are gun fans, I'll ask them later.

As I walked the twelve aisles I bumped into people as it was so packed. Everyone was really polite. There were people of all ages there. From newborns in the arms of their parents to pre-teens, teenagers twenty, thirty, forty, fifty somethings and seniors.

I stopped to ask a vendor how I could get a gun. I did not really want one, but I'm at a gun show people! I had to know.

He said, that I must have a Texas drivers license and fill out a long yellow form. Then he calls it in to some kind of clearing house and then if I am cleared, I can take the gun with me after paying for it with cash or credit card. Too easy I thought. Lots of people were filling out these forms.

I asked about ammunition and was told that there were plenty of vendors around where I can get my ammunition. After walking around, he was not kidding. It seemed like if you sold guns you cannot sell ammunition and vice versa. Although the ammunition guys are just a few stalls from the gun vendors.

This was also a knife show and there was no shortage of knives. Big ones, fat ones, small ones and long ones. A kid, well older kid, tried to sell me three samurai knives of three different sizes on a stand. It retailed for $75, but he would give me a deal for $60 and throw in a smaller knife. Tempting, but I declined. I told him that I was struggling with what I'd do with it. He said just put it on my wall and look at it. I had a problem with that idea. I did ask him where were they made, Japan? "Or China," he replied. So much for authenticity. I thought.

As I walked around I noticed other items were being sold. Here is a list:
All weather writing paper, jewelry, safes, small gun safes, stun guns, ear plugs, sauage jerky (at least two stalls), ammunition (lot of it), used guns, knives, scopes, gun purses (these were cute), pistol packs (never thought of that), stuff to clean your guns, guns (duh), flat screen TVs (not sure why), free concealed hand gun clases, t-chirts, back packs, coins, helmets, army stuff, wallets, tools (scissors and pliers, etc.) belts and display cases.

After almost an hour, I had walked the twelve aisles and had my fill of something that I had no interest in, except curiosity. And after the hour my interest is the same as when I walked in - non-existent.

I never grew up with guns although one of my uncles was a police officer, so maybe that is the reason for my non-interest. And I'm that boy that never liked knives. I was a clumsy kid so a knife would have been a bad thing.

I still am clumsy, never grew out of that one. I think I did own a Swiss army knife, but not sure why and have no idea where it is today. It may have been a gift from someone as I would certainly not buy it.

I did enjoy the experience today and it was great to get a window in the world of guns and knives and the people who love them.

All you can jet in 30 days - job permitting

2009-08-14T21:54:00.005-05:00

Houston, TX Fri. 14 Aug., 2009. Like many others, I have seen that JetBlue Airways (B6) is offering you to basically fly their system in 30 days for $599 plus some taxes if you head to international destinations.

Being the consummate traveler where it is all about the journey, this looks intriguing. Of course I have specific goals in mind and during that month I have to work so I have to accomplish this task on weekends only, i.e. Friday p.m. to Sunday p.m. This poses mega challenges, but I'm up for it. I also have to justify the cost vs. the goal value.

I've already looked at Jetblue's routes and picked the cities which I've not yet logged and those which I've already visited but would like to visit again time permitting. I have to keep focused as the primary goal is to log 13 new airports in 4 weekend days (12 days) and stay within the rules of the game.

Here are my 13 goal cities:

Aguadilla, PR	BQN
Buffalo, NY	BUF
Hyannis, MA	HYA
Long Beach, CA	LGB
Martha's Vineyard, MA	MVY
Nantucket, MA	ACK
Newburgh, NY	SWF
Provincetown, MA	PVC
Puerto Plata Dominica Republic	POP
Richmond, VA	RIC
Rochester, NY	ROC
Rutland, VT	RUT
Santiago Dominica Republic	STI

Here are my 10 time permitting cities:

Aruba	AUA
Hamilton, Bermuda	BDA
Bogota, Colombia	BOG
Bridgetown, Barbados	BGI
Cancun, Mexico	CUN
Nassau, Bahamas	NAS
Montego Bay, Jamaica	MBJ
San Jose, Costa Rica	SJO
Santo Domingo, Dominica Republic	SDQ
St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles	SXM

And finally I'd love to re-visit these two cities, but service starts after the end of the promo :-(:

Castries, St. Lucia UVF

Kingston, Jamaica KIN

I'm now armed with my PDF and downloadable schedules that were pointed out to me by @jetblue - http://www.twitter.com/jetblue at http://www.jetblue.com/help/timetables. Let the strategy begin.

Follow my travels on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/mskonfa1990.
Related Blogs: http://thestrategyblog.com/index.php/archives/281/how-to-book-an-awesome-travel-itinerary/

Hanging out at Houston's Hobby and Intercontinental airports

2009-08-08T19:39:00.002-05:00

I was hanging out at Houston-Hobby (HOU) and Houston-Intercontinental (IAH) and got a few fantastic videos. Here are a few of them.

Air France Boeing 777-300ER landing at Houston-Intercontinental

Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 landing at Houston-Intercontinental

TACA's Airbus A320 landing at Houston-Intercontinental

Continental Airlines' Boeing 757-300 landing at Houston-Intercontinental

TACA's ERJ-175 landing at Houston-Intercontinental

Southwest Boeing 737 taking off from Houston-Hobby

Southwest Airlines (WN) Boeing 737 with winglets taking off from Houston-Hobby

Please leave a comment.

50 airlines I follow on twitter

2009-08-08T10:15:00.004-05:00

As I go through my travel journeys each weekend I ensure that I'm connected to the Internet so I can send out my tweets and get all kinds of flight information, schedules, maps, destination information, etc.

I follow a number of airlines on twitter most recently, Continental Airlines at http://www.twitter.com/continental. Some airlines have multiple ones, but I've only listed the main ones that I follow here. Do you follow any of them?

Aegean Airlines - http://twitter.com/aegeanairlines
Air France - http://twitter.com/Air_France
Air New Zealand - http://twitter.com/flyairnz
airTran - http://twitter.com/AirTranFares
Alaska Airlines - http://twitter.com/AlaskaAir
Allegiant Air - http://twitter.com/allegiantair
American Airlines - http://twitter.com/AAirwaves
Asiana Airlines - http://twitter.com/AsianaAirlines
Austrian Airlines - http://twitter.com/FlyAustrian
British Airways - http://twitter.com/British_Airways
Continental Airlines - http://twitter.com/continental
Copa Airlines - http://twitter.com/copaair
Czech Airlines - http://twitter.com/CzechAirlines
Delta Air Lines - http://twitter.com/DeltaAirLines
El Al (Hebrew) - http://twitter.com/ELAL_IL
JetBlue - http://twitter.com/JetBlue
Frontier - http://twitter.com/FrontierSale
Hawaiian Airlines - http://twitter.com/FlyHawaiian
Iberia Airlines - http://twitter.com/IberiaAirlines
Indian Airlines - http://twitter.com/indianairlines
JetStar - http://twitter.com/jetstarnz
JetStar Australia - http://twitter.com/JetstarAirways
Kenya Airways - http://twitter.com/KenyaAirways
KLM - http://twitter.com/klmfan
Korean Airlines - http://twitter.com/KoreanAir_KE
LOT Polish Airlines - http://twitter.com/LOTpolish
Lufthansa - http://twitter.com/Lufthansa_USA
Malaysia Airlines - http://twitter.com/MAS
Meridiana Airlines - http://twitter.com/Meridiana_Air
Pet Airways - http://twitter.com/PetAirways
Qantas - http://twitter.com/QantasUSA
Qatar Airways - http://twitter.com/qatarairways
SAS - http://twitter.com/FLYSAS_com
Singapore Airlines - http://twitter.com/SQairlines
Skywest Airlines - http://twitter.com/Skywest_Airline
Southwest Airlines - http://twitter.com/SouthwestAir
Spirit Airlines - http://twitter.com/SpiritAirlines
Sri Lankan Airlines - http://twitter.com/SrilankanUK
Swiss Airlines - http://twitter.com/SWISSairlines
TAM - http://twitter.com/TAMAirlines
TAP - http://twitter.com/tapnews
Tiger Airways - http://twitter.com/tigerairways
Turkish Airlines - http://twitter.com/turkishairlines
United Airlines - http://twitter.com/UnitedAirlines
US Airways http://twitter.com/usairways
USA 3000 Airlines - http://twitter.com/USA3000Airlines
Virgin America - http://twitter.com/VirginAmerica
Virgin Atlantic Airways - http://twitter.com/VirginAtlantic
Virgin Blue - http://twitter.com/VirginBlue
WesJet - http://twitter.com/WestJet

If I've missed any, please leave a comment and I'll add it.

Whitney Houston is back with "I Look To You"

2009-08-03T00:00:00.008-05:00

Amazon.com Widgets

Oftentimes the travel journey discovers other things. I was in San Francisco, CA last weekend and saw people with little fans announcing Whitney Houston's new album, I Look To You which debuts on August 31, 2009. Do we still call things "albums?" :-). You can see the album cover above.

I just had a chance to take a look today, yup been a busy week.

You can listen to this cut above or on her Web page at http://www.whitneyhouston.com.

She looks quite different now and sound a little, O.K. a lot different as well, but its been 6 years since we've heard from her.

I don't know if I like this song, I want the old Whitney back, but I'm afraid she's gone forever. Let's embrace the new one and see how this new album pans out.

I'm a big fan of Whitney, you?

Which airport has the funniest code or spells an odd word?

2009-08-02T20:31:00.006-05:00

Airport naming is fun and will be the subject of another post, but for this post, let's just make fun of the funny codes and the words they sometimes spell. Check these out.

ABE - Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, PA
BAR - Baker Island, AK
CAK - Akron/Canton, OH
DOH - Doha, Qatar
DUB - Dublin, Ireland
EAT - Wenatchee, WA
FAT - Fresno, CA
FUK - Fukuoka, Japan
PIS - Poitiers, France
POT - Port Antonio, Jamaica [appropriately, I guess]
REK - Reykjavik, Iceland
ROW - Roswell, NM

You ever been to any of these or do you live in one of them? There are many other gems, which ones are your favorites?

One of my favorite is if you from fly from FRA to NCE you are going to FRANCE.

Leave a comment below please.

Google Voice: Making a call

2009-07-21T22:47:00.004-05:00

Google Voice

I received my Google Voice invitation recently. On July 6, 2009, I setup my account. I've wanted to use it to make a call for a while, but just never got around to it. I needed to call my dad who is out of the country, so I used it as T-Mobile charges me $1.49/minute! Plus I believe I get docked my phone minutes as well. Here is what I did.

Making a call This is really simple, first you click on the Call icon and then start typing the name or the number of the person you wish to call. As Google Voice is integrated with your Gmail account, any numbers you have stored in your G1 phone contacts will be accessible. I chose my Dad from the list of numbers that appear as you start to type.

You can then choose the phone you've set up to ring using Google Voice or choose a different number. You may have the system remember your choice by checking a checkbox. Click the Connect button to make your call.

The phone you designate to ring will do so. When you answer it, it tells you how much credit you have and the cost per minute of your call. You can also view your balance on screen.

It's that easy. What do you think?

Heathrow airport: Getting to Terminal 4 from the Central Bus Terminal - What a nightmare

2009-07-19T04:32:00.008-05:00

Heathrow International Airport, London England 19 Jul., 2009. My KLM flight to Amsterdam from Heathrow's Terminal 4 was at 6:30a. I figured I was going to have difficulty making that flight so I purposely stayed at the airport and in addition, awoke at 4:00a so I could make my flight. This is when the fun began.

The night before, well a few hours before bed, I did some research about the bus times at the Transport for London web site to ensure that I could at least get a bus to the Central Bus station at Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3. I however did not research actually getting to Terminal 4. Why would I think that would be an issue in the world's busiest airport?

As I was not too clear about the morning's outcome, I was out of the hotel at 4:32a and headed for the bus stop which was quite crowded for that time of the morning. But the airport is run by people and Heathrow starts early; first flight lands between 5:45a and 6:00a and first departure is at 6:00a from Terminal 1, 6:30a from Terminal 4, my flight and 6:15a from Terminal 5. This may vary by day of week and time of year.

Within minutes the #555 showed up with Central Bus station as its destination. I asked the driver if the bus goes to Terminal 4, he said no, but pointed across the street saying I'd have to take the bus on that side. I said, thanks and that I will figure it out once I get to the Central Bus station as I knew that you can take the shuttle to Terminal 4 from the Central Bus station.

I arrived at the Central Bus station at about 4:40a and headed downstairs and followed the signs to Terminal 4 via the Heathrow Express/Connect shuttle. Once there, I along with a few other people realized the doors were closed. There was really no signs saying what time it opened. There was however a schedule saying that the first train to London Paddington was at 5:08a.

Two other passengers and I headed back upstairs to see if there was a bus. Lo and behold it was the #555 and it had departed at 4:45a; yup, it was the same bus I was on from my hotel. Now why did the driver not say something? Your guess is better than mine.

It was now 4:50a so we decided to head back to the Heathrow Express station. At 4:57a, a lady opened the doors. I asked her if there would be a shuttle to Terminal 4 right away and she said yes.

When we got down to the tracks, we noticed that the next train to Terminal 4 was in 38 minutes and I believe 29 minutes to Terminal 5. It appears that Heathrow Express which is responsible for the shuttle train between terminals is clueless of the airlines' operating schedules. Here's a clue folks - go here.

I saw some of the passengers talking to a Heathrow Express employee and garnered that she said we should take a cab. Also, that the cabs may not want to take us as the journey is a short fare.

So four of us went upstairs and headed for the cab line at Terminal 3 arrivals. This whole episode had the makings of my experience back in February this year (2009) when it snowed like crazy and London could not deal with it.

One of the ladies was going to Terminal 5 and the rest of us to Terminal 4. The three of us approached a cab and told him our destination. He was none too happy, but ushered us into his cab, closing the door behind us and telling us it would take about 20 minutes. What! At that point I knew he was going to take the longest route so he could get a better fare.

He then went over to the dispatch booth to complain I guess while we waited for him. Moments later he came over, started the cab and we were off.

After what seemed like a really long drive, I noticed the Hatton Cross bus station and wondered why the heck he was going this far out. As fate would have had it, I had taken that 555 the day before and it took all of about 8 minutes from Terminal 5 to the Central Bus station, so I know that it should not be taking us this long to basically go around the airport. So I know this cab driver cheated us.

By the time we got to Terminal 4, the meter read 22.20 GBP! I split it with the lady and her son, but she only took 10 GBP from me. As a comparison, During that freak snow storm back in February, I had taken a cab from Tower Bridge to Paddington in driving snow and that fare was 15 GBP. That distance was much farther than what we did today.

We were both able to check in for our flight although there was quite a long line.

I'm sending BAA and Heathrow Express a link to this post so they can see what customers go through in the wee hours. Here's hoping they will make some changes.

Related Posts: If you liked this post, you will love these one —

London/Berlin Jan 31 2009: Heathrow Airport is snowed in

a weekend with Mom

2009-07-10T00:47:00.003-05:00

My mom turns 68 next week. She has asked to visit a foreign country that's been on her list for a while. A few years back I had it all planned with her and my Dad and she pulled out literally at the last minute. Dad and I had a blast.

I always stress when I travel with my mom as no matter what I seem to do I can't please her. Let's see what happens on this trip.

You can follow us on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/mskonfa1990 and guess our destination using the clues.

It's a long Holiday weekend

2009-07-03T01:45:00.002-05:00

Well, it is a long weekend so it brings opportunity to delve farther around the world. With almost 90 or I think 90 countries under my belt, the easy ones have been attained. Thoughts were to do Belarus, Bulgaria or even Vilnius. The flights look like crap so these are not possible at this time.

Tunis, Tunisia was a choice by my colleagues canceled so that did not work out. There are now thoughts of South America or Europe, but will see.

What are your weekend plans?

Micheal Jackson

2009-06-28T20:53:00.002-05:00

I, like many of you are Michael Jackson fans. I remember growing up, he was the only perosn myself and my friends listened. In my opinion, Off the Wall is he best song he ever did. Which song is your favorite? Check it out here:

Here are the lyrics, read for yourself compliments of Lyricfreak:

1st verse
When the world is on your shoulder
Gotta straighten up your act and boogie down
If you cant hang with the feeling
Then there ain't no room for you this part of town
cause were the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

Chorus
So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

2nd verse
You can shout out all you want to
cause there ain't no sin in folks all getting loud
If you take the chance and do it
Then there ain't no one who's gonna put you down
cause were the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

Chorus
So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself
C'mon and groove, and let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

Bridge
Do what you want to do
There ain't no rules its up to you (ain't no rules its all up to you)
Its time to come alive
And party on right through the night (all right)

3rd verse
Gotta hide your inhibitions
Gotta let that fool loose deep inside your soul
Want to see an exhibition
Better do it now before you get to old
cause were the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

Chorus
So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf and just enjoy yourself
C'mon and groove (yeah) let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain''t so bad at all if you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

Chorus
So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf and just enjoy yourself
C'mon and groove (yeah) let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all if you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

Oslo, Norway: Arrival meal on CO58 from Amsterdam to Houston, TX

2009-06-28T11:54:00.000-05:00

Fruits, salmon, chicken sandwich for lunch at 11:54a with 1:21 to go on CO59 on 28 June 2009.

Oslo, Norway: Nuts and wine on CO58 from Amsterdam to Houston, TX

2009-06-28T10:11:00.000-05:00

Warm cashew nuts plus a glass of sauvignon blanc on CO59 on 28 Jun 2009 at 10:11 as we pass over the port of England.

12 tips to help you tweet more effectively

2009-06-15T08:06:00.005-05:00

Since I started using twitter, I've had to contract my thoughts into 140 characters or less. It's not a bad thing, but I've had to think more when I tweet. Here are some tips to help you along.

Use "&" instead of "and"
Use numbers instead of spelling out the number; e.g. "1" instead of "one" unless it makes your thought unreadable
When re-tweeting, try to edit the original tweet if you can to make it more legible, but don't change its meaning
Use synonyms to find shorter words that means the same; go to a cool online Thesaurus at http://www.synonym.com/
Sometimes an antonym for your word will convey your thought just as good. Go to http://www.synonym.com/antonym
Re-read your tweet before sending. If you are confused, your readers will be as well
End your sentences with a period
Use dashes or semi-colons to separate your thoughts if applicable
Use only one space between sentences
If in a crunch for space, consider re-wording before removing punctuations
Leave space for others to re-tweet your message
Spell check your tweet before sending. Spelling mistakes decreases your credibility.

Well, this is it for now, if I think of more, I'll either update this entry or add a new one.

http://www.twitter.com/mskonfa1990

A few places to visit this weekend

2009-06-14T14:16:00.003-05:00

This weekend I was thinking of a few cities:

Boston, MA (BOS) - to hang with friends there
Cordoba, Argentina (COR) - just never been
Honolulu, HI (HNL) - beach and watch the sun set on Waikiki beach
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) - to hang with friends there
Memphis, TN (MEM) - to get barbecue in the airport
Orlando, FL (MCO) - Shuttle launch
Raleigh/Durham, CA (RDU) - Wordcamp Durham

but ended up staying in Houston and attending http://podcamphouston.org. This was a fantastic event and I'm glad I attended. I met many really smart people whose friendships I hope will last a long time.

I also got a lot of planning done for future success.

On Thursday I leave for the Paris Airshow in Le Bourget, France just outside of Paris. Then the weekend with friends in London, England.

G1 Android software update

2009-06-08T08:19:00.004-05:00

Last week (Sunday 31 May, 2009) Google made an update to the Android operating system. I was chatting to a friend of mine after having some afternoon birthday cake and tea. I accepted the update and continued chatting. Acknowledging that I was doing so.

After the update was done, the date changed to April 15, 2009 at 10:01a, I showed it to my friend who laughed. Seconds later, it changed to the correct time. I looked back at the phone and I was quite impressed with my findings:

The first things I saw was a new icon that said "camcorder" with the picture of a camcorder [here is a video I did http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSaPxN63_sI]. I had to immediately mention that to my friend, to which he quipped "cool." Not sure if he was annoyed that I was being distracted or if he was really impressed :-). I think the former. I was eager to try this out, but had to wait.
Next, I noticed that the browser icon was now a world map. Nice I thought.

Not to be rude, I left it alone and continued my conversation. Over the next few days, I really checked out the phone and here are my deep findings:

onscreen keyboard: Yes, finally they've added one. It is a bit small and does take some getting used to. During my first few days, I actually refused to use it, but more and more I'm using it and learning it. One thing I could not figure out was how to make the darn thing disappear after I'm done (click the Back arrow next to the power button). Also activating it is a learned experience (you have to tap into the area where you want to write something). By default, the keyboard activates with capital letters; once you press the first letter though, it changes to small letters. You have a "DEL" key and a "?123" key as well. I can't find a "\" though on that keyboard, can anyone? I am also assuming that in Europe there are "£" and "€" signs. The keyboard also auto completes for you so that is a good deal. Oh, sometimes, it places a "Done" on the keyboard and pressing that makes it disappear or completes the action you were performing. All in all a worthwhile addition.
threaded e-mails: Perhaps the best fix yet. The previous issue was that when you receive an e-mail you could not reply to it as the reply would go to the first person in your contact list. For me that was Google 411. This really sucked as sometimes I forgot and wondered why my friend never replied to my text. All that is history and the new threaded feature rocks. Thank you so much google.
contacts: They've re-worked the interface so it is easier to read/use and has cooler icons. There is now a "+" to add a contact's information and a "-" to remove it. You can also "Revert" if you want to discard all you've just done. You can now add a postal address as well as Organizations. If that was there before, I never realized it. When you press "MENU" from the main Contacts screen, you now get "Search," "Display group," "Edit sync group" and "Import contacts." Again, if these were there before, I never saw them.
call log: Not much done here, just that the icons are slightly different and after you've called a number that is not in your contacts, you get an option to add it to contacts as well as send SMS message, plus the usual Call again option. It also gives you stats on the call (time, date and duration of call). Oh, the names and numbers are arranged a little better than before.
dialer: Not much change, except that when you dial a number, the tab in the middle now changes to "Dialpad." After a few seconds, it changes to a lock that says "Double-tap to unlock." Which is good as it helps so that you don't accidentally press a key. I am still waiting for the feature where once I put the phone away from my face, the dial pad activates, but I guess that is next.
favorites: not to be left out, they've actually built some auto functionality into here by adding a "Frequently called" section below any favorites you denoted.
camera: Nice improvement. The new software is 1,000% better than the old. It is actually much better in low lighting now and it looks like they've added some handshake code, which was well needed. Also, now when you click the shutter, it processes what you did and focusses even more for you it seems. Once the picture is taken (by using the new onscreen camera icon or the buttons on the side), it shows in an icon on the upper left if you are holding the phone horizontal and upper right if vertical. The position does not change based on how you are holding the phone. The only odd thing is that the picture is auto saved and once you click on the thumbnail, you get the options to go to the Gallery (formerly called Pictures), "Set as," "Share" and "Delete." Plus an arrow to move to the previous picture and of course you can see the picture and there is a zoom bar (new icons for this release). it does take a little while to load up this new menu though. I have 1,191 pictures on my card so that may have something to do with it :-).
gallery (formerly pictures): nothing new here except the zoom bar now has a "-" and a "+" on it. But this is a new thing for the phone itself.
camcorder: I've saved the newest for last. it is O.K. it is a learned experience. Once you click the camcorder icon, you are taken to a screen which activates the video camera showing a thumbnail of the previous video in the upper left hand corner if he phone is horizontal and upper right if vertical. There is a icon on the right upper corner that is used to start the camera. A counter counts the time and the icon changes to a red dot in gray circle. Pressing the circle stops the record action. Playback is achieved by clicking on the newly created thumbnail of the movie and then choosing Play. Once play is complete, you can choose "Gallery," "Share" or "Delete" or record another movie from the menu choices. Share options are Gmail, Messaging or YouTube. For the latter, you have to enter your username and password, sign in and then give the video a title, decide if you want it public (default) or not, enter a description, add your tags, view the shortened terms of use with a link to the long version and click "Upload" or "Cancel." Voila you are done! You are then taken back to the video on your phone. When complete you get a YouTube: Upload Complete notification. You can see my video here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSaPxN63_sI

There are perhaps more stuff that were updated, but these are the major ones I've seen/used. A good update, thank you, but can you please add a notepad for me?

Destination?

2009-06-06T11:35:00.001-05:00

Looks like it will be San Diego, CA (SAN). It was kind of on the list, but not on the written list.

Not sure where I'm off to in a few hours.

2009-06-06T00:52:00.002-05:00

Not sure where I'm off to just yet. The choices are:

Tromso, Norway (TOS) - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=tromso,+norway&sll=37.649034,-95.712891&sspn=31.012903,79.101563&ie=UTF8&ll=74.496413,18.984375&spn=52.62392,316.40625&z=2&iwloc=A
Bristol, England (BRS)
London, England (LHR)

I will know more tomorrow. One thing is certain I have a 5:00a wake up :-(

London May 1, 2009: In London

2009-05-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Linked up with friends, had a shower and enjoying the beautiful weather.

2009-05-02T05:23:00.001-05:00

One of the fun things about London is people watching :)

2009-05-02T04:52:00.001-05:00

Just saw a lady trying to force her way onto the Picadilly Line. The doors are closing and she is forcing her way in. Eventually the doors re-opened for her.

2009-05-02T04:44:00.001-05:00

Will have to expedite a passport this week as I'm off to Jamaica on Friday a.m. I will then have to re-do Global Pass :(. I may wait until the next week.

2009-05-02T04:38:00.001-05:00

It is a beautiful day out today. It is sunny and not raining. The flight over was good and I was able to get some sleep.

2009-05-02T04:16:00.001-05:00

The stupid lift does not say which direction it is going. Heading into Central London now on the Picadilly Line.

2009-05-02T04:13:00.001-05:00

Got lectured about my passport being full. Which is why I wanted to use IRIS.

2009-05-02T03:59:00.001-05:00

IRIS is busted, so have to join the regular queue :(.

2009-05-02T03:42:00.001-05:00

Just arrived in London-Heathrow where it is 9:42a on 2 May 2009. A beautiful day at 55 degrees.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Ice islands from 37,000'

2009-04-26T11:23:00.000-05:00

Ice island just below Greenland.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: In Heathrow

2009-04-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Heading back to Houston from London in about 10 minutes. It was an early wake up this morning at 5:00a.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Pictures from Dubrovnik

2009-04-24T18:12:00.004-05:00

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Landed in Dubrovnik, Croatia (DBV)

2009-04-24T14:46:00.000-05:00

Just arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia, it is 2:45p.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Landed safely taxiing to the gate in Vienna

2009-04-24T11:57:00.000-05:00

We are now taxiing to the gate.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Landed in Vienna, Austria (VIE)

2009-04-24T11:56:00.000-05:00

Well, we landed at 11:55a without incident!

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Emergency Landing AF1438

2009-04-24T11:38:00.001-05:00

AF1438 24APR09 Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Roissy France (CDG) to Vienna, Austria (VIE) 9:35a 11:35a 320 F-GFKD

Flight Time: 1:30
Seat Map

We are preparing for an emergency landing. Not sure what is the cause of it...11:38a on our way to Vienna on Air France.

I was a little taken aback at first and wondered if it was all real. After 15 years of constant flying, this is my first emergency landing preparation. I've had an aborted takeoff on a Boeing 757-200, two aborted landings (a Boeing 727-200 and a Lockheed L-1011) and three diversions (Boeing 747-400, Boeing 737-500 and a MD-80), but never the big one. "Was this it?" I thought.

The lead female flight attendant read the emergency procedures in French from a card while the other two male flight attendants ensured that we were buckled in and that the aisles were clear. There were no English translations, but I muddled through what she said and also watched what the others were doing.

The lead flight attendant read the details of the position we had to adapt when she gave the "brace" command once we landed. I think this piece of information brought it home that this really was happening and it was serious. I looked around as the passengers did as instructed in a practice run.

We were then told to get out our coats from the overheads and don them so we all did. I assume that this was just in case we had to use the slides as it was cold out. Everyone complied quite orderly indeed. No one panicked at all.

Although, there was one passenger who had the overhead open and his case on his seat and was fumbling around. The lead flight attendant tried unsuccessfully to get him to sit. Eventually, once he got all the stuff he wanted he closed the bin and sat down.

I made sure that our onward tickets were in my pocket as well as that I had my Flip video and mobile handy to record whatever happened as much as I could.

We all then waited. You could hear a pin drop in the cabin. I had put my computer bag up in the bin from by my feet, but had re-retrieved it, thinking I could just take it with me when we exited the plane via the slides. Which by now the flight attendant had advised were ready for us. Silly I know, but my mind was racing and for a moment I was not thinking clearly.

We were not told what was the nature of the emergency, just that we had to prepare for one. At least, if we were it was in French and I did not comprehend. I know some French, but I'm not that good at it.

I looked around the cabin and noticed that there was no obvious sign of smoke in the cabin, the oxygen masks were not deployed either. I looked out the window and the wing seemed fine as did the engine hanging off of it. My mind raced as to what could be so serious as to declare an emergency landing. I relaxed a bit knowing that the pilots knew what they were doing.

Then I thought back to our departure in Paris. The airplane had arrived late at the gate from its previous journey. I did notice a mechanic checking out the nose gear and at the time had wondered what was going on. Could it be that the landing gear indicator light came on? Which meant that the gear would not lock when activated? Who knows.

I could not help but think that I'd lived the life I pretty much wanted and if it ended in a few minutes, I'd have no regrets. I also could not help thinking that the plane would be destroyed; this aircraft was rare as it is an A320 without winglets. Yes, I get silly at times :-). I also thought what a cool headline our demise would make. Morbid, yes, but...whatever.

Well, we started our descent and it was all normal, the flaps were deployed, we descended properly and orderly, we touched down fine and we decelerated properly and came in for a very smooth landing. Thankfully, the brace command was never given.

Roaring applause erupted from the cabin as we looked around at each other wondering why we were not piled up an in an aircraft wreckage off the runway somewhere. The awe and relief was pretty evident.

Outside the window, were fire trucks waiting to move into action if necessary.
We slowed down and exited the runway and headed for a hard stand. The fire trucks, etc. followed us as we did. There was a bit of talk in the cabin and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Others were still clapping. I actually took my phone out of airplane mode and sent a blog post. Always the thinker, I guess.

The flight attendant came on the PA and said we were fine, no need for any emergency procedures. It was then business as usual as she welcomed us to Vienna where the local time was 12:01p.

She also asked if anyone needed medical attention. I thought about it for a moment, then declined. Myself and my other three colleagues then headed for the rear stairs. I thanked the two crew members standing by the door and bade them adieu. As I deplaned, I did notice one lady going into an ambulance. She was a bit flushed.

We then boarded a waiting bus and made our way to the terminal.

"That was close," I thought.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Flying past the Alps on AF1438

2009-04-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

AF1438 24APR09 Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Roissy France (CDG) to Vienna, Austria (VIE) 9:35a 11:35a 320 F-GFKD

Flight Time: 1:30
Seat Map

There is lots of excitement as we pass the Swiss Alps. Cameras are out, but the seat belt signs put a damper on it all. It is really beautiful to see.

I've flown by it a few times, but no matter how many time you do that it is still spectacular. We just had breakfast of a choice of three French pastries plus tea, cafe and water. I guess it is too early for alcohol :).

The folks around me are really excited about seeing the Alps as am I. Here is a video of the Alps as we passed it at 35,000'.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: On board AF1438

2009-04-24T10:04:00.001-05:00

The door is now closed, so we will be on our way shortly. Lots of French talking and laughing onboard. I think there are a few people going on a cruise. See you in Vienna.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: On board AF1438

2009-04-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

A host of passengers just boarded. Flying time is 1:30 and we are almost ready to go. The Captain said that the aircraft was late coming in due to air traffic over Paris. The flight attendants are counting passengers; the main cabin door is still open at 10:01a.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Boarding AF1438

2009-04-24T09:44:00.000-05:00

Just boarded AF1438 to Vienna, Austria (VIE). A pretty full flight as we all have middle seats right behind each other. Hopefully, we will depart by 10:00a as we are now 10 minutes delayed. Boarding is continuing...

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: Waiting to board AF1438

2009-04-24T09:08:00.000-05:00

I've just arrived in Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 7:45a on 24 April 2009. It was a good flight and I was able to get some rest too. I am now waiting for a seat on the Air France flight to Vienna at 9:35a. The airplane just arrived, an early model Airbus A320 that does not have winglets. Hopefully, we will leave ontime, but I think not.

Dubrovnik, Croatia April 2009: A tentative itinerary

2009-04-22T20:12:00.001-05:00

So it looks like our routing will be Paris to Vienna on Air France then Austrian Airlines to Dubrovnik. The journey should be fantastic.

Earth Day 2009

2009-04-22T09:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Earth Day everyone.

Possible Routings

2009-04-20T18:52:00.001-05:00

Looking at Atlanta to London-Gatwick to Dubrovnik or Paris to Vienna to Dubrovnik due to flight loads and schedules.

2009-04-20T18:47:00.001-05:00

Making plans to go to Dubrovnik, Croatia on Thursday. A little difficult to get to though.

Caribbean April 2009: Tortola, BVI (EIS) - a montage

2009-04-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

Caribbean April 2009: Tortola, BVI (EIS)

2009-04-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

The Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands.

A funny sign in Road Town. This was not at a corner.

A house on Main St.

A look down Main St.

There are actually two of these signs. I believe I saw only one stop light which my driver ran.

Road Town from the air.

A cruise ship in port. Tui fly I think from the U.K.

A man and his son enjoying the beach.

Having a nap while watching the ocean at about 9:30a

Ferries that ply to the neighboring islands from Road Town.

A look at the hills overlooking Road Town from the beach in Road Town.

The capital Road Town from the air.

Caribbean April 2009: Terrence B. Lettsome International, Tortola, BVI (EIS)

2009-04-11T07:14:00.004-05:00

Doha, Qatar April 2009: Arriving in Houston-Intercontinental from downtown Houston

2009-04-03T19:41:00.003-05:00

At the airport there was hardly anyone around. I cleared security and then went and got some tickets for the journey.

One that was over with, I went across to Terminal D and after a 30 minutes wait was able to check-in and got an aisle seat.

I then headed upstairs to the gate as I was trying to find a Lounge since boarding would not start for another 45 minutes. There is an Executive Lounge, but it is only available to Qatar, Lufthansa, Singapore and one other airline. Bummer.

I made my way down to the Presidents Club in the C Concourse. On my way, I spotted my airplane at the gate.

I made my way to the Club which was open due to delayed flights, but its closing time is 7:00p. I got online and found a quick snack. Before long, the agent said we had to leave. It was time to do so anyways.

I headed back to the gate at D4 where boarding had already commenced.

Doha, Qatar April 2009: Departing downtown Houston

2009-04-03T17:34:00.000-05:00

I'm off to Doha, Qatar.

I waited for the bus and the one that showed up was the wrong one that does not go all the way to the airport, but still says "Bush IAH Intercontinental" on it. So I had to take the 500 at a cost of $15.00! I was not happy so I called Metro to yell at them.

I then walked over to the stop for the 500 and paid the $15.00 and boarded. It was an O.K. ride with just three of us onboard. We arrived at the airport at 5:36p.

Qatar Airways Boeing 777-200LR arrives in Houston Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) - Water Cannon Salute

2009-03-30T20:49:00.004-05:00

When a new airline or aircraft graces an airport, it is traditional that the fire fighters for that airport gives it a water cannon salute. Today, March 30, 2009 is the first time that Qatar Airways (QR) arrived in Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH). Here is the video:

Qatar Airways Boeing 777-200LR arrives in Houston Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

2009-03-30T20:05:00.013-05:00

Qatar Airways, QR77 landed in Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) after it inaugural flight from Doha, Qatar (DOH).

The weather was crappy, it rained as nine (9) of us (one of my colleagues from work was with me) waited for the aircraft to arrive. Soon, there it was, off in the murky distance. Its bright landing lights stabbing the cloudy skies. The gray, white and dark red Boeing 777-200LR landed quietly and then taxied over to gate D5 where it was met with a traditional water cannon salute. It was amazing, the rain stopped once the airplane landed. Enjoy these pictures below:

First picture when the camera worked

Qatar Airways' and Emirates' Boeing 777-200LR in Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

2009-03-30T20:00:00.001-05:00

Qatar Airways Boeing 777-200LR at gate D5

Emirates (EK) Boeing 777-200LR at gate D4

Two Boeing 777-200LRs parked next to each other from two countries that are next to each other.

Sydney, Australia March 2009: Heading from Vancouver to Seattle, WA

2009-03-08T13:56:00.001-05:00

Waiting in Seatac for a flight to Houston, TX

Sydney, Australia (SYD) March 2009: V Australia

2009-03-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

Sydney, Australia (SYD) March 2009: Air Canada (AC) Boeing 777-200LR

2009-03-08T10:22:00.000-05:00

Sydney, Australia March 2009: Qantas (QF) Airbus A380 in Sydney, Australia (SYD)

2009-03-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

VH-OOA, the first Qantas Airbus A380-800 as seen in Sydney on Saturday, March 8, 2009. Later that day, the aircraft was damaged while being serviced and was put out of service :-(. The aircraft was slated to do the afternoon Sydney to Los Angeles, CA (LAX) run.

Sydney, Australia March 2009: Airplanes in Sydney, Australia (SYD)

2009-03-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

Sydney, Australia March 2009: Heading from Vancouver to Seattle, WA

2009-03-08T08:43:00.000-05:00

In Vancouver, BC Canada heading for Seattle. Just boarding the flight.

Sydney, Australia March 2009: Adelaide International, Adelaide Australia (ADL)

2009-03-06T16:04:00.000-06:00

Sydney, Australia March 2009: The Qantas A380 from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Melbourne, Australia (MEL)

2009-03-04T23:50:00.000-06:00

Economy class.

The welcome screen of the entertainment system.

Self-service bar in Economy class.

Self-service bar in Economy Class.

Self-service bar in Economy class.

Economy class.

Economy class meal.

Breakfast in Economy class.

That is New Caledonia down there.

Steady as she goes at 37,000'

Economy class seat and window.

Pulling into the gate.

Taxiing in just after landing.

Premium Economy class.

Business class.

First Class.

First Class

Lay flat bed in First Class

The wing tip as we arrived in Melbourne

Taxiing in.

London/Berlin Jan 31, 2009: London-Heathrow (LHR) to Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)

2009-02-02T14:30:00.004-06:00

CO33 2FEB09 London-Heathrow International, London England (LHR) to Houston-Intercontinental, Houston, TX (IAH) 8:40a 1:40p 777 N78017
Flight Time: 9:48
Seat Map

We boarded the plane at 2:30p (It was going to be 3:00p, but it was changed for some reason). Once onboard, the Captain notified us that our original crew would be illegal if we left with them in charge so we had to wait for a new crew. He explained that they were on their way and were expected in about 30 minutes. The current crew had started boarding in order to help expedite our departure.

I looked out the window and saw snow on the wings and realized that we had to get decided at some point.

As I was really tired, I fell asleep, but awoke each time an announcement was made. One of them was that the crew was delayed due to the weather and security issues. I believe they eventually arrived at about 4:30p or so. The illegal crew ended up flying as passengers back to Houston on the same flight.

Immigration documents were passed out as we waited.

The crew was great as they kept us informed and apologized for a situation that was not in their control.

We had to get deiced and that cannot be requested until the doors are closed which occurred at about 4:45p or so I think. We got our deicing at 5:30p or so.

We then had to get anti-icing that would last for about two hours or so. This stopped ice form forming as we taxied out to the runway.

At 6:07p, we left the gate, 9:27 after the 8:40a departure time. We took off at 6:26p after carefully taxiing to runway 9R.

Quickly after takeoff, the crew served drinks, lunch and ice cream. Basically they served three services into one. This was necessary as everyone was tired from waiting and I guess hungry too.

There were meal choices of chicken or beef. I opted for the beef with mash potatoes. The light at my seat was not working as my entertainment system needed to be rebooted. So sorry about the dark picture. There was also a salad with a roll, crackers, cheese and a brownie.

I fell asleep soon after. I awoke somewhere over Ontario, Canada did some computer stuff, watched a few podcasts, read and then went back to sleep.

About an hour from landing, we were served a warm turkey and cheese sandwich with a pack of potato chips and a choclate bar.

We soon started our descent. I arrived at IAH at 9:41p, 8:41 late, but home.

London/Berlin Jan 31, 2009: Airplanes snowed in at Heathrow

2009-02-02T11:05:00.001-06:00

I think the British Airways Boeing 777-200 started skidding...

That's the crashed British Airways 777 in the distance on the right.

A littel icy for flight; deicing a must.

Here you can see how much larger than the Boeing 737 is the Airbus A380. That clear area in the middle is the just cleaned runway. The airport was closed at this point while the cleaning occurred.

The trucks cleaning the runway.

Icicles anyone?

The snow on this A340-600 is impressive I think.

Anti-icing the wing of the Continental Boeing 777-200ER before the transAtlantic voyage.

London/Berlin Jan 31 2009: Heathrow Airport is snowed in

2009-02-02T09:05:00.001-06:00

2FEB09 Heathrow-International, London England (LHR)

It was 8:06a when the train pulled into Heathrow. The train driver announced that if you were going to Terminal 4 you would have to get off here as the train was going to Terminal 5 instead of Terminal 4.

Reluctantly I got off the train. I asked the attendant on the platform what was going on. He advised that there is a train still blocking the track between Terminals 1,2 & 3 and Terminal 4.

I was directed to go upstairs and find my own way to Terminal 4. Another agent upstairs told me to go to the Underground stop and then take the Piccadilly Line to Hounslow (first stop from Heathrow) and then take the train in the other direction for one stop. I thought to myself, that there must be another way to get there. I walked over to Terminal 3 arrivals area, got on a queue for a cab. This looked impossible as it was a long queue and the cabs were few and far between.

I then went to the Central Bus Station, but there was no way to get from there to Terminal 4 either. Reluctantly, I went back to the Underground. When I arrived there, I told the operator where I was heading and he let myself and others through without paying. When I got to the platform, I had just missed a train.

The next one was not for another 20 minutes at least. It finally arrived and I got off at the next stop with about 1/2 the train as well. The sign showed that the next train was for Terminal 5. I cautioned the waiting folks about taking this train.

Soon, the sign indicated that a train for Termina 4 and Terminal 1, 2 & 3 was on its way. It showed up and I got to Terminal 4 at 9:11a.

Once in Terminal 4, I made my way to check-in. My original flight was at 8:40a, but I knew that it was delayed. I checked in adn then cleared security.

There was no gate assigned, so I looked around for a bit. The airplane was there, but it was sitting out by the hard stand.

There was also many other airplanes, just sitting around as well. Some from the night before.

Kingfisher Airlines A330 at the gate.

A Virgin Atlantic Atlantic Airbus A340-600.

Northwest Airlines Airbus A330

Qantas' Boeing 747-400 at the gate.

I went to the Holideck Lounge and sat impatiently enjoying the ambience. I got accustomed to seeing “Please Wait” on the signs.

No worries as I was using the Holideck Lounge so I had complimentary Internet and I had eats at my disposal; I think I gained at least 5lbs!

I took some pictures during my time in and out of the Lounge. You can see them here.

At 1:30p, we got a gate. It was originally going to be gate 14, but the CO19 to Newark-Liberty (EWR) was still there so it got changed. Oh, by the way, the airport was freezing; I guess they lost power to the heater or something. I've used this terminal several and it has never been this cold.

While waiting at the gate, I did see a KLM Boeing 747-400 pull up! I have no idea why it was there. I know they have an A330 on the route (London to , but the B744 was a surprise.

London/Berlin Jan 31, 2009: Let it snow

2009-02-02T06:00:00.003-06:00

The platforms on the way to the airport from Paddington station.

The platform on the way to the airport from Paddington station.

The view of the platform from the train.

A small park in Central London.

The snow was above my ankles. It had snowed constantly since about 6p the night before.

London/Berlin Jan 31 2009: Leaving Central London, England

2009-02-02T05:50:00.003-06:00

2FEB09 Central London, England

I awoke at 5:00a and was really tired. At 5:4a, I departed and headed for the tube station. It was still snowing outside with the same intensity as it did last night.

I got to the tube at 6:00a after trudging through the unplowed snow.

There was a worker writing down the current status of the trains. Almost all of them were either suspended or delayed.. The Distric Line westbound was running, so I swiped my Oyster card and headed downstairs.

After waiting for 10 minutes I realized nothing was moving, so I headed back upstairs and asked the agent how to catch the #15 bus to Paddington station. He gave me directions on how to get there, I did and waited. No bus showed up for 15 minutes, so I decided to take the next cab.

There were two other guys at the station and we decided to share the cab. This was at 6:30p. When the first guy got off, he gave the other guy 4 GBP, when that guy got off, he gave me 10 GBP. As we drove through the city, the traffic was light, I saw no buses and the streets were unploughed.

At about 7:00a, I made it to Paddington, paid the fare of 15.20 GBP and added a nice tip for the driver, thanked him and alighted. My fun morning continued at Paddington when I saw signs and were told that the Heathrow Express was not running. Luckily the Heathrow Connect was running (still don’t get that). I was told to make my way to the track 11, they are not even selling tickets.

I ran to the track along with other commuters and made it into the train. The operator finally came on the PA and said that the train was delayed as there was a broken down train blocking the path to Heathrow. He said we would not move in the foreseeable future. There were moans and groans from the occupants of the train when he said this.

I went and checked the cab lines and it would have been about two hours I think as the line was very long and there were limited cabs. No shortage of people to share with though. I then headed back to the still waiting and sat down as this was the only way out of town.

After about 30 minutes, the train moved and we were on our way. You can see some pictures of the snow along the way.

San Jose, CA Jan 2009: Arriving in Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) from Mineta San Jose

2009-01-25T17:55:00.000-06:00

25JAN09 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

We touched down about 5:53p and had a long taxi into gate C19. The bus was at 6:11p so I was hoping I caught it. I was off the plane at 6:00p and walked briskly towards the bus stop.

If I missed it, I would just hang out in the Presidents Club until the next one at 6:51p. I was in luck, it had not passed as yet, so I was able to take it. At this rate, I will make it home in time for "The Unit."

San Jose, CA Jan 2009: Mineta San Jose International, San Jose, CA (SJC) to Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

2009-01-25T11:50:00.002-06:00

CO160 25JAN09 Mineta San Jose, San Jose CA (SJC) to Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) 12:19p 6:00p 73G N21723

Flight Time: 3:16

Seat Map

I boarded when it was my turn and immediately headed for the back of the plane once I cleared the temporary tunnel.

The temporary tunnel to the plane.

It was very windy and really cold. There was a Frontier Airbus A318 pulling away as we made our way up the rear stairs. It was really noisy but cool to see it all.

I greeted the shivering flight attendant and boarded. FInding my seat in no time and settling in.

It was fun to see passengers boarding from both entrances and you see the ones who did not check their boarding passes as they go beyond the rows that were earmarked for each stairs.

Overhead space vanished quickly, but the flight attendants were very good about finding room, for every bag. Kudos.

Soon, the doors closed and we started our pushback along with the safety announcement. Soon, we were airborne making an extremely steep climb into the cold midday skies. I think San Jose airport is a noise abatement airport. This means that the planes has to maintain a particular angle of attack on takeoff which minimizes the amount of noise they make.

Soon after take off, there was a offer for headsets for 1 USD to watch the movie "The Longshots" which was about the first black girl quarterback for the Little League Super Bowl.

After that, while the movie played, lunch was served. It was a charboiled burger with cheese as well as a salad and a Twix for desert. Both was actually very good.

Drinks came soon after.

I was really tired so I fell asleep. Added to the fact that I could not move my elbows much so I did not even bother to use the MacBook. I did read my book for a bit though before falling asleep.

I awoke for the second drink offering, but passed on it and also awoke for a water offering, but passed on that too.

The next time I awoke was to put my tray table up as well as my seat back. I awoke again once we touched down gently in Houston.

San Jose, CA Jan 2009: Arriving in Mineta San Jose International, San Jose CA (SJC) from San Jose, CA

2009-01-25T10:32:00.002-06:00

25JAN09 Mineta San Jose International, San Jose CA (SJC)

Mineta San Jose is set up so that you have to drive by the other Terminal (A) to get to B. A is in much better shape than B. You can also see the new construction that is being done to improve the airport. They are really building a totally new terminal that will serve all airlines. They seem to have at least another year in my opinion though.

I alighted at the dingy terminal and headed to the kiosks to check-in. The airport was really light; even the shuttle drive was commenting on how bad its been with the economy the way it is.

I walked around the airport picking up some local transportation brochures first before heading through security.

This was an easy process and before long, I was at the Burger King ordering a chicken salad. After which I then found a seat that had a power plug nearby.

One thing I have to give this airport credit for, well two things, are: free wifi and that they've placed electrical outlets right behind the seats. Thank you.

I ate, then got online. There were many others doing the same thing as well as talking too loudly on their phones. I think people forget they are in a public space. Some of the conversations are indeed funny though, but I could do without having to hear them.

I got online for a bit and just goofed off and twittered a few tweets. Soon, I heard my name called and I got a middle seat about 2/3rds way down the plane.

Boarding commenced shortly after. It was neat as if you had 18-25 you boarded from the rear stairs otherwise you did the front. It was awesome. The also started boarding with row 18 and higher.

San Jose, CA Jan 2009: Leaving San Jose, CA

2009-01-25T09:00:00.000-06:00

25JAN09 San Jose, CA

I was up at 9:00a courtesy of my alarm clock. I got ready and left the hotel so that I could catch the 10:30a airport shuttle bus.

While I waited, I started to take some more pictures and noticed that they were now purple :-(. Well, that's bummer. The camera is at it again I guess. I'll have to check to see if it is the fault of the viewer or that of the camera.

I've been considering getting a Nikon D90, so I have to think closer about that now I guess. Good grief. I did play with one this weekend and wow, it is click and rather cool. I also really like the built in video capability. It weighs about the same as my current D70S too.

I did see the #10 heading back to the airport from the Light Rail stop, but as I ran to get it, I missed it. It had stopped for two passengers.

Anyways, dejected, I got on the shuttle to the airport.

San Jose, CA Jan 2009: Arriving in Mineta San Jose International, San Jose, CA (SJC)

2009-01-23T20:31:00.001-06:00

23JAN09 Mineta San Jose, San Jose, CA (SJC)

We landed and hit the brakes before exiting the runway. I texted my friend and advise that I had landed.

Once we got to the tarmac, we deplaned using stairs. Unbelievable that all these years this airport still has stairs and a tarp over the long walkway into the terminal. This airport is really rotten. Well, this terminal. The good thing is that they are fixing it.

San Jose, CA Jan 2009: Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) to Mineta San Jose, San Jose, CA (SJC)

2009-01-23T18:15:00.003-06:00

CO421 23JAN09 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) to San Jose, CA (SJC) 6:37p 8:58p 738 N??218

Flight Time: 3:41

Seat Map

I boarded the airplane making my way through the 2-2 First class with leather seats into the 3-3 Economy class cabin with its cloth seats.

The overhead space was filling up, so I quickly too the next available overhead space, then made my way to my seat. As it turns out, the lady I was talking to out by the gate was siting at the aisle.

The door soon closed and we pushed back at about 6:38p. The engines then started and we made our way out to the runway. The traffic was light so we were on the active runway at 6:58p.

I fell asleep when started our takeoff roll and when I awoke, we were being served dinner. This was a hot pizza with a salad and a Kitkat bar. By now the movie "City of Ember" with Bill Murray, although I think it should have been the "Rocker."

After cleaning up the thrash, we were served a second drink service. All this time, I was reading the "Financial Times" I had picked up from the Presidents Club earlier. I then got out the trust MacBook and started to do some writing.

As I was at an exit row seat, I had no issues with space. I looked across from me and the lady at the aisle also had a similar MacBook.

I continued working which was great as I got to finish editing a document that I had forever. The flight attendants came around with some water and I took a cup. By now, the movie was finished and some other programs were on.

It was 10:04p (8:04p local), when the Captain came on the PA and announced that we should be starting our descent into California shortly. So we should buckle up as it will be a bit turbulent. He also added that it was low ceilings, temperature at 55F and the winds from the NW. Great, I thought, no mention of rain.

We descended into the dark night. It was hard to see outside. The airport became visible barely before landing.

San Jose, CA Jan 2008: Boarding the flight

2009-01-23T18:15:00.001-06:00

San Jose, CA Jan 2009: Arriving in Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

2009-01-23T17:30:00.000-06:00

23JAN09 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

We parked off airport and made our way to the terminal. There was hardly a line at Terminal E, so it was pretty easy getting into the airport. The whole taking off your shoes thing is so annoying as the floor is dirty and I am wearing white socks. I hope all this will stop soon.

We made our way to the Presidents Club, where we settled in over two glasses of white wine.

Soon, it was 6:00p so we both exited the Club. Me to the right and my colleague to the left.

By the time I made it to my gate, I had secured a window seat. As I saw that the Exit row window was still empty I asked the agent to change seats and she obliged.

While I waited, a lady was asking me about the boarding process. this was her first time traveling on Continental. She usually flies on Southwest and AirTran who does not have seat assignments and have a different boarding process. I explained the process to her and she nodded in acknowledgement. Boarding soon commenced.

San Jose, CA Jan 2009: Leaving Downtown Houston, TX

2009-01-23T16:30:00.000-06:00

4:30p Houston, TX

I got a ride with a colleague who was on his way to London, England. Traffic was pretty light so we made good time getting to the airport.

London Jan 16, 2009: Qantas A380 at London-Heathrow (LHR)

2009-01-18T08:00:00.004-06:00

QF32 sits at the gate on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009. The flight makes a stop in Singapore providing competition for the Singapore Airlines which travels on the same route. The London to Singapore route is currently the only route in the world which is flown by two A380 aircraft.

Which tail do you think belongs to the A380?

London Jan 16, 2009: Leaving London-Heathrow (LHR) for Houston-Intercontinental (IAH)

2009-01-18T05:00:00.005-06:00

18JAN09 Central London

I was up an atom really early at 5:00a. By 5:36a, I was on my way arriving at the train station by 5:45a. he next Heathrow Express was at 5:55a, great, but it said "BUS" next to it.

I inquired and was advised that due to Engineering works on the tracks, there was no trains between 5:15a and 7:40a. Wow, I thought, it was a good thing I got up really early this morning.

I got my ticket and headed to the bus bay for the now 40 minutes journey. The guy behind me was upset as he now has to take a cab since there was no sign by the kiosk where he got his ticket. The agent assured him that there was; he demanded a refund anyways.

I thought about sharing a cab with him, but knew it would be substantially more than the bus, so declined to even go entertain that thought with him.

I would have to take the bus to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 stop and then take the shuttle train over to Terminal 4. I think I should be fine in terms of time.

At 5:56a, we departed into the cold morning.

The bus really sucks as the lights don't work so I could not read the magazines I had planned to read had I been on the train. Instead I used my computer using the glow of the screen and the backlit keyboard to work.

18JAN09 London-Heathrow International, London England (LHR)

We arrived at the airport at 6:27a much ahead of the 40 minutes promised. I disembarked and headed downstairs and followed the directions to Terminal 4. Eventually, I made it to the Heathrow Express shuttle beneath the airport. In a bout 10 minutes a shuttle showed up and I arrived at Terminal 4 at about 6:45a.

I picked up my boarding pass and cleared the very light security lines and headed for the Holideck Lounge. It was still dark out so it made for an interesting time seeing the landings.

Kenya Airways (KQ) Boeing 777-200 at the gate

Northwest Airlines Airbus A330 taxiing to the gate. You can see the beautifully lit Terminal 5 in the background.

A British Airways (BA) Boeing 747-400 is landing.

Another Boeing 747-400 taxies to the gate.

At about 8:00a, I made my way to gate 3 for my 8:40a departure. So I am walking down to the my gate and I see two agents coming off the jetway. I continue my walk and when I look right, lo and behold it is the Qantas A380!

This is the first of three aircraft received by Qantas.

I chatted with them for a bit and they advise that it came in yesterday for the first time and now does thrice weekly service to Sydney, so guess where I'm going pretty soon :-).

I took some pictures, but as they were calling my flight as a last call, I had to go. I got a window seat, so hopefully I will be able to take some pictures from the plane on taxi out to the runway.

I went to my gate, got my boarding pass and boarded after being asked some security questions.

London Jan 16, 2009: Arriving at Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

2009-01-16T17:36:00.003-06:00

16JAN09 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

There was a massive line at Terminal E as it looked like a school group had just arrived. We were able to navigate the line expeditiously as there were four lanes open. Still wondering why the fifth was not open due to the long lines.

I saw another colleague who was heading to Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS) to celebrate her 50th birthday with other work colleagues. These are great times.

I headed for the Presidents Club where I stayed until about 6:00p.

While I waited, I was excited to use my new MacBook for the first time in public. It worked well and picked up the WiFi signal without any issues or any intervention from me. I intrigued to see how it works on the chair table in the plane. I don't think I should have any issues in BusinessFirst class, but Economy will be interesting. You can see a pic of the MacBook.

By the time I made it to the gate, boarding was in full swing. I inquired about my boarding pass and I was lucky today as I'd scored the upgrade.

I then boarded as soon as I could.

London Jan 16, 2009: Leaving downtown Houston, TX

2009-01-16T17:25:00.000-06:00

16JAN09 Houston, TX

I got a ride from my colleague who was heading to the airport for a 5:25a flight to Seattle, WA (SEA). Traffic was really light, so we had no issues making it to the airport.

CES 2009 in pictures - Las, Vegas NV (LAS)

2009-01-10T11:18:00.000-06:00

CES 2009

2009-01-10T04:49:00.001-06:00

I had missed the Consumer Electronics Show last year and had to remind myself to attend this year. The flights going out there were looking really good, but coming back not so good as I would have to do some back flying to make it all happen.

I awoke really early on Saturday morning and by 6:05a, I was at the rental car facility. I dropped off the car and then headed for the terminal via the shuttle bus. My departure gate was E20, but the Terminal E buses runs really bad, so I just took a Terminal C bus and walked over to the E and then cleared security.

I actually had just enough time to get a bagel and two mini muffins from the Presidents Club before heading down to the gate at about 6:44a. As I was tired I boarded and waited for the flight to depart.

Calgary Dec. 2008: Departing downtown Calgary

2009-01-01T09:30:00.001-06:00

Downtown Calgary, AB Canada

I departed the hotel room at 9:30a and by the time I got downstairs and outside, the train was at the station. I ran as fast as I could and caught it. Knowing that it would leave quickly, I got on without buying a ticket. This is O.K. as I am within the free zone. There is an area from 10th Avenue to 1st. Ave where taking the train is free of charge.

When I got a little further, actually at the last stop in the free zone, I got out of the train, bought the 2.50 CAD ticket at the kiosk and ran back into the train.

The rest of the journey to the airport was incident free and I took photos all the way back. There was a guy on the train that kept coughing, I thought he was going to die or something. There was quite a sigh of relief when he got off the train.

At the Whitehorn stop, I disembarked and went upstairs to wait for the #57 to the airport. The next bus was not until 10:25. It was 9:57a and the bus before the 10:25a was at 9:55a; we had just missed it.

I started talking with two guys who were immigrants to the area. One was from Mexico City, Mexico, the other from the Middle East. We chatted about the weather, etc. until 10:20a, when we spotted the bus coming.

Once on the bus, I showed my ticket and then took a seat. At 10:50a, we pulled into Bay 20 at the airport. Other travelers were waiting to take the same journey I had taken the day before.

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T23:06:00.000-06:00

Thanks for following me around the world in 2008. See you in 2009.

Calgary Dec. 2008

2008-12-31T09:39:00.001-06:00

I wanted to spend New Year's in yet another country. It was going to be UAE, but that did not work well, so I'm headed to Canada.

I awoke at about 8:40a, so that ruled out the 9:00a flight to Calgary, AB Canada (YYC). My next opportunity is at 11:00a. Could I do it.

I got ready and left the house at 9:39a, without a prayer of getting to the airport ontime using public transportation. The plan was to take the #82 to the #500 (that expensive bus to the airport). But it leaves at 10:00a and arrives at 10:30a.

Luckily as I came downstairs, I saw my neighbor and he offered to take me to the downtown transit center so I could take the bus.

I arrived at the station at 9:51a. The place was deserted and I was the only passenger. I topped up my card by adding $20 to it, well I got a new card as I can't find my other one. No hassle this time. As I was boarding another passenger showed up. I talked with him for a bit and he says he is taking hte bus as he is a poor college student; umm... I though, the #102 is $1.25 this bus is $15, what kind of student are you?

Paris Dec. 2008: Arriving in Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) from Paris, France (CDG)

2008-12-28T15:53:00.001-06:00

28DEC08 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

We touched down at 3:53p and headed for the gate at Terminal E. On our way there, I could see a British Airways Boeing 747-400 pushing back. It was on its way to London.

It took us about 15 minutes to get to the gate where we deplaned. I used Global Entry and my colleague use the regular lines.

We were out of there in about twenty minutes and then headed for the parking lot and into the city. It was quite the good trip.

Paris Dec. 2008: Leaving Central Paris for Charles de Gaulle airport

2008-12-28T07:00:00.001-06:00

28DEC08 Central Paris, France

So we were up at 7:00a, but we went back to sleep until 8:00a as we were just lazy. We finally got ready and left the hotel at about 9:32a. Destination: the airport.

It was really cold outside, actually much colder than yesterday. We took the RER C to the RER B and arrived at the airport by 11:55a.

28DEC08 Paris Charles de Gaulle, Roissy France (CDG)

We then went to get something to eat and while eating I realized that it was 11:23a and we needed to get to the counter right away.

We rushed over there and got checked in and then stood on the long line for Immigration and security. It was not until 12:30p that we got to the gate. Luckily the flight was delayed, but it was already at the gate. We then paid our departure taxes and collected our Economy class boarding passes.

Then we headed to the Presidents Club and hang out until the flight was called. Soon, the flight was called and we boarded.

Paris Dec. 2008: Arriving in Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris France (CDG)

2008-12-27T11:15:00.001-06:00

27DEC08 Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris France (CDG)

We touched down just after 11:00a and taxied into the gate. We deplaned and then headed through Immigration and Customs. It was my colleague's first time, so I led the way. We actually met up with another of my colleagues who was on the flight and we all walked to the trains.

We made our way to the RER B train station just below the airport Sheraton between Terminals C and F. We tried to use the kiosks to buy our tickets, but they don't dispense the day passes just the one way to Paris for 8.40 EUR and the 1.40 EUR single journey tickets for the city.

It took us about twenty minutes to get our tickets after which we headed for the trains. A word of caution, be really careful on the trains from the airport as there are pickpockets operating. Trust no one really.

Paris Dec. 2008: Arriving in Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH) from downtown Houston, TX

2008-12-26T16:26:00.002-06:00

26DEC08 Houston-Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

It took us a while to find a parking spot as most of the lots were full. Amazing!

We made it through security and then towards the Presidents Club in Terminal E. The flight to Paris was really full and there was a strong possibility that we would not make it.

I was busy checking other possibilities. On tap were Vancouver, BC Canada (YVR) and Toronto, ON Canada (YYZ) but those flights had their own dynamics, so we just waited in the Club and enjoyed the wait.

While we waited, I ended up checking hotels. Sadly, the hotel price we found the day before was no longer available.

At about 5:45p, we both got our seats, me in BusinessFirst and my colleague in Economy class. We then left for the gate. Once there I asked the agent if I can get the Economy class seat as my colleague and I could sit together and she did.

Just before boarding, I was able to book the hotel at the new rate. It was an Accor hotel that had a view of the Eiffel Tower.

We then boarded in a bit as the flight was delayed. Apparently, the inbound was late arriving. I think it had actually just come back from Paris. These 767-400s are work horses.

Paris Dec. 2008: Leaving downtown Houston

2008-12-26T15:45:00.000-06:00

My colleague picked me up about 3:45p. He was not yet checked in, so I did so using the kiosk. Traffic was pretty light so it was smooth sailing getting to the airport. There was not even any need to use the HOV lane.

Paris Dec. 2008

2008-12-26T11:15:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've been to Paris so a colleague and I are heading there later today.

Killeen for Christmas 2008: Arriving in Killeen/Ft. Hood, TX (GRK)

2008-12-24T15:58:00.002-06:00

24DEC08 Killeen/Ft. Hood, TX (GRK)

We landed at 3:58p then turned off the runway and headed for the terminal. As we pulled up to the terminal, I could see an American Eagle ATR at the gate.

We pulled up to the jetway and then disembarked after our bags were returned to us. I made my way up to the top of the jetway and then headed beyond security. I called my sister and she had just arrived at the airport. In a few minutes, I was in her car and we headed out.

Killeen for Christmas 2008: Arriving at Houston Intercontinental from downtown Houston, TX

2008-12-24T14:00:00.001-06:00

Houston Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

Once I arrived at Terminal E, I headed downstairs and took the inter-terminal train. Although it is as slow as molasses, it was the most efficient way to get there.
I made my way up two stories and through security. I was carrying a model of the A380 for one of my nephews, so it showed up on the security screens like a pointed weapon.
I told the guy what it was, but my bag still had to be checked by hand. Once that was over, I ran to the gate A7 which was nearby. While at the counter, I heard the agent made a last call announcement for the flight. I was elated as I thought that it was already gone.

I quickly made my way to the gate, identified myself and she told me to wait and she will see if she can get me on. There was one other lady waiting there as well.

In a few minutes, she made an announcement for two passengers who never showed. She then gave the other lady and myself seats and we boarded right away.

Killeen for Christmas 2008: Leaving downtown Houston, TX

2008-12-24T13:40:00.002-06:00

We got to leave work early so I headed out for the airport with two colleagues of mine. One was going to Bombay via Dubai on Emirates (EK) and the other to New York-La Guardia on Continental.

I checked in using pda.continental.com enroute. I had less than an hour, but the system still worked so I was elated. I did not think I would make the 2:55p from Terminal A, but I was going to try anyways.

Traffic was not bad, so it was smooth sailing to the airport.

London Dec. 19, 2008: Arriving in Houston Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

2008-12-21T14:10:00.001-06:00

21DEC08 Houston Intercontinental, Houston TX (IAH)

We touched down on the far runway a little after 2:00p. Off in the distance, I could see the Singapore Airlines (SQ) Boeing 777-300 at the gate. As we drew closer, I could see a TACA Airbus A320 at the gate in Terminal D.

We had to wait for a bit to cross the other active runway so we could make our way towards Terminal E. Eventually, that time came and we continued our journey.

Once at the gate, I deplaned and made my way to the Immigration area. It is great that I now have the Global Entry system as I breezed past everyone and made it through immigration. There was no line downstairs so that was easy too.

I then made it to the bus stop in time for the 2:50p departure to the city after waiting a little less than ten minutes.

London Dec. 19, 2008: Departing Central London

2008-12-21T05:45:00.001-06:00

21 DEC08 Central London, England

I awoke really early at about 5:45a. I got ready and made my way to Paddington Station so I could take the Heathrow Express to the airport.

It was 6:45a when I got there just in time to take the 6:55a train which takes 15 minutes. The next one is at 7:10a with a Heathrow Connect train which takes 25 minutes at 7:11a. I then bought my ticket and boarded the train which departed ontime.

It was a quick 15 minutes arriving at the Terminals 1, 2, 3 at 7:12a.

where to?

2008-12-19T08:52:00.000-06:00

So where to this weekend? Well it is London, England (LHR).

in town

2008-12-12T17:41:00.001-06:00

I am staying in Houston this weekend and hanging out with friends.

Under consideration were a day trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE) as well as a day trip to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (POS). Buenos Aires is tonight and Port of Spain is a Saturday departure. There was even a random trip to fly on Virgin America (VA) as well as United Airlines' ps service cross country. Neither materialized

snow in Houston

2008-12-10T20:06:00.004-06:00

If you can believe it, it is snowing in Houston today!

London Dec. 5, 2008: Airplanes at Heathrow

2008-12-08T11:45:00.000-06:00

London Dec. 5, 2008: The Emirates (EK) A380 in Heathrow

2008-12-08T11:14:00.000-06:00

As I was taking off, I was elated to see the Emirates (EK) Airbus A380 at the gate. This is the same gates used by the Singapore Airlines (SQ) A380 that had left the gate only about 35 minutes ago. Fantastic! Can't wait until the SQ one is delayed or the EK is early so i can see them both at the same time.