So I’m in coach from AKL to PPT. I tried everything upon arriving in AKL to have my voluntary downgrade to economy changed to business. I tried two times at the Air New Zealand Lounge. I called United twice to see if availability had opened. I called Air New Zealand and was put on hold for forty minutes. I pleaded with the gate agent and another agent and then the first agent again to put me in my rightful place (insert troll joke here). She said, “We don’t just put people in business ‘willy nilly’. We have a procedure.” Defeated, I boarded the empty 767 and told my sob story to the flight attendant. He felt for me then promptly directed me to the back of the plane.
I counted at least 7 empty seats in business and a dozen in premium economy as I defiantly took my seat in peasant class. I’m sick of champagne anyway.
AKL-PPT Upgrade FAIL
PVG-AKL Audible
Samsung S7 Edge: My Only Camera?
I’m on my way out of Shanghai on my way to Tahiti so I have time for a quick a-live post. Since taking off from JFK, I’ve yet to break out my iconic Nikon J1 camera because the Samsung is doing the job spectacularly.
In Dubai I took it to the pool and kept my other waterproof Nikon in my luggage. The phone is water-resistant so there was no issue taking it for a dip.
In Shanghai I used it to take stunning photos of the triple towers both by day and by night. Remarkably, the night photos are better than anything I can take with my Nikon as an amateur photographer who relies heavily on auto settings.
The best part of using the Samsung as my primary camera is linking it to my Dropbox. I know my pictures are safe and accessible. This provides for real-time Instagram posts, a big positive for blogging.
I’m not ready to abandon my other cameras quite yet. I am always outraged when I see someone using their iPhone to photograph historical sights, but maybe the time has finally come when carrying an extra device won’t be necessary.
Simply The Best: TPOL’s 1000th Post!
Celebrate good times, come on! Let’s celebrate…
1000 posts for TPOL in a little over two years is a reason to celebrate. Not including this post, I have written 382,065 words, all of which are devoid of grammatical errors, pronunciation issues, and bad English.
I am in the process of revamping the entire website to make it more user-friendly and accessible. Special thanks to the fans for the love, the trolls for stupid comments, BoardingArea for the support, and my family for not reading the blog at all.
Alas, my fingers are too tired to continue typing so I will so goodbye for now.
1000 posts! What the hell have I been talking about?
TPOL’s Guide to Bargaining Abroad
Read the 2019 Bargaining Guide.
Greetings and salutations from 中国。Today’s topic is bargaining abroad. This is an update to my previous guide for those looking to score the best deals on bags, shoes, watches while overseas. Yesterday, I went to my favorite place in the world, the tailor market on Lujiabang lu. I walked away with a deposit receipt for 5 suits, 10 shirts, and 1 winter jacket. I also went to another market where I found some jeans for a nice price. Here is the breakdown: 1 suit: 500 RMB 1 shirt: 100 RMB 1 cashmere winter jacket: 600 RMB 1 pair of jeans: 100 RMB 1 pair of underwear: 14 RMB While the yuan has appreciated, the price in RMB has remained constant. The quality, as ever, is hit or miss though everyone promises it to be ‘top quality’.
Emirates A380 Silent Disco!
How do you spend your time in Emirates first? Is it drinking aged cognac? Is it sipping champagne? Or is it getting down to the best UK Hits of yesteryear? TPOL decided to do all three simultaneously while recording the first ever silent disco party aboard an Emirates A380 first-class flight from JFK-DXB. Special thanks to DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince for topping the 1993 charts with classic Boom! Shake the Room. Warning: This video contains hilarious content. It is not suitable for the prissy who can’t have a good time.
EK 204 Delayed to Dubai, More Champagne to Follow
TPOL woke up really early this morning because I didn’t want a replay of my Vegas experience. I arrived at the Emirates Lounge, kept up with the Tahiti Diet by having an eggs white omelette, followed by sugar-free champagne. Half of a bottle later, the announcement came that the flight was delayed due to a power outage on the third floor of the airport. Passengers let out a collective sigh of relief that they could stay in the lounge a few moments later before boarding one of the best amusement rides in the world.
Vegas, Missed Flight Misery
TPOL did it again. Too much party in Vegas led to too much sleep the morning after. Jolted out of bed by the hotel phone ringing, I turned to the alarm clock which read 8AM. While that may not sound late, it in fact was since my flight was at 6AM.
Usually this wouldn’t be a big issue but I start my Tahiti trip this weekend and I need to be back in New York to catch my flight.
Disoriented and in a state of fog, I had the displeasure of having to search for flights. I hoped Avios would Aretha Franklin rescue me but no dice. I checked direct flights and they were $400. Of course all the other major carriers didn’t have availability.
I finally checked Southwest, my original airline and was surprised to find a ‘wanna get away’ ticket available for the same 11k I initially paid.
Half dead, I booked it and now am en route to Newark via Wichita and St. Louis. This bus route is my punishment for ‘what happens in Vegas’ may force you to stay in Vegas shenanigans.
Did You Catch TPOL Golfing on Periscope?
I golfed in Vegas yesterday at Bali Hai and it was incredible. A few holes in, I decided that I needed some companionship and motivation to play well as I had no one come out and challenge me. I switched on Persicope and recorded my only birdie of the day. From there viewership dropped (who wants to watch an amateur play golf?) and my score went up.
I may start Periscopin’ a little bit more, makes me feel important.
I believe the videos are still up. You can see my Kirk Cousins, “Do you like that!” impression after a good swing.
The Adventure Begins
TPOL is on the plane bound for Vegas. This is the first of a number of a-live posts on what surely will be an epic trip around the world. My unexpected new best friend is the overlooked BlackBerry Passport which proved to be far superior to the Priv. As they say in Madagascar, wheels up!
