TPOL is on the road right now. After going to the Citrus Bowl and seeing the absolute beat down by the mighty Michigan Wolverines, TPOL headed down I-95 to Miami. Actually, he took the Sun Pass toll road. That explains my absence for the last couple of days. Now that I’m here, I’m strongly debating taking the Florida bar exam and as the famous proverb goes, taking my talents to South Beach.
Here are my confirmed travel plans for 2016. Unfortunately, my newly minted Hyatt Diamond won’t get me a suite at the Park Hyatt in Marrakesh this year since the hotel delayed it’s opening till 2017.
And with that, I thought I’d change it up and provide a review of EgyptAir’s economy flight from Athens to Cairo. I also flew EgyptAir from Cairo to Luxor and Cairo to Sharm. The details of this review are applicable to those flights as well.
After a terrible time in Sharm which included the worst food poisoning of my life and the taxi driver that fought with me over $2 at the airport nearly costing me my flight, I wrote an email to the GM of the resort.
In reviewing the Park Hyatt NY, I’m going to be brutally honest even if this upsets the blog community which, for the most part, holds this hotel in the highest regard.
The captain came on the intercom to inform us that our flight time would be 16.5 hours long. Then he invited us to relax, lie-flat, as Etihad proudly presented – my first class dream service. I half expected Lumière to serenade me when I boarded the Etihad first class flight from Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles.
Le Meridien Pyramids: View of a LifetimeWaking up at Le Meridien Pyramids is like waking up Christmas morning. The excitement of drawing the curtains open to see one of the Wonders of the Ancient World in my backyard is incomparable. The view is surreal.
I arrived at LaGuardia airport en route to Orlando for the Citrus Bowl. I didn’t see the homeless people who, till recently, had made LaGuardia their home. One report said that there were people showering in the bathrooms and another said they brought their cats.
The Mayor of New York said it was the Port Authority’s problem. The Port Authority didn’t seem eager to address the problem until recently when the problem received media exposure. The in-fighting among government agencies over a humanitarian problem shows the dysfunctionality of bureaucracy. Even Joe Biden compared LaGuardia a third world country.
As a traveler, I was surprised that there isn’t TSA PreCheck in Terminal B for Southwest flights. How is it possible that Flint, MI has TSA PreCheck but an airport in New York doesn’t? There is no justification for this so don’t bother providing one.
There is an Amex Centurion lounge but it located before security which is why I skipped it. Without the safety net of expedited screening, how comfortable can anyone be in an airport lounge?
The airport terminal is ugly and dated. I can’t imagine what international travelers who transit through LGA think when they come here. “This is the airport for the capital of the world? If I had to judge a city by the airport, I’d rather live in Newark.”
Road warriors deserve a better airport. Tourists deserve a better airport. New York deserves a better airport.
The cost of the two Etihad flights was $30 + 120,000 AAdvantage miles. I rationalized that receiving a 10,000 mile rebate from having the Citi AA card would make the 110k redemption worthwhile. During the booking process, the agent in the AA Singapore office (since the AA American office still can’t find availability) asked me if I thought it was worth spending 120k to fly from Asia to the US in first when a first class flight would only be 67,500 on Cathay Pacific. Consumed by apartments and not by sound logic, I said of course.
All night I tossed and turned as the agent’s words replayed in my head. Was it really worth spending double miles simply for apartments? Then the back and forth ensued:
Back: AA is devaluing, if you want to fly Cathay after March you’ll end up paying 120k. This way you get business class and apartments for the same price. Don’t forget you’ll receive a 9k rebate!
Forth: Idiot, you know you’ll find a way to book apartments before then. Don’t waste your points.
Back & Forth: Why don’t you just book the apartments from AUH-JFK. That will cost you 90k points and then you can find a way to get to Abu Dhabi without burning 30k points.
Back: You might as well pay the 30k then because it’s a 10 hour flight from Shanghai to Abu Dhabi in Etihad business.
Tonight, I went to see my beloved Detroit Basketball! Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Fresh from a bargaining victory at Yankee Stadium where I procured 4 tickets for $60 when their face value was $95, I was eager to test out the ticket resale market in NYC. As I was approaching MSG, a man asked me if I wanted tickets. I asked how much. He said $150 a piece. I told him how about 3 for $100. He immediately accepted.
In Asia and the Middle East, I’ve learned the art of the deal so well that I believe I can go toe to toe with a certain presidential candidate. The unwritten ethical rule of street hustling calls for a party to go through with the transaction after an offer is extended and is consequently accepted. One can’t renegotiate a new price simply because the selling party was so eager to go through with the transaction. Today, I exercised the exception to this rule: the purchaser can withdraw from the transaction entirely when he reasonably expects that the other party is purporting to commit fraud.
Here, I reasonably believed that the tickets were fake. The game was sold out, tickets were going for $300 on Stubhub, and it’s the holiday tourists [trap] season in New York. I kindly told him no and walked away. As I turned the corner, there were a few police officers surrounding a woman who was crying because she was sold a fake ticket. Around her were other victims who were standing in line waiting to report their misfortune to the police. Around the next corner were too sad young men who were sitting arguing with each other about how they as locals of the City could be taken by an unsavory scalper. (see pic of their fake ticket below) At the same time, I observed some resale transactions where both parties came away happy. The tickets were genuine and the patron was fine paying the premium to enter the Mecca of basketball.
I then came across a family and some strangers who were talking about New York’s scalping laws. “It’s legal to scalp tickets so long as it’s below face value,” one person said. “The best way to make sure it’s real is to have the scalper walk you to the entrance and then give him the money after you get in,” another opined. At this point it was halftime and I knew I wasn’t getting inside. I approached a few of the ticket speculators (the legal designation for scalpers) who had sold real tickets and asked them if what I had seen tonight was normal. Initially, they wouldn’t comment. It was only after I told them I was from Detroit and that I had genuinely wanted to see the Pistons play that they began to answer my questions.
Here’s what they told me: There were indeed more fraudulent tickets than normal sold today because it is the holidays and tourists are all trying to go to MSG. The trick for making sure the tickets are real is to do as the person said above. If you’re in a party of 2 or more, have one person go in and call the other person before paying. That way you can ensure that at least one ticket is real. I thanked them for their time, shouted a solid Detroit Basketball! and took the subway home. But that’s not where the story ends.
As a NY licensed attorney, I wanted to see what the actual law for ticket scalping in NY is. I did some research and came up with this summary:
Ticket resellers must be licensed and bonded by the state. Otherwise, they are ticket speculators which is a misdemeanor that carries fines and possible jail time.
Regardless of licensure, one can’t resell tickets within 1500 feet of the venue.
Regardless of licensure, one must issue a refund if the purchaser can’t go to the event through no fault of his own.
What does this mean to you?
Purchasing your ticket through a licensed reseller or through the box office is the only way to ensure they are real.
A ticket speculator would have to be pretty nice to walk you to the entrance since he risks receiving a citation.
Selling a ticket below face value is still a crime for the seller if done so within 1500 feet of the venue.
In conclusion, buyer beware and may luck be on your side should you choose to go this route. And if you were wondering, the Pistons lost 96-108 but TPOL won again by not falling for the ticket scalping tricksters.
RealFake
For my law nerds, here is my summary of the applicable statutes.
25.01: Legislative Findings: New York enacted the licensing of ticket reseller laws to safeguard the public against fraud, extortion, and similar abuses.
25.07: Ticket Prices: Anyone regardless of whether or not licensed . . . , that resells tickets or facilitates the resale or resale auction of tickets between independent parties by any means, must guarantee to each purchaser of such resold tickets that the person, firm or corporation will provide a full refund of the amount paid by the purchaser . . . the ticket received by the purchaser does not grant the purchaser admission to the event described on the ticket, for reasons that may include, without limitation, that the ticket is counterfeit.This means that the illegal reseller must give you a refund if you can’t get in. (if you can find him)
25.09: Ticket Speculators: 1. Any person who in violation of section 25.13 of this article unlawfully resells or offers to resell or solicits the purchase of any ticket to any place of entertainment shall be guilty of ticket speculation.2. Any person, firm or corporation which in violation of section 25.13 of this article unlawfully resells, offers to resell, or purchases with the intent to resell five or more tickets to any place of entertainment shall be guilty of aggravated ticket speculation. The name of the crime is ticket speculation. Selling 5+ tickets results in a bigger penalty.
25.11: Resell of Tickets in Buffer Zone: No one whether licensed or unlicensed shall resell, offer to resell or solicit the resale of any ticket to any place of entertainment having a permanent seating capacity in excess of five thousand persons within one thousand five hundred feet from the physical structure of such place of entertainment.If you’re a licensed reseller or if you are ticket speculator, it is illegal to sell tickets in the vicinity of the arena.
25.13: Licensing of Ticket Resellers: No one shall resell or engage in the business of reselling any tickets to a place of entertainment . . . without having first procured a license. A license is required to resell tickets. This debunks the common held belief that so long as the price is less than face value, the seller is not guilty of ticket speculation.
25.15: Bond: The secretary of state shall require the applicant for a license to file with the application therefore a bond in due form to the people of New York in the penal sum of twenty-five thousand dollars.If you’re wondering if your ticket reseller is legitimate, ask him how much he paid for this bond license? That’ll get a nice reaction.
25.29: Unlawful Charges in Connection with Tickets: 1. No operator of any place of entertainment, or his or her agent, representative, employee or licensee shall, if a price be charged for admission thereto, exact, demand, accept or receive, directly or indirectly, any premium or price in excess of the established price. Reasonable service charges are allowed.
Thirty-two posts later and this Trip Report is officially done. We laughed aboard Virgin, we cried in Athens, and we got robbed in Egypt. From Toronto to Detroit, Abu Dhabi to LAX, it was quite the adventure. If you want to relive it all, here are the links to all the posts. Thanks for watching.
Before I commence with the Alaska Board Room Seattle Lounge Review, I have to point out that this is the end of the Trip Report Athens Marathon: The Original Course. What a journey! Here are the cities that were covered:
There was no bottled water in Los Angeles and there’s no bottled water in Seattle either. I guess that’s Alaska Airlines’ policy for its Board Room. Instead of focusing on that again, I would like to focus on what a great job Alaska did with these two lounges compared to the some of the United Lounges I’ve visited like the one in IAD airport. This lounge in particular was well lit, bright, and crisp. Huge TVs hang from the walls, everything is always kept clean, and the bar is a great focal point. I’m not sure why other domestic carriers don’t take notice of Alaska Board Rooms and try to improve. Here are the pictures:
Alaska Board Room SeattleModern loungePlenty of seatingGreat beer on tapHuge barOver-the-top coffee offeringClean and organizedTap water must be ordered at the barTony Romo did not save the Cowboys season lol
Do you want soft drinks? Treat yourself to as many as you want. You want house wine or craft beer? The sign says limit 3 but this rule isn’t enforced. You want a bottle of water? That will be $2.
That’s pretty much the extent of my Alaska Board Room review at LAX. Everything you would expect in a domestic lounge is free except for access to potable water, a basic human right. I’m sure they had water on tap and I’m not against drinking that but I am surprised they charged for basic bottled water. I’m not talking VOSS or Evian here people.
Too thirsty to type, I leave you with these pictures:
Disneyland!Alaska Board Room lounges are always big and bright. Take note United.Salad + CheeseThe barNot so enforced rule on that dayThere’s the water on the left
The Etihad First Class 777 Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles Flight Review is part of the Trip Report Athens Marathon: The Original Course which includes the following cities:
The captain came on the intercom to inform us that our flight time would be 16.5 hours long. Then he invited us to relax, lie-flat, as Etihad proudly presented – my first class dream service. I half expected Lumière to serenade me when I boarded the Etihad first class flight from Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles. “Mr. Bachuwa, can I bring you this,” followed by “Mr. Bachuwa would you care for that,” was the theme throughout the beautiful journey home. Heading up the team of gracious hosts was the head chef, Alex, who made it his mission to make sure that I did not go hungry.
There she isBest livery in the business?
Get Comfortable
Like the A340 flight from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, the 777 first class cabin was spacious and empty. I, along with one other person, were treated to luxury that I certainly did not deserve. The flight attendant told me that the window seat would be where I could eat and relax and the middle seat of the 1-2-1 configuration would be where she would make up my bed. I was even given separate headphones and blankets for each seat so I wouldn’t have to drag them back and forth.
Where I watch TV reclinedThe dinner chairThe sleeping sectionEtihad pillowsSo comfortablePrivacy is paramount
Amenities Kit
The amenities kit included my second favorite pair of pajamas (SQ Givenchy are the best). I asked if Ms TPOL, riding in business could have a set since they are different in first than business and Alex made it happen.
Food – We play to win the game.
We fly to eat, eat, eat, and drink, drink, drink. Though my stomach was still temperamental, I knew I couldn’t pass up on having my own chef and bottomless champagne simply because I wasn’t in perfect form. If anything did go wrong, I took comfort in knowing that I essentially had the first class bathroom all to myself.
Transitioning from that awkward interlude, I will declare that again, second to Singapore Airlines, Etihad had the best on board dining experience. The menu became superfluous as Alex prepared a wide assortment of appetizers, dinner dishes, and desserts.
The usualTomato soup, so good I had it twiceFirst dessertRib-eye on a flight was good but I wouldn’t order it againCustom dessert, doesn’t get better than thisJohnnie Walker Blue
Strangely, I did not photography the biryani and grilled chicken plate. I guess I must have eaten them in a hurry, forgetting my blogging responsibilities. Quite a shame since they were delicious.
Entertainment
I was entertained by food and drink and the fact that I had paid $100 and 90,000 miles for this fantastic flight, the rest was just gravy. (no pun intended)
Movie Selection
The movie selection was not very good. While Etihad can’t control whether new movies are Oscar worthy, it should provide more classics for passengers to watch. Cathay Pacific remains the best for in-flight entertainment.
Movie Time
Live TV
A nice feature was live news. Nothing puts me to sleep faster than CNN’s redundant ‘Breaking News’ announcements. Unfortunately, the live TV was not offered throughout the entire flight.
Internet
When I boarded the plane, my AT&T phone received a text saying that Etihad had international EDGE service on this flight with normal international data rates applying. I have unlimited international data so I assumed that I would be covered. In Mongolia, AT&T sent me a warning text saying that they do not cover Mongolia along with the applicable rates. With that data point, I kept my Blackberry on throughout the flight, all the while wondering if I would be hit with a $1200 bill. I was hit with a $60 bill which I will be disputing because I didn’t receive a warning. Still, since the flight was so long, it was nice to have the option to not go off the grid.
Overall
I know this wasn’t Etihad’s A380 apartments but I’ll take service over style any day of the week. On that day, the service was unmatched. Alex said he had just trained for the A380 so if I have him as my chef + apartment class, look out, mind will be blown.
Abu Dhabi airport allows American citizens to clear Immigration before they get to the United States. In theory, it’s a convenient way for American travelers to deal with security before arriving in the US. In reality, it has a couple drawbacks. First, the Eithad Premium Lounge is located before Pre-Clearance, a factor that must be taken into account before having too many glasses of champagne at the lounge. Second, even if you have Global Entry, be sure to check your boarding pass for the dreaded SSSS. That designation means that you have been ‘randomly selected’ for VIP screening services. Just like the first time I used Global Entry and as was the case at one of the tiniest airports in the world, I was put through the silly process of having everything taken out of my bags and was given a nice, thorough pat down.
And now back to the lounge review:
The Etihad Premium Lounge services both business class and first class passengers though first class passengers do have a quarantined section reserved for them. There is a Style & Shave salon that provides first class passengers with a manicure or a haircut, but I didn’t have enough time to go with the standard trim. Other than that, the Etihad Premium Lounge is a prototypical lounge. I was expecting more from it because it is the flagship lounge for the carrier. I have read that a new lounge may be built soon, that this one may be remodeled, or nothing will be done until the new terminal is constructed. None of those options are happening tomorrow, so here’s what you will find if you if you are flying Etihad today.
Etihad Premium LoungeI see youPlenty of seating area and plenty of monitors with flight statusMousse?First Class quarantineThe only seating of concern to meAll drinks are of course includedThe only beverage of concern to meThe food was basicArabic coffeeHummus ya hummusThe other barA jigsaw puzzle of the seat and barA winning comboStyle & Shave
A Note on the Bathroom
I have to call to your attention that this massive lounge only has one toilet stall for male passengers. This was mind boggling given the number of people in the lounge and unsettling given my food poisoning situation. While nervously waiting my turn, I noticed that the bathroom attendant would quickly clean the toilet before another passenger went in and throw out essentially a full roll of toilet paper with some regularity.
The Etihad Lounge After Immigration
There is another Etihad lounge after immigration which is a small version of the Premium Lounge. I was only there for a few minutes following my enhanced screening session.
