Let’s Go!!
Kelly, baby # 2 and I were set to fly up to NYC for Kelly’s ACS workshop. My parents dropped us off at the MIA airport, where we flew MIA-LGA on AA using award flights purchased for just 4950 miles each way (+$5 fees). There has been much consternation over several airlines shifting away from their award charts to value-based dynamic award pricing, and deservedly so. But this was an example of finding the soft spot in the new system. The basic economy ticket price for this flight was over $100, and our award was regular economy, so we definitely got our miles’ worth.
Or so we thought. After a pretty nice and relaxing free meal at Corona Beach House (thanks Priority Pass!!) we took the 10-min walk to our gate and prepared for boarding. Our flight had already been delayed 30 minutes due to weather, but everything seemed to be going smoothly at this point so we got the stroller tagged and eventually made our way on board. We got in our seats and waited for push back. And waited. And waited some more. Finally the captain said our new takeoff window was planned for 90 minutes from now, so we could deplane if we wanted to. About a third of the passengers filed off the plane, and as I was making my way into the aisle to get off the captain announced that they were requiring everyone to get off. Lol my wife was just 10 seconds ahead of me, but all of a sudden she was off the plane and I was stuck behind 100 people. Not a big deal though, the main concern was whether we would actually still be getting back on this plane for takeoff in 90 minutes.
Conversations with the gate agents and with AA over the phone yielded no new information.. In fact, the response from the gate agents was even more worrisome as the statement was no longer about taking off again in 90 minutes, it was that we would find out more in 90 minutes. Kelly and I considered returning to Corona Beach House with her Priority Pass, but we decided to just hang around and see what would happen first.
Fortunately, we ended up getting reboarded just over an hour later and within 90 minutes we were taking off. In the end we were all quite tired when we landed at 930p instead of 7p, but it wasn’t a huge deal. After a $30 uber ride we arrived at our friend’s apt at 1030 and quickly went to sleep.
Yay We’re Here!
Kelly’s conference began the next morning so I made my way down with baby to join her for lunch at our friend’s delicious restaurant, P.S. Kitchen. Please read about their amazing story and mission!! Afterward, baby and I went to Hyatt Place Long Island to check in for the weekend.
The hotel was nice enough and service was pretty good, but I wouldn’t deem it exceptional in any way. Nothing horrendous to complain about but the breakfast was just average and their typically impressive attention to detail was lacking on this stay. My request for a tub was not prepared for beforehand and multiple attempts by the staff to accommodate us at check in ultimately were unsuccessful, including the desk agent putting us in a room he mistakenly thought would have a tub. Again, I am a fan of Hyatt and am not upset with our experience, just not wowed like I have been in the past. I definitely liked the overall section of LIC that I was able to explore and think the location of the hotel is terrific from a walking and transit perspective.
Onward Ho!!
Monday morning we departed for LGA. The uber ride was around $25. Unfortunately there is no Priority Pass lounge at this airport, and due to a hiccup with adding baby as a lap infant we didn’t get through security with a ton of time to spare. We grabbed burgers and then I waited with Kelly and baby as they prepared to board their flight home from LGA-MIA on Delta. This flight was also pricing at just over $100 but we got it for 5500 miles (+ $5 fees) I, on the other hand, was headed to ORD for just $49 also on Delta. My flight was leaving 25 minutes later from the next terminal over, so after they boarded I took the 15-minute stroll to my gate and arrived a few minutes before the start of the boarding process. Flight was uneventful, which means pretty great, and all three of us arrived to our destinations on time.
Heading Home
After a very brief 27 hours in Chicago (I was there to check on our property and meet with our manager), it was time for me to head back to South Florida. It was rush hour when I grabbed a lyft from the Bucktown area to Midway Airport, and ~40 minutes and $40 later I was passing through security and headed to my gate. I had expiring credit of $102 on Southwest, and my flight cost $101 so it worked out well. Southwest was comfortable as always, but honestly so were AA and Delta on this trip and since I wasn’t checking any bags there was no appreciable difference in the experience on all three airlines. They all offered similar in-flight entertainment and F&B services, and aside from the weather delay to LGA everything was smooth. It was approx. $35 for a shared uber ride to get home from FLL, and I made it in time to put toddler #1 to bed after five days away. Overall a very nice trip.
