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Greetings from an undisclosed location in Europe! I know, I know ... how the heck did I get back here so soon? Well, it's been a whirlwind of a summer and making my second hop across the pond in three weeks has just been the icing on the cake, so to speak. So, where am I headed next? I'll give you a hint at the end of this week's story, but for now, we'll only get as far as my transatlantic flight. This week, we travel from Cooperstown, NY to Erie, PA for an impromptu, mini family reunion; then we fly back to my home in Los Angeles via Pittsburgh. I love being in Manhattan Beach in August, mostly because this sleepy beach community really comes alive as it plays host to two of the most memorable beach volleyball weekends. The AVP tournament is the Wimbledon of professional beach volleyball and the six-man tournament is open to the public. All 200 teams wear hilarious costumes and there's a lot of partying! It has to be one of southern California's craziest events; it's just downright out of control. You're going to have to see the pictures and video to believe it. But if you're looking for something a little more low key, check out our latest story from writer and photographer Jerome Shaw. We sent out him out on assignment to discover a side of Las Vegas that you may not have known about. Join him as he explores downtown Las Vegas and all that it has to offer.
COOPERSTOWN TO ERIE, PA
I was somehow able to convince my brother to drive four hours from where we grew up in Connecticut to pick me up in Cooperstown; we then headed on to Erie to see our dad. Cooperstown isn't exactly on the way but Frank's a good man. The five-hour, 320-mile drive
was long and we took the northern route through Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo. The only stop we made along the way was at a rest stop in Seneca, NY for some food and to switch places behind the wheel. To give you a little background on my family, if you're new to the site, my dad moved to Erie after my mom passed away in 2000. He got remarried to my sister's neighbor and has been living a good life until his emergency quadruple bypass surgery, just a few months ago.
ERIE
I write about Erie all the time so I won't bore you with the details. However, I will say that it was fabulous, as usual, to see my dad; he's almost 100% recovered from his seven-hour operation. The man even managed to play catch (football and baseball) and then nine holes of golf. Would you believe he almost beat me and that I came close ... I mean Tiger-Woods-close... to an eagle? We didn't do anything special. We just relaxed, played games with the kids, picked
wild raspberries and enjoyed Erie's short but spectacular
summer. Erie can be dreary, particularly in the winter, but there's nothing dreary about the summer, especially if you're near the lake. The sunsets are amazing. To top it all off, both of my sisters were in town too, so we had a mini family reunion.
FINDING THE LOWEST AIRFARES
Spur of the moment travel is all fine and dandy until it's time to purchase a last-minute plane ticket. Ouch, it can be expensive! I needed to get back to L.A. and Erie's airport (ERI) is not the cheapest airport to fly in or out of. Nearby airports like those in Buffalo, Cleveland and Pittsburgh are all less than 130 miles away and you can usually find fares there that are much easier on the wallet. I logged on to my two favorite travel websites: JohnnyJet.com and AirlineNumbers.com. Shameless plug, I know. However, each site features a different search engine for air, hotel, car and cruises. On JohnnyJet.com, we use the BookingBuddy search tool and AirlineNumbers.com is powered by OneTime. Both eliminate time spent tediously and repeatedly inputting cities and dates. You simply have to enter that pertinent information once, then choose which agencies (Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, for example) you want to use to price out fares. Both sites are valuable tools and each one's a bit different; some prefer one over the other. Plus, as you're probably aware, there isn't just one website out there that will always find the absolute lowest price. Prices vary by agency, destination and time among other things. That's why it's key to shop around!
BOOKING ON ORBITZ
During my search for a one-way ticket from ERI to LAX, Orbitz.com, came up (this time) with the cheapest fare. After I clicked "purchase", I got a response that read, "You'll receive your flight confirmation via email within 24 hours." WHAT?! My flight was less than 48 hours away and I needed to know right then, as hours from then, the airfare could double! I felt like knocking on the computer screen like a lunatic and screaming, "Um, hello! McFly! Anyone home?" Seriously ... what if it didn't go through? Would Orbitz pay the difference in fare? Absolutely not! For the record, Orbitz isn't the only guilty party ... many of its competitors send out these ridiculous notifications, too. If you ask me, any travel agency booking tickets online should send a confirmation within five seconds ... five minutes max. Not within 24 hours. The good news is that in the end I didn't need to panic and call Orbitz as I intended ... within three minutes, I did receive a confirmation. Moral of the story: Before you jump through your computer screen like I nearly did, wait 10 minutes. Then do it.
USAIR
The following day, I printed out my boarding passes on USAir.com. This can be done as early as 24 hours and up to 90 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. I noticed that both the aisle seats I had reserved when I booked were now gone. Instead, there were only dreaded middle seats available. I suddenly got a hollow feeling in my stomach, a feeling that only worsened as I saw that the seat map was not displaying any other choices. Ugh! I called USAir to find out what the heck had happened and the snippy agent basically said, "Sorry, that's the way it goes." I almost snapped but that's the worst thing you can do when you want positive results. So I said, "Ma'am, I'm sure you wouldn't want to sit in a middle seat on a transcontinental flight, now would you?" "No sir," she replied. "Well," I continued hopefully, "I'm a six-foot, 203-lb guy who sometimes forgets to put on deodorant. Now even if you were in an aisle or window seat, you probably wouldn't want my big, smelly arse sitting next to you either, now would you?" She gave the same honest reply. She finally let her guard down and chuckled a bit. Bingo! That's when I went in for the kill. So I asked her politely if she could please speak to a supervisor and have them release one of the premium seats they always hold for elite members. Sure enough, she put me on hold but eventually came back with exit row aisle seats! Overall, I'd say it was a well spent 20-minute call but one that could have been avoided had Orbitz and USAir done a better job syncing their services up.
ERIE TO PITTSBURGH
Not surprisingly, my USAir flight
out of Erie, headed to Pittsburgh, was delayed. The agent at the Erie airport told me that there was a good chance I'd miss my connection to Los Angeles as I'd only have 25 minutes to run from one terminal to the other. I had a few options. I could take a chance; if I missed the flight, USAir would put me up in a Pittsburgh airport hotel for the night and the following day I'd make a connection to LAX since the nonstop was oversold. My other option was to stay in Erie for a few more nights but that wasn't going to happen. I asked how my chances looked and was told that since I wasn't checking bags, my chances were 50/50. I decided to go for it and fortunately, I made my flight and I didn't even need to run! The L.A. flight
was delayed 40 minutes as well ... the one time I welcomed a tardy departure.
PITTSBURGH AIRPORT
The Pittsburgh airport is awesome. Why? Because travelers feel like they're in their neighborhood mall. The are more than a hundred shops
(like Brooks Brothers, Gap Women, Godiva and Victoria's Secret) and restaurants (like T.G.I. Fridays, Sbarro, McDonald's, and Ben & Jerry's.) The best part is that by law, the shops can't charge a penny more than what they do at their regular retail stores. So no more getting ripped off at the airport; it's all regulated by the BAA. When I went to the newsstand to buy a bottle of water, you should have seen how surprised I was when I saw that the price was … hold on to your hats … just $1.19! When have you seen bottled water in an airport store for that price? Bravo, Pittsburgh!
PITTSBURGH TO LOS ANGELES
As an added bonus, the winds were blowing west so flight time took a mere four hours and 15 minutes. The bad news is that the seatbelt sign never went off ... not once and it wasn't even that bumpy! When we landed, everyone (including moi) ran straight for the bathroom. What was I thinking buying three bottles of water? I guess at that price, I just couldn't help myself.
SHIPPING LUGGAGE
Unlike the rest of the rookie travelers on my flight, there was no stopping at baggage claim for me! That's because I shipped my bags via FedEx ground a few days earlier. It cost me $38 for a thirty-some pound bag. The best part, besides not having to wait aimlessly around at the baggage carousel, was that I was able to ship my baggage as is ... no box required. FedEx simply shipped the duffel bag like checked luggage and even put little plastic ties on the zippers so that the bag couldn't easily be opened. If you give this a try, just be sure to allow five business days for ground delivery, though rates and delivery times will vary depending on your start and end points.
MANHATTAN BEACH OPEN
The granddaddy of professional beach volleyball (AVP) is the Manhattan Beach Open. It's referred to as The Wimbledon of Beach Volleyball. The AVP usually takes place in August and the men's and women's
finals air live on NBC. The winning
team splits a check for $28,000 and have their names inscribed on plaques along the Manhattan Beach Pier. The grandstand seats are free but if you want to get up close and personal, you either need to know someone
or pony up $40. Reservations can be made online at AVP.com). No matter where you sit, seating
is on a first come-first served basis so get there early with plenty of sunscreen and a visor in tow. My favorite
part is just before they go live on TV. Announcer Chris "Geeter" McGee gets everyone all pumped up; the guy is an amazing motivational speaker and gives my boy Tony Robbins a run for his money. This year, soon-to-be Hall of Famer Karch Kiraly
retired; there was a huge tribute for him, which made this year's game extra special.
MB SIX-MAN VOLLEYBALL TOURNEY
The Manhattan Beach Open is a lot of fun to watch but it doesn't compare to Manhattan Beach's six-man volleyball tournament. This event is getting downright out of control
... in a good way! The tipping point was probably when it was featured on Wild On E a few years back. These days the 200-team tournament is maxed out; most are stacked with excellent players, including pros. They aren't too difficult to find since Manhattan Beach
is the beach volleyball capital of the world. What makes this tourney so much fun is that every team has a theme and they dress the part. There's Team Fletch (all wearing Lakers jerseys and six-inch ‘fros), the clan from The WWF, The Flying Nuns, The
GrandMamas (one uses a walker), The Golf Caddies, The Vikings, The Italian Water Polo team, The Energizer Bunnies
... you get the picture. There are so many teams that each time I walked around, I discovered
a new one. This should give you an idea how big the tournament is getting: Last year, the team I was on (The Cougar Hunters) strolled into City Hall 90 minutes after applications were being accepted and we got a spot. This year, there was a line down the street 90 minutes before the doors opened and we didn't get in. Teams are coming from all over the country. With all the drinking on the beach, you'd be surprised to learn that Manhattan Beach has very strict liquor laws. But this is the one day of the year that the cops seem to look away. To see the craziness, check out my two-minute photo montage below. For more information on the tournament, log on to SurfFestival.org.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Again, it was time for me to pack up my bags and head out to nearby LAX. You know, it's funny ... when I'm home I don't want to leave. But the minute I step foot on an airplane, I'm ready to go and explore. Then, when I settle into my new destination, I usually don't want to go home. Go figure! What I love about flying from LAX is that travelers don't have to worry about waiting in any long runway taxi lines like they do at New York's airports. For instance, my Air France flight was scheduled to depart at 6:30pm and we were airborne by 6:40pm! How do you like them apples, JFK?
OK, the cat's out of the bag. As you can see, I'm headed to Paris but I'm not leaving Charles De Gaulle Airport. After this flight, I'm jumping on another but you'll just have to wait until next week to see where I'm headed.
AIR FRANCE
Air France departs from LAX's Terminal 2. I arrived two hours early and there was no line at either the economy or business class check-in counters. I was fortunate, for the second year in a row, to get upgraded to L'Espace Affaires (business class), which meant I could pass my time using the FREE wireless Internet in Northwest Airlines' lounge. Northwest is one of Air France's SkyTeam Alliance partners. The lounge is in desperate need of a renovation; it's old and depressing but it's still better than trying to find an uncomfortable seat at the crowded gate. Besides, who doesn't love free drinks, snacks and Internet?
LOS ANGELES TO PARIS
Boarding for Flight AF69 was quick and the 777-300
plane featured Air France's new state-of-the-art seats. They are vibrantly colored and have footrests ... even in economy, which is called Tempo. Each seat has an individual video screen, too. In Tempo class screens are 6.4 inches wide, while in business and first they’re 10.4 inches. The premium classes feature videos on demand. At first glance, my headphones
looked cheap and dirty. But they were actually noise-canceling headphones, designed to reduce the noise volume. After rummaging through my lovely amenity bag, I discovered little paper covers
for the headphones, which turned out to be a nice feature.
DINNER TIME!
The flight attendants were all cheerful. They came around with pre-takeoff drinks (champagne, water or orange juice) and offered a variety of newspapers. After takeoff, they rolled out the drink cart and handed out small boxes of mini crackers filled with cheddar cheese. Mmm! Absolutely scrumptious. Later, hot towels were passed around and dinner was served. For starters there was a choice of scallops or foie gras. The main course was filet mignon, lamb tangine or fish. Of course, all were accompanied by veggies, baguettes and a variety of cheeses. Dessert didn't disappoint. The assortment of sorbets (mango, strawberry and kiwi), fruit tarts, coffee cake and fresh fruit were all delish. The meal service was excellent but once the dinner trays were put away so, it appeared, was the flight attendants' work. The lights were turned out and that was it. The flight attendants didn't come by again on the 10-hour, 10-minute flight until breakfast (French toast, pastries and croissants), which was 90-minutes prior to landing. I was dying of thirst and was so comfortable I didn't want to get up. But of course, I had to because there was a self-serve bar set up in the galley. Oh, the French and their breaks.
BIZ CLASS
Business class seats also have optical fiber reading lights, AC adaptors and
side
and front storage with plenty of legroom. There's also a remote control for the entertainment system, which can also be used as a telephone, though nobody uses it probably because it's not hooked up or it's too expensive. The seats are 21 inches wide. They recline to what is supposed to be a 180-degree angle, but mine did not go completely flat. The slight angle made me slide down to the footrest, making me a bit uncomfortable when I tried to sleep. But who can sleep when they're headed to Europe for a little fun in the sun, anyways? Air France, tel.: 800-237-2747.
VIDEO
Here's a short Johnny Jet video of the Manhattan Beach six-man volleyball tournament. Warning: this isn't for the conservative, so if you fall in that category, you might not want to watch. It's also on YouTube, so it only takes a few seconds to load (though the quality is not as crisp). We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on their servers. Plus, here's a link to someone else's video encapsulation of the day.
NEXT WEEK
Next week, we'll spend some time soaking up some sun with the rich and famous. Want to know where? You'll have to join us next week to find out!
Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet
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Note:
This trip was sponsored by Maison de la France.
Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet
, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.