THIS WEEK'S JOHNNY JET 11/6/2002
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WHERE'S
JOHNNY JET
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From Chicago I took a 1pm flight from O'Hare and landed at LGA at 4pm. I walked no more than 100 feet where I conveniently met my Dad and brother at the Spirit Airlines gate. How nice was that?
We were going down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to visit my Uncle Einar who is really ill. We were supposed to go two weeks before but Travelocity.com, well, let’s just say I had a bad experience, so we had to postpone the trip. Since, I don't like to be negative in my newsletters; I will put the long story about Travelocity on a separate page. Click here to read it .Well, we weren't going to let Travelocity bring us down or prevent
us from supporting my Uncle. So, the following week I avoided the middle
man and went right to Spirit Air (using
airlinenumbers.com
of course) and booked us the tickets with cost coming out to $191 roundtrip.
Not bad for a one night, mid-week stay. My brother, who is
notorious for waiting to the last minute lived up to his reputation and
bought a ticket the day before departure, for the same price! We were all
set except we needed a car and hotel. I logged onto
Johnny Jet
and booked a car through
Hertz
and a hotel through
hotels.com
. I found a four star Wyndham Hotel right on the beach for
$55 a night. Wow! I thought, but before, I booked it, I called the
Hotel direct just to make sure it was "Wow deal". The best deal the hotel
was offering was a room for $99, therefore, I clicked the purchase button
and saved almost 50% through Johnny Jet! Yeah baby, I love getting
a bargain!
I called my Dad the day before to give him the itinerary and where to meet me (at the Spirit Airlines gate) and he said "Who ever heard of Spirit Air?" I said "Dad, they are a good low fare airline". He then asked "do they run on alcohol or fuel"? Get it: Spirit Air... You need to know my Dad to laugh at his humor. He said "It seems to be too good to be true, what's the downside?" I said "That they fly old MD 80 's". That didn't faze him, but it did me, because I prefer to be on a newer plane.
Spirit recommends that passengers get to LGA 2-2.5 hours before your
flight. Off peak times, I don't believe it, but during the 5 O’clock
rush hour (as I witnessed when we returned) that line was long, I mean
really long! I told my Dad and brother that our flight was thirty
minutes before it actually departed because I knew they wouldn't listen
to SpiritAir recommendations or me. Since this was the last flight
to Myrtle Beach, I didn't want to play the waiting game with my Dad.
They showed up with time to spare! After my Dad found out what time
the plane really departed, we had to give him
a lecture
so he wouldn’t go wandering off to
buy Hot Dogs
or books.
He didn't listen as usual, but we kept a watchful on him just to make sure he boarded the plane . Spirit Air doesn't pre-assign seats so I wasn't sure we were going to sit together, but since the plane was only half full we all were able to sit in the same row and the emergency exit one to boot. I know my Dad shouldn't have been in the emergency exit row because he can't hear too well, but Frank insisted that if something happened he would take care of my Dad, while I took care of the door. Besides, the emergency exit has three times the amount of leg room as the regular rows and we're three big guys who really wanted to be comfortable. It's actually a pretty funny story: The flight attendant came by to give us the safety demonstration and get a verbal "yes" from each and everyone of us. We thought we were all set because we prepped my Dad on what to say, but he still said "What?" to the flight Attendant. Then Frank gave my Dad an elbow to the ribs and he replied "Okay, I'll take a coke". The Flight Attendant asked him again and this time Frank hit him a little harder and he said "Yes, Yes I understand". I just sat there shaking my head thinking even though this is a 24 hour trip; it could be a long one.
The plane was filled with mostly golfers, who were all going down to hit the links for an off season bargain. The one hour and twenty-eight minute flight went by quickly because my brother (as usual) shared some of his wisdom. Frank is all about self improvement and he told us about James Patterson's lesson of 5 balls. I thought it was really interesting, so I will share it with you. He said life is a game in which you are juggling 5 balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends and integrity. They are all made of glass except one is rubber and you decide which one is the rubber one. Remember they are constantly in the air and you can only afford to drop one. If you drop it, it will bounce back. If you drop one of the others, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shatter. Hopefully, you will understand that work is the rubber ball. The other four balls — family, health, friends and integrity — are made of glass. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life." Pretty profound wouldn't you say?
We arrived in South Carolina excited to be somewhere warm, and new. Not to mention with a bit more wisdom. It was too late to go visit my uncle so we went right to the Wyndham Hotel. The hotel was twenty minutes away from MYR and not easy to find with all of the back roads. As I said before, it's the off season down there and even though the weather was perfect, our hotel was quiet. I think we saw only 10 guests the entire time. The hotel was great, right on the beach, the elevators were quick and the service was just fine. The only bummers were; no valet parking and the first room they gave us smelled like paint, but they moved us with no problem.
We asked the front desk where the locals go to eat and she directed us to Bimini's (pretty funny... Bimimi's sign says, "The locals eat here"). The food was good and the service was great but everyone in there smoked...must be a Carolina thing. We took a drive down the main strip (Route 17) and we all agreed it looked like Vegas at night. We were later told by a local that Myrtle Beach is indeed like Las Vegas because of all the neon signs, golf courses, and strip clubs. But instead of gambling, they have a beach.
Speaking of the beach, we woke up early and Frank, the drill sergeant he is made us workout . We first hit the gym and then took a stroll down the beach where we found the sand to be nice and soft, but the water didn't look to enticing with its dark colors. I guess we have been spoiled with South Florida's crystal blue water. We walked along the shore and found some amazing sea shells , crabs and sand dollars. On the way back to the hotel we stopped by the pool to see how it looked and if I had one word to describe it would be; inviting! I just wish we had more time to spend lounging around but we had more important places to go and people to see.
My Uncle, who is a Korean War Veteran and the last of my Mom's siblings, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was real tough to walk into his hospital room and see my Uncle 50 pounds lighter and not even be able to sit up in his bed. He's a good man, so please remember him and all of the other cancer patients suffering in your prayers tonight. If you would like to donate to the American Cancer Society, click here .
It was great that we were able to go down and visit him and to be able to take my Aunt Dorothy out to lunch. We went to a fine restaurant called The River Town Bistro Grill (1111 Third Avenue) in Conway. My Dad has his ways of cheering people up and when he read his poetry over dessert he had everyone laughing. Speaking of dessert, this was by far the best Banana Chocolate Caramel Cream Pie on earth! Oh My Gosh, it's worth a trip to SC alone!
After such a nice meal, my Aunt
showed us
around
historic Conway
which is located about 15 minutes northeast of Myrtle Beach.
It's a nice town and I just love the look and feel of their
southern homes
.
After our quick tour we went back to say goodbye to my Uncle and tell
him how much we loved him. We were running late for our flight as
usual, so we had to cruise to the airport. We arrived at the airport
45 minutes before departure. Luckily, the airport was empty because
there probably would've been a long line to get in, because the police check
everyone's trunk. We dropped off the rental car which was conveniently
located next to the airport and got to the gate just as they were boarding.
Of course my Dad says, "See! You don't need to be at the airport 2 hours
early". I just shook my head and said "You are so lucky!" Upon
landing we had a terrific view of the
NYC skyline at sunset
. When my Dad asked me where I was going and I said "I have
to go to NYC to work, then back to L.A." My Dad who is Italian and
not afraid to show his emotions began to tear up as he kissed me goodbye.
He's always cried whenever he would drop me off at the airport (I would
get a bit emotional too). That's definitely the worst part of traveling,
saying goodbye.
The taxi line at LGA was long, and it was cold out. As I stood
in line and watched from a distance my Dad and brother wait for their ride
to Connecticut. I began to think about those damn balls. As they
were driving by me, I quickly jumped out of the line and
jumped in the car
with them. Who needs to work?
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MEDIA ALERT
About the new book! We have our very first
travel guide coming out soon and it is co-authored with
a a popular internet Guru. Stay tuned for more next
week!
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WHAT'S NEW IN
JOHNNY JET
SKYGUY
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Do you ever get stuffed
ears on flights? If so how do you deal with it?
Travel Celebrity Q&A:
With
Jornalist & Author ~ JoBeth McDaniel
TIP OF THE WEEK:
Best Bargains In 16 U.S. Cities
>From Bestfares
The
editorial staff at
Citysearch
compiled a list
of "Best Bargains" in 16 cities across the country.
The list addresses dining deals, free attractions and
a section titled Inexpensive Dates. To access the guides
city-by city:
Atlanta
,
Austin
,
Boston
,
Chicago
,
Denver
,
Houston
,
Los Angeles
,
Minneapolis/St. Paul
,
Nashville
,
New York
,
Philadelphia
,
Portland (OR)
,
Raleigh/Durham
,
Salt Lake City
,
San Francisco
,
Seattle
.
GOOD TO KNOW!
Surviving the Red-Eye By Ed Hewitt,
The Independent Traveler
A red-eye flight can be
one of the most grueling travel experiences, even
on shorter flights. Sleeping on a plane, especially in coach,
is a little like staying awake during an Italian film festival,
or standing still during a James Brown song. These tips
for surviving a red-eye flight should help you weather a night
aloft, and help you cope much better upon arrival at your destination.
It's The Sleep, Stupid
The secret to surviving a red-eye is simple: sleep. Despite
all your machinations to prepare, adjust, recover, and
merely endure before and after your flight, surviving the
red-eye is mostly about catching maximum winks en route. Some
folks can sleep anywhere, others are kept awake by a pea under
24 mattresses. It helps if you're not a princess when it comes
to sleep, or if you arrive at the airport a little tired to start.
Wake up early, exercise, and avoid naps on the day of your flight.
Request a Window Seat
A window seat is more conducive to sleep, since you can lean
over against the interior wall of the plane without annoying
fellow passengers. The head support helps avoid a strained
neck upon waking up, and you have more control over
the window shade so you can ration sunlight to your own
ends.
Also, no one will have
to wake you up to climb over you to get out of their
seat. Note, however, that most window seats have slightly
less legroom than other seats to accommodate the curve of
the plane fuselage. In most cases, the tradeoff is worth it.
Request a Seat Near the Front of the Plane
Seats toward the front of the plane are quieter, and less sensitive
to turbulence, than seats toward the rear of the
plane.
Make Sure Your Seat Reclines
Some seats, especially near the emergency exit rows, do not
recline. When you book your seats, or at check-in, ask
the agent to make sure your seat reclines.
When Traveling with a Companion
If you're traveling with your spouse, child, other family member,
or close friend, put the smaller of the two in the
"middle" seat, the larger against the window. That way,
if the smaller person wants to lean on the larger person,
everyone's more comfortable.
Stake Out a Pillow and Blanket
Airline service absurdity # 134: There are never enough pillows
and blankets to go around. Why airlines believe that
a pillow per row is acceptable on a red-eye, I can't explain.
It's bad enough that some seats don't recline, or that
a middle-seat makes it all but impossible to sleep; to be
forced to go without a pillow or blanket verges on abuse.
Look for a pillow and
blanket in the overhead bins as you board the plane;
if you can't find any, ask an attendant to get them for you.
BYO
Bring your own pillow (a good inflatable neck pillow is even
more comfortable than they look). Also, bring a sweater
as a stand-in for either a pillow or blanket in a pinch.
Fasten Your Seat Belt
A loosely fastened seat belt will prevent flight attendants
from waking you up if the plane hits some turbulence. If
you are wearing a blanket, consider buckling the seatbelt
over your blanket so the attendants can see clearly that
you are buckled in.
Lower the Window Shade
On an eastbound red-eye, you are traveling into the rising sun.
At an elevation of 30,000 feet, light will be pouring in that window
before you know it. Lower the shade, and leave it down.
A practical form of light
therapy to beat jet lag is gaining proponents among
researchers. The simple explanation is to expose yourself
to light according to the time zone at your destination. So,
on the classic west-east red-eye, you don't want any light
until you arrive. On an east-west red-eye, you want light
early in the trip, then as little as possible.
Fall Asleep Immediately After Takeoff
Don't wait for the meal, watch the movie, listen to the music
programming, or even attempt to read (although some
reading material can help you fall asleep if you're willing
to put it down as soon as your eyes droop).
Also, cabin oxygen levels
are low from the time you leave the gate until takeoff.
This may make you feel sleepy; don't fight it.
Food and Drink
Eat on the schedule of your destination
This usually means a late
meal on west-east trips, and no food until you arrive
on east-west trips. Skip snacks or meals served at any other
times, and sleep instead.
Eat lightly before the flight
This is a personal preference, but many fliers will find that
a light meal, with no booze, will let your body reset
itself more willingly come touchdown, and makes it
easier to sleep on the plane. Your mileage may vary.
Additionally, as a rule,
carbohydrates make you sleepy, proteins and fats keep
you awake. Bananas and milk are especially effective sleep-inducers.
Alcohol and caffeine
If you're trying to sleep, neither alcohol nor caffeine help
the cause. Avoid both.
Water
Water helps the flier's cause in all cases. However, if you're
trying to sleep, chugging a quart of water just before
takeoff is going to require a mid-flight trip to the
toilet. Moderation is the answer here; drink enough water
to stay hydrated, but not so much that you're traipsing up
and down the aisle of the plane all night.
Layovers
Eating is not advised, (see above) but you should drink plenty
of water to stay hydrated. My approach is usually
to brush my teeth, then head toward the gate, sit near
a speaker or the agent, wrap my luggage handle around my
wrist or ankle, and put my head back and try to sleep some more.
You might ask a gate agent to make sure you don't sleep through
the flight departure.
Skip the Movie
Most movies won't put you to sleep, but rather keep you awake.
Pass on the headphones, and close your eyes.
Sleep Aids
An eye mask, inflatable neck pillow, ear plugs, and other devices
can help the cause greatly. Don't worry about looking
funny; bloodshot eyes at your morning meeting look much
worse.
If you can fall asleep
without the use of pharmaceutical sleep aids, you'll
be much better off upon your arrival, as drugs can cause
lingering drowsiness or sluggishness that make it hard for your
body to reset its internal clock. Gentle aids, such as the motion
sickness treatment Dramamine, can dramatically assist you in
falling asleep, however, if you have serious difficulties sleeping
on planes.
When You Arrive
Raise the window shade when the plane lands
On an east-west flight,
that first burst of light will have you blinking hard
and miserably, but it will help mightily to reset your internal
clock. The last few minutes of shuteye aren't worth stumbling
off the plane into an unfamiliar airport before you wake up.
Take stock of your carry-on items
A groggy, half-asleep traveler is much more likely to leave
belongings on the plane. Check the back of the seat in
front of you as the plane taxis to the gate. Check especially
for important items such as your wallet or purse, connecting
or return air tickets, identification, keys, and other similar
essentials.
Reset your watch
You need to start living by your new time zone. Reset your watch
before you get off the plane. In fact, I prefer to reset my watch
immediately after I board the last leg of my itinerary,
as arrival times are always published in the destination
time zone, and I know how long to my destination if I wake
up and check the time. This can permit me to grab a few extra
precious minutes of sleep.
Begin your day with familiar routines
Rather than indulging your body's clock, live by your watch.
If it's 7AM after an eastbound
flight, have breakfast, coffee, whatever you usually
do at 7AM. Grab a newspaper if you typically read one every
morning. You probably won't feel hungry yet, and the coffee
might not go down as smoothly, but soon enough you'll be glad
you're on schedule.
If it's 2AM after a westbound
flight, head straight for your hotel or home and go
to sleep.
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