Best travel portal on the web featuring best travel sites, travel packages, travel guides, travel tips, weekly travel newsletter, travel webcams, and much more!
February 6, 2008

Home * Travel Deals * Website of the Week

Webcams * Travel News

WHERE'S JOHNNY JET?                                 Super Bowl XLII
KEY: BOLD = PICTURE, HYPER LINK = WEBSITE

HOUSE KEEPING: Remember when you click on the pictures in "Where's Johnny Jet," they will open up in another window. Just click the "x"(close) in each picture to get back to the newsletter. This should alleviate complaints about closing Johnny Jet. Thanks again for your support, and remember: If you book trips on the web, please go through JohnnyJet.com. (It will save you money).


Web Resources

Printable Version of Full Newsletter.

Page 1 | 2 | 3

SUPER BOWL
I thought I was going to be home for at least a week and I was quite happy to kick back, relax and not get on a plane. But when my cousin AJ calls, I can usually be guaranteed a good time. This time it was for the ultimate sporting event. He told me to get my GIANT-rooting butt out to Phoenix in the morning because he had an extra ticket for the Super Bowl. After asking him if he was serious at least 20 times, I hung up and immediately logged on to JohnnyJet.com (shameless plug, I know). But I began my intense, relentless search for cheap airfares. Thanks to Southwest, my wish was granted ($263 R/T). Unfortunately, there were no available return flights until Monday evening. I still booked it.

SOUTHWEST
Naturally, I woke up at 3am. Not only had I been crossing time zones like Kris Kringle, but seriously … who could sleep the night before their favorite team is in the Super Bowl? I have no idea how the players do it. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to the pouring rain. When I realized I wasn't going to be able to sleep for a while, I fired up my laptop and started punching away. A few hours later and I was getting tired. I knew my body wasn't going to want to get up in an hour so I logged on to Southwest.com. It's been a while since I've flown with them or even played around on their site. I clicked the “view or change your flight” link to see how much it would cost to change my departure to the 11am flight. It turned out that because I had purchased one of Southwest's business fares (the only fare still available), any ticket changes were free! Kudos to Southwest, especially since their last-minute fares were half the price of their competitors' and their tickets weren't restricted like the other con artists. Not only did I change my 8:45am flight to 11am, but I noticed there was now space available for the last flight out of Phoenix (10:10pm) that night. That meant I could forget about bringing a change of clothes, go straight to the game and come back and sleep in my own bed. Now that's the way to do it!

BOARDING ON SOUTHWEST
I reprinted both my boarding passes, which brings up an important point for everyone, especially if you're flying Southwest. Southwest has open seating which means they don't assign seats. So the earlier you check in for your flight (passengers can do it up to 24 hours in advance online), the closer you get to the front of the boarding line, which means you get to pick your seat (ahem, row 11). And Southwest implemented a unique boarding procedure a few months ago. Instead of boarding in three groups, they board in boarding pass numbers. It would be both too long and boring for me to explain fully; instead see Southwest's web demonstration.

AIRPORT PARKING
My alarm sounded at 9:20am, waking me from my jet-lag-induced sleep. I washed the drool from my chin in the shower, got dressed and drove straight to the airport. I pulled into Park One, my favorite parking lot at LAX. It's my favorite because it's the closest to the airport and is literally across the street from Terminal 1, which services Southwest and USAir. That saves even more time as there's no need to wait for a courtesy van – just make the 50-yard dash. Because it was raining, I spent the $6 extra (a day) for valet parking ($21.75). Tip 1: If you have an AAA card, you get a discount for the regular parking. TIP 2: To guarantee a spot, book in advance online using ParknFlyNetwork.com. It can also be used to book any airport parking lot across the U.S. For lots outside of the PNF network, log onto AirportParkingReservations.com. This gives travelers peace of mind and saves both time and money.

NO BAGGAGE
This was the first time in my adult life that I've flown somewhere without bringing a bag. I mean, I didn't have anything. I'm talking nada, zip, zilch … I can't tell you how liberating it felt to arrive at the airport 40 minutes before flight time with absolutely nothing weighing me down. I walked straight to security, then to the gate, in time to find my spot in line. I was actually a few minutes early because Southwest begins boarding 20 minutes in advance but of course, better safe than sorry. Okay, I admit it. I went over to the McDonald's counter and ordered a McSkillet Burrito and wolfed it down before getting on the plane.

LOS ANGELES TO PHOENIX
We took off just after 11am and flight time was a crisp and quick 50 minutes. I landed in overcast Phoenix at 1:30pm (an hour time change from Los Angeles) and there was a huge queue of taxis but no takers. Figures. The one time I was hoping for a line at the taxi stand, so I could have split cab fare to the University of Phoenix stadium. I was by myself with no luggage and it's a waste of resources and money. Can you believe that the 20- minute drive is a whopping $50? And that's using a meter. And it doesn't include tip. That same ride in Thailand would have cost $3! What a rip.



TICKETS PLEASE
At least there was no traffic and I made it to the stadium more than two hours before game time (kick-off was at 4:30pm local time). My cousin AJ rolled up with his posse and handed me the golden ticket. I cracked a smile ear to ear and it got even wider, like Charlie Brown's, when I spotted the seat: Club/Loft. I knew what that meant – free food and drinks. Sweet!

SECURITY
Actually, finding AJ wasn't all that easy. The perimeter of the Super Bowl was blocked so to get from Gate 1 to Gate 3 was a hike … and I mean a hike. Sad to say, but I guess the tight security was to prevent anyone from pulling off a successful car bomb. There were no shuttles so I had to walk around the red tarp fence to try and find one of the few entrances. The stadium also did a nice job organizing the screening process. When I went to Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, the lines were 30 minutes long and there was no order. Here, they had plenty of machines and guards frisking people so there was no wait. Maybe the TSA could've learned a lesson or two. But the thorough security almost screwed me completely, which I saw happening to many other people. I was going to bring my big SLR camera with me but fortunately I left it at home. As I learned when I got there, it would not have been allowed in. The rules were: no cameras bigger than six inches, no camera bags and no medium- to large-sized purses. There was nowhere to check the forbidden goods, so people had to either dump them or bring them to their car, hotel or home. What would I have done? I probably would have walked over to the Renaissance Glendale Hotel and kindly asked (and generously tipped) a bellman to store it.

THE BIG GAME
Walking in, it looked like there were way more NY GIANTS fans present but once the game started the Patriot fans were definitely the loudest. That obviously didn't stop the heavy underdog GIANTS. Walking to the luxury boxes, I knew I was in for a treat when a limping John Elway practically bowled me over. I entered the suite to find my boys Luis Gonzalez (Florida Marlins), Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR), Mike Hampton (Atlanta Braves), Kyle Boller (Baltimore Ravens) and most girls' fantasy, Nick Lachey. All these guys are super cool as were the other 12 people in the box. The best part was that most of us were rooting for the GIANTS and we all went crazy (I lost my voice) in the final two minutes. It was a victory of David and Goliath proportions and to be there, right in the heart of the action was amazing. It was incredible from beginning (American Idol winner Jordin Sparks singing The Star Spangled Banner) to end. Even the half-time show with Tom Petty was awesome.

TAXI, YO TAXI
I was still undecided about whether to change my flight yet again and spend the night in Phoenix or just go home. I finally decided that I really needed to get back to LA to actually get some work done … like write this story, pay some bills and update the website. So when the game ended, I made a beeline to the taxi stand. The line was already 150 people deep and there weren't any taxis. I had no choice but to make my way to the front and ask if anyone was going to the airport. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy but I just stood there and waited. Finally, someone else rolled up with the same destination. The taxi dispatcher was kind enough to give us precedence but the calls for more taxis came up empty. We waited for 15 minutes (it felt like an hour) and there wasn't a vacant taxi in sight. I overheard the taxi coordinators whispering to each other that the 400 people in line were all screwed. I looked at my watch. It was 8:45pm and I was getting nervous that I might be in the same boat because Southwest's last flight out was at 10:10pm and I didn't know how long it would take to get to the airport. Eventually, a taxi pulled up and when the driver said it would cost $30 apiece, we said no problem. We just needed him to put the pedal to the metal. Surprisingly, traffic wasn't bad and it only took 30 minutes to get to the airport. I had time to spare to watch the highlights in the airport bar with all the other GIANTS fans.

PHOENIX TO LAX
I should've known when I landed and saw all the private jets that we wouldn't be taking off on time. We did push back from the gate at 10:10pm, but we sat on the runway for 50 minutes. The pilot indicated that he had no idea what time we'd be lifting off and that the control tower wasn't even responding to their calls. That's the first time I've heard that one. He also said that all the corporate jets were taking precedence and I later read that there were over one thousand private jets at the Sky Harbor Airport and the surrounding smaller general aviation airports. That's approximately 10 per cent of all the private jets in the world! You know, if I'd missed my flight, I would have tried my darnedest to hitch a ride on one of those bad boys! LAX, anyone?

L.A. TIMES TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW
If you're going to be in the Los Angeles area this weekend, come check out the L.A. Times Travel & Adventure Show. It's taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center on February 9th and 10th from 10am to 5pm. I'm speaking on a panel about online travel tips and tricks for the fourth time in five years. Also speaking are Arthur and Pauline Frommer, Rick Steves and Phil Keoghan, the host of The Amazing Race. Tickets are $10 per day for adults; children 12 years of age and under may attend for free. For more information, visit the website or call (203) 878-2577 ext. 100.

VIDEO
Here's a one-minute Johnny Jet video of my trip to Phoenix and the Super Bowl. We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on YouTube.

NEXT WEEK
Next week, we go to the state in the union that everyone dreams about being in this time of year. I'll give you a hint ... it's a five-hour flight from Los Angeles and is where all the star football players will be balling it up this weekend.

1 | << PREVIOUS PAGE | 3

Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet

*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

All information presented here is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Please confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.

All images are the property of Johnny Jet Inc. and cannot be reproduced, in whole or in part, without our express permission. If you would like to reprint an image, please contact us at info@johnnyjet.com for image re-use rates.







Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Pictures From

The Trip

 

LAX Terminal 1

 

Southwest

 

Southwest Snacks

 

Phoenix

 

Ton of Corporate Jets

 

University of Phoenix stadium

 

Long Walk

 

The Golden Ticket

 

More walking

 

Super Bowl Screening

 

Walking To Seats

 

My Cousin AJ

 

The GIANTS Take the Field!

 

Defense!

 

Luis Gonzalez

 

Jimmie Johnson

 

Da Boyz

 

Mike Hampton

 

Halftime Show

 

GIANTS Win!

 

Flight Home

 

NEXT WEEK!

MEDIA ALERT
SOME OF LAST WEEK'S READER AIR-eMAIL
  • I first wanted to say I really enjoy reading your website. Your most recent articles were great because I was in South Africa for 6 weeks back in the summer of 2006 and had an amazing time. I have a few questions for you though. First, not to be too nosey but I am confused as to how you actually earn money and how you pay for all your travel? Do you get paid mostly by speaking engagements? And is most or any of your travel paid for or comped by the airlines, hotels, etc.? I think you have a wonderful gig going on and I'm just confused as to how you finance it. I work for a major US airline and through our non-rev privileges, I usually travel about every other week. It's great since I'm only 1- 1/2 years out of college. I hope to one day start my own business that is either travel-related or allows me to travel. Any more insight into what you actually do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for your site. Mark M.


  • Enjoyed your report on one of my fave countries, South Africa. Have to correct you about the flight situation to Capetown, though. Not only KLM offers direct/nonstop flights to CPT but also British Airways ex Heathrow (daily), Virgin ex Heathrow (3 x weekly) and South African ex Heathrow (daily) and ex Frankfurt (daily). There are also good connections via Dubai with Emirates (Dubai - Captown daily nonstop) and via Doha with Qatar Airways (Doha - Capetown 3 x weekly nonstop). and there is also a weekly flight ex Munich with LTU (nonstop). Good luck with your future travels and I am looking forward to your next newsletter. Cheers, Erich W., Laupen, Switzerland. REPLY: Thanks for bringing this to our attention! You are absolutely right and we have edited the paragraph accordingly.


  • Just a quick note to thank you for the tremendous good coverage Camp Jabulani received through your editorial. Our web stats have also picked up from the link on your website. Managing Director


  • I was so sorry to hear that Johnny was not impressed with Cape Town and that he had poor weather. As I am in the process of planning a trip, could you please tell me the time of year he went to South Africa? I also noticed that he wore warmer clothing. What was the average temperature? Thanks. Laura S - REPLY Johnny was in South Africa in early November but it was unseasonably cool. A great website to check out for temperatures is WorldClimate.com. P.S. Don't forget to tell your family, friends and colleagues to sign up to our free Johnny Jet Travel News, Tips and Stories newsletter (at www.JohnnyJet.com) -- and to use our Booking Buddy search engines when booking travel.


  • Do you ever think of listing all these good websites (aerochannel, airtimetable, etc) in one convenient spot? REPLY: Thanks for the email. Most of the Websites of the Week are posted on Johnny's blog.


  • Can you please advise of the best sites or agencies to get the best rates when it comes to First class and Business Class tickets, for trips outside the US? Thanks so much. Cecilia M - Charlotte, NC. REPLY: Johnny's personal travel agent is John Dekker. His number is 1-800-714-8728.


  • Johnny: You missed a great deal on hotels in Delaware! Starting TOMORROW, Delaware is offering the “First Night Free” to visitors at participating hotels throughout the state. Nearly 30 hotels throughout Delaware are participating in the statewide campaign. Visitors can choose from budget-friendly hotels, cozy beachside inns and luxury suites! But act fast! They have to book their reservation in February for a stay in February, March or April. Find out more here: VisitDelaware.com/firstnight. - Nikki


  • Last year I found your site while searching for destinations for our honeymoon. My wife, a senior producer at CNN, is very picky and I, of course, didn't want to disappoint her! Based upon your article, we booked and had a wonderful time meeting with John Saxs, Heiko and the Treetops staff. We did just about everything (including the Moari food tour) that you recommended and can't wait to return to try zorbing, the one thing we didn't have time to do. So now it's our one-year anniversary and we are trying to figure out where next to go. Any recommendations would be great! P.S. Abby said you didn't do so badly for your first interview on CNN :) Tim & Abby - Atlanta


  • I'm a lifelong resident of South Bay, California and noted you have been in Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. I plan on attending the Long Beach Travel Adventure Show for my fourth year and was reading the line-up of presenters and came accross you as one of the presenters. I then checked out your website. How awesome! I am anxious to hear you speak at the Travel Show next weekend.


  • I have only been to 30 countries and have recently been attempting to get into travel writing and even set up my own website a year ago to market myself which you can check out at the link below. Thank you for a great website and I'm looking forward to hearing you at the Travel & Adventure Show. Keith Rhoades, RhoadesLessTraveled


  • I am a regular reader of your newsletter and enjoy reading it every week - interesting, informative and engaging. Randy Petersen has developed a new Web site for business travel blogs which I thought you might be interested in. You can read about BoardingArea.com in a recent article published in the New York Times. We have your site on our blogroll under blogs by business travelers: Johnny Jet's Travel Blog by John E. DiScala. "World traveler and founder of JohnnyJet.com, John features the best travel Web sites, latest travel deals and up-to-date travel information. His posts are upbeat, energetic and he introduces helpful Web sites you might not already know about." Best regards, Darcie - Associate Editor, InsideFlyer Magazine






  • *** Buy Your Johnny Jet T-Shirts/Hats

    ***PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF JOHNNY JET'S BOOK***
    *Please note that we reserve the right to post excerpts, perhaps edited, from your message on the Johnny Jet website and newsletter. We will not use your full name without your express permission. If you'd rather not have your message posted on the website or newsletter, just say so and it won't be.
HOUSEKEEPING

This Newsletter is sent by permission only. If you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription at any time, please login HERE. If you have any questions or suggestions please send message addressed to Johnny@JohnnyJet.com

Join Our Mailing List
Email:
Editor-In-Chief
Johnny Jet

Editor
Natalie Bahadur
About JohnnyPublicityNewsletter ArchiveMy MomPhotogalleryContact Us
Johnny's BookBlogBookmark Us BannersSuggestions