Better than half-way distance, but not time. Having paid my $6.95 for wireless access in Newark Terminal A, I figured I might as well blog.
That’s my second Continental experience in two months and I have to say I’m not too impressed. Direct from Edinburgh is good, but that’s about it. Still, I hate moaning travellers so I’ll leave it there.
That’s all, folks.
Ugh … I never fly on a US carrier across the Atlantic if I have an option. BA, KLM, Air France etc beat them every time, especially when you have kids with you.
And as for Newark — that’s just all wrong. I’ve had some terrible changes there. And moaning is just one of the benefits of travel, so I say “enjoy”.
You sound like you’re ready for a bad lager Doug.
I just arrived at the Mandalay after a 22h trip – almost had 7h relay in NY… outch
” Ugh … I never fly on a US carrier across the Atlantic if I have an option. “
I’d have to say I agree with you, based on less than a dozen experiences. I was swithering over whether to go with BMI – Manchester / Chicago / Dallas – because I have a frequent flyer card with them, but thought the ‘convenience’ of one change would be good. Well, it might be if you didn’t have to pick up your luggage and put it back in again (not the airline’s doing, I know) and the single flight change didn’t take 5 hours with a small delay. Those planes from Edinburgh to Newark just seem too small for the trip to me. Not enough luggage or seat space.
In fairness, the Newark-Dallas leg was much better, but only because the flight was shorter and a little less populated 😉
Is that enough moaning for you? 🙂
Koert, you have my sympathy. I’ve at least had a sleep now, but I’m not sure waking bolt upright at 3:15 is such a good sign! Now that I think about it, I ended up only 2 hours short of your 22, house-to-hotel.
Today’s set aside for work, mainly, but I’ll maybe see you both at registration tonight?
5:28am, and I’m waiting for my taxi to the airport. I can’t believe I’m going to have to sit in that plane for over an hour and a half! And of course I still need to be at our tiny local airport one and a half hours before the flight departs.
What a life.
“What a life.”
Tell me about it 😉
You know, I remember enjoying flying to places at one time. It all seemed so exciting ….
well – I just had a good 9 to 10h sleep. Man, those Mandalay beds are really something !
I had a great sleep too. I just wish it hadn’t ended around 3am 🙁
Don’t you think there’s something very 21st Century about communicating through blog comments whilst using the same hotel’s wireless router?
😉
Great isn’t it 😉 – maybe you’re even in the next room …
Probably not – it’s a smoking one 😉
617
I’m just going to head down for breakfast actually but then back to work probably 🙁
I’m in 25 something – non-smoking – used to smoke 2 to 3 packs a day until my longs couldn’t handle it anymore – quite effective way to stop smoking… might see you downstairs – I will look for a rabbit…
I’m afraid the Rabbit is at home in Edinburgh, but I’ve passed on your best regards.
All the best people are on the 24th floor guys.
I fear I’m being punished for smoking, which is only fair.
6 is good for me 😉
Doug – just meant to say – hope the presentations go really well. Wish I was over there, maybe next year.
cheers
Mark
p.s. Spurs have just beaten Blackburn 3-2, so we’re 5 points ahead of Arsenal now, so that’s some kind of compensation for not being there
Thanks Mark.
The early buzz is growing as some SIG meetings get going and I think they’re preparing the registration area. I’ve just had a couple of beers with David Aldridge – nice chap – but I’d really like to get some sleep now. I think I’m going to match your usual sleepless performance 😉
Is this an Oracle blog, or is it some travel geeks? 😉 Stop your moaning man, think about the crap weather you’ve left behind 😉
“think about the crap weather you’ve left behind ;)”
A very good point, indeed. When I arrived and it was dark, after 7pm but warm outside, it occurred to me that I should have taken a photo of the hellish snow we had on Friday to show people!
You know, I’ve only just realised who unixsystems is. Given that he’s occupying my server room these days, you’d think he’d be a bit less lippy!
I’d just like to point out that I long ago made a simple rule:
If flighttime > 4 hours
Then Business_Class;
Else
It’s not worth worrying about;
End If
I’ve never had to worry about ‘not enough leg room’ since. ‘Course, I have to worry about whether there’s a roof over my head or a mortgage that’s been called in, but sometimes, I think you have to stand up for your right to sit down in comfort.
Good luck to you & all your fellow participants. I wish I was there…
Howard,
The worse thing is that I was sitting up front, with a constant view of just how much bigger and wider those seats were. I wish I hadn’t had quite a bit of recent Business class experience too because it just makes it worse when I can’t have it now 🙁
Mmmmmm, Sydney-Dallas Business Class …. that would be a pretty big commitment from you to visit a conference, wouldn’t it?