Gearing up
Mar. 14th, 2008 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ksmithI'll be going to NYC for the Novelists Inc conference at the end of the month. Denver in August. Possibly a flight around the holidays. So, I decided to dig into the on-signing money and buy a year's membership in the United Red Carpet Club. I get a price break thanks to the day job, and well, just want to see if it's worth it.
Honestly, one thing the basement cleaning has made abundantly clear is that I don't need to buy another piece of luggage ever. I think I know which piece I'll be using for NYC--it's a rolling garment bag with room for other stuff. Nice for slacks and jackets, which is what I'll be taking along. I dragged it upstairs and vacuumed off the storage dust. Wheels work. Zippers work. No stains or rips.
Just once, I would like to be the passenger who walks easily through the airport. i would like my wheeled luggage to be well-behaved, with no twisting or torqueing or falling over. The large purse that functions as the carry-on isn't overpacked, and I can find what I need easily, without dumping the contents of the damned thing atop the check-in desk. No extraneous bags or boxes or cartons. The shoes and clothing I'm wearing are comfortable. I don't trip over anything. I actually look as though I have my act together. Just once. Please?
Now, how many clothes do I really need for a six-day trip...
Honestly, one thing the basement cleaning has made abundantly clear is that I don't need to buy another piece of luggage ever. I think I know which piece I'll be using for NYC--it's a rolling garment bag with room for other stuff. Nice for slacks and jackets, which is what I'll be taking along. I dragged it upstairs and vacuumed off the storage dust. Wheels work. Zippers work. No stains or rips.
Just once, I would like to be the passenger who walks easily through the airport. i would like my wheeled luggage to be well-behaved, with no twisting or torqueing or falling over. The large purse that functions as the carry-on isn't overpacked, and I can find what I need easily, without dumping the contents of the damned thing atop the check-in desk. No extraneous bags or boxes or cartons. The shoes and clothing I'm wearing are comfortable. I don't trip over anything. I actually look as though I have my act together. Just once. Please?
Now, how many clothes do I really need for a six-day trip...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-03-15 03:42 am (UTC)Di
United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 04:07 am (UTC)RCC membership, given that you're Chicago-ish based, isn't a bad thing, if you're going to be flying a lot domestic segments, and not so much international. If you are going to fly a lot of international routes, then it's actually better - as long as you stay on Star Alliance carriers, they honor each others' lounge cards, and some of the carriers have nice lounges. US Airways is handy because they're based in the states, as well, so their lounges may have some coverage that the RCC won't. If you have an Amex Platinum or Black, next year check into their lounge access program, which is actually better, because it gets you into a number of different lounges (which is nice because it covers lounges of a number of carriers).
RCCs in the states tend to be places where you can at least get away from the crowds, and always find wireless access (costs, but it's solid). They all have bars (booze costs, non-booze doesn't), but typically don't have meaningful food. Some (especially the international clubs) have showers, and the larger ones have meeting rooms where, if you're traveling in a pack, you can reserve them for a meeting or to do some work.
I had an RCC card for a couple years, then ended up hitting 1K on United every year since and not needing it...
But, it's nice to have a place you're guaranteed won't have a long line for itinerary changes, and is quiet and smoke free.
Enjoy!
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 04:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-15 04:21 am (UTC)I will report. I have no idea how much wireless costs at the hotel, so I'm hoping that either it's reasonable--not getting my hopes up--or that there's an internet cafe nearby. I also hope the old iBook holds up. I think the m-board is going, but it's smaller and lighter than the MacBook, and I'd rather risk a 4-year old laptop to the rigors of travel than a 2-month old.
According to the organizers, there's a high industry pro:writer ratio this year, so here's hoping for much networking. This is my first Ninc conference--I was all signed up for the Santa Fe edition in '04, but life intervened. I guess they hold it in NY every other year or every third year, and these are the most business-oriented ones because so many editors, etc, are right there. My editor will be there. My former agent, and my current agent's boss. In one of those instances of Life being Life, my agent will be in Madison WI that weekend, which is about a two-hour drive from my house. I'm a little bummed, because as of now she won't be attending Worldcon, so I likely won't see her this year.
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 04:29 am (UTC)I have a United Mileage Plus credit card for writing expenses, which is the major reason why I went with RCC. I thought I read that there's reciprocity with Continental and Delta clubs, but I may have misread. I am looking into a different card, though, since the MP Visa's interest rate is on the high side and they charge an annual fee to boot. Amex cards to allow for flexibility, I've noticed.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-15 04:29 am (UTC)Di
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-15 04:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-15 04:39 am (UTC)Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 04:52 am (UTC)Errr... reciprocity is explictly for Star Alliance and USAirways - individual clubs may have local deals with one another.
For you, given that UA's home-court is in ORD, it makes sense, since most places you want to go, you can get to on UA (and somewhat less so on AA.)
It also gets you cheaper price to get Economy Plus seating without being a high mileage flyer (though this does cost).
no subject
Date: 2008-03-15 11:10 am (UTC)Very well. This is what you must do.
Pack or wear the pants you will actually be wearing. Pack as many other pairs as you typically would. Then take a deep breath, say, "Catie will mock me if I carry all these pants around and don't wear them," and remove all but one pair, the pair which goes best with the largest percentage of the no-more-than-four tops that you are bringing with you.
Make up for your boldness in packing these few bits of clothes by packing an extra pair of underwear. It's always good to have extra undies. :) You may also pack an extra pair of excellent shoes, although the chances are you won't wear them. Still, go crazy. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-15 12:33 pm (UTC)Four? That means I wear a few 2x or more. Two of these will be lacy shirts, but I can press them if they get too wrinkled. I will take at least three t-shirts. Two t-shirts = one regular top. Because I said so. Catie, be quiet.
I will wear jeans, leather jacket, and shitkicker boots on the plane. I will pack the basic black dress pants and blazer, and the black jacquard pants that have served as The Evening Pants for waay too long but I love them so there. Velvet shirt what goes with the pants.
Excellent shoes. I fear that I may spend part of next weekend hunting for a pair of black ESs, since the right half of the pair I thought would serve rubs the top of my right foot something fierce. Can't have that. Not in a walking city.
And I always pack a set of Room Clothes. Not PJs, but clothes that I wouldn't wear out but would wear in the room to watch TV or work. I can run down to the lobby in them, and possibly even attend very informal functions. Usually knit pants and a pullover. Shorts and a pullover in summer.
Should stop going crazy now. Yes, extra undies. Always. And socks, dress and otherwise.
I should find an icon of a camel. Or a wagon train.
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 03:18 pm (UTC)I'd love to be proven wrong, though, as I embark on Year Two :-)
As for the conference - I agree with Catie - pack half of what you think you need. And report back early and often on the conference!
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 04:31 pm (UTC)Again, thanks to the dayjob I'm a step up in the frequent flyer ranking. I bought the NY ticket with accrued miles, and according to the seating plans as I interpreted them, the seats were in the Economy Plus area with the inch or two more of legroom.
The two main reasons I'm going through all this is 1) a shot at better seats and 2) peace and quiet, which is a pretty sad commentary on the state of air travel.
Ticket prices didn't matter because I used miles, but I did notice that the NY to CHI flight I wanted to take, which left late morning, would have jacked up my ticket price by $200 if I'd been paying, and wasn't available as the return leg of the freebie ticket.
I'd love to be proven wrong, though, as I embark on Year Two :-)
I think the reason I was avoiding American was the fact that they used more Airbuses than United, and I didn't like Airbuses. Now I think they've worked out the issues with the composites they use in construction. Hope hope.
Those are the things I think about. In a way, I like to fly, but in a way, I don't.
As for the conference - I agree with Catie - pack half of what you think you need. And report back early and often on the conference!
I'm already having second thoughts about the evening wear.
And I'm hoping the hotel charges for wireless aren't exorbitant.
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 04:35 pm (UTC)And according to the hotel website, high-speed internet service is $9.95/day, but I need an ethernet cable. Which means I can't take the iBook because the port doesn't work. Unless I comb the area for wireless access.
Thinking...
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-15 05:15 pm (UTC)Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-16 12:19 am (UTC)::still thinking::
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-16 04:47 am (UTC)American's one venture into using Airbus (the twin aisle A300s) was a bit of a mess for them the rest of their mainline fleet is all Boeing (or former McDonnell).
United has a ton of Airbus single-aisle A319s & A320s, but has *no* non-Boeing widebodies flying in the mainline.
The A300s are almost all used strictly on the routes to/from the Caribbean and Miami to JFK... Do you recall where you encountered them (and when)?
I'd be less concerned about composite construction on a per airline basis, especially with the new Boeing 787 (which is a mostly plastic (ok, Carbon Fiber) airplane, then I would about pilot training and flight management systems. Both major mfrs have their issues - Airbus planes are sure the're smarted than the pilots, and will "do the correct thing" to get you out of trouble, even if the correct thing isn't. Boeing planes will do what you tell them to... even if it's a really bad idea. Both are pretty uncommon occurrences, but I am in the biz, so I probably worry about it more than average (the sad result of knowing too much about how an airline functions).
BTW ... you mention FreqFlyer status... did you travel enough to make Premier? PE? If the latter, I'm terribly sorry. that's too much travel no matter how you slice it.
A good source for info & opinions on travel, and airline travel in general, is: http:\\www.flyertalk.com. It's a goldmine, with occasional cave-ins.
Cheers.
Re: United RCC
Date: 2008-03-16 01:41 pm (UTC)I've got Premier as a day job perk. I haven't flown since '03, and I still have it. I do have a co-worker who's a member of 1K. She's never in the office.
I'm thinking of the crash over NY several years ago, when the tail assembly fell off that American jet. I know it's a one-in-a-million lightning strike whatever, but things like that tend to stick in my head. I just checked my flights, and both planes are Boeings. maybe it doesn't matter anymore, but I still think twice before booking on an Airbus. The ones I've flown on look nice and spiff inside, but they seem noisier. But then all planes are noisier now since they removed so much stuff to make them lighter.
I can't win.