Selasa, 14 Juli 2015

Flying the new Frontier – my experience on the ultra LCC Frontier Airlines


Flying Frontier Airlines

I was looking to fly from Atlanta to New Orleans and originally had looked at Delta and Southwest, as those were the carriers I knew that flew that route.  The average price on both carriers for a one-way flight ranged from $160-$200.  I then went to online travel sites and did a search and that is when I discovered that Frontier Airlines also flies the route – at a much lower cost.  Even booking two days before,  a one-way flight on a Sunday costs $99 (including taxes) which is extremely inexpensive, so I investigated why it was so inexpensive – Frontier is an ultra LCC.  This is flying on the new Frontier

I had previously flown Frontier about 10 years ago through their Denver hub and that is when they were more of a standard carrier; flying on them now, things are a little different as an ultra LCC.  In this model, everything is considered extra and has a charge associated with it.  A carry-on that will fit in the overhead compartment – a charge; a checked-bag – a charge; choosing your own seat – a charge; drinks and food on board – a charge.  The only items that are not charged are a carryon bag that can fit underneath the seat, and a glass of water on board.  While all the ‘extra charges’ may be obnoxious to some, to others it may be the best deal because you only pay for what you need.  For me, it was a good deal given my travel time and needs.

I was flying one-way from Atlanta to New Orleans and was looking for a decent airline that provided a decent service at a reasonable price.   When I looked online, the fare for Frontier was $99 (including taxes). If I wanted to choose a seat, that would cost $5 extra ($10 if I did it at check-in).  I could also choose a seat with extra legroom, and that would cost $12 extra ($20 if I did it at check-in).  If I wanted to bring a bigger carryon and stow it in the overhead, that was a charge of $35 (more if I did at check-in, even more if it was gate-checked).  If I wanted to check a bag, that was a charge of $20 (more if I did at check-in, even more if I did it at the counter).  This is something which surprised me – the checked bag was $15 less than the charge for the carryon.  I guess this means less carryon luggage so faster boarding – just seemed interesting to me.   If I wanted to add all of these items into the price, then the Frontier fare would be comparable to what the other carriers would be charging; however, I did not need any of that stuff so I did not choose that option and my fare was $99.  I booked my ticket and received my confirmation.

24-hours prior to boarding I received an email reminding me to check-in.  Frontier strongly encourages online check-in and printing boarding passes at home – with no check-in luggage and only carryon, printing everything at home meant going directly to security.   I did not pay for a seat when I booked my ticket, nor did I pay for a seat when I checked-in so after check-in and when the boarding pass was ready, that is when I found out my seat number.  Frontier flies all Airbus planes and usually in a 3-3 layout, so if you do not pay for the seat and play the lottery you could end up with a window, middle or aisle.  I was lucky and got an aisle, but it was all the way in the back of the plane.  For some of my family, who prefer an aisle and want to sit closer to the plane we paid the $5 to reserve the seat.  Also, if you do not want to be separated from your group you need to pay.

Boarding pass in hand and with only a carryon (a laptop bag) I went past the airline counters and went directly to security.  This is the only negative I see with Frontier – they do NOT participate in TSA pre-check so if you are part of that (or of Global Entry) then you cannot avail yourself of this option while flying Frontier. TSA pre-check saves so much time so I am not sure why they do not partake, since it would be a benefit to their customers who choose to pay for it.  Since they do not participate in TSA precheck, you have to wait in the long security lines (and they are long at ATL).  The departure time was scheduled for 7:05pm but that is not what is printed on the boarding pass – what is printed are the timings the boarding starts and the time the door closes (which is 15 minutes prior to departure).  This is to ensure an on-time or early departure. 

This new process seemed to have worked as we boarded early, and we were able to push back from the gate early.  In regards to the on-board service, Frontier has talked about ‘reinventing the on-board experience’ which meant slim-line seats, less cushion, already pre-reclined seats that could not be adjusted, less leg room, and other cost-cutting measures.  I am not sure how far into the implementation of this ‘reinvention’ they are in because the plane we flew did not have the new seats.  Rather, this plane had the older green, leather seats which are wide, can be reclined, have some padding, and have a lot of legroom (I am 6ft and I had enough legroom so where my knees were NOT hitting the seat in front of me – whereas on other carriers my knees have been squashed by the seat in front of me).   The older seat was comfortable and decent for the duration of the flight. 
The older plane also had the personal IFE which can provide live DirectTV for a fee.  From my understanding Frontier is discontinuing this service in the ‘reinvention’.  The fee to access the TV is $5 and you can swipe your card to access the TV – the flight path map can be viewed for free.  The screens are fine for a longer-haul journey, but they are small (tiny in fact) and the controls for the system are on the armrest so you can accidentally hit the controls when you are resting your arm (which I did many times).

What was part of the ‘new’ Frontier was the service on board – as it’s a paid service so if you would like food or drink, you have to pay.  The prices vary from $1.99 for a soft drink to higher for other drinks and snacks.  They will provide a glass of water for free.   I had brought my own drink and food at the airport so I did not buy anything on board – this is the biggest instance where some are complaining about Frontier.  I have been on longer flights – about 2.5 hours – on mainline carriers where for that long duration you only get one free drink and that is it, and for that they charge a lot.  I do not mind brining my own drink if I am getting a lower fare – and that is what Frontier offers.

Overall, given the short duration and the low fare it was a really good flight that left on time and arrived early!  Given Frontier is moving to the ultra LCC model, I was expecting a lot worse so maybe that is why my expectations were exceeded.  If you know what to expect, then you can get a decent flight on a very inexpensive fare.   

Based on this experience, would I book Frontier again?  If the fare was low and my travel needs were the same then definitely yes.  The $99 fare was extremely low given that Southwest and Delta were charging between $160-$260 for the same route and time.  Given that and given the travel time and my travel needs, Frontier was the best option.  My family has booked future flights on the same route, and sometimes we have booked Frontier while other times we have booked Southwest.  Sometimes Frontier provided the best fare while other times their fare was comparable to Southwest, but Southwest provided additional services (free luggage and free changing of travel plans) which Frontier does not so based on those extra and our travel needs, we made the decision.  Hope this review helps you in your decision making. 

Happy Travels :)

Rabu, 08 Juli 2015

Pool Parties this Summer


Photos from Pinterest

Summer is here! Well, for HK it's probably been here since April and will last till October. But you haven't celebrated summer until you've joined a pool party, or better yet a junk boat party. Plenty have already passed, like last week's Jack Wills pool party at the Crown Plaza. There's good music, beer, cocktails, sunshine, and a pool to dip in all day, what's a better way to spend your Saturday? 

Jack Wills Pool Party @ Crown Plaza (Past Event)


There are still lots of events to come up till late September, and below I've made a list of the events with the details included:


SPLASH Vol.12 @ Hard Rock Macau
July 11 (Saturday)

Time: 3:30pm - 11:30pm
Tickets: $480




Shock Wave @ W Hotel WET Pool
Jul 18th, Aug 1st, Aug 22nd (Saturday)

Time: 8pm till late
Tickets: $400 online, $500 at door



Beatship #2 - Cruise Ship Overnight Party

July 18th 6pm - July 19th 8am
Ticket pricing: $380 (Standing) 
$800 (Window Cabin)
$1200 (Balcony)

Sails out from Ocean Terminal

https://www.facebook.com/events/483722951791882/



Bump on the Ocean - Jungle Jane Junk

July 18 10am - 6pm
Central Pier 9

Tickets: $650 - $700

https://www.facebook.com/events/724971484280084/ 



Poolzilla & Boatzilla by Gweilo Concepts

Gweilo Concepts is an events group run by a team of expats.They generally hold 2 pool parties and 2 boat parties each summer. The first boat party already happened in late April, but the other 3 pool/boat parties should be happening between now and September. Tickets usually sell out really quickly, so you want to follow their facebook page to get the latest updates on their events https://www.facebook.com/GweiloConcepts/  


 

Some pools will provide lockers for you to keep your stuff in, but it's always limited. Show up at events dressed to avoid long changing lines at the bathroom. And bring as little as you need, because you'll most likely lose it, or someone else will take it. Guarantee your big towel will be use by someone else who either doesn't give a sh*t who's it is or is simply too drunk to notice. You'll probably only need your sunglasses, a bottle of sunscreen, and all of your cash/ID/credit cards/phone inside a waterproof pouch. 


Do you know of any other summer parties happening in HK? Share them in the comments section below!






Selasa, 07 Juli 2015

Barcelona in 2 Days (Vlog)



Barcelona, a city where I didn't know much about until I decided to book a trip to Europe only just 1 month in advance. I was looking up options on cities to fly into that are around an hour away from Paris. Turns out, I enjoyed Barcelona much more than Paris. It's the people, the architecture, and above all the beautiful beaches of Barcelona that stole my heart. I will happily visit Barcelona again for vacation, and two days is barely enough.



For easier access from and to the Airport, we stayed at Praktik Vinoteca Hotel. It is just 2 blocks away from Passeige de Gracia station, which is a direct 30 min train ride from the airport. After exiting the station, you will see Casa Batlló right across the street. It's one of Antoni Gaudi's famous masterpieces. Passeige de Gracia is one of the main streets in Barcelona, kind of like the downtown shopping area. It's packed with designer brands of all kinds. If you cross the street and continue on you will get to Rambla de Catalunya. This is a street with a long strip of island in the middle that's full of outdoor restaurants where you can enjoy a nice lunch, dinner, or just drinks. 

This hotel is a boutique hotel with really nice modern interior furnishings. You get a glass of red/white welcome wine upon arrival, and their entire hotel decoration surround the theme of wine. Our room even had a balcony with double doors opening to a beautiful street view of the city. 


Casa Batlló

Rambla de Catalunya

 
Praktik Vinoteca Hotel

 
View from our hotel room                    Passeige de Gracia

After delicious Tapas at lunch, it's already afternoon and I'm off to the W Barcelona to chill at their pool. Originally I was debating whether to go to the beach or the pool. I love laying in the sand and swimming in the ocean, but considering that there's pick pockets I choose to go to the W instead. Plus, not only do I not have to worry about people stealing my things I also get served drinks! I got a cab from Passeige de Gracia and to the W it's around 11 one way. You do not need to be a hotel guest to access the pool at the W. It's on the 2nd and 3rd floor so you can walk straight in. Pick any empty chair and cabana and order away! They have a few shakes to choose from, beer, champagne, wine, and many of their own unique cocktails. The 3rd floor has a lot of beds, and the 2nd floor is mainly consist of tables and cabanas facing the beach front. They also have a DJ playing relaxing deep house music. I cannot think of a better way of relaxing. 

 



A lot of people have warned me about safety in Barcelona, and to avoid the metro if you can, so for the next full day we took the tour bus around town. Barcelona City Tour is a hop-on/hop-off type of city tour bus. There are 2 routes, the Green/East route and the Orange/West route. A one day ticket is 27€ and a 2 day ticket is 38€. They can be purchased at hotel front desks, newspaper stands and online. The bus runs from 9am - 8pm, and the best thing is there's WIFI on the bus, so you can look up the 

The Green route covers most of the 16 famous spots like Casa Batillo, Sagrada Familia, and Park Guell. If you want to visit the inside of Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, buy a ticket online in advance will be better because often the line to get inside will be 2 hours long if you buy it at the door. (Yes I made that mistake and wasn't able to get inside any of these beautiful buildings) The Green line also goes along the whole coast line and stops by 4 different points of the beach. There is a small FB Barcelona museum and a shop across from Sagrada Familia if you don't have time to go all the way to the stadium.

The Orange route has another 19 points to visit including the FC Barcelona Stadium. To visit the stadium and museum, it's 23 € for adults and can be purchased online and at box offices. 


Floating Man near Park Guell
Did you figure out his secret yet?

 
Park Guell

Park Guell

Sagrada Familia


Do you have any suggestions for my next (soon) visit to Barcelona? 








Senin, 06 Juli 2015

Paris in 3 Days (Vlog)




As one of the top 10 most popular travel destinations in the world, I'm sure you can find thousands of blogs about Paris and I don't want to repeat obvious things that you've probably most likely heard about already. Everyone knows the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, and the Notre Dame etc. I've condensed my 3 day trip into a 7 minute vlog where you can find linked below. Other than that, I have 5 places that I recommend whether you are looking for a romantic rooftop view of the city, or a relaxed restaurant with outdoor seating. 





| Best Rooftop Views of the city |

Day Time - Top Floor of Printemps Mall (Haussman Store)
Printemps Mall is next to the Galeries Lafayette mall. You want to take the metro to Chaussée d'Antin - La Fayette.  Printemps Mall has 3 buildings, and the this rooftop terrace is in the Beauty-Home Store building, which is in the middle between mens & women's store, and on the 9th floor. Here you will get an excellent view of the city as well as the Eiffel tower in the distance. 



Night Time - Bar La Vue (Hyatt Regency)
Bar La Vue is a Panoramic Bar on the 27th floor of the Hyatt Regency. It is a little bit further from the city, just past the Arc de Triomphe at Metro station Port Mailot. From there you can see the city of Paris beneath you with the Eiffel tower in the distance. It's best to go at night to enjoy the city light up. In summer months, you'll need to wait till 10-11pm until it is dark enough to see Eiffel tower's pretty hourly light show. 




| Market Street - Outdoor Restaurants|

Rue Montorgueil
This road isn't well known by tourists, so you can enjoy life like a Parisian without the disturbance of flocks of tourists. It's accessible via the Metro station Étienne Marcel. Besides fresh food and pastries for sale, there are also a lot of restaurants with outdoor seating. This is a perfect place to enjoy a relaxing brunch while people watching. 


 


| The Most Beautiful Interior |

Opera de Paris - Palais Garnier
The Paris Opera house is opened for visits on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday between 11:30am -3:30pm, even when there isn't a show. You can buy tickets at their counter, it's 11 for full tickets, and 7€ for anyone under 25 years old. The interior decorations of the building is breathtaking. There are so many chandeliers hanging, and almost all the ceilings are painted with wall art. 



| Delicious Dessert |

Angelina
Most people are aware of Ladureé, and many people line up for their macaroons. Angelina on the other hand is also a very good pastry store. They have a store across the middle of Tuileries Gardens on Rue de Rivoli with sit down seats to enjoy your dessert. I would say that Angelina makes better cakes than Ladureé, but that's just my personal preference. But even Coco Chanel herself visited Angelina a lot.




Do you know of any other less well-known spots in Paris that is worth a visit? Leave a message on the comments section below!