Am I sure I wanted to do all this in Y ?

[docjames]

Grand Hyatt New York
Dark foyer that even now i'm still not sure if i love or hate. I think hate, but can imagine if you're arriving at weird times of day there's an advantage I suppose. Either that or the designers think it's trendy. Room small but we'd scored a good rate (usd$220/nt) so for that price in a fantastic part of town - great! Didnt use room service, didnt eat in the restaurants so cant help you there. I still like personal checkin/out rather than the electronic check in/out but i suppose it's quick and easy.

Sunday we expected to be at Men's final of USOpen but as it turned out, delayed by rain so we saw Nadal-Murray and Serena Williams - Jankovic. Murray deserved to win, Nadal looked exhausted after a very long season. Serena never looked like losing, but Jankovic made a match of it and the crowd were rapt to see the Yank win. Fantastic day and night.

Monday was shopping - I cant even recall all the places we went. Mrsdoc had only one aim - some place reknowned for light blue boxes........ fortunately credit card not totally melted there so able to continue with rest of trip! Of course, that didnt negate the need to visit what seemed like hundreds of other stores. Dinner that night at Oyster Bar in Grand Central - was recommended to us by a few people - and although it was good food at reasonable price, it was nothing spectacular. But we'd had a great couple of days and were looking forward to starting the next part of our trip.

Early start Tuesday, and taxi to the airport with terrible driver - we certainly got close up views of plenty of bumper bars at crazy speeds. But having survived that trip, Cuba was going to be easy. Or so we thought. Until Hurricane Ike put a spanner in the works....

[Skyring]

Heh. Enjoying this TR. Y isn't bad on Qantas. I actually prefer the back of a 747 if I'm travelling Y, though there is the queue thing.

That midnight snack pack is a great idea, must agree, especially if I'm finding it difficult to leave my window seat.

NYC cabs are a bit hit and miss. Get a good cabbie and the trip's a delight. Others, well....

Have more to say on that in my own TR later. Still nursing a bruise.

[JohnK]

Very nice trip report. Looking forward to reading the rest of your trip.

Isn't WHY the only way to travel?

[docjames]

The Full A1 Experience at JFK (not)

Arrived seriosuly early @ JFK (about 2.5 hrs eary). Checkin done by AA agents acting for Mexicana (MX share AA's new terminal). Bit farcical actually - travelling with 2x QF CL members (fatherdoc and motherdoc) Ok, MX arent fully part of Oneworld (yet), but you'd think 1. agent was AA and 2. these would be customers you dont want to irritate!

Anyway, docjames first to check bag - weight 16kg - no problems (allowance 23kg). Bag tagged and away it goes. mrsdoc next - 20.1kg (very well done, all that pretrip goading about bag weights paying off!!!), meanwhile CL's checking in at adjacent counter - bags weight 26kg and 24kg. Agent lets 24kg bag slide - "but you'll have to pay excess baggage for the 26kg one".

Fatherdoc: "But their bags were miles under and we're all travelling together?"
Agent "sorry" (no you're not).

Anyway, farcical scenes as we hold up the entire queue as fatherdoc unpacks bag and places into mrsdoc's bag - whilst sitting on the scales - now two bags weighing EXACTLY 23kg each. Stupid waste of time. It annoyed us, it annoyed those in the queue behind, all to either try and get another $24! Sure, we could have paid it, but by this stage we werent going to on principle. And no, there was no way they could have packed less - they were carring clothing for black tie dinners in NYC, Chile, plus all the gear for holiday, so to only be 26kg i tought was a fair effort (work collegue had already taken x1 bag @ 32kg back to Aus!)

Movig through security, and the stupidity of US security was apparent. First, the squiggle on the BP (that could have been anything). Then, into screening. In queue - i'm behind now as laced shoes taking ages. mrsdoc enters queue and directed to one side - bag gets thoroughly searched, then she's directed through "that screener over there". Stands in, screened, walks out, then sign ON OTHER SIDE says "you are entitled to refuse Xray screening". mrsdoc relays this to me as i'm standing int he queue with CLs. Note - all those getting extra screening were all holding foreign passports - American passport holders were not getting this extra treatment. It was way too consistent to have been by chance - clearly they seem to think no-one with a US passport would ever be a terrorist! Stupidity.


Anyway, finally find the Admiral's lounge - this one was much better than the one in LAX - breakfast time so decent yoghurts, cereals, drinks, coffee etc - and no need for those crazy vouchers. The more AA lounges we visited, the more I realised QC isn't so bad (despite our gripes here about food/overfull etc).

Finally we are called to board (early actually) and off we go. Gate not far down concourse, boarding relatively quick, selection of newspapers just before aircraft in English and Spanish (I take one of each - that's 4 newspapers!) and we're on board! Nice new a/c, boarded early and we're ready to go (we think)......

[docjames]

MX 861
JFK-CUN
Seats 22BC
A318

So we're on board, pushed back, then nothing happens (post the dual spanish/english safety beriefing).

Eventually he pilot announces (in spanglish) that there's "delay". Helpful. It appears there's plenty of traffic this morning. Finaly we taxi at a million miles an hours - we soon see why. There's literally about 20 a/c lined up on the taxiway. but we take a parallel taxiway and pass all of them, line up behind one other plane and we're away! AWESOME!! Suspect they'd all missed their slots and being sitting waiting ready we got our (delayed) slot time.

After takeoff, full breakfast service, hot breakfast (omlette vs waffles - I have egg, mrsdoc has drinks only after eating in AAlounge). Flight attendants efficient and attractive, nice new plane, quiet (even in third last row!). No IFE (those 4 newspapers handy). Good view of US coastline as we track south, eventually obscured by cloud. At this stage, seatbelt light on as we're skirting the edge of Ike - this is not good as we;re starting to get the feeling our flight CUN-HAV not going to be looking so good. Personally I blame fatherdoc and motherdoc - they flew out of NYC on Sept 10 2001 - and were going to three day conference in CUN - where they promptly got sutck for a week waiting for the skies to open again. They think they're jinxed. But we're on holiday, so no point worrying about that now (more later!).

At this point, everyone's eaten and busting to use the loos so all ignoring seatbelt sign and heading past us to the loo - actually the biggest drawback of these seats (plus is they're not full so now armrests are up and we're relaxing across three seats). Good pitch on this a/c (better than the QF 747s we've just been on).

Bit windy coming into CUN but nice landing and we've arrived. Immigration quick and efficient, bags fast and we're through. Walk across to T3 and no sign of any flights to

Originally booked on Cubana, most surly, unhelpful agent of all time.

"Plane not going today - airport closed". okay, when will it go?
"maybe tomorrow". Okay, guess they cant help if airport closed, "so we're on tomorrow's flight?"
"You waitlist, but plane full." Mkay, not looking good, there's 4 flights not gone and everything is full.
"Will you pay for hotel room?" No.


Okay, so no room, no flight today, maybe no flight tomorrow. Madly emailing agent in Australia who's making various enquiries - we eventually decide to return to the airport the following morning to see if HAV is open. Phone Hilton CUN (where we were due to be staying overnight in a week's time!) - amazing, walk up rate $89USD (we paid USD$135 booking from AUS)!! Walk across to Hertz - hire car (Jeep) for $60usd for 24hrs and we're away from the airport (thankfully)

We find out why the Hilton was so cheap when we arrive - it's deserted! Nice room with nice view looking along beach.

We decide to use the rest of the day and make the best of a disappointing siutation - we drive down to Playa del Carmen - mrsdoc and I spent 6 days there as part of our honeymoon 4 years earlier - boy has it changed - much more developed and the mall now has McDonalds and BK etc unfortunately - another nice part of Mexico becoming mini-america. not as bad as Cancun (yet) but well on it's way. Dont think we'll be hurrying back to CUN anytime soon (that's also what my parents said after 9/11 but here they were!).

Drive back, now raining and maniacs are out but we miss them (just on occasion) and head back to the hotel. We're all a bit echausted after the early start, crazy NYC taxi, arguements with Cubana and the whole uncertainty of what we'll be able to do tomorrow, so we call it an early night after "Mexican" (more tex-mex really) dinner at the hotel. Madly watching BBC/CNN - Cuba is being slammed but Ike's now headed away and we go to bed hopeful we get there in the morning.

[Alanslegal]

Anyway, docjames first to check bag - weight 16kg - no problems (allowance 23kg). Bag tagged and away it goes. mrsdoc next - 20.1kg (very well done, all that pretrip goading about bag weights paying off!!!), meanwhile CL's checking in at adjacent counter - bags weight 26kg and 24kg. Agent lets 24kg bag slide - "but you'll have to pay excess baggage for the 26kg one".

Fatherdoc: "But their bags were miles under and we're all travelling together?"
Agent "sorry" (no you're not).

Anyway, farcical scenes as we hold up the entire queue as fatherdoc unpacks bag and places into mrsdoc's bag - whilst sitting on the scales - now two bags weighing EXACTLY 23kg each. Stupid waste of time. It annoyed us, it annoyed those in the queue behind, all to either try and get another $24! Sure, we could have paid it, but by this stage we werent going to on principle. And no, there was no way they could have packed less - they were carring clothing for black tie dinners in NYC, Chile, plus all the gear for holiday, so to only be 26kg i tought was a fair effort (work collegue had already taken x1 bag @ 32kg back to Aus!)

Interesting check-in the bag scenario but IMO I still think the check-in agent was correct to demand you to pay the weight penalty OR repack the bags in accordance with the rules. I understand that as a group you were under the limit collectively but the rules are weight per bag - not total weight per travelling party. After all, that is their principle / condition of flight.

All in all, much enjoying your TR.

[docjames]

I dont disagree - them's the rules - I bear no grudge againt the agent - but the rules are crazy. I dont also doubt at times in Australia (JQ and TT probably being the likely offenders) it's the same in Aus, and all around the world. The thing that sticks is that this was the only airport in the entire trip we had trouble. I love visiting America (the people are almost a cliche of themselves), but i hate their airports, and sadly, they're the first and last things you see when you go there.


I should also mention we were extremely annoyed about the scrrening xray - mrsdoc would definitely have refused if she'd known that was an option but as a "good" traveller, she just complied with the security instructions (no matterhow daft!). Should they not be warning people (I can imagine pregnant women sueing them one day, especially in the USA).

[Alanslegal]

Yes some rules are crazy however A check-in agent could use a little discretion now & again and let a few over kilos just slide, depending on the circumstance.

Last year I flew on a US Airways flight (also ex-JFK) and there was a lady who was yelling up and down the check-in area warning they would be strict with baggage weights. Lots of people were urgently re-organising their bags, guess people like to take alot of baggage around

[docjames]

Wednesday 17th September

Fatherdoc and myself head out early to CUN (flight goes 1445 daily), queue of 30 people at Cubana agent desk - no sign of it moving, irritable Europeans banging on counter, agent telling them to come back next day (it would seem). There's also about 100 people sitting in the checkin barriers. We give up and go to Mexicana service desk - 4 tix to HAV please. No room on 1330pm flight, so we score 4 tix on the 2025 flight. No certainty travel insurance will pay for changes, but at least we're on a flight and not going to miss any more of our holiday! Also probably a good thing not to be first flight in after the hurricane as even in CUN it's still seriously windy.

Then to Hertz - agree to extend rental by 4 hours for $20 (rather than chaging full day). Back to hotel, head out for some shopping / lunch, then back to airport. Use fahterdocs priority pass to score lounge access (4 pax, no excess charge for the 3 non-memebrs!) and "relax" (nervously). Flight finally boards at 2015. Note that the Cubana 1445 departure is still on the tarmac here at CUN. Prompt boarding, everyone looks nervous (anticipating a rough flight!) but we pushabck jut after 2100 and we're on our way!

[docjames]

CUN-HAV
Fokker 100
Click Grupo Mexicana

So, we're away, but nervous. The (very young looking!) crew rush around serving drinks and nuts. What a great aircraft! 35 (yes, thirty-five) inch pitch. Leather seats (I like the leather seats on short fights, many others dont). Sitting in the 5th back row however, the engines are NOISY (pardon?). They're not too bad at cruising, but every time the pilot moves the throttles an inch, everyone in the back few rows starts to worry (is the plane flying into a hurricane and about to fall from the sky!). No such problems, and we soon beging descent to HAV. This is a short flight (330mi / 55mins incl taxi at each end!).

Coming down, it's noticable how much the plane is wobbling around - plus, engines alternating LOUD roar, then spool down as the pilot clearly has his hands full. Nothing to bee seen out the window (pitch black) adds to the tension. Bang - we're on the ground! Well, to be fair, it was not to bad considering the ups and downs of the 15minute descent! WHOLE aircraft begins clapping even before the thrust reversers are deployed (somewhat disconcerting!) but we pull up (it's a huge runway) and taxi back to the terminal. We're relieved, excited, but not sure if all the messages we've been sending about our delayed plans have got through to hurrincane-hit Havana. And we're to sure how bad the damage is going to be. We're one of the flights in after the hurricane, so no-one really knows either. We're about to find out!

Immigration - single lines, and only go to the counter individually, not as a travelling couple / party (as per Australia etc) - get told off and i'm not even in the country! But "enjoy your stay in Cuba" (Coo-ba, not Cue-ba)and a half-smile! Phew. Motherdoc and mrsdoc all through ok. Fatherdoc not so much. Seems the muliple different visas/stamps etc in his (extra paged) passport deems he needs just abit more scrutiny. But he's through, bags screened ("customs") and we're through. Head out to the exit - and there's thousands of people crammed against the barriers with no way through. Four tour companies within protected area - none are ours. Polite enquiries to each of them - none have ever heard of ours. Oh dear. Go and change some money, make a few more enquiries, no sign of our agency, so we eventually decide to get a taxi - with some trepidation - justly it turns out...................