After getting my HHonours Diamond status matching for 90 days, I decided to give my stays in Houston and Panama City in the Hilton chain a try.
With the diamond status, I can get Lounge access and breakfast for 2 regardless of the room category booked. Logic dictates that I book the cheapest room!
After 2 nights in The Big Apple, it is time to come back. A very short trip indeed, but this is all the time I could afford to be away from work.
I had both a confirmed advantage Business ticket and a waitlisted Business saver ticket. I was very much hoping for my waitlist to clear but by 12 October, I did not receive the clearance email. I know my waitlist was unlikely to clear. I had problem checking in online the day before flying as my saver waitlist was still active. I tried cancelling my waitlist and I had trouble doing it using the SQ app. I was prepared to go to the airport early to do it but by the night before flying back, my waitlist booking automatically disappeared and I could finally check in! On checking in, I noticed that the cabin is full!
After the highlight which was Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, it was time to leave Canada. Our next stop was Tokyo but unfortunately the flight out of LAX is pretty early at 10am. Hence, a night’s stay in LAX cannot be avoided. One thing I dislike about airports in USA is that there are no hotels connected to the airport. This make transit in USA rather tedious as one has to take another transport from the airport to the hotel.
This is probably the highlight of our 2017 trip. As the travel period was in peak season, I paid CAD $999 (before tax) per night for my Fairmont Gold room! If I were to travel a month before, the room is as low as CAD $599 (before tax). How big difference a month made! I was deciding if I should go for the Fairmont Gold room, in the end I decided to take the plunge. What benefits will Fairmont Gold get u with the additional CAD $200?
For those planning to stay here, do book in advance. Your chances of getting a room via 3rd party booking website (e.g. Expedia) for bonus miles earning may be low.
Banff which is situated about 2 hours away from Calgary is a small town within Banff National Park. It is a small town with most of the hotels and lodges situated along the main street which is Banff Avenue. Banff Aspen Lodge is one of these lodges. Like most hotels in Banff (with the exception of Banff Spring Hotel), it is a low rise building (4 storeys, including basement). As it is situated near the town centre, it is within walking distance to many restaurants and an IGA supermarket is nearby along Elk Street. Further down Banff Avenue, you will reach the central park. The Bow River Trail and the Bow Falls Trail are situated on either side of the banks of Bow River.
This would be my first time in Air Transat (and also my first Economy Class for this trip). I had a few options flying into Calgary (for my trip to Banff and Lake Louise) and Air Transat was the cheapest (at about $165 per person including seat selection and one piece of luggage). The drawback is the departure time at 915am. For a domestic flight, this wasn’t too bad. I left my hotel from Downtown Vancouver at 730am and we reached the airport at about 755am. After checking in and going through security check, we reach the gate at about 830am (which was almost time for boarding). I could have used my Priority Pass card for access to Plaza Premium Lounge. After a full breakfast and the time in hand, I decided not to utilize it.
My flight from Montreal to Vancouver was initially booked on AC 309 which was scheduled to fly on an Airbus A330. The A330 features the classic pod (which I have reviewed here) in a 1-1-1 configuration, similar to that of the 767. Few months before my flight, I was switched to AC 307. Although the flight timing is better (5pm instead of 7pm), I got downgraded to an A320. The A320 uses the domestic recliner seat instead of the full flat seat. I tried to change my flight to AC 311 which uses a Dreamliner but I had no luck even up to 1 week before travel.
That Time Of The Year! 