Continental Breakfast

Wednesday June 29, this is our departure day for San Diego, the day we say goodbye to the faithful if asthmatic Honda and the day we attempt to check in to our continental flight.

A relatively early night last night as I neglected to post, simply relaxing after a long day walking around.

I rise at 07:30 shower make a coffee and start on the Blog, David remains listlessly asleep. We have to drop the Honda back at Alamo for 11:00, at 09:00 I shake David and we complete our packing. Check out is done with a real honest to goodness person for I think the first time this trip.

A balance of $33 to pay for the room service of the night before. I settle with cash and we take a short walk to observe the arrival of yet another aircraft carrier in port.

Becoming restless as the time ticks on we get in the car and begin our 12 minute drive to Alamo, 5 minutes in we pull into a Denny's for what we hope will be a quick breakfast. The Denny's is busy and service is a little slow. Fresh orange juice a coffee an All American Slammer and French toast with eggs and ham is devoured quickly when it arrives.

We take the check and leave having spent only 20 minutes but what seemed like an eternity as time ticks down towards the car return. Simon the sat nav guides us ruthlessly to the destination with his staccato emission of 'keep left then immediately stay in the right lane', 'In 100 yards keep right then take the next left'..

Alamo it turns out is behind the airport set amongst lesser known local car hire firms, we pull into the centre line of three for cars being returned and carefully check the car for items as we load a trolley with the bags.

Shortly a representative arrives, checks the car mileage and informs us that the outstanding balance is only the thankfully unused roadside assistance at $54. He points out the shuttle bus stop a walk that really does not require the trolley we obtained and wishes us a good day.

As we turn away from the Honda I'm sure I hear it give a final whimsical wheeze. The shuttle bus soon arrives its blue and yellow livery proclaiming Alamo, the driver pause just before the stop to 'let folks off' and then pulls forward anxiously attempting to load every one of the waiting bags.

We disembark the bus at Terminal 2 (Continental) and tip the enthusiastic driver come bag thrower for his efforts as he 'places' our two bags kerbside.

Check in for domestic continental flights proves to be outside the terminal and we approach it, I hand over my ID (driving licence) and the polite Mexican gentleman attempts to check us in, frowning he hands back my ID and suggests that we try to check in 'upstairs' as this is what the computer has suggested. I am now frowning.

We take an elevator to the upper floor and walk past a row of automated check in desks, not dissimilar to the Heathrow droids, we approach a vacant one and I scan my passport. 

The droid thinks about it then beeps and displays a message stating 'reservation not found'. I swallow nervously and David asks if I had scanned my passport or his.

I look at the passport then back at the stoney faced droid, my eyes catching the distinctive logo on its brow, 'US Airlines'. A man in a stripy red and white shirt approaches from behind the droid and asks 'Do you need help sir?', my gaze drifts right to the remaining five droids on this tier of check ins 'Continental' they proudly display on their gleaming brows, 'Uh no, not now' I say pushing David towards the nearest one.

I repeat the Passport scanning process and enter the requested destination airport code, the gleaming one refreshes its screen giving the impression of blinking and proudly displays 'Check in is only possible within 24 hours of departure', the same response as I had previously received from the time limited computer in the hotel.

I turn seeking a human to come to our assistance. A passenger care assistant leans towards us 'Sir?' she asks, 'This won't let me check in' I say indicating the droid which has returned to its helpful, 'How can I serve you best' waiting state.

She walks around to the back of another droid and starts tapping on a hidden keyboard, 'Your name please sir', I tell her, 'Oh, thats strange' momentarily I think she means the name. She shakes her head taps a couple more times and her hands appear from behind the droids head with a couple of boarding cards. 'You're all set sir.' she indicates the way to security and the gates.

I ask what the problem had been, the ticket it seems is co-joined with our final flight from Newark to Heathrow, for some reason the data on the Continental system had been requiring us to check into the final flight before we could fly from San Diego to Newark. This is now apparently rectified and according to the passenger care assistant we should not have any problems checking in for the final leg.

Security even for domestic flights is tight, we empty our pockets, separate out our tech stuff and remove our shoes, I attempt to pass through the metal detector and am turned back by an officer, 'Please remove your belt sir', 'its fabric' I respond, he indicates the receptacle the belt must pass through the scanner in.

I head towards the metal detector portal, this time I am beckoned towards a hallway between two booths, 'Stop in there and turn and face the wall, raise your hands above your head palms out touching' I comply and am shortly asked to turn and step forward once again onto two marked footprints, facing a security guard.

'OK' the female african american guard says, moving her hand from her belt to rest on the posts which de-mark the queue, 'What's the machine?' I ask her, 'Full body imager' she states simply.

I retrieve my stuff, hoist my trousers a little higher (must have lost weight) before re fitting the belt and walk over to where David, who simply passed through the metal detector, is sitting. We watch several other people pass through the imager portal, a simple screen this side of the portals states its operation; imaging, analysing, OK.

We head for Starbucks and get a coffee, before connecting to the free airport wi-fi to check the blog and weather forecast in New York. 

The airport departure lounge is small but has the usual suspects in terms of shopping and eatery concessions.

We write up the blog but don't get a chance to post it before the flight is called. The aircraft we are surprised to see, is in United livery (United now own Continental) and is apparently full, the gate crew make several requests for passengers to check in their 'cabin' baggage 'gratis' few initially comply.

Boarding from the back we are nearly last to board being in seats 15E & F, naturally people ahead of us have boarded out of sequence in an effort to stow their bags, which unfortunately they seem to have achieved, our hand baggage therefore goes on the floor beneath our seats.

As we board the few behind us and some ahead voice irritation at being forced to have their 'wheely' cabin size bags checked into the hold. We depart slightly late with the promise of being on time to Newark.

I write this whilst sitting en-route to Newark, the landscape below shifting from Pacific ocean, to green undulating hills, mountains then arid dessert with sparse centres of population, we have just crossed over a vast inland lake, the land completely beige around it save for a small group of irrigated cultivated fields.

The lunch service on this aircraft is payable by credit card, I had suggested David have a McDonald’s at the airport so he is satisfied with the free coke, my cheese and crackers costs $7.49. its 20:05 New york time, our arrival is on time at 22:15.

The Taxi from airport is quoted as $62 plus tolls, on arrival at the hotel at 23:10 new york time the required fee is $75 + tip.

David points out that as New York is only 5 hours behind UK time it will be more difficult to call synchronise our use of Skype to call home.

David has written a (for him) lengthy post on the plane but his iPad cannot use the wired ethernet in the hotel so we will have to find a free public wi-fi to post it.

Posted in: Internet,travel