brookelizabeth
Jambo Wildbunch Gang
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2006
- Messages
- 11,271
We left off at the airport after Poppa tried to buy something with a fake $20. We soon were boarding the plane and this little family had their first experience with the much raved about Southwest Airlines.
It was an ORDEAL!
First, we have a stroller. We need a gate check claim tag. Normally I can either run up to the desk, or just get a tag right before getting on the plane if I forget about asking for a tag before hand. With Southwest they rudely flagged me down and demanded I drag the stroller up to the desk to get a tag. I could NOT go up without the stroller. They had to affix the tag themselves. Remember how nutty and crowded I mentioned the gate was due to the Sugar Bowl? Just getting to the desk was an ordeal.
Okay, so tag attached. I go and find a seat, eat my snack. It's boarding time. We are class B because we have a child. So, 2 carry ons + stroller with child squeeeeeeeeeeeeezed in between these two numbered poles with 40 million other people dressed in Florida's blue and orange pride. Oh, and since this was our first experience with SWA, we had zero clue what we were supposed to do - an employee was yelling into the microphone about what to do, but no one could understand him.
We figured it out and we board.
Joe attempts to secure Henry's car seat, but is having a hard time. Meanwhile, I'm standing in the aisle with a plane load of people behind me, glaring. I stand my ground. Where am I supposed to go? I have a child and 2 suitcases on my arms. The stewardess comes by and demands I move aside. I almost lost it on her.
Joe stops, takes the suitcases, I move into an empty row while he finishes up. Eventually he does, but now there are people flowing onto the plane and they won't stop for me to get across with a squirmy Henry. I make my move when I see a small gap and end up tripping over a suitcase.
We are finally settled.
Then the stewardess comes by, after everyone is seated and tells us we have to move. We are in an exit row. No children in an exit row.
Thankfully this move was MUCH easier and the row behind us quickly traded places with us.
NOW we are settled!
So, first time with SWA, not so great. I think traveling alone or with another adult it wouldn't have been a big deal, but with a child it wasn't fun. It all exhausted me and put me in a cruddy mood.
With fairness the frustration I had with the flight attendants could happen on ANY airline.
After landing we made it down to baggage claim and debated on the various forms of transportation to take to our hotels. Grammy, Poppa and KK were in one, and Joe, Henry and I were in another about 5 blocks away. About the time we decided on a cab Joe realized his cell phone was missing. And not just HIS cell phone but his WORK cell phone.
We ran over to the SWA information desk in the baggage claim and, many kudos to those workers - they phoned up to the gate, who at first said the plane was already leaving...but then called back and said just before they left a flight attendant brought the phone out!
We were relieved. Within minutes it was back in Joe's hands. And SWA won some points back in my book. 
We piled into two separate cabs and ventured into the City. I quickly noticed they had palm trees, so that made me smile! I love landing in Florida and seeing the palm trees...
so being with palm trees our entire vacation was a very, very good thing.
Joe and I were staying at Hotel St. Marie (recommend from DISer TyRy!), we entered the small lobby and instantly liked the place. It wasn't even close to Kidani
, but it was simple, yet nice, and we had gotten a GREAT rate, so we were pleased. I have lobby pictures later, but here is a couple of our room:
We had received a Welcome bag from Joe's cousin - we were in New Orleans for his wedding.
Tourist guides, 2 pecans (YUM!), a "treasure hunt" of their favorite New Orleans spots and the two beaded necklaces to wear around the City with a plaster cartoon version of them.
That night was the Sugar Bowl and I had zero desire to be out in the thick of it all. Bourbon Street was just a block off our hotel and I knew the streets would be busy. Plus, from the entire week of being Tour Guide Barbie, and late nights at Disney, I was exhausted! Joe, Henry and I completely crashed for several hours after we got settled.
Meanwhile Poppa, Grammy and KK got settled in their posh palace. Their hotel was very, very nice! Here are a few - more later.
Their view
View out another window.
And Poppa went exploring while KK and Grammy followed suit with our activities and partook in a nap.
Bourbon Street
Drinks on the street!
BEAUTIFUL buildings everywhere!
This street was right outside their hotel - ahhh, palm trees!
In the early evening we all met up together to go exploring
We saw this sign in a shop window near our hotel, and thought it was funny! We had no idea what it meant since it wasn't a common sight to see people with tap shoes on the street. Later my cousin, who lived in New Orleans for sometime, explained that there were often children who wore bottle caps on the bottoms of their shoes and would dance in the streets, begging tourists for change and then wear the shoes EVERYWHERE. Including in stores, which would scratch up the floors. Apparently these kids weren't the nicest group of kids either.... We never encountered them.
Welcome to Bourbon Street....it reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeked!
We decided to bypass Bourbon and walk down the street next to it since Bourbon was really hopping by this time, and not exactly a place for a 2 year old!
Continued in next post
It was an ORDEAL!
First, we have a stroller. We need a gate check claim tag. Normally I can either run up to the desk, or just get a tag right before getting on the plane if I forget about asking for a tag before hand. With Southwest they rudely flagged me down and demanded I drag the stroller up to the desk to get a tag. I could NOT go up without the stroller. They had to affix the tag themselves. Remember how nutty and crowded I mentioned the gate was due to the Sugar Bowl? Just getting to the desk was an ordeal.
Okay, so tag attached. I go and find a seat, eat my snack. It's boarding time. We are class B because we have a child. So, 2 carry ons + stroller with child squeeeeeeeeeeeeezed in between these two numbered poles with 40 million other people dressed in Florida's blue and orange pride. Oh, and since this was our first experience with SWA, we had zero clue what we were supposed to do - an employee was yelling into the microphone about what to do, but no one could understand him.
We figured it out and we board.
Joe attempts to secure Henry's car seat, but is having a hard time. Meanwhile, I'm standing in the aisle with a plane load of people behind me, glaring. I stand my ground. Where am I supposed to go? I have a child and 2 suitcases on my arms. The stewardess comes by and demands I move aside. I almost lost it on her.
Joe stops, takes the suitcases, I move into an empty row while he finishes up. Eventually he does, but now there are people flowing onto the plane and they won't stop for me to get across with a squirmy Henry. I make my move when I see a small gap and end up tripping over a suitcase.
We are finally settled.
Then the stewardess comes by, after everyone is seated and tells us we have to move. We are in an exit row. No children in an exit row.
Thankfully this move was MUCH easier and the row behind us quickly traded places with us.
NOW we are settled!
So, first time with SWA, not so great. I think traveling alone or with another adult it wouldn't have been a big deal, but with a child it wasn't fun. It all exhausted me and put me in a cruddy mood.
With fairness the frustration I had with the flight attendants could happen on ANY airline.After landing we made it down to baggage claim and debated on the various forms of transportation to take to our hotels. Grammy, Poppa and KK were in one, and Joe, Henry and I were in another about 5 blocks away. About the time we decided on a cab Joe realized his cell phone was missing. And not just HIS cell phone but his WORK cell phone.
We ran over to the SWA information desk in the baggage claim and, many kudos to those workers - they phoned up to the gate, who at first said the plane was already leaving...but then called back and said just before they left a flight attendant brought the phone out!
We were relieved. Within minutes it was back in Joe's hands. And SWA won some points back in my book. We piled into two separate cabs and ventured into the City. I quickly noticed they had palm trees, so that made me smile! I love landing in Florida and seeing the palm trees...
so being with palm trees our entire vacation was a very, very good thing.Joe and I were staying at Hotel St. Marie (recommend from DISer TyRy!), we entered the small lobby and instantly liked the place. It wasn't even close to Kidani
, but it was simple, yet nice, and we had gotten a GREAT rate, so we were pleased. I have lobby pictures later, but here is a couple of our room:
We had received a Welcome bag from Joe's cousin - we were in New Orleans for his wedding.
Tourist guides, 2 pecans (YUM!), a "treasure hunt" of their favorite New Orleans spots and the two beaded necklaces to wear around the City with a plaster cartoon version of them.
That night was the Sugar Bowl and I had zero desire to be out in the thick of it all. Bourbon Street was just a block off our hotel and I knew the streets would be busy. Plus, from the entire week of being Tour Guide Barbie, and late nights at Disney, I was exhausted! Joe, Henry and I completely crashed for several hours after we got settled.
Meanwhile Poppa, Grammy and KK got settled in their posh palace. Their hotel was very, very nice! Here are a few - more later.
Their view
View out another window.
And Poppa went exploring while KK and Grammy followed suit with our activities and partook in a nap.
Bourbon Street
Drinks on the street!
BEAUTIFUL buildings everywhere!
This street was right outside their hotel - ahhh, palm trees!
In the early evening we all met up together to go exploring
We saw this sign in a shop window near our hotel, and thought it was funny! We had no idea what it meant since it wasn't a common sight to see people with tap shoes on the street. Later my cousin, who lived in New Orleans for sometime, explained that there were often children who wore bottle caps on the bottoms of their shoes and would dance in the streets, begging tourists for change and then wear the shoes EVERYWHERE. Including in stores, which would scratch up the floors. Apparently these kids weren't the nicest group of kids either....
We never encountered them.
Welcome to Bourbon Street....it reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeked!
We decided to bypass Bourbon and walk down the street next to it since Bourbon was really hopping by this time, and not exactly a place for a 2 year old!
Continued in next post
They were all so stunning!
Cafe Du Monde however was NOT one that we missed out on!
