marias
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 11, 2004
- Messages
- 121
Sunday 27th July
So, so busy trying to get housework and packing sorted, still we managed to squash the luggage into 1x21kg suitcase (with extra holdall packed for the return) and 1x12kg holdall, not bad for the three of us but the hand luggage needed a trailer of its own
.
Monday 28th July
We are up and ready to leave the house by 03.45, last minute checks made and we were away. It was a non-eventful journey to Manchester with hardly any traffic and we arrive at T2 by 5.30am.
We were met by the Airparks Gold Meet & Greet service and were relieved of the car 20 minutes later.
There was a very short queue at check-in and it opened about 6.15. Everything has changed since we last went in 2006, security checks and all were superfast and we were in duty-free just after 7.00. Tips picked up on the forums suggested using Boots points to buy sandwiches rather than the standard breakfast fare so, 1,095 points used on 3 meal deals. Even though the gate was not showing we knew that it would be from the remote-stand (300), so we went down to the far gate to look at our plane and as it was empty sat and filled in the waiver forms while drinking coffee. On the way back towards Gate 300 we stopped and registered for the IRIS scan and by the time we had finished there the gate was open. We only waited for about 5 mins before we were called to the bus for boarding. Once on the aircraft it took quite a while for the rest of the plane to fill even though there were numerous busses, we were about 34-40 minutes late taking off but the Captain expected to make the time up.
Lunch choices were: beef cobbler, chicken and cheesy mash, or veggie pasta so thats 2 cobblers and a cluck-cluck please
.
Expenses:
Boots sarnies, advantage points used;
WH Smiths books magazines and sweets (oopps off the diet again);
Duty-free DKNY perfume x2 and Issey Miyake;
In-flight retail therapy Jo Malone coffret
Movies:
27 Dresses OK but glad I didnt pay to watch it at the cinema.
Noteworthies:
Luggage on board the aircraft weighed a whopping 9,303kg
Number of passengers on board 449
Virginia Plane
Afternoon tea: egg mayonnaise and bacon roll with chocolate chip cookie and juice (tea and coffee were suspended due to really bad turbulence). Outside was thick white cloud and the plane was jumping up and down maybe egg was not such a good idea
.
We had all managed to get some sleep and felt refreshed and ready to run the gauntlet with US immigration. So we landed at 14.45 and by the time we got into the immigration hall it was heaving (because we were slightly late the BA flight was in as well). I guess it took about 30 mins to get processed and the officials were really quite friendly
. By the time we were done our cases were on the carousel, we then joined another queue to hand in the customs declaration, kept our luggage went up the escalators to the monorail and we were free to go seemed a lot easier than last time.
We headed towards Avis to collect the car and by 4.05 we were on the open road (with the air-con on full whack).
We found All-Star Movies really easily and check-in was swift and painless. We were located in Love Bug building 6 and were delighted with the room. DD and DH were despatched to explore and buy the mugs while I set to on unloading the luggage.
Once suitably refreshed with Sprite and Pink Lemonade we went to Publix for a few room supplies and then onto DTD for tea at the Earl of Sandwich it was packed but we found a table outside and watched the entertainment in the square. The food was lovely but by the time we had finished the journey was starting to catch up on us so we went back to the room and were all asleep by 9.30.
Petrol ($52.79 at Avis for a full tank) $3.83 a gallon at Hess.
Cocktail count 0
So, so busy trying to get housework and packing sorted, still we managed to squash the luggage into 1x21kg suitcase (with extra holdall packed for the return) and 1x12kg holdall, not bad for the three of us but the hand luggage needed a trailer of its own
.Monday 28th July
We are up and ready to leave the house by 03.45, last minute checks made and we were away. It was a non-eventful journey to Manchester with hardly any traffic and we arrive at T2 by 5.30am.
We were met by the Airparks Gold Meet & Greet service and were relieved of the car 20 minutes later.
There was a very short queue at check-in and it opened about 6.15. Everything has changed since we last went in 2006, security checks and all were superfast and we were in duty-free just after 7.00. Tips picked up on the forums suggested using Boots points to buy sandwiches rather than the standard breakfast fare so, 1,095 points used on 3 meal deals. Even though the gate was not showing we knew that it would be from the remote-stand (300), so we went down to the far gate to look at our plane and as it was empty sat and filled in the waiver forms while drinking coffee. On the way back towards Gate 300 we stopped and registered for the IRIS scan and by the time we had finished there the gate was open. We only waited for about 5 mins before we were called to the bus for boarding. Once on the aircraft it took quite a while for the rest of the plane to fill even though there were numerous busses, we were about 34-40 minutes late taking off but the Captain expected to make the time up.
Lunch choices were: beef cobbler, chicken and cheesy mash, or veggie pasta so thats 2 cobblers and a cluck-cluck please
.Expenses:
Boots sarnies, advantage points used;
WH Smiths books magazines and sweets (oopps off the diet again);
Duty-free DKNY perfume x2 and Issey Miyake;
In-flight retail therapy Jo Malone coffret
Movies:
27 Dresses OK but glad I didnt pay to watch it at the cinema.
Noteworthies:
Luggage on board the aircraft weighed a whopping 9,303kg
Number of passengers on board 449
Virginia Plane
Afternoon tea: egg mayonnaise and bacon roll with chocolate chip cookie and juice (tea and coffee were suspended due to really bad turbulence). Outside was thick white cloud and the plane was jumping up and down maybe egg was not such a good idea
.We had all managed to get some sleep and felt refreshed and ready to run the gauntlet with US immigration. So we landed at 14.45 and by the time we got into the immigration hall it was heaving (because we were slightly late the BA flight was in as well). I guess it took about 30 mins to get processed and the officials were really quite friendly
. By the time we were done our cases were on the carousel, we then joined another queue to hand in the customs declaration, kept our luggage went up the escalators to the monorail and we were free to go seemed a lot easier than last time. We headed towards Avis to collect the car and by 4.05 we were on the open road (with the air-con on full whack).
We found All-Star Movies really easily and check-in was swift and painless. We were located in Love Bug building 6 and were delighted with the room. DD and DH were despatched to explore and buy the mugs while I set to on unloading the luggage.
Once suitably refreshed with Sprite and Pink Lemonade we went to Publix for a few room supplies and then onto DTD for tea at the Earl of Sandwich it was packed but we found a table outside and watched the entertainment in the square. The food was lovely but by the time we had finished the journey was starting to catch up on us so we went back to the room and were all asleep by 9.30.
Petrol ($52.79 at Avis for a full tank) $3.83 a gallon at Hess.
Cocktail count 0
