Steppes In Africa; One Letter at a Time- B is for: Bed to Bed in 38 hours (5/26)

[Steppesister]

Sounds like it was very special - can't wait to hear about it!

Not one but 2!!

From Western Australia, the journey is almost always pretty long! We definitely like to break it up and/or add a little luxury to our journey to make it more palatable.

I learned that too on this trip. Next time I'm going to plan in a break/layover to help with the tedium of the travel.

Mine is when we have checked in at the airport, waiting for our flight (preferably in a lounge), drink in hand.

Now that's certainly one of my Trip Milestones as well. Once you get through security and get that all behind you!

OMG so organised!

Heh, this trip was the most complicated packing thing I've ever had to do. Maybe in a post soon I'll talk about my list and method.

Phew! I think I would have been too scared to make the drive!

Nah, gotta do what you gotta do.

Sounds like you needed it after that drive

Your whole evening sounds like a blast! What a great way to start your trip.

It ended up being ok. We had a fun time for sure; Broadway isn't something I do often at all, but every now and then it's a fun time.

 

[Steppesister]

Your trip is off to a great start ( minus the scary tornado warning). Looks like the bars were hopping that night. Fab view from the rooftop.

I was going to say it was because it was a Friday night, but I think nowadays Lower Broadway is always hopping now. Loads of Bachelorette Parties and other visitors. We'd have stayed longer on the rooftop except, 1) the music up there sucked (a gal and guitarist and they just weren't very good) 2) It was drizzling and cold, and 3) I needed to get to bed for a very early wakeup.

 

[Steppesister]

You sure know how to party before a big trip. I'm glad that it all worked out, especially the weather.

Well, in order to secure the ride down there (and place to stash my car) I felt like I needed to pitch a sweet deal. They hadn't been to Hattie B's and love to visit Broadway so a win-win!

 

[pkondz]

Nope, didn't even fly OVER Akron.

Opportunity lost.

I guess in some ways it does. And I'll get to that....

Exactly. Although, some say it's not til you're at the airport.

I know. But for me... There's work and there's vacation.

Maybe there's an Akron, Africa?

Akron African Village

It's a bit on the run-down side with a closed in porch to eat on. Kinda fun!

Sounds perfect.

Oh no, we all shared everything family style-ish. I only had a couple of smaller pieces of chicken

Ah!

 

[Steppesister]

**** Warning LONG chapter lies ahead! ****

B is for: Bed to Bed in 38 Hours- Days 2/3; Travel Pt 2

May 3 and 4​

While it wasn’t intentionally planned as a middle of the night departure, that’s what worked out best for the connections. I quickly took my Malarone (malaria prophylaxis medication) and a low dose aspirin before heading to bed on the early side at 9:00. With only a tiny bit of re-packing a few things, it would hopefully be a quick process in the "morning". The alarm blared at 2:15am and I wish I could say the excitement helped me jump out of bed. It did not. I stumbled to the shower and quickly washed my hair and got all spiffed up. There was no knowing when my next real shower would be. The room had a soaker jacuzzi so I also made use of that for 10 or so minutes, once again not knowing when my next luxurious soak might be. No tub goes unwasted. Ever.

Sadly, the hotel did not have a shuttle that early (it only started at 4:00) and I needed to be at the airport by 3:15. I dialed up a Lyft and was picked up at 3:00 making it to BNA in plenty of time. In fact, had I known that the JetBlue counter wouldn’t open until 4:15, I’d have slept a little longer. This irritated me some, but I didn’t let it work me up because I WAS ON MY WAY TO AFRICA!!!!

(At JFK, but it seemed fitting here)​

With my TSA Pre-check I breezed through security for my 5:15am on-time departure and was soon landing at the hellishly large, chaotic JFK. No, the construction there will never end. Ever.

I spied my next aircraft as we parked at our gate!

(It doesn't look very far away, but it was a 15-minute walk to another terminal to get to her. This was from Gate 506 in Terminal 5. 506!!!!!)



(Look! It even has an elephant on it!)​

I had spent countless hours researching lounges at JFK, but in the end there just wasn’t enough time to get my money's worth. I landed at 8:45 and my next flight was set to go out at 1:45. In those 4 hours, I needed to claim my bags, check in with Kenya Airways and get those bags re-checked, get through security, find my gate, and eat something. Lots to do! But first, I had to make my way from Terminal 5 to Terminal 4. Which meant a long walk with heavy bags. Sure, I could have taken the train or shuttle or whatever it was, but it wasn’t super far (less than ½ a mile) and I wanted some (fresh?) New York air. This would be the last I’d get of any "fresh" air of any kind for a very, very long time.

On the walk, I got to see one of the few A380s at the gates. Yes, they are super cool and absolutely immense aircraft that absolutely dwarf their neighbors, but today's long-haul for me would be on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

(I love seeing all the different liveries from all over the world and was tickled to see Uzbekistan Airways in the house! That's an Emirates Air A380.)​

Safely making it to the terminal that Kenya Airways uses I found the line for check-in. They were not open yet, so I got in line with 50 or so other passengers. About 30 minutes later the agents showed up and started getting people checked in and bags taken care of.

Things went smoothly at first, but it wasn’t 15 minutes into the process that the first agent working with me called another person over. They then sent me to the counter from the little stand-alone kiosk they started me at which had a manager-type at. I started to panic a bit and at one point there were literally 5 agents looking at the screen, my printed confirmations, and boarding passes. They gave me a vague explanation of the issue and some sort of excuse that they couldn’t check me all the way through because I didn’t have a return ticket, or so I thought. They finally handed me my new printed boarding pass and I did notice a “Security Code 1067” at the bottom of it.

Great, just what I wanted: A hassle at security.

To my surprise, I breezed through that, once again with my TSA Pre-check.

Huh.

They told everyone to be at the gate at 12:15 for our 1:45 departure. Seemed excessive, but whatever. I follow the rules. It still left me some time to find a bite to eat. I present to you: the world’s most expensive, mediocre hamburger. It was fine, and knowing I was a hostage diner, I ponied up and paid the piper. I did not tip well because the server had a ‘tude. If you can’t smile and the fact that you hate your job shows on your face, you don’t get a good tip. That’s how it works.

(And thus begins The Great Vacation Pig Out of 2025)​

They started boarding 45 minutes prior to the flight and despite paying about $210+ for an upgrade to ….

Ok, let's back it up a bit! There’s another tale that must be told. About 4 days before the flight I got an email from Kenya Airways that offered me an upgrade. First class would set me back $2,000+ so that was a definite NO-GO, but for bulkhead and priority boarding I could get Premium Economy for $210+. So I put in a bid.

2 days later I got an email saying that my bid was accepted but unfortunately my CC was denied. At the same time I got a email from my bank saying they’d detected fraud on my account, and they froze my debit card. Oh, for Pete’s sake!! Come ON! I called my bank in a panic because I didn’t want to lose my upgrade. They put the travel notice in and fixed the card. I then called Kenya Airways and asked them to please re-run the card and try to get my upgrade for me. Luckily, the next day, I was notified that they had tried again and all was good. I’d be first to board and have all kinds of leg room. YAY!


Not so fast:


Remember that Security Code 1067? Yeah, about that. When my group was finally called, they got all flustered and asked me to step aside so they could continue boarding while they figured my issues out. Like, say what?! How could 5 GATE AGENTS not get this “figured out” 3 ½ hours ago?!?! The real story was that they could not check me all the way through because my continuing flight was NOT on Kenya Airways but on Precision Air. Well yeah, no sh!t, that’s how y’all booked it! Gee whiz! They asked for my printed confirmations AGAIN, and finally with just a few minutes to go before boarding closed, they let me on.

HO-LEE crap my stress was through the roof and was I was NOT happy. I’d paid a lot of money to be one of the first on and I was literally THE LAST PERSON ON THE PLANE. Would I fly them again? Absolutely not. Ever.

The flight I'd avoid in the future:

​

Phew! I was on the plane and was finally winging my way to Africa- Nairobi, Kenya to be exact. I could not find a direct flight to Kilimanjaro, so I took what I could find at a decent price. Here are the repairs that a more budget airline can get you. (Yes, I know it's perfectly safe, but... not a good optic.)

​

It was nice having the bulkhead and it gave me all those 1st Class Wannabe feels. Well, the little 1st Class Kit that I put together sure didn’t hurt either. I spread out all of my bougie goodies and got quite a little giggle from the crew who served the first of my 3 meals. Why not spend $5,000 less and use it on another grand adventure?

​

The flight itself was uneventful and as long and tedious as any other 13-hour flight I’ve ever done. My neck is just too whacked to get much, if any, sleep at all anymore. I tossed and turned, and even the Ambien I’d taken hadn’t helped much. I closed my eyes, woke up to eat, twice more, and even enjoyed a glass of pretty decent South African wine.

​

Finally: Nairobi International Airport:

​

Getting a relatively low fare came with a price of its own, namely a 10-hr long layover in Nairobi. It was so long that it was worth finding a lounge to relax in. I’d also done extensive research on the lounges at Nairobi Airport. There are a whopping 4 choices, all of which looked great and all of which accept Walk-Ins on a first come, first served basis. I ended up in the Simba Lounge mostly because that’s the first one I came across.

The price is very reasonable at $40/pp. and includes food, drinks, a shower, space to lay down if you want (not beds though), and ability to charge devices. I got settled in and asked for a latte. Having some natural light come in from over the apron was nice as well.

(Delicious mains including some spicy braised beef stew, lentils, and grilled chicken)

​

I’d bought a gimbel for my iPhone knowing that bumpy rides that I’d want footage of were ahead in my trip. I used some of the time in the lounge to learn how it worked and practiced with it some. Here is my first attempt at trying to use it. Please excuse the jerky zooming and amateur nature of the results; hopefully, it will give you an idea of what $40 can buy you in the Nairobi Airport should you find yourself there and have time for a lounge.

​

Around 6:30pm, I figured it was time to get checked in for the short, 1-hour flight to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania. Once I got my boarding pass, I made use of the Asante Lounge just adjacent to my gate. The staff at Simba Lounge told me that since I’d paid for access to that one, I could spend some time in the Asante if I’d like at no additional cost. That, I thought, was a very sweet and generous gesture. I got another small plate of food to tide me over knowing that’d be my dinner for the night. It was fantastic! Very good food for an airport lounge for sure. The décor was such a fun foretaste of what was to come.

The Asante Lounge:

(Decor at the gate. For my Disney-going Friends: Look closely at the decor in Sanaa. There are posts resembling African beads, much like these.)​

Right on schedule I boarded my ATR72 (first time on one of those) and arrived in Kilimanjaro at 9:00.

​

There, I had to clear immigration and customs which wasn’t too bad. First, I had to get hassled about having a Yellow Fever Card (I do) but it is NOT a requirement if you spend less than 12 hours on your Kenyan layover and do NOT leave the airport. I satisfied both of those so continued on to the window to present my pre-obtained visa ($100 for US citizens or $50 for everyone else) , get cleared for entry, collect my bag, and meet my concierge team. I was finally… there. The relief was too enormous for words. The adventure (well more of it anyway) was really about to begin!

​

9 days of luxurious pampering began when Kelvin and Delvina grabbed my bags and showed me to the van that would take me on a private transfer to the guesthouse I’d stay in for the next 2 nights in Arusha. I was given a dope water bottle that I brought home with the logo of the Safari Company I used, Wilderness Destinations, some yummy little cookies, and some freshly squeezed fruit juice with ginger to enjoy on the 1 ¼ -hour drive. The rain drove down in buckets and there were literal rivers running down from the higher neighborhoods and onto the main road we were on. I tried to take a video, but the darkness and car windows made it impossible. I was shocked at the rushing rapids of some areas and wondered if anyone was ever swept away by these torrents.

I’d asked Delvina if they could please stop at an ATM which they happily obliged and I took out about $200 of local currency which lasted me well into the trip.

Finally, at 11:30pm, after a full 38+ hours of traveling, I was greeted by the staff at Katambuga House in Arusha and given a welcome toast. It was so nice of the staff to wait up for me! And with 2 weeks of adventures lying ahead, I fell into bed absolutely exhausted with an alarm set for 6:15 the next morning for some wild exploring!

​

 

[zanzibar138]

The alarm blared at 2:15am and I wish I could say the excitement helped me jump out of bed. It did not.

I always think that too, but it never does.

I had spent countless hours researching lounges at JFK, but in the end there just wasn’t enough time to make use of one. I landed at 8:45 and my next flight was set to go out at 1:45. In those 4 hours, I needed to claim my bags, check in with Kenya Airways and get those bags re-checked, get through security, find my gate, and eat something.

Wow 4 hours not enough to use a lounge - that must be a super crazy airport!

I got to see one of the few A380s at the gates.

Sadly, I've never managed to travel on one of these yet!

They finally handed me my new printed boarding pass and I did notice a “Security Code 1067” at the bottom of it.

Uh oh...

They told everyone to be at the gate at 12:15 for our 1:45 departure. Seemed excessive, but whatever.

Definitely excessive!

I present to you: the world’s most expensive, mediocre hamburger.

Airport food is the worst!

2 days later I got an email saying that my bid was accepted but unfortunately my CC was denied. At the same time I got a email from my bank saying they’d detected fraud on my account, and they froze my Debit card. Oh, for Pete’s sake!!

Would I fly them again? Absolutely not. Ever.

Good to know. Sounds like a terrible experience!

But at least you still got the premium seating.

Here are the repairs that a more budget airline can get you.

I spread out all of my bougie goodies and got quite a little giggle from the crew who served my first of 3 meals.

Love it! What a great idea!

Having said that, I fly premium not for the food service, but for the lie-flat seats

Getting a relatively low fare came with a price of its own, namely a 10-hr long layover in Nairobi.

The price is very reasonable at $40/pp. and includes food, drinks, a shower, space to lay down if you want (not beds though), and ability to charge devices.

Great value!

Around 6:30pm, I figured it was time to get checked in for the short 1hour flight to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania.

All that waiting around when you only had an hour to go?

9 days of luxurious pampering began when Kelvin and Delvina grabbed my bags and showed me to the van that would take me on a private transfer

Sounds like heaven after your long and stressful journey!

 

[pkondz]

The alarm blared at 2:15am and I wish I could say the excitement helped me jump out of bed. It did not.

Usually that helps... but... 2:15 is really early.

No tub goes unwasted. Ever.

had I known that the JetBlue counter wouldn’t open until 4:15

Sheesh. You could've soaked for another hour!

I didn’t let it work me up because I WAS ON MY WAY TO AFRICA!!!!

(At JFK, but it seemed fitting here)

You're forgiven. I like it!

This was from Gate 506 in Terminal 5. 506!!!!!

At first, I was like: "Yeah? So? What's the big deal?"

Then suddenly it hit me. It's not just a random number... it's the number of gates!
Then I Googled it... Nope, there are "only" 130 gates at JFK... And that led me down a rabbit hole. Most terminals have gates numbered, 1, 2, 3, etc... Terminal 8 has two "wings". One is A1, A2, etc, while the other wing starts with B18 for some reason...

But Terminal 5... starts at 501 and has 29 gates, ending with 530. (There is no 513 gate. Bad luck, I presume.)

(Look! It even has an elephant on it!)

Looks like it could fit an elephant in it.

Which meant a long walk with heavy bags.

No cart you could use?

Uzbekistan Airways in the house!

How did you know that? I had no idea until I Googled what their tails looked like.

On the walk, I got to see one of the few A380s at the gates. Yes, they are super cool and absolutely immense aircraft that absolutely dwarf their neighbors

Massive planes. Would love to see the inside of one some day. Sad they stopped making them.

I started to panic a bit and at one point there were literally 5 agents looking at the screen, my printed confirmations, and boarding passes.

Great, just what I wanted: A hassle at security.

To my surprise, I breezed through that, once again with my TSA Pre-check.

Huh.

Well... okay, then.

I present to you: the world’s most expensive, mediocre hamburger.

Welcome to airport food everywhere!

I did not tip well because the server had a ‘tude. If you can’t smile and the fact that you hate your job shows on your face, you don’t get a good tip. That’s how it works.

Hmmm... I don't think I'd notice a lack of smile. But poor service? That's another story.

(And thus begins The Great Vacation Pig Out of 2025)

2 days later I got an email saying that my bid was accepted but unfortunately my CC was denied. At the same time I got a email from my bank saying they’d detected fraud on my account, and they froze my debit card. Oh, for Pete’s sake!! Come ON! I called my bank in a panic because I didn’t want to lose my upgrade. They put the travel notice in and fixed the card.

But good thing you got that straightened out before you got to Africa!
Apparently I don't need to tell me CC company when I'm traveling. I did once and was told it wasn't necessary.

They asked for my printed confirmations AGAIN, and finally with just a few minutes to go before boarding closed, they let me on.

Sure is a good thing you paid extra for that early boarding. At least you still got your bulkhead seat.

HO-LEE crap my stress was through the roof and was I was NOT happy. I’d paid a lot of money to be one of the first on and I was literally THE LAST PERSON ON THE PLANE. Would I fly them again? Absolutely not. Ever.

So... that's a "no", then?

A man's best friend... Duct tape. Fixes everything. Even airplane wings!



(Yes, I know it's airplane speed tape and perfectly safe.)

Well lah dee dah!
I suppose the candle was easy enough, but you actually brought a rose along?!?!?

Finally: Nairobi International Airport:

Only 13 (or so... based on the time enroute photo you posted) hours later.

Getting a relatively low fare came with a price of its own, namely a 10-hr long layover in Nairobi.

Good thing you hadn't gotten up at 2:15am or anything...

I ended up in the Simba Lounge mostly because that’s the first one I came across.

Good thing. I heard the Mufasa lounge was pretty dead.

The price is very reasonable at $40/pp. and includes food, drinks, a shower, space to lay down if you want (not beds though), and ability to charge devices.

Whoa. That's super reasonable! You might pay that for the food alone!

(Delicious mains including some spicy braised beef stew, lentils, and grilled chicken)

Yum!

I’d bought a gimbel for my iPhone knowing that bumpy rides that I’d want footage of were ahead in my trip. I used some of the time in the lounge to learn how it worked and practiced with it some. Here is my first attempt at trying to use it. Please excuse the jerky zooming and amateur nature of the results

I think you did pretty good. I thought it was pretty steady.

The staff at Simba Lounge told me that since I’d paid for access to that one, I could spend some time in the Asante if I’d like at no additional cost. That, I thought, was a very sweet and generous gesture.

Nice!

First, I had to get hassled about having a Yellow Fever Card (I do) but it is NOT a requirement if you spend less than 12 hours on your Kenyan layover and do NOT leave the airport

Did you have your card with you, though? Just in case?

So cool! I don't know much about Africa, but have certainly heard of Kilimanjaro.

I was given a dope water bottle that I brought home with the logo of the Safari Company I used, Wilderness Destinations, some yummy little cookies, and some freshly squeezed fruit juice with ginger to enjoy on the 1 ¼ -hour drive.

Nice little touches there.

I fell into bed absolutely exhausted

I bet! I'm tired just thinking about it!

 

[Wood Nymph]

HO-LEE crap my stress was through the roof and was I was NOT happy. I’d paid a lot of money to be one of the first on and I was literally THE LAST PERSON ON THE PLANE. Would I fly them again? Absolutely not. Ever.

That would be extremely aggravating. It would have been nice to get your money back for the upgrade that you didn't receive.

The price is very reasonable at $40/pp. and includes food, drinks, a shower, space to lay down if you want (not beds though), and ability to charge devices.

The lounge and the food looked really nice.

I can't wait to hear more about your trip.

 

[Steppesister]

I always think that too, but it never does.

No, I mean maybe 4:00AM?

Wow 4 hours not enough to use a lounge - that must be a super crazy airport!

I hate JFK. The food options sucked and I guess I figured I'd need 3+ hours to make a lounge worth the money.

Sadly, I've never managed to travel on one of these yet!

I've only done it once, and will likely never get to again with them being out of production now.

Uh oh...

Yeah....

Good to know. Sounds like a terrible experience!

But at least you still got the premium seating.

Which was sure nice to have!

Love it! What a great idea!

Having said that, I fly premium not for the food service, but for the lie-flat seats

I sure could have used one of those this trip!

All that waiting around when you only had an hour to go?

I probably could have walked in less time. LOL!

Sounds like heaven after your long and stressful journey!

I was SO glad to be finally at my destination!

 

[zanzibar138]

No, I mean maybe 4:00AM?

Nope, not for me. If there's an alarm involved, there is nothing that's going to get me excited about having to wake up lol!

I probably could have walked in less time. LOL!

I was SO glad to be finally at my destination!

As much as the journey is all part of the experience, when it's horrendous like that, it's definitely a relief to finally arrive. Totally worth it though I bet!

 

[Steppesister]

Usually that helps... but... 2:15 is really early.

Ridiculously early.

Sheesh. You could've soaked for another hour!

OR SLEPT!!!!

At first, I was like: "Yeah? So? What's the big deal?"

Then suddenly it hit me. It's not just a random number... it's the number of gates!
Then I Googled it... Nope, there are "only" 130 gates at JFK... And that led me down a rabbit hole. Most terminals have gates numbered, 1, 2, 3, etc... Terminal 8 has two "wings". One is A1, A2, etc, while the other wing starts with B18 for some reason...

But Terminal 5... starts at 501 and has 29 gates, ending with 530. (There is no 513 gate. Bad luck, I presume.)

Okay, now that was a fun deep dive! I did wonder how on Earth there could possibly be over 500 gates! What a kooky layout/plan/schematic!

Looks like it could fit an elephant in it.

Hmmm.... you may have a point.

No cart you could use?

Puh-leeeeze. $6 is taxiway robbery.

How did you know that? I had no idea until I Googled what their tails looked like.

I used to live in that area of the world. Saw those tails a lot for about a decade.

Massive planes. Would love to see the inside of one some day. Sad they stopped making them.

I'm kinda sad too. Sad about a few planes being d/c'd. Like the elegant Connie.

Hmmm... I don't think I'd notice a lack of smile. But poor service? That's another story.

I dunno, and friendly smile when they greet you is part OF the service.

But good thing you got that straightened out before you got to Africa!
Apparently I don't need to tell me CC company when I'm traveling. I did once and was told it wasn't necessary.

I've called them in the past and they told me the same thing. This experience tells me otherwise. And I hadn't. I know I can do it online but with work I just let that detail slide by. I won't make that mistake again. Because clearly, banks lie.

Sure is a good thing you paid extra for that early boarding. At least you still got your bulkhead seat.

At least I had that.

So... that's a "no", then?

I'd go with Qatar I think should I ever go back.

A man's best friend... Duct tape. Fixes everything. Even airplane wings!

And what it doesn't, WD40 will.

I suppose the candle was easy enough, but you actually brought a rose along?!?!?

I did! And a handsewn tablecloth.

Only 13 (or so... based on the time enroute photo you posted) hours later.

The taxi off of JFK was about half of that.

Good thing you hadn't gotten up at 2:15am or anything...

I was definitely running on fumes and desperately tired.

Good thing. I heard the Mufasa lounge was pretty dead.

Good one.

Whoa. That's super reasonable! You might pay that for the food alone!

Heck, I added a latte, a nice glass of wine, 2 plates of food, AND a hot shower, albeit a cold one. I forgot to mention that in the chapter.

I think you did pretty good. I thought it was pretty steady.

Thanks! I'd like to say I got better, but I haven't uploaded, or even looked at, my other vids yet.

Did you have your card with you, though? Just in case?

I did!

So cool! I don't know much about Africa, but have certainly heard of Kilimanjaro.

Spoiler...

I never did get to even see it.

 

[Steppesister]

That would be extremely aggravating. It would have been nice to get your money back for the upgrade that you didn't receive.

I actually still do have the feedback email in my inbox and have thought about pursuing a refund. What a ridiculous fiasco.

The lounge and the food looked really nice.

I can't wait to hear more about your trip.

It was a nice way to pass the time. Sure beats the gate!

Loads more to come!

 

[Steppesister]

Nope, not for me. If there's an alarm involved, there is nothing that's going to get me excited about having to wake up lol!

LOL!!! Work, everyday.

As much as the journey is all part of the experience, when it's horrendous like that, it's definitely a relief to finally arrive. Totally worth it though I bet!

It was more than worth it! Such a wonderful, magical trip.

 

[pkondz]

OR SLEPT!!!!

SOAKED!!!

Okay, now that was a fun deep dive! I did wonder how on Earth there could possibly be over 500 gates! What a kooky layout/plan/schematic!

Right? I mean... stick with one and go with it. Sheesh.

Puh-leeeeze. $6 is taxiway robbery.

Oh. Not free (or at least reasonable.)
I'd schlep my own bags too.

I used to live in that area of the world. Saw those tails a lot for about a decade.

I figured that might be your answer.

I'm kinda sad too. Sad about a few planes being d/c'd. Like the elegant Connie.

Now the Connie... if there was ever a magical plane (after the DC3), it was that one.

I'd go with Qatar I think should I ever go back.

According to the website I looked at, they're rated #1 in the world.
For comparison, Delta is #21, Air Canada is #29, Southwest is #93!

Kenya Air is... #77! Ranked higher than I thought, given your comments.

And what it doesn't, WD40 will.

I did! And a handsewn tablecloth.

The taxi off of JFK was about half of that.

"Afternoon folks, this is your captain speaking, local time is 1pm. Our flight time to Boston is an hour and a half... adding in our taxi time, we hope to get you folks there in time for breakfast tomorrow morning."

Heck, I added a latte, a nice glass of wine, 2 plates of food, AND a hot shower, albeit a cold one. I forgot to mention that in the chapter.

A hot cold shower... you have an interesting way of saying "warm" (or cool.)

I did!

Did you have to use it, ever?

Spoiler...

I never did get to even see it.

Really? You went all the way there and didn't see it?

I actually still do have the feedback email in my inbox and have thought about pursuing a refund. What a ridiculous fiasco.

DO IT!!!!!