Off to Spain via LAX and Zurich
As if on cue, snow came to Denver on Christmas eve and we enjoyed our first white Christmas in 15 years. After a quiet Christmas with our Denver son, we're off to LA tonight to see our California sons, families and grandkids. Then our first Swiss First flight tomorrow night from LAX to Zurich, compliments of Miles &More, who mistakenly gave new *A member Avianca/TACA and LifeMiles access to their entire award inventory for a couple of months this past summer. Oops. Mrs. SFO and I and our SoCal travel buddies had originally planned to be in Israel for New Years, but after the hostilities a few months ago, "the gang" decided that we'd do Israel another year.
-American Eagle First Class Denver-LAX
-Star Alliance First Class Lounge at TBIT/LAX
-Swiss First Class Los Angeles-Zurich
-Swiss First Class Lounge at ZHR
-Lufthansa Business Class Zurich-Frankfurt
-Lufthansa First Class Lounge A at FRA
-Lufthansa Business Class Frankfurt-Madrid
-Renfe Sala Lounge at Madrid Atocha
-Renfe Business Class Madrid to Sevilla
-Hotel Alfonso XIII Sevilla
-Sevilla
-Ronda
-Palacio de los Patos Granada
-Granada
-Renfe Business Class Granada to Madrid
-Hotel Villa Magna Madrid
-Madrid
-Toledo
-Iberia Lounge at Madrid T4S
-LAN Business Class Madrid-Frankfurt
-Lufthansa First Class Lounge at FRA
-Swiss First Class Lounge at ZRH
-Swiss First Class Zurich-Chicago
-American First Class Chicago-Denver
A mix of new and recycled pics from a previous visits...
At about T-50 we headed downstairs for book and magazines and the gate.
AA 3678
DEN-LAX
CR7
December 26, 2012
7:30P-9:00P
Seats 2CD
Dinner
In spite of a narrow aisle and a stream of Y pax, FA opened bar and repeatedly swam up upstream to accommodate the 9 pax.
After take-off, drink service followed by "dinner" or what constitutes dinner on a oven-less Eagle flight. Choice of cold spinach stuffed chicken with pasta salad or steak salad with blue cheese and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Chicken was near tasteless. Salad better but, even then, only marginally better than a DL cold dinner.
The worst part of DEN-LAX on AA is the satellite terminal and the bus ride to the main terminal. Actually, that's not the worst part. That honor goes to the AA LAX ground crews, some of the most useless baggage crews in the system. Does it really take 15 minutes for gate check bags to be brought 100 feet away. Another 15 minutes and we are at baggage claim (Mrs SFO needed to check one bag this time, and we had Christmas gifts), but still no bags. That was another 10 minutes.
Outside, we only waited 5 minutes for another Avis bus, and then 15 minutes to get to the lot, after stops at T5, T6 and T7. The 35 minutes north on the 405 and 101 to The Four Seasons Woodland Hills. LOL. Would you believe the Best Western Woodland Hills. Generally good Tripadvisor ratings and $100 a night. How bad can it be? Yikes, now I know. Mrs. SFO was not impressed. "No robe? No slippers? Why do you do this to me?" My rationalization about "why spend $400 for 8 hours when for $100 I can get a much better location" was not cutting it. For those considering this hotel, don't unless you are on business and not with a princess.
Great visit with the youngest son as his two kids (age 4 and 2) including a visit to The Grove and American Girl, one of the most brilliant marketing ideas in recent years. For $300, your (grand) daughter can select a doll with matching dresses, pierced ears and a hair styling, then both get matching dresses.
Both grand daughter and her doll requested anonymity. Hey, it's LA.
Up next: Embarrassing Star Alliance Lounges at LAX.