France (via Concorde?), Malta and Southern Italy
Jun 23, 2003 | 2:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 25,436
France (via Concorde?), Malta and Southern Italy
This is my first trip report on FlyerTalk, so please be patient and bear with me. Due to time constraints and testing to see whether or not I can write a good trip report, this will be written in multiple parts. I apologize in advance if this causes any inconvenience. I hope you enjoy this report and that it is helpful in some way to you for your future travel plans.
Before The Trip
Sometime back in March 2003 I am not exactly sure when I decided that I wanted to fly on Concorde. Something (call it intuition) told me that Concorde was not going to be around much longer and, while it was not a lifelong dream, flying Concorde quickly became a high travel priority for me.
Planning this trip became different for me for two reasons:
1) I usually plan the itinerary of a trip based on one or more of the following criteria:
After investigating that I can indeed use my miles to fly Concorde, I not only decided to solely plan my entire trip around the availability of flying on Concorde, but also that I wanted a to go on a trip where I can go to a destination not usually travelled to by Americans. Due to its rich history yet not be overwhelmed by having too much to do with not enough time, I decided upon Malta. Because there was no easy way to reach Malta from Paris later that night after arriving on Concorde, I would have to depart the next morning. I also decided that since I was so close to Italy, I would visit southern Italy more specifically, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast and Rome before returning home to the Atlanta area.
After negotiating my flexibility for dates to fly on Concorde, I was able to book Concorde outbound on May 25. My return trip was scheduled for June 5. My original schedule was as follows:
To get from Malta to Italy, I decided to take to the sea for overnight transportation. I was quite uncomfortable with the fact that the company that owned the vessel would not take any payment other than cash or a wire transfer, which normally would have been a major clue for me to avoid them and seek alternate transportation, but I wired the money over against my better judgment. Once again, trust your intuition. I will provide the details of the money transfer and the actual trip in a future entry in this thread.
It was not easy booking lodging for my trip. Virtually every hotel was sold out, but due to my Hilton HHonors Diamond status, I was able to get most of the lodging that I wanted. I was also able to get rooms at a couple of Marriotts and a Westin. Again, I did not plan, book or confirm anything until I was definitely confirmed on Concorde.
Shortly after booking my trip and confirming some (but not all) of the lodging for my trip, the first piece of bad news came: Air France will not fly Concorde after 31 May 2003. I knew that the blinking red light on my answering machine two weeks before my trip contained the confirmation of this news: my Concorde flight for 5 June 2003 was definitely cancelled and I needed to call back and book an alternative flight. This news was momentarily devastating. All of the hard work, money, time, miles and points that I invested into this trip initially seemed like a waste of time. However, the alternative was to take a 777 from Rome non-stop back to Atlanta. I had never been in a 777 before, and I would get to leave Rome later and be home earlier since I would not have to connect in Paris and New York. Plus, I would be in the Business Class cabin, and I will have already flown Concorde once. Cool! If I had to choose an alternative for flying Concorde and I did this would be it. I was excited again.
That excitement would not last long. Not only did I find out that Air France was going on strike on the day of my Concorde flight, but also that the air traffic controllers in France were to go on strike the very next day, which would affect my flights from Paris to Malta.
My return flight on Concorde was already cancelled. If my flight to Paris on Concorde is affected by the strike, I would not have another chance to fly on Concorde because Air France will not fly Concorde after 31 May 2003, nor would I be able to re-book on another Concorde flight due to limited time and confirmations of other portions of my travel plan, not to mention the fact that Concorde award seats were virtually gone.
Usually before a trip, I have everything all set and confirmed. However, it was only days before departure and I still had unanswered questions to my travel itinerary, such as:
Please stay tuned for my next entry to this thread for the answers to these and other questions...
Before The Trip
Sometime back in March 2003 I am not exactly sure when I decided that I wanted to fly on Concorde. Something (call it intuition) told me that Concorde was not going to be around much longer and, while it was not a lifelong dream, flying Concorde quickly became a high travel priority for me.
Planning this trip became different for me for two reasons:
1) I usually plan the itinerary of a trip based on one or more of the following criteria:
- The desire to visit a destination, such as the case when I went to Australia several years ago;
- Convenience, such as a non-stop flight or lodging that is close to where I want to be;
- Low cost, such as a special sale with a rare low airfare, or
- Maximizing the usage of my points and/or miles, such as using as few miles and/or points as possible.
After investigating that I can indeed use my miles to fly Concorde, I not only decided to solely plan my entire trip around the availability of flying on Concorde, but also that I wanted a to go on a trip where I can go to a destination not usually travelled to by Americans. Due to its rich history yet not be overwhelmed by having too much to do with not enough time, I decided upon Malta. Because there was no easy way to reach Malta from Paris later that night after arriving on Concorde, I would have to depart the next morning. I also decided that since I was so close to Italy, I would visit southern Italy more specifically, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast and Rome before returning home to the Atlanta area.
After negotiating my flexibility for dates to fly on Concorde, I was able to book Concorde outbound on May 25. My return trip was scheduled for June 5. My original schedule was as follows:
- 24 May DL 1992 ATL - JFK
- 25 May AF 1 JFK - CDG
- 26 May AZ 303 CDG - MXP
- 26 May AZ 884 MXP - MLA
- 5 June AF 2305 FCO - CDG
- 5 June AF 2 CDG - JFK
- 5 June DL JFK - ATL
To get from Malta to Italy, I decided to take to the sea for overnight transportation. I was quite uncomfortable with the fact that the company that owned the vessel would not take any payment other than cash or a wire transfer, which normally would have been a major clue for me to avoid them and seek alternate transportation, but I wired the money over against my better judgment. Once again, trust your intuition. I will provide the details of the money transfer and the actual trip in a future entry in this thread.
It was not easy booking lodging for my trip. Virtually every hotel was sold out, but due to my Hilton HHonors Diamond status, I was able to get most of the lodging that I wanted. I was also able to get rooms at a couple of Marriotts and a Westin. Again, I did not plan, book or confirm anything until I was definitely confirmed on Concorde.
Shortly after booking my trip and confirming some (but not all) of the lodging for my trip, the first piece of bad news came: Air France will not fly Concorde after 31 May 2003. I knew that the blinking red light on my answering machine two weeks before my trip contained the confirmation of this news: my Concorde flight for 5 June 2003 was definitely cancelled and I needed to call back and book an alternative flight. This news was momentarily devastating. All of the hard work, money, time, miles and points that I invested into this trip initially seemed like a waste of time. However, the alternative was to take a 777 from Rome non-stop back to Atlanta. I had never been in a 777 before, and I would get to leave Rome later and be home earlier since I would not have to connect in Paris and New York. Plus, I would be in the Business Class cabin, and I will have already flown Concorde once. Cool! If I had to choose an alternative for flying Concorde and I did this would be it. I was excited again.
That excitement would not last long. Not only did I find out that Air France was going on strike on the day of my Concorde flight, but also that the air traffic controllers in France were to go on strike the very next day, which would affect my flights from Paris to Malta.
My return flight on Concorde was already cancelled. If my flight to Paris on Concorde is affected by the strike, I would not have another chance to fly on Concorde because Air France will not fly Concorde after 31 May 2003, nor would I be able to re-book on another Concorde flight due to limited time and confirmations of other portions of my travel plan, not to mention the fact that Concorde award seats were virtually gone.
Usually before a trip, I have everything all set and confirmed. However, it was only days before departure and I still had unanswered questions to my travel itinerary, such as:
- Will I be able to leave Paris the next day, assuming I were able to fly Concorde?
- Will I even get to fly on Concorde at all?
- Do I need an international drivers license and buy additional insurance to drive a car in Malta?
- How will I leave Malta, as it is not easy to leave Malta due to the fact that many schedules resemble weekly rather than daily departures?
- How am I going to get from Salerno to Sorrento, as I virtually exhausted all the options available to me?
Please stay tuned for my next entry to this thread for the answers to these and other questions...
Jun 23, 2003 | 5:08 pm
#3
Original Poster
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 25,436
Day 1
After taking the train from ticketing at Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, I went inside Delta Air Lines BusinessElite International Lounge in Terminal E. I walked up to the desk and presented my ticket. One woman behind the desk questioned the fact that I was going to New York and not traveling internationally. I explained to her that this segment of my itinerary was actually part of my international itinerary. A puzzled look conquered her face as she looked at my ticket in sheer bewilderment. She then solicited the assistance of a co-worker seated next to her. After a brief discussion, I was then asked what was Air France flight 1, as there was no designation of either business or first class. I replied ever-so-innocently, That is the Concorde. Her co-workers eyebrows immediately popped up and, while smiling and nodding, replied in an obviously joking manner, I guess the Concorde qualifies! The first woman had no clue as to what Concorde was and was still befuddled as I retrieved my ticket and proceeded to a window seat. That scenario, along with both womens expressions, was in itself worth the miles used to fly Concorde!
The lounge was nice, spacious, clean and comfortable, but provided little in sustenance. There were some pretzels, creme-filled waffle cookies and a few other munchies, along with some juice, water and soft drinks (and possibly alcoholic beverages, but I do not drink so I do not know). I did see someone behind the counter setting up for what appears to be a serving for hot hors doeuvres, but I never did sample them nor even ever found out what they were since I had a 3:30 (15:30) flight to catch.
I made the journey to gate E34 (almost as far to the end as one can go in the airport in Atlanta) and arrived just in time to board. I was on a 767 with BusinessElite configuration, so I got to play my electronic games on the built-in console. I was served a turkey and cheddar cheese sandwich on a roll with a pickle, some lettuce and tomato, and a bland cucumber and tomato salad with what appeared to be dill seasoning. It was served on that oversized paper-towel-on-steroids (instead of the white linen) which Delta currently uses in their domestic premium cabins. Overall, it was a very pleasant flight which arrived at Kennedy Airport on time. The weather was nearly perfect in Atlanta, but cloudy, cold and dreary in New York.
After departing from that lousy excuse-for-a-terminal 3 at Kennedy Airport and finding the obscure shuttle stop around the corner from the terminal exit, I waited a long time for the shuttle to the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the airport, before finally figuring out how to contact the shuttle to come in the first place (I thought it made regular rounds around the airport, which some other hotel shuttles were doing). I was assured that the shuttle would be there in a few minutes and that I was waiting at the correct location. Nothing is obvious at this terminal, and I am a seasoned traveler. In fact, I grew up and lived in Canarsie in Brooklyn at one time, which is only 15 minutes away! I have used Kennedy Airport many times (no sympathy necessary, please), yet I somewhat felt I was in a foreign third-world country, breathing obnoxious exhaust from speeding cars and buses. No shuttle appeared after my first call, so I called again. The shuttle finally appeared after my second call, more than an hour after I first arrived at that shuttle stop. The flight landed at approximately 5:40 (17:40) but I did not step into my hotel room until 7:00 (19:00).
The Courtyard by Marriott NYC/JFK Airport hotel is not in the best of neighborhoods (Jamaica, New York), but it is convenient, clean and quiet. I was in a room on one of the upper floors with a view facing west of the hotels next door, the Belt Parkway, the Van Wyck Expressway, and Kennedy Airport. I was facing Canarsie but was too far away to actually see it. I attempted to call a Kosher delicatessen in the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn to deliver food to my hotel room, but they wanted more than $25.00 just to deliver it, exclusive of the cost of food. I declined. Needless to say, despite its limited menu, the restaurant downstairs was good but nothing spectacular. Aside from dinner, the hotel room was absolutely free because I had a certificate to stay one weekend night at any Marriott up to a category 4 hotel. This property graciously accepted my certificate, no questions asked. If you need to stay near Kennedy Airport for the night, I would recommend staying here.
The bed was comfortable, although I did not get much sleep that night. I still had no idea whether I was going to be flying Concorde the next day. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I called my answering machine at home. No messages. I have no idea as to the status of the Air France strike the next day or of the air traffic controllers strike in France the day after. I set the alarm clock early the next morning so that I may catch the 5:30 Courtyard by Marriott shuttle to arrive at Air France ticketing at 6:00 sharp. Only then will I find out whether or not I will actually fly Concorde...
[This message has been edited by Canarsie (edited 06-26-2003).]
After taking the train from ticketing at Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, I went inside Delta Air Lines BusinessElite International Lounge in Terminal E. I walked up to the desk and presented my ticket. One woman behind the desk questioned the fact that I was going to New York and not traveling internationally. I explained to her that this segment of my itinerary was actually part of my international itinerary. A puzzled look conquered her face as she looked at my ticket in sheer bewilderment. She then solicited the assistance of a co-worker seated next to her. After a brief discussion, I was then asked what was Air France flight 1, as there was no designation of either business or first class. I replied ever-so-innocently, That is the Concorde. Her co-workers eyebrows immediately popped up and, while smiling and nodding, replied in an obviously joking manner, I guess the Concorde qualifies! The first woman had no clue as to what Concorde was and was still befuddled as I retrieved my ticket and proceeded to a window seat. That scenario, along with both womens expressions, was in itself worth the miles used to fly Concorde!
The lounge was nice, spacious, clean and comfortable, but provided little in sustenance. There were some pretzels, creme-filled waffle cookies and a few other munchies, along with some juice, water and soft drinks (and possibly alcoholic beverages, but I do not drink so I do not know). I did see someone behind the counter setting up for what appears to be a serving for hot hors doeuvres, but I never did sample them nor even ever found out what they were since I had a 3:30 (15:30) flight to catch.
I made the journey to gate E34 (almost as far to the end as one can go in the airport in Atlanta) and arrived just in time to board. I was on a 767 with BusinessElite configuration, so I got to play my electronic games on the built-in console. I was served a turkey and cheddar cheese sandwich on a roll with a pickle, some lettuce and tomato, and a bland cucumber and tomato salad with what appeared to be dill seasoning. It was served on that oversized paper-towel-on-steroids (instead of the white linen) which Delta currently uses in their domestic premium cabins. Overall, it was a very pleasant flight which arrived at Kennedy Airport on time. The weather was nearly perfect in Atlanta, but cloudy, cold and dreary in New York.
After departing from that lousy excuse-for-a-terminal 3 at Kennedy Airport and finding the obscure shuttle stop around the corner from the terminal exit, I waited a long time for the shuttle to the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the airport, before finally figuring out how to contact the shuttle to come in the first place (I thought it made regular rounds around the airport, which some other hotel shuttles were doing). I was assured that the shuttle would be there in a few minutes and that I was waiting at the correct location. Nothing is obvious at this terminal, and I am a seasoned traveler. In fact, I grew up and lived in Canarsie in Brooklyn at one time, which is only 15 minutes away! I have used Kennedy Airport many times (no sympathy necessary, please), yet I somewhat felt I was in a foreign third-world country, breathing obnoxious exhaust from speeding cars and buses. No shuttle appeared after my first call, so I called again. The shuttle finally appeared after my second call, more than an hour after I first arrived at that shuttle stop. The flight landed at approximately 5:40 (17:40) but I did not step into my hotel room until 7:00 (19:00).
The Courtyard by Marriott NYC/JFK Airport hotel is not in the best of neighborhoods (Jamaica, New York), but it is convenient, clean and quiet. I was in a room on one of the upper floors with a view facing west of the hotels next door, the Belt Parkway, the Van Wyck Expressway, and Kennedy Airport. I was facing Canarsie but was too far away to actually see it. I attempted to call a Kosher delicatessen in the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn to deliver food to my hotel room, but they wanted more than $25.00 just to deliver it, exclusive of the cost of food. I declined. Needless to say, despite its limited menu, the restaurant downstairs was good but nothing spectacular. Aside from dinner, the hotel room was absolutely free because I had a certificate to stay one weekend night at any Marriott up to a category 4 hotel. This property graciously accepted my certificate, no questions asked. If you need to stay near Kennedy Airport for the night, I would recommend staying here.
The bed was comfortable, although I did not get much sleep that night. I still had no idea whether I was going to be flying Concorde the next day. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I called my answering machine at home. No messages. I have no idea as to the status of the Air France strike the next day or of the air traffic controllers strike in France the day after. I set the alarm clock early the next morning so that I may catch the 5:30 Courtyard by Marriott shuttle to arrive at Air France ticketing at 6:00 sharp. Only then will I find out whether or not I will actually fly Concorde...
[This message has been edited by Canarsie (edited 06-26-2003).]
Jun 23, 2003 | 7:09 pm
#4
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 27,015
The suspense is killing me. When will we see part 3? This cliffhanger is driving me crazy 
Assuming you got to Malta, want to know if you had a good Brad Pitt sighting?
Edited, because I remembered that Brad Pitt was shooting a film in Malta.
[This message has been edited by obscure2k (edited 06-23-2003).]
Assuming you got to Malta, want to know if you had a good Brad Pitt sighting?
Edited, because I remembered that Brad Pitt was shooting a film in Malta.
[This message has been edited by obscure2k (edited 06-23-2003).]
Jun 24, 2003 | 3:47 pm
#9
Original Poster
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 25,436
I apologize, everybody. I am still catching up on everything else, including all the FlyerTalk forums (fora?). The story is being posted in pieces simply because I post each segment just after I finish writing it!
Day 2 Part I
I wake up in the dark about a half-hour before the alarm clock, which was set to go off at 4:45 in the morning. I did not get much sleep because I am excited that I will get to go on the Concorde or will I? My return flight has already been cancelled, and my outbound Concorde flight is in jeopardy.
I call my answering machine again. No messages. Maybe everything will work out after all. I have to think positive.
I groom myself and skip breakfast because of the anticipation of being in the Concorde lounge. I am downstairs at 5:15 for the 5:30 shuttle to the airport. Everybody boards, and the shuttle is crowded. There is only one seat left. The shuttle driver waits outside to assist two more people. It is now 5:35. Darkness eventually gives way to a cloudy, dreary grey morning. What is he going to do, use a shoehorn to pry them into one seat? They sure are taking their time! What is the problem? 5:40. Come on, please! I thought to myself, Drive this stupid thing to the Air France terminal, just in case there are problems with Concorde! If I were the one for whom you were waiting, you would have left me behind already! I can tell that the other passengers on the shuttle bus were also starting to get anxious. The shuttle driver, finely dressed in a black suit and tie, finally decided the two potential passengers will not be ready, gets into the driver's seat and we proceed to the airport.
The excitement and nervousness builds. In what seemed to be an eternity, the shuttle bus finally approaches the Air France terminal at approximately 6:00.
I grab my bags and get off the shuttle bus. The driver closes the door and drives off. I look around. Nobody is outside the terminal. It appears to be dark inside. I reach for the door.
The door is locked...
Day 2 Part I
I wake up in the dark about a half-hour before the alarm clock, which was set to go off at 4:45 in the morning. I did not get much sleep because I am excited that I will get to go on the Concorde or will I? My return flight has already been cancelled, and my outbound Concorde flight is in jeopardy.
I call my answering machine again. No messages. Maybe everything will work out after all. I have to think positive.
I groom myself and skip breakfast because of the anticipation of being in the Concorde lounge. I am downstairs at 5:15 for the 5:30 shuttle to the airport. Everybody boards, and the shuttle is crowded. There is only one seat left. The shuttle driver waits outside to assist two more people. It is now 5:35. Darkness eventually gives way to a cloudy, dreary grey morning. What is he going to do, use a shoehorn to pry them into one seat? They sure are taking their time! What is the problem? 5:40. Come on, please! I thought to myself, Drive this stupid thing to the Air France terminal, just in case there are problems with Concorde! If I were the one for whom you were waiting, you would have left me behind already! I can tell that the other passengers on the shuttle bus were also starting to get anxious. The shuttle driver, finely dressed in a black suit and tie, finally decided the two potential passengers will not be ready, gets into the driver's seat and we proceed to the airport.
The excitement and nervousness builds. In what seemed to be an eternity, the shuttle bus finally approaches the Air France terminal at approximately 6:00.
I grab my bags and get off the shuttle bus. The driver closes the door and drives off. I look around. Nobody is outside the terminal. It appears to be dark inside. I reach for the door.
The door is locked...
Jun 24, 2003 | 8:39 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: CPH
Programs: TK*G
Posts: 385
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Canarsie:
I apologize, everybody. </font>
I apologize, everybody. </font>
Jun 25, 2003 | 11:40 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: BOS
Programs: riding the lifetime status. DL MM / AA MM / vino volo reserve
Posts: 2,973
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Canarsie:
The door is locked...</font>
The door is locked...</font>