"Gold (Life) Member" - LASPHXJFK09

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gcmap.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 481 x 241 Size: 27.6 kB Date: 02/09/2009	It's been a bad year for Willard, not only have corporate travel restrictions severely limited his Jet-Set lifestyle in 2008, but the little travel he did do is subject to such onerous security restrictions that he isn't allowed to report on it (at least, not until the 50 year rule expires...). Not only that, but this is exactly the year that he had to travel, as his chosen lifestyle of lounges and premium check-in depends on Ken's bmi Gold card status, and re-qualification this year, should, according to the rules of the Diamond Club program, provide Ken (and thus Willard) Lifetime Gold Member status. Willard was not about to see his last four years of premium travel experiences be for naught, so he has lobbied Ken (ouch! my ribs! stop doing that!) to do one last mileage/status run to ensure that he continues to enjoy the benefits the he, obviously, justly deserves. Thus was hatched this rather strange itinerary, combining the bmi sale fares for the soon-to-be-no-more transatlantic routes from Manchester, with a rather attractive First Class fare from US Airways to New York. This map, provided by the excellent Great Circle Mapper Website shows the rollercoaster ride we will be taking over the next five days, Manchester to Las Vegas, then Las Vegas to New York JFK (via Phoenix), and then back!
P2080109.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 565 Size: 38.8 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Again, we've chosen, due to both cost considerations, and the short length of the trip, to use "Top Gear" Challenge travel rules, and have travelled to Manchester Airport via Train the afternoon before, but you've seen all that before, so here is Willard checking in to the Manchester Airport Hilton ready for his early morning departure to Las Vegas the next day.
P2070101.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 25.0 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Willard's (ahem - Ken's) Hilton Gold status has secured this upgraded deluxe room on a pre-paid rate so cheap we will not mention it, and Willard is quite happy with the room he has ended up in.
P2070102.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 450 Size: 15.1 kB Date: 02/09/2009	The refurbished room even has a nice plasma TV to keep Willard occupied whilst Ken shuffles his luggage around prior to....
P2070103.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 39.8 kB Date: 02/09/2009	What's this? Why are we going to Terminal 3 tonight? We're only due to fly tommorow?!
P2070104.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.0 kB Date: 02/09/2009	....but bmi offer night before check-in for their transatlantic flights from Manchester, so we thought we'd try it out, and thus make the trip to the airport tommorow morning that much less stressfull, by depositing out luggage and getting our boarding passes in-hand (or paw).
P2070105.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 36.8 kB Date: 02/09/2009	And here is Manchester Airport, Terminal 3, on a Saturday night just after 7PM. In total, there were four of us: Willard, Ken, the nice lady from bmi who checked us in, and the guy cleaning the floors! Ken can remember when this area would still be buzzing with passengers at this time - oh how times have changed....
P2070106.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 34.0 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Having found the Terminal 1/3 foodcourt transformed into a new security hall, Willard and Ken went in search of dinner in the terminal (dinner in the hotel having been investigated, but appearing to require a second mortgage). The Burger King in T1 international arrivals had been morphed into a building site, but we found this new diner where the AVIS car rental desk used to be (I wonder if they will still accept our WIZARD number and AWD?)
P2070107.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 42.1 kB Date: 02/09/2009	The "Chef's special Burger" wasn't quite as huge as the menu implied, but still hit the spot and provided Willard with much needed sustenance, whilst staying within budget.
P2070108.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 448 Size: 40.5 kB Date: 02/09/2009	After a rather chilly wait outside T1 Arrivals for the Hotel shuttle (10 minutes my furry [censored]!), Willard grabs another glass of cider before retiring for an early night, ready for the, hopefully now very stress-free, trip to Terminal 3 tomorrow.
P2080110.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 44.5 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Ahh! Breakfast of champions! The afforemntioned ridiculously cheap pre-paid rate at the Hilton also included their buffet breakfast, which Willard thought would make a very good start to the day, however it would appear that the restaurant staff also thought this was far too good a deal, and some clarification was required. (note to Hilton management: Guests should not have to bring their booking confirmation printout down to the restaurant in the morning in order to get the benefits they have paid for in the rate!)
P2080111.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 41.6 kB Date: 02/09/2009	As we arrive (again) at Terminal 3, this is the check-in queue we have bypassed! Such a shame that all of these innovative services (thanks Brian!) will soon be lost (like tears, in rain...) when the bmi transatlantic services cease in April.
P2080113.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 33.5 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Willard checks into the Terminal 3 bmi business/diamond club lounge, whilst the staff confirm that Bears count as valid guests for customers travelling in "the Business".
P2080114.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 566 Size: 21.2 kB Date: 02/09/2009	I'd been telling Willard for weeks that he woud end up on a bmi A330 again today, but now, finally, he believes me!
P2080112.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.3 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Settled in the Diamond Club lounge, Willard relaxes before the flight is called. Another innovative feature of the long-haul services from Manchester is that we will be collected from the lounge by a member of bmi staff and walked in a long procession (much like a secondary school trip to the swimming pools) from the lounge to the gate.
P2080116.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 27.5 kB Date: 02/09/2009	As soon as Willard makes it to the plane, and to his seat, he is immediately plied with a glass of champagne (Cattier Brut Antique, for those keeping track, and a very nice bit of fizz it was too!) by our excellent crew.
P2080115.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 28.4 kB Date: 02/09/2009	As is now expected, as soon as I leave my seat (1K, the front row of this reconfigured Airbus 330), Willard tries to take over, but this time he has mis-calculated - as he can no longer reach the champagne!
P2080117.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 21.0 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Willard is handed the menu prior to departure so that he can choose his starter and main course.
P2080122.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 529 x 640 Size: 26.2 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Whilst exploring the interactive choices from the IFE system, Willard is pleased to see that they have provided at least one Bear-Friendly option for him!
P2080123.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 593 Size: 24.2 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Much later in the flight (after lunch - what are we? airlinemeals.net??) we pass over the northern USA, and find it covered in snow, just like southern england is at he moment!
P2080128.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 26.7 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Whilst we have chosen to treat this 10 hour (ish) flight to Las Vegas as a day flight, Willard is happy to demonstrate the fully-flat position of our seat for our readers. We hope to take advantage of this more fully on the flight back!
P2080131.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 26.0 kB Date: 02/09/2009	As we approach our destination, we are served with another of bmi's unique features, the "Mad Hatter's" Tea Party service - a platter of mixed goodies (mini-sandwiches, thai fishcake, strawberries, mini-scones with clotted cream and jam, fresh strawberries. and a meringue) to fortify us for our arrival.
P2080132.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 23.3 kB Date: 02/09/2009	As we land, we again see how close the Las Vegas strip is to McCarran Airport - you can pick out many of the famous hotels in this skyline.....
P2080139.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 51.9 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Willard checks in at Planet Hollywood, one of the three (soon to be four) Starwood hotels in Las Vegas. Our Starwood Gold status allows us to use the VIP check-in, and bypass the 40 or 50 deep queue for the main reception desks. Also, true to the Planet Holywood ethos, Willard was mobbed by adoring fans (well, two girls) as soon as he got off the shuttle bus!
P2080140.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 28.6 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Our upgraded room is very nice for the rate paid, and will serve us well for our short stay here - the old Aladdin resort has been updated with plasma TV's and other "Hollywood" touches to make a very acceptable place to stay in Vegas.
P2080145.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 28.9 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Our room was "themed" with memorabillia from the movie "El Cid" - not sure where these bits appeared in the film, but we trust Starwood that they did!
P2080146.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 38.5 kB Date: 02/09/2009	OK, the view is not so good, but, to be fair, at check-in we were offered a choice of upgrade, either a room with a "strip view" or a bigger room, and this room definitely qualifies as a "bigger room" so the "roof and air conditioner" view is a worthwhile price to pay.
P2080143.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 580 Size: 31.7 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Especially when you consider the huge bathroom! With his'n'hers (or his'n'bears) sinks at either end......
P2080144.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.2 kB Date: 02/09/2009	....and parallel mirrors that make it seem like it goes on forever (all those Willards!)
P2080142.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 542 x 640 Size: 28.1 kB Date: 02/09/2009	For a true-blue British bear, this huge tub (with Charlton Heston staring down at you, no less) is close to heaven (and if it had been a Whirlpool bath, it would have been heaven!).
P2090147.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 34.6 kB Date: 02/09/2009	After a few hours of jet-lag induced napping, we set out to hunt down a late dinner. Navigating through the depressingly empty looking Casino at Planet Hollywood (I don't know how busy Vegas casinos are normally on a Sunday evening, but it looked pretty dead to me!) we found our way to the "Miracle Mile", shopping and entertainment complex attached to Planet Hollywood.
P2090148.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 475 Size: 51.1 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Willard spotted a new toy whilst window shopping in an art gallery. I'm not sure if he has thought the idea through though, as I can see the need for significant modifications in the handlebar and pedal departments!
P2090150.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 45.9 kB Date: 02/09/2009	We settle on the "La Salsa" Mexican Cantina on the Fountain Square, and opposite the V Theater. Not only does this give Willard an excellent perch for photo oportunities and people watching, but it was one of the few eateries that still seemed to be serving, and actually had a few customers!
P2090151.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 37.4 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Like many places in Vegas, the "Miracle Mile" plunges you into a mindwarping, time-stood-still environment where it is always early evening twilight, even when it is morning/afternoon/pitch-black outside. Actually, for our Jet-lag addled brains, this probably represents quite good therapy.
P2090152.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 34.0 kB Date: 02/09/2009	....but a frozen Margerita represents even better therapy for a jet-lagged Bear! Time to finish off our drinks and head back to the hotel to prepare for our flights tommorow, and perhaps try to get our heads into at least one of the US timezones.
P2090155.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 22.2 kB Date: 02/09/2009	After an interesting Check-In (I do wonder if anyone ever actually buys a First Class ticket on US Airways, since we were offered various upgrade options for our flight before we politely pointed out that we were actually on a paid First Class fare!). We knew the US Airways Club was landside, however we did not realise it's location was a state secret. With a location and lack of signage that makes "Area 51" look positively inviting by comparison, we finally found the door to the club hidden on the mezzanine level to the right of the A Gate First Class security station, between two non-descript staff-only offices. However once through the secret portal, we were welcomed very warmly by the lounge staff on the basis of our bmi gold status (since in the USA domestic First Class does not include automatic lounge access), which sort of helps to justify the whole point of this trip!
P2090153.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 27.8 kB Date: 02/09/2009	Willard takes the weight off his paws in the compact, but well appointed US Airways lounge.
P2090154.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 32.8 kB Date: 02/09/2009	He also finds the well stocked bar (but, like most American airlines, the alcoholic drinks are not complimentary), but feels it's a little to early to partake of anything but his glass of apple juice, and perhaps, to further help convice his brain that it is breakfast time, a nice cup of tea!
P2090157.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 52.9 kB Date: 02/17/2009	We breeze through the priority security lane to our gate, but, only in Vegas, do you find one-armed bandits ganging up on you in the terminal! Just in case you are in any danger of Leaving Las Vegas with some of their money in your pockets!
P2090158.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 20.7 kB Date: 02/17/2009	The short flight from Las Vegas to Phoenix was uneventful, apart from the fact that we left the gate on time, and then spent over half an hour touring the taxiways of McCarran airport due to flow-control restrictions into PHX. On arrival at Phoenix, we ran from our arrival gate to the departure gate, to find the flight to JFK just starting to board, making us wonder what a short connection on US might look like, since our 75 minute connection was a bit of a sprint! Anyway, Willard settles into his US Airways First Class seat (1A) to enjoy the four and a half hour flight to New York.
P2100161.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 524 Size: 37.8 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After some slightly keystone-cops style running around the terminal in our attempts to meet up with fellow Flyertalker dhammer53, Willard settles down in the very compact bar in the Sheraton JFK to wait wait for our impromptu Flyertalk meet.
P2100160.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 628 x 640 Size: 37.8 kB Date: 02/17/2009	dhammer53 came bear-ing gifts! Genuine New York Italian pizza! Willard was not only glad to meet up with yet another Flyertalker, but was very impressed with his taste in pizza! If dhammer53 recommends pizza, Willard advises you listen, as he knows his pie! This was one seriously tasty pizza.
P2100164.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 42.3 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After saying goodbye to dhammer53 Willard's jet-lag allows him to have a long sleep, and the next morning, all thoughts of taking a trip into Manhattan are quitely dispensed with. It was all I could do to rouse the little fella for breakfast!
P2100162.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 39.9 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Though we did not get upgraded to the Club floor on this (award) stay, and thus with our new, lowly, Starwood Gold status, were not strictly entitled to access the club lounge, the Manager graciously allowed us in so that Willard could see what he was missing.
P2100163.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 38.1 kB Date: 02/17/2009	The small, open Club lounge nethertheless includes all of the creature comforts Willard expects, and the fact that the hotel has chosen to offer complimentary WiFi access to all guests is something we think should be encouraged (and publicised by the management!)
P2100165.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 557 x 640 Size: 33.7 kB Date: 02/17/2009	The Sheraton JFK does offer a pool and Whirlpool, and Willard thinks that is just what he needs to get his circulation moving for the upcoming return flight(s) to Las Vegas.
P2100166.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 595 Size: 39.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	All too soon, it's time for Willard to towel himself off and check-out of the Sheraton JFK to start the return leg of his US Airways-a-thon and go back to Las Vegas (via Phoenix!)
P2100172.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 23.9 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Check-in for US Airways at JFK was both well hidden and completely deserted. Even Willard's usually reliable charms had difficulty distracting the staff at the First Class check-in from their magazines and conversation, but once we had got our boarding passes, and been advised that our Star Gold status would definitely not allow us into the United Airlines Red Carpet Club, we arrived, and were admitted to, the Red Carpet Club, by the not exactly welcoming, but somewhat better informed staff at the lounge. ( - Carpet may not actually be red, or clean, VIP welcome only available on alternate Feb 29ths that co-incide with full-moon. not all ameneties available/working at any location, randomly made up terms and conditions may be applied at the whim of staff.)
P2100168.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 39.2 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Always one to make a bee-line for the lounge foliage, Willard tours the UA RCC at JFK T7, this is an amply sized lounge, though, like all RCC's, a bit thin on creature comforts. We also thought it was a little stingy to dis-allow Star Gold guests from the free WiFi (sternly informed "RCC Members Only!) in the lounge. It was noted that this lounge could also have been accessed via Willard's Priority Pass card, though still no WiFi via this route!
P2100169.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 34.2 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After spending some time at one of the desks (we only had to try three before we found one where the 'phone, power and chair all worked at once), we relaxed in the easy chairs, before taking a stroll into the terminal to hunt down a late lunch (food in the RCC was limited to crisps).
P2100170.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 42.4 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After looking at the various options, and deciding to eschew the food-court, we sat down at the rather trendy (but deserted!) Atlantic Bar, and had a glass of wine and a sandwich to put us on until our flight.
P2100175.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 14.8 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After boarding our flight to back to Phoenix, we had a bitter-sweet moment as we queued to take off from JFK, looking out over the runway to see the Hudson river, I realised that the last time I'd departed from JFK (and, indeed, Terminal 7) had been on that venerable old bird, Concorde, sadly, now passed into history (and ignomy as a museum exhibit!), and poor Willard will never get to feel the thrill as his furry backside attempts to overtake the rest of his body as "the Rocket" took off with full afterburners. A real shame, as a flight on Concorde would have been a classic "Willard" experience, Mach 2, Dom Perignon, Caviar and all! Anyway, on this flight we will have to make do with more pedestrian transportation, and Willard will have to content himself with tales of past glories from me.
P2110177.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 579 x 640 Size: 27.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After an abortive attempt to standby onto the earlier Las Vegas flight, we tracked back up the A concourse at Phoenix and went up to the US Airways Club. Willard apologises for the shaky nature of the flight, and puts it down to the large number of glasses of red wine consumed by his photographer on the previous flight (Hic!)
P2110176.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 41.1 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After a trouble free admission to the lounge, Willard surveys the well stocked bar in the lounge, but eventually decides to steer clear in order to ensure that subsequent pictures are sharp/right way up/ taken in the correct direction......
P2120205.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 38.0 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After a slightly more brusque check-in on this second visit to Planet Hollywood (hence, no picture) Willard surveys his upgraded room. The same choice as last time, a larger room with no view, or a strip view. Willard is pleased to see that this room is, in fact, pretty much the same size as the previous one, and does, as you can see have (sort of) a strip view. Certainly not bad for the bargain-basement price paid.
P2110178.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 553 x 640 Size: 39.8 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Though we'd eaten on the flight from JFK-PHX, by the time we arrived and unpacked, hunger (possibly further exasipated by jet-lag) had asserted itself, so we found ourselves in Planet Dailies, the 24 hour Casino-side restaurant with a menu the length of a novel, with pretty much every style of cooking in the world represented! Of course, the fact that we'd got a discount voucher in our goodies pack at check-in was purely co-incidental....
P2110179.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 573 x 640 Size: 37.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	And so, with the offered discount stretching our budget, steak and chips (sorry, fries) was our choice of meal, served without any regard to the fact that it was well past midnight!
P2110181.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 39.2 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After much needed sleep for both myself and Willard, we wandered back into the "Miracle Mile" the next morning and found ourselves inexorably drawn to "Las Vegas Cheeseburger", as an alternative breakfast option. After some negotiation with the hostess, we managed to barter the offered "unlimited coffee" for "unlimited hot tea", to better match Willard's British palate!
P2110182.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 580 Size: 45.1 kB Date: 02/17/2009	The menu proudly announced "Yes, you can have a cheeseburger for breakfast", so we felt we just had to take them up on the offer, and would have to say that it's an unconventional but very Vegas-style breakfast for a slightly sleepy bear!
P2110185.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 34.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	So, for our only full day in Vegas, Willard has decided to stick with the Top Gear Challenge rules and use the Las Vegas Bus system. Here he is on the top deck of "The Deuce", which is a regular shuttle service running up and down the strip. On the plus side, the 7 dollar 24 hour pass gives access not only to this service, but to the whole of the Vegas bus system, and it's actually pretty tourist-friendly. On the minus side, we saw no evidence of the Deuce Ambassadors promised by the LVRTC website, and the driver who sold us our transit pass had the whole "service with a snarl" thing really worked out!
P2110183.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 27.3 kB Date: 02/17/2009	When you're in Vegas, you've only got two options - gamble money, or spend money. Given that we're doing this trip on a budget, a trip to one of the two outlet malls in Vegas seemed to be the best way of implementing option (b) and managing our expenses. I'm pleased to say that even with the weaker sterling, the outlet prices still looked attractive - but there was very little available in Willard's size!
P2110196.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 28.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Back to our room, and a view in daylight shows that this room is pretty much the same as the last one! Inkeeping with Planet Holywood style guidelines, this room appears to be dedicated to the late, great, John Candy, co-star of one of Willard's favourite films: Planes, Trains and Automobiles (note - link to the famous Car Rental scene may be NSFW if you have the sound on!).
P2110198.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 501 x 640 Size: 24.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Another room, another big bath, this time with Princess Vespa, Barf, and Lone Star (of Spaceballs fame) staring down at us.
P2110191.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 33.8 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Daylight gives us another opportunity to compare and contrast the "strip view" with the "non-Strip View" of our two rooms. This is the view out of the oblong window.....
P2110194.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.2 kB Date: 02/17/2009	....and this is the view out of the other oblong window. (And no, Willard has scoured his family tree and is not related to either Big Ted or Little Ted).
P2110199.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 37.8 kB Date: 02/17/2009	For lunch, we find ourselves again feeling the irresistible gravitational pull of Las Vegas Cheeseburger, and are thus pulled in by it's tractor beam.....
P2120200.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 39.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	....breakfast was so good that we decided we had to see what they could do for a meal, and the special offer on cocktails definitely added additional power to the tractor beam they appeared to have aimed at us. For a mid-priced burger, we have to say we were impressed, however in hindsight ordering both the Bleu Cheese and Bacon Burger and the Cheesy Chilli Fries may have been a little ambitious, though it did help down two cocktails nicely!
P2120202.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 40.3 kB Date: 02/17/2009	And where would Vegas be without the huge plastic beakers full of frozen cocktails? Willard has gone for the "twice as tall as I am" option for his bargain-priced frozen Margherita - what could possibly go wrong?
P2120208.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 47.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	.....so, the plan was to have a short siesta and then venture out for our last night to one of the Las Vegas Buffets (probably the rather interesting sounding unlimited Japanese Sushi buffet!). About six hours later, way way after everything had closed, we awoke and wandered down to the Casino floor, which looked, as it had on most of the trip, pretty empty!
P2120206.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 564 Size: 30.7 kB Date: 02/17/2009	So, due to the late hour, and the extended Jet Lag (after all, two cocktails followed by a yard of frozen Margherita couldn't possibly be anything to do with it, could it?) we found ourselves back in Planet Dailies, home of the 24 hour mid-winning-streak feast, and, to stay inkeeping with our all-American theme, it was time for another burger!
P2120212.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 44.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Last morning in Vegas before our final flight back home, and there is just time for some whistle-stop sightseeing! Here we are outside Planet Hollywood considering a wander down the strip.
P2120209.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 39.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Since the bus pass we bought yesterday was a 24 hour deal, it's still valid, so we could take this Deuce shuttle bus up the strip if we wanted, but instead Willard decides to simply admire the quality advertising for Penn & Teller's famous Vegas show, before a leisurely saunter down the strip.
P2120213.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 36.4 kB Date: 02/17/2009	I'm pretty sure we did the "How did we end up in Paris" routine on our last trip to Vegas, but we still couldn't resist doing this iconic picture again!
P2120222.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 47.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	The Vegas monorail! Just like the ones that put the towns of Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook on the map! Monorail! Monorail!! Monorail!!. Seriously though, I can't walk past the Vegas Monorail without thinking of that classic Simpsons Monorail Episode and can't help but wonder where the Simpsons writers got the idea of a monorail as the classic "White Elephant" civic project that never quite delivers.......
P2120215.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 45.2 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Willard's on the strip (technically about 30 feet above it actually!)
P2120218.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 53.7 kB Date: 02/17/2009	And a quick tourist-y picture of Willard and Bellagio, very iconic, and, to be fair to Vegas architects, they do seem to manage to make their multi-thousand room behemoths look quite impressive from the outside.
P2120223.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 38.9 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Back to the Miracle Mile for a late breakfst before we pack and travel back to McCarran. This was actually a pretty good deal at the Mexican restaurant, $3.95 for breakfast, so good, we had to celebrate with a Mimosa!
P2120224.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 588 x 640 Size: 32.8 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After a relatively uneventful check-in back at Las Vegas Terminal 2 (including one of the most polite secondary handbaggage screening I've ever had!) we arrive at one of the most exclusive lounges in the bmi network, the T2 international VIP lounge, accessible by business/first class passengers ONLY - no Diamond Club Gold (programme rules be damned), no Star Golds, no Priority Pass, no excuses!
P2120225.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 40.2 kB Date: 02/17/2009	....Bears, on the other hand are welcomed! For the last time in the forseeable future, Willard checks in at this LAS lounge, and is instantly recognised (after all it isn't his first time here) by the staff and accorded the VIB treatment he justly deserves!
P2120233.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 41.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	The well stocked, and complimentary, serviced bar is a welcome contrast to the US domestic lounges, and, even more so the United "Red Carpet Club" that we've been inhabiting for the last few days. Not quite the Lufthansa First Class Terminal, to be sure, but nevertheless, it contains all of the gold-plated oppulence that a septegenerian first-time Vegas Jackpot winner would no doubt associate with having arrived in the big time!
P2120228.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 24.3 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Boss, BOSS, de plane! De plane! Our bmi A330 arrives in from Manchester, a little late, but otherwise in one piece, and makes for the gate adjacent to the lounge,
P2130251.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 29.1 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Boarding calls in the lounge were somewat delayed, generating the usual angst amongst other passengers that we may have been forgotten about, and, indeed, even uber-flyer Willard felt the need to poke his furry snout round the door to see how bording was progressing, and found that it had nearly finished, so we beat the general boarding announcement by about 5 minutes, and so Willard took the opportunity to take a quick peek to see where the old business class seats had gone, and found them just behind us in the New (Premium) Economy cabin. Willard thinks that these seats will make a long haul economy flight much more bear-able - such a shame that in a few months, bmi won't have any long haul routes any more! (and no, Nigel, Egypt and Tel-Aviv are not long haul from the UK, they're mid-haul!)
P2120235.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 26.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After his quick sight-seeing tour, Willard gets back to our seat in business class, at the back of the cabin this time, and so we have the advertised 15" seatback LCD for our IFE.
P2120236.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 28.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	As boarding progressed, Willard became increasingly excited, as the seat next to us remained free, and it looked like, for the first flight in a very long time, the famed Gold Card seat blocking benefit would have actually worked for us. But, alas and alack, a very apologetic In-Flight Supervisor advised us that the gate staff had made a mistake, and a passenger had been upgraded from PE into the seat reserved for flight crew rest on this over 8 hour flight, so we were politely asked to accept a seat-mate for this flight, and were happy to re-acquaint ourselves with and new old friend from our outbound flight, as we said hello to the very same lady we sat next to on the way out.
P2120238.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 475 x 640 Size: 24.5 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Willard says goodbye to the Las Vegas strip as we taxi to our runway, and again marvels at how close the strip, and indeed the whole of Las Vegas, is to the airport.
P2120239.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 31.8 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After take-off, we re-acquaint ourselves with United935 whom we met in the lounge, and spent some time conversing with (Flyertalk has a special section where members recount their chance enounters with each other in far-flung places as a result of the striking yellow baggage tags Flyertalk prints up, called "Flyertalk luggage tags really work!", but Willard can definitely confirm that being an internationally famous teddy bear and, frequent flyer icon works better!). Willard is keen to bring his fellow flyertalker a glass of champagne back from Business Class (United935 wisely chose the better value, but slightly less mileage option of premium economy) and as he poses for a picture, we find two crew members fighting with his seat in order to get the footrest to behave as he, sadly, finds that seat 10A is broken on this flight, and even his paid premium passenger status does not entice any of the non-revenue passengers with working seats to swap with him.
P2120240.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 25.3 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Back to our seat, and the wonderful little savoury shortbread biscuits that came with the champagne have lived a very short, but glorious existence when placed too close to Willard's paws!
P2120241.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 33.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	However, this is after all considered a night flight, so Willard opts to loosen his tie (and shirt, and trousers!) before dinner.....
P2120242.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 28.1 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Definitely time to change into our sleeper suit(s), unfortunately bmi still aren't stocking sleeper suits (or hangars!) in Willard's size, but we've, as always, come prepared!
P2120243.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 27.1 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After a quick change, the suitably relaxed Willard surveys his chosen starter of smoked duck slices, which was very tasty, though the duck really was wafer thin.
P2120244.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 26.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	When we selected the "Morrocan Lamb Chop" the on-board chef pointed out that it was quite a small portion, and, as usual, he knew exactly what he was talking about! Very nice, but really more of a starter than a main course! Sadly, though the cheese board was listed as an "anytime" option on the menu, it wasn't available when we asked later, nor was any alternative offered, so our choice of main course did generate some hunger pangs later on in the flight....
P2130245.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 29.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After a small, but perfectly formed, lunch, Willard can settle himself down to sleep in these new Business Class seats, and really try then out for sleeping in!
P2130247.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 18.7 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Nite nite Willard!
P2130248.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 28.7 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Since our midnight snack options had been thwarted, we were *really* ready for our cooked breakfast! It was all I could do to keep Willard off it whilst I took this photo!
P2130249.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 15.0 kB Date: 02/17/2009	And we're back to sunny (??!!) Manchester as we find ourselves on final approach to Manchester Airport - another Willard trip nearly over.......
P2130252.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 44.6 kB Date: 02/17/2009	After a relatively painless trip through UK immigration, and a happy reunion with our hold baggage (no further damage this time thankfully!) we proceed, vouchers in-hand to the SAS Radisson, where we hand in our excess bags at the bell desk and take bmi up on it's offer of Coffee and Croissant in the lounge. In happier days, at the start of the bmi transatlantic service, the Radisson's interpretation of this voucher was very broad, with it generally giving you admission to the full breakfast buffet, however, in these more trying times, you get exactly what it says on the voucher: 1 cup coffee (tea if pressed) drinking for the use of, one (1) croissant, and one copy of the FT, reading for the use of - all present and correct *Sir!*
P2130253.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 640 x 480 Size: 31.9 kB Date: 02/17/2009	Willard checks in at the Radisson health club, for a quick refershing shower (though the showers would benefit from some deep-cleaning sadly - I prefer to be the only thing alive in my shower stall thank-you!) and a half-hour laze by the pool before we embark on our journey home. But, as we're getting ready to leave, we get a call from and old friend of Willard, Brian, the bmi station manager for Manchester, and we just have to go and thank him for all the happy years of transatlantic service he's presided over.
P2130254.jpg View Now "Gold (Life) Member" - Do you expect me to walk, Goldmember? No, Mr. Bear, I expect you to fly!	Dimensions: 480 x 640 Size: 39.4 kB Date: 02/17/2009	So, after we discuss the realities of life after long-haul with Brian, Willard takes a Photo opportunity with some of the great people who have made the bmi long-haul service the chart topper that it was, and who hope, like Willard and I do, that the big birds will return to MAN before too long! From the left we have Michelle, Brian and Lyndsey from the bmi Manchester ground team. That's then end of Gold (Life) Member but Willard the Bear will return, in "Fly Another Day".