Economy and a Studio Just Isn't Good Enough: Day 16 Is This Good Enough?

[tonymc]

Day 16: 26/08/16
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One good thing about this flying from Jacksonville, Joanne said to try and put a positive on our travel day, is that we aren't hanging around waiting... hmm, I would rather have been on the late direct flight to Manchester and another day in a park, but I guess she has a point!

With the car loaded, a visit to the Carriage House to sort out our bill, and for Joanne and Alex to have a final raid at Artist's Pallette to use up our final CS credits on some sandwiches/snacks/drinks for the journey, and the final Snack Credits on more sweets/cookies for home.

And at 10:45, we were on our way. An uneventful journey retracing our route back along the I-4, I-95 and I-295 to JAX, arriving at 13:40 to hand our car back to Hertz. Return took just a few minutes, then a stroll to the terminal that was blissfully quiet - most unlike Orlando that is usually manic. Having cheeked our bags, a stop at KFC for Alex, then preparation for security.

This time, unlike Atlanta, all the staff must have been trained by Disney as it actually was a pleasure to go through security - not often you hear that. The staff were having a laugh with passengers, and quite a few were obviously regulars as they were greeted by name on sight.

This took 5 mins at the most, then we headed for the Delta Lounge, which actually looked busier than the main area. We were welcomed in and invited to help ourselves to refreshments, and again, it was noticeable how many travellers arriving after us were greeted on sight as again, they must have been regular visitors.

The flight to Atlanta was again short, around 50 mins from pushing off stand at JAX to arrival. The AirTrain took us right along the airport to the International Terminal, where with no security checks, it made for a pleasant transfer.

After some final shopping, we made our way to another Delta Sky Lounge, significantly bigger than JAX, and which also boasted showers and an outdoor patio area.

This passed the couple of hours until our VA flight was ready for boarding, and a quick walk down to the departure gate followed by the "now to be expected on future flights" greeting of turn left as we entered the aircraft! The cabin was around 50% full, so again plenty of room and very attentive staff.

Settled into our seats and airborne, dinner was offered - I had the tomato and sweetcorn chowder, beef fillet with sauce and veg, plus cheese to finish. Alex just had the steak, and I think Joanne had Salmon and the cheese.

With dinner out of the way and having had the odd glass of something "strong", the seats were converted into beds so hopefully being able to get 4 or 5 hours sleep in. Although Joanne and Alex managed some sleep, I have to admit I found the seats a little restrictive on elbow room when seated, and claustrophobic when lying down, unlike the BA Club World Seats where you at least have one side open - the downside with BA being no privacy. Some you win...

We landed at Manchester around 08:00, and a quick immigration clearance via the automated passport reader, and the wait for luggage. With flying UC, our baggage was among the first off, so it was just a case of wheeling it around to the Meet & Greet area to pick up the car. A quick 30 minutes saw us picking up the dog, then a few minutes later finally rolling into the drive, at least not having several days of washing to do!

Well that's it - another year's holiday done and dusted. Next year's planning is still up in the air as we aren't sure if Alex will be doing a stint at Camp America, or if her Film & TV Production course will be best served by a revisit to California and the Hollywood area - decisions, decisions! One thing for sure - we won't be flying economy

[collybird]

Sounds like an exciting year for Alex regardless of what she decides, good luck to her with uni!

[tonymc]

Thanks for reading, and have a great holiday yourself.

[LozzaManse]

Great trip report, thanks for taking the time to complete it. Nice to see how much you've been able to fit in. I'd love to do a trip report when we go next year but not sure I'd keep up with it. Any tips? Maybe a food report would be easier!

[tonymc]

Originally Posted by LozzaManse

Great trip report, thanks for taking the time to complete it. Nice to see how much you've been able to fit in. I'd love to do a trip report when we go next year but not sure I'd keep up with it. Any tips? Maybe a food report would be easier!

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Thanks for reading. Have to admit that the busy days guides really do help us to get the most out of our visits, so well worth planning around these.

With regard to trip reports, I tend to jot down the key happenings from the day in the Notes on my iPad, then flesh them out when we have half an hour spare. You could always try using the Phot Trip Report - as they say, a picture tells a thousand words - it's just that we tend not to take too many photos ourselves for some reason.

[slow.jo]

Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful holiday. I really enjoyed reading!

Jo xx

[Cinderella]

Great report!

[tonymc]

Originally Posted by slow.jo

Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful holiday. I really enjoyed reading!

Jo xx

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Originally Posted by Cinderella

Great report!

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Thanks both for reading - glad you enjoyed reading. Hope you both have a great time when you go.

[mossyflossy]

Another great read, and well done to Alex on her exams. Where are you off to next year?

[tonymc]

Thanks Ruth. Not sure where we are going next year as Alex may be working at Camp America, or may want to tie in something film production related from her degree course. Pity with the recent flight deals on BA we could have sorted some cheap-ish flights out, but as Eeyore says, Ho-hum!