At the beach in Ohio

When in Ohio, you dont usually think about going to the beach for a day. But up in northeast ohio by lake erie there are several small little towns right by the lake with some small but nice beaches. Yes it is not the same as being by the ocean but during the summer months the water is warmer than the oceans and you can get some waves good for body surfing. The beaches in Conneaut and Ashtabula are well maintained with no trash. There are also beachside parks with concession stands to grab a snack at. There are several marinas too with some seafood restaurants( i havent been to these but they are always busy).

So if we you in Ohio, head up to Ashtabula or Conneaut area and enjoy a day at the beach. Then after be sure to check out Fitzgeralds for dinner on bridge street in Ashtabula( Fitzgeralds, a little gem in Ashtabula) for a relaxing end to your day

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Southwest airlines: The best low cost carrier in the USA?

It is true these days flying economy can be an uncomfortable experience. Seat width and pitch have decreased as the years go by with customer service also going downhill. But is Southwest trying to improve that and do they deliver a good experience?

I have flown most american carriers and it is fair to say they are not at the top of my list of favorite airlines. But southwest has always delivered for me.

To start with their customer service has always been great, gate agents are always friendly and keen to help you. I like their boarding procedure which is far better than United or American. Once you get on board the flight attendants are always cheerfull, and usually make some jokes with the passengers to liven up the mood.

Now the hard product on board the aircraft is pretty good too. You get 32 inch pitch, 17.8 inch width with a 2 inch recline. The seats themselves are very comfortable made from something they call e-leather( not sure what that is). And once airborne they serve free drinks and snacks which is hard to find these days on American carriers.

They do also have on board entertainment delivered through your own device, however one downside is they do not provide in seat power.

Overall i like Southwest and usually try to fly them when traveling domestic. Hope they keep up the good work and keep their product where it is.

Layover in Sydney

So you have a few hours layover at Sydney airport. What can you go and see?

I had about a 5 hour layover in sydney earlier this year and wanted to leave the airport for a bit. Best bet is to take the train from the airport to Circular Quay. This is the station closest to the opera house and boosts stunning views and several good choices for getting a bite to eat. Perfect for spending a couple hours at before heading back to the airport. Note the train from the airport does carry a $20 surcharge but i think its worth it just to see a bit of the city. You can also get a bus which will take a bit longer due to the heavy traffic by the airport. Or if you feel like walking there is a footpath from the terminal to the city although not sure how long this would take.

Frontier Airlines: is it worth it

I have travelled all over the USA and flown most of the airlines. I do like the lost cost carriers and think Southwest has a better product that the economy cabins on the legacy carriers. Last month flying back from Austin to Cleveland i found a $49 ticket on Frontier Airlines, so i thought i would give them a try.

I got to the airport and straight through security as i had checked in online and also paid $10 to choose my seat which was an asile seat. Once i got to the gate i found my 11:30 am flight was delayed by two hours because of a faulty plane in Denver. This was the last annoucement made by the airline. The flight was delayed a further two hours with no more information relayed. Finnally with no apology we were allowed to board at 3:30.

Now the seats were very thin with little padding. Seat pitch was 29 inches and seat width was 18.1 inches which wasnt too bad. If you get a middle seat you do get more room with the width at 19.3 inches, which is a nice touch for passengers seating in the middle seat. The flight was uneventful, and i purchased a can of coke and chips for $5.

Overall i got what i paid for, a cheap flight to get me from A to B. Customer service wasnt great and the seats were not very comfortable. For a short flight it was ok, but for a longer flight i would definatly fly with another carrier.