DEN Concourse B

November 2013

I love turkey but Mrs. SFO hates turkey, mostly because it takes two days of prep and work, all for a 15 minutes speed meal. So this year we compromised. I agreed to no turkey and she agreed to go on her first Mileage Run. Yes, we all have our price.

I had originally thought about New Years in the Maldives but nixed that idea when it became apparent that most high end resorts double or triple prices and require a 14 day minimum. Seriously? I love the ocean and the beach but 14 days?? We'd go stark-raving crazy. Not going to happen. But four nights for the price of three with free transfers, breakfasts and dinners? Sign me up. Lots of exciting firsts this trip... three news airlines including Etihad, SriLankan and Malaysia, and back-to-back A380s on Malaysia and BA.

-United Airlines "First Class" DEN-IAD
-Etihad First and Business Class Lounge at IAD
-Etihad First
-Etihad First Class Washington to Abu Dhabi
-Etihad First Class Lounge at AUH
-Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa
-Etihad Business Class Abu Dhabi to Malé
-Private Boat Transfer from Malé to Reethi Rah
-One&Only Reethi Rah
-Private Boat Transfer from Reethi Rah to Malé
-Priority Lounge at MLE
-SriLankan Business Class Malé to Colombo
-Colombo International Airport and the CMB Transit Hotel
-SriLankan Serendib Lounge at CMB
-SriLankan Business Class Colombo to Kuala Lumpur
-Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
-Malaysia Airlines Temporary Lounge at KUL
-Cathay Pacific First and Business Class Lounge at KUL
-Malaysia AIrlines A380 FIrst Class Kuala Lumpur to London
-Corinthia Hotel London
-British Airways Concorde Room at LHR
-British Airways A380 First Class LHR-LAX... Not
-British Airways Galleries B Lounge
-British Airways A380 First Class LHR-LAX
-United Airlines First Class LAX-DEN

We arrived at DIA at T-70 and were thru PreCheck in less than a minute as we were the only pax using PreCheck. The train system had apparently already started the Thanksgiving holiday as we sat pack to the gills for 5 minutes before it departed. With a United lunch fight ahead, we headed at Elway's for something edible.

Despite my warnings, Mrs. SFO had a protein shake at home and wasn't hungry. I warned you sweetie. Yes, this was much better than United's pathetic shrimp salad/chipotle wrap options.

But first up, the only negative about Denver, a positioning flight with North America's worst airline... using 25K LifeMiles.

United 1504
DEN-IAD
737-900
11:32A-4:40P
November 26, 2013
Seats 3AB

Not a lot of leg room in F on this sucker. The Y exit row has more room.

Friendly crew, PD water. And naturally the $misek ego trip video.

After take-off, my first G&T of the day.

Surprise, surprise, choice of shrimp salad or chipotle wrap. Does this ever change. I passed but Mrs. SFO was "hungry" and chose the shrimp salad.

A far cry from my AA shrimp salad last week, on a 2 hour DEN-LAX RJ Eagle

Chocolate chip cookie was good despite the "classy" UA presentation.

Yo Jeff, here's how they should be served.

Despite the miserable rainy weather today, we arrive only 10 minutes late at the C concourse. Long unattractive walk to the train.

It's Washington, so why am I not surprised that the first stop after C was A.

Gate B22 February 2014

What could be more romantic than Valentine's Day and weekend in the most romantic and beautiful city on earth? Well... other than cleaning out our Mileage Plus accounts with the last Lufthansa First seats before the "we know we're crap compared to our partners" MP partner devaluation.

Mrs. SFO and I are off for the weekend in our most favorite city. But what an ordeal getting good connections. Once again, DEN is the ugly stepchild in the LH network. Relegated to perpetual old First and despite an F6 cabin on DEN-FRA, LH essentially forgot about DEN this week and didn't release any O (First Class award) seats. Seriously? They kept opening more ORD, DFW, SEA and DTW First seats (with a hard to believe six DTW First seats available)... but nooooo, not DEN. OK, I know Peyton and the guys choked in the Super Bowl, but come on!

-United DEN-ORD First Class
-United Global First Lounge at ORD
-Lufthansa ORD-FRA First Class
-Lufthansa First Class Terminal at FRA
-Lufthansa Business Class FRA-CDG
-The Westin Paris-Vendome
-Paris
-Lufthansa Business Class CDG-FRA
-Lufthansa First Class Terminal at FRA
-Lufthansa First Class FRA-DEN

We originally booked DTW-FRA but the prospect of a 3 hour DEN-DTW United Express flight was not very appealing. So when LH released two O seats into an F3 cabin on the new ORD-FRA 747-800, it was a no brainer.

Unfortunately, the black BA cloud that hovers over us has now spilled over to LH as the 748 went mechanical yesterday and was swapped out for a New First 744. Not a bad swap since the seat and bed combo is the best hard product in the skies, but I wanted to try the 748 at least once.

UA 1591
DEN-ORD
737-800
10:30A-1:52P (sked and actual)
February 12, 2014
Seats 4AB
Lunch

No traffic on I-225 this morning and we were at DIA at T-70. As usual for DIA, Pre-Check was packed with kettles. But this time, we used CLEAR to cut to the front of the line. Meanwhile over at the B concourse, the typical UA gate lice scene.

Unlike on AA where only F pax board first, UA boarding commences with Group 1 which means includes GS and others... about 30 pax or so half on their way back to Y.