Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘air travel’

SJO as she is called was my home airport for many years, so this review of its single, well-hidden VIP lounge may be nudged from stark objectivity by a certain affection for the place.

In spite of the wide spectrum of airlines that now services Costa Rica’s capital city, none of the major North American airlines has a dedicated VIP lounge. You’ll need credentials with a Latin American airline, like Panama’s COPA, or a bolt-on agreement like Priority Pass, my favorite for international airport lounge access. (more…)

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Air travel these days provides a harried soul with very few levers of control. One often feels at the mercy of large forces that swirl about, making a guy on his way home from San Diego feel like the flotsam tossed about by some enormous waves.

So does the Clear Registered Traveler program come as welcome news to the frequent traveler. For a modest annual fee and the provision of enough personal details, one gets an escorted whiz through airport security. I’ve been using this program for a year. It has got me onto a handful of flights I would otherwise have missed and—more importantly—provided me with the luxury of countless hours at home or work that I would have spent standing in a long security line. (more…)

Read Full Post »

As an Indianapolis-based frequent traveler, getting to and through our decrepit airport (whilst we eagerly await the inauguration of our Midfield Terminal in late 2008 ) is at least a weekly adventure. I’ve tried the various parking alternatives, all of which make a passable effort at getting you to the church (or flight) in time.

But nothing rivals the superb service provided by Indy Park Ride & Fly’s off-site ‘valet’ parking service (www.parkrideflyusa.com). I book on-line, then save an hour of time I would have cooled my heals inside the airport by buzzing my way to the IPRF facility as a prebooked client. Within seconds or single-digit minutes of pulling up in my car, I am on a van for the seven-minute drive to the terminal.

The drivers are well-trained and impeccably polite. They ask customers to leave their bags by the van and take a site inside. Minutes later, they pull off the reverse maneouvre, almost always with smile. This is one travel-related tip that it give me no reluctance to fork over.

Upon my return to Indy, I phone before I’m out of the plane. A van quickly picks me up and has me car-side in minutes. In winter, the car is running and warm by the time I slide into its seats.

Indy Park Ride and Fly also provides meticulous detailing of your vehicle while you’re traveling for a substantial but reasonable fee. They also advertise pet boarding services.

I can hardly imagine a more efficient way to get in and out of my local airport. The service is available in many airports, but I have experience only in my hometown facility.

Book. Park. Ride. Fly. You’ll wonder why you spent so much time on the alternatives.

Read Full Post »