San Francisco Here I Come!

YES!  A return trip to the City By The Bay...in June/July 2011!

So maybe I've gone a bit overboard already booking trips for 2011, but hey, a girl needs something to look forward too!

A couple weeks ago I was checking out what airfares might be for a return trip to Seattle during warmer months than January.  The prices weren't so bad, about $350 round trip.  Then I got to thinking...I had such a great time in San Francisco last year in July, why don't I see what the airfare would be for July 2011.

BINGO!  For July 4th weekend a round trip airfare was $310...for me, it was a no-brainer...I purchased the ticket.  Now, it's time to think about whether to stay in the city the whole weekend or should this trip be an adventure into Sonoma or Napa?

There's plenty of time to decide, but I'm excited to be going back to one of my favorite cities!

Hello Vintage Park, A Kimpton Hotel!

Yippee!  I will finally be staying at a Kimpton Hotel!  I booked the Vintage Park, one of three Seattle Kimpton hotels.

While I was putting together my hotel plans for my February Asia trip I started browsing hotel options for my January trip to Seattle.  I was hoping to get another great friends and family rate at the Crowne Plaza like I did last year, but no luck with that, so I started looking at the Kimpton website.

I have had a desire for awhile to stay at a Kimpton property, but the opportunity had not presented itself, until last week.  While perusing the Kimpton website I found a special they were running for winter months. Although not a rock bottom price, it was below the regular rates.  I made the reservation with the caveat that it could be cancelled, so that I can continue to look for lower rates, but if I don't find any I will at least have the Kimpton reservation.

Hanoi Hotel Booked!

For my 2011 trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand I will be doing most of the traveling with a small group tour.  In my usual fashion I decided to arrive in Hanoi, our first city on the tour, a couple days before the tour begins.

I had the option of staying at the hotel the group tour will be staying at, which is the Hanoi Movenpick.  I'm sure this hotel is great, otherwise our tour coordinator wouldn't have chosen it, but I wanted to experience a couple nights smack in the middle of the Old Quarter at a locally operated hotel.

That's where my Fodors research comes in handy...The Elegance Hotels are highly recommended by lots of posters on the Fodors board and ranks high with Trip Advisor too! 

Last week I sent an email to two of the hotels in this boutique hotel chain http://www.hanoielegancehotel.com/.  The Sapphire (formerly the Hotel Elegance 3) and the Diamond (formerly the Hotel Elegance 5).  If the speed of their responses is any indication of the level of service at this hotel I know I made a right choice.

I chose to contact the Sapphire because after viewing a map it looked to be the closest to the Movenpick (the group tour hotel).  BUT, the Diamond is the newest property in the chain, having just opened in May 2010 and it is getting alot of good buzz on Fodors.

After hearing back from both hotels I choose to go with the Diamond.  The price was right and I could book an airport transfer directly with the hotel, a plus since my arrival time is 10:30pm.  Another plus for the Diamond is that there is a roof top restaurant/lounge with a (supposedly) good view of the Old Quarter. 

So, with my extra/early hotel nights in Hanoi booked and my flight schedule straightened out the next step in my Asia trip planning is the restaurant research! 

In My Eyes...Delta Airlines Has Redeemed Themselves

A few weeks ago I blogged about a flight disappearing from my Asia trip itinerary.  Last week I got a phone call from Delta about a change in this very itinerary.

Delta had changed my departure city to Savannah, which is pretty much what I had expected would happen.  I called Delta to discuss the flight I was now booked on.  My original flight was to leave Hilton Head at 6:30am and Delta booked me to depart Savannah at 8:30am.

Yes, technically an 8:30am departure from Savannah would put me in Atlanta in time for the 11:55am Korean Air connecting flight, but having the experience I did last spring with Air France not issuing my boarding pass until I arrived in Atlanta (and I was on a short connection time) I vowed I would make the Asia trip connection times with plenty of leeway to arrive, and check-in at the Atlanta airport if I needed to.

After explaining my situation to the first reservation agent I was transferred to International reservations and I have to say I have never received better service.  The agent I spoke with, Ling, could not have been more accommodating and she booked me on a 6:30am flight departing Savannah.  Within minutes I was on the flight I wanted with the amount of connection time I wanted.

I know, I know, some people would not want to sit in Atlanta for 3+ hours, but I've learned that landing, taxi time, and de-planing all take up valuable minutes when trying to catch a connecting flight.  And, IF I can't get my Korean Air boarding pass prior to leaving Savannah, I want to make sure I have plenty of time to get my seat assignment!

Why don't I feel like I have an impending trip?

I keep looking at my calendar telling myself in 5 weeks time I will be heading to my favorite country on earth, but for some reason it just doesn't feel like I have a trip coming up.  I'm not sure why I feel this way. 

I've done the Italy trip research, I've booked the activities we want to do, I'll make a couple restaurant reservations just before we leave, but I still keep thinking this trip is a long way off.  Maybe I'm mellowing out since I've got everything under control.

The result of being "squared away" with this Italy November trip is that I start feeling that I need to start researching and planning the next trip.  In a way I have already started planning my Asia trip.  I've booked the flight for my South East Asian Advenutre in February 2011, but I'm reluctant to really do any in-depth research for Asia prior to Italy.  I feel that if I start the Asia research I won't enjoy Italy.  So, my decision has been to step away from any "serious" Asia research until I return from Italy.

I won't even get started on the fact that I've started to flip over in my head autumn of 2011 destinations...pssst...it's looking like Strasbourg/Paris for the Christmas markets...but that is getting waaaay ahead of myself!  Oh...and Seattle and San Francisco are also in the mix for 2011!

Flight Changes...Ugh!

Several weeks ago I was ecstatic to find airfare for my South East Asia trip I was willing to pay and the flights orginated and terminated in Hilton Head...I thought what a great find..."I did good".

Fast forward a couple weeks I was checking my November Italy trip flight information when I saw something interesting.  The outbound flight from Hilton Head for my Asia trip had disappeared, POOF...it was gone.  All that was on the record were the flights from Atlanta to Seoul and Seoul to Hanoi.

When I booked a flight out of Hilton Head for the end of February I was surprised to find that availability because I new Delta only does seasonal service into Hilton Head, but I assumed since the Delta website showed a flight available at the end of February and allowed me to book it, I was "good to go".

I have yet to call Delta to work out this situation, but I have no doubt it will most likely be a long phone call.  I have a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe Delta will begin seasonal service to Hilton Head at the end of February instead of the beginning of March.  Otherwise, I'm guessing I will have to change my departure city to Savannah, which isn't awful, just a change of plans.