The Most Affordable U.S. Airlines

Above, Delta Airlines came in at number 10 as an affordable airline. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This year, I took six flights on U.S. airlines. 

The first was a round-trip to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to attend G-FEST. The flights were non-stop flights. The second was a round-trip, which included two connecting flights, to Miami for the cruise last month to the Bahamas, bringing the total of six. The Chicago flights were with American Airlines and the Miami flights were with Delta Airlines.

According to a study by AirAdvisor, those airlines are far from the cheapest. American came in at number 8 and Delta came in at number 10.

The average cost for each round-trip was $400.

One may ask, What are the most affordable (and most expensive) U.S. airlines?

Travel + Leisure has posted an article answering just that question.

They begin it with:

Frontier Airlines is the cheapest carrier in the United States, despite its history of upselling customers for things like bags and seat selection.

The ranking is courtesy of a new study from airline compensation company AirAdvisor shared with Travel + Leisure, which looked at total passenger revenue per seat mile for the top 10 airlines in the U.S. When it comes to Frontier, the airline was more than $0.01 per mile cheaper than the next cheapest airline, fellow low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines.

“Frontier Airlines is often referred to as an ultra-low-cost carrier, and this certainly rings true based on our research,” AirAdvisor wrote in the study. “US airlines don’t get any cheaper than this as a whole.”

 To read more, go here.

Home Again

Above, yours truly and friend.

I finally made it home to New Mexico yesterday.

My flight was supposed to take off around 10:00 yesterday morning, but it was delayed for three hours. It seems that getting to a place from home has been effortless, but getting back home has been a different story. This happened several times in recent years.

After landing in Albuquerque, I drove the motorhome from there to Jamestown. I made two stops: one for fuel and the other for food. 

After unpacking, I decided to go to bed. I was worn out and ended up sleeping for 10 hours.  

As for G-FEST, I had a good time. It looked like it already outgrew the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. My guess is that we had around 7,000 attending.

G-FEST Weekend Weather

Above, Memory Lane: yours truly with Haruo Nakajima at G-FEST in 2008.

It looks like it will be warm in the O'Hare International Airport of Chicago vicinity during G-FEST.

The temperatures will be in the 80s with chances of thundershowers. I remember one year we had a big thunderstorm at G-FEST. It was so intense that it seemed as if King Ghidorah was just outside of the hotel. Maybe we'll have a nice light show outside during the usual "Godzilla Blood" parties.

According to the National Weather Service, the weather at O'Hare (the convention hotel, the Hyatt Regency, is nearby):

Today

Isolated showers before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 85. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 67. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Light south wind becoming south southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.

Saturday Night

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.

Sunday

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 93.

Sunday Night

A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. 

Almost Ready To Go

Above, after getting the "toys" out of their respective garages. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Packing my luggage is about 95% done.

I got The Beast out of the GOCO Beast Barn. It is not to drive to Chicago for G-FEST in, but to get to the Albuquerque Sunport for the flight to O'Hare Airport.

I took it down to the Flying J to gas it up ($3.250/gallon here, $3.599 in Gallup the last time I checked). I had to get the Jeep out to return to the Flying J to get my mail as the RV key ring doesn't include the key to the mailbox, whereas the Jeep key ring does.

Looking forward to heading out to G-FEST.

G-FEST 2024 Kicks Off This Weekend

Above, one of the vendors in the Dealers Room at the 2019 G-FEST. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

G-FEST 2024 will be kicking off this weekend at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The is the big Godzilla (and kaiju) convention.

This will be the first for me at the new hotel. G-FEST simply outgrew the Crowne Plaza Hotel which necessitated the move to the Hyatt Regency. The last G-FEST I attended was in 2019. Then COVID and other stuff intervened.

Above, yours truly with Jessica Tseang at the 2019 G-FEST. Photo by Steve Ryfle.

I was lucky to get direct flights to and from the Albuquerque Sunport. The only drawback was that my return flight is in the morning.

As with the Crowne Plaza, shuttle bus service is available at O'Hare to the Hyatt Regency (and back).

Above, G-FEST founder J. D. Lees and the late Akira Takarada at the 2019 G-FEST. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It will be nice to see the ol' gang again even though we've kept on contact through Facebook. 

Tickets are still available online (or at the door) by going here.

Headed To G-FEST Next Year

Above, yours truly at the 2019 G-FEST with Jessica Tseang. Photo by Steve Ryfle.

Well, I booked my room for next year's G-FEST in the Chicago area.

It is set for next July 12-14, 2024, but considering the large attendance expected, it would be prudent to book the room now (the G-FEST hotel has opened room booking. So I did. It is at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, which is a new hotel for the convention. 

I attended the 2019 G-FEST at the old hotel, the Crowne Plaza, which the convention outgrew. I am looking forward to the new convention digs.

It will be nice seeing everyone again after five years.

For more information on G-FEST, go here.

Millions Expected To Travel Over Thanksgiving

Above, Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It's a good thing that I am sticking around home this coming Thanksgiving weekend. It appears that holiday traveling will be much more than last year's.

Instead of traveling, I'll be spending Thanksgiving with friends in Jamestown.

It is interesting to note that the airlines seem to have gotten their acts together. There's no mention of delays and cancelations.

According to Yahoo! News:

Millions are expected to fly during the Thanksgiving holiday and airlines say they're prepared for the travel rush.

Airlines this fall boasted the most full-time employees in 20 years, and industry leaders say airlines are well-positioned to handle the holiday uptick in passengers. 

On the roads, AAA predicts nearly 49 million people to travel by car over Thanksgiving -- up 0.4% from last year.

Travelers staying in the U.S for Thanksgiving are headed to big cities like New York, Orlando and Los Angeles, according to Hopper. For international travel, Dublin, Cancun and Doha, Qatar, are topping Hopper’s list of most-booked destinations.

To read more, go here. 

G-FEST XXVII A Success

Above, J. D. Lees and yours truly at G-FEST XXV1 in 2019. Photo by Reagan Lees.

From the myriad of postings on Facebook and elsewhere, it appears that G-FEST XXVII was a huge success.

One poster said that the two-year layoff due to COVID-19 "made the show stronger."

I couldn't make it this year as my former roommate, Jessica, will be coming over next week and we will be doing some traveling during her visit to Durango, Colorado and Navajo Lake State Park. The funds are rather finite these days. 

However, I am planning on attending next year's convention. I last attended in 2019. Hopefully, I won't have airline issues like the last time.

From what I have been reading, the attendees liked the new hotel, the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois (outside of Chicago). G-FEST simply outgrew the Crowne Plaza, necessitating a move to a much larger venue. When the numbers of attendees were smaller, the Crowne Plaza worked out just fine. But since the numbers grew to over 5,000 or so, that venue would not work out. 

The ballroom used for the Dealer's Room looked enormous. 

I found the architecture of the Hyatt Regency to be interesting, from the photos of it many have posted. Some likened it to the sets of Logan's Run. Yup, I can see that.

Anyway, I am glad that everyone had a great time. 

Travel + Leisure: Busiest Airports

Above, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) came in at number five. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What are the busiest airports in the U.S.? It is easy to take a guess and chances are, you'd probably be right. 

I have not had any issues on how busy an airport is, my issue with some of them are their sizes. If I have a connecting flight that I have to get to at such airports as Phoenix Sky Harbor, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport or even Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (I refuse to call it by its new name) it is highly stressful, besides physically taxing, to get from one terminal to another. This is especially true if I am not familiar with its layout and it is as big as a small town.

Travel + Leisure has posted an article on the busiest airports in the U.S. Even though Los Angeles International Airport came in at number five, I've found its layout to be user-friendlier than the others. I also have not had any problems with Chicago's O'Hare International Airport either. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, also making the list, is one of the worst. The place is enormous. That's why I am glad we went to Dallas Love Field instead last year.  

They begin their article with:

Atlanta's international airport was once again the busiest airport in the world in 2021, according to a new study, seeing more than 75 million passengers pass through its terminals last year.

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which was temporarily dethroned in 2020 by Guangzhou Bai Yun International Airport, saw a 76.4% increase in traffic compared to the first year of the pandemic, according to the Airports Council International. However, the airport still didn't reach pre-pandemic levels and remained 31.5% down from 2019.

Atlanta was followed by Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Denver International Airport, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport rounding out the top five. Eight of the top 10 busiest airports were in the United States.

To see the rest of the article, go here. 

Leisure Travel Rebounds Again, Business Travel Lags

Above, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Leisure travel is rebounding, while business travel not so much so.

At least that's what survey of 11,000 travelers in TravelPulse is saying. 

To start off, they wrote:

Leisure travel is rebounding quickly once again, but business travel isn't coming back in the same way.

Research from Morning Consult, which surveyed 11,000 travelers from the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, revealed that consumers are looking to travel this spring, many plan on flying and that they are very interested in pricing and flexibility.

Forty-one percent of consumers with travel plans in the next three months expect to fly, and 49 percent expect to stay at a chain hotel.

Price is a top consideration, and the research found that consumers are willing to pay a premium for flexibility. The ability to cancel for free was at the top of the list of things travelers would pay a premium for. Travelers are also willing to pay more to companies that have enhanced pandemic safety measures.

To read more, go here. 

American Airlines and Cancelled Flight Ordeal

Above, O'Hare Int. Airport's Terminal 3. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I left G-FEST XXVI Sunday afternoon to go to the airport, I was looking forward for a trouble-free flight with American Airlines to Albuquerque. Alas, that was not in the cards.

When I got to O'Hare International Airport, I looked at the Departures board to check the status of my flight (which was to leave around 6:30). It said it was "on time". So, after getting a drink and snacks, I headed to the gate and waited.

The sign at the gate also said "on time". But there was chatter among fellow passengers about a lot of flight cancellations on the Departures board. I took a look, and sure enough, there were a lot of cancellations. Our flight still said "on time". Many, if not most, of the cancellations were due to Hurricane Barry that was making shore near New Orleans.

About a half hour before we were to board our flight, a fellow passenger was on his laptop and said that the plane we were supposed to board originates from Raleigh, North Carolina. But, he said it hadn't left the ground.

Oh-oh!

At about 15 to 20 minutes before our scheduled boarding time, the flight sign at our gate flickered off from "on time" for about 2 seconds and then came back on with Cancelled.

Since I had some experience with cancelled flights, I knew right away that I needed to get online a.s.a.p. to find another flight. This I did. But it was for two days later. I then went to the ticket agent and he found a flight for the next day around 6:30, but it had a stop/transfer at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW is a main hub for American Airlines). I paid for a nonstop flight.

But since "beggars can't be choosers" with airlines, I grabbed it anyway. The ticket agent said that my luggage would be transferred to the new flight(s).

So, I spent the night at Motel 6 (just down the street from the Crowne Plaza).

Above, at Motel 6. 

The next day, after spending some time at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, I went to the airport. After a while, I got a text message from American Airlines stating my flight has been delayed. Since I have a connection flight from DFW, I thought this may cause me to miss it. Then, no sooner than I thought that, I received another text indicating that I may miss my connecting flight. I then immediately headed to the Customer Service Desk.

There, they found me a direct flight to Albuquerque, but it doesn't leave for another two hours. No problem! I took it.

Above, at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I finally reached Albuquerque International Airport at around 11:00 PM (a day late). But my suitcase didn't reach it. I received a notice that the airline would send it on another flight and deliver it. So, I headed to the airport parking lot via shuttle to pick up The Beast and headed home. I reached home at around 1:45 in the morning.

I received several messages yesterday that the baggage delivery people were trying to get my suitcase to me, but failed for a variety of reasons. They were supposed to attempt a delivery at around 9:00 last night. Nobody showed up.

Finally, at 3:30 this morning, I received a call from the delivery guy stating that he would bring it over at 5:30, two hours later. I thought it was rather "cheeky" of them to call me at 3:30 in the morning. But, they delivered the suitcase at 5:30.

Above, the gate for the flight that got me home on Monday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thankfully, I had nothing of extraordinary value (except for my $200 boots) in the suitcase. I had the foresight in having my medications with me in my camera bag, just in case something like this occurs.

What a trip!

G-FEST: Hot & Humid

Above, a past entry in G-FEST's costume contest. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With 44% humidity (and up) along with 90°+ temperatures, it is a good thing that G-FEST will be indoors at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Attendees are already arriving at the hotel and I'll be there tomorrow.

This'll be my first G-FEST in ten years, but I am familiar with the weather in the Chicago area. We won't actually be in Chicago, but in the outskirts near O'Hare International Airport.

For those who are attending but haven't departed, here's the forecast for the next few days from the National Weather Service:

This Afternoon

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Sunny, with a high near 91. Heat index values as high as 96. West southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday

Partly sunny, with a high near 80. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north northeast in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 62. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 87. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 69.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Review of ANA's First Class Chicago To Tokyo

Above, yours truly trying out ANA's Business Class seating at a travel show.

A couple of years ago, I attended the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show at the Long Beach Convention Center. While there, I checked out All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Economy and Business Class seats. The Economy seats were a little better than average, but I was amazed by the Business Class seating.

That said, a review article was posted late last month over at One Mile At A Time at Boarding Area.com. It was a writer's experience in flying to Japan from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport aboard ANA's Boeing 777-300ER jetliner. If I thought the Business Class seating arrangement I tried out was something, then seeing ANA's First Class seating was something else again. The article has plenty of pictures to feast one's eyes upon.

The writer, who calls himself/herself "Lucky," provides details on his/her flight from boarding at O'Hare to arrival at Narita International Airport.

This was the flight:

ANA 11
Chicago (ORD) – Tokyo Narita (NRT)
Tuesday, August 13
Depart: 10:50AM
Arrive: 1:45PM (+1 day)
Duration: 12hr55min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 2K (First Class)

The First Class seating and the amenities are amazing, although I really don't like the yellow color scheme of the First Class Cubicles.

From what Lucky describes, ANA really treats its passengers like royalty.

To see the article, go here.

Giant Advertising Balloons Not Welcome In Fort Worth

The City of Fort Worth, Texas is considering whether or not to regulate those giant balloons that you frequently see outside of businesses. They are concerned that they may become permanent fixtures and many people consider them "eyesores."

I've seen some Godzilla ones in Los Angeles and some of them are a pretty good representation of the King of the Monsters.

CBS Channel 11 reported:

You may have driven by them – a big Godzilla, pink gorilla, or sumo wrestler, flapping on the rooftop of a business. "All they do is use up a bunch of electricity to keep the air plugged into them," said driver Kim Keiser. "And they flop around. And half the time they don't work."

Now the city council is focusing on inflatables that many feel have become permanent fixtures.

Mayor Mike Moncrief and some council members want to look at ways to keep the inflatable's 'air time' limited to particular events, or to a limited time. They feel the balloons are eyesores and as a semi-permanent part of the business are subject to regulation.

We had considered obtaining a Godzilla balloon to put on the roof of the Radisson Hotel for G-FEST when we held the conventions there, but since we moved to the Crowne Plaza O'Hare, it really wouldn't be practical. As the Crowne Plaza is within close proximity to O'Hare International Airport, all we need is one of the "Windy City's" high gusts to blow the balloon off the hotel roof and carry it over to the airport's runways. Can you just imagine a plane about to take off or one landing being attacked by a Godzilla balloon?