Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, Half Moon Bay and the Original Hooters (SQ/VS/B6/DL/UA)

[yflyer]

My kids fly to JFK via LHR on two tickets

They couldn't get into VS lounge with KF Gold

(Use to be able to but looks like you can on codeshare)

Many many years ago, SQ KF Gold could get you into the VS Lounge even when flying on SQ Y, but as your kids have experienced, I think it is different now.

Probably the only reason I was eligible to use the lounge was because I was on an SQ codeshare flight number SQ2511, as part of a single SQ Y ticket SIN-LHR-BOS and I was KF Gold. The available info on access to the lounge is sketchy, and I didn't know for sure if I could get in until I showed up at the lounge.

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...

I spent a couple of days in Boston before heading on an early morning JetBlue flight to Tampa, Florida.

This was my first experience on JetBlue...my only other exposure to JetBlue mainly being Carfield's wonderful TR's here on SQTalk.

There are many one-stop options to get from BOS to TPA, but JetBlue operates the only nonstop flights between these destinations.

Boston Logan Airport is incredibly busy early in the morning. My travel companions told me this was because there is a lot of traffic between Boston and New York. Even my flight to Tampa was quite full.

We had to start our day every early to get to the airport on time, but were rewarded with views of a spectacular sunrise.



In true LCC fashion, apart from the basic JetBlue airfare, many other optional charges are unbundled, whether it was seat selection, luggage, F&B or other perk. You could even pay a little extra for fast-track security clearance...an add-on termed "Even More Speed".



Today's flight was operated by a JetBlue A320, rego N639JB, a ten year old aircraft.



Wifi onboard...



This was a single-class aircraft, laid out 3-3, but some of the seats were sold as "Even More Space" seats, with either slightly extra legroom, or exit row / bulkhead locations. I opted for a regular seat as I didn't think I needed a few extra inches of space for this 3+ hr flight...

[yflyer]

Leather seats with fairly good padding...



4:3 format IFE screens...small by today's standards...



...with the controller in the armrest.



Regular 3.5mm headphone socket. JetBlue recommends that you bring your own headphones, but will sell you a set for USD5 onboard if you forget. To me, this is a much better idea than providing lousy sounding complimentary headsets, which a surprising number of full service carriers do (Including SQ, who currently issue a pair of nearly unusable earbuds on their flights).



The seat had a very interesting recline button...which looked more like a switch.



I wonder why they bothered, because seat recline was minimal, and nearly imperceptible. The next picture shows the seat at maximum recline. Hardly any recline at all.

[yflyer]

Pre-flight safety checks...



Live TV and satellite radio...



Not the highest resolution screen, and a slightly dated UI, but still ok for watching TV, although I would not want to watch movies on this screen.



TV was free, but after a short preview time period, you had to pay if you wanted to watch any of the smallish selection of movies. Not good value on such small screens.





On the bright side, basic wifi was actually free, and was quite usable. Faster wifi was available for a fee, which I did not try.



Pretty decent cabin ambience...

[yflyer]

Lots of snack and beverage options, although apart from soft drinks and coffee/tea, most were chargeable.

[yflyer]

On this flight, beverage service was not done by wheeling a cart down the aisle...the flight attendants actually went round the cabin to take orders first a la business class...then later came round with the prepared drinks. A nice touch!



I ordered a cranberry juice and got the whole can with a cup of ice..I love the fact that like most US carriers, JetBlue does drink service with ice, which means you get ice cold drinks, unlike SQ where you are typically served fruit juices and soft drinks without ice -- on SQ you need to explicitly ask for ice in your drink.



And JetBlue serves a snack that fits well with their brand: Terra Blue potato chips...

[yflyer]

Airshow display...



The Rio Olympics were still underway at that point, so many passengers, including myself, watched the Olympics live on the plane...



Today's live highlights including men's shot put...not the most captivating sport to watch (Compared to, say, women's beach volleyball...)...but you can't deny the drama of live sporting competition...

[yflyer]

There was some live drama on TV during the flight: during the women's 4x100m relay heats...the US team dropped the baton...



At that point, it looked as if the US women's team were out of contention, but later on, after the flight, I found out that, upon appeal, the referees found that the US runner was nudged by another runner (That team was disqualified), and they were able to re-run the heat, and qualify for the 4x100 women's final, which they eventually won.

Another shot of the A320 cabin...



A smooth landing in Tampa...



...where we deplaned into the large, airy terminal.



Overall a very positive experience on JetBlue. A decent hard product and good inflight service. Free internet was a big plus. The only slight disappointment was the minimal seat recline, but on a short daytime sector, I did not find it a big issue. A very comfortable flight. Apart from the fact that there is no J class, I don't see a lot of difference in Y between them and a US full service carrier for domestic sectors.

[yflyer]

While in Tampa, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, not far from the airport.



I found this to be a wonderful hotel to stay in. The decor had an understated elegance which I found very appealing.







Rooms were large and beautifully styled.

[yflyer]

Views of the water...



Even more spectacular at night...



Not the largest hotel pool out there, but with Clearwater Beach a short drive away, why use the pool anyway...



That evening, I headed out to Ruth's Chris Steak House with my colleague for dinner...



Just the basics this evening: My colleague and I both ordered the filet steak, a tender and flavourful steak which fully deserves its "signature dish" status at this restaurant



...along with a side of lobster mac and cheese...classic American comfort food elevated almost to fine dining by the inclusion of large chunks of lobster...



Our ultra-friendly waiter asked if I had ever eaten at Ruth's Chris before, and I told him I did once, but in a different country.

"Guess where?" I asked...and he spent almost a minute thinking and squirming on his feet before hazarding a guess...

"China or Japan?"

"Taipei, in Taiwan! Many years ago..."

Ruth's Chris seems to be everywhere these days, but there is no denying that they serve good steak!

[yflyer]

The next morning, before flying out of Tampa, I decided to head out for a late morning run.

Although there were convenient walking and running routes around the hotel, I decided to take a 30 minute Uber car ride from the Grand Hyatt to Clearwater Beach. This is a spectacular beach, and a popular vacation spot for those visiting Florida. The photos of Clearwater Beach were stunning. I had to see it in person.



On the way there, I spoke to Jerone, my Uber driver, to ask him what was good to eat in Tampa.

"Cuban food..."

"Where should I go for that?"

"Ybor...it's a very popular part of Tampa with a large Cuban community..."

He described the area, as we drove towards Clearwater beach.

"OK...let me check that out if I have time later..."

As we drove along the wide, uncongested streets of Clearwater, lined with hotels, motels and eating establishments, he pointed out one low-rise restaurant.

"That's the Original Hooters restaurant..."



"Really! We have Hooters in Singapore as well, but I have never been there...", I replied.

"This was the first."

"Hmm...between Cuban cuisine and Hooters...when you mentioned Ybor I was thinking that is where I would go for lunch, but if the very first Hooters is right here...well...tough decision to make later today!"

We arrived at Clearwater, at the foot of the bridge that led to the barrier island where Clearwater Bridge is located. Beyond the beach, it was the Gulf of Mexico.

[yflyer]

Tampa and Florida are very jogger and cyclist-friendly places. All around the Tampa Bay and Clearwater, there were broad walking and cycling paths...





I began my run at the start of the bridge. It was a very hot day -- I could feel the rays of the sun burning my skin.

Subjectively it felt even hotter than a midday run along East Coast Park in Singapore-- but the views of the water and the bay, lined with vacation homes and boats, made it worth the effort...



I continued across the bridge to the barrier island, where the sandy white beaches of Clearwater Beach were.



Across the bridge, I reached Clearwater Beach.





It was only 3km across the bridge but I was already feeling very tired -- more than usual. I must have underestimated the heat. I scaled back expectations of the distance of my run...rather than 8-10km, I would just try to do 5km today...enough for a loop around the section of the beach close to the pier.

[yflyer]

The beach itself is a vast expense of white sand...



...a stunning vista stretching far into the distance in both directions...



It was already fairly busy when I was there. And this was not peak season...





Apart from the bright white sand, the water was especially clear as well...



I jogged part way up the pier.



To get to the end, you had to pay a nominal fee. It was not much, but given that I didn't have a lot of time, I decided to proceed back towards the beach...




If I had more time, I would have wanted to go for a dip in the sea...but I had a plane to catch later (And lunch...) so I cooled off in one of the air-conditioned shops set away from the beachfront, and then, still dressed in PT kit, headed for lunch.

My route that day...just 5km. If it was less hot, or if I was less tired, it could easily have been 8-10km. There was a lot more beach to be explored.

[yflyer]

It was now time for lunch.

Ybor or Hooters?

While I was keen to sample Cuban cuisine in the Ybor district, this was not really an option this time round, because it would take time to get there -- too much time in fact given that I had a flight to catch. Hooters was on the route back to the hotel. And I was still dressed in perspiration soaked PT kit. Besides, lunch at the original Hooters would make a great story...

Hooters it was...

It was just after opening hours that I arrived at Hooters close to mid-day, and I was greeted by a bevy of their young and friendly waitresses (I don't think they have waiters)...all attired in their signature uniforms which must be a benchmark in terms of conservation of fabric...

You can even buy souvenir beer mugs (and other many other items) as mementos of your visit.



First impressions: friendly and casual. Nothing sleazy about it at all. Hey, we have Hooters in Singapore as well.

And the fact that part of their business model relies on friendly, attractive, young staff who strive to ensure that patrons have a great experience? A certain leading Asian airline perhaps incorporates some elements of this in their go-to-market strategy too, even if they don't spell it out so clearly in their annual report.

But enough on that...on to the menu...



Lots of batter fried chicken, meat and seafood, accompanied by a wide range of sauces, many of them spicy, and a great cocktail selection...cuisine perfectly suited to the hot weather and beach vibe in the area.

Great deals for lunch too...



I ordered the boneless wings and buffalo shrimp, with a couple of the spicier sauces available, on the recommendation of J, the cheerful and bubbly dark-haired Hooters Girl, who took my order. That day, they were dressed not in their trademark white and orange, but in figure-hugging black...



This was not fine dining by any stretch, but together with an ice-cold mojito, this made for a satisfying post-run lunch...

And aside from the food, it was great people watching too...I enjoyed myself, and the conversation with J and the staff, who are positively encouraged to chat interact with patrons, far more than in other restaurants.

When I mentioned to my friends that I was visiting the Original Hooters...more than one joked that maybe the staff might be "original" too, even if some might be eligible for their pension plans some time soon...and indeed the original Hooters Girl did become something of a celebrity...

Now of course, Hooters has restaurants around the world, including Clark Quay in Singapore (Which I have jogged past on my runs when I am back home).

I don't know if I would ever have a good reason to visit any of the other Hooters outlets, but I do know that I enjoyed myself that day at the Original Hooters in Clearwater, Florida. And as I said at the start, it sure makes for a good story!

[yflyer]

After lunch, I headed back to the hotel to check out...



...then head to Tampa Airport...



Tampa Airport is a large and spacious airport with a good selection of F&B outlets and souvenir stores...





...lots of alligators in Tampa, as well as alligator-themed souvenirs.

And it turned out that I had the opportunity to sample Cuban/Spanish-inspired cuisine after all, at the Columbia restaurant in the airside area of the terminal, before my Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta.







Spanish bean soup...





...and black bean cakes...





A very satisfying meal before my flight on Delta Airlines to Atlanta.

To be continued!