I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[Mopedmom1]

May 30 is what their website has been listing as the next release date.

And it took me a good 5+ minutes to even find this on their site! It doesn't readily show when I type in South West dot com. I bet by the next time I need this info I will forget how I found it. LOL

 

[speedyfishy]

Did you call Disney wholesale? I need to add my kids too.

I called the normal Disney world resort number.
+1-407-939-5277

 

[Lain]

I've looked at things like the Dole Plantation

Dole Plantation is cool, but shouldn't take too long. If you're driving around the island to check out the North Shore and Haleiwa town, you can take Kamehameha ("Kam") Highway down through central Oahu and see fields and fields of pineapple. We'll stop by for the visitor center and to get some Dole Whip.

Polynesian Cultural Center and Luau

PCC. That's before the North Shore if you're taking Kam Hwy counter-clockwise. It's kind of a World Showcase of the Polynesian islands, their people, and culture. If you plan to do the luau, it'll be an all day thing, and they're supposed to have a pretty cool nighttime show. However, it's been years since I visited.

Since you're looking at being in the Laie/Kahuku area (where the PCC is), shrimp trucks are a big thing up there. Think plates of juicy, garlicky shrimp scampi. The two most popular are Giovanni's and Romy's. While it's an experience and the food is tasty, be prepared to wait. These places have been featured on too many foodie shows and blogs that they're now swamped by tourists all the time. Last December, we made a stop at Giovanni's and waited an hour for our food.

Similarly, in Haleiwa, there's Matsumoto's shave ice, which you'll find on a lot of foodie shows and blogs. Adam Sandler wore their t-shirt in his movie 50 First Dates. Years ago, my wife and I saw Ted Danson, Mary Steenbergen and family there (and I think scared them away by pointing them out). But since it's become so popular, there's often a line out the door. If you don't want to wait, just snap a pic with their sign, and get some shave ice at Aulani (where you can add on some Mickey ears).

In between Kahuku and Haleiwa is Laniakea Beach, where you can usually find sea turtles lounging on the beach. Find a spot on the side of the road to park, and head over there. There's usually some conservancy volunteer watching out for and educating people about the turtles.

Generally, if you're going to make a trip up to Laie/Kahuku/North Shore, plan for a weekday during non-commute hours. The traffic will be better and there should be lower crowds. Allow extra time because there are a lot of stretches of Kam Hwy that are just two lanes, wind-y, and prone to backup.

You might want to look at maybe making a quick stop at Valley of the Temples while you're heading up that way, and fitting in Kualoa Ranch somewhere in your itinerary. Right across from Kualoa Ranch is a beach park with a great view of Chinaman's Hat, but it's not really a great beach to swim at.

Moana Falls

Manoa Falls is easy to get to from downtown Honolulu, and it's a pretty easy hike. Manoa Valley does see a lot of rain and precipitation, so be careful of mud, fallen leaves, and roots.

Hanauma Bay snorkeling or maybe just snorkel at Ko Olina

Snorkeling at Ko Olina does not compare to Hanauma Bay. If you have time for Hanauma Bay, do it!

 

[wendow]

I called the normal Disney world resort number.
+1-407-939-5277

Thank you for the help!

 

[Lain]

View attachment 402594
@brownhaired_girl Make sure you visit the Byodo-In Temple and the Valley of the Temples too. Please... pm me if you need other ideas. There are so many wonderful things to do on Oahu, and I love to share the island. I hope you have a great time. I should be right behind you in March of 2020, I hope!

I think many fans of Lost would think that must be Korea!

 

[gottalovepluto]

In LA. Alas life goes on. Sad Panda.


The “suite”. They call it that but there is no door. Alas it is by far the largest see I saw between Cathay J, Q-Suite & Qatar old-school J! I reserved seat 1A after some research. The middle aisle opens the other direction so the only people using the aisle are 1A & 2A & FAs. Definitely felt more private than Cathay Biz I did. The amenity kit was my least favorite of all. I appreciated the mini hairbrush, but I really missed having a lotion in there and the lip balm was not made for air travel (as soon as you open the tube it starts squirting, QR’s solid substance lib balm was better in this regard.) They asked me which size PJs I wanted (I’m 5’10” I went medium, worked fine). They were soft and I think will be handy for future air travel if I feel like lugging then along so I brought them with.

The champagne on offer was Krug 2004. Yum yum yum! The whites were Lamblin & Fils Chablis Premier Cru “Fourchaumes” 2017 & Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2017. The reds and port...

A quick google search before take off suggested retail prices of the reds at about $25, $45, $145 going down the list. I had the Wagyu beef and switched from the Krug to the Chateau Lynch for that and the senior FA informed me that was many of her fliers favorite. It was good, I had another glass but do give it some air if you ever had it. It was most certainly not $145 worth good in my book fwiw but we all have different pallets!

The rest of the menu...


For tea fans here’s their complete tea rundown


After takeoff they served all of us an ahi mango appetizer along with a post-departure beverage which the FA hd taken the order for before takeoff. It was good and I’m not generally a fan of raw Ahi.


Caviar course (which Cathay F is famous for on the blogs). Alas caviar simply is not my cup of tea. I’ve tried it in multiple settings. Googled how to eat it prior to departure. Still don’t care for it. The fresh garlic bread in the bread basket however was excellent! (Yes, I’m a cheap date in the food department... Booze not so much.)

I had Waygu Beef for dinner (guess I’m not such a cheap date after all!). Mistake: ordered it medium. It came well done. Not a spec of pink. But still yummy & the wine sauce was excellent. The served a slab of it which really surprised me after my dinner experience in CX J was so small it left me hungry. Sorry forgot this pic!

Side tip: when you have a “maybe I should use the bathroom?” inkling and are on an airplane go. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go to the bathroom stat. Or you will end up like me in the middle of turbulence deciding “screw it! I’ve seen tons of people use the bathroom on other flights when that light is on, I’m gonna try it!” Only to see a FA by the bathroom and be intercepted “Ms. Gottalovepluto! It’s not safe to be up right now please return to your seat!” The following 20 mins sucked guys. When it calmed down but the light was on I asked a passing FA but she said the light is on no. She took pity I think because 10 mins later she came back with the light still on & said I could use the bathroom at my own risk. I took her up on that offer. Moral of the story: extra service is a double edged sword. Everything about you is watched more closely.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

And it took me a good 5+ minutes to even find this on their site! It doesn't readily show when I type in South West dot com. I bet by the next time I need this info I will forget how I found it. LOL

It’s posted 3 places. Two are easy to find:

Google - “Southwest Travel Tools”:
https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-tools/

Google - “Southwest Flight Schedules”:
https://www.southwest.com/air/flight-schedules/

The third is a little pop-up information link on the Southwest search screen.

 

[Lain]

Drive up the Kam Hwy on the Windward side of the island. Too often, people come away from Oahu saying they hate it because they stick to the areas immediately surrounding Aulani. You have a great start with your list. Don't miss the Pali Lookout. The views of the Ko'olau Mountains are amazing. There are all kinds of tours at Kualoa Ranch and there's a lovely family beach over there. You might take a look at those. Stop at the shrimp trucks on the way too. So yummy! Take a day to wander the quaint town of Haleiwa and stop for Shave Ice at Matsumotos. Oh, and on the way there, stop at Ted's Bakery and ask for Malasadas. (can you tell I'm a foodie?) Sharks Cove will be amazing if the waves are high and in December they likely will be. It's such a powerful sight and I can sit in the sand and watch for hours. Look for beaches the locals like at sunset. Visit Laie Point for some beautiful sunrise views. I could go on a long time about this. It's a subject near and dear to my heart.

@brownhaired_girl - just to add.

- From Aulani, you'll want to head out to "town" (Honolulu). As you're approaching downtown Honolulu, you'll want to take an exit and get on Pali Hwy. Pali Hwy will get you to Pali Lookout. You'll know you're getting close as you get closer to the mountains (the Koolaus). You need to take an exit on your right before going in the tunnel through the Koolaus. Stunning views of the Koolaus, Kaneohe and Kaneohe Bay. It gets windy up there, so don't get too close to the edge. Story has it King Kamehameha's warriors drove rival King Kahekili's forces up the Pali and then down those cliffs. Ghosts of Hawaiian warriors still haunt Pali Hwy at night.

- The drive to the windward side of the island via the H3 freeway is worthwhile for the views too, but it won't get you to the Pali Lookout.

- Ted's Bakery. Chocolate Haupia (coconut) pie. You're welcome.

 

[gottalovepluto]

This was by far the biggest bed of my trip. If it wasn’t for the turbulence that kept coming and going I would have slept I think but this turned out being the only flight I didn’t get any shuteye on. I think it was the turbulence because I can’t blame the bed here! Although a few hours before landing I think all 6 of us in the F cabin were awake so I wasn’t alone in not getting sleep last night.

That reminds me- the CX entertainment system is definitely not one of the best. It’s ok, this trip I binged the first season of Killing Eve so it was fine but there wasn’t much else I was interested in/hadn’t already seen. Definite room for improvement there.

Breakfast, and my self-indueced LAX lounge quest coming up in a few!

 

[Lain]

In LA. Alas life goes on. Sad Panda.

View attachment 402596
The “suite”. They call it that but there is no door. Alas it is by far the largest see I saw between Cathay J, Q-Suite & Qatar old-school J! I reserved seat 1A after some research. The middle aisle opens the other direction so the only people using the aisle are 1A & 2A & FAs. Definitely felt more private than Cathay Biz I did. The amenity kit was my least favorite of all. I appreciated the mini hairbrush, but I really missed having a lotion in there and the lip balm was not made for air travel (as soon as you open the tube it starts squirting, QR’s solid substance lib balm was better in this regard.) They asked me which size PJs I wanted (I’m 5’10” I went medium, worked fine). They were soft and I think will be handy for future air travel if I feel like lugging then along so I brought them with.

The champagne on offer was Krug 2004. Yum yum yum! The whites were Lamblin & Fils Chablis Premier Cru “Fourchaumes” 2017 & Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2017. The reds and port...
View attachment 402603
A quick google search before take off suggested retail prices of the reds at about $25, $45, $145 going down the list. I had the Wagyu beef and switched from the Krug to the Chateau Lynch for that and the senior FA informed me that was many of her fliers favorite. It was good, I had another glass but do give it some air if you ever had it. It was most certainly not $145 worth good in my book fwiw but we all have different pallets!

The rest of the menu...
View attachment 402606
View attachment 402607
For tea fans here’s their complete tea rundown
View attachment 402610

After takeoff they served all of us an ahi mango appetizer along with a post-departure beverage which the FA hd taken the order for before takeoff. It was good and I’m not generally a fan of raw Ahi.
View attachment 402612

Caviar course (which Cathay F is famous for on the blogs). Alas caviar simply is not my cup of tea. I’ve tried it in multiple settings. Googled how to eat it prior to departure. Still don’t care for it. The fresh garlic bread in the bread basket however was excellent! (Yes, I’m a cheap date in the food department... Booze not so much.)

I had Waygu Beef for dinner (guess I’m not such a cheap date after all!). Mistake: ordered it medium. It came well done. Not a spec of pink. But still yummy & the wine sauce was excellent. The served a slab of it which really surprised me after my dinner experience in CX J was so small it left me hungry. Sorry forgot this pic!

Side tip: when you have a “maybe I should use the bathroom?” inkling and are on an airplane go. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go to the bathroom stat. Or you will end up like me in the middle of turbulence deciding “screw it! I’ve seen tons of people use the bathroom on other flights when that light is on, I’m gonna try it!” Only to see a FA by the bathroom and be intercepted “Ms. Gottalovepluto! It’s not safe to be up right now please return to your seat!” The following 20 mins sucked guys. When it calmed down but the light was on I asked a passing FA but she said the light is on no. She took pity I think because 10 mins later she came back with the light still on & said I could use the bathroom at my own risk. I took her up on that offer. Moral of the story: extra service is a double edged sword. Everything about you is watched more closely.

Nice nails!

 

[Lain]

It’s been May 30th since I shared this last week - I’m not sure where the confusion is coming from but I’ve seen confusion on other message boards too for some reason:

@3 DD love princesses was told by a Southwest phone rep last week that the next release would be on 5/23/19. Could be the csr(s) were giving out bad information to a lot of people. And wouldn't most people follow that information in case it turned out to be right?

 

[snugglebug]

Thanks @Lain and @hulagirl, y'all are full of Hawaii info. Happy to say most places you listed are on my to do list. I just worry that I'm trying to pack too much into each day. I'm considering getting GoOahu cards. I need to get on that and start getting everything booked.

I really, really want to the malasadas, but I'm sure there's no gluten free version. Hardest part of traveling is my dietary restrictions.

 

[Lain]

Thanks @Lain and @hulagirl, y'all are full of Hawaii info. Happy to say most places you listed are on my to do list. I just worry that I'm trying to pack too much into each day. I'm considering getting GoOahu cards. I need to get on that and start getting everything booked.

I really, really want to the malasadas, but I'm sure there's no gluten free version. Hardest part of traveling is my dietary restrictions.

Tagging @brownhaired_girl, too -

- If you're going to throw out your diet on this trip, also try to swing by Liliha Bakery for their coco puffs. It's a cream puff filled with chocolate pudding, topped with a buttery macadamia nut chantilly frosting. Their original location is in Liliha, which is a neighborhood near downtown Honolulu; and they have a newer location in Iwilei, on Nimitz Hwy that's also just outside of downtown.

- If you're swinging by Dole Plantation, a bit further south in Wahiawa is Uber Factory, which makes these really instagrammable Ube (purple yam) tarts.

Hmm... a few more:

- Kapiolani Community College's Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings (and Tuesday evenings?). Lots of local produce and food stands. You could pair this with a trip to and/or hike at Diamond Head crater, which is nearby.

- Ala Moana Shopping Center is a huge shopping mall that's really changed over the years and is mostly high end brands now. There's a Disney Store here that usually stocks Hawaii exclusives. There are lots of food courts here too. Check out the Foodland supermarket on the ground level for a really good poke bar, and lots of local prepared foods.

- Lanikai Beach in Kailua, on the windward side of the island. Often makes it on the world's best beaches lists. Really soft sand, and views of two small islands offshore.

 

[Judique]

.

 

[Judique]

Thanks @Lain and @hulagirl, y'all are full of Hawaii info. Happy to say most places you listed are on my to do list. I just worry that I'm trying to pack too much into each day. I'm considering getting GoOahu cards. I need to get on that and start getting everything booked.

I really, really want to the malasadas, but I'm sure there's no gluten free version. Hardest part of traveling is my dietary restrictions.

I've had malassadas at the Provincetown (Ma) Portuguese Bakery. If I'm on the Cape, I have to go here. Wonder if they are similar to @Lain 's in Hawaii?

And now I want to try those co co puffs.

 

[amalone1013]

For the swagbucks people: they are having an offer to buy swagbucks again, get 2000sb (~$20) for $19. You can do it 3xs. I did it on both of our accounts, a little MSR, make a couple bucks, and last time I got referral points for DHs too.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I basically felt like I had two breakfasts. Breakfast 1, with the bad lighting mistakenly thinking others around me were still asleep, was the bread basket, fruit plate & yogurt.


Breakfast 2, “freshly scrambled” eggs. They definitely weren’t freshly scrambled but the bacon was at least good. I’d rather run out of steam at this point anyway. I ordered a latte but I don’t think that’s their thing aboard because it tasted like 2 shots of espresso with an a dribble of milk. Waaaay to strong.


I was aiming for Flagship AA lounge or Qantas First in LAX thinking I could use either arriving in CX F and departing AA economy on a separate ticket. I failed to find Qantas First so I tried AA flagship in T4: denied, my CX ticket was issued by AS and didn’t qualify me for lounge access. Tried Qantas/Oneworld business on my way to KAL with my PP: denied at Qantas/Oneworld J lounge due to departing flight being in economy. Settled to wait in the line at KAL as they had just opened to PP, inside was packed. Had a lousy glass of red wine and some veggie sticks I managed to battle my way through to get. While eating I overheard someone complain about another person who took 4 pieces of a pizza that they put out like 20 slices at a time. I left. I didn’t like the food, booze or vibe, decided I would camp out in front of AS hoping they’d let PP people in at some point. On my way I found the Qantas First! And I was eligible for entry! Hallelujah, peace, quiet & food were mine!


They had self serve booze, espresso and a couple pretzel like snacks as well as sit down down dining. Here’s their menu for sit down dining option.

I had the fish and a side of “chips”. The fish was cooked perfect but rather tasteless and tbh I didn’t care much for the extras but it was healthy food I didn’t have to pay for so yay!

After thoughts:
I forgot CX F gave a box of 2 chocolates after dinner during dessert. They were remarkably unremarkable (they need to have discussions with Sees. Or Godiva. Or Hershey’s for goodness sakes!) but one had “gold leaf” so I can say I’ve eaten gold leaf next time I see that ingredient pop up on a competition dessert show on Food Network! Gold leaf in the one on right.


They gave a snack basket and water bottle as I went to sleep. The snack basket idea was great. While I didn’t particularly like what was in it, it was food and I didn’t have to make a disturbance to get it.

All in all very cool experience and I’m glad I paid the $150 change fee to AS and the difference in miles to upgrade from biz. Idk if I will do that again but that Krug is already calling me...

 

[StephPlum]

In LA. Alas life goes on. Sad Panda.

View attachment 402596
The “suite”. They call it that but there is no door. Alas it is by far the largest see I saw between Cathay J, Q-Suite & Qatar old-school J! I reserved seat 1A after some research. The middle aisle opens the other direction so the only people using the aisle are 1A & 2A & FAs. Definitely felt more private than Cathay Biz I did. The amenity kit was my least favorite of all. I appreciated the mini hairbrush, but I really missed having a lotion in there and the lip balm was not made for air travel (as soon as you open the tube it starts squirting, QR’s solid substance lib balm was better in this regard.) They asked me which size PJs I wanted (I’m 5’10” I went medium, worked fine). They were soft and I think will be handy for future air travel if I feel like lugging then along so I brought them with.

The champagne on offer was Krug 2004. Yum yum yum! The whites were Lamblin & Fils Chablis Premier Cru “Fourchaumes” 2017 & Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2017. The reds and port...
View attachment 402603
A quick google search before take off suggested retail prices of the reds at about $25, $45, $145 going down the list. I had the Wagyu beef and switched from the Krug to the Chateau Lynch for that and the senior FA informed me that was many of her fliers favorite. It was good, I had another glass but do give it some air if you ever had it. It was most certainly not $145 worth good in my book fwiw but we all have different pallets!

The rest of the menu...
View attachment 402606
View attachment 402607
For tea fans here’s their complete tea rundown
View attachment 402610

After takeoff they served all of us an ahi mango appetizer along with a post-departure beverage which the FA hd taken the order for before takeoff. It was good and I’m not generally a fan of raw Ahi.
View attachment 402612

Caviar course (which Cathay F is famous for on the blogs). Alas caviar simply is not my cup of tea. I’ve tried it in multiple settings. Googled how to eat it prior to departure. Still don’t care for it. The fresh garlic bread in the bread basket however was excellent! (Yes, I’m a cheap date in the food department... Booze not so much.)

I had Waygu Beef for dinner (guess I’m not such a cheap date after all!). Mistake: ordered it medium. It came well done. Not a spec of pink. But still yummy & the wine sauce was excellent. The served a slab of it which really surprised me after my dinner experience in CX J was so small it left me hungry. Sorry forgot this pic!

Side tip: when you have a “maybe I should use the bathroom?” inkling and are on an airplane go. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go to the bathroom stat. Or you will end up like me in the middle of turbulence deciding “screw it! I’ve seen tons of people use the bathroom on other flights when that light is on, I’m gonna try it!” Only to see a FA by the bathroom and be intercepted “Ms. Gottalovepluto! It’s not safe to be up right now please return to your seat!” The following 20 mins sucked guys. When it calmed down but the light was on I asked a passing FA but she said the light is on no. She took pity I think because 10 mins later she came back with the light still on & said I could use the bathroom at my own risk. I took her up on that offer. Moral of the story: extra service is a double edged sword. Everything about you is watched more closely.

Nice nails!

Ditto on the nails! I love that color. (the suite and food are nice too)

 

[Mopedmom1]

@3 DD love princesses was told by a Southwest phone rep last week that the next release would be on 5/23/19. Could be the csr(s) were giving out bad information to a lot of people. And wouldn't most people follow that information in case it turned out to be right?

This must be what I had in my mind. IDK but I do know I'm going to sleep well tonight!

 

[havaneselover]

For the swagbucks people: they are having an offer to buy swagbucks again, get 2000sb (~$20) for $19. You can do it 3xs. I did it on both of our accounts, a little MSR, make a couple bucks, and last time I got referral points for DHs too.

Thanks! I could only do two.