2009 was a decidedly aggressive year in travel for me -- not like the multi-country-hopping-in-5-days-esque craziness of yesteryear (oh yes, good ol' 2006) -- but in the sheer volume and repetitiveness of where I flew and how often I flew. If you watched Up in the Air, well, that was my life in 2009, minus the George Clooney and the sad middle American destinations. It's also the first year in probably a decade (!?) that I did not leave the continental North America. At all. And I still made it to 1K. Yes, that's how much I flew.
San Francisco Park City New York City Chicago Sacramento
Napa Los Angeles Beacon Vancouver
Napa Los Angeles Beacon Vancouver
Miles flown - 113,570
Other ways to think about that how far that is - It's about halfway to the moon. Or 10 roundtrips to Hong Kong from the west coast. Or driving from SF to Mountain View and back, 1,419 times.
Most frequented route - No brainer on this one. JFK-SFO. And then in reverse. Every week for 6 months straight.
Shortest trip - 8 hours in LA. Took the 8pm flight from SFO, came back on the 6am flight the next morning. I didn't even touch the bed in my hotel room. The things we do for work.
Best frequent traveler perks - I get the same room at the Four Seasons every time, stocked with a fridge, humidifier, and all of the luggage & George's stuff that we store there permanently. They also give George bottles of Fiji Water. I get the same white Camry (not just the car type, but the actual car) from Hertz, even though I only paid for a Corolla.
Most frequented route - No brainer on this one. JFK-SFO. And then in reverse. Every week for 6 months straight.
Shortest trip - 8 hours in LA. Took the 8pm flight from SFO, came back on the 6am flight the next morning. I didn't even touch the bed in my hotel room. The things we do for work.
Best frequent traveler perks - I get the same room at the Four Seasons every time, stocked with a fridge, humidifier, and all of the luggage & George's stuff that we store there permanently. They also give George bottles of Fiji Water. I get the same white Camry (not just the car type, but the actual car) from Hertz, even though I only paid for a Corolla.
Best frequent traveler perk that went away this year - Westin Heavenly Quilts on United's Premium Service flights in Biz & First Class. Apparently Westin ended the partnership. So now we're back to crappy blankets. Or bringing my own.
Weirdest thing I learned about airport security - They'll pat you down, and turn your stuff inside out, but they will never, ever touch your dog.
Worst travel experience - (Tied) Flying post-shoulder surgery with a giant sling that you can't take off or move. Dealing with the Canadian airport security post-Christmas terrorism attempt.
Weirdest thing I learned about airport security - They'll pat you down, and turn your stuff inside out, but they will never, ever touch your dog.
Worst travel experience - (Tied) Flying post-shoulder surgery with a giant sling that you can't take off or move. Dealing with the Canadian airport security post-Christmas terrorism attempt.
Coolest place I visited - The town of Beacon in the Hudson River Valley, home to awesome art galleries, and the DIA:Beacon.
Cool places I was supposed to visit but didn't because of work - Japan, Helsinki, Stockholm, Madrid, Copenhagen, and Lisbon.
Best room service experience - Judy came over to the FS Palo Alto for a sleepover and we ordered some fries. They came cold (okay, lukewarm) so we asked for replacements, and the manager brought them up himself, on a silver platter, naturally.
Worst excuse for a hotel - Crown Cabana in Mountain View. The curtains had a binder clip on them to keep them closed, and the sink was about a foot too short for me, even though I'm only 5'4".
Coolest thing I did on a plane (or many planes) - Launched the first-ever inflight online scavenger hunt, Day in the Cloud, with Virgin America, and gave everyone free wifi for the day.
The first half of 2010 is looking a lot like a repeat of the last six months, but there are some exciting events ahead including Sundance and the 2010 Winter Olympics! Here's to friendlier skies and safe travels!
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