"New York at 50" a New York City Travel Page by johnaalex

My first ever flight was on a BA 747 from London Heathrow on 12 April 1981. I was originally nervous about flying, getting on a plane was a concept that, prior to that day, made me feel queasy! The reason why I decided to “take the plunge” was my love for American music (1950’s Rock’n’Roll, Rhythm and Blues, Country etc). I decided that I had to cross the pond and get as much of the American Dream as I could in 14 days with minimal flying. The plan was simple, fly the shortest route and travel by train from New York to New Orleans, to Los Angeles, to Flagstaff (for the Grand Canyon) and then back to New York via Chicago all on Amtrak. What actually happened was that as soon as that 747 started to roll down the runway I felt a thrill I cannot rationalise and then to see the ground slowly fade into the distance was something that just had me wrapt in a way that meant flying was no longer an issue.
So some 8782 days later (isn’t Excel clever?) I was on another BA 747 heading back to New York for the third time. I have to point out that this was not my third trip to the States, or for that matter by plane. As far as my records can tell I have flown over 1,000 sectors (the industry term for a fight, that is a take off and landing, being a “sector”) and thanks to the stamps in my passports I know this is my 32nd trip to the USA. Thanks to my business and personal travel activity this current trip is paid for with BA Miles, I am currently a Gold Card holder in the BA Executive Club. Do I still get excited as the plane engines rev up and we roll down the runway? Bet your life I do!
So given I am a reasonably experienced traveller, what have I learnt over the past 24 years? Well, the maxim of “you get what you pay for” is seldom truer than when it comes to long haul (over 5 hours, in my view) air travel. The fact, that with careful planning and an ambivalent attitude towards the actual operator of the flight, it is still possible, after almost a quarter of a century, to cross the Atlantic for around 200 Pounds Stirling is pretty impressive given the general rate of inflation over the same period. Seats on board may have improved and the same can be said for in flight “entertainment” to some extent, but worries over DVT (deep vein thrombosis) a possibly fatal condition, have made travellers more aware about the possible dangers of cramped conditions for a long period. “Premium Economy” from operators such as Eva, Virgin and BA are a welcome offering, but when compared to the overall capacity of a jumbo it is still an option for the few who are prepared to pay a premium fareI wonder if the new “super jumbo” from Air Bus will allow a step improvement in this area or will the drive for profit mean more of the same? I’ll bet on more of the same
Our time in New York was spent seeing some sights we hadn’t seen before such as Ellis Island and the Metropolitan Museum. We also went back to Central Park, Greenwich Village, Soho and Brooklyn – for Peter Luger’s. The weather was just about right for walking not too hot and there was only rain on one day.
I do like Manhattan, but a long weekend is enough. The taxis are cheap and plentiful, but unlike London there is no guarantee that the driver will know how to get to your destination, even if you give the cross street and especially if you want to go off the island. The skyscraper is now found in many cities, but for me there is no skyline quite like the one in Manhattan, even without the twin towers. When the clouds come in and rain falls seeing the tall buildings with their heads’ in the clouds is something I find evocative of old black and white movies from the 40’s and 50’s.
On checking in for the return flight at JFK I mentioned that the previous day had been my 50th in the hope that we might get upgraded and was promised that they “would see what they could do”, usually this means “no way”. However, while waiting in the BA Lounge (one of the best outside of LHR) a kind lady from BA came to tell me that we had been moved to 5E and F, thank you BA.