Last Minute Trip to New York on Boeing Business Jet
[message type="custom"]I have dug up some posts from my original blog that I started almost eight years ago. Back then, I worked for Netjets - world's largest operator of business jets and as one of the benefits, we could ride on the planes during ferry flights (when there were no passengers flying). I have flown many trips like that so it is no wonder that business or even first class airline travel has never impressed me after that. This is another one of my ferry tales from December 2005.[/message]
- Boeing Business Jet to New York: $0
- Bus and train to Manhattan: $2.75
- Statue of Liberty tour: $11.50
- Hot cocoa and a cookie: $3.75
- Splitting Ford Excursion to get home: $50
- Going to New York City with bunch of friends on a 6-hour notice: PRICELESS
For the fourth time, this year [2005 that is]I went to New York City... One of the things I wanted to do while I am back in Columbus for the Christmas break is to fly on some more business jets with people I used to work with at Netjets. So, when I found out that there is Boeing Business Jet going to New York early Monday morning, I jumped on the phone to see if I can find someone to go with. Finally, Amanda agreed to go with her sisters and their friends. They drove down from Cleveland that night to jump on the flight at 7am on Monday.
I am not going to describe the BBJ again. I have flew on it before (how many people can say that?). Let's just say it was as good as the last time when I flew from Cleveland to Baltimore on one this summer.
The others were impressed. I think Joe summed it up pretty good after popping a can of beer (yup, at 8am):
Look, I see clouds and I have free beer. I am in Heaven!
After we landed in Newark, we found out that the plane we were going to take back to Columbus was now going to Baltimore. Oh well, that was expected so we jumped on the bus and headed over to the City. We decided to take the Statue of Liberty tour and that took forever. We had to go through two security screenings including the bomb detection machines on the island. Oh well, it was worth it. The last time I was there was in 1995 so it was nice to go back again.
By the time we got back, it was already evening so we took a subway to Times Square and then rented a car to drive home. We were going to get two cars since there were eight of us but Hertz offered us an Excursion when we got there so we gladly took that. It had a DVD player so the ride home was not that bad either.
I got home at 5:30 am, only 23 hours after we left. :-)