24th August 2018
Having arrived at OTP in the early hours of the morning after a rather well-lubricated flight and having been bought more drinks at the bar, it was a very short night at the Vienna House hotel. The hotel is just opposite the entrance to the Airport, and had been a very quick walk at 12:30 am!!
This morning the hotel shuttle took us back to the airport where we quickly negotiate security and border control. Those of us early birds were soon meeting our friends in lounges of OTP airport.
After deplaning in LHR there was the first group splitting, some were racing to get the next flight the JFK some were going for a side trip to HEL and back and others were taking a leisurely time in Heathrow. My onward flight to JFK was not for over 3 hours so I took them out and back transfer route, landing, going through passport control and then leaving the UK again to go on to the USA. This became my favoured transfer route at LHR.
There was no waiting time to use the passport gates, and very swiftly I was going back through security to the Concorde room with a number of others from the trip there. Some had made the trip to OTP and back the previous day, and were setting out fresh from LHR, others were going to OTP that morning and others were on various flights to the USA. I used the time in the lounge to have a second cooked breakfast, one of the things I miss most living in Switzerland is a good British fry-up breakfast.
When the gate was shown I took the gentle stroll through the tunnels to the gate. Onboarding in group 1 I was approached by the turnaround manager and confirmed I was the passenger he was looking for, there was a problem with my seat in first class 2K, but 3A was available.
It was a short walk when we arrived in JFK to immigration and customs. It did not take long till I was welcomed again to the USA. It was the first time when asked the purpose of my trip to the USA I replied “Mileage Run.” I reconned CBP had heard it all before, and I could not give any other valid reason for going to PHX for one night only. Once through immigration, I made my way to the Airtain at JFK, which took me quickly to Federal Circle.
The new bit was to stay at an airport hotel in New York, the shuttle buses for the hotel all leave from Federal Circle, so you take the free Airtrain to there and then wait for the appropriate shuttle. It was quite a long wait for the bus, but when it did arrive it was a quick trip to the hotel (Hilton New York JFK Airport). My room was a nice clean standard room with runways views. I had wondered about going into town but in the end, I phoned home to say I had arrived in NYC and just rested.
24th August 2018
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