New York to Madrid
On Sunday afternoon we took a Lyft to JFK Airport. Our flight to Madrid was delayed two hours due to weather. Fortunately, we were comfortably ensconced in the Sapphire Lounge, so didn’t mind. We had an overnight flight, so leaving at 9pm instead of 7pm didn’t really matter - it might even help us sleep en route.
We learned a few things on our trip from New York to Madrid: 1) Premium Economy class is a great way to fly, 2) even an experienced travel planner like me can make stupid mistakes, and 3) loyalty to Marriott can really pay off.
We definitely appreciated the more comfortable seats on the 7-hour overnight flight. We watched movies and even managed to get some real sleep. I had booked Premium Economy class “just this once” as a splurge for my milestone birthday, but it was a gateway drug for Steve, who is now hooked. It’s a great option for flyers like us who want a little more comfort but don’t want to pay a fortune for Business or First Class. (And yes, I upgraded our return flight.)
My stupid mistake was booking our hotel for the date of our departure from the USA, not our arrival in Spain the following day. So when we checked in at the hotel in Madrid, they told us we had been no-shows. Thankfully, they still had a room for us, and we were able to extend our stay one day* and get a refund for the unused night. Kudos to the staff at Circulo Gran Via! They fixed my mistake and made us feel very welcome in Madrid.
*A great perk of retirement is a flexible schedule!
