Triangle Trip

If you ever travel in the Northeast Corridor for work, the best way to travel hands down is via Amtrak.  There are no security lines, no need to get to the train station way in advance, no need to turn off your cellphones or laptops, and plenty of legroom.  Maybe the most negative aspect is trying to find an empty seat on a crowded train especially if you are not boarding at Boston, New York, or Washington D.C.  The best feature of traveling frequently on Amtrak though is possibly their partnership with Continental Airlines.  You can transfer Amtrak miles for Continental miles 1 to 1 (but only in 5,000 point increments) and you get access to the Continental lounge if you flash your Amtrak Select Plus (Amtrak’s top tier status) card.  So remember to carry around your Amtrak Select Plus card even if you are traveling via air.

I recently was at London’s Heathrow airport waiting to board my flight to Seoul.  When I arrived at my gate near boarding time there was already a huge line of people.  Then they called boarding for first class, business class, and Star Alliance Gold members.  I bypassed the line to board the plane.  I had my economy class ticket in my hand, which is a different color than first and business class.  One airline employee apparently saw this discrepency and came up to me.  In a somewhat rude tone he said to me, "Will you please wait in line?"  I then proceeded to flash my Star Alliance Gold card and he responded with an apologetic, "Ah… ok."  That’s right, homie.