Point Me to the Miles

DC for 4 Days: Conclusion

Introduction, PSC-SLC, SLC-DTW, DTW-DCA, Ritz Carlton Pentagon City Review, Exploring Washington, DC-Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4; DCA-ATL, ATL-MSP, MSP-PSC, Conclusion                                                                                                                                                                     _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Writing this trip report reminded me of how much I like traveling around and exploring places, and how well worth it this trip was.

I was a little under the gun at work both before and after the trip,  so getting away for a few days was quite relaxing.  While there is a TON of stuff to see in DC, I found it a little more relaxing the second time to just soak the city in casually, and not worry, about what I was or was not seeing.

I was very satisfied by experience staying at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City and would recommend it to anyone visiting the DC area.  The location is not in the heart of DC (where I stayed my first visit), but it is still fairly convenient due to having a metro stop across the street.

It’s also an incredible hotel.  I love travel hacking because it is all about experiencing things above and beyond what I would normally pay for or be able to afford.  So I appreciated the use of Marriott Rewards points to allow me stay at such a fine and luxurious hotel, which I wouldn’t have chosen to pay for with cash.

Though I was a little irritated about by some of their policies, (being told I wouldn’t get lounge access with Marriott status) I found the hotel staff to be fairly courteous and professional.

And I had another good experience on Delta.  While the SkyMiles program and the SkyTeam both have their shortcomings, their domestic program is darn hard to compete with, which is why I maintain my loyalty to them.  I have found Delta flight attendants to usually be pretty cheery and helpful in general–but I guess sitting in First Class helps too.

I think because I live near a smaller airport, I really appreciate being able to fly on the larger “non-regional” aircraft with all the bells and whistles and meal service, like the Boeing 757 or Airbus A330.  Even if it’s just cereal, there’s something neat about eating breakfast (or any meal for that matter) while watching a movie 30,000 feet up in the air.

And of course flying Delta left me with something gained from the trip — it helped me not only make Medallion status for the first time, but make it to the “mid-tier” level of Gold Medallion.  Due to a number of factors, if I hadn’t been pushing to make Medallion I wouldn’t have cared as much about putting down the money to go, but also wouldn’t have such great memories.

But I am glad that I went, and look forward to similar “mileage runs” in the future.