I guess vacation day 1 wasn't really day 1 - we didn't arrive in New Orleans until after midnight (Friday/Saturday).
We had a fairly relaxing morning before heading to the airport about 4 hours prior to our flight. We had booked First Class tickets (Tom's first time in First Class, and my second) and we wanted to hang out in the Alaska Lounge at SeaTac airport, to really get the full experience!
First hiccup - we found out that you cannot check your bags more than 4 hours before your flight departs! We were only off by about 10 minutes, so the agent at the First Class check-in/baggage drop booth let us stand at her booth and wait for the time to pass - there wasn't a line for that check-in, so it didn't really matter, but the gesture was nice!
Once we dropped bags we headed through security - we were able to skip the line, but once through the line up we had to go through regular security with everyone else - like peasants! Since we had used points to upgrade our flights to First Class, we had the only classification of First Class ticket that does not allow for "free" entry into the Alaska Lounges :( We first went to the Alaska Lounge near Concourse D, where we paid a discounted rate (because we are Alaska credit card holders) to enter the lounge. The concierge let us know that we could check out the other brand new lounge if we took our receipt when we left! We relaxed a bit and had some snacks.
After awhile we went over to the other lounge, near C gates; it was a lot smaller, but decorated nicely. The food and drink offerings were the same, so it seems that wherever you can find space in one of the lounges, it will compare to the other ones.
First Class was as awesome as it seems when you have to walk through it before every other flight! Drinks were free, there were plenty of snacks, and we were given a big hot meal with real metal utensils! Two meal options were given and Tom and I both chose the chicken with brussel sprouts and couscous, which came with a side salad and dinner roll. The flavor were pretty good and it was very filling!
Once we arrived in New Orleans, we didn't have to wait long for our bags, then we were off on the shuttle bus to our rental car. It takes about 15 minutes to drive to the rental car "station" where all the airport rental car companies are located. The person working at Hertz was super friendly and gave us a list of recommended restaurants, bars, and jazz spots! We loaded up the car and we were OFF to the hotel!
We booked our stay at Drury Plaza Hotel New Orleans, located in the Central Business District. I'm not a fan of crowds or noise, so it was better for us to stay outside of the French Quarter. Pricing was decent, and the hotel has great amenities! There's a free hot breakfast buffet, nightly Happy Hour with free alcohol and snacks/light dinner, a rooftop pool, and the staff are so friendly! We booked an upgraded jacuzzi room because for some reason, no hotels seem to think tubs are important anymore! I need to be able to have a bath to relax, especially on vacation! The room was pretty good, there was a separate living space from the bedroom, along with mini-fridge and microwave. The one downside was the only windows were in the living area and were tiny little prison windows set high up in the wall. Odd!
It was time to get some sleep and get ready for vacation to REALLY begin!
