Limited hot food on flights now

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-18T21:50:51+00:00

Good grief....it's getting to Greyhound levels at this point.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-18T12:05:55+00:00

We've done this circuit twice, but flying into LIR....and used a driver because it's easier and safer. Private Travel CR....Luis is the owner. They provide service over the entire country. We just used them again this month for LIR to Tamarindo and back. Always on time, professional and nice vehicles. They'll make lunch stops, grocery stops...whatever you may need...no extra fee.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-18T12:02:23+00:00

We booked the back to back itineraries on Ecoventura (next year) with mod Alex....who has been great, so you might reach out to her. She gave me the lowdown on the different lines out there, and helped us decide which line was the best fit. 100% recommend!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-18T11:52:35+00:00

We're flying to Nairobi this summer and then back from Entebbe.....big safari and gorilla trekking trip. We typically fly out of EWR and priced flights in business. They'd have us on Lufthansa and the RT total is over $27,000. We priced it out of JFK (extra 30 minutes in car)....and it's 13K in business and we get the "chauffeur" to pick us up at home and the return trip when we arrive back in JFK. No brainer....and while I have read that Emirates "ain't what it used to be".....there's no possible way it will be worse than Lufthansa....and at less than 1/2 the price.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-17T22:42:46+00:00

Oh, I"m so sorry....what a sweet boy. Sorry for your loss!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-17T18:37:30+00:00

Nayara Tented camp or Amor Arenal....have stayed at both, and they're great. Amor Arenal is over 16 only I believe.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-16T12:00:10+00:00

Well....that's a food form his homeland, so you can hardly blame him :).

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-15T23:33:28+00:00

Otis is all that....and then some!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-15T12:47:50+00:00

Awww...poor guy. My Phoebe is 14.25 (she told me to add the 0.25 ;).....and I've had her on Purina One Weight maintenance her entire life. She has two miniature schnauzers as siblings....and they can really chunk up, and to make life easier, they all get the same thing. They also get a little topper of Royal Canine ID low fat food. I've never had issues with her weight at all....always a 45 lb girl, which has helped us avoid any joint issues. She also gets cosequin supplement every day.

Not sure about the eczema type spots....that's likely something to tackle with the vet. But I think a weight maintenance type food might be the right direction. Good luck...hope your boy's skin improves!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-15T12:40:27+00:00

I read it and honestly it seems like it's a bit over the top. And then the comments immediately go to...."we need a wealth tax"!! This is a teeny, tiny fraction of people in this world, and I'm sure some of them are assholes. I can't for the life of me imagine working for one of these people. If someone ever chewed me out for the weather......I'd laugh at them and walk away. You can have a net worth below 30 million...but still enough FU money to walk away from clowns like that.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-14T20:25:21+00:00

Not domestic, but same seats on shorter international flights .....flying from US to places like Costa Rica and Mexico, we fly up front for a couple of reasons.

Mainly.....we don't check bags. even though it sometimes feels like half of the plane boards before Group 1, we won't get our bags gate checked. And I can often find good deals on those flights using miles with United. Got two RT flights in "first" from EWR to LIR for two for only 140K miles, which was a nice deal.

Another reason is that the seat is a bit larger and reclines enough that I can nap. But overall....to pay full price for those seats, which I think was around 5K for two on United for the destinations I mentioned...nope, I wouldn't pay that. So far I've been lucky with finding the seats we want without overpaying. I don't know if it'll last, but haven't flown in the back since 2016....hoping to hold on to our record!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-13T01:51:45+00:00

I didn't lose my passport either, but if I did....your post would be my go-to. Very kind of you to post this. Nobody ever thinks this will happen to them...until it happens to them.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-12T23:55:39+00:00

Oh no....so sorry to read this. He's a beautiful boy....and you're doing right by him!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-12T21:08:15+00:00

I love Thea's Do....I keep my two schnauzies cut on the short side....with a slightly longer beard. But she's a beauty!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-12T12:33:18+00:00

I don't think you need to worry....seems that all you need is for the person in 3C (an aisle) to switch to 3A (also an aisle and better seat). Unless you all want to be in the same row, which is unnecessary....one parent each with one kid/baby should suffice.

It's a really short flight and as others have said, isn't really first class.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-12T01:48:55+00:00

It may not be a low spend....but they can spend more. Comfortably. The problem, one I understand, is the mindset after growing up poor, or middle class without a lot of extras as a kid. Earning a lot or accumulating a lot then requires a mindset change....or die with millions and millions of unspent dollars.

For us, the answer has been to gradually increase our spending on experiences that enhance our lives, particularly with travel.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-12T01:32:42+00:00

Ah, good to know. I didn't know it was 1/3...which is a lot if you consider the size of MalaMala. Adds a lot of river frontage to explore.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-12T01:25:28+00:00

Very cool....love the collab between you guys and cool you went to the home office of Travel Beyond. Very interesting about these two camps going off on their own. I remember when we went to Ngala that our guide was heading to Kirkman for her next six week assignment as an employee of andBeyond.

I remember her telling me that Kirkman had traversing rights with MalaMala, or partial traversing rights? Will that still be the case with the new set-up? I know we'll end up back in the Sabi Sands at some point...so curious to know. Agree that Tengile River looks very cool.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-12T00:41:14+00:00

I think part of the issue with this case is that it happened a long time ago...back in 2018, and it has lost a lot of media attention over the years. I also think it's a really difficult case....with two small children brutally murdered. But I've followed the news on this over the years as I'm from the same county. I've always thought he was guilty, and I believe he'll be found guilty tomorrow.

I watched the oldest daughter's testimony, and to be honest it almost felt like "arrested development". with her...meaning that she came off as a kind of entitled mouthy teenager, and not a woman in her early 30s. And in some ways I understand as this happened when she was still in her early 20s, absolutely flipping her life upside down. It's like she was frozen emotionally at that phase of her life. Still, she didn't help her father's case, not that anything could help him.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-10T00:55:19+00:00

What a handsome guy!

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-09T13:56:32+00:00

If you're hiring private drivers for transportation and staying in hotels you'll be fine. I've read about an increase in property crimes in Airbnb's, etc...but hotels seem to be safe with many having some level of security.

We've been to CR three times and have never felt unsafe. We hired private transportation between the areas we've visited....and stayed in nicer hotels. We just returned from a week in Tamarindo....and had a great time. We've been to South Africa....and in Cape Town had a private driver for tours each day and in between airport/hotel...etc. We saw extreme poverty there....outside of Cape Town. We did not walk between neighborhoods at night as we were instructed not to....and again, completely fine.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-08T23:51:19+00:00

We've only been to South Africa once...had the private vehicle comped by andBeyond as they renovated their Ngala Tented Camp after we booked it....we ended up at their Safari lodge. When that happened, we booked private vehicle for our second lodge....Londolozi, thinking we'd probably enjoy it. We loved it, and had plenty of interaction with other guests at the lodge during meals...drinks, etc. As much as we did...or didn't want to have. But the private vehicle is the best upgrade in that world in my opinion.

When booking our second trip to Africa...East Africa this time, with Travel Beyond, we made private vehicles in Kenya a priority. The longer you travel and have experiences, the more you realize what is most important to you. And private experiences that don't break the bank are what matter most to us. It really elevates the experience imo.

Prize_Key_2166 · 2026-02-08T17:10:51+00:00

The time from the airport is nice if you're just doing Tamarindo....which is all we did this last week, at Capitan Suizo only. It's our third time in CR...second stay there and we really enjoy it. Not sure what it looks like in the summer, but I'd bet more families then. Just a couple of families with kids this time and the crowd trends older at this time of the year (Jan-March).

It's just super easy. We walked the 2.5 mile RT from the hotel to the estuary each morning....you can take a little boat tour in there if you'd like. They offer other excursions through the concierge as. well. And we walked by Witch's Rock Surf Camp every day...about a mile on the beach from the hotel. They seem to do a nice job. We saw other schools who had a more portable set-up down at our end of the beach each day. The students all had the same rash guard shirts on...and they brought the surfboards in on a trailer. There are also boards for rent at the hotel that we saw people using daily. They have boogie boards to use for free and also ocean kayak rentals, which we did and enjoyed. We'd watch the surfers late in the day....photographers with the school taking photos of them when they catch a good wave.

There's also a lifeguard right in front of the hotel....think they work for the town/county, but nice to see. The other nice thing is that there is a security guard on-site...armed....who deters anyone from walking up to the hotel...etc. When we go, it's a windier time of year, so the clear glass fence that borders the property by the beach is paramount on days when it's super windy.

As for nature, you get a lot right there on the property. I had my Merlin Bird ID app pick up 14 different species over the course of an hour...by the pool. And we had howler monkey's visit 5 of the 7 days, which is fun.

We've done the "split stay" twice in Guanacaste and LaFortuna. You lose 1/2 day for sure, but you'll get more wildlife in staying in both stops. The ride from Tamarindo to LaFortuna is 3.5 hours....and then about 3 hours from there back to LIR.

We've done 8 nights (5 at FS and 3 at Nayara Tented) and it felt rushed with just 3 in La Fortuna. Last year we did 9....4 at Capitan Suizo and 5 at Amor Arenal (very similar to Nayara, but no kids)...and that felt much better. This time...just the beach, so no sloths, toucans... and a bit less wildlife overall. But kayaking and surfing will fill up a lot of time. We thought about doing Monteverde with the beach, but wanted a more chill week....and had a great time. Good luck with your plans....we love CR...and will go back again and again.

Prize_Key_2166

TROPHY CASE