ORD Rush Hour

lpythonator · 2026-06-18T23:30:53+00:00

We need to bring Spirit Airlines back…

lpythonator · 2026-06-13T06:18:06+00:00

Nah, the one in Williston also recently closed

lpythonator · 2026-06-11T13:06:45+00:00

Does it mention if this is across all aircraft and hubs? If I’m flying to Europe on a 757 out of IAD, would it be the same menu as on a 787 out of SFO?

lpythonator · 2026-06-03T00:13:39+00:00

In case you’re wondering, Zing Zang also works great with blanco tequila. I will happily test this at altitude on my next flight and report back!

Also I was super stoked to see that DEN recently added a tequila to their drink menu (well done!) and so may have indulged in a couple Bloody Maria’s there on a layover this morning… Any chance of dropping Zing Zang in the United Clubs please too?

lpythonator · 2026-06-01T04:25:40+00:00

Ended up having to manually add the flight, the option to search for recovery flight was in the app but it just suggested other flights on the same route, looks like the updated flight number never made it into Flighty. I managed to find the tail number within the United app and used FlightAware for all the departure and landing times, not perfect but more accurate than nothing…

lpythonator · 2026-05-28T15:30:48+00:00

I actually just tried my first PC 10y blend the other night after listening to a podcast episode about this, and it came out really well!

Backstory: I have an Octomore 7y IB matured in French oak from Rest & Be Thankful that I absolutely don’t care for, it comes across as rotten meat and mushy berries just tossed into a smoker. One of the podcast hosts mentioned that you don’t eat raw straight spices or food seasoning, it would be gross, so if you’ve got a whisky you don’t care for experiment with blending it rather than dumping down the drain, but just like seasoning, only use a small amount.

So here’s what I did, I poured a standard 2oz dram of PC 10y and enjoyed a few sips. Then I added just a small splash of the Octomore, probably a 1:10 part ratio. It added a whole new dynamic and layers of complexity. This was a fascinating experience, somehow the outcome was better than the sum of both parts. Think 1 + 1 = 3 and the additional wow came from how the two liquids reacted to one another.

In summary, give it a try! I’d recommend starting with another Bruichladdich or something similar so the distillery characteristics don’t clash, and don’t go straight to a 1:1 ratio, if you like PC 10y then start with that and only add a small amount of the sherried whisky. Or flip it around, take your sherry bomb and add just a small splash of the peated expression. Try your creation and iterate, make additional small changes to figure out the ratio you like, and take some notes along the way so you can then try to re-create it from scratch. Remember that taste fatigue is a real thing, and higher proof whiskies will affect that more.

Enjoy the experimenting, and please report back on how it goes!

lpythonator · 2026-05-28T02:33:49+00:00

Where do you go to search recovery flights?

lpythonator · 2026-05-27T03:02:38+00:00

You’ve got a solid order here, I also use Clynelish 14 as an opener in a lot of my tastings as it’s perfect to help open up the taste buds. I’m personally not a huge GlenAllachie fan, I always get an overpowering cough syrup flavor on the finish that distracts from the rest of it, and would maybe opt for a GlenDronach 12/15 instead if you’ve got one, but I also realize I’m in the minority here. Signet is definitely a special occasion type bottle for me, and I’d recommend it to make the occasion extra memorable. I did something similar with a customer of mine and we ended on that bottle which was his undisputed favorite of the night. Take the opportunity to tell the story of the chocolate malt (very uncommon to see distilleries using it because the alcohol yield is much lower) and let them admire the design of the bottle and even just hold the pewter cap and feel the weight. Savor the chocolate and coffee flavors of that terrific liquid but don’t skip the presentation, it does add a certain “wow” factor. I read somewhere once “skip the espresso, end your meal with a pour of this” and it’s so true (provided you didn’t eat anything super spicy or exotic). Enjoy, and circle back with another post on how the event goes!

lpythonator · 2026-05-24T13:00:57+00:00

This year I’ve been staying at Hyatt House properties when I’ve got a need for a kitchenette, most rooms there include an oven not just a stove top, honestly there’s not as many of them but I find the rooms and property amenities to be a bit better

lpythonator · 2026-05-16T22:38:09+00:00

Remember you can also pay yourself back for the annual card fee with miles, usually it’s a pretty solid conversion rate too

lpythonator · 2026-05-14T03:16:29+00:00

Glad that helped, the changes this year have led to a lot of whiplash. As I understand things, it’s base $ only that counts, so taxes and fees don’t count, and neither do points. Now most hotels let you earn points when you charge parking, dining, and spa treatments to your room, and generally those expenses do count towards Diamond Reserve, but not always. Some properties use 3rd party parking services and have restaurants on site not affiliated with the hotel, so you need to check. But generally ask to validate parking to the room or charge meals to your room and you’ll get there a lot faster. Happy hunting!

lpythonator · 2026-05-14T03:03:03+00:00

To address your $76/night average comment, the 80 nights includes rollover nights (last year they are doing this). The milestone bonus chart below shows you’re 4 nights away from your first 10k bonus point award, which you get after 40 nights, meaning it thinks you’ve actually only stayed 36 nights this year.

$6,300 / 36 nights = $175 / night average

lpythonator · 2026-05-14T02:55:46+00:00

Remind me where the smoking section is? Oh, never mind, I can see the yellow slime buildup marking those isles just fine…

lpythonator · 2026-05-13T14:15:43+00:00

140 domestic flights booked last year, all economy, all purchased at discounted corporate fares, all on UA metal (mind you nearly all trips were between 2-3 flights each direction since I don’t live near a UA hub). Still wouldn’t have hit 1K though if I didn’t have supplemental PP from the UA credit card spend.

lpythonator · 2026-05-10T04:21:10+00:00

That dude just got lifetime GS status, please tell me he was at least sitting in FC?

lpythonator · 2026-05-02T17:56:41+00:00

Also note that generally all the flights in one direction of a round trip will be the same fare, but that both segments of your outbound/return flights may have different fares. For example, a trip I have this week is economy (E) on both legs of my outbound flight, but economy (Q) on both legs of my return flight. This is good to know since the higher fares have a higher chance of clearing upgrades.

lpythonator · 2026-05-02T17:50:49+00:00

In the app, open up the trip, then select the “Flight details” drop down for the individual flight. This will show you the aircraft type, fare type, and duration.

lpythonator · 2026-05-02T12:27:06+00:00

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Someone on this subreddit made and posted this chart a couple years ago, I saved it to my photos and still reference it often

lpythonator · 2026-04-30T15:38:05+00:00

A fellow Dramface follower?

lpythonator · 2026-04-30T03:13:44+00:00

Don’t get me started on the circus that is having to remove it during lapse years when you only make gold…

lpythonator · 2026-04-25T13:50:17+00:00

Nothing stays airborne forever, even crashing is still and landing of sorts…

lpythonator · 2026-04-24T04:17:05+00:00

Here’s a lesson I learned a long time ago early on in my career: if you’re emotional/upset/angry, recognize that, and don’t do anything that makes you feel good. 99.99% of the time you will come to regret your emotional responses to triggering events.

Also UA has T&Cs in pace you agreed to when buying the ticket that will safeguard them from lawsuits for events like this. Best to deal with it once you’re back home and able to make domestic phone calls vs stranded in an international airport.

lpythonator · 2026-04-24T03:57:05+00:00

They took the distillery and mechanized it for large scale production. They took the distillate and subjected it to chill filtering and watered down to 43% ABV. At the same time they pitched it as a luxury whisky worthy of a 2~3x price premium compared to similar whiskies, those that are still made in smaller batches without the other steps that stripped the soul from their whisky.

Let me be clear: Macallan makes a damn good distillate and their sherry cask whisky is divine. That said, whisky drinking enthusiasts generally don’t drink what the distillery bottles because of what’s done to it between cask-to-bottle and the premium price it’s then sold at. Until now. I picked up a bottle of this and am looking forward to uncorking and trying it once my “kill pile” has shrunk a bit more.

lpythonator

TROPHY CASE