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On June 3rd I wrote about an incredible offer from JetSmarter, a free 3 month empty leg private jet membership for anyone with 1 million miles or top-tier elite status. Too bad I couldn’t get 6 months for having both 😉
My membership was activated by June 8th and I had been avidly checking to see what flights would be available from Cleveland. JetSmarter deals are typically only posted the day of, or the day before a free flight.
On June 14th, a flight popped up from Cleveland to Philadelphia, departing on the morning of the 15th. There was a 7.5K BA Avios flight back from Philadelphia to Cleveland that evening, so a friend and myself planned to fly into Philly on a private jet, check out some of the historical sights, try the new Citron And Rose Tavern, and fly home.
We booked the return flight with BA Avios, but the deal turned out to be a dud. JetSmarter wound up cancelling the Cleveland to Philadelphia flight on the evening of the 14th. Luckily it was just outside of the BA 24 hour cancellation period before the flight, so we got our Avios back.
We were a bit bummed until we saw the following evening that the return flight that we were supposed to take from Philadelphia back to Cleveland was delayed on the runway for hours, before finally getting cancelled in the wee hours of the morning!
On Saturday evening, June 17th, Cleveland hit the jackpot. There were free JetSmarter flights to Detroit, S. Louis, and Minneapolis. I originally had a flight booked to San Francisco on the 18th with my grandfather, but wound up cancelling that when the Cavs were eliminated from the Finals. There would be no repeat of the incredible trip I had in 2016 to see the Cavs win it all.
Minneapolis immediately caught my eye. I have never flown through there, so that would make the 100th airport that I’ve flown into.
But more tempting for this Indians fan was that the Tribe was playing in Target Field. They had won the previous 3 games and were looking to complete the 4 game sweep on Sunday to lay claim to first place in the AL Central.
Rafi has become quite the sports fan himself and what better way is there to celebrate Father’s Day and his 6th birthday than to fly to Minneapolis on a private jet and catch a ballgame together?
At midnight I booked a JetSmarter that was scheduled to depart at 8AM and waited for them to confirm the flight, fully knowing that there was a decent chance that it might get scrubbed.
And then I waited. And waited. I asked for an update at 12:30AM, 1AM, and 1:30AM, but they were unable to confirm that I could take the flight to Minneapolis and kept asking to wait another few minutes for a status update.
And so I went to sleep and set an alarm for 5:30AM, hoping that they would have an answer either way by then. Alas, there was radio silence.
I was about to throw in the towel. I love to travel and make lasting memories, but JetSmarter was turning out to be a giant dud.
But my wanderlust prevailed over sleep and sure enough at 6:37AM they confirmed the flight.
JetSmarter requires that you be at the airport 30 minutes prior to the flight or else you have to pay a $1,000 fee. How in the world could they confirm a flight just 83 minutes before departure with that kind of requirement? I asked them that and they said they would not charge the fee if I missed the flight.
And so I told Rafi to throw on an Indians shirt and hop into the car. He was beyond excited to be taking another father-son trip.
Rafi does love to sweat the details though. He’s been on over 100 flights and was incredulous that we were leaving the house at 7:20AM for an 8AM flight. He said that even with Pre-Check we would never make the flight!
But of course I had a surprise for him.
We parked at the IX-Center, which is the location of the Atlantic Aviation FBO (fixed-base operator) for private jets taking off from Cleveland Hopkins. As with most FBOs, parking for private jet clients is free.
The pilot was waiting for us in the FBO and checked my ID. He was surprised that he was taking passengers and said that they just had to provision the plane for us, which would take a couple extra minutes.
Within 2 minutes of arriving we were walking onto our private jet. The booking experience may not have been great, but what a pleasure it is to just walk onto a plane without parking far away, going through security, boarding, and all of the regular hassles of flying.
Our private jet from Cleveland to Minneapolis:
The plane itself was definitely a bit more tired than the Citation X that I flew on last December:
It also didn’t have features like a live flight map that the Citation had:
The liquor selection on the Hawker was also a step down from the Citation X.
Hawker liquor selection:
Citation X liquor selection:
Hawker bathroom:
The WiFi worked well and there were free newspapers on board as well:
Nothing like a little nap on the couch:
Our Hawker 800XP in Minneapolis:
And there was a Citation X there as well:
I brought along an Evenflo Maestro travel carseat and a GoGoBabyz Travelmates for Rafi. Alas I couldn’t figure out how to tether the carseat to the blue Ford Mustang that Rafi wanted, so we got an SUV from Avis and drove to Vitali’s Bistro for brunch.
The owner wasn’t there and there were lots of items that weren’t available, like Pancakes and Pizza. But Rafi sure loved the chocolate milkshake:
And I had a delicious mocha milkshake:
The chocolate crepe was delicious:
I didn’t care for the “Fish Tacos” which were not at all what I was expecting fish tacos to be:
But the Felafel was very good:
While we were eating I also bought us tickets for the Indians-Twins game on Stubhub. They were a fraction of the price that they had been the night before.
With a couple of hours to kill until the ballgame, we went to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which was a free and fun diversion, full of lots of whimsical sculptures.
Rafi especially loved this swinging sculpture:
Even the trees in the garden make noise:
“But what is it supposed to be?”
Rafi loves highways, so I wasn’t surprised that he wanted to walk across the bridge over the I-94 that connects Loring Park with the Sculpture Garden. Definitely not a bridge for someone with a fear of heights:
There’s a great view of the garden from the bridge:
You can even climb some of the sculptures:
There was also mini-golf at the garden, but it was time to head to the ballgame when we discovered it.
I thought I’d be smart by driving past the $15 parking garage and opting for street parking a little further away. Alas the street parking had variable pricing and was $3.50/hour for the game, so all I wound up saving was a buck. But hey, a dollar saved is a dollar earned…or something like that. Plus the meter took credit cards, so I earned 3 points per dollar on my Sapphire Reserve.
Target Field opened 7 years ago and is really a beautiful ballpark. There is a “kosher” hot dog stand there, but unfortunately it’s not under an Orthodox Hechsher.
We had seats just to the left of the Indians dugout, that weren’t behind the net.
Rafi’s favorite player has always been Jason Kipnis, who is the runner on 3rd base in this picture:
Kipnis even tossed Rafi a game used ball after an inning. In honor of Father’s Day the ball had blue print and stitching:
Being a cute kid at an away game definitely has its perks, as Jose Ramirez also tossed him a ball during the game:
The Indians completed the 4 game sweep, helped by Encarnacion’s 2 long balls. And that’s a good thing as there’s nothing worse than traveling for a ballgame and watching your team lose!
We stuck around after the final out, though they cut Rafi out of the TV coverage:
And then as we were taking a picture, Jason Kipnis came back out onto the field. I told him we flew in from Cleveland for the game and showed him Rafi’s shirt and the ball he tossed him during the game.
Jason asked Rafi if he could borrow his ball and put his John Hancock on it. Then he took a picture with him as well. Total class act and it made Rafi’s day!
They had a kids run the bases program after the game, so we waited in line before getting to walk on the field and run the bases:
I share a birthday with Charles Schulz and have always had a soft spot for Peanuts, so we stopped by this display outside of Target Field:
After an exhilarating afternoon we went to Prime Deli for dinner. Rafi ordered the “Shnitzel Basket” off the kids menu. He was hoping for a basket of small shnitzel pieces and wasn’t totally thrilled with what came. But he did like the fries 🙂
I ordered a Samosa appetizer, but it was very dry:
The real winner was my entree, a sauteed steak sandwich with mushrooms and onions in a delicious horseradish aioli on a yummy baguette. And yes, the fries were indeed very good.
Service isn’t great. We had to proactively ask for a water refill and I had to ask multiple times for a to-go package and the bill. I had asked the waiter privately to please put a birthday candle in one of the desserts and he said sure, but he didn’t end up bringing it out with a candle.
He acknowledged afterward that he forgot the candle when he brought me the receipt to sign, but he didn’t return my credit card with the receipt. I would have wound up leaving the card there if not for the owner coming outside to return it to me.
The chocolate torte though was nice and moist:
And the turtle pie was delicious:
Rafi had a birthday party in school on Monday morning and the only flight back to Cleveland that night was on Delta. They wanted $480 or 40K miles for the flight, but I was able to redeem 24K Hybrid points via the AMEX Business Platinum 50% rebate for the flight. We didn’t wind up booking a return flight until after we landed in Minneapolis! Once again, miles created an opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime.
In the airport, we got some friendly jeers about our Indians gear, but I joked with the Pre-Check agent that at least I wasn’t wearing Packers gear. The TSA agent next to him was apparently a Packers fan and joked about sending me for a full pat-down 😀
Delta flies to all kinds of obscure airports from Minneapolis. The gate next to us had a flight to Minot. Rafi asked me where that was and I had to look it up. Just 2 days after that someone posted on DDF looking for advice about redeeming miles for a flight to Minot!
On the other side of our gate was a movie screening room, a pretty nice amenity for the airport. But we didn’t have time to check out the lounges or the room as it was time to board our flight.
After an uneventful 80 minute flight home to Cleveland, someone from the FBO pickup us up from the terminal and drove us to our car that we parked that morning.
Rafi was sad that he didn’t get to give me the Father’s Day present he had for me that day, but was thrilled that we made it home by 11:45PM while it was still Father’s Day.
Flying in a private jet, getting some good kosher food, watching an awesome baseball game, getting 2 game used Father’s Day baseballs, meeting and getting a ball autographed by Jason Kipnis, flying home with miles.
And best of all we got to spend some real quality father and son time together. This was definitely one Father’s Day that neither of us will forget.
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53 Comments On "Trip Notes: A Father & Son Private Jet Ride And Day Trip To Minneapolis To Catch A Ballgame"
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Great story. Rafi is one lucky kid! I noticed in a pic above that you have a Lenovo laptop. You travel often and I’m sure it gets lots of road use. Can you share what model it is, how/why you picked it, and whether you would recommend it (or another) for frequent travel use? Tx!
@Anonymous:
I used a Sony Vaio from 2010 until recently when I got a Lenovo 2nd generation Yoga X1:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/116592
So far, so good.
Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
Amazing trip, Dan! Well done!
@Dan: Thanks Dan, will check it out.
Wow sounds great! And thanks for all the detail!.
I think I would rather use 40k delta than 24k amex, what are delta miles worth these days? Not a lot, that’s for sure, can you explain why you used the 24k MR?
@Josh: @Chris: @Anonymous:
Thanks guys.
@nice:
If you want to get wonky…
I try to redeem Delta at a minimum of ~1.1 cents, so that’s $440 plus $5.60 tax= $445.60 “worth” of miles.
I try to redeem AMEX at a minimum value of ~1.5 cents, so 24K is “worth” $360. We also got back 2,170 Delta miles each, which are worth $24 at a value of 1.1 cents each. Plus using a personal Platinum card earns you a bonus 4 points per dollar=1,920 AMEX points each which are worth $29.
Total with this route is $307 “worth” of miles.
How’d you get 2,170 Delta miles back, each? Presumably you have crossover rewards, so there should be SPG points factored into the calculation. Does the four points per dollar not apply to the Business Platinum card too?
2,170 Delta miles.
You’re right, also got 434 Starpoints.
Used AJKs BP points, so didn’t get 4x.
Dan,
Why do commercial jets not go that fast? Are they saving money? Prob a commercial airline scam …
@Jake:
It burns a lot more fuel.
Would have been extra special if you’d put tefillin on the guy (name sounds Jewish).
How did you book 2 seats with JetSmarter trial? I got the same trial and only seem to be able to book 1 at time.
@Is Kipnis Jewish?:
Not Jewish.
@Jake:
1 seat for Shuttle, 2 seats for for Deals (empty legs)
Look, I know it’s late in the game, Dan, but if you’d like to adopt a middle-aged man as your honorary son–with all said perks–I will buy you amazing father’s days cards and call to wish you Gut Shabbes.
@Dan: dan you earned points on your Amex plat four points per dollar when you used 24 k Amex points to book your flight? I thought you only earned points for spending money on your credit card not iusing the actual points that you already have? Also does this go with chase as well that you earn chase points when redeeming miles for flight still
I just have to say….im with Rafi on this one. That’s certainly not a basket of schnitzel. It’s not even served in a basket!
Dan,
How was the noise of the engines on the flight? I briefly flew with a company called Beacon from HPN to BOS (they have since gone out of business) and while the convenience of private was great, the actual flight experience was suboar due to the engine noise. commercial was much quieter.
Amazing, great trip there, I hope you enjoyed it as much as rafi.
Great last minute planning/packing.
And you even made the flight!
Not bad, can’t complain about United on this one eh lol
SWEET! What a trip! Firstly, you have great son! Who really enjoys things you enjoy. That in and of itself is priceless. Secondly, to have ability to book all these elements on such a short notice! Life is short, so do as much as you can while you can!
Dan I’ve been living in Minneapolis for the past 20 yrs, I was shocked to hear about how u talked about our community. As a frum jew we try to support our fellow brothers who are trying to serve the community with a glatt kosher restaurant. I have gone to Prime Deli many times, I love that place!!! The atmosphere is great, the owners are a friendly as anything and u come and give such a bad report about that place!! I was shocked to hear a Jew talk about another Jew like that!!The amount of LAshon Hora that u said will surely make others not want to try it (even tho its better that alot of places in New York)Im sorry you didnt have a good experience but I have had friends come from New York, New Jersey, Toronto and they were amazed about Prime Deli.
Hopefully before you post something like that next time you’ll think about other Parnassah!!!
“They wanted $480 or 40K miles for the flight, but I was able to redeem 24K Hybrid points via the AMEX Business Platinum for the flight. We didn’t wind up booking a return flight until after we landed in Minneapolis! Once again, miles created an opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime.”
HT: AJK
@Shmuel Klein:
1) He did not talk about the Minneapolis community at all. Perhaps you were reading another post, by another blogger, on another website, about something completely different?
2) You’re talking to someone who reviews planes, travel, hotels, destinations, and… restaurants. What should he do, lie? Tell everyone that Prime Deli is just as good as Reserve Cut in NYC, but half the price? Or that the waiter brought him the birthday candle and remembered to bring his credit card, when he did not? Or that one dish was not dry? Wouldn’t that be deceptive and misleading? People have a limited amount of money–being able to see reviews ahead of time allows people to not only be be temper expectations, but to choose to go elsewhere with that hard-earned money if they so choose. Perhaps Prime Deli sees this review as constructive criticism and improves? That would benefit the owner (in terms of increased business) AND his patrons (in terms of better service and food). If you want inoculated, misleading food reviews, go to Great Kosher Restaurant Foodies on Facebook.
3) Did you not happen to notice his generally positive review of Vitali’s Bistro, or did you overlook that in your alacrity to accuse him of lashon hara?
The laws of lashon hara are nuanced, and not all negative things are considered lashon hara, especially if they are for tachlis. Go consult your LOR.
Is there an option with Jetsmarter Deals to buy a third seat if available?
Happy you had a great time! Ive been to Vitali’s anumber of times, its a shame they didnt have the pizza, it is actually really good and different than you get in other places..
@Mike:
😀
@Anonymous:
Only works with AMEX and only if you have a Consumer and Business Platinum.
@Jon:
He was hoping for something like this again:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQCJUeVFHDc/?taken-by=dansdeals
@JL35:
I don’t think it was particularly loud, but I always fly with Bose NC headphones, so engine drone doesn’t bother me at all.
@myi:
Thanks.
@JohnB:
Yup, it is pretty awesome to have interests aligned!
Just have to take advantage while he still thinks I’m cool 🙂
@Shmuel Klein:
The owners were indeed friendly and the atmosphere was indeed nice.
For an “out of town” restaurant it does a lot better than most places.
But I’m a straight shooter. I tell my experiences like it is. The steak sandwich was excellent and I wrote exactly that. If someone goes there they’ll now know what to get and what to avoid. I don’t think someone will go to MSP looking for kosher food and not go out to eat at the only meat restaurant option in town.
Hopefully they’ll fix the shortcomings by the next time I make it to MSP. I’ve had restaurants emails me after trip reports looking for exact recommendations and I always give them detailed feedback.
@AJK:
At least until the next island hopper.
@AJK:
I LOLed at the GKRF reference. So true.
@Audrey:
Yes.
@ji:
Oh well. Maybe next time!
Been To Minneapolis numerous of times for business (from NYC) which is why this post caught my eye. I have only had positive experiences there. Service has been great, friendly staff and awesome food ( my favorite Prime Burger Deluxe). would definitely recommend this place!
@Jeff:
The staff was friendly, there were just some shortcomings in our service.
My entree was delicious. That Prime Burger Deluxe also looked good, but I don’t regret getting the steak sandwich.
@Dan great to hear about you and your son having such a great time. I just recently flew the Jetsmart shuttle from New York to Atlanta and I must say I was pretty disappointed. Outside of pulling up to the gate and walking on the plane I was very unimpressed. Our flight was delayed twenty minutes, there was no liquor on the plane, the seats are as big as first class but no leg room whatsoever and no room for my carry on. I was actually on the plane thinking I could be earning miles right now 😉
@Harry:
There’s definitely a lot of variance between the different planes.
I haven’t tried any of the shuttle routes though.
The car seat in your laptop. You have to bring that everywhere you go. What does it say on the plane. How did you handle these items when you went to the baseball game
i hear both sides. and ajk’s ahavas yisroel to protect his fellow yid dan from cleveland.
oh and by the way whenever dan gives a review pos or neg it puts that restaurant on the map just like when the rabbonim assered lipas tapes everyone went out and bought one!
@Dan when I got off the plane a fellow passenger told me to try the G4 it’s a total different experience. Also on the Learjet which Jetsmart flies on the NYC-Atlanta route the turbulence was rough.
@Where:
The carseat and gogobabyz fir int he closet on the Hawker and were gate checked on Delta.
Left everything in the rental car while at the game.
@chaz:
It’s a fine line to straddle, but as AJK pointed out, is it useful if you can say anything you want about a restaurant as long as its positive like GKRF?
In the end, I’d definitely go back, but hopefully this gives some ideas on what to order and expect.
@chaz: your a massive baal kishron
@ Dan, Does that still work to book with consumer plat as long as you have bp?. I just booked that way last week and did not receive an e mail about the %50 rebate (grandfathered). And can you book lets say air canada el al etc.. with the bp option because you have to select your airline and thats not one of the options. TIA
Family! This is why we do this points game! Great utilization of points. Great post!
I know you travel by plane a lot. How do you avoid getting headaches or air sickness? I don’t fly that often anymore, but when I do, no matter what I do before (get a good night’s sleep, drink a lot of water, etc…) I always get a headache and after landing, can’t do much till the next morning, after I had a nights rest.
@lara:
Yes.
Foreign airlines only work in business/first class.
@SoCalDude:
Thanks!
@Yossi from Flatbush:
Try noise cancelling headphones?
Hi Dan
Nice post, what checked in luggage do you use/recommend for international travelling?
@Jeff: Must agree Prime Deli is amazing!!!!!!
Love the food, service and just happens to be right next to the shul for your convenience!!
I love going to that place on business!!
Reading this on the new site is a pleasure. Great TR!
Thanks!
Dan,
Did you see the gefilte fish at the sculpture garden? Its indoors.
I didn’t even notice that there was an indoors…
Hmm…lokks like they moved it.
http://wam.umn.edu/2015/12/07/a-fishstory/
But here’s the inscription.
The form of a fish has been a long recurring motif in Gehry’s creations, and he has called its shape “the perfect form.” His fascination with fish began as a child of a Jewish family in Toronto when his grandmother would travel to the Jewish market every Thursday morning to purchase a carp for gefilte fish. The large carps, sometimes 3 feet long, would swim in the bathtub at Gehry’s home until it was time for them to be killed and Gehry would sit near the bathtub and watch them swim. Gehry has used the image of these childhood carps in various projects of various scales since the early 1980’s. The motif is most commonly found in his fish lamps, one of which resides in the Riverview Gallery of the Weisman Art Museum.
@Dan
Tell us the truth: Do you always have a handbag ready for you and your family just in case a great deal comes up?
It’s a Moshiach bag, but al kol panim it works for last minute deals too 🙂
awesome!
How do you have the energy to get through the day? I’d definitely need a nap somewhere in the afternoon.
Sounds like a wonderful day for both of you!
Dan – Great trip! I am new to the points game. Other than charging how did you accumulate so many miles?
“Once again, miles created an opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime.”