1212 TRAVEL FEATURE

N

orth American airline

JetBlue is benefitting

from fed-up Scots keen

to escape a wetter than

normal summer with its

Edinburgh to New York

route proving a popular

getaway option.

At just under seven-and-a-half hours flying

time and arriving on the Big Apple’s doorstep

at JFK International Airport, thousands of

Scots have taken advantage of the daily

seasonal route which runs until 30 September.

It seems the city that never sleeps is an

appealing alternative for holidaymakers awake

to the glamour of a Stateside vacation over

traditional European destinations including,

Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece.

JetBlue is New York’s “hometown airline”

with signature low-fares and when launching

its first Scottish route, company president

Marty St George said JetBlue had “redefined

transatlantic travel by introducing low fares

and great service in markets dominated by high

fare legacy carriers”.

For those willing to push the budget,

JetBlue’s business class product, Mint, is indeed

minted. When travelling Mint, passengers have

access to a dedicated check-in queue and fast

track security lane, while priority boarding

means you are first on and off the plane.

Passengers can luxuriate in a private “suite”

• a pod with an automated seat which converts
  to lie-flat bed if beauty sleep is needed. Wifi is
  available throughout the trip and a wide
  selection of the latest movies can be viewed on
  a tilting 17” tv screen.
  Attentive cabin crew take care of drinks on
  demand, serving a range of cocktails, beer,
  wines and soft drinks. There are snacks aplenty
  and a generous hot dinner consisting of four
  small plates is served - it varies but on my flight
  tomato cucumber salad, lasagne, chicken
  Milanese and Flat Iron steak were options,
  followed by a healthy portion of gelato and
  chocolate cake. If that is not enough, as we
  reached the final stage of the journey, a cheese
  plate and scone with butter and jam appeared.
  Hotel chain YOTEL describes itself as the
  “pit-stop for the non-stop” and is positioned as
  an affordable luxury option for travellers. With
  its Times Square location on Tenth Avenue/W
  42 nd Street it would be hard to find a more
  central position from which to explore manic
  but marvellous Manhattan.
  Oh, and YOTEL Times Square also happens
  to have one of the largest roof terraces in NYC


• with spectacular views drawing a young and

trendy crowd, not to mention its own theatre,

The Green Room 42, which showcases up and

coming Broadway acts.

YOTEL has replaced the traditional check-in

desk with “Mission Control” - self service

kiosks which make is simple and fast to check

in and avoid irritating queues. A quirky

addition which will keep the kids (and adults)

engrossed, is the world’s first robotic luggage

concierge - the YOBOT - which springs into

action to safely store luggage in one of the 150

bins if you have a later departure time.

With 12 different room types and affordable

price points for solo travellers, couples and

families, one of the most popular is the Skyline

View - a stylishly compact space using YOTEL’s

signature smart design which maximises the

170 sq ft space and located on floors 16-26 you

can expect unparalleled views of the city.

The adjustable queen-size SmartBed™

reclines from a couch to a fully flat bed with

memory gel foam mattress at the touch of a

Stephen Rafferty took advantage of a new daily transatlantic flight from Edinburgh

to put on his vagabond shoes and be a part of it, New York, New York.

NY state of mind

Peeling back the Big Apple

Right: Street view from

the High Line.

Below: Brooklyn Bridge

from The Hudson

Stephen Rafferty

Stephen Rafferty