This leg was a little different. It wasn’t a typical airport-hopping run—we already had a fall trip to New York on the books and decided to use it to check off two more airports for JetBlue’s 25-for-25 promotion. And to make it even more interesting, I got to tag along.
We could have flown from Orlando, but that would only tick one new box. Instead, we drove to Tampa and flew from there. With I-4 traffic always a wild card, we overnighted at the Grand Hyatt Tampa (not technically an airport hotel, but it’s right off airport property).
Flying out of TPA also let my wife Sharon say hi to the airport’s most famous resident, Phoebe—which made her very happy.
Outbound: Tampa (TPA) → LaGuardia (LGA)
We flew TPA→LGA and scored some fantastic views of Manhattan on approach.
New York Stuff (Because… New York)
This wasn’t a mileage run—we actually did New York things. We took the Staten Island Ferry to visit Sharon’s old neighborhood and revisited Jade Island, an old-school Chinese restaurant that’s been around for over 50 years. If you’ve lived in the NY Tri-State Area, you know that the Chinese food anywhere else just isn’t right.
We also squeezed in a couple of Broadway shows and wandered through Times Square at night like tourists, because sometimes it’s OK to act like tourists.
Homebound: LGA → TPA (Plus a Lounge Check)
We got to LaGuardia early to check out the new Chase Sapphire Lounge. It’s just as impressive as the other locations we’ve tried—only downside was that our flight left too early to book one of the complimentary facials. Next time.
Departing LGA meant a classic New York send-off: an hour’s wait to take off. Once airborne, it was a quick ride back to Tampa and the drive home to Orlando.
Running Total
Airports completed: 20 (TPA and LGA added this round)
Trips on this leg: 1 “real” vacation that still moved the needle
Lounges: Chase Sapphire Lounge LGA (thumbs up)
Hitting 20 airports unlocks an additional 200,000 points (bringing the total earned to 350,000.) Though, as we’ve learned, JetBlue appears to credit milestone points later rather than immediately. Either way, it’s a big step—and it leaves just five airports to go.
What’s Next
Sharon will knock out another three on her next run, and then it’s two short out-and-back trips to finish. The end is finally in sight.
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