I've been dragging my feet on this one, so I'm just going to man up and do it! We secured award tickets to Buenos Aires (first week in October 2009) on Air Canada at the 330-day window (and for only 80K miles each, before the rate went up - a real bargain). The whole trip had a mythic quality being booked so far out, but the day finally arrived and it was time to leave.
Our route was DEN-YYZ-SCL (2-hour stop) SCL-EZE, then EZE-SCL (2-day stop) SCL-YYZ-DEN. I really enjoyed the Executive First product in almost every respect. The food was a bit weak on the long-haul flights, but the seat and service were great.
Check-in was a bit underwhelming; we were told "no" to using the CO President's Club on the A concourse in Denver, but the very friendly attendant saw our J tickets and UA *Gold cards and said "come on in!" I really love the staff at this lounge (LH uses it, too).
I enjoyed some red wine and some tasty cheese and crackers with an apple for good measure.
After takeoff, our two Québécois flight attendants (both young and quite attractive) started service with warm towels, nuts (not warm) and drinks. I had a nice, red wine. No menus were provided. I like the new china and glassware; it's wonderfully modern. I watched a couple of episodes of "How I Met Your Mother" on the AVOD system, which worked great.
For some reason our UA numbers weren't listed on our boarding passes (and presumably the manifest); we were asked last for our meal choice. Chicken with cherry sauce, a vegetarian lasagna and a single order of beef were available. I chose the beef; my friend had the lasagna. First up was a salad, served with a nice, balsamic vinegar. I don't like to see the dessert served with the first course!
The beef had a vaguely Middle-Eastern flavor (cinnamon, perhaps?), but was nice and tender and went well with the red wine. The mashed potatoes were garlicky and delicious, as were the vegetables. No bread was forthcoming (catering error maybe?).
Before long we were descending into rainy Toronto. A nice start to our trip!
RTW4
Oct 29, 09, 2:50 pm
Great start to a trip report.. Pics are wonderful.... thanks...
larrywilmot747
Oct 29, 09, 4:37 pm
Great so far, thanks for posting.
Cheers Larry.
cmte_valle
Oct 29, 09, 6:25 pm
nice one mate!
Kurt
Oct 29, 09, 10:19 pm
After a very long trek down to immigration/security and back (is it always such a disorganized mess?), we hit the Maple Leaf Lounge. It was quite busy, with AC flights departing to London, Madrid, São Paulo, Santiago/Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv.
After having a quick drink and some crunchy, salty snacks, I decided it was a good idea to have a shower, which was quickly arranged at the check-in counter. The shower room itself was quite nice, but again, not plush. Towels were provided, and soap and shampoo in wall-mounted pumps. Quite refreshing, I thought.
At the gate, we soon realized we'd be delayed, first by a gate change, then by a late-arriving aircraft (a "domestic arrival," I never found out from where). I spotted another 767-300 at the next gate headed to London, I think. The gate agents did a pretty good job of updating us.
About 35 minutes behind schedule we boarded (quite efficiently as the crew gently urged us to be quick so we could button up and go, and we had a full load). My first impression of the seat was good; blankets, a water bottle and a nice amenity kit. Menus and pre-departure water, juice and bubbly were offered. I chose some sparkling wine.
After a rather quick taxi and takeoff, dinner orders were taken by the purser, and the first round of cocktails was served. I tried the Drappier, which was quite nice with some warm nuts. The crew was very friendly, but the cabin layout seemed to be at odds with efficient service (lots of up and down one aisle then the other).
* Air Canada NutriCuisine is a refreshing food alternative designed exclusively for Executive First travelers. Based on the simple principles of combining regional ingredients, whole grain products and minimal sodium or fats, Air Canada NutriCuisine main dish gives you the choice of a light yet tasty alternative to the heartier selections.
WINE SELECTIONS
OUR WINE EXPERT
Ken Chase is an expert and lecturer who studied oenology and viticulture at the University of Melbourne. Ken is available to answer all your questions on wine. Contact him at kenology@cogeco.ca.
HIDDEN TREASURES
Every now and then we stumble upon a rare find. These regularly featured “hidden treasures” are offered exclusively to our Executive First customers.
CHAMPAGNE
Champagne Drappier, Carte d’Or Brut, Reims, France
WHITE WINES
Danie De Wet, Sauvignon Blanc, De Wetshof Estate, Robertson, South Africa
Colio Estate Proprietors’ Reserve, North Shore, Lake Erie, VQA, Canada
RED WINES
Ironstone Cabernet Sauvignon, California, United States
Pago de Cirsus, Tempranillo/Merlot/Cabernet, Navarra, Spain
PORT
Dow’s Port, Portugal
BAR LIST
BEER
Heineken
Molson Canadian
Coors Light
SPIRITS
Smirnoff Vodka
Bombay Sapphire Gin
Jonnie Walker Black Label Scotch
Crown Royal Whisky
Jack Daniel’s Bourbon
Bacardi White Rum
LIQUEURS
Courvoisier V.S.O.P. Cognac
Grand Marnier
Baileys Irish Cream
1178-A1-NJHM9E(E)-NJHBES 10/09
Outside, the view of the Andes upon our descent was stunning.
We landed in sunny Santiago about 20 minutes late. Overall it was a very nice flight, and I felt very refreshed from my sleep.
putongo
Oct 30, 09, 12:24 am
Such great photos and descriptions of the product. Congrats on getting 7 hours of sleep...... ^
Please tell us about the SCL - EZE leg.....
putongo
camsean
Oct 30, 09, 2:31 am
Nice trip report so far. Thanks for posting.
TrayflowInUK
Oct 30, 09, 2:36 am
Approaches into SCL are breathtaking, for sure. Thanks for the TR, looking forward to the EZE-SCL segment, interested to see what service is like as I've considered taking this in the past.
Kurt
Oct 30, 09, 9:22 am
We bid goodbye/adieu/adios to the crew and headed through immigration/security, which was very quick. Back upstairs we did not have a huge amount of time as the stopover was curtailed to make up for our late arrival. The American Airlines Admirals Club is available in Santiago, but we didn't take the time to visit. I also left my passport (and a bunch of cash to pay for our B.A. apartment) in the men's room, running back to find a nice gentleman holding it and looking for its owner. D'oh! Thanks, sir, whoever you were! Our aircraft was quickly cleaned and prepped and was waiting outside.
Boarding was organized (separate line for J and elites), but once through the door we backed up against about 100 people standing in the jetway, a delay of about 10 minutes. A good lesson in how to be patient in South America (just chill and things will get done - why stress out?).
Once on board the J cabin filled to about 75% capacity. Y appeared to be nearly full.
We left nearly on time and arrived in Buenos Aires within five minutes of schedule. The crew on this leg was outstanding - really friendly and proactive. It's a five-day trip for them (Day 1 - YYZ-SCL; Day 2 - stop in SCL; Day 3 - SCL-EZE-SCL, stop in SCL; Day 4 - SCL-YYZ; Day 5 - arrive in YYZ). Small example: pre-departure drinks were served in glasses; right before departure the crew offered to switch the remaining wine/juice/water to a plastic cup to enjoy during taxi - what a nice touch. Our taxi and takeoff was speedy and we were headed south before turning left and heading over the mountains. Looks like those AA 763s just sit all day before heading to Miami, Lima/New York and Dallas Ft. Worth.
After takeoff I enjoyed some red wine (the very nice Pago de Cirsus from Spain) and checked out the menu. I was impressed that a separate menu was provided, not just an extra page in the YYZ-SCL version.
LIGHT MEAL
If you prefer to sleep and eat later, just let us know.
Fresh Fruit
Selection of warm Breads
Chilled Herb-marinated Beef Tenderloin
With Edam, Red Onion and Tomato salad and marinated Asparagus
I chose the beef, and it was great. Simple, but very high quality, especially the tender beef. My only complaint was the bread, which was OK but had the texture of a hot-dog bun. The crew was charming and polite.
After my snack I went for a stroll, where I had a chat with a very funny, red-headed flight attendant (think Catherine Tate from TV) who had me smiling. The Y cabin looked quite nice.
Post-meal drinks were offered; I had a coffee with Baileys (is that a record for "number of drinks at one time?" - coffee, Baileys, water and red wine). Again, the crew offered plastic cups so we could enjoy our drinks a bit longer.
A great trip. Air Canada has a very nice J product. The return trip will be coming soon. Thanks for your nice comments.
Seat 2A
Oct 30, 09, 11:22 am
Great trip report, Kurt! The only downside to it was the picture of that horrid looking lasagna. Scary stuff! I really liked that picture of the AC 319 at DEN, though. Have a wonderful time in Argentina, one of the world's prettiest countries and certainly home to some of the world's finest food.
MatthewLAX
Oct 30, 09, 1:35 pm
^ Excellent trip report! Thanks Kurt.
Moomba
Oct 30, 09, 1:41 pm
Really nice TR Kurt
Excellent pictures too. ^
exc3ll
Oct 30, 09, 1:49 pm
Great report Kurt! I should def try out the AC J product soon. ^
Kurt
Oct 31, 09, 10:28 am
After six nights in Buenos Aires, it was time to head over to Santiago. Our award tickets allowed a stopover so we took advantage (no offense, but Toronto didn't appeal very much compared to Santiago). Buenos Aires was awesome; we rented an apartment in Palermo and lived like locals, staying out late, eating day and night and drinking more red wine than should be allowed by law! The laid-back ambiance is infectious; it's a very relaxing place to visit.
We took a taxi to Ministro Pistarini airport (light traffic on a Saturday afternoon), and arrived about 3 p.m. for our 5-ish departure. EZE is functional but not at all impressive or flashy. After a bit of duty-free shopping we headed to the UA Red Carpet Club, the contract lounge for AC in Buenos Aires. The receptionist was very friendly and welcomed us in.
The lounge seemed pretty fresh, but low-key (no outside view, always disappointing). Since UA's flight to IAD doesn't leave for several hours after the AC departure to SCL/YYZ, it wasn't too crowded. The wi-fi worked great. I enjoyed some Champagne (I'm almost sure it was "real" Champagne) and some tasty marinated olives.
Soon it was time to head to the gate; along the way I saw this beautiful Air France 777-300 in its new color scheme headed to CDG, of course. It was a gloomy, rainy afternoon, in contrast to the perfect, sunny weather we'd enjoyed all week in Buenos Aires.
Boarding was called (quite orderly) and we were on board again. We had an F/K combination in row 3; my friend said he preferred the A seats to sitting in the middle block. Menus, water/juice/sparkling wine were offered by the friendly crew (they must enjoy their "fun" day of SCL-EZE-SCL as the two intra-South America crews were the best we had). The load was the lightest we had on this trip, maybe 60% in J and Y.
We taxied out; the captain explained that one runway was under renovation, so we waited for a few landings, then turned onto the runway and taxied to the end, then did a 180 and took off. Weird, but I appreciated the explanation. I got a sketchy shot of the "parking area" for northern birds during the daytime (I see a UA 767-300, two AA 777-200s, a DL 767-300 and a CO 767-200; correct me if I'm mistaken), plus a bunch of old Aerolinas Argentinas aircraft in the lower right corner.
Chilled smoked Trout
and chilled Ginger Shrimp
with Rabano Sauce and roast Vegetable compote
1180-EZE1-JCLW 10/09
My friend had the trout/shrimp and gave it a good report; alas, I have no photo. The fruit was again very nice; I had a coffee/Baileys and relaxed (I removed the tablecloth to show the tray table, finished in an IKEA-like faux maple).
Soon we were threading our way through some large thunderstorms to land in Santiago. This has to be one of the prettiest "outside the window" flights I can remember.
We landed a few minutes early; most of the passengers continued on to Toronto so the arrival formalities were quick and easy. Here's our aircraft in Santiago.
After a couple of fun days in Santiago (we stayed at the Intercontinental and quite enjoyed the very friendly service) it was time to head home. It's a wonderful city; we'd like to come back and experience more of the country. I spoke more high-school Spanish than I have in years, and of course the red wine was flowing and the steaks were sizzling. We took a van service out to SCL, and arrived about 5:55 p.m. for our 8:25 p.m. departure. It was an absolutely beautiful evening in Santiago so I ran out on the parking ramp before we went inside to grab a shot.
Check-in was fairly quick, and after a bit of duty-free browsing (they are shameless there and make you walk right through the shop to get to the concourse), we headed downstairs to the Admiral's Club for a nosh and a drink. It's a bit dated, but comfortable enough, and the tarmac views are OK.
Upstairs at the gate it was unruly; a big group of young college athletes was crowding the gate and completely ignored the elite line; eventually the gate agents told them to back off and we were on board our Star Alliance color-scheme 767-300 (second one for me this year, the other being HNL-NRT on the UA 747-400 version).
This was probably the worst crew of the bunch, especially the purser, but there were a couple of individual flight attendants who were gems, so it worked out OK. One channel of my audio wasn't working, our choice of appetizer wasn't available, service seemed kind of disorganized and slow; these items were merely annoying, but the crew just didn't "gel" like the better ones we had on this trip.
The usual pre-departure formalities, completed, we were soon airborne. I chose another Clamato and vodka, with some warm nuts.
Shiitake Mushroom Carpaccio
with sautéed Button Mushrooms
After I'd enjoyed the tuna, the very sweet flight attendant told me that there was one extra mushroom appetizer and would I like it. Well, hell yes! I am a huge fan of mushrooms so I enjoyed this a lot.
Braised Lamb Leg
With Red Wine Sauce, Fava Beans
and Potato Bell Pepper Caponata
None of the three choices were very appealing to me so I went with the lamb (thinking of my mother's version, which is the only one I really like). Not a great choice; it was a bit fatty, quite salty, and just plain looked ugly on the plate. The taste was pretty nice, though.
Black Pepper-crusted Salmon Filet
with roasted Red pepper Sauce, turned Potatoes
and grilled Vegetables
Vegetable Mille-Feuille
with Marinara Sauce
Selection of warm Breads
Cheese with Crackers
Gorgonzola and Brie
I was greedy and had cheese and the tart; the cheese came with some prunes, which sounds weird but actually very enjoyable; the requisite port went down smoothly.
After a nice eight-hour sleep (darn, those seats are comfy, and I was unfortunately feeling the stirrings of a cold that dogged me for several days after I got home), it was time for breakfast.
Main Courses
Scrambled Egg, Nuremberger Sausage and Bacon
with Tomato Concassée and sautéed Button Mushrooms
I chose the scrambled eggs, which were a bit overcooked, but the energy smoothie, fruit (identical to that served SCL-EZE) and croissants were great.
Vegetable Fritatta
with Herb Marinade and fried Potatoes
Warm Breakfast Pastries and Preserves
1181-SCL1-JHM9WS-JHBEW 10/09
We arrived in chilly Toronto just about on time. I guess we got a bit spoiled; even though this flight was a notch below the others it was still quite enjoyable.
l'etoile
Nov 2, 09, 9:17 am
Very nice.
Kurt
Nov 2, 09, 11:09 pm
It was a rather cold, gloomy day in Toronto but it was good to be on our home continent again.
After heading to the "transborder" baggage claim, we retrieved our bags, redeposited them, hit security and headed to the Maple Leaf Lounge. I was dying for a shower and was delighted to find one there, just like the one I'd enjoyed the week before. Free wi-fi allowed me to catch up on e-mail and Facebook a bit, then I had a quick cup of coffee and we headed to the gate.
The J cabin filled up right before the door closed; the two-person cabin crew did a nice job, as I recall. I have to admit that I was kind of spaced-out and dozy during this flight, but I did wake up long enough to enjoy breakfast, which beat the SCL-YYZ version in that it was perfectly cooked. The sausage, however, was not to my liking, but the fruit and "bread duo" tasted nice.
Eventually I roused myself and enjoyed some audio-on-demand, something upbeat in the Black Eyed Peas "The E.N.D.," perfect for ramping up for heading to work (ugh!). We circled around Denver for a while, and landed about 15 minutes late as the sun started to peek through the clouds.
I hope you enjoyed this trip report - it was fun to write, and more fun to fly.
VanMan
Nov 3, 09, 5:23 am
A great report, thank you!
Ripper3785
Nov 3, 09, 5:41 pm
Great report. Thanks!
Kurt
Nov 4, 09, 8:46 am
One other thing I forgot: I "found" this instruction sheet in the galley after AC93 from EZE-SCL (don't worrry, the purser said I could have it for a souvenir):
At the bottom it reads (cropped to preserve the aspect ratio): TRANSMITTAL: 5; ISSUED: JUNE 22, 2009; EFFECTIVE DATE: TBC
Carfield
Nov 4, 09, 10:35 am
Thanks for a great report, Kurt!
I am glad that warm food made it back to the EMB-190 flights.
The meals look nice!
Carfield
Kurt
Nov 4, 09, 1:28 pm
Thanks again for the nice responses; I'm headed for Singapore in December but I probably won't document the whole trip as I did a similar one in August. Maybe I'll do some meal shots for the UA forum.
Kurt
Nov 5, 09, 8:34 am
One other thing: the amenity kit. These were waiting on our seats YYZ-SCL and SCL-YYZ (none on the shorter hops to/from EZE, which makes sense).
The branding is "'om' board comforts by deservingThyme;" they are blue nylon and unfold to display a lighter blue nylon interior, with three removable mesh pouches with zippers. Inside the pouches are:
Air Canada-branded toothbrush and a small tube of Colgate toothpaste
deservingThyme Mouthwash
deservingThyme Lip Care Balm
deservingThyme Refreshing Facial Towelette
deservingThyme Mega Moisturizing Body Butter
A Mentos mint
Eyeshades (powder blue with a nice, soft lining)
Air Canada-branded earplugs
A clear, plastic shoehorn
Socks (also powder blue)
The kit could be useful as a toiletry carrier, as it has a small ring for hanging and the individual pouches are big enough for toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Also, liquids could be put in one or more of said pouches to get through security and then go back in the kit after arrival.
I believe the toiletries in the lavatories were also the deservingThyme brand, and there is a 25% off (and a "free gift") coupon in the kit. Pretty nice; I've only tried the lip balm but it's good stuff.
UA_Flyer
Nov 5, 09, 10:06 am
Kurt,
Thanks for the wonderful trip report and great photos!
I noticed you linked your photos from Shutterfly. I thought it could not be done. Could you share with us how you mange to link images from Shutterfly to FT?
Thanks!
Kurt
Nov 5, 09, 11:29 am
UA_Flyer:
After I upload my photos to Shutterfly (I usually resize them by 50% to make it quicker), I go to "view photos," then double-click to get the larger view size. Then I right click on "view image properties," which brings up the URL of that particular photo. Then I copy that and paste it into the box that pops up when you click the "insert image" box in the toolbar of the reply box in FT. I use "preview post" while doing this to keep my session from expiring and to make sure I've got the right images. A bit tedious but it works OK for me.
thebug622
Nov 6, 09, 3:10 pm
Nice job Kurt.Did you use an agency for your apartment in EZE? Would you recommend them? Thanks
Kurt
Nov 6, 09, 4:57 pm
Nice job Kurt.Did you use an agency for your apartment in EZE? Would you recommend them? Thanks
We did - it was ByT Argentina (http://www.bytargentina.com/) - the experience was good. We had a studio apartment in Palermo, just north of Las Heras Park. It was on the seventh floor and was nice - not fancy, but clean and very comfortable for two people. The location was great - lots of shops and restaurants nearby, plus a Carrefour grocery store a block and a half away.
The agent met us on time, as did the owner (actually her son-in-law), who did a quick inspection and gave us our deposit back in full. That was the only downside - having to show up with a week's rent and a deposit in cash. But for six nights it was worth it to live more like locals. We thought Buenos Aires was a lot about the relaxed lifestyle (cafes, shopping, bars, restaurants) rather than sightseeing per se.
UA_Flyer
Nov 6, 09, 5:19 pm
UA_Flyer:
After I upload my photos to Shutterfly (I usually resize them by 50% to make it quicker), I go to "view photos," then double-click to get the larger view size. Then I right click on "view image properties," which brings up the URL of that particular photo. Then I copy that and paste it into the box that pops up when you click the "insert image" box in the toolbar of the reply box in FT. I use "preview post" while doing this to keep my session from expiring and to make sure I've got the right images. A bit tedious but it works OK for me.
Thanks^ It worked perfectly for me.
thebug622
Nov 6, 09, 6:37 pm
Thank you!
ORDnHKG
Nov 8, 09, 1:26 am
Nice report !
So AC install mood lighting in the 763 but the overbin still the same ? I asked because when UA redo the 3 class 763, F and C overhead bins replace with something similiar to 777 and higher ceilings.
Kurt
Nov 8, 09, 1:40 pm
ORDnHKG:
Yeah, the 767s had the old-style overheads with mood lighting. I thought it was a better concept on the overnight flights (nice to be gently awoken rather than jarred awake by harsh lights). SCL-EZE seemed a bit weird as it was sort of "sped up" for a two-hour flight and cycled through the colors too quickly for my taste. On EZE-SCL the crew had it turned off, and I preferred the "plain" white light with no color change a bit more.
I was interested to see that our YYZ-SCL-EZE aircraft was ex-Canadian Pacific (delivered in 1991, I think). Made me a bit nostalgic for a great airline that is sadly gone.
Agincourt
Nov 15, 09, 2:28 am
Great TR with amazing pictures! It seems to me that AC has done a good job. Thanks Kurt! :)