Trip Reports - AA J: First int flight, first TR, first time wife lets me do MR on my own ORD>HEL>ORD

Hello all, after being an TR lurker here enjoying everyone's TR's, this will be my first TR and will not measure up to the SFO777, Short hair, and Seat2A levels. Also, My camera broke as soon as i took it out so im stuck showing iphone pics.

It all started with me reading the right thread, at the right place, the right time, and the right mood my wife was in. We were at a restaurant on Thursday at the usual place we like to go before the week is over. After her usual rant of who she likes/hates this week at her new job (dream job fyi, and im lurking on FT) i find the ORDHEL bonus offer. Meh, I think, but lets at look prices for the end of the month. We get home, i start searching and find a really good deal for 6/28-6/29. Next morning I make a nice breakfast, and ask what we are doing that weekend....oh...you have you friends birthday that Sunday...and you are busy on Saturday too that doesn't require my presence:D:D:D.

Me: "Can I do a mileage run on that weekend?"
Wife: "Whats a mileage run?"
Me: "It's something that will help you get on CX first for no cost.^
Her: "Yea go ahead"
Me: :confused: But in my head: As Al Bundy says "Lets Rock"

6/29:

Get dropped off by my wife, and I see the regular AA counter is packed and i'm glad AA didn't let me pre-print my boarding pass because of a "typo" which doesn't match my ticket. I go to the first class check-in counter, no one there, agent is super helpful. Give me my ticket, laughs at the 6 hr layover back, then says

"go ahead through first class security to your left."
I look over and see 3 really bored TSA agents at the First class security check.
"really?" I say

I get through in 1 minute, which was amazing. The regular checkpoint even with PA was long. I walk over to my ritual hangout spot before leaving which is Frontera and sit at the bar.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1098.jpg
MMM Matilda on tap but 5 was enough

Chat away with the bartender, get my awesome shrimp torta and head over to H15. After 5 Matildas i lost track of time and go there right as First/Business started boarding.

AA130
ORD - HEL
SEAT: Seat 4G
Food – Dinner, Breakfast
Equipment – Boeing 767-300

Get to the gate, only business was called but of course, gate lice are charging the GA. Sit down in 4G (sorry no pic of seat......but c'mon everyone has seen the 763 angled lie flat), and chat away with a AA million miler, very nice guy (except when the jerk in 4A kept opening up the window shade and the beaming light kept going into mr million milers eyes when sleeping....quickly turned into a DYKWIA.) talked about Finland and we're off.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1099.jpg
Cabin

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1104.jpg
At 6'5, good room

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1100.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1101.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1102.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1103.jpg

Dinner service began, ordered my usual jack & coke:

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1105.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1106.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1107.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1108.jpg
Thanks to all who said the Beef Tenderloin on AA is awesome...bcuz...indeed it was Awesome.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1109.jpg
Hello Food Coma.

Flight is uneventful except Mr. Open-lamp-shade-5000x, I was the first season of Breaking Bad. Now for breakfast

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1110.jpg
The guy in 4H saw that and switch to the cereal. It was good, but I hate milk so I stuck with it.

We land, I have no vantage point to take pics. Airport is completely empty. Apparently in Finland saturday nights in the sunny season is "get-drunk-til-you-cant-walk night. I walk to customs and pic the most beautiful blonde officer, ask how long i'm staying in the country in which i say "6 hours". Explain what a mileage run is and she lets me through.

I go get my boarding pass via the machines, go through a very easy secure point, they seem bored. Go to the first customs....again the officer asks how long I stayed, i say 6hrs....another puzzled look and explanation of a mileage run. I get through and go to the lounge.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1111.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1112.jpg
I felt like I was at an IKEA.

Sit around for a while, then go to the gate... Seriously...another checkpoint....again explain why i am only in the country 6 hrs.


AA131
HEL-ORD
SEAT: Seat 4G
Food – Lunch, Dinner
Equipment – Boeing 767-300

Get on the plane...it's literally like a daycare. Infant with parents in 2HJ, kids in 2AB w/ mom and dad in 2D. Kid with mom in 5HJ. They were all pretty good kids but still glad I had the noise cancelling headphones for the random outburst.

Menu:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1116.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1115.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1114.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/ORD-HEL/IMG_1113.jpg
Sorry for the bad pics

All the food was awesome, I had the tenderloin again because I hate mushrooms, and the pizza was good.

Flight was uneventful except the random turbulence and the full glass of wine on the armrest with me finally asking the guy to hold onto it before it falls all over me.

Come home, get a ride back from www.goinggreenlimousine.com/ and come home to a vacant house and this welcome home party
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x268/tony302600/IMG_0384.jpg



Overall a very very awesome crew on both flights, I don't get how people are getting horrible AA FA's. The way there someone kept farting so that sucked. I was the youngest in F/J so I hope people no one thought it was me. The pilots got us there early. The food was awesome....if AA food is not considered "good" compared to Cathay and Quantas....it's just fueling my need to get on them.

Thanks to all of you that have gotten me motivated with all you TR's.

Thanks to SFO777, short hair francis and Seat2a for your amazing CX first trip reports which i showed my wife, which has turned her into a supporter of my new hobby.

**update** The 25K bonus points were credited within 24hours....now thats awesome.

Next TR....my 1 year anniversary to CUR via AA F 09/1/12 - 09/8/12

Hello all, after being an TR lurker here enjoying everyone's TR's, this will be my first TR and will not measure up to the SFO777, Short hair, and Seat2A levels. Also, My camera broke as soon as i took it out so im stuck showing iphone pics.

Overall a very very awesome crew on both flights, I don't get how people are getting horrible AA FA's. The way there someone kept farting so that sucked. I was the youngest in F/J so I hope people no one thought it was me. The pilots got us there early. The food was awesome....if AA food is not considered "good" compared to Cathay and Qantas....it's just fueling my need to get on them.

Thanks to all of you that have gotten me motivated with all you TR's.

Thanks to SFO777 and Seat2a for your amazing CX first trip reports which i showed my wife, which has turned her into a supporter of my new hobby.

**update** The 25K bonus points were credited within 24hours....now thats awesome.

Next TR....my 1 year anniversary to CUR via AA F 08/1/12 - 08/8/12

Referenced Twice in 1 day, thank you thank you :)
Hey hey now, I still think I fly more CX than SFO777 though :eek:
and I also had a relatively new TR on my CX First too :mad::mad::mad:

Nice 1st TR ^
Don't worry about your 1st TR too much, two three years from now when you look back to your first and you will feel what crap did I put out there.
I certainly had that feeling about my 1st one.

At least you had a back-up with your iphone camera
I had to replace my camera or accessories 3 times in the last 3 years
1 stolen on AS flight (was checking out Anna Kendrick too much)
1 due to corresion, exploding soda can in car glove box
and 1 camera charger and battery I left in the DFW Admiral's Club

AA Food, the Beef Fillet, the chateaubriand, and the tikka masala usually turns out best on the long-haul flights.
AA Flight Attendents don't tend to be really bad, I had my shares of "Grandma" but thats if you fly their longest routes "ORD-PVG", otherwise you usually do alright.

Aug 1, isn't that in like 2 days? That was quick @:-)

That's an odd colored Jack and Coke.

Great first TR! I had the exact same menu on DFW-FRA-DFW a few weeks back. My filet was "okay". Not as good as others I've had on that route in the past.

I really enjoyed the Murrieta Tempranillo, btw. ^

That's an odd colored Jack and Coke.

LoL, the first was a jack and coke, then i switched to gin & tonic because im watching my sugar (mandatory by my trainer because I will be showcasing beach pics for my next TR in september).

Referenced Twice in 1 day, thank you thank you :)
Hey hey now, I still think I fly more CX than SFO777 though :eek:
and I also had a relatively new TR on my CX First too :mad::mad::mad:




Aug 1, isn't that in like 2 days? That was quick @:-)



Fixed


AA Flight Attendents don't tend to be really bad, I had my shares of "Grandma" but thats if you fly their longest routes "ORD-PVG", otherwise you usually do alright.



I'm not sure about anymore 8+ hour mileage runs. I thought I could do it at 28, but no way. Next time I will take Mrs. Tony3021990 and get in at least 2 days of sight seeing. Are there any good deals in J to Asia?

Hello all, after being an TR lurker here enjoying everyone's TR's, this will be my first TR and will not measure up to the SFO777, Short hair, and Seat2A levels. Also, My camera broke as soon as i took it out so im stuck showing iphone pics.

Overall a very very awesome crew on both flights, I don't get how people are getting horrible AA FA's. The way there someone kept farting so that sucked. I was the youngest in F/J so I hope people no one thought it was me. The pilots got us there early. The food was awesome....if AA food is not considered "good" compared to Cathay and Qantas....it's just fueling my need to get on them.

Thanks to all of you that have gotten me motivated with all you TR's.

Thanks to SFO777 and Seat2a for your amazing CX first trip reports which i showed my wife, which has turned her into a supporter of my new hobby.

**update** The 25K bonus points were credited within 24hours....now thats awesome.

Next TR....my 1 year anniversary to CUR via AA F 08/1/12 - 08/8/12
Fixed
I'm not sure about anymore 8+ hour mileage runs. I thought I could do it at 28, but no way. Next time I will take Mrs. Tony3021990 and get in at least 2 days of sight seeing. Are there any good deals in J to Asia?

You didn't have to go change it, I'm just simply chirping you for noting those 2 on CX F but not me :p

Remember sightseeing drives up your mileage run cost more.
Maybe do something like
Sat ORD-SEA/SFO/LAX first thing in the morning
and come back on that red-eye back.
You get a full day there and no hotel cost
and have sunday to freshen up or to more MRs :D
J deals I don't tend to find ex-NA

Only 28 hours? ;)
That's nothing
I've done a 152 hrs on a plane within a week before doing them solely on mid-cons :eek:

When I saw the pic of the HEL lounge, I thought of IKEA, too!
LOL!
Thanks for sharing!

Great report! I laughed at the reason that you gave for doing the mileage run...haha :D

The food on AA looks pretty good actually, I have to say that I'm surprised.

When I saw the pic of the HEL lounge, I thought of IKEA, too!
LOL!
Thanks for sharing!

That's quite funny. IKEA has imitated Nordic design. It has done it so well that every one outside the Nordic countries thinks that IKEA is the original low cost style although it is just a cheap (just price and quality) imitation of better Nordic design. In the second picture you can find two chairs which are part of a series of furniture from Paimio sanatorium from the 30's and even the Museum of Modern Art in New York has some pieces of this series in their collection and sells them as well. But still, they look IKEAisque. The funny thing of this lounge is that most of the furniture and other things are recycled and you can buy any of them. I wonder what the cabin crew would think if you brought a chair onboard.

BTW, did you pay a short visit to the city centre? Most probably the weather was rainy and cold as it has been during this summer almost every day.

The funny thing of this lounge is that most of the furniture and other things are recycled and you can buy any of them. I wonder what the cabin crew would think if you brought a chair onboard.

BTW, did you pay a short visit to the city centre? Most probably the weather was rainy and cold as it has been during this summer almost every day.

That would be awesome. Buy an ACTUAL lie flight seat you bought in the lounge and set it up in the emergency row set it up mid-flight...... That might actually be cool (it they would let you do it).



Sat ORD-SEA/SFO/LAX first thing in the morning
and come back on that red-eye back.
You get a full day there and no hotel cost


Mrs. Tony3021990 is warming up to the idea of long weekend getaways. My reasoning is, lets go there for a couple days, if we like it then we can go back longer, if not...at least we can say we went. (and it gets me closer to EXP)

I laughed a lot when your wife said : why doing that and your answer...

If my wife could be like your.... The argument of flying TG in F for free does not matter...

Great report !