JohnnyP
Jan 1, 02, 5:49 pm
LH1683 TXL-FRA 11:10AM 12/31/2001
Airbus 310-300
Seat 18C
The best way to describe Berlin-Tegel's check-in counter's would be "crazy." There are no lines per se, only masses of people herding around three CSRs. So I stood behind some people that looked like they were in the Business line and eventually got my boarding pass from a very courteous Lufthansa agent. She remarked that my recorded had been noted for an upgrade to C on the FRA-ORD leg, so I left with a jump in my step for a quick drink in the lounge with my family before boarding.
The TXL Senator lounge is surprisingly spacious and well-equipped relative to the size and importance of the airport itself. I was much more impressed with it than any of the lounges in Munich, for instance. There were plenty of choices for breakfast (assorted pastries and breads) and a long bar for drinks. In addition to the showers, ample tables, and sitting areas, there were two large Sony flat-screens tuned to CNN and Eurosports.
Security was a breeze, and after a brief weather delay we were on our way. I've never been a plane that took off that fast! The captain must have had a bit of caffeine or something. We literally ROARED off the runway and rose through the altitudes at a very steep angle. My seat was right behind the exit row which had A LOT of legroom. I actually found that my legroom was quite satisfactory (I'm about 5'10") and probably rivaled that of Economy Plus within an inch or two. One quick drink service and the 250-mile flight touched down on time.
The sprawl of FRA awaited me and allowed me the luxury of stretching my legs before the trans-Atlantic flight. Upon checking in, I did discover that indeed, for some reason, I had been given an operational upgrade to C. With a smile, I moseyed my way to the RCC and was unimpressed with any of the selections. The only visible food were some pretzel sticks. Even the choice of drinks left a lot to be desired.
UA941 FRA-ORD 2:25PM 12/31/2001
Boeing 777 Intl.
Seat 14H
The situation at the gate explained my operational upgrade: throngs of people huddled around the security and check-in areas. I asked a CSR if they were looking for VDB'ers, but alas they were not! Since I already had my boarding pass, I breezed through security and made my way to the seat. An FA quickly whisked off my coat and brought a selection of drinks on a tray with a smile. Soon enough, I was joined by my seatmate -- a rather interesting WWII vet who spends every Christmas in Salzburg. He too had received an op-upgrade because of a medical condition in his knee. (When they shut the doors, business and first were a little more than half full, and coach was packed. I sauntered back to economy during the flight and counted only four empty seats.)
After takeoff, cold nuts were served and another round of drinks. My meal choice was taken about third or fourth in the cabin. When I looked at the chart later on, I noticed that because of the lack of space on the page, my status was listed as "*PREMIER " -- Premier's were listed as "*PREMIER*" and I noticed no 1Ks.
In any case, I selected the salmon which turned out to be slightly better than "edible." The presentation of the dish was, frankly, hideous. And I can't say much for the selection my neighbor got either. There were linens, and the entrees were served from a cart after the appetizers and salads had been cleared.
I spent the rest of the flight watching movies ("The Score"... "Princess Diaries") and chatting with my seatmate. The crew was extremely warm and courteous, definitely setting high standards for United Airlines. Congratulations.
Prior to arrival we had a choice of snacks, and I opted for the bacon and onion casserole. While it didn't look terribly appetizing, it was quite tasty with some of the German brochen!
We alighted onto the runway in Chicago 10 minutes early and coasted right into our gate.
UA247 ORD-DEN 7:25PM 12/31/2001
Boeing 777
Seat 8B
By this time I was in a near-vegetable state and wanted to get home and rediscover my bed! Again, this flight was packed, and they were looking for volunteers. I offered my seat, but the CSR said they would not need it. Fine. I boarded and as soon as I hit 8B, out went the footrest, back went the chair, in went the earplugs, and off I went into la-la land. I awoke only to readjust for takeoff and to get a quick drink and hear the meal choices: Chicken-Steak Fajitas, Chicken Caesar salad, and another chicken dish that I seem to have completely tuned out. I asked if I could get one of those fruit sideplates. The prison matron looked me in the eye and said, "Sir, we have Chicken-Steak Fajitas, Chicken Caesar salad, and Chicken Blablabla. Which do you want?!" "Well, I was hoping I could just get one of those fruit side plates that sometimes come with meals," I pleaded. With a stern look in her face, she demanded, "You ONLY want the fruitplate??" And stomped back to the galley. Happy New Year to you too, lady.
Eventually, she snatched a small fruitplate for me and I thanked her profusely. The time flew by as I caught a few more Z's, and soon enough we arrived in DEN on-time. On the way out of the airport, I dropped off some German chocolates for a UA Angel that had been invaluable to me on my outbound.
I walked outside a tired flyer, but happy to be back home and a Premier Exec. once again in 2002.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
MENU:
TO BEGIN
Crayfish with spicy cocktail sauce
Plum tomatoes and sliced cucumber
Garden fresh salad with basil and olive oil dressing and an assortment of specialty breads fresh from the bakery.
MAIN COURSE
Loin of lamb with a garlic, shallot and ginger stuffing
Truffle mashed potatoes, roasted tomatoes, and baby leeks.
Cajun-style breast of chicken and spinach ham souffle
Creamy corn risotto with sauteed onions
Pan-friend fillet of salmon with Noilly Prat vermouth sauce
Vegetable medley and saffron risotto
DESSERT
Sacher torte
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Smoked bacon and onion casserole in a potato nest
Cheese plate with fresh seasonal fruit
Brie, Edam, and Chedar
WINES
Typical speech about the lets-empty-our-stockroom "festival."
</font>
------------------
"What do you mean you didn't get miles for that?!"
Airbus 310-300
Seat 18C
The best way to describe Berlin-Tegel's check-in counter's would be "crazy." There are no lines per se, only masses of people herding around three CSRs. So I stood behind some people that looked like they were in the Business line and eventually got my boarding pass from a very courteous Lufthansa agent. She remarked that my recorded had been noted for an upgrade to C on the FRA-ORD leg, so I left with a jump in my step for a quick drink in the lounge with my family before boarding.
The TXL Senator lounge is surprisingly spacious and well-equipped relative to the size and importance of the airport itself. I was much more impressed with it than any of the lounges in Munich, for instance. There were plenty of choices for breakfast (assorted pastries and breads) and a long bar for drinks. In addition to the showers, ample tables, and sitting areas, there were two large Sony flat-screens tuned to CNN and Eurosports.
Security was a breeze, and after a brief weather delay we were on our way. I've never been a plane that took off that fast! The captain must have had a bit of caffeine or something. We literally ROARED off the runway and rose through the altitudes at a very steep angle. My seat was right behind the exit row which had A LOT of legroom. I actually found that my legroom was quite satisfactory (I'm about 5'10") and probably rivaled that of Economy Plus within an inch or two. One quick drink service and the 250-mile flight touched down on time.
The sprawl of FRA awaited me and allowed me the luxury of stretching my legs before the trans-Atlantic flight. Upon checking in, I did discover that indeed, for some reason, I had been given an operational upgrade to C. With a smile, I moseyed my way to the RCC and was unimpressed with any of the selections. The only visible food were some pretzel sticks. Even the choice of drinks left a lot to be desired.
UA941 FRA-ORD 2:25PM 12/31/2001
Boeing 777 Intl.
Seat 14H
The situation at the gate explained my operational upgrade: throngs of people huddled around the security and check-in areas. I asked a CSR if they were looking for VDB'ers, but alas they were not! Since I already had my boarding pass, I breezed through security and made my way to the seat. An FA quickly whisked off my coat and brought a selection of drinks on a tray with a smile. Soon enough, I was joined by my seatmate -- a rather interesting WWII vet who spends every Christmas in Salzburg. He too had received an op-upgrade because of a medical condition in his knee. (When they shut the doors, business and first were a little more than half full, and coach was packed. I sauntered back to economy during the flight and counted only four empty seats.)
After takeoff, cold nuts were served and another round of drinks. My meal choice was taken about third or fourth in the cabin. When I looked at the chart later on, I noticed that because of the lack of space on the page, my status was listed as "*PREMIER " -- Premier's were listed as "*PREMIER*" and I noticed no 1Ks.
In any case, I selected the salmon which turned out to be slightly better than "edible." The presentation of the dish was, frankly, hideous. And I can't say much for the selection my neighbor got either. There were linens, and the entrees were served from a cart after the appetizers and salads had been cleared.
I spent the rest of the flight watching movies ("The Score"... "Princess Diaries") and chatting with my seatmate. The crew was extremely warm and courteous, definitely setting high standards for United Airlines. Congratulations.
Prior to arrival we had a choice of snacks, and I opted for the bacon and onion casserole. While it didn't look terribly appetizing, it was quite tasty with some of the German brochen!
We alighted onto the runway in Chicago 10 minutes early and coasted right into our gate.
UA247 ORD-DEN 7:25PM 12/31/2001
Boeing 777
Seat 8B
By this time I was in a near-vegetable state and wanted to get home and rediscover my bed! Again, this flight was packed, and they were looking for volunteers. I offered my seat, but the CSR said they would not need it. Fine. I boarded and as soon as I hit 8B, out went the footrest, back went the chair, in went the earplugs, and off I went into la-la land. I awoke only to readjust for takeoff and to get a quick drink and hear the meal choices: Chicken-Steak Fajitas, Chicken Caesar salad, and another chicken dish that I seem to have completely tuned out. I asked if I could get one of those fruit sideplates. The prison matron looked me in the eye and said, "Sir, we have Chicken-Steak Fajitas, Chicken Caesar salad, and Chicken Blablabla. Which do you want?!" "Well, I was hoping I could just get one of those fruit side plates that sometimes come with meals," I pleaded. With a stern look in her face, she demanded, "You ONLY want the fruitplate??" And stomped back to the galley. Happy New Year to you too, lady.
Eventually, she snatched a small fruitplate for me and I thanked her profusely. The time flew by as I caught a few more Z's, and soon enough we arrived in DEN on-time. On the way out of the airport, I dropped off some German chocolates for a UA Angel that had been invaluable to me on my outbound.
I walked outside a tired flyer, but happy to be back home and a Premier Exec. once again in 2002.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
MENU:
TO BEGIN
Crayfish with spicy cocktail sauce
Plum tomatoes and sliced cucumber
Garden fresh salad with basil and olive oil dressing and an assortment of specialty breads fresh from the bakery.
MAIN COURSE
Loin of lamb with a garlic, shallot and ginger stuffing
Truffle mashed potatoes, roasted tomatoes, and baby leeks.
Cajun-style breast of chicken and spinach ham souffle
Creamy corn risotto with sauteed onions
Pan-friend fillet of salmon with Noilly Prat vermouth sauce
Vegetable medley and saffron risotto
DESSERT
Sacher torte
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Smoked bacon and onion casserole in a potato nest
Cheese plate with fresh seasonal fruit
Brie, Edam, and Chedar
WINES
Typical speech about the lets-empty-our-stockroom "festival."
</font>
------------------
"What do you mean you didn't get miles for that?!"