prncess674
Mar 17, 02, 3:27 pm
MSY – EWR – CO617 – First Class
Pictures of CO Economy (http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/prncess674/lst?.dir=/FlyerTalk/CO+767-400+Economy&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/)
I arrived at MSY around 9:15am for my 10:10 departure to EWR. Since it was a Saturday and I knew the ticket counters wouldn’t be busy, especially the elite check in line that is why I arrived so late. Walked right up and checked my bags through with no hassle.
I Asked the ticket agent if flight was oversold to MAN and if there were any chance for an upgrade on the international segment. She said the flight was not oversold, but to check with EWR for an upgrade. I didn’t think MSY could do an operational upgrade, but hey you gotta ask!
They announced FC boarding just as I approached the gate area. So I hung back just a second, so I wouldn’t be the first one in line and possibly searched. There were a few people ahead of me, when an obnoxious “low level elite” proceeds to cut in the line. The gate agent commented that everyone here is in line as well. He turns to us in line and says “are you in first class?” I piped up, and said “yes and I am a platinum elite.” I got the dumb founded look of how could you be elite. Since this flight was on a Saturday morning. I arrived casually dressed in a knit pants outfit, though I did have my laptop backpack on, which sometimes makes me look younger. I am not one to go around flaunting my status, but I can bring out the big guns when needed. He slouched back in line. He got security searched! YEAH!
I boarded CO617 in seat 2F. I was actually assigned 2E, but since rude guy from before was assigned 2B, I went ahead and sat in 2F and when the real 2F boarded I asked if he minded switching with me. FC was full, but coach was a very light load. Departure was right on time. FA came around and took lunch orders. Choices were a stuffed pasta with spinach and salad, or a beef tip sandwich with mushroom soup. I opted for the sandwich. The sandwich and soup were edible but nothing spectacular. I just ate the meat of the sandwich and the soup. Dessert was a Russell Stover piece of chocolate. FAs were very attentive during the meal service. Trays were cleared away promptly.
After the meal, I settled in for a bit of work on the laptop. The rest of the FC cabin settled in for a nap. I found this surprising since this flight was mid morning. Maybe they all partied a bit too much on Bourbon Street last night.
We arrived into EWR a little ahead of schedule. Deplaning was quick and painless. This was probably the quickest least painful flight I have ever had going to EWR. It probably helped that it was Saturday morning.
EWR President’s Club – Layover
I headed over to the P-Club near gate 102(I think). There was a man ahead of me at the check in desk and he was searching for his card and couldn’t seem to find it, the desk assistant did not offer to look up his number for him. Since I just wanted to get in, I said that he could be my guest. She gave me a snippy “do you know him” and I said “sure”. Well the guy was fed up at this point and finally asked the check in clerk if she would just use his boarding pass and look up his number. The guy was very nice and appreciated my gesture, check in girl was not amused with my gesture. The club has had a lot of foot traffic today, but was not overly crowded. Your typical snack choices were available. I was surprised however to find the Milano cookies out before 5PM. In IAH they don’t put out the Milanos till then. I put a few packs in my bag in case I get the midnight munchies on the flight.
Dinner at Don Pepe’s with Kitty Hawk
Since I had a long layover, I posted on the communities forum that I would be in EWR for 6 hours and if anyone would be around I would love some company. Kitty Hawk replied and offered to pick me up at the airport and drive us somewhere for dinner. We made the short drive to Don Pepe’s near the airport. We were seated right away, but after that the service went down hill. It took a long time for anyone to take our drink order and a really long time anyone to take our dinner order. The food and company was very good but the service made for a disappointing evening. The waiter got exactly 15%. I hated to leave any less but all that means is the waiter then stiffs the bus boys and water boys.
Boarding Area – Pre Flight
Kitty Hawk dropped me back off at terminal C with a little bit of time to spare. I cleared security quickly and headed off to find my gate. I should have consulted the map first. I figured there would a P-Club somewhere near my gate, but I was wrong.
Since I past the P-Club I just waited in the boarding area. I also wanted to be in the boarding area so I could be sure and talk with the International Flight Concierge. She appeared shortly before boarding, but before I could chat with her she made a bee line for the plane. Once again, I sat waiting for her to come out. I asked the gate agent about the loads in Y. He said it was almost full but not oversold. Not looking good for an operational upgrade. The concierge finally reappears but is now wrapped up in a cell phone call. I am not sure who she was talking to, or if she was just on the phone so passengers wouldn’t bother her. She did not look very friendly. I did over hear her tell one of the gate agents to clear the standbys for BF. There was one pilot who I talked to who was dead heading and then another CO employee with 2 friends. They all got BF seats. I was still hoping to snag a moment with her, but the cell phone was permanently attached to her ear.
They started boarding the flight, so I decided I better just go ahead and board. I needed to be sure that I had room to put my roll-aboard and computer bag in the overhead. I figured my chances for a complimentary upgrade were slim and none with Miss Cell Phone.
EWR – MAN CO20 – Economy
I was assigned 16A. I was one of the first coach passengers to board so I had plenty of room to store my things and settle in. The bulk head on a 767 in my opinion is the place to sit. Especially on a full flight, since there is little possibility of being able to kick up the arm rests and lay down to sleep. There was plenty of leg room, and I could easily pass my row mate without disturbing her. This seat is directly behind the forward Y class lavatory. I did not notice any bad smells.
Soon after take off we were offered a beverage service with a bag of pretzels. I really wished they would have skipped this and just started the meal service. It was 45 minutes into the movie before the dinner service began. Considering this flight is just a shade under 6 hours in actual flight time I thought it dragged out the process a bit too much. In flight I prefer to eat right away and then turn down the lights so those that want to sleep can sleep.
The movie selections were nothing spectacular. There was only one movie I was even half way interested in seeing. Five minutes into the movie the system just said no signal. I asked the flight attendant if she could check on it, and I got the “yeah, yeah, I’ll look into it.” She didn’t even go in the right direction to check. The movie never did come back on. I wonder if she is still “checking” on it. I guess maybe if I had been in the BF cabin someone might have actually checked on it. Such is life.
The food was mediocre at best. Even though I had eaten I went ahead and took the meal just so I could see what it consisted of for my trip report. I was given a choice of beef or chicken. No mention of how it was cooked or what it was served with. So I flipped a coin and took chicken. The food came out looking rather hospital cafeteria like. The main container had a pale piece of chicken (grilled?, baked?, boiled? … I don’t know) some penne pasta with a marinara sauce and then what I think was a potato filling wrapped in big pasta shell. There was also a small side salad served along with a cold dinner roll. Each tray also had a little spring water in a prepackaged plastic cup with a piece of tin foil sealing it. This reminded me of kindergarten orange juice cups. Dessert was a piece of buttery cake. I am not exactly sure what it was, but it was pretty tasty.
After the first run of the movie reels they finally turned down the lights in the main cabin. The destination map screen says we have 2:45 till landing. So they didn’t turn off the lights till almost half way through the flight.
The lights were turned back on at about 1:30 left in the flight. So true dark sleep was limited to about 1:15 minutes. I didn’t take the breakfast service, but I did check out what is was by looking at my seatmate’s tray. Breakfast consisted of a croissant, some sliced mixed fruit, and a little cup of orange juice. It looked all right, but it is hard to mess up bread and fruit.
Overall it has been a fairly tolerable flight. It doesn’t seem as bad as I was thinking it may have been flying international economy. Flying on Saturday evening I think helps, since it is more tourist class. Sometimes I am so ashamed by some of the behavior of my fellow frequent flyer.
The jet bridge was docked at the galley exit between BF and Y. I was one of the 15 people off the plane, which meant I cleared customs very quickly. The line behind me got quite long, I was very glad I moved quickly, the line did not look fun and it was not moving very fast.
My luggage had not made it to baggage claim by the time I got down there. I guess those priority handling tags really don’t make a difference. They were out fairly promptly though, considering this was a very large plane.
My prearranged car service was waiting outside for me, and we were off for my hotel. The driver was very friendly and talked to me about the city of Chester and some things I may want to do while in town.
Chester Moat House Hotel
The hotel was about 35 minutes away be car. I arrived at the hotel about 10AM. I had looked at the web site online and it seemed to be a typical hotel. The pictures looked nice. I had requested early check in. The girl punched on the computer and said rather matter of factly, “we know you requested early check in, but is was only a request and that they were full and I would have to wait.” She directed me to the upstairs lounge. Another weary traveler was also directed upstairs.
About 11AM the porter came up and handed me a key and said my room was ready. I collected my things and trudged up to my room. After I got up to the room, I realized the hotel “charge card” had another persons name on it. Back down to the reception desk. Stand in a very long line, since it is now prime check out time. The girl admits that the room was for the other lady waiting in the lounge. She says my room is not ready and that I would need to wait some more! Back up to the wrong room and collect my belongings, and then back to the lounge to wait for my room.
I finally fell asleep in the chair in the lounge, I was so tired by this point. I wake up about 1PM and I can hear the check in girls chatting amongst themselves downstairs. I went down and asked about my room. They said my room was ready, and that they had gone up to the lounge to give me my key but I was asleep and they didn’t want to wake me. So I finally head up to my room, a mere 3 hours after my arrival. I had planned on coming in and taking a shower then sleeping till about 1PM, which would have given me few hours to explore the city of Chester. Instead, I crash for a few hours and basically missed most of my shopping day.
Some things to note about this hotel.
· The phone jack is under the nightstand and not convenient to get to.
· No shampoo or amenities in the bathroom
· No face cloths in the bathroom
My impressions of this hotel so far have been very underwhelming. Hopefully it will get better, since I am here for 12 nights.
------------------
Rachel
CO - Platinum
Hilton - Diamond
SPG - Platinum
[This message has been edited by prncess674 (edited 03-17-2002).]
[This message has been edited by prncess674 (edited 05-19-2002).]
[This message has been edited by prncess674 (edited 06-04-2002).]
Pictures of CO Economy (http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/prncess674/lst?.dir=/FlyerTalk/CO+767-400+Economy&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/)
I arrived at MSY around 9:15am for my 10:10 departure to EWR. Since it was a Saturday and I knew the ticket counters wouldn’t be busy, especially the elite check in line that is why I arrived so late. Walked right up and checked my bags through with no hassle.
I Asked the ticket agent if flight was oversold to MAN and if there were any chance for an upgrade on the international segment. She said the flight was not oversold, but to check with EWR for an upgrade. I didn’t think MSY could do an operational upgrade, but hey you gotta ask!
They announced FC boarding just as I approached the gate area. So I hung back just a second, so I wouldn’t be the first one in line and possibly searched. There were a few people ahead of me, when an obnoxious “low level elite” proceeds to cut in the line. The gate agent commented that everyone here is in line as well. He turns to us in line and says “are you in first class?” I piped up, and said “yes and I am a platinum elite.” I got the dumb founded look of how could you be elite. Since this flight was on a Saturday morning. I arrived casually dressed in a knit pants outfit, though I did have my laptop backpack on, which sometimes makes me look younger. I am not one to go around flaunting my status, but I can bring out the big guns when needed. He slouched back in line. He got security searched! YEAH!
I boarded CO617 in seat 2F. I was actually assigned 2E, but since rude guy from before was assigned 2B, I went ahead and sat in 2F and when the real 2F boarded I asked if he minded switching with me. FC was full, but coach was a very light load. Departure was right on time. FA came around and took lunch orders. Choices were a stuffed pasta with spinach and salad, or a beef tip sandwich with mushroom soup. I opted for the sandwich. The sandwich and soup were edible but nothing spectacular. I just ate the meat of the sandwich and the soup. Dessert was a Russell Stover piece of chocolate. FAs were very attentive during the meal service. Trays were cleared away promptly.
After the meal, I settled in for a bit of work on the laptop. The rest of the FC cabin settled in for a nap. I found this surprising since this flight was mid morning. Maybe they all partied a bit too much on Bourbon Street last night.
We arrived into EWR a little ahead of schedule. Deplaning was quick and painless. This was probably the quickest least painful flight I have ever had going to EWR. It probably helped that it was Saturday morning.
EWR President’s Club – Layover
I headed over to the P-Club near gate 102(I think). There was a man ahead of me at the check in desk and he was searching for his card and couldn’t seem to find it, the desk assistant did not offer to look up his number for him. Since I just wanted to get in, I said that he could be my guest. She gave me a snippy “do you know him” and I said “sure”. Well the guy was fed up at this point and finally asked the check in clerk if she would just use his boarding pass and look up his number. The guy was very nice and appreciated my gesture, check in girl was not amused with my gesture. The club has had a lot of foot traffic today, but was not overly crowded. Your typical snack choices were available. I was surprised however to find the Milano cookies out before 5PM. In IAH they don’t put out the Milanos till then. I put a few packs in my bag in case I get the midnight munchies on the flight.
Dinner at Don Pepe’s with Kitty Hawk
Since I had a long layover, I posted on the communities forum that I would be in EWR for 6 hours and if anyone would be around I would love some company. Kitty Hawk replied and offered to pick me up at the airport and drive us somewhere for dinner. We made the short drive to Don Pepe’s near the airport. We were seated right away, but after that the service went down hill. It took a long time for anyone to take our drink order and a really long time anyone to take our dinner order. The food and company was very good but the service made for a disappointing evening. The waiter got exactly 15%. I hated to leave any less but all that means is the waiter then stiffs the bus boys and water boys.
Boarding Area – Pre Flight
Kitty Hawk dropped me back off at terminal C with a little bit of time to spare. I cleared security quickly and headed off to find my gate. I should have consulted the map first. I figured there would a P-Club somewhere near my gate, but I was wrong.
Since I past the P-Club I just waited in the boarding area. I also wanted to be in the boarding area so I could be sure and talk with the International Flight Concierge. She appeared shortly before boarding, but before I could chat with her she made a bee line for the plane. Once again, I sat waiting for her to come out. I asked the gate agent about the loads in Y. He said it was almost full but not oversold. Not looking good for an operational upgrade. The concierge finally reappears but is now wrapped up in a cell phone call. I am not sure who she was talking to, or if she was just on the phone so passengers wouldn’t bother her. She did not look very friendly. I did over hear her tell one of the gate agents to clear the standbys for BF. There was one pilot who I talked to who was dead heading and then another CO employee with 2 friends. They all got BF seats. I was still hoping to snag a moment with her, but the cell phone was permanently attached to her ear.
They started boarding the flight, so I decided I better just go ahead and board. I needed to be sure that I had room to put my roll-aboard and computer bag in the overhead. I figured my chances for a complimentary upgrade were slim and none with Miss Cell Phone.
EWR – MAN CO20 – Economy
I was assigned 16A. I was one of the first coach passengers to board so I had plenty of room to store my things and settle in. The bulk head on a 767 in my opinion is the place to sit. Especially on a full flight, since there is little possibility of being able to kick up the arm rests and lay down to sleep. There was plenty of leg room, and I could easily pass my row mate without disturbing her. This seat is directly behind the forward Y class lavatory. I did not notice any bad smells.
Soon after take off we were offered a beverage service with a bag of pretzels. I really wished they would have skipped this and just started the meal service. It was 45 minutes into the movie before the dinner service began. Considering this flight is just a shade under 6 hours in actual flight time I thought it dragged out the process a bit too much. In flight I prefer to eat right away and then turn down the lights so those that want to sleep can sleep.
The movie selections were nothing spectacular. There was only one movie I was even half way interested in seeing. Five minutes into the movie the system just said no signal. I asked the flight attendant if she could check on it, and I got the “yeah, yeah, I’ll look into it.” She didn’t even go in the right direction to check. The movie never did come back on. I wonder if she is still “checking” on it. I guess maybe if I had been in the BF cabin someone might have actually checked on it. Such is life.
The food was mediocre at best. Even though I had eaten I went ahead and took the meal just so I could see what it consisted of for my trip report. I was given a choice of beef or chicken. No mention of how it was cooked or what it was served with. So I flipped a coin and took chicken. The food came out looking rather hospital cafeteria like. The main container had a pale piece of chicken (grilled?, baked?, boiled? … I don’t know) some penne pasta with a marinara sauce and then what I think was a potato filling wrapped in big pasta shell. There was also a small side salad served along with a cold dinner roll. Each tray also had a little spring water in a prepackaged plastic cup with a piece of tin foil sealing it. This reminded me of kindergarten orange juice cups. Dessert was a piece of buttery cake. I am not exactly sure what it was, but it was pretty tasty.
After the first run of the movie reels they finally turned down the lights in the main cabin. The destination map screen says we have 2:45 till landing. So they didn’t turn off the lights till almost half way through the flight.
The lights were turned back on at about 1:30 left in the flight. So true dark sleep was limited to about 1:15 minutes. I didn’t take the breakfast service, but I did check out what is was by looking at my seatmate’s tray. Breakfast consisted of a croissant, some sliced mixed fruit, and a little cup of orange juice. It looked all right, but it is hard to mess up bread and fruit.
Overall it has been a fairly tolerable flight. It doesn’t seem as bad as I was thinking it may have been flying international economy. Flying on Saturday evening I think helps, since it is more tourist class. Sometimes I am so ashamed by some of the behavior of my fellow frequent flyer.
The jet bridge was docked at the galley exit between BF and Y. I was one of the 15 people off the plane, which meant I cleared customs very quickly. The line behind me got quite long, I was very glad I moved quickly, the line did not look fun and it was not moving very fast.
My luggage had not made it to baggage claim by the time I got down there. I guess those priority handling tags really don’t make a difference. They were out fairly promptly though, considering this was a very large plane.
My prearranged car service was waiting outside for me, and we were off for my hotel. The driver was very friendly and talked to me about the city of Chester and some things I may want to do while in town.
Chester Moat House Hotel
The hotel was about 35 minutes away be car. I arrived at the hotel about 10AM. I had looked at the web site online and it seemed to be a typical hotel. The pictures looked nice. I had requested early check in. The girl punched on the computer and said rather matter of factly, “we know you requested early check in, but is was only a request and that they were full and I would have to wait.” She directed me to the upstairs lounge. Another weary traveler was also directed upstairs.
About 11AM the porter came up and handed me a key and said my room was ready. I collected my things and trudged up to my room. After I got up to the room, I realized the hotel “charge card” had another persons name on it. Back down to the reception desk. Stand in a very long line, since it is now prime check out time. The girl admits that the room was for the other lady waiting in the lounge. She says my room is not ready and that I would need to wait some more! Back up to the wrong room and collect my belongings, and then back to the lounge to wait for my room.
I finally fell asleep in the chair in the lounge, I was so tired by this point. I wake up about 1PM and I can hear the check in girls chatting amongst themselves downstairs. I went down and asked about my room. They said my room was ready, and that they had gone up to the lounge to give me my key but I was asleep and they didn’t want to wake me. So I finally head up to my room, a mere 3 hours after my arrival. I had planned on coming in and taking a shower then sleeping till about 1PM, which would have given me few hours to explore the city of Chester. Instead, I crash for a few hours and basically missed most of my shopping day.
Some things to note about this hotel.
· The phone jack is under the nightstand and not convenient to get to.
· No shampoo or amenities in the bathroom
· No face cloths in the bathroom
My impressions of this hotel so far have been very underwhelming. Hopefully it will get better, since I am here for 12 nights.
------------------
Rachel
CO - Platinum
Hilton - Diamond
SPG - Platinum
[This message has been edited by prncess674 (edited 03-17-2002).]
[This message has been edited by prncess674 (edited 05-19-2002).]
[This message has been edited by prncess674 (edited 06-04-2002).]