das
Jun 30, 02, 4:53 am
I headed down to Sydney to visit family. I go every few years, normally flying nonstop on UA. This time, I decided to route through NZ, spending 22 hours in CHC on the outbound and 19 hours in AKL on the return. AKL/CHC/ZQN/WLG are valid connection points on UA’s SEA-SYD fare, and as long as you travel on UA coded flights and have connections less than 24 hours, there isn’t any charge for the ‘detour’. This routing wasn’t for miles…in fact I think I lose my Premier Exec 100% bonus on the NZ operated legs…but because I wanted to take a peek at New Zealand. I couldn’t upgrade this trip with miles because it was a V fare (~$1100). An upgradeable H fare would have been at least $1800, which was out of my budget.
I arrived SEA around 5pm for the 6:30pm flight to LAX. Check in was quick, and the agent was friendly, telling me how Christchurch was a nice English city. As always in SEA with UA, all checked luggage has to get x-rayed. No elite line here, so that wasted about 10 minutes. Then I went through security and was selected for secondary screening. I was patted down, had my shoes x-rayed, etc.
Then I was off to the SEA RCC, where I checked on the load for LAX-AKL. They said coach was booked to 256 (215 seats) and listed me as a volunteer. This was my first time at the RCC in SEA – it was fairly spacious with a good variety of food (apples, oranges, nuts, crackers, cheese) magazines, and newspapers. It was crowded but there was plenty of open seating. I hung around there for about an hour then headed upstairs to board the flight to LAX.
I didn’t even bother trying for an upgrade to F, because the flight was on an ex-Shuttle 737-300, which meant a cold meal. This also meant there would be no Economy Plus seating. They called for pre-boarding (Premiers and FC) and everyone charged to get on board.
Some rookie travelers couldn’t believe “First class is so big”…. Well it only has 8 seats, but evening flights out of Seattle tend to have tons of elite flyers. I joined the line just after a victim was picked for secondary screening.
Service was just basic snack mix and beverages. Since this plane was a shuttle configuration, there was no cart service – everything off trays. The F cabin was getting salad, a bread roll, and chips – all in plastic containers. (note to self – never upgrade on ex-Shuttle planes) One of the F/As came through and offered seconds on water and coffee, while the rest of the crew just relaxed and picked up trash. The LAX based crew looked really senior…. I guess a LAX-SEA-LAX day trip would be popular. Landed a few minutes early and parked at Terminal 8.
I skipped the RCC and headed straight to gate 76 for the flight to AKL…wanting to check on my volunteer status and try to get an op-upgrade (F and C were wide open on ITN, but coach was 0’d out). As I approached the gate, a list of names were being paged. I guess these were for pax without seat assignments, but perhaps some op-upgrades as well. I wasn’t on the list.
The agent informed me there were going to be misconnections, so no volunteers would be needed. I then asked “for a better seat” (I was in 30B – coach exit row – so there really is no better coach seat). She said something about a coach aisle further forward, and then I asked if anyone would be “bumped up”….she told me the flight was full and I couldn’t change seats. I said “thank you, I’m happy”.
I then went to ‘passport control’, a separate podium where they lifted paper tickets and verified passports prior to boarding. As I left passport control, I hear my name being paged by a different gate agent. She hands me a boarding pass for Business Class, 11F, without even explaining anything to me. I’m now a VERY happy camper.
I board the 777 and find that I have an aisle bulkhead seat. I really don’t like bulkhead seats, because I like to be able to stretch my legs, but at least I don’t have a center seat. Actually the leg room only suffers when you are sitting upright. Upon sitting down, I was offered champagne or orange juice. Like lots of my fellow passengers, I opted to have water instead.
The Business Class cabin took awhile to fill up. It was only about one third full, once general boarding had begun. My seat became a popular cross over point for passengers heading to the HJ side of the main cabin. It was sort of annoying during boarding to have all these people walking right in front of me.
As the boarding process neared its end, Business Class began to fill up. Ground staff came on board to escort several Business Class passengers to ‘new seats’ (op upgrades to First). It was obvious that a good chunk of the Business cabin was op-upgrades.
The 10:05pm departure time rolled around and the captain announced we had a mechanical problem with the engine air intake valve, which needed to be corrected. This problem also meant they could not start the air conditioning packs, and therefore the cabin was extremely hot….apparently even worse back in coach., where they eventually opened the doors to allow in some fresh air. Meantime, late connections continued to board the plane, and by 10:25pm or so, every seat was filled.
Finally, we push back at 10:55pm and take off around 11:15pm. Shortly after departure, service began with a ramekin of cold mixed nuts and beverages. Noise canceling headsets were also distributed…these are so much better than the ones I’ve had in the past that kept squeaking.
To Begin
Sliced salmon and spiced shrimp
Fresh lemon, cocktail sauce
Garden Fresh Salad
Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette
The appetizer course was served along with bread… a choice of foccacia, wheat or white. The salad was nothing too special (just greens and cherry tomatoes), but the appetizer (smoked salmon with dill, marinated zucchini, and shrimp w/cocktail sauce) was nicely done. The bread was dried out and tasteless. I knew the guy across the aisle was a non-status op-upgrade, when I saw him eating the zucchini with his hands.
Entrée orders were not taken until you were done with the appetizer, so it was a speed contest to get your entrée of choice. Actually, I’m sure they had plenty of meals, as about a third of the cabin had gone to sleep and weren’t interested in eating.
Main course
Filet mignon with wild mushroom and asparagus
Potato baked with onion and cheese
Stir-fried scallops with black bean sauce
Sesame egg noodles and straw mushrooms
Saffron corn chowder with crabmeat
Diced potatoes, onion and celery
I went with the corn chowder, because I had already eaten before leaving SEA and didn’t want to get too stuffed. I was quite impressed – plenty of real crabmeat, but probably more tomatoes than corn. I had to specifically ask for some more bread to go with my entrée, because once I got food in front of me, I suddenly had a huge appetite.
Dessert
Eli’s Milk Chocolate Caramel Mousse cake
Seemed more like cheesecake than mousse cake to me. I’m not really a huge cheesecake fan, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. (What was it I said about not being hungry??)
The crew did a good job of keeping drinks topped off during the meal and bringing around water bottles after dinner. They were also very good with offering wine choices…instead of just barking ‘white or red’, they would show you the labels of all 3 reds or whites they offered. I enjoyed a glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc (probably the 2000 Coopers Creek Marlborough on the menu).
Shortly after dinner, I went to sleep for the next few hours, listening to music and watching airshow when I woke up. I ventured into the galley mid-flight to check out the snack selection. There were ham and cheese foccacia sandwiches, along with chocolate bars, chips, and fresh fruit. I had a hot sandwich and a peach. Then some more sleep.
I was awake for the last 3 hours or so of the flight…breakfast service began promptly 1:30 out of Auckland.
Prior to Arrival
Fresh seasonal fruit appetizer
With breakfast breads, butter and fruit preserves
Baked potato with egg and cheese
Pork sausage and oven-roasted tomatoes
The breakfast tray was small, and I was surprised there was no egg choice vs. fruit plate choice, like I had when I flew Business SYD-SFO back in 2000. Does this have to do with limited 777 galley space, or has the intl breakfast been streamlined? Anyway, the fruit appetizer was canteloupe, watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, and grapes. Breakfast breads were a choice of cinnamon rolls and croissants. No seconds offered on the bread.
The hot entrée was different from the menu…it was a cheddar cheese omlette…no potatoes to be seen. But it did include roasted tomatoes and sausage, and even though I didn’t think I was hungry, I devoured the whole meal. The hot entrée could barely fit on the tray with the breakfast bread and fruit. Why keep the tray so tiny?
The crew delivered friendly, competent service, but they really didn’t go above and beyond or act particularly nice. By breakfast time, one of the F/As serving my aisle was clearly tired and had basically no interest in anything except getting off the plane. Of course, the crew was extremely senior.
We landed in rainy Auckland around 6:25am, 35 minutes late, and were at the gate by 6:35am. Thank goodness I was booked on the 7:50am flight to CHC, and not the 6:50am. I must walk quickly, because I was the first passenger from the flight through immigration, and the first passenger at baggage claim.
My priority tagged bag came out really quickly, and I was off to recheck it for the flight to CHC. I then had to take a bus to the domestic terminal, where I relaxed in the Koru Club. The lounge was fairly crowded, and since it was a Saturday morning, there were lots of children around. There was all kinds of food available….fruits, breads, cereals, etc. I think there were also showers available. Since my flight was sold out, I checked about volunteers, and was told none would needed.
I then went to board the flight. Boarding this full 737 was a single boarding call affair…no pre boarding…no Star Gold boarding..just one mad dash for the plane. Take off was right on time, and then a light breakfast was served. A tiny triangle of ham omlette, along with fruit salad, orange juice, and yogurt was served. The orange juice was a sugared down version. The crew made numerous passes through the cabin with coffee and tea. I understand that meal service is disappearing on NZ domestic flights, so I guess this will be a flight to remember.
There was virtually no visibility in CHC. I saw the ground literally seconds prior to landing. I’ve had similar landings in CPH and YYZ, but this was not the most exciting way to start a vacation. I promptly concluded my plans to ride the Christchurch gondola and get a panoramic view of the ocean and city would absolutely not work.
I headed into the Rydges Hotel (125 NZD, ~60 USD per night), right in the city center. Since it was 10am, they didn’t have a non smoking room ready. But instead of just sending me away, they brought me a cup of coffee. At 10:30am, they told me it would be another 10 minutes to clean my room, at which time I asked about a business center. They let me into the business center, where I checked email, etc. Charge for the coffee and business center: $0.
This was a very nice hotel….well located and a large room! I spent the day exploring the city, visiting the cathederals and the Canterbury museum. Also visited the Arts Centre where every weekend there is a bazaar with all kinds of NZ crafts and ethnic foods. I also stopped by the botanical gardens. I really enjoyed my time in Christchurch, although the weather was lousy, which stopped me from going to explore outside the city.
Due to jet lag, I went to bed early and woke up early to catch my 6:45am flight to Sydney. The international terminal at CHC is brand new and very spacious, considering there are so few international flights per day. Most of them are to Australia, although I think SQ has some service as well. I checked in and was informed I needed to pay NZD 25 (~12 USD) departure tax. Just when I thought the $100 in taxes on my ticket seemed low….
I had trouble finding the Koru Club in the international terminal, but located it eventually. They had a decent food spread (although not as good as in AKL), and a shower room. The lounge attendant came around to find Business Class passengers on the flight to SYD, to offer them $20 bookstore vouchers. I have no idea why (newspapers not being loaded on the flight???) -- but since I was in Y, I didn’t really get to hear more.
Boarding began around 6:30am, and at that time, all the shops in the international terminal closed their doors. No more international flights til 2pm. This was a 737-300 for the flight to SYD. I read that NZ is upgrading some of their SYD-CHC service to 767s to accommodate increased demand, but this particular flight was only 2/3 full.
We pushed back and took off right on schedule into the night sky. It was dark for most of the flight, as we were flying away from the sunrise. After distributing sugared down orange juice cups, a full hot breakfast was served, consisting of sausage, potato pancake, and eggs. Accompaniments were a fruit bowl, warm raisin roll, and cold porridge. Not bad for a coach breakfast! There were also complimentary movies and audio. Seems like this 737 had all the big plane amenities. Refills of champagne, coffee, and tea were offered, but I decided to sleep instead, and enjoyed a few hours of slumber.
Landing in SYD was about 40 minutes early, around 7:50am (2 hour timechange). The international terminal was very busy, since JAL and KAL just had flights arrive, but I had an Express Immigration Card, so I got to take a fast line. Is this because I’m Star Gold? An Australian Citizen? Flew on NZ? Flew from NZ? I dunno what made this magic happen, but I never got this Express Card when flying UA into SYD from the US.
I’m in Sydney for the next week, with a side trip to Melbourne (flying Virgin Blue) in the middle of the week. Then, it’s off to AKL for a day and then back to SEA.
Hope this report is interesting so far.
- das
I arrived SEA around 5pm for the 6:30pm flight to LAX. Check in was quick, and the agent was friendly, telling me how Christchurch was a nice English city. As always in SEA with UA, all checked luggage has to get x-rayed. No elite line here, so that wasted about 10 minutes. Then I went through security and was selected for secondary screening. I was patted down, had my shoes x-rayed, etc.
Then I was off to the SEA RCC, where I checked on the load for LAX-AKL. They said coach was booked to 256 (215 seats) and listed me as a volunteer. This was my first time at the RCC in SEA – it was fairly spacious with a good variety of food (apples, oranges, nuts, crackers, cheese) magazines, and newspapers. It was crowded but there was plenty of open seating. I hung around there for about an hour then headed upstairs to board the flight to LAX.
I didn’t even bother trying for an upgrade to F, because the flight was on an ex-Shuttle 737-300, which meant a cold meal. This also meant there would be no Economy Plus seating. They called for pre-boarding (Premiers and FC) and everyone charged to get on board.
Some rookie travelers couldn’t believe “First class is so big”…. Well it only has 8 seats, but evening flights out of Seattle tend to have tons of elite flyers. I joined the line just after a victim was picked for secondary screening.
Service was just basic snack mix and beverages. Since this plane was a shuttle configuration, there was no cart service – everything off trays. The F cabin was getting salad, a bread roll, and chips – all in plastic containers. (note to self – never upgrade on ex-Shuttle planes) One of the F/As came through and offered seconds on water and coffee, while the rest of the crew just relaxed and picked up trash. The LAX based crew looked really senior…. I guess a LAX-SEA-LAX day trip would be popular. Landed a few minutes early and parked at Terminal 8.
I skipped the RCC and headed straight to gate 76 for the flight to AKL…wanting to check on my volunteer status and try to get an op-upgrade (F and C were wide open on ITN, but coach was 0’d out). As I approached the gate, a list of names were being paged. I guess these were for pax without seat assignments, but perhaps some op-upgrades as well. I wasn’t on the list.
The agent informed me there were going to be misconnections, so no volunteers would be needed. I then asked “for a better seat” (I was in 30B – coach exit row – so there really is no better coach seat). She said something about a coach aisle further forward, and then I asked if anyone would be “bumped up”….she told me the flight was full and I couldn’t change seats. I said “thank you, I’m happy”.
I then went to ‘passport control’, a separate podium where they lifted paper tickets and verified passports prior to boarding. As I left passport control, I hear my name being paged by a different gate agent. She hands me a boarding pass for Business Class, 11F, without even explaining anything to me. I’m now a VERY happy camper.
I board the 777 and find that I have an aisle bulkhead seat. I really don’t like bulkhead seats, because I like to be able to stretch my legs, but at least I don’t have a center seat. Actually the leg room only suffers when you are sitting upright. Upon sitting down, I was offered champagne or orange juice. Like lots of my fellow passengers, I opted to have water instead.
The Business Class cabin took awhile to fill up. It was only about one third full, once general boarding had begun. My seat became a popular cross over point for passengers heading to the HJ side of the main cabin. It was sort of annoying during boarding to have all these people walking right in front of me.
As the boarding process neared its end, Business Class began to fill up. Ground staff came on board to escort several Business Class passengers to ‘new seats’ (op upgrades to First). It was obvious that a good chunk of the Business cabin was op-upgrades.
The 10:05pm departure time rolled around and the captain announced we had a mechanical problem with the engine air intake valve, which needed to be corrected. This problem also meant they could not start the air conditioning packs, and therefore the cabin was extremely hot….apparently even worse back in coach., where they eventually opened the doors to allow in some fresh air. Meantime, late connections continued to board the plane, and by 10:25pm or so, every seat was filled.
Finally, we push back at 10:55pm and take off around 11:15pm. Shortly after departure, service began with a ramekin of cold mixed nuts and beverages. Noise canceling headsets were also distributed…these are so much better than the ones I’ve had in the past that kept squeaking.
To Begin
Sliced salmon and spiced shrimp
Fresh lemon, cocktail sauce
Garden Fresh Salad
Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette
The appetizer course was served along with bread… a choice of foccacia, wheat or white. The salad was nothing too special (just greens and cherry tomatoes), but the appetizer (smoked salmon with dill, marinated zucchini, and shrimp w/cocktail sauce) was nicely done. The bread was dried out and tasteless. I knew the guy across the aisle was a non-status op-upgrade, when I saw him eating the zucchini with his hands.
Entrée orders were not taken until you were done with the appetizer, so it was a speed contest to get your entrée of choice. Actually, I’m sure they had plenty of meals, as about a third of the cabin had gone to sleep and weren’t interested in eating.
Main course
Filet mignon with wild mushroom and asparagus
Potato baked with onion and cheese
Stir-fried scallops with black bean sauce
Sesame egg noodles and straw mushrooms
Saffron corn chowder with crabmeat
Diced potatoes, onion and celery
I went with the corn chowder, because I had already eaten before leaving SEA and didn’t want to get too stuffed. I was quite impressed – plenty of real crabmeat, but probably more tomatoes than corn. I had to specifically ask for some more bread to go with my entrée, because once I got food in front of me, I suddenly had a huge appetite.
Dessert
Eli’s Milk Chocolate Caramel Mousse cake
Seemed more like cheesecake than mousse cake to me. I’m not really a huge cheesecake fan, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. (What was it I said about not being hungry??)
The crew did a good job of keeping drinks topped off during the meal and bringing around water bottles after dinner. They were also very good with offering wine choices…instead of just barking ‘white or red’, they would show you the labels of all 3 reds or whites they offered. I enjoyed a glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc (probably the 2000 Coopers Creek Marlborough on the menu).
Shortly after dinner, I went to sleep for the next few hours, listening to music and watching airshow when I woke up. I ventured into the galley mid-flight to check out the snack selection. There were ham and cheese foccacia sandwiches, along with chocolate bars, chips, and fresh fruit. I had a hot sandwich and a peach. Then some more sleep.
I was awake for the last 3 hours or so of the flight…breakfast service began promptly 1:30 out of Auckland.
Prior to Arrival
Fresh seasonal fruit appetizer
With breakfast breads, butter and fruit preserves
Baked potato with egg and cheese
Pork sausage and oven-roasted tomatoes
The breakfast tray was small, and I was surprised there was no egg choice vs. fruit plate choice, like I had when I flew Business SYD-SFO back in 2000. Does this have to do with limited 777 galley space, or has the intl breakfast been streamlined? Anyway, the fruit appetizer was canteloupe, watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, and grapes. Breakfast breads were a choice of cinnamon rolls and croissants. No seconds offered on the bread.
The hot entrée was different from the menu…it was a cheddar cheese omlette…no potatoes to be seen. But it did include roasted tomatoes and sausage, and even though I didn’t think I was hungry, I devoured the whole meal. The hot entrée could barely fit on the tray with the breakfast bread and fruit. Why keep the tray so tiny?
The crew delivered friendly, competent service, but they really didn’t go above and beyond or act particularly nice. By breakfast time, one of the F/As serving my aisle was clearly tired and had basically no interest in anything except getting off the plane. Of course, the crew was extremely senior.
We landed in rainy Auckland around 6:25am, 35 minutes late, and were at the gate by 6:35am. Thank goodness I was booked on the 7:50am flight to CHC, and not the 6:50am. I must walk quickly, because I was the first passenger from the flight through immigration, and the first passenger at baggage claim.
My priority tagged bag came out really quickly, and I was off to recheck it for the flight to CHC. I then had to take a bus to the domestic terminal, where I relaxed in the Koru Club. The lounge was fairly crowded, and since it was a Saturday morning, there were lots of children around. There was all kinds of food available….fruits, breads, cereals, etc. I think there were also showers available. Since my flight was sold out, I checked about volunteers, and was told none would needed.
I then went to board the flight. Boarding this full 737 was a single boarding call affair…no pre boarding…no Star Gold boarding..just one mad dash for the plane. Take off was right on time, and then a light breakfast was served. A tiny triangle of ham omlette, along with fruit salad, orange juice, and yogurt was served. The orange juice was a sugared down version. The crew made numerous passes through the cabin with coffee and tea. I understand that meal service is disappearing on NZ domestic flights, so I guess this will be a flight to remember.
There was virtually no visibility in CHC. I saw the ground literally seconds prior to landing. I’ve had similar landings in CPH and YYZ, but this was not the most exciting way to start a vacation. I promptly concluded my plans to ride the Christchurch gondola and get a panoramic view of the ocean and city would absolutely not work.
I headed into the Rydges Hotel (125 NZD, ~60 USD per night), right in the city center. Since it was 10am, they didn’t have a non smoking room ready. But instead of just sending me away, they brought me a cup of coffee. At 10:30am, they told me it would be another 10 minutes to clean my room, at which time I asked about a business center. They let me into the business center, where I checked email, etc. Charge for the coffee and business center: $0.
This was a very nice hotel….well located and a large room! I spent the day exploring the city, visiting the cathederals and the Canterbury museum. Also visited the Arts Centre where every weekend there is a bazaar with all kinds of NZ crafts and ethnic foods. I also stopped by the botanical gardens. I really enjoyed my time in Christchurch, although the weather was lousy, which stopped me from going to explore outside the city.
Due to jet lag, I went to bed early and woke up early to catch my 6:45am flight to Sydney. The international terminal at CHC is brand new and very spacious, considering there are so few international flights per day. Most of them are to Australia, although I think SQ has some service as well. I checked in and was informed I needed to pay NZD 25 (~12 USD) departure tax. Just when I thought the $100 in taxes on my ticket seemed low….
I had trouble finding the Koru Club in the international terminal, but located it eventually. They had a decent food spread (although not as good as in AKL), and a shower room. The lounge attendant came around to find Business Class passengers on the flight to SYD, to offer them $20 bookstore vouchers. I have no idea why (newspapers not being loaded on the flight???) -- but since I was in Y, I didn’t really get to hear more.
Boarding began around 6:30am, and at that time, all the shops in the international terminal closed their doors. No more international flights til 2pm. This was a 737-300 for the flight to SYD. I read that NZ is upgrading some of their SYD-CHC service to 767s to accommodate increased demand, but this particular flight was only 2/3 full.
We pushed back and took off right on schedule into the night sky. It was dark for most of the flight, as we were flying away from the sunrise. After distributing sugared down orange juice cups, a full hot breakfast was served, consisting of sausage, potato pancake, and eggs. Accompaniments were a fruit bowl, warm raisin roll, and cold porridge. Not bad for a coach breakfast! There were also complimentary movies and audio. Seems like this 737 had all the big plane amenities. Refills of champagne, coffee, and tea were offered, but I decided to sleep instead, and enjoyed a few hours of slumber.
Landing in SYD was about 40 minutes early, around 7:50am (2 hour timechange). The international terminal was very busy, since JAL and KAL just had flights arrive, but I had an Express Immigration Card, so I got to take a fast line. Is this because I’m Star Gold? An Australian Citizen? Flew on NZ? Flew from NZ? I dunno what made this magic happen, but I never got this Express Card when flying UA into SYD from the US.
I’m in Sydney for the next week, with a side trip to Melbourne (flying Virgin Blue) in the middle of the week. Then, it’s off to AKL for a day and then back to SEA.
Hope this report is interesting so far.
- das