RTW4
Oct 6, 02, 7:09 pm
After spending a day in EZE shopping at the EVITA PERON museum and shopping at incredibly good rates, I headed out to the airport for my evening flight to JFK and then for my AM flight to LHR. This was part of my One World Explorer trip. One comment on Buenos Aires. It is a wonderful city. The people are really great. The prices are very inexpensive, and the layout of the city is truly beautiful. The financial crisis is surely having an effect on the populace, and I do hope that it is solved.
ARRIVAL
Arrived at airport at 6 PM for my flight at 8PM. There was an incredible amount of activity here. Not only was the first class check in line long, but when I go to the front of the line, I was questioned as to why I was going to 5 countries in 5 days. The young woman questioned me for 15 minutes!! She had not heard of a RTW ticket. I started to break out in a cold sweat when she did not let me check in. But after she listened to me she let me check in and said that she did not know why anyone would travel on an airplane just for miles!! No doubt that she did not do much reading on these boards. After passing through the first class line, I was told to go to the Admirals club. This is is SORRIEST EXCUSE for an international lounge I have been in. The "snacks" consisted of cubes of processed cheese and crackers, as well as an open bar. Nothing else. It was very noisy, crowded, and had very limited Internet access. The flight to JFK was fully booked in first and business. The commotion at the front desk was really quite embarassing as a passenger was demanding an upgrade despite the sold out situation of first class. I could not hear everything by this passenger was told to wait until boarding and see if all of the passengers in first showed up.
THE PLANE
Boarding was extremely easy. First and Business class passengers were called to board this 767-300 to JFK. Now a 777 is being used on this route. I sat in my designated seat of 3H and would you believe that as the doors closed the aforementioned passenger who demanded an upgrade sat next to me in 3J. Oh well. Thats luck for you. The entire section was filled. Now, as some of you know, I am a big fan of AA first international service. But something very bad has happened. A noticeable smell of apathy. The head FA was extremely aloof and the second FA in the first class cabin actually turned his head away from me when I asked a question. Drinks on the ground were rushed and menus were passed out as if they were playing cards. Everyone in the cabin noticed this performance. Suffice to say this JFK based flight crew had a chip on their collective shoulders about something. The 767-300 on AA incidentally has flat seats but not nearly as nice as their 777 first class seats.
MENU
Champagne was a Heidsieck Monopole Brut.
TO START
Warm nuts and crudites
APPETIZER
Smoked Salmon accompanied by capers, red onions, sour cream, garnished with lemon wedges and served with toast points. AS AN ASIDE< THE SALMON IS PRE PLATED.....NO MORE CART SERVCE
THE SALAD CART
Seasonal mixed greens with creamy cucumber mint dressing or olive oil and balsamic vinegar served with focaccia Bread. Your choice of vegetables including tomato wedges, cucumbers, bell peppers and onions. GONE ARE THE DAYS OF THE LOBSTER OR CHICKEN ON THE SALAD I GUESS.
ENTREES
Chateaubriand
Leek and crabmeat soup
Grilled fillet of salmon
Pasta tossed with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and eggplant, topped with parmesan cheese.
THE CHEESE AND DESSERT CART
Gouda, Camembert and Roquefort cheese complemented by Grapes, served with selected Crackers and offered with Port and other fine Wines. ONCE AGAIN PRE-PLATED CHEESE. GONE ARE THE CARTS WITH THE WHOLE WEDGES OF CHEESE ON DISPLAY.
Ice cream sundae
Grand Marnier Fruit Salad
BREAKFAST
Seasonal fresh fruit
Fresh Eggs, cooked to order prepared, if you wish, with sauteed Mushrooms, and offered with grilled Bacon and Hash Browns. WHEN I REQUESTED EGGS, THE FA WAS MIFFED AS I DID NOT WANT SCRAMBLED EGGS, BUT FIRED EGGS. AND I QUOTE " I AM NOT SURE THAT THESE KIND OF EGGS ARE AVAILABLE" I am not kidding.
I had the salmon for an entree which was quite good. The smoked salmon appetizer however was so salty that it was inedible. Enough said
ENTERTAINMENT
DVD players were available, BUT who would ever have known it. Myself and three other passengers had to ask the FA for the DVD players, as they were never offered!!
As you can tell, I was extremely unimpressed that the service on this route for AA has gone down so dramatically. I hope that someone at AA is reading this report. The flight was just not up to AA international standards.
ARRIVAL
I will tell you that as soon as I got off of the plane at JFK, the wonderful AA service resumed immediately. I was met by an AA rep who ushered me to the Admirals club at JFK to get refreshed for my 8:30AM flight to LHR. The flight from EZE landed at 5:40AM after approximately 10 hours of flying time. I had enough time to relax before my next flight from JFK-LHR on AA 142.
The Admirals club at JFK is quite nice. They had bagels, with cream cheese and butter and various muffins for snacks. The lounge was very busy for a Saturday morning. However, just after I showered and checked email our flight was being called for. It was to leave at gate 8.
There were not many people in the gate area. The flight was not crowded at all. I guess that AA flight loads on these AM flight are fairly light as flight 106 on AA which leaves one hour after my flight, is being cancelled in the very near future. Both AM flights are on 777. HOWEVER, only AA 142 has the new FLAGSHIP SUITES. Therefore I was glad to be booked on this flight.
THE PLANE
Upon boarding I was escorted to my seat 2J. What a difference in the amount of privacy between this flight and my last. There were only 4 people in first class with two flight attendants. Flight time was a short 6 hours and 3 minutes, but actually took only 5 hours and 47 minutes. The usual OJ and water was offered as well as champagne and mimosas. The head FA was extremely pleasant and completely made me forget about the experience I had from EZE to JFK just hours before. Prior to menus being handed out, the entertainment guides were perused. AA 777 first clas entertainment selections are great. 20 choices of personal videos, and 9 channels of pre programmed video presentations. Movies that I ultimately watched were Unfaithful with Richard Gere and Diane Lane, and Hollywood Ending with Woody Allen.
MENU
Champagne was Pommery cuvee, Madame Louise
BRUNCH
Your choice of OJ, Tomato, Apple Juice
Fine teas including decaffeinated
Seasonal fresh fruit
Cinnamon Rolls
Assorted Breakfast Breads
Cereal served with seasonal berries
Yogurt
ENTREES
Eggs cooked to order- AND YESS THEY WERE ABLE TO COOK FRIED OR SCRAMBLED EGGS . These are served with artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, spinach saute, grilled asiago polenta cake and hot smoked salmon
Smoked Turkey Breakfast Tart
Diced smoked Turkey and caramelized Onion combined with egg in a light pastry shell served with a fresh fruit salsa and mushroom tomato sauce
Cinnamon Brioche French toast with caramel and apple pecan syrup
Veal with Wild Mushrooms
Veal Medallions enhanced by a Wild Mushroom sauce offered with oven roasted potatoes and asparagus.
As this flight landed in LHR after the dinner hour there was also an EVENING MEAL
To start
Nuts with crudites
Appetizer
Smoked salmon with capers etc
Entrees
Chicken with sun dried tomato pesto. This was a grilled chicken offered with a sun-dried tomato dressing presented with a white bean and fennel pasta salad
Salmon and Shiitake Turnover
This was a shiitake mushroom and smoked salmon turnover, served with a wilted spinach and marinatee cucumber salad, accompanied by a mustard remoulade
Asparagus and Lobster Soup This is a creamy asparagus soup enhanced with Lobster
Tea sampler- This was an assortment of tea sandwiches accompanied by a mini scone with chantilly cream, tea cookies, and fresh fruit
Desserts
Ice Cream Sundae
As you can tell there was a lot of food for a short flight. The service was sensational. The food was excellent. I had the Fried eggs with polenta cakes that were better than in a restaurand. The fresh fruit served right before this incidentally was fabulous with fresh kiwis, pineapples, and melons. I also had the asparagus soup and the tea sampler both of which were excellent. The lobster in the soup was a full tail and claw. This flight made up for the other AA flight. The menu, the food, the FA, the 777 which I love, the entertainment, all made for an excellent experience. We landed in LHR and although there was no FAST TRACK at this time of night it took very little time to pass through security.
ALL in ALL, I will definitely give AA another opportunity in the near future for my business but they must clean up their act on ther EZE flights. I have heard on these boards that I am not the only one to complain. But I must give credit to their transatlantic service....Excellent.
ARRIVAL
Arrived at airport at 6 PM for my flight at 8PM. There was an incredible amount of activity here. Not only was the first class check in line long, but when I go to the front of the line, I was questioned as to why I was going to 5 countries in 5 days. The young woman questioned me for 15 minutes!! She had not heard of a RTW ticket. I started to break out in a cold sweat when she did not let me check in. But after she listened to me she let me check in and said that she did not know why anyone would travel on an airplane just for miles!! No doubt that she did not do much reading on these boards. After passing through the first class line, I was told to go to the Admirals club. This is is SORRIEST EXCUSE for an international lounge I have been in. The "snacks" consisted of cubes of processed cheese and crackers, as well as an open bar. Nothing else. It was very noisy, crowded, and had very limited Internet access. The flight to JFK was fully booked in first and business. The commotion at the front desk was really quite embarassing as a passenger was demanding an upgrade despite the sold out situation of first class. I could not hear everything by this passenger was told to wait until boarding and see if all of the passengers in first showed up.
THE PLANE
Boarding was extremely easy. First and Business class passengers were called to board this 767-300 to JFK. Now a 777 is being used on this route. I sat in my designated seat of 3H and would you believe that as the doors closed the aforementioned passenger who demanded an upgrade sat next to me in 3J. Oh well. Thats luck for you. The entire section was filled. Now, as some of you know, I am a big fan of AA first international service. But something very bad has happened. A noticeable smell of apathy. The head FA was extremely aloof and the second FA in the first class cabin actually turned his head away from me when I asked a question. Drinks on the ground were rushed and menus were passed out as if they were playing cards. Everyone in the cabin noticed this performance. Suffice to say this JFK based flight crew had a chip on their collective shoulders about something. The 767-300 on AA incidentally has flat seats but not nearly as nice as their 777 first class seats.
MENU
Champagne was a Heidsieck Monopole Brut.
TO START
Warm nuts and crudites
APPETIZER
Smoked Salmon accompanied by capers, red onions, sour cream, garnished with lemon wedges and served with toast points. AS AN ASIDE< THE SALMON IS PRE PLATED.....NO MORE CART SERVCE
THE SALAD CART
Seasonal mixed greens with creamy cucumber mint dressing or olive oil and balsamic vinegar served with focaccia Bread. Your choice of vegetables including tomato wedges, cucumbers, bell peppers and onions. GONE ARE THE DAYS OF THE LOBSTER OR CHICKEN ON THE SALAD I GUESS.
ENTREES
Chateaubriand
Leek and crabmeat soup
Grilled fillet of salmon
Pasta tossed with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and eggplant, topped with parmesan cheese.
THE CHEESE AND DESSERT CART
Gouda, Camembert and Roquefort cheese complemented by Grapes, served with selected Crackers and offered with Port and other fine Wines. ONCE AGAIN PRE-PLATED CHEESE. GONE ARE THE CARTS WITH THE WHOLE WEDGES OF CHEESE ON DISPLAY.
Ice cream sundae
Grand Marnier Fruit Salad
BREAKFAST
Seasonal fresh fruit
Fresh Eggs, cooked to order prepared, if you wish, with sauteed Mushrooms, and offered with grilled Bacon and Hash Browns. WHEN I REQUESTED EGGS, THE FA WAS MIFFED AS I DID NOT WANT SCRAMBLED EGGS, BUT FIRED EGGS. AND I QUOTE " I AM NOT SURE THAT THESE KIND OF EGGS ARE AVAILABLE" I am not kidding.
I had the salmon for an entree which was quite good. The smoked salmon appetizer however was so salty that it was inedible. Enough said
ENTERTAINMENT
DVD players were available, BUT who would ever have known it. Myself and three other passengers had to ask the FA for the DVD players, as they were never offered!!
As you can tell, I was extremely unimpressed that the service on this route for AA has gone down so dramatically. I hope that someone at AA is reading this report. The flight was just not up to AA international standards.
ARRIVAL
I will tell you that as soon as I got off of the plane at JFK, the wonderful AA service resumed immediately. I was met by an AA rep who ushered me to the Admirals club at JFK to get refreshed for my 8:30AM flight to LHR. The flight from EZE landed at 5:40AM after approximately 10 hours of flying time. I had enough time to relax before my next flight from JFK-LHR on AA 142.
The Admirals club at JFK is quite nice. They had bagels, with cream cheese and butter and various muffins for snacks. The lounge was very busy for a Saturday morning. However, just after I showered and checked email our flight was being called for. It was to leave at gate 8.
There were not many people in the gate area. The flight was not crowded at all. I guess that AA flight loads on these AM flight are fairly light as flight 106 on AA which leaves one hour after my flight, is being cancelled in the very near future. Both AM flights are on 777. HOWEVER, only AA 142 has the new FLAGSHIP SUITES. Therefore I was glad to be booked on this flight.
THE PLANE
Upon boarding I was escorted to my seat 2J. What a difference in the amount of privacy between this flight and my last. There were only 4 people in first class with two flight attendants. Flight time was a short 6 hours and 3 minutes, but actually took only 5 hours and 47 minutes. The usual OJ and water was offered as well as champagne and mimosas. The head FA was extremely pleasant and completely made me forget about the experience I had from EZE to JFK just hours before. Prior to menus being handed out, the entertainment guides were perused. AA 777 first clas entertainment selections are great. 20 choices of personal videos, and 9 channels of pre programmed video presentations. Movies that I ultimately watched were Unfaithful with Richard Gere and Diane Lane, and Hollywood Ending with Woody Allen.
MENU
Champagne was Pommery cuvee, Madame Louise
BRUNCH
Your choice of OJ, Tomato, Apple Juice
Fine teas including decaffeinated
Seasonal fresh fruit
Cinnamon Rolls
Assorted Breakfast Breads
Cereal served with seasonal berries
Yogurt
ENTREES
Eggs cooked to order- AND YESS THEY WERE ABLE TO COOK FRIED OR SCRAMBLED EGGS . These are served with artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, spinach saute, grilled asiago polenta cake and hot smoked salmon
Smoked Turkey Breakfast Tart
Diced smoked Turkey and caramelized Onion combined with egg in a light pastry shell served with a fresh fruit salsa and mushroom tomato sauce
Cinnamon Brioche French toast with caramel and apple pecan syrup
Veal with Wild Mushrooms
Veal Medallions enhanced by a Wild Mushroom sauce offered with oven roasted potatoes and asparagus.
As this flight landed in LHR after the dinner hour there was also an EVENING MEAL
To start
Nuts with crudites
Appetizer
Smoked salmon with capers etc
Entrees
Chicken with sun dried tomato pesto. This was a grilled chicken offered with a sun-dried tomato dressing presented with a white bean and fennel pasta salad
Salmon and Shiitake Turnover
This was a shiitake mushroom and smoked salmon turnover, served with a wilted spinach and marinatee cucumber salad, accompanied by a mustard remoulade
Asparagus and Lobster Soup This is a creamy asparagus soup enhanced with Lobster
Tea sampler- This was an assortment of tea sandwiches accompanied by a mini scone with chantilly cream, tea cookies, and fresh fruit
Desserts
Ice Cream Sundae
As you can tell there was a lot of food for a short flight. The service was sensational. The food was excellent. I had the Fried eggs with polenta cakes that were better than in a restaurand. The fresh fruit served right before this incidentally was fabulous with fresh kiwis, pineapples, and melons. I also had the asparagus soup and the tea sampler both of which were excellent. The lobster in the soup was a full tail and claw. This flight made up for the other AA flight. The menu, the food, the FA, the 777 which I love, the entertainment, all made for an excellent experience. We landed in LHR and although there was no FAST TRACK at this time of night it took very little time to pass through security.
ALL in ALL, I will definitely give AA another opportunity in the near future for my business but they must clean up their act on ther EZE flights. I have heard on these boards that I am not the only one to complain. But I must give credit to their transatlantic service....Excellent.