goodo
Oct 17, 02, 6:47 am
No this will not be as exciting as my first report, but anyway here goes:
25 September
UA 816 MEL-SYD – seat 36A
UA 862 SYD-SFO – seat 36K
UA 852 SFO-JFK – seat 9F
Arriving at the airport I proceeded to the UA check-in area. I could’ve gone to the almost empty Economy line but why bother when I can go to the Business line as a 2P? Ahh the life of a Premier! Of course the security people were feeling lonely so I was summoned to entertain them. They opened up my suitcases, finding nothing unusual other than some knives and bombs (just kidding about the bombs), they put some stickers on and let me go through. I checked in only to be told that iluv2fly would not be on my flight, and I can’t be upgraded using his HK-49 because he won’t be there. After explaining to the UA staff that that is not correct, she over-rode the computer as the machine spat out my B.Ps including the upgraded SFO-JFK segment. She also blocked off the seats next to mine in E+ from MEL-SYD and SYD-SFO.
After breezing through an empty customs and security area, I bought some duty free, reading material for the plane and went to gate 6. It was virtually empty, with the flight being no more than 15-20% full, so there was no need for priority boarding. With everyone on board the doors were closed and cross-checked 20 minutes early. It seemed that there was a reduced number of FAs on board, and each FA during the safety demonstration would perform walking down the aisles. It was actually pretty funny. (Just before take-off I saw an Australian airlines aircraft taxiing, yet I didn’t think they had started service yet, maybe it was for a promotional tour and I saw I think what was the same aircraft in Sydney as we were taxiing to the gate.) On board MEL-SYD there was a snack and beverage service – which included in my kosher meal a small roll with smoked salmon and 2 cookies. Channel 9 was on!
Upon arrival in SYD all passengers had to go through security and be x-rayed again, even though we had been through all this in MEL. While walking to gate 53 I hear “Goodo?” It turned out iluv2fly did make it, and he couldn’t understand why I was told he wouldn’t. Anyway, he took me downstairs to the First Class Lounge. We had a nice chat, before we were called to board. There was a slight delay in SYD because maintenance was trying fix something, but it was only 20 minutes.
There was a beverage service followed by lunch which consisted of cooked fish and rice. They served my meal after everyone else, apologizing that my double wrapped kosher meal took longer to heat up. It was not great, but then are airline meals ever? Many rows had garbled audio which was not fixed in SYD, for which they apologized for but at least it didn’t affect the movie channel. I slept for about an hour and a half and woke up to see the credits rolling from ‘The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood’. The other movies shown were ‘The Hollywood Sign’, ‘Crocodile Hunter’ and ‘Life or Something Like It’. About halfway through the flight they serve a beverage and snack service, which was the same snack as on my MEL-SYD flight.
About an hour and a half before we arrived in SFO breakfast was served – an omelet, fruit, cake and a roll - again mine served after around half the aircraft had been served. It was nice to see that they hadn’t forgotten about me. The flight path took us over land before we turned left to cross the bay(?) and landed at SFO. The FA assured me I would have enough time to make my connection. Of course, she didn’t take into account that I would be in the line with the slowest immigration official in the entire USA.
I was one of the first to get there, and it appeared that a good few 747s landed after ours as the area started to fill up. I was getting so agitated. He first asked a million questions, then inspected each page of their passport carefully and then had to see their return ticket. I must’ve been in that line for half an hour. To see in every other line people being asked one question then stamp stamp stamp, it was nerve racking. I only had a 1 hour 25 minute connection and I was seriously worried whether I would make it. I was still in line when the place was empty, and they started bringing people from the visitor’s line to the US citizens line, to which I ran over to. One question and stamp stamp stamp, and I was done. It was only 10 minutes to boarding I being my first time in SFO I had no idea how much of a gauntlet I had to run to make it to gate 86. I picked up my bags, (which no longer had my flight listed on the conveyor belt screen), made my way through customs and turned towards connecting flights. I had to make my flight! I was in C class in the last 763 flight to JFK. If I missed it, I would have to wait another 2 hours for the 762.
After running through security I finally made it to the gate. I put away my carry-on and plonked down in seat 9F, and I realized it had all been worth it. Everything from the pre-takeoff drinks to the great recline enabling me to get some sleep to the service to the glass of water waiting for me when I woke up. What a flight! I watched ‘About a Boy’ on my flip-out PTV during the meal service. Finally I get proper crockery, although they’ve still got the plastic cutlery (or is it because I had a Kosher meal?). I managed a couple hours sleep before landing in JFK 20 minutes early. My bags were one of the first few out, plus I found someone I knew on the flight who gave me a lift into Brooklyn. Now that was a flight I won’t forget!
I had a blast at my brother’s wedding, but that’s another story. I went back to JFK to drop off my sister who was flying back home – I was given a gate pass to stay with her till she boarded. Of course my shoes were a security risk and needed to be x-rayed. Note to self: Wear other shoes when I fly.
13 October
UA 3 JFK-SFO – seat 20A
UA 863 SFO-SYD – seat 38A
15 October
UA 815 SYD-MEL – seat 37K
RichardMEL offered me a HK-49 which I gratefully accepted. I tried to use it for my mother although that didn’t work because she was traveling on an award ticket. So I was waitlisted for the upgrade. My chances were not looking good. There was only 1 seat left in C and no availability for I class. My brother drove me to JFK. He dropped me off outside and I went to the Premier check-in line. (There was a sign that this was the check-in for 2P and 1P but 1K had been covered over with some tape. Do 1Ks have their own special check-in?) After redistributing the weight of my bags so they were less than 70lbs, I checked in 2 suitcases and a small box. The CSR was very courteous and went through everything like I was a novice traveler. I don’t exactly look very experienced, but she did point out that my Premier status and Mileage Plus number was in the system. Then she gave me the bad news. I was 8th on the waitlist for C, but there were only 4 seats available. So relegated back to E+, I had my memories of my previous C flight to get me through the 5 ½ hours till SFO.
I went through security with no beeps. Note to self: Make these my official traveling shoes. I walked to gate 8, and waited until the flight was called. First they boarded first and business, followed by Premier, Premier Execs and Star Golds. The flight was chockers! The FA/Purser had to correct herself many times during the safety announcements it wasn’t funny, although many passengers did have a bit of a chuckle. At least we departed on time. There was a FA with a tag that had both UA’s and Pepsi’s logos. I guess she must be a fan of that deal (bring back the Coke!). The aircraft was a 763 so we had PTVs in coach. The movies shown were ‘K-19’, ‘Like Mike’, ‘Insomnia’ and ‘A Beautiful Mind’. My KSML was Cajun Chicken with rice and veggies.
My seat 20A wasn’t bad; except for the box for the entertainment system for row 19 was in front of me, restricting some of my leg room.
On arrival in SFO I made my way to the International Terminal (Concourse G), passed through empty security lines and walked to gate 94, via duty free of course. Once inside it hit me that I wasn’t considered an adult by US standards and couldn’t bring any alcohol back with me. After settling in at gate 94, and having read the San Francisco Chronicle, I sat down to continue my FT report. I was interrupted by a rumor that spread around the gate the UA had pulled a fast one on us, and changed our gate to 96. People who had planned on getting some sleep before the flight were woken by passengers who were packing up in droves and moving to the new gate.
After waiting for about half an hour at the new gate, with a long line stretching back for people who had to check up on Australian visas, boarding was called. First, business, Star Gold, and Premier members would board first. I was one of the first to board which meant no searching for a place to put my cabin baggage. Most people in E+ had an empty seat between them, but other than that it was pretty full. I was in 38A, with 38B empty and a 1K in 38C, but she only seemed interested in her NY Times and getting some sleep. Channel 9 was on. I managed to sleep, but only an hour here and an hour there. Once I woke up to find that the 38B wasn’t empty any more. An elderly woman moved in so that her son/daughter and daughter-in-law/son-in-law with their baby could have some more room.
Dinner was served and I was wondering what I would get. My meal arrived, and the label said ‘Kosher Beef’, then handwritten next to that were the words ‘Sorry we're out of beef’. This meant I was having Cajun Chicken, again. Halfway through the flight they served a snack – Turkey breast on pita bread and a cookie. Before breakie surveys were handed out. Breakfast consisted of a cheese omelet.
Landing was smooth, and after taxing to the gate, passengers connecting Melbourne went to the international transfer line. Why must we all go through security again? Why is there only one x-ray machine and one screener? The line was enormous! I don’t know whether so many people were in transit (maybe doing mileage runs) or perhaps because the line was so long and stretched past the exit towards immigration and baggage claim that everyone thought they were supposed to go in this line.
After going through the maze to get to gate 55, I waited till they called for preboarding. As expected the load was very light on this short hop to Melbourne - just a sprinkling of passengers. What is it about UA’s safety announcements? I thought the ones on JFK-SFO were funny, but these were hilarious. Whoever was making the announcement asked people in the exit rows to remove their shoes, which I understood to mean if you’ve taken them off, keep the exit clear. But some novice flyers in these rows must’ve begun taking off their shoes because the FA announced soon after that she didn’t mean that people in exit rows should remove their shoes, “you may leave your shoes on, but remove everything else”, then “oops, I didn’t mean that, just please make sure that the exit is clear of obstructions.” It was side-splitting.
Channel 9 was on again. Midway through the flight a snack was served – again a salmon roll plus 2 cookies. After landing in the traditional ‘Welcome to Melbourne’ speech, passengers were thanked for their business “you know we need it”. A very personal plea from one of the FAs who were all LAX based.
After this trip I made it up to 1P, but with the 28 sector limit in place for RTWs, 1K is not within reach http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif.
goodo
25 September
UA 816 MEL-SYD – seat 36A
UA 862 SYD-SFO – seat 36K
UA 852 SFO-JFK – seat 9F
Arriving at the airport I proceeded to the UA check-in area. I could’ve gone to the almost empty Economy line but why bother when I can go to the Business line as a 2P? Ahh the life of a Premier! Of course the security people were feeling lonely so I was summoned to entertain them. They opened up my suitcases, finding nothing unusual other than some knives and bombs (just kidding about the bombs), they put some stickers on and let me go through. I checked in only to be told that iluv2fly would not be on my flight, and I can’t be upgraded using his HK-49 because he won’t be there. After explaining to the UA staff that that is not correct, she over-rode the computer as the machine spat out my B.Ps including the upgraded SFO-JFK segment. She also blocked off the seats next to mine in E+ from MEL-SYD and SYD-SFO.
After breezing through an empty customs and security area, I bought some duty free, reading material for the plane and went to gate 6. It was virtually empty, with the flight being no more than 15-20% full, so there was no need for priority boarding. With everyone on board the doors were closed and cross-checked 20 minutes early. It seemed that there was a reduced number of FAs on board, and each FA during the safety demonstration would perform walking down the aisles. It was actually pretty funny. (Just before take-off I saw an Australian airlines aircraft taxiing, yet I didn’t think they had started service yet, maybe it was for a promotional tour and I saw I think what was the same aircraft in Sydney as we were taxiing to the gate.) On board MEL-SYD there was a snack and beverage service – which included in my kosher meal a small roll with smoked salmon and 2 cookies. Channel 9 was on!
Upon arrival in SYD all passengers had to go through security and be x-rayed again, even though we had been through all this in MEL. While walking to gate 53 I hear “Goodo?” It turned out iluv2fly did make it, and he couldn’t understand why I was told he wouldn’t. Anyway, he took me downstairs to the First Class Lounge. We had a nice chat, before we were called to board. There was a slight delay in SYD because maintenance was trying fix something, but it was only 20 minutes.
There was a beverage service followed by lunch which consisted of cooked fish and rice. They served my meal after everyone else, apologizing that my double wrapped kosher meal took longer to heat up. It was not great, but then are airline meals ever? Many rows had garbled audio which was not fixed in SYD, for which they apologized for but at least it didn’t affect the movie channel. I slept for about an hour and a half and woke up to see the credits rolling from ‘The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood’. The other movies shown were ‘The Hollywood Sign’, ‘Crocodile Hunter’ and ‘Life or Something Like It’. About halfway through the flight they serve a beverage and snack service, which was the same snack as on my MEL-SYD flight.
About an hour and a half before we arrived in SFO breakfast was served – an omelet, fruit, cake and a roll - again mine served after around half the aircraft had been served. It was nice to see that they hadn’t forgotten about me. The flight path took us over land before we turned left to cross the bay(?) and landed at SFO. The FA assured me I would have enough time to make my connection. Of course, she didn’t take into account that I would be in the line with the slowest immigration official in the entire USA.
I was one of the first to get there, and it appeared that a good few 747s landed after ours as the area started to fill up. I was getting so agitated. He first asked a million questions, then inspected each page of their passport carefully and then had to see their return ticket. I must’ve been in that line for half an hour. To see in every other line people being asked one question then stamp stamp stamp, it was nerve racking. I only had a 1 hour 25 minute connection and I was seriously worried whether I would make it. I was still in line when the place was empty, and they started bringing people from the visitor’s line to the US citizens line, to which I ran over to. One question and stamp stamp stamp, and I was done. It was only 10 minutes to boarding I being my first time in SFO I had no idea how much of a gauntlet I had to run to make it to gate 86. I picked up my bags, (which no longer had my flight listed on the conveyor belt screen), made my way through customs and turned towards connecting flights. I had to make my flight! I was in C class in the last 763 flight to JFK. If I missed it, I would have to wait another 2 hours for the 762.
After running through security I finally made it to the gate. I put away my carry-on and plonked down in seat 9F, and I realized it had all been worth it. Everything from the pre-takeoff drinks to the great recline enabling me to get some sleep to the service to the glass of water waiting for me when I woke up. What a flight! I watched ‘About a Boy’ on my flip-out PTV during the meal service. Finally I get proper crockery, although they’ve still got the plastic cutlery (or is it because I had a Kosher meal?). I managed a couple hours sleep before landing in JFK 20 minutes early. My bags were one of the first few out, plus I found someone I knew on the flight who gave me a lift into Brooklyn. Now that was a flight I won’t forget!
I had a blast at my brother’s wedding, but that’s another story. I went back to JFK to drop off my sister who was flying back home – I was given a gate pass to stay with her till she boarded. Of course my shoes were a security risk and needed to be x-rayed. Note to self: Wear other shoes when I fly.
13 October
UA 3 JFK-SFO – seat 20A
UA 863 SFO-SYD – seat 38A
15 October
UA 815 SYD-MEL – seat 37K
RichardMEL offered me a HK-49 which I gratefully accepted. I tried to use it for my mother although that didn’t work because she was traveling on an award ticket. So I was waitlisted for the upgrade. My chances were not looking good. There was only 1 seat left in C and no availability for I class. My brother drove me to JFK. He dropped me off outside and I went to the Premier check-in line. (There was a sign that this was the check-in for 2P and 1P but 1K had been covered over with some tape. Do 1Ks have their own special check-in?) After redistributing the weight of my bags so they were less than 70lbs, I checked in 2 suitcases and a small box. The CSR was very courteous and went through everything like I was a novice traveler. I don’t exactly look very experienced, but she did point out that my Premier status and Mileage Plus number was in the system. Then she gave me the bad news. I was 8th on the waitlist for C, but there were only 4 seats available. So relegated back to E+, I had my memories of my previous C flight to get me through the 5 ½ hours till SFO.
I went through security with no beeps. Note to self: Make these my official traveling shoes. I walked to gate 8, and waited until the flight was called. First they boarded first and business, followed by Premier, Premier Execs and Star Golds. The flight was chockers! The FA/Purser had to correct herself many times during the safety announcements it wasn’t funny, although many passengers did have a bit of a chuckle. At least we departed on time. There was a FA with a tag that had both UA’s and Pepsi’s logos. I guess she must be a fan of that deal (bring back the Coke!). The aircraft was a 763 so we had PTVs in coach. The movies shown were ‘K-19’, ‘Like Mike’, ‘Insomnia’ and ‘A Beautiful Mind’. My KSML was Cajun Chicken with rice and veggies.
My seat 20A wasn’t bad; except for the box for the entertainment system for row 19 was in front of me, restricting some of my leg room.
On arrival in SFO I made my way to the International Terminal (Concourse G), passed through empty security lines and walked to gate 94, via duty free of course. Once inside it hit me that I wasn’t considered an adult by US standards and couldn’t bring any alcohol back with me. After settling in at gate 94, and having read the San Francisco Chronicle, I sat down to continue my FT report. I was interrupted by a rumor that spread around the gate the UA had pulled a fast one on us, and changed our gate to 96. People who had planned on getting some sleep before the flight were woken by passengers who were packing up in droves and moving to the new gate.
After waiting for about half an hour at the new gate, with a long line stretching back for people who had to check up on Australian visas, boarding was called. First, business, Star Gold, and Premier members would board first. I was one of the first to board which meant no searching for a place to put my cabin baggage. Most people in E+ had an empty seat between them, but other than that it was pretty full. I was in 38A, with 38B empty and a 1K in 38C, but she only seemed interested in her NY Times and getting some sleep. Channel 9 was on. I managed to sleep, but only an hour here and an hour there. Once I woke up to find that the 38B wasn’t empty any more. An elderly woman moved in so that her son/daughter and daughter-in-law/son-in-law with their baby could have some more room.
Dinner was served and I was wondering what I would get. My meal arrived, and the label said ‘Kosher Beef’, then handwritten next to that were the words ‘Sorry we're out of beef’. This meant I was having Cajun Chicken, again. Halfway through the flight they served a snack – Turkey breast on pita bread and a cookie. Before breakie surveys were handed out. Breakfast consisted of a cheese omelet.
Landing was smooth, and after taxing to the gate, passengers connecting Melbourne went to the international transfer line. Why must we all go through security again? Why is there only one x-ray machine and one screener? The line was enormous! I don’t know whether so many people were in transit (maybe doing mileage runs) or perhaps because the line was so long and stretched past the exit towards immigration and baggage claim that everyone thought they were supposed to go in this line.
After going through the maze to get to gate 55, I waited till they called for preboarding. As expected the load was very light on this short hop to Melbourne - just a sprinkling of passengers. What is it about UA’s safety announcements? I thought the ones on JFK-SFO were funny, but these were hilarious. Whoever was making the announcement asked people in the exit rows to remove their shoes, which I understood to mean if you’ve taken them off, keep the exit clear. But some novice flyers in these rows must’ve begun taking off their shoes because the FA announced soon after that she didn’t mean that people in exit rows should remove their shoes, “you may leave your shoes on, but remove everything else”, then “oops, I didn’t mean that, just please make sure that the exit is clear of obstructions.” It was side-splitting.
Channel 9 was on again. Midway through the flight a snack was served – again a salmon roll plus 2 cookies. After landing in the traditional ‘Welcome to Melbourne’ speech, passengers were thanked for their business “you know we need it”. A very personal plea from one of the FAs who were all LAX based.
After this trip I made it up to 1P, but with the 28 sector limit in place for RTWs, 1K is not within reach http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif.
goodo