LordMitford
Oct 9, 02, 4:02 pm
Part II
Some unofficial wedding photos are now available at http://www.lordmitford.com/photos/FrameSet.htm
10/7 Leg 4: BOS-SFO
United flight 173, 757, Seats 3C+D, departed on time at 5.35pm, arrived on time at 8.30pm.
After arriving at BOS and returning the hire car we checked in (no queue), and headed through security (polite and professional). We went to the RCC and got a couple of drink vouchers each, checked email, and uploaded the first part of the trip report (I write the trip report on my IPAQ pocket pc with stowaway folding keyboard, then transfer on a compact flash card to my wife's laptop, check spelling in word then cut and paste into the web browser).
At 5 we headed to the gate and waited a couple of minutes before boarding started. The gate agent was told to select a random passenger for search so he asked the passenger in front of me to pick a number between 1 and 4. He chose 3, which meant that the third person in the queue (my wife) got searched.
Service was excellent on this flight: drinks were served as soon as we were sitting and the purser came around taking meal choices by status (he addressed each passenger by name). I forgot to keep a copy of the menu but the choices were Steak with a Balsamic Demi-Glace reduction, chicken and fish. We both had the steak, which was excellent and enjoyed the hot fudge sundaes for dessert. Knives were metal colored plastic
They had 24 first class meals on board but only 4 of the fish so many people were disappointed especially the couple in 1A+B who couldn't understand why other people got to choose before them and couldn't get the concept of Million Mile and/or 1K status.
We got a hour or so of sleep, and got ready for the long 14 hour flight to Sydney.
As we were leaving a flight attendant congratulated us on our wedding and offered us a bottle of the red wine we had been drinking (Carmen Campade Oro 1998 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon).
10/7 (-10/9) Leg 5: SFO-SYD, United flight 863, 747-400, seats 7G+H, departed on time at 11.05PM, arrived on time just after 6am.
This was our first chance to experience United's international Business product and we were mostly impressed.
The seat was more comfortable than I expected (and better than the domestic first product), food service was good (but not as good as domestic first), and knives were black plastic.
Menu:
To Begin:
Smoked Salmon with Parma Ham
Capers and Lemon Aioli
Garden Salad
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Main Course:
Beef Tenderloin with Hollandaise Sauce
Home Fried Potatoes, Green Beans and Carrot Batonnets
Rotisserie Style Chicken with Honey Mustard Beurre Blanc
Corn Flan and Spinach with Smoked Bacon
Baked Potato and Bacon Chowder
Cream Broth and Vegetable
Dessert:
International Cheese Selection
Brie and New England Cheddar Cheese
Eli's Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
Midflight Snack
Please help yourself to assorted treats between the two main meals
Prior to Arrival
Fresh Seasonal Fruit Appetizer
With Breakfast Breads, Butter and Fruit Preserves
Swiss and Colby Cheese Omelet with Marinara Sauce
Hash Brown Potatoes and Pork Sausage
Featured Wines:
Champagne:
Brut non-vintage, Veuve Clicquot*
Brut non-vintage, Henriot
White:
Burgundy:
St Veran 2000 Sacha Lichine
Chablis 1999, Chateau de Chemilly*
Chardonnay:
Taft Street Monterey 2000
Casa Lapostolle Casablanca Valley 2000*
Red Wine:
Rhone:
Cotes-du-Rhone 1999, J. Vidal-Fleury
Crozes Hermitage 1999, Caves de Tain L'Hermitage*
Shiraz:
Thomas Mitchell Nagambie Victoria 2000*
Merlot:
Robert Mondavi Coastal Central Coast 1999
*Available on selected flights.
I enjoyed the appetizer but wanted sleep more than the main course or dessert.
The flight went well, I was able to sleep for about 8 hours, and at the end of the flight a flight attendant congratulated us and presented us with a bottle of the Henriot Champagne.
On arrival we got through immigration and customs quickly and went outside to wait for the shuttle to the Stamford Airport hotel for the "Arrivals by United" service. We waited 45 minutes without a shuttle showing up so we gave up and got a cab into the city and to our first hotel: The Westin Sydney.
Westin Sydney:
We arrived at 8am fully expecting to just drop off our bags and be told there was nowhere for us to shower, instead they had a room ready for us on the 20th floor and we were allowed to check in immediately.
Wow!, what a great room, very modern, overlooking the GPO clock tower, glass walled bathroom (with privacy shade for those who need it), heavenly bed, US electric and phone adapters already in the room, well stocked mini-bar (not that we needed it with the two free bottles we were carrying), staff were excellent. All in all the best Westin I have been in.
We went out for a wander during the day, headed over to Manly, school must be out as the ferry (and Manly) was full of teenagers.
Back to the hotel for an afternoon nap, followed by dinner in the Rocks.
On returning to the hotel from dinner we had another nice surprise: A bottle of Tatachilla Pinot Noir Sparkling Wine, a "congratulations" dessert, and a letter from the general manager congratulating us on the weddings. Top marks to the Westin even though we did not get a suite (only Starwood gold and there was a large group of Sun's top sales performer staying at the hotel who were probably all Starwood platinum and fighting over the suites).
Next part of the report will be the Gold Coast, Cairns, and the Great Barrier Reef........
Edit: Corrected seats
[This message has been edited by LordMitford (edited 10-10-2002).]
Some unofficial wedding photos are now available at http://www.lordmitford.com/photos/FrameSet.htm
10/7 Leg 4: BOS-SFO
United flight 173, 757, Seats 3C+D, departed on time at 5.35pm, arrived on time at 8.30pm.
After arriving at BOS and returning the hire car we checked in (no queue), and headed through security (polite and professional). We went to the RCC and got a couple of drink vouchers each, checked email, and uploaded the first part of the trip report (I write the trip report on my IPAQ pocket pc with stowaway folding keyboard, then transfer on a compact flash card to my wife's laptop, check spelling in word then cut and paste into the web browser).
At 5 we headed to the gate and waited a couple of minutes before boarding started. The gate agent was told to select a random passenger for search so he asked the passenger in front of me to pick a number between 1 and 4. He chose 3, which meant that the third person in the queue (my wife) got searched.
Service was excellent on this flight: drinks were served as soon as we were sitting and the purser came around taking meal choices by status (he addressed each passenger by name). I forgot to keep a copy of the menu but the choices were Steak with a Balsamic Demi-Glace reduction, chicken and fish. We both had the steak, which was excellent and enjoyed the hot fudge sundaes for dessert. Knives were metal colored plastic
They had 24 first class meals on board but only 4 of the fish so many people were disappointed especially the couple in 1A+B who couldn't understand why other people got to choose before them and couldn't get the concept of Million Mile and/or 1K status.
We got a hour or so of sleep, and got ready for the long 14 hour flight to Sydney.
As we were leaving a flight attendant congratulated us on our wedding and offered us a bottle of the red wine we had been drinking (Carmen Campade Oro 1998 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon).
10/7 (-10/9) Leg 5: SFO-SYD, United flight 863, 747-400, seats 7G+H, departed on time at 11.05PM, arrived on time just after 6am.
This was our first chance to experience United's international Business product and we were mostly impressed.
The seat was more comfortable than I expected (and better than the domestic first product), food service was good (but not as good as domestic first), and knives were black plastic.
Menu:
To Begin:
Smoked Salmon with Parma Ham
Capers and Lemon Aioli
Garden Salad
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Main Course:
Beef Tenderloin with Hollandaise Sauce
Home Fried Potatoes, Green Beans and Carrot Batonnets
Rotisserie Style Chicken with Honey Mustard Beurre Blanc
Corn Flan and Spinach with Smoked Bacon
Baked Potato and Bacon Chowder
Cream Broth and Vegetable
Dessert:
International Cheese Selection
Brie and New England Cheddar Cheese
Eli's Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
Midflight Snack
Please help yourself to assorted treats between the two main meals
Prior to Arrival
Fresh Seasonal Fruit Appetizer
With Breakfast Breads, Butter and Fruit Preserves
Swiss and Colby Cheese Omelet with Marinara Sauce
Hash Brown Potatoes and Pork Sausage
Featured Wines:
Champagne:
Brut non-vintage, Veuve Clicquot*
Brut non-vintage, Henriot
White:
Burgundy:
St Veran 2000 Sacha Lichine
Chablis 1999, Chateau de Chemilly*
Chardonnay:
Taft Street Monterey 2000
Casa Lapostolle Casablanca Valley 2000*
Red Wine:
Rhone:
Cotes-du-Rhone 1999, J. Vidal-Fleury
Crozes Hermitage 1999, Caves de Tain L'Hermitage*
Shiraz:
Thomas Mitchell Nagambie Victoria 2000*
Merlot:
Robert Mondavi Coastal Central Coast 1999
*Available on selected flights.
I enjoyed the appetizer but wanted sleep more than the main course or dessert.
The flight went well, I was able to sleep for about 8 hours, and at the end of the flight a flight attendant congratulated us and presented us with a bottle of the Henriot Champagne.
On arrival we got through immigration and customs quickly and went outside to wait for the shuttle to the Stamford Airport hotel for the "Arrivals by United" service. We waited 45 minutes without a shuttle showing up so we gave up and got a cab into the city and to our first hotel: The Westin Sydney.
Westin Sydney:
We arrived at 8am fully expecting to just drop off our bags and be told there was nowhere for us to shower, instead they had a room ready for us on the 20th floor and we were allowed to check in immediately.
Wow!, what a great room, very modern, overlooking the GPO clock tower, glass walled bathroom (with privacy shade for those who need it), heavenly bed, US electric and phone adapters already in the room, well stocked mini-bar (not that we needed it with the two free bottles we were carrying), staff were excellent. All in all the best Westin I have been in.
We went out for a wander during the day, headed over to Manly, school must be out as the ferry (and Manly) was full of teenagers.
Back to the hotel for an afternoon nap, followed by dinner in the Rocks.
On returning to the hotel from dinner we had another nice surprise: A bottle of Tatachilla Pinot Noir Sparkling Wine, a "congratulations" dessert, and a letter from the general manager congratulating us on the weddings. Top marks to the Westin even though we did not get a suite (only Starwood gold and there was a large group of Sun's top sales performer staying at the hotel who were probably all Starwood platinum and fighting over the suites).
Next part of the report will be the Gold Coast, Cairns, and the Great Barrier Reef........
Edit: Corrected seats
[This message has been edited by LordMitford (edited 10-10-2002).]