UAX@SFO
Jul 6, 03, 12:36 pm
Warning: This trip report depicts a story of a non-revenue traveller. No premium cabins were diluted during the making of this trip. The trip cost more in service charges than certain FTer's $20 fares.
June 16, 2003
British Airways BA284
From: San Francisco - International (SFO/KSFO)
To: London - Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
World Traveller - 25G
Boeing 747-400 (G-CIVJ)
Flight Time: 9h 50m
Departure: 4:35pm (On Time)
Arrival: 11:00am June 17th (20 minutes late)
The time had finally come for my long awaited trip to Finland for rest, relaxation and visiting family. Much finagling to get shift trades and vacation requests approved and ticket requests had all been taken care of, and I was the proud owner of round-trip space available tickets on British Airways SFO-LHR-HEL-LHR-SFO. The BA agent that did the ticketing in SFO was nothing short of fantastic. Such a nice person. With Travelpro packed and my trusty Jansport backpack accompanying it, I arrived at SFO about 1:30pm.
I got in a medium-sized line for check-in, and was almost at the front of the line when the queue comber checked my tickets and said "We're asking all staff passengers to check-in at counter 140 starting at 3:30pm." TWO hours to wait just to be added to the standby list? And the queue comber wasn’t exactly the nicest person either... oh well. I left the line and went over to the next aisle to check up on my parents and brothers who were also traveling to Helsinki, but on KLM and connecting through AMS. They checked-in and got their seats, etc. The NW agents ground handling were really nice and friendly. Big plus for NW. My family got in line for security for the A Gates and I stood with them until they were just as far as I could go. I said goodbye to them and then walked around all the aisles, etc. and waited for 3:30 to pull around.
Got back over to Aisle 10 for BA about 3:25, and waited for Counter 140 to open up. And waited, and waited, and waited. Other NRSA’s (company) had already been checked in and taken care of. Finally, about 3:45, the queue comber saw me, talked to someone, pointed at me, and then came over, checked my tickets, then told me to follow her to a position. I was checked in almost complete silence except for the security questions. She wasn't that friendly, and most certainly not a great start to the trip. The upside was that I could finally proceed past security to Gate A4. Boarding was just beginning to commence as I arrived. I handed over my card to the agent at the desk, who kindly told me a seat wasn’t ready yet, they'd call me when it was.
I sat down and made a few phone calls and waited. Finally, all standby customers were paged and I, among others, received a seat assignment. I received 25G, which turned out to be the first row of World Traveller, bulkhead, aisle. Nice! I boarded, and a very friendly flight attendant directed me to my seat. I stowed my belongings and took my seat. My row became a hotspot of activity as two related families tried to be seated together. It was all finally settled just seconds before the plane pushed back. We pushed back right on time at 4:35pm, and taxied for about 15 minutes before reaching the end of Runway 28L. After a minute, the engines spooled up and the plane gathered speed as it rocketed down the runway. We were in the air and on our way to London.
BA's World Traveller product is a standard against which all others are judged, in my opinion. All seats offer PTV’s with 12 channels of video, as well as 12 additional audio channels. They also have footrests (except in bulkhead seats), and moveable headrests with these little drop-down wings that are very comfortable to lean your head against and sleep. The flight attendants came through with drink service, (I selected Sprite) which was accompanied by tasty salt and vinegar breadstick pieces, and the meal followed shortly after. I had the chicken, which was very tasty, and accompanied by a green salad with Asian Ginger Sesame Seed dressing (and I thought they only had it in United Business/First... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif), roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and a piece of blueberry quark cake for dessert. Most delicious.
I watched Cartoon Network on my PTV for a while, and also watched the UK show Coupled, which was pretty good. I did a lot of AirShow watching, and also enjoyed the movie Two Weeks Notice. Very funny. I also read the High Life inflight magazine, which is really quite good. I got a good bit of napping on the plane, on and off. Finally, about two hours out of London, they served breakfast, which was yogurt, fruit, a muffin, and juice.
We landed at London Heathrow 20 minutes ahead of schedule, but unfortunately on the opposite end of the airport from Terminal 4, so we had to cross one active runway, and there were a few ground delays from a rainstorm which had just passed the area. That, and our parking spot was not yet vacated by the departing aircraft. We eventually pulled into the gate 40 minutes after we landed, at 11:00am. Sped through Immigration and Customs, and began a very long layover process at London Heathrow, as my onward flight didn’t depart until 5:25pm.
June 17, 2003
British Airways BA798
From: London - Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
To: Helsinki - Vantaa (HEL/EFHK)
Euro Traveller - 18D
Airbus Industrie A319 (G-EUOC)
Flight Time: 2h 5m
Departure: 5:25pm (On Time)
Arrival: 10:05pm (10 minutes early)
I spent my time doing all sorts of things, taking the Heathrow Express from T4 to T1/2/3, walking around all of the terminals, visiting shops, etc. I checked in for my flight about 1:30pm with this wonderful agent at the Customer Service Desk in Zone E who was quite friendly. I received my seat assignment right away, which was very nice. After more poking around, I went through security into the waiting lounge. I visited a few of these shops too. I saw a place for showers for £3, and I bit. It was so absolutely refreshing and exactly what I needed after that intercontinental flight. Having forgotten hair gel, I went to Boots nearby and purchased some. Made a call to my uncle’s cell phone in Finland to tell him what time I would be arriving. My parent's had gotten there a couple of hours prior, and my parents were already out walking. Finally the monitors read to go to Gate 21 for boarding. I took a couple pictures of my plane, and then we boarded. We pushed back a couple minutes early, and I dozed on and off until we got to the active runway.
After a relatively short takeoff roll, we were airborne and on our way to Helsinki. The flight attendants came through with beverages and then the snack. They were offering chicken or vegetable, but by the time they got to my row it was just vegetable. The sandwich was multi-grain bread with lettuce, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, and some other stuff in it. It was interesting to say the least. I washed it down with the accompanying selected fruit pieces, which were tasty, and also with some still water and Sprite. I napped some more on and off, and read the High Life and Business Life magazines. The sky stayed quite light, with the sun above the horizon, until we began our descent into Helsinki, at which point the sun started to slip slowly below the horizon. We landed 15 minutes early and pulled into Gate 33, in the non-Schengen departure area. Boarding was about to commcence for Finnair's daily departure to BKK. Being Tuesday, the plane would continue on to SIN. We deplaned, my trip through Immigration and Customs was painless, and I was out into Finnish soil about 10:15pm, with a light wind and cool temperature to greet me. I waited about 20 minutes before my uncle arrived to pick me up. We arrived to my uncle’s house about 11:05, and the rest of my family was already asleep. Go figure http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
July 2, 2003
Finnair/Golden Air DC331
From: Savonlinna (SVL/EFSA)
To: Helsinki - Vantaa (HEL/EFHK)
Economy - Open/10A
Saab SF-340 (OH-FAF)
Flight Time: 40m
Departure: 8:30am (On Time)
Arrival: 9:10am (15 minutes early)
After having driven from Helsinki to Savonlinna, and after spending two glorious weeks being lazy, doing things like running, reading, rowing, shopping, sightseeing, visiting family, etc., etc., it was unfortunately time to start my journey home. Finnair offers a "Standby" fare available to youth aged 17-24, for 50 euros from Savonlinna to Helsinki. Considering the confirmed fare was closer to 160 euros, I was glad to standby (as I do it all the time). I got to the airport about 7:30am, and purchased the ticket, which can only be purchased between 2 hours and 45 minutes prior to departure. Plenty of room though. The aircraft arrived about 8:05am. Boarding began about 10 minutes later, and I said goodbye to my parents. I waited until everyone boarded, and was the last one on.
The flight attendant warmly welcomed me on board the aircraft, and asked me to sit behind row 6, as this was an open seating flight. There were only about 11 people on board the aircraft. I selected 10A, with a good view of the terminal building. We pulled out right on time, and I waved to my parents who were in the terminal building, and they waved back. We taxied out to the runway, about the halfway point, and to my surprise, we turned in the takeoff direction, spooled up, and took off! We turned over Savonlinna, and I could see out my window the beautiful city just starting to awaken. We passed directly over my grandparent's house where I had been staying, and I bid a wistful goodbye. The flight attendant started her service shortly after, and served a small sandwich with a choice of coffee, tea, water, orange or apple juice. I chose orange juice. The sandwich was quite small, a slice of lettuce, a piece of bell pepper, and a slice of cucumber in a whole wheat bun. But miles ahead of anything served on a stage of similar length in the United States. We arrived into Helsinki about 20 minutes early. We started taxing past the domestic terminal, and I expected to stop at the end of it, Gate 12. I was quite surprised when we continued right past the domestic terminal, and we finally came to a stop at the Cargo area, where a few other Golden Air Saabs were parked. We disembarked onto a bus, which took us to the main terminal. We got off the bus, went through two sets of doors and arrived directly to baggage claim. Nice and quick, but no photo opportunities http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif.
The bags also arrived quite quickly. Imagine my surprise when my bag was the first one out on the belt (I attribute it to the fact my FlyerTalk TalkTag was prominently visible http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) I picked it up and trekked down the connecting passageway to Terminal 2. I had a quick question to ask at the SAS ticket counter prior to catching my Finnair bus to the Helsinki city center for some sightseeing. I also took time to stow my bag in a locker so I wouldn’t have to lug it around all day.
July 2, 2003
Scandinavian - SAS SK705
From: Helsinki - Vantaa (HEL/EFHK)
To: Stockholm- Arlanda (ARN/ESSA)
Economy - 16E
Boeing 737-600 (LN-RPU)
Flight Time: 40m
Departure: 6:30pm (5 minutes early)
Arrival: 6:25pm (On Time)
After a wonderful day sightseeing in Helsinki, I returned on the Finnair Express Bus from the Central Railway Station to the airport. I retrieved my Travelpro from the locker, and went upstairs to check-in at about 5:15pm. My Travelpro was tagged to ARN, and I received my standby card. I went through security and walked around Ostoskatu (Shopping Street), and stopped at Stockmann’s tax free shop to pick up some Ultima Thule shot glasses (love Finnish glassware). Also picked up a Dilbert book for reading and a bottle of Evian from the R-Kiosk, as I was parched and lacking good reading material.
I was first told the flight would depart from Gate 23, but then there was a gate change and I was already sitting right next to it, Gate 27. The 737-600 pulled in about 5:40pm, and the passengers disembarked. Then passengers started entering the gate area, and I did so a couple of moments later. I waited a few minutes for my seat assignment, which was 16E, middle seat in Coach. No biggie. Short flight anyways. We boarded, and boarding was accomplished quite quickly. We pushed back a couple of minutes early, but had to make a long taxi out to the brand new third runway at HEL, 04L/22R. We reached the threshold about 10 minutes after departing the gate, the engines revved up and we were on our way. We were still in the climbout stages when the flight attendants began their service. The slightly-over-middle-aged woman was passing out the Scandinavian Direct snack bags left and right, slap-bang slap-bang on the tray tables. Inside was a roll with ham, lettuce and cucumber, and a container of orange juice. About 15 minutes later she came back to collect the bags. The flight was really quite quick, and before I knew it we touched down at Arlanda. We taxied for what seemed like forever, and pulled into Terminal 5, Gate 1. After disembarking, I stopped at a Sidewalk Express internet café for a moment, before continuing on to collect my baggage. It was the second bag out on the belt this time. Score http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I picked it up, went through Customs and checked out Arlanda airport for a bit, making my way down to Terminal 2 to ask a question at the BA ticket counter. Then I purchased a ticket on the Arlanda Express to the center of Stockholm and my hotel, the Scandic Hotel Continental.
Scandic Hotel Continental - July 2-July 3, 2003
I had checked Scandic's site prior to leaving Savonlinna and booked a promotional rate of 580SEK (~70USD) a night. The hotel was very close to the Central Railway Station, the terminus of the Arlanda Express, which was a plus. My HHonors number had not been added to my reservation, and they could not do so at check-in because the link to the HHonors database was down. I was however given two 50SEK breakfast coupons. I got to my room and... ok... I know I booked a single room, but it was small and windowless! I can’t stand rooms without windows, it makes me claustrophobic. It took me a couple minutes to figure everything out with the lights, and it was a little bit better. The entire room was pretty much mirrored, so as to amplify any available light.
It was raining in Stockholm, and the forecast was for nothing more but rain and cool temperatures. I walked over to the Central Railway Station and stopped by a Pressbyron (sorta like 7-Eleven) and picked up a sandwich, strawberry smoothie and a razor. I did a little net surfing at a Sidewalk Express café as well. By the time I got back to my hotel room, I had decided to cut my trip short and head back home the next morning, a mixture of the weather and the room. Slept relatively well, got up about 6:15am, checked out, and made the return trip on Arlanda Express to the airport on it's 6:50am departure.
July 3, 2003
British Airways BA773
From: Stockholm - Arlanda (ARN/ESSA)
To: London - Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
Euro Traveller - 13E
Airbus Industrie A319 (G-EUPU)
Flight Time: 2h
Pushback/Takeoff: 0918/0930 (2 minutes early)
Landed/Arrival: 1034/1041 (19 minutes early)
I arrived to Arlanda Terminal 2 and checked in with Servisair, who handles British Airways in Stockholm. They accepted without too much difficulty my HEL-LHR coupon for travel from ARN. I checked my bag (only could as far as LHR due to BA NRSA bag policies) and went through security. Rats, I had forgotten some coins in my pocket and set off the machine. The secondary screening was quick yet thorough, nothing like the raping treatment given by the TSA in the US. Purchased large amounts of Finnish chocolate at the Chocolate store (run, ironically, by Pressbyron). What, the credit card machine is broken? *sigh* Here's 40USD. Oh joy, just what I wanted. 61SEK in change... which I still have (except for 20 SEK given to BA's Change for Good) Passed through passport control to the non-Schengen departure area as AY933 was commencing boarding to Manchester. Sat around for quite a while, re-packing everything in my backpack to fit the chocolate in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif The crew for the flight passed by and boarded the aircraft. They started boarding and I turned in my card to the gate desk. They called me up a little bit later with a seat. I walked down the jetway into a cavernous opening at the final part of the jetway, literally 12 feet wide, boarded the aircraft after standing in a momentary line, and settled in quickly for the trip.
We pushed back 2 minutes early from Gate 68, and the captain told us it would be a 15-20 minute taxi to the runway. Turned out to be only 10 minutes, and we were well on our way, lifting off from rainy Arlanda at 0930. I started reading the High Life and Business Life magazines. The Business Life magazine had an interesting article about the rise of Gucci and the powerhouse men behind it. Breakfast was served shortly after takeoff, and we had a choice between a ham & cheese sandwich or an egg sandwich. I opted for the ham & cheese. It came with some selected fruit pieces as well. The fruit was absolutely delicious, ripe and sweet. I enjoyed a can of Sprite along with it. I watched the Airshow on the overhead LCD screens and read the magazines, and time whizzed right by, we were coming in for a landing at Heathrow before I knew it. The captain announced that he was pleased to announce that we were arriving 20 minutes early, and thanked us for choosing British Airways. We parked at the gate, and I disembarked and found my way to Terminal 1 Arrivals (oh, how easy it is to get sucked off to Terminal 2 Arrivals). British Immigration wasn't as friendly as they were when I arrived from San Francisco a couple weeks prior, and I was glad to get past it and to baggage claim. My luggage was already spinning around when I got there, again, one of the first bags to pop out. I cleared Customs without a hitch and found my way to Heathrow Express for the trip to Terminal 4.
July 3, 2003
British Airways BA287
From: London - Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
To: San Francisco - International (SFO/KSFO)
World Traveller - 49G
Boeing 747-400 (reg. unknown)
Flight Time: 10h 20m
Pushback/Takeoff: 1325/1552 (On Time)
Landed/Arrival: 1552/1610 (10 minutes early)
When I got to Terminal 4 I had a slight bit of difficulty finding the Staff Check-in area, but eventually found it and checked in around 1115. I would have to wait until 1245 for a seat assignment. I went over to the end of Terminal 4 by the SriLankan counters and ate some chocolate chip cookies, sent a message on my mobile phone, rearranged my packing (moving the chocolate from my backpack to my Travelpro, read my Dilbert book, and purchased some soda and film from WH Smith. I went back to the staff area and waited for only a couple more minutes before I received my boarding pass. They gave me a Fast Track pass for security, and I was on my way, but not before dropping my checked bag off at the bag drop. I set off the metal detector again, and was subjected to the quick and easy, yet thorough UK secondary screening. I passed all the wonderful shops in T4, but I had to make my way all the way out to Gate 22 in 20 minutes, so there was no time for shopping. That was one heck of a walk to 22, thought it would never end http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
I boarded without a hitch, and settled in for the long-haul to SFO. It would be an estimated flight time of 10h 20m. Amazingly, the seat next to me stayed open. What luck! The two of us on either side of the empty seat quickly stowed some stuff there http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif We pushed back right on time at 1325, taxied out to the runway, and lifted off into the sky at 1341.
Drinks were done first, this time accompanied by spicy tomato breadstick pieces, and lunch followed soon after. I enjoyed curry chicken with rice and some sort of falafel thing, accompanied by a Caesar salad with garlic & herb croutons (I counted exactly 9 croutons in the package) and a roll. For dessert was an absolutely delicious cream puffs in a chocolate pudding base, topped with chocolate ganache. A Kit Kat bar was also thrown in, for good measure I guess. I enjoyed the inflight entertainment more on this trip, watching a little bit of Cartoon Network, the last half of Down With Love, and Bringing Down the House. Queen Latifah and Steve Martin are HILARIOUS in that movie. I managed to get a little shut eye though, and woke up to find my tray table down with the afternoon tea tray. Such a kind thought from the flight attendants, who were absolutely stellar on this trip. I wrote a compliment letter shortly after arriving home naming four attendants specifically, praising their good work on the flight. They were most attentive. We came in over Edmonton, Calgary, and Spokane, then over Redding and Red Bluff, and then right over Santa Rosa and Point Reyes as we came into the SF Bay Area. Swooped around and lined up for arrival on 28R. We touched down at 1552. It took us a while to taxi to our gate, and we had to hold for several minutes while waiting for a KLM MD-11 to pull out for departure to Amsterdam. We arrived at Gate A6 at precisely 1610, 10 minutes ahead of schedule.
Immigration was a breeze, chatted with the friendly inspector and got a US stamp in my passport (they don't seem to give those out anymore unless you ask). My bags took a while to pop out this time, but that was all right. I wasn't in any big rush. Clearing Customs was quick and easy as well, and I was out into the Arrivals area about 1655. I ended up arriving at home about 8:30pm, and then had the joy to watch the local fireworks display (done one day early for some reason) shortly after from my deck. Wonderful way to be welcomed back home.
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My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my employer, SkyWest Airlines, or those of our major partners, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines & Continental Airlines respectively.
[This message has been edited by UAX@SFO (edited 07-06-2003).]
June 16, 2003
British Airways BA284
From: San Francisco - International (SFO/KSFO)
To: London - Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
World Traveller - 25G
Boeing 747-400 (G-CIVJ)
Flight Time: 9h 50m
Departure: 4:35pm (On Time)
Arrival: 11:00am June 17th (20 minutes late)
The time had finally come for my long awaited trip to Finland for rest, relaxation and visiting family. Much finagling to get shift trades and vacation requests approved and ticket requests had all been taken care of, and I was the proud owner of round-trip space available tickets on British Airways SFO-LHR-HEL-LHR-SFO. The BA agent that did the ticketing in SFO was nothing short of fantastic. Such a nice person. With Travelpro packed and my trusty Jansport backpack accompanying it, I arrived at SFO about 1:30pm.
I got in a medium-sized line for check-in, and was almost at the front of the line when the queue comber checked my tickets and said "We're asking all staff passengers to check-in at counter 140 starting at 3:30pm." TWO hours to wait just to be added to the standby list? And the queue comber wasn’t exactly the nicest person either... oh well. I left the line and went over to the next aisle to check up on my parents and brothers who were also traveling to Helsinki, but on KLM and connecting through AMS. They checked-in and got their seats, etc. The NW agents ground handling were really nice and friendly. Big plus for NW. My family got in line for security for the A Gates and I stood with them until they were just as far as I could go. I said goodbye to them and then walked around all the aisles, etc. and waited for 3:30 to pull around.
Got back over to Aisle 10 for BA about 3:25, and waited for Counter 140 to open up. And waited, and waited, and waited. Other NRSA’s (company) had already been checked in and taken care of. Finally, about 3:45, the queue comber saw me, talked to someone, pointed at me, and then came over, checked my tickets, then told me to follow her to a position. I was checked in almost complete silence except for the security questions. She wasn't that friendly, and most certainly not a great start to the trip. The upside was that I could finally proceed past security to Gate A4. Boarding was just beginning to commence as I arrived. I handed over my card to the agent at the desk, who kindly told me a seat wasn’t ready yet, they'd call me when it was.
I sat down and made a few phone calls and waited. Finally, all standby customers were paged and I, among others, received a seat assignment. I received 25G, which turned out to be the first row of World Traveller, bulkhead, aisle. Nice! I boarded, and a very friendly flight attendant directed me to my seat. I stowed my belongings and took my seat. My row became a hotspot of activity as two related families tried to be seated together. It was all finally settled just seconds before the plane pushed back. We pushed back right on time at 4:35pm, and taxied for about 15 minutes before reaching the end of Runway 28L. After a minute, the engines spooled up and the plane gathered speed as it rocketed down the runway. We were in the air and on our way to London.
BA's World Traveller product is a standard against which all others are judged, in my opinion. All seats offer PTV’s with 12 channels of video, as well as 12 additional audio channels. They also have footrests (except in bulkhead seats), and moveable headrests with these little drop-down wings that are very comfortable to lean your head against and sleep. The flight attendants came through with drink service, (I selected Sprite) which was accompanied by tasty salt and vinegar breadstick pieces, and the meal followed shortly after. I had the chicken, which was very tasty, and accompanied by a green salad with Asian Ginger Sesame Seed dressing (and I thought they only had it in United Business/First... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif), roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and a piece of blueberry quark cake for dessert. Most delicious.
I watched Cartoon Network on my PTV for a while, and also watched the UK show Coupled, which was pretty good. I did a lot of AirShow watching, and also enjoyed the movie Two Weeks Notice. Very funny. I also read the High Life inflight magazine, which is really quite good. I got a good bit of napping on the plane, on and off. Finally, about two hours out of London, they served breakfast, which was yogurt, fruit, a muffin, and juice.
We landed at London Heathrow 20 minutes ahead of schedule, but unfortunately on the opposite end of the airport from Terminal 4, so we had to cross one active runway, and there were a few ground delays from a rainstorm which had just passed the area. That, and our parking spot was not yet vacated by the departing aircraft. We eventually pulled into the gate 40 minutes after we landed, at 11:00am. Sped through Immigration and Customs, and began a very long layover process at London Heathrow, as my onward flight didn’t depart until 5:25pm.
June 17, 2003
British Airways BA798
From: London - Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
To: Helsinki - Vantaa (HEL/EFHK)
Euro Traveller - 18D
Airbus Industrie A319 (G-EUOC)
Flight Time: 2h 5m
Departure: 5:25pm (On Time)
Arrival: 10:05pm (10 minutes early)
I spent my time doing all sorts of things, taking the Heathrow Express from T4 to T1/2/3, walking around all of the terminals, visiting shops, etc. I checked in for my flight about 1:30pm with this wonderful agent at the Customer Service Desk in Zone E who was quite friendly. I received my seat assignment right away, which was very nice. After more poking around, I went through security into the waiting lounge. I visited a few of these shops too. I saw a place for showers for £3, and I bit. It was so absolutely refreshing and exactly what I needed after that intercontinental flight. Having forgotten hair gel, I went to Boots nearby and purchased some. Made a call to my uncle’s cell phone in Finland to tell him what time I would be arriving. My parent's had gotten there a couple of hours prior, and my parents were already out walking. Finally the monitors read to go to Gate 21 for boarding. I took a couple pictures of my plane, and then we boarded. We pushed back a couple minutes early, and I dozed on and off until we got to the active runway.
After a relatively short takeoff roll, we were airborne and on our way to Helsinki. The flight attendants came through with beverages and then the snack. They were offering chicken or vegetable, but by the time they got to my row it was just vegetable. The sandwich was multi-grain bread with lettuce, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, and some other stuff in it. It was interesting to say the least. I washed it down with the accompanying selected fruit pieces, which were tasty, and also with some still water and Sprite. I napped some more on and off, and read the High Life and Business Life magazines. The sky stayed quite light, with the sun above the horizon, until we began our descent into Helsinki, at which point the sun started to slip slowly below the horizon. We landed 15 minutes early and pulled into Gate 33, in the non-Schengen departure area. Boarding was about to commcence for Finnair's daily departure to BKK. Being Tuesday, the plane would continue on to SIN. We deplaned, my trip through Immigration and Customs was painless, and I was out into Finnish soil about 10:15pm, with a light wind and cool temperature to greet me. I waited about 20 minutes before my uncle arrived to pick me up. We arrived to my uncle’s house about 11:05, and the rest of my family was already asleep. Go figure http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
July 2, 2003
Finnair/Golden Air DC331
From: Savonlinna (SVL/EFSA)
To: Helsinki - Vantaa (HEL/EFHK)
Economy - Open/10A
Saab SF-340 (OH-FAF)
Flight Time: 40m
Departure: 8:30am (On Time)
Arrival: 9:10am (15 minutes early)
After having driven from Helsinki to Savonlinna, and after spending two glorious weeks being lazy, doing things like running, reading, rowing, shopping, sightseeing, visiting family, etc., etc., it was unfortunately time to start my journey home. Finnair offers a "Standby" fare available to youth aged 17-24, for 50 euros from Savonlinna to Helsinki. Considering the confirmed fare was closer to 160 euros, I was glad to standby (as I do it all the time). I got to the airport about 7:30am, and purchased the ticket, which can only be purchased between 2 hours and 45 minutes prior to departure. Plenty of room though. The aircraft arrived about 8:05am. Boarding began about 10 minutes later, and I said goodbye to my parents. I waited until everyone boarded, and was the last one on.
The flight attendant warmly welcomed me on board the aircraft, and asked me to sit behind row 6, as this was an open seating flight. There were only about 11 people on board the aircraft. I selected 10A, with a good view of the terminal building. We pulled out right on time, and I waved to my parents who were in the terminal building, and they waved back. We taxied out to the runway, about the halfway point, and to my surprise, we turned in the takeoff direction, spooled up, and took off! We turned over Savonlinna, and I could see out my window the beautiful city just starting to awaken. We passed directly over my grandparent's house where I had been staying, and I bid a wistful goodbye. The flight attendant started her service shortly after, and served a small sandwich with a choice of coffee, tea, water, orange or apple juice. I chose orange juice. The sandwich was quite small, a slice of lettuce, a piece of bell pepper, and a slice of cucumber in a whole wheat bun. But miles ahead of anything served on a stage of similar length in the United States. We arrived into Helsinki about 20 minutes early. We started taxing past the domestic terminal, and I expected to stop at the end of it, Gate 12. I was quite surprised when we continued right past the domestic terminal, and we finally came to a stop at the Cargo area, where a few other Golden Air Saabs were parked. We disembarked onto a bus, which took us to the main terminal. We got off the bus, went through two sets of doors and arrived directly to baggage claim. Nice and quick, but no photo opportunities http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif.
The bags also arrived quite quickly. Imagine my surprise when my bag was the first one out on the belt (I attribute it to the fact my FlyerTalk TalkTag was prominently visible http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) I picked it up and trekked down the connecting passageway to Terminal 2. I had a quick question to ask at the SAS ticket counter prior to catching my Finnair bus to the Helsinki city center for some sightseeing. I also took time to stow my bag in a locker so I wouldn’t have to lug it around all day.
July 2, 2003
Scandinavian - SAS SK705
From: Helsinki - Vantaa (HEL/EFHK)
To: Stockholm- Arlanda (ARN/ESSA)
Economy - 16E
Boeing 737-600 (LN-RPU)
Flight Time: 40m
Departure: 6:30pm (5 minutes early)
Arrival: 6:25pm (On Time)
After a wonderful day sightseeing in Helsinki, I returned on the Finnair Express Bus from the Central Railway Station to the airport. I retrieved my Travelpro from the locker, and went upstairs to check-in at about 5:15pm. My Travelpro was tagged to ARN, and I received my standby card. I went through security and walked around Ostoskatu (Shopping Street), and stopped at Stockmann’s tax free shop to pick up some Ultima Thule shot glasses (love Finnish glassware). Also picked up a Dilbert book for reading and a bottle of Evian from the R-Kiosk, as I was parched and lacking good reading material.
I was first told the flight would depart from Gate 23, but then there was a gate change and I was already sitting right next to it, Gate 27. The 737-600 pulled in about 5:40pm, and the passengers disembarked. Then passengers started entering the gate area, and I did so a couple of moments later. I waited a few minutes for my seat assignment, which was 16E, middle seat in Coach. No biggie. Short flight anyways. We boarded, and boarding was accomplished quite quickly. We pushed back a couple of minutes early, but had to make a long taxi out to the brand new third runway at HEL, 04L/22R. We reached the threshold about 10 minutes after departing the gate, the engines revved up and we were on our way. We were still in the climbout stages when the flight attendants began their service. The slightly-over-middle-aged woman was passing out the Scandinavian Direct snack bags left and right, slap-bang slap-bang on the tray tables. Inside was a roll with ham, lettuce and cucumber, and a container of orange juice. About 15 minutes later she came back to collect the bags. The flight was really quite quick, and before I knew it we touched down at Arlanda. We taxied for what seemed like forever, and pulled into Terminal 5, Gate 1. After disembarking, I stopped at a Sidewalk Express internet café for a moment, before continuing on to collect my baggage. It was the second bag out on the belt this time. Score http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I picked it up, went through Customs and checked out Arlanda airport for a bit, making my way down to Terminal 2 to ask a question at the BA ticket counter. Then I purchased a ticket on the Arlanda Express to the center of Stockholm and my hotel, the Scandic Hotel Continental.
Scandic Hotel Continental - July 2-July 3, 2003
I had checked Scandic's site prior to leaving Savonlinna and booked a promotional rate of 580SEK (~70USD) a night. The hotel was very close to the Central Railway Station, the terminus of the Arlanda Express, which was a plus. My HHonors number had not been added to my reservation, and they could not do so at check-in because the link to the HHonors database was down. I was however given two 50SEK breakfast coupons. I got to my room and... ok... I know I booked a single room, but it was small and windowless! I can’t stand rooms without windows, it makes me claustrophobic. It took me a couple minutes to figure everything out with the lights, and it was a little bit better. The entire room was pretty much mirrored, so as to amplify any available light.
It was raining in Stockholm, and the forecast was for nothing more but rain and cool temperatures. I walked over to the Central Railway Station and stopped by a Pressbyron (sorta like 7-Eleven) and picked up a sandwich, strawberry smoothie and a razor. I did a little net surfing at a Sidewalk Express café as well. By the time I got back to my hotel room, I had decided to cut my trip short and head back home the next morning, a mixture of the weather and the room. Slept relatively well, got up about 6:15am, checked out, and made the return trip on Arlanda Express to the airport on it's 6:50am departure.
July 3, 2003
British Airways BA773
From: Stockholm - Arlanda (ARN/ESSA)
To: London - Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
Euro Traveller - 13E
Airbus Industrie A319 (G-EUPU)
Flight Time: 2h
Pushback/Takeoff: 0918/0930 (2 minutes early)
Landed/Arrival: 1034/1041 (19 minutes early)
I arrived to Arlanda Terminal 2 and checked in with Servisair, who handles British Airways in Stockholm. They accepted without too much difficulty my HEL-LHR coupon for travel from ARN. I checked my bag (only could as far as LHR due to BA NRSA bag policies) and went through security. Rats, I had forgotten some coins in my pocket and set off the machine. The secondary screening was quick yet thorough, nothing like the raping treatment given by the TSA in the US. Purchased large amounts of Finnish chocolate at the Chocolate store (run, ironically, by Pressbyron). What, the credit card machine is broken? *sigh* Here's 40USD. Oh joy, just what I wanted. 61SEK in change... which I still have (except for 20 SEK given to BA's Change for Good) Passed through passport control to the non-Schengen departure area as AY933 was commencing boarding to Manchester. Sat around for quite a while, re-packing everything in my backpack to fit the chocolate in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif The crew for the flight passed by and boarded the aircraft. They started boarding and I turned in my card to the gate desk. They called me up a little bit later with a seat. I walked down the jetway into a cavernous opening at the final part of the jetway, literally 12 feet wide, boarded the aircraft after standing in a momentary line, and settled in quickly for the trip.
We pushed back 2 minutes early from Gate 68, and the captain told us it would be a 15-20 minute taxi to the runway. Turned out to be only 10 minutes, and we were well on our way, lifting off from rainy Arlanda at 0930. I started reading the High Life and Business Life magazines. The Business Life magazine had an interesting article about the rise of Gucci and the powerhouse men behind it. Breakfast was served shortly after takeoff, and we had a choice between a ham & cheese sandwich or an egg sandwich. I opted for the ham & cheese. It came with some selected fruit pieces as well. The fruit was absolutely delicious, ripe and sweet. I enjoyed a can of Sprite along with it. I watched the Airshow on the overhead LCD screens and read the magazines, and time whizzed right by, we were coming in for a landing at Heathrow before I knew it. The captain announced that he was pleased to announce that we were arriving 20 minutes early, and thanked us for choosing British Airways. We parked at the gate, and I disembarked and found my way to Terminal 1 Arrivals (oh, how easy it is to get sucked off to Terminal 2 Arrivals). British Immigration wasn't as friendly as they were when I arrived from San Francisco a couple weeks prior, and I was glad to get past it and to baggage claim. My luggage was already spinning around when I got there, again, one of the first bags to pop out. I cleared Customs without a hitch and found my way to Heathrow Express for the trip to Terminal 4.
July 3, 2003
British Airways BA287
From: London - Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
To: San Francisco - International (SFO/KSFO)
World Traveller - 49G
Boeing 747-400 (reg. unknown)
Flight Time: 10h 20m
Pushback/Takeoff: 1325/1552 (On Time)
Landed/Arrival: 1552/1610 (10 minutes early)
When I got to Terminal 4 I had a slight bit of difficulty finding the Staff Check-in area, but eventually found it and checked in around 1115. I would have to wait until 1245 for a seat assignment. I went over to the end of Terminal 4 by the SriLankan counters and ate some chocolate chip cookies, sent a message on my mobile phone, rearranged my packing (moving the chocolate from my backpack to my Travelpro, read my Dilbert book, and purchased some soda and film from WH Smith. I went back to the staff area and waited for only a couple more minutes before I received my boarding pass. They gave me a Fast Track pass for security, and I was on my way, but not before dropping my checked bag off at the bag drop. I set off the metal detector again, and was subjected to the quick and easy, yet thorough UK secondary screening. I passed all the wonderful shops in T4, but I had to make my way all the way out to Gate 22 in 20 minutes, so there was no time for shopping. That was one heck of a walk to 22, thought it would never end http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
I boarded without a hitch, and settled in for the long-haul to SFO. It would be an estimated flight time of 10h 20m. Amazingly, the seat next to me stayed open. What luck! The two of us on either side of the empty seat quickly stowed some stuff there http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif We pushed back right on time at 1325, taxied out to the runway, and lifted off into the sky at 1341.
Drinks were done first, this time accompanied by spicy tomato breadstick pieces, and lunch followed soon after. I enjoyed curry chicken with rice and some sort of falafel thing, accompanied by a Caesar salad with garlic & herb croutons (I counted exactly 9 croutons in the package) and a roll. For dessert was an absolutely delicious cream puffs in a chocolate pudding base, topped with chocolate ganache. A Kit Kat bar was also thrown in, for good measure I guess. I enjoyed the inflight entertainment more on this trip, watching a little bit of Cartoon Network, the last half of Down With Love, and Bringing Down the House. Queen Latifah and Steve Martin are HILARIOUS in that movie. I managed to get a little shut eye though, and woke up to find my tray table down with the afternoon tea tray. Such a kind thought from the flight attendants, who were absolutely stellar on this trip. I wrote a compliment letter shortly after arriving home naming four attendants specifically, praising their good work on the flight. They were most attentive. We came in over Edmonton, Calgary, and Spokane, then over Redding and Red Bluff, and then right over Santa Rosa and Point Reyes as we came into the SF Bay Area. Swooped around and lined up for arrival on 28R. We touched down at 1552. It took us a while to taxi to our gate, and we had to hold for several minutes while waiting for a KLM MD-11 to pull out for departure to Amsterdam. We arrived at Gate A6 at precisely 1610, 10 minutes ahead of schedule.
Immigration was a breeze, chatted with the friendly inspector and got a US stamp in my passport (they don't seem to give those out anymore unless you ask). My bags took a while to pop out this time, but that was all right. I wasn't in any big rush. Clearing Customs was quick and easy as well, and I was out into the Arrivals area about 1655. I ended up arriving at home about 8:30pm, and then had the joy to watch the local fireworks display (done one day early for some reason) shortly after from my deck. Wonderful way to be welcomed back home.
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My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my employer, SkyWest Airlines, or those of our major partners, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines & Continental Airlines respectively.
[This message has been edited by UAX@SFO (edited 07-06-2003).]