Trip Reports - Three Years in the Making.....To Greece via DL B/E

Can't remember how many posts I made in relation to the planning of this trip....but for those that had been "tired" by my constant questions (some redundant) the wait is over. Flew to JFK a few days early and then caught our DL flight 132 to Athens yesterday.( Took Tel Aviv Limo to and from JFK.... if you ever use them be careful... the drivers are independent and in both cases tried to rip us off with added toll charges and mandatory tip....ask to speak to the dispatcher if you feel that something is not right and they make amends very quickly....) I must say after all that I had read and asked I was slightly underwhelmed by the BE product. Check-in was chaotic and less then special for B/E passengers... perhaps we checked in in the wrong area but I never saw a sign to distinguish our "special" check-in. The agent gave us a long lecture about why she hated Bush before she gave us our boarding passes....I looked for the special BE sticker or ticket folder but it looked like everyone elses....The B/E lounge was very comfortable although the massage chair gave me a headache and made me a little dizzy. There was some VIP in the lounge sequestered in a private room surrounded by secret service. I never found out who it was but I assumed it was someone heading to Rome for the Pope's funeral...... What surprised me most about this experience was the slight "shabbiness" of the plane and its facilities. My partner's seat leg rest was broken ( they ended up proping it up with a carton) and our video system was so bad with static ( ear peircing static every 5 minutes or so) that we finally ended up not using it except to watch the flight compass program ( which I thought was very cool)....Food was okay ( neither of us drink so we did not partake in the wine). I had steak, George had chicken although as the grass is always greener on the other side...the pasta actually looked the best. I found the seats uncomfortable. Narrow and a little close to the person next to you...( if it wasn't my partner I think I would have been claustrophobic) .... I did take an Ambian and that knocked me out for 5 hours.... making the flight much more passable. We had an excellent FA named Sheila who really took care us....only complaint in the service was that in the morning as everyone was beginning to stir our first thoughts were COFFEE... and it was the last thing to be served long after the rubbery omelet was placed in front of us....

We arrived in Athens and was met by a driver where we were taken to the Grande Bretagne ( A Starwood Hotel). The place is opulant and expensive!!.
( a bowl of sherbert is 16 EU). At first they refused to acknowledge our acropolis view room saying that it was a request and not part of the reservation. I luckily had printed out the Starwood reservation from the internet which said "Acropolis View Room"....it took them 15 minutes but they found us one....with a huge balcony to boot!...( I gave the receptionist a tip and I think she was more embarassed than pleased) ..This is by far the most beautiful and service oriented hotel that we have ever stayed in....our large room is lavishly furnished and overlooks the Acropolis and parliment building....the spa, which is free to guests of the hotel is amazing....I almost feel that it is too much for us.... we walked down to the lobby tonight to have a coffee in the garden room and realized that we would be the only one's without a jacket and tie.... we left.... feeling a little disappointed and out of place.... perhaps we should have stayed at a more modest hotel.....but we looked at this as a once in a lifetime experience.

Our friends join us tomorrow.... the adventure continues.....