Trip Reports - IAD-LAX-SYD-SFO-IAD in F on 777 and 747 - Part 1

Part 1 -

See photo gallery (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/IAD-LAX-SYD) for this trip.

Arrived at IAD for checkin only to find a very long line (the UGS/1K/F line was essentially 'full') and only 3 of 8 stations manned. This gradually improved to 4-5 open (one of the group checkin stations was being used part time to accept people in the F/1K/UGS line). In all, the wait was around 20 minutes. Checkin was painless, and the Agent was very friendly and courteous, noting my gate in LAX.

The security line looked long, but almost all the stations were open and in all that took about 20 minutes as well (entered line 4:19p, got on shuttle to C terminal at 4:39p). The shuttle from the main terminal to C used to go through the tunnel / under the bridge connecting terminals A and B, but due to the construction it now goes the long way around the end of Terminal B. I did get a few photos of the construction:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_004.thumb.jpg

and the operations on the field:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_002.thumb.jpg

After the short trip on the shuttle, I arrived at Terminal C, and went on to the IFL, which was having some issues with the air conditioning and had temporary /auxiliary units set up:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_005.thumb.jpg

The food http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_007.thumb.jpg

and beverage http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_006.thumb.jpg

selections were great: very fresh shrimp, chicken kabobs, and sliced chicken wraps, among other things (cheese tray, fruit, veggies, etc), including the famous nuts (albeit not warm). There was a very good beer selection, premium spirits, and a variety of diet and non-diet drinks. I opted for the Pellegrino water, as I have a way to go, and it wasn't quite miller time.

(With apologies to Kiwi Flyer):
Nut Count: 1
Beer Count: 0

I left the IFL to board, stopping at the newsstand across from it to buy a Saturday Edition Washington Post, but the sales clerk told me they only had them at the MSNBC store at C17 (by the shuttle gate). Oh well, no newspaper this time. I like getting the Sunday paper, as there's lots to read and it can take up most of the transcon portion of this flight.

I made my way to C7 for boarding, which was already underway. Boarding was via a single jetbridge only, so I had to maneuver my rollaboard through the front C cabin, but that was really no problem as I arrived in the F cabin to the spacious storage available to seat 1J. 1A and 1J on a 777 are my favorite seats on that aircraft: the 1-2-1 configuration means you have both aisle and window, and there's a nice big bin http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_011.thumb.jpg

that fits a full-sized 22-inch rollaboard, in addition to the side storage compartment and the very large overhead bins.

Here's a picture of the suite overall, showing the bin and the front console http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_008.thumb.jpg.

The F cabin was empty at first, but gradually filled as they moved people from the back (making room in Y?). I upgraded with an SWU from paid C, having followed the advivce on FT to look for award availability (X) on all of my segments using 'expert mode' on united.bomb.

One thing about this particular 777 - it was pretty much beat up all to hell. My video console/IFE was literally held together with duct tape http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_012.thumb.jpg,

and there was a used toothpick in the side storage container (ewww! :confused: ). The purser did come and clean that up for me though, when all I requested was a napkin.

We pushed back at 5:51pm, one minute late.

I have to say, apart from the well-worn aircraft, the service was absolutely stellar on this flight. There were only two FAs serving in F, the purser and one other, but they got the meals out, and the drinks, with a minimum of fuss. The purser came to me for first choice of meals, and thanked me as a UGS for my business. Throughout the flight I never had to ask for a beverage refill and definitely felt like I was getting F service. I went up to them at the end of the flight and made a point of thanking them, and I'm going to post a comment online to UA just as soon as I finish this post.

No printed menu was provided, but I did have some more nuts (with a WARM refill), and a couple of Heinekens as well. Dinner was the good ol' asian sesame dressing on greens, with a teriyaki beef main dish, sourdough roll, and mixed (sweet and yukon gold) roasted potatoes, accompanied by green beans with sliced almonds. I fell asleep after the main course, but when I woke up the Purser came right over to ask if I wanted a sundae, which I did.

Nut Count: 2.5 (.5 WARM)
Beer Count: 2
Sundae Count: 1

I had some nice views of the mountains over Nevada:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_013.thumb.jpg

And followed progress on the IFE/Skymap:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_015.thumb.jpg


The rest of the flight was uneventful, and we touched down at 7:34pm local time, reaching the gate about 15 minutes before the scheduled arrival time. ^

During the disembarkation, again only a single jetbridge was opened (despite there being two on the jetway), so there was some delay in leaving the aircraft (though as it turned out I had plenty of time!) I made my way to the Terminal, only to find that UA 839 to SYD was delayed (aircraft servicing). At least I had another IFL to look forward to! I don't mind equipment delays when they are fixing something -- I'd rather they do that on the ground than need to do it after takeoff!

On my walk over to the IFL, I had a nice view of the LAX control tower, shown here:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_017.thumb.jpg

The LAX IFL has improved somewhat since my visits some time ago, most notably with the addition of T-mobile WiFi service which is letting me post this while I await my flight. I took a few photos while waiting, of

The entrance and sign:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_018.thumb.jpg

http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_019.thumb.jpg

The reception desk (I asked permission to take this photo, and the IFL Agent asked me not to include her :) :
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_020.thumb.jpg

And the beverage selection:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_IFL_001.thumb.jpg

Here they had some Tequila, a plus. ^ ^

Here I enjoyed some little sandwiches, a small cheese plate, and various sodas (long flight, best not to drink too much alcohol, YET :) ) along with another small serving of nuts.

Nut Count: 3.5 (.5 WARM)
Beer Count: 2
Sundae Count: 1


To be continued......

Great TR! Looking forward to the continuation!

On my walk over to the IFL, I had a nice view of the LAX control tower, shown here:Not to nitpick, but I believe that Jetsonesque building is actually The Encounter restaurant (www.encounterlax.com)?

Shame about the aircraft condition, seems to be a common complaint about UA...

Great TR! Looking forward to the continuation!

Not to nitpick, but I believe that Jetsonesque building is actually The Encounter restaurant (www.encounterlax.com)?

Shame about the aircraft condition, seems to be a common complaint about UA...

Nice photo (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1056032/M/) of the control tower and the Encounter.

And another (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1048131/M/)

Now, what I *don't* know is what the funny blinking lights (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0789614/L/) on the side of the tower are. I guess it's someone's idea of "art", but I have never seen anything about them.

Part 2 -

So after a brief 3.5 hour delay in LAX (see my first post in this thread), we were gathered by the very nice and very apologetic IFL lady (not a matron), who walked us to the 744 at Gate 77.

Two jetways were in operation, though she had to go back out to get the F doorway of the jetway open. A few non-F folks pushed their way into line, but soon one of the FAs guided them to the other door.

Ahh, F cabin on a 744. Cosy but not too small, with my favorite seat(s) in row two beckoning.
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_IFL_3_001.thumb.jpg

As I got settled, I set my watch to SYD time (about 5pm). Despite the many nuts and meals and snacks so far in the day, both on my IAD-LAX flight and in the LAX IFL, I willed myself to "believe" that it was in fact 5pm, and almost time for cocktails and dinner, followed by sleep. Mrs. CarlTheWebmaster is superstitious about setting her watch to the destination timezone at the beginning of the flight (something about counting your chickens..) but I find it's a good way to mentally prepare your body for the new time zone and avoid jetlag. Perhaps it's all in my head, but it does work for me.

The FA came around and seemed to ask me my dinner choice first, which happens a fair amount to me as a UGS; it was only later as I had a look at the manifest taped up in the F galley that I saw I was one of 4 UGS passengers in F (also 1 Million Mile 1k, and an assortment of 1P and 2P flyers). Settled in, the drink service began with a minor hitch -- no beer other than Miller (GD and Lite) and VB (Victoria Bitter -- Australian beer I'm not too fond of). No Heineken to be found! :td: :td: So, I opted for the white wine, a nice smooth and fruity Sauvignon Blanc. And, more nuts! A serving and a half of nuts (the latter WARM) and I was ready for dinner. This time, no Asian Sesame dressing, but a tasty balsamic vinaigrette over greens with some grilled shrimp topping. I followed with the pecan-encrusted chicken, which as per usual was quite moist and tasty. I usually prefer it to the sauce-covered Filet Mignon -- the chicken always seems to be cooked just right, while the Filet is sometimes too well done and dry for my taste.

Side dishes were twice-baked potatoes and a vegetable medley, both of which were just ok. This time I managed to stay awake after the main course, and had my sundae for dessert, along with a bit more wine. The FA was quite attentive during the meal, and kept my wine and water well topped-up. ^

I planned to watch King Kong, but there was a problem with the audio. I suspected it could be fixed by restarting the tape (another movie on a different channel had picture problems that were fixed that way) but the FA I spoke with seemed to feel that the 'restart/reboot' method wouldn't help with audio problems. But, on the second go-round of the movies, Kong worked fine, so perhaps I should have pressed it. In any case, I slept for a few hours, then read, then had a warm sandwich (turkey and swiss) as a snack, along with just a few nuts from the snack selection near the exit door by the F galley.

Nut Count: 5.25 (1 WARM)
Beer Count: 2 (would be higher but for the lack of Heineken LAX-SYD)
Sundae Count: 2


After the additional round of snacks, I was able to sleep for several hours more, only awakening about an hour and a half before our expected arrival (which was itself about 2.5 hours late due to the late departure). When I awoke, most of F was finishing their breakfast, so I went back to the lav to freshen up a bit -- both were locked. I recalled an FT thread about C pax using the F lavs, but then one FA said to me, "oh, you're up. We locked this lav to hold it for you". Now THAT is service! ^ ^ For the record, I don't mind C pax using the F lavs, as long as that use doesn't extend my waiting time.

I got some interesting views of the clouds over the Australian coast:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_IFL_3_002.thumb.jpg

While we were on final approach, I hoped to get a nice shot of of a Quantas flight that was landing on a parallel runway, but alas my cheap Creative Labs camera was not up to the task. I did manage one shot of the front of our plane from the terminal window:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_IFL_3_007.thumb.jpg

We landed as expected, at around 8:35am SYD time, 2.5 hours late but not as late as we departed. Coming in well after the first flights of the morning, we had no line at Customs, and the bag xray was similarly quick. The taxi queue, which can take 20-30 minutes at 7am, was also very short, and within less than two minutes I was on my way into Sydney.

I got to the Sydney Harbour Marriott (formerly the Renaissance), where once again Expedia had caused my reservation to be cancelled. This has happened so many times with Marriott properties and Expedia Corporate that I'm beginning to suspect a vast conspiracy. Either that, or Expedia Corporate sucks. Perhaps the latter. I used to have endless difficulties with the Regents Park Marriott and reservations from many sources, to the point that the assistant manager had a note in my file that she was to be contacted whenever I reserved a room there so she could make sure it didn't get screwed up, yet again. The kicker was when I, the CTO, COO, and CEO of my company all arrived in London one morning. All of our reservations were cancelled. That was the end of the line as far as people from my company and the Regents Park Marriott was concerned. But I digress..

The Sydney Harbour Marriott is in a great location, within walking distance to Circular Quay (pronounced "key", NOT "Kway"), from which ferries and water taxis go all around Sydney Harbour and adjacent communities, and the formerly-rough but now fashionable area called "The Rocks", which is home to many nice restaurants and bars. Completing my de-cancellation, re-reservation and checkin, I went up to my room and saw that nice view of Harbour bridge:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/IAD-LAX-SYD/IAD_LAX_SYD_IFL_3_008.thumb.jpg

I'm here for the rest of the week, more to come on this report once I return to SYD to make my way back home.

In the meantime, gentle readers: which lounges can I access in SYD as *G / UGS / 1k? I'm hoping my upgrade to F will clear by then, but if not, what alternatives to the non-F RCC do I have, and how close are they to my likely gate for my SYD-SFO flight? Any tips or info greatly appreciated.

-C

Great report ^ I believe SQ have a First and Raffles Class lounges at SYD and I guess you could use the SQ C lounge with UA*G.

By any chance do you (or anyone else) have any general pics of the IAD IFL? I am looking for a general 'panorama' esque shot that could be used for the www.baconnect.org.uk calendar.

Thanks :)

Excellent report!

Thanks for this report. I will be on LAX - SYD on UA in August, unfortunately only in Economy.

Jan

Nice Report! ^

Nice report. Look forward to more. However, it must be said:

While we were on final approach, I hoped to get a nice shot of of a Quantas flight that was landing on a parallel runway...

Spelling Qantas like that will not win you many friends in Australia ;)