CarlTheWebmaster
Jun 28, 06, 5:17 pm
See also Part 1 (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=570486), and the larger photos in the photo gallery (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/syd-sfo-iad-in-F)
As noted in another thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=572272), checkin for UA 870 SYD-SFO was rather chaotic as morning fog in SYD had prevented UA flights from LAX and SFO from landing. Lines in the checkin area were very long. I asked an "Aero" employee (UA's outsourced TAs) which line to enter for F, and she indicated a sign. It was unclear which way to go, but one side had a long line and the other no line, so I chose no line. Not wanting to "cut", I asked another Aero person if I was in the right line. He replied, "I don't know" and left to ask someone. After a while he came back and told me to stay where I was. So I stood for a while; all of the TAs were busy, apparently rerouting folks who were on the LAX flight (delayed until 6pm) or my SFO flight (posted delay of about an hour at that point). In any case, once I got to the TA, she was extremely friendly and courteous, and thanked me for being UGS, etc. Total waiting time was under 15min. Apologies to the people who got into the 'correct' F line, sorry for cutting, but I was only following orders. :)
Customs was, as usual for me in SYD, a breeze, under 5 min. I browsed some shops (still looking for a decent, but small and cheap, camera), and then made my way to the gate area of the terminal to try out the three lounges.
First stop was the SQ Silver Kris Raffles lounge. I was traveling in UA F, so not sure if that or my *G status got me in, but in any case the Raffles lounge was very spacious, with lots of light, and almost empty. I had a nice curry/egg salad sandwich, and started with a soda as I figured I had plenty of time for beer later.
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_011.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_011)
Food selection:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_010.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_010)
And a business center area with computers, etc:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_012.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_012)
Next, I went to the ANZ lounge, where the agent told me that the F lounge was closed (had been there on previous RTW trips; food is outstanding). The ANZ agent was quite helpful, very friendly, and looked up my flight information for me, which I didn't expect. ^ ^ She mentioned that there was a RCC, but I said I wanted to try the ANZ lounge because I had heard it was nicer. We talked about whether the RCC was being redone soon, and she mentioned "A", whom others have mentioned on FT and who has been in the RCC for a long time (I believe even back when PanAm ran it). In any case, the ANZ lounge was also large and spacious, with a good food and drink selection, including a great NZ beer called Mac's Copperhop. I also had some roast lamb and a tasty rice, bacon, and sundried tomato salad. The ANZ lounge was fairly busy, but not crowded.
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_014.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_014)
Food Selection:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_013.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_013)
Beer Count: 1
Nut Count: 0
Sundae Count: 0
After some time in ANZ-land, I left and stopped by the bookstore near Gate 53, where I often find SF novels that aren't easy to find in the US, in particular those by Peter F. Hamilton. Then I made my way down the elevator to the RCC. "A" was on duty, the opposite of a 'matron': incredibly friendly, welcoming, and courteous. She reassured me about the delay and any connection issues (had only about 1.5 hours in SFO to connect), and told me "you're UGS, so they'll be on to you like a flash!". I was directed to the right, into the smaller F portion of the RCC.
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_016.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_016)
Only about six or seven other folks were inside. Nice food and drink selection, including nuts! The nut mix at this RCC is more peanut-focused than the mix on UA metal, but fresh and crunchy and a nice change. I helped myself to another beer (Toohey's extra dry), some nuts, and a finger sandwich or two, and then sat down to enjoy one of the coffee table books available. I also had some great close-up views of ground activity
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_017.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_017)
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_018.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_018)
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_019.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_019)
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_020.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_020)
I had remembered this RCC as being a tad claustrophobic, but you are right at plane level and can see some interesting things while you wait.
Beer Count: 2
Nut Count: 1 (warm: 0)
Sundae Count: 0
I have to say, having been to all three lounges (both F and Biz portions), that while the food selection is tops at the SQ and ANZ F lounges, the F RCC takes the prize for its view of the tarmac and the friendliness of the staff, at least on this visit. I had somehow remembered the UA lounge as being ratty and in desperate need of repair (and the Bathroom certainly fits that description) but the lounge itself was really quite nice.
"A" announced the arrival of the aircraft from MEL (MEB?) and let us know that "the gate is only a minute away, and there are a lot to board, so have another beer or cup of tea and I'll let you know when it's time to board". Nice! Now 1500 rolled around, the original posted (delayed) departure, and again "A" said she didn't want us 'standing around' so we waited a bit longer, then all went up to the gate together (F passengers) At the gate there was no wait at all, and I made my way to seat 5A, which has a slightly smaller storage bin, but is close to the Lavs and close to the door (for rushing to meet my connection in SFO). Seatguru says this seat can be loud next to the galley, but with the thick curtains in place behind the seat (not all the way across the aisle), and my earplugs in, I never heard a thing during the night. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Seat 5A, on a UA 744
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_021.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_021)
As I posted elsewhere (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=572272), we then sat at the gate for over 1.5 hours, while the "Aero" ground staff tried to sort out pax and seats. It is, I think, not an overstatement to characterize this as 'chaotic' -- they kept paging customers, searching the plane, bringing people on and off, etc. Just ridiculous. At 1600, I realized I had no chance of making my flight in SFO, so I called UGS from my mobile and they booked me via DEN on a later flight (all in F with seats). All set, I went back to my seat and had a couple of beers (they continued to serve us drinks in F during the delay), Victoria Bitters or VB as it is known locally.
By 1700, even the VFFs in F were getting pretty agitated. People were asking for names of Aero staff, telling the FAs that they should 'just shut the door and leave' etc. As if the FAs could make that call! The Captain got on and mentioned an issue with luggage around 1615, but after 1700 we were still waiting and it was clear that the problem was Aero's inability to count people and finalize the seating. A real mess.
The Purser was quite good in handling the unhappy F pax, and finally got on the intercom at 1722 to say, "Believe it or not, the door is closed!"
The flight itself was uneventful. Channel 9 was off, but when I asked the Purser to see if the Captain would turn it on, the Purser said, "well, he's not really a channel 9 kind of guy" which was fair enough but a disappointment . So I had a few more beers, two rounds of nuts (warm!), a delicious caramelized onion soup, very fresh salad with grilled shrimp, and a nice chicken dish with vegetables. Dessert was a sundae, with tastier-than-in-the-US fudge. A quick movie or two, and soon I was asleep in the suite.
Beer Count: 5 (whoa!)
Nut Count: 3 (warm: 2)
Sundae Count: 1+ (extra for good fudge)
When I awoke, the sun was up and as we made our way into SFO I got a nice view of the golden gate with some fog:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_023.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_023)
On arrival I was ahead of the pack, and got through customs with no line, then on to baggage claim. At that point I got paged by the UGS rep, who had a boarding pass and luggage tag printed for me on a direct IAD-SFO flight. It was in E+, aisle, but with a slim chance of getting into F (A319 with only 8 seats up front). Still, better to be on the direct flight, and as 1k/UGS/Paid F (actually upgraded with SWU from paid C but F for the domestic legs) she said I was at the top of the list. I asked if that was PA or PB, and she said (after noting my use of the "lingo" -- thanks FT) that I was on a higher priority list than that. Unfortunately she also let me know that the Arrivals lounge was closed, but I realized with the extra time I could visit the IFL in the International terminal and hit the showers there.
So, I got my suitcase, re-checked it, and made my way to the International terminal. My BP was for a domestic flight, but I explained to the ID-checking contractor that I was going to the IFL, and she waved me through. The TSA agent never even looked at the destination on the BP. I got to the IFL, and the agent recognized me from my China trip a couple of months back so I got a very nice welcome. As always after a transpacific flight, the shower was absolutely refreshing and great. Feeling fresh, I had a few snacks (and more nuts, couldn't help myself!). One thing missing from my visit and from the shower kit: no comb. Note to self: put a comb in your 'emergency toilet kit'.
Nut Count: 4 (warm: 2)
After my snack, I went to see about my seating. On the way there, I checked in at the domestic RCC --only 2 F seats not yet taken, so it was looking bleak.
I didn't feel like hanging out at the RCC, so I wandered the terminal for a bit, then went over to Gate 73 to check again. Now there was only one seat left. I had a bit of a tense wait, but as boarding started I heard the BP printer spit out a card, and the GA looked over at me. "here you go," he said. Score! ^ I want to thank the no-show for not showing -- got me into 1D for that flight.
Seat 1D was no F class sleeper:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_024.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_024)
but still better than E+. A few more beers and still more nuts (in a plastic cup but warm!), and I was feeling extremely relaxed, almost too much so. I had the chicken, again, moist and tasty as always, and some cheesecake for dessert. The service was excellent (particularly for F in a A319, IMO) and really just blew away any recent F experience on AA that I've had in a year or more.
Beer Count: 9 (hey, it was almost 20 hours of travel!)
Nut Count: 5 (warm: 3)
Sundae Count: 1+
The flight was on time at 0024 local time. I noticed as I was waiting for my luggage at IAD that the DEN flight I would have been on was delayed until 0140, so I doubly lucked out to be on the direct flight in F. In all, after leaving SYD about 3 hours late, I got into IAD about 3 hours late, so not bad.
This was my ninth trip to Sydney on UA since 2002, of which the first 2 or so were in Paid C and the rest have been in upgraded F or via a RTW *A F ticket. UA's transpacific F, for me, has been characterized by very nice food, great FAs (say 7 out of 9 times), and very few if any delays apart from this last trip. TG and SQ F are a step above UA (really great food, Dom, caviar, and best-in-world service). But UA provides a very nice level of service on the LAX/SFO-SYD route (and others I've taken, like SFO-NRT and SFO-PEK).
I will probably go back to SYD in August, and I'll be going UA. Well, unless I can figure out a business justification for going IAD-SFO-SYD-PEK-FRA-LHR (FCT!!)-IAD on a *A RTW F ticket! :)
-C
As noted in another thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=572272), checkin for UA 870 SYD-SFO was rather chaotic as morning fog in SYD had prevented UA flights from LAX and SFO from landing. Lines in the checkin area were very long. I asked an "Aero" employee (UA's outsourced TAs) which line to enter for F, and she indicated a sign. It was unclear which way to go, but one side had a long line and the other no line, so I chose no line. Not wanting to "cut", I asked another Aero person if I was in the right line. He replied, "I don't know" and left to ask someone. After a while he came back and told me to stay where I was. So I stood for a while; all of the TAs were busy, apparently rerouting folks who were on the LAX flight (delayed until 6pm) or my SFO flight (posted delay of about an hour at that point). In any case, once I got to the TA, she was extremely friendly and courteous, and thanked me for being UGS, etc. Total waiting time was under 15min. Apologies to the people who got into the 'correct' F line, sorry for cutting, but I was only following orders. :)
Customs was, as usual for me in SYD, a breeze, under 5 min. I browsed some shops (still looking for a decent, but small and cheap, camera), and then made my way to the gate area of the terminal to try out the three lounges.
First stop was the SQ Silver Kris Raffles lounge. I was traveling in UA F, so not sure if that or my *G status got me in, but in any case the Raffles lounge was very spacious, with lots of light, and almost empty. I had a nice curry/egg salad sandwich, and started with a soda as I figured I had plenty of time for beer later.
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_011.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_011)
Food selection:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_010.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_010)
And a business center area with computers, etc:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_012.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_012)
Next, I went to the ANZ lounge, where the agent told me that the F lounge was closed (had been there on previous RTW trips; food is outstanding). The ANZ agent was quite helpful, very friendly, and looked up my flight information for me, which I didn't expect. ^ ^ She mentioned that there was a RCC, but I said I wanted to try the ANZ lounge because I had heard it was nicer. We talked about whether the RCC was being redone soon, and she mentioned "A", whom others have mentioned on FT and who has been in the RCC for a long time (I believe even back when PanAm ran it). In any case, the ANZ lounge was also large and spacious, with a good food and drink selection, including a great NZ beer called Mac's Copperhop. I also had some roast lamb and a tasty rice, bacon, and sundried tomato salad. The ANZ lounge was fairly busy, but not crowded.
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_014.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_014)
Food Selection:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_013.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_013)
Beer Count: 1
Nut Count: 0
Sundae Count: 0
After some time in ANZ-land, I left and stopped by the bookstore near Gate 53, where I often find SF novels that aren't easy to find in the US, in particular those by Peter F. Hamilton. Then I made my way down the elevator to the RCC. "A" was on duty, the opposite of a 'matron': incredibly friendly, welcoming, and courteous. She reassured me about the delay and any connection issues (had only about 1.5 hours in SFO to connect), and told me "you're UGS, so they'll be on to you like a flash!". I was directed to the right, into the smaller F portion of the RCC.
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_016.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_016)
Only about six or seven other folks were inside. Nice food and drink selection, including nuts! The nut mix at this RCC is more peanut-focused than the mix on UA metal, but fresh and crunchy and a nice change. I helped myself to another beer (Toohey's extra dry), some nuts, and a finger sandwich or two, and then sat down to enjoy one of the coffee table books available. I also had some great close-up views of ground activity
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_017.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_017)
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_018.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_018)
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_019.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_019)
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_020.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_020)
I had remembered this RCC as being a tad claustrophobic, but you are right at plane level and can see some interesting things while you wait.
Beer Count: 2
Nut Count: 1 (warm: 0)
Sundae Count: 0
I have to say, having been to all three lounges (both F and Biz portions), that while the food selection is tops at the SQ and ANZ F lounges, the F RCC takes the prize for its view of the tarmac and the friendliness of the staff, at least on this visit. I had somehow remembered the UA lounge as being ratty and in desperate need of repair (and the Bathroom certainly fits that description) but the lounge itself was really quite nice.
"A" announced the arrival of the aircraft from MEL (MEB?) and let us know that "the gate is only a minute away, and there are a lot to board, so have another beer or cup of tea and I'll let you know when it's time to board". Nice! Now 1500 rolled around, the original posted (delayed) departure, and again "A" said she didn't want us 'standing around' so we waited a bit longer, then all went up to the gate together (F passengers) At the gate there was no wait at all, and I made my way to seat 5A, which has a slightly smaller storage bin, but is close to the Lavs and close to the door (for rushing to meet my connection in SFO). Seatguru says this seat can be loud next to the galley, but with the thick curtains in place behind the seat (not all the way across the aisle), and my earplugs in, I never heard a thing during the night. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Seat 5A, on a UA 744
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_021.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_021)
As I posted elsewhere (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=572272), we then sat at the gate for over 1.5 hours, while the "Aero" ground staff tried to sort out pax and seats. It is, I think, not an overstatement to characterize this as 'chaotic' -- they kept paging customers, searching the plane, bringing people on and off, etc. Just ridiculous. At 1600, I realized I had no chance of making my flight in SFO, so I called UGS from my mobile and they booked me via DEN on a later flight (all in F with seats). All set, I went back to my seat and had a couple of beers (they continued to serve us drinks in F during the delay), Victoria Bitters or VB as it is known locally.
By 1700, even the VFFs in F were getting pretty agitated. People were asking for names of Aero staff, telling the FAs that they should 'just shut the door and leave' etc. As if the FAs could make that call! The Captain got on and mentioned an issue with luggage around 1615, but after 1700 we were still waiting and it was clear that the problem was Aero's inability to count people and finalize the seating. A real mess.
The Purser was quite good in handling the unhappy F pax, and finally got on the intercom at 1722 to say, "Believe it or not, the door is closed!"
The flight itself was uneventful. Channel 9 was off, but when I asked the Purser to see if the Captain would turn it on, the Purser said, "well, he's not really a channel 9 kind of guy" which was fair enough but a disappointment . So I had a few more beers, two rounds of nuts (warm!), a delicious caramelized onion soup, very fresh salad with grilled shrimp, and a nice chicken dish with vegetables. Dessert was a sundae, with tastier-than-in-the-US fudge. A quick movie or two, and soon I was asleep in the suite.
Beer Count: 5 (whoa!)
Nut Count: 3 (warm: 2)
Sundae Count: 1+ (extra for good fudge)
When I awoke, the sun was up and as we made our way into SFO I got a nice view of the golden gate with some fog:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_023.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_023)
On arrival I was ahead of the pack, and got through customs with no line, then on to baggage claim. At that point I got paged by the UGS rep, who had a boarding pass and luggage tag printed for me on a direct IAD-SFO flight. It was in E+, aisle, but with a slim chance of getting into F (A319 with only 8 seats up front). Still, better to be on the direct flight, and as 1k/UGS/Paid F (actually upgraded with SWU from paid C but F for the domestic legs) she said I was at the top of the list. I asked if that was PA or PB, and she said (after noting my use of the "lingo" -- thanks FT) that I was on a higher priority list than that. Unfortunately she also let me know that the Arrivals lounge was closed, but I realized with the extra time I could visit the IFL in the International terminal and hit the showers there.
So, I got my suitcase, re-checked it, and made my way to the International terminal. My BP was for a domestic flight, but I explained to the ID-checking contractor that I was going to the IFL, and she waved me through. The TSA agent never even looked at the destination on the BP. I got to the IFL, and the agent recognized me from my China trip a couple of months back so I got a very nice welcome. As always after a transpacific flight, the shower was absolutely refreshing and great. Feeling fresh, I had a few snacks (and more nuts, couldn't help myself!). One thing missing from my visit and from the shower kit: no comb. Note to self: put a comb in your 'emergency toilet kit'.
Nut Count: 4 (warm: 2)
After my snack, I went to see about my seating. On the way there, I checked in at the domestic RCC --only 2 F seats not yet taken, so it was looking bleak.
I didn't feel like hanging out at the RCC, so I wandered the terminal for a bit, then went over to Gate 73 to check again. Now there was only one seat left. I had a bit of a tense wait, but as boarding started I heard the BP printer spit out a card, and the GA looked over at me. "here you go," he said. Score! ^ I want to thank the no-show for not showing -- got me into 1D for that flight.
Seat 1D was no F class sleeper:
http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_024.thumb.jpg (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/albums/syd-sfo-iad-in-F/SYD_SFO_IAD_024)
but still better than E+. A few more beers and still more nuts (in a plastic cup but warm!), and I was feeling extremely relaxed, almost too much so. I had the chicken, again, moist and tasty as always, and some cheesecake for dessert. The service was excellent (particularly for F in a A319, IMO) and really just blew away any recent F experience on AA that I've had in a year or more.
Beer Count: 9 (hey, it was almost 20 hours of travel!)
Nut Count: 5 (warm: 3)
Sundae Count: 1+
The flight was on time at 0024 local time. I noticed as I was waiting for my luggage at IAD that the DEN flight I would have been on was delayed until 0140, so I doubly lucked out to be on the direct flight in F. In all, after leaving SYD about 3 hours late, I got into IAD about 3 hours late, so not bad.
This was my ninth trip to Sydney on UA since 2002, of which the first 2 or so were in Paid C and the rest have been in upgraded F or via a RTW *A F ticket. UA's transpacific F, for me, has been characterized by very nice food, great FAs (say 7 out of 9 times), and very few if any delays apart from this last trip. TG and SQ F are a step above UA (really great food, Dom, caviar, and best-in-world service). But UA provides a very nice level of service on the LAX/SFO-SYD route (and others I've taken, like SFO-NRT and SFO-PEK).
I will probably go back to SYD in August, and I'll be going UA. Well, unless I can figure out a business justification for going IAD-SFO-SYD-PEK-FRA-LHR (FCT!!)-IAD on a *A RTW F ticket! :)
-C