Hugo Schwyzer
Sep 25, 07, 1:43 pm
My wife and I are both Christians, but we study Kabbalah with the Kabbalah Centre. (No, we don't know Madonna.)
This year, the Centre organized a huge trip to Israel for the High Holy Days. We'd never been to Israel, so we decided that this ought to be the year. Though our accomodations and ground tours were arranged as packages with the Centre, our flights were up to us.
We wanted to stop off in England for a few days on the way over. We're both BAEC members (Silver, trying to get to Gold), as though we live in Los Angeles we regularly fly to the UK to visit my brother and his family in Devon. So we routed ourselves through London.
We've been fortunate enough to fly in F a few times, and we were able to get (using the Chase Visa 241 option) two seats in FIRST for each leg of our trip.
September 6: BA 278, seats 4E/4F. Though we've flown on F several times, I've never flown without my wife, so we always pick the middle seats so we can sit together. Once, flying from HKG-LHR, we were in the 5th row, but the rest of the time on 744s we've been in 4E/F.
LAX was a nightmare: as anyone who flies out knows, the worst part is the post check-in baggage screening. The lines were long, even for premium pax to check their bags. After having done so (we checked five big bags), we headed to the interim First Class Lounge. It was also packed, but we got a nice seat by the window and watched the big birds out on the tarmac.
Boarding was easy. I've got a procedure down now on long-haul flights when I'm lucky enough to be in F: place a drinks order (ginger ale, always, I'm sober) and head for the washroom to get into the sleeper suit. The less time I have to sit in my button-down and trousers the better! The FAs brought me the sleeper suit and washbag quickly, and I was changed in a jiffy. Of course, people are boarding right past the F washrooms, so you need to not be shy about emerging from the bathroom in your pajamas whilst the folks in CW, WT+, and WT are still boarding.
The service on this leg wasn't great. The CSD came by for two seconds, just long enough to drop a survey in my lap before heading off. (I fill out a survey at least every other time I fly BA.) She never reappeared.
My wife and I are genereally vegans, and ordered the standard non-dairy veggie meals. Though the presentation was lovely, chewy pasta and green beans weren't very exciting. The fruit dessert was good, and the breads were wonderful. BA does bread well!
F was all full save for 5K. No celebs, as you sometimes see from LAX. We did have a baby in F -- the first time I've seen that. She sat with her mother in 1K most of the flight; 1A was taken, and dad sat in 2A. A ten year-old girl sat in 2K. The baby cried a few times, but it wasn't too bad. The couple had a nanny on board who wasn't seated in F; periodically during the flight, she came up to do some holding and comforting duties.
Here's a shock: the AVOD didn't work for most people on the flight. It went in and out as it usually does; the poor FAs doing their best to apologize again and again. I read a novel, listened to music, and napped.
We arrived in Heathrow more or less on time, immigration was a breeze, and we jumped straight into a cab. We decided to forego the arrivals lounge, hoping that the Dorchester would be able to take us as in early. No such luck, however; though we got a nice upgrade at check-in, the room wasn't ready until nearly 3:00, so we wandered in our plane clothes in a daze through Hyde Park.
This isn't a hotel review, but I'll say this about the Dorchester: it's not worth the money. The suite was very nice, and any time Mrs. S and I get separate bathrooms, she's a very happy wife. But it was just about the priciest hotel I've ever stayed at, and compared to, say, the Crillon, this wasn't a true palatial experience. I wanted as luxurious a weekend in London for our second anniversary as we could have, and the Dorch wasn't quite it. It was crowded, filled with self-important people, and twice the maids came right on through the "do not disturb" sign, once getting a fine view of me as I came out of the loo clad only in teddy-bear print boxers.
September 9, BA 165, seats 2E/2F Our first time in F on a 777.
Got to the airport very early, and had my first visit to the Concorde Room. It was quiet and nice, but nothing special -- if the First Lounge in T1 isn't crowded, it's just as pleasant.
Boarding was a pain, as we were bussed to a remote stand.
F cabin mostly full, and mostly with Israelis. Food (I had eaten too much in the Concorde Room and wasn't really hungry) was fine, and I slept about half the flight. Decided that though F on a 747 is more intimate, the 777 is a whole lot brighter and feels more spacious. On the 747, you really do feel that you are in the nose of the plane. I don't like that so much.
We stayed at the David Intercontinental in Tel Aviv most of the time that we were in Israel; a perfectly adequate big-city, corporate hotel. We were on the Club Level, which is definitely worth the extra bucks -- free food and drink for fifteen hours a day, and you could easily eat all three meals there. The money you'd save on going out would more than cover the cost of the Club.
September 23, BA 164, seats 2E/F.
A late-afternoon flight. The F lounge in Ben-Gurion was tiny, and rather comical. It's not run by BA, but by the Dan hotel group. F area is separated from the J-class area by a little door that reads "private room." The room is perhaps -- generously -- 200 square feet. There's room for about eight or ten people, and you do get waited on. It was filled with Israelis on cell phones with bad connections, however, and we grabbed some food and went and sat in the boarding area, which was nicer and quieter!
F had only eight passengers for this segment, and the service on this run was superb. The CSD was very friendly, and the FAs were very solicitous, warm, friendly, and on top of everything. The veggie meal was a mezze starter, some potato soup, and some grilled tofu and vegetables. Doesn't sound thrilling to most, but it was well done. And I slipped off the vegan bandwagon for some rather runny, but very nice, creme brulee. Of all four flight segments we did, this was the best.
One hour before landing at LHR, two orthodox Jewish men decided to self-upgrade. One plunked himself in the empty seat in 1F, the other in 3K. The FAs came over at once, and though I couldn't hear much, the self-upgraders did argue back, apparently claiming that since the seats were empty anyway and the meal had already been served, they ought to be allowed the seats. But the FAs were firm, and after considerable grumping, the lads in kippot headed back to CW or wherever else they'd come from.
Immigration at LHR was bad -- Fast Track closed, and two big flights from Eastern Europe had arrived at the same time. Huge lines. Fortunately, I have both UK and USA passports (my wife just has USA), and I was able to get us into the shorter UK queue.
We spent the night at Jurys Heathrow Inn. Nothing to get excited about, but it cost exactly 1/20th of what we spent per night at the Dorch, and in that light, was worth it -- because it was at least 1/4th as good!
September 24, BA 279, seats 4E/4F
Plane left late. The aircraft was there on time, mind you, and boarding was fine. But of course the AVOD had malfunctioned, and this time, we had an engineer come on board to fix it. He had to send to the warehouse for a spare part. By the time the part got there and the AVOD was up and running, we'd lost ninety minutes; we departed around 11:30 instead of 10:05AM. I understand people want their entertainment on a 10.5 hour flight (especially in coach), but I was furious the flight was delayed so long for this reason. I'd rather read a book and be on time, thanks.
F was completely full. Must have been filled with upgrades, because the cabin was showing a lot of empty seats just the day before. Service was fine, and the veggie meal was really good: the mezze plate again, followed by roasted vegetables in an Asian sauce with tabouleh. Really well done. And I fell off the vegan bandwagon again with some nice raisin scones, but I did pass on the butter.
LAX was packed, and the bags took forever to come off. We got our bags nearly last; the "priority tags" mean nothing, at least in Los Angeles. But hey, we got our bags, so we have reason to be grateful.
If anyone would like me to elaborate on some aspect of the flights or hotels, let me know.
This year, the Centre organized a huge trip to Israel for the High Holy Days. We'd never been to Israel, so we decided that this ought to be the year. Though our accomodations and ground tours were arranged as packages with the Centre, our flights were up to us.
We wanted to stop off in England for a few days on the way over. We're both BAEC members (Silver, trying to get to Gold), as though we live in Los Angeles we regularly fly to the UK to visit my brother and his family in Devon. So we routed ourselves through London.
We've been fortunate enough to fly in F a few times, and we were able to get (using the Chase Visa 241 option) two seats in FIRST for each leg of our trip.
September 6: BA 278, seats 4E/4F. Though we've flown on F several times, I've never flown without my wife, so we always pick the middle seats so we can sit together. Once, flying from HKG-LHR, we were in the 5th row, but the rest of the time on 744s we've been in 4E/F.
LAX was a nightmare: as anyone who flies out knows, the worst part is the post check-in baggage screening. The lines were long, even for premium pax to check their bags. After having done so (we checked five big bags), we headed to the interim First Class Lounge. It was also packed, but we got a nice seat by the window and watched the big birds out on the tarmac.
Boarding was easy. I've got a procedure down now on long-haul flights when I'm lucky enough to be in F: place a drinks order (ginger ale, always, I'm sober) and head for the washroom to get into the sleeper suit. The less time I have to sit in my button-down and trousers the better! The FAs brought me the sleeper suit and washbag quickly, and I was changed in a jiffy. Of course, people are boarding right past the F washrooms, so you need to not be shy about emerging from the bathroom in your pajamas whilst the folks in CW, WT+, and WT are still boarding.
The service on this leg wasn't great. The CSD came by for two seconds, just long enough to drop a survey in my lap before heading off. (I fill out a survey at least every other time I fly BA.) She never reappeared.
My wife and I are genereally vegans, and ordered the standard non-dairy veggie meals. Though the presentation was lovely, chewy pasta and green beans weren't very exciting. The fruit dessert was good, and the breads were wonderful. BA does bread well!
F was all full save for 5K. No celebs, as you sometimes see from LAX. We did have a baby in F -- the first time I've seen that. She sat with her mother in 1K most of the flight; 1A was taken, and dad sat in 2A. A ten year-old girl sat in 2K. The baby cried a few times, but it wasn't too bad. The couple had a nanny on board who wasn't seated in F; periodically during the flight, she came up to do some holding and comforting duties.
Here's a shock: the AVOD didn't work for most people on the flight. It went in and out as it usually does; the poor FAs doing their best to apologize again and again. I read a novel, listened to music, and napped.
We arrived in Heathrow more or less on time, immigration was a breeze, and we jumped straight into a cab. We decided to forego the arrivals lounge, hoping that the Dorchester would be able to take us as in early. No such luck, however; though we got a nice upgrade at check-in, the room wasn't ready until nearly 3:00, so we wandered in our plane clothes in a daze through Hyde Park.
This isn't a hotel review, but I'll say this about the Dorchester: it's not worth the money. The suite was very nice, and any time Mrs. S and I get separate bathrooms, she's a very happy wife. But it was just about the priciest hotel I've ever stayed at, and compared to, say, the Crillon, this wasn't a true palatial experience. I wanted as luxurious a weekend in London for our second anniversary as we could have, and the Dorch wasn't quite it. It was crowded, filled with self-important people, and twice the maids came right on through the "do not disturb" sign, once getting a fine view of me as I came out of the loo clad only in teddy-bear print boxers.
September 9, BA 165, seats 2E/2F Our first time in F on a 777.
Got to the airport very early, and had my first visit to the Concorde Room. It was quiet and nice, but nothing special -- if the First Lounge in T1 isn't crowded, it's just as pleasant.
Boarding was a pain, as we were bussed to a remote stand.
F cabin mostly full, and mostly with Israelis. Food (I had eaten too much in the Concorde Room and wasn't really hungry) was fine, and I slept about half the flight. Decided that though F on a 747 is more intimate, the 777 is a whole lot brighter and feels more spacious. On the 747, you really do feel that you are in the nose of the plane. I don't like that so much.
We stayed at the David Intercontinental in Tel Aviv most of the time that we were in Israel; a perfectly adequate big-city, corporate hotel. We were on the Club Level, which is definitely worth the extra bucks -- free food and drink for fifteen hours a day, and you could easily eat all three meals there. The money you'd save on going out would more than cover the cost of the Club.
September 23, BA 164, seats 2E/F.
A late-afternoon flight. The F lounge in Ben-Gurion was tiny, and rather comical. It's not run by BA, but by the Dan hotel group. F area is separated from the J-class area by a little door that reads "private room." The room is perhaps -- generously -- 200 square feet. There's room for about eight or ten people, and you do get waited on. It was filled with Israelis on cell phones with bad connections, however, and we grabbed some food and went and sat in the boarding area, which was nicer and quieter!
F had only eight passengers for this segment, and the service on this run was superb. The CSD was very friendly, and the FAs were very solicitous, warm, friendly, and on top of everything. The veggie meal was a mezze starter, some potato soup, and some grilled tofu and vegetables. Doesn't sound thrilling to most, but it was well done. And I slipped off the vegan bandwagon for some rather runny, but very nice, creme brulee. Of all four flight segments we did, this was the best.
One hour before landing at LHR, two orthodox Jewish men decided to self-upgrade. One plunked himself in the empty seat in 1F, the other in 3K. The FAs came over at once, and though I couldn't hear much, the self-upgraders did argue back, apparently claiming that since the seats were empty anyway and the meal had already been served, they ought to be allowed the seats. But the FAs were firm, and after considerable grumping, the lads in kippot headed back to CW or wherever else they'd come from.
Immigration at LHR was bad -- Fast Track closed, and two big flights from Eastern Europe had arrived at the same time. Huge lines. Fortunately, I have both UK and USA passports (my wife just has USA), and I was able to get us into the shorter UK queue.
We spent the night at Jurys Heathrow Inn. Nothing to get excited about, but it cost exactly 1/20th of what we spent per night at the Dorch, and in that light, was worth it -- because it was at least 1/4th as good!
September 24, BA 279, seats 4E/4F
Plane left late. The aircraft was there on time, mind you, and boarding was fine. But of course the AVOD had malfunctioned, and this time, we had an engineer come on board to fix it. He had to send to the warehouse for a spare part. By the time the part got there and the AVOD was up and running, we'd lost ninety minutes; we departed around 11:30 instead of 10:05AM. I understand people want their entertainment on a 10.5 hour flight (especially in coach), but I was furious the flight was delayed so long for this reason. I'd rather read a book and be on time, thanks.
F was completely full. Must have been filled with upgrades, because the cabin was showing a lot of empty seats just the day before. Service was fine, and the veggie meal was really good: the mezze plate again, followed by roasted vegetables in an Asian sauce with tabouleh. Really well done. And I fell off the vegan bandwagon again with some nice raisin scones, but I did pass on the butter.
LAX was packed, and the bags took forever to come off. We got our bags nearly last; the "priority tags" mean nothing, at least in Los Angeles. But hey, we got our bags, so we have reason to be grateful.
If anyone would like me to elaborate on some aspect of the flights or hotels, let me know.