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This trip report encompasses a recent business trip to Amsterdam and Brussels. I tagged on a personal stop to London as well. The entire trip is business class on American Airlines, with the exception of one flight on BA (code shared with AA). The route is SFO-LAX-LHR-AMS. Train from AMS - BRU. BRU-LHR-LAX-SFO. Total time away is 11 days.

March 4, 2010
AA1931: SFO – LAX
Scheduled Departure: 2:10pm (Actual: 2:01pm)
Scheduled Arrival: 3:35pm (Actual: 3:04pm)
Seat: 3E
Aircraft: MD80

I started my trip with a taxi pickup from my home in San Francisco. The cab driver was on-time and the trip to SFO was quick and uneventful. Pickup time was 12pm and by 12:20 I was at the First Class check-in desk for AA.

I checked one suitcase and carried on two bags – my laptop and a small duffel with a change of clothes. I’ve learned over the years when I’m on a complex routing (in this case three planes), I’m better to have a change of clothes with me in case my bag is delayed a day. At any rate, the agent was very friendly and suggested places in Amsterdam and Brussels to visit. We shared a few laughs and away I went to security. Security wasn’t too bad for mid-day, and before long I was through and onto the AAdmirals Club.

Boarding started at 1:40pm from gate 62A, and I was one of the first on the plane, as usual. I found my seat, stored my duffel and laptop bag in the overhead and settled in for the short flight to Los Angeles.

Departure was scheduled for 2:10pm and we backed away at 2:01. We were wheels-up at 2:11pm. We climbed to 31,000 feet and made our way down the California coast. I played Monopoly on my iPhone for most of the trip. The pilot was unusually chatty, cracking jokes a few times and pointing out landmarks on our way down the coast. He pointed out Carmel along the right side of the plane, the snow-capped mountains on the left side of the plane, and promised when we got a bit further south he’d point out other landmarks, such as the landfill or prison in one central-California town.

It was a beautiful day for flying, and he made sure we knew it (he kept saying what a beautiful day for “aviating” it was… kind of annoying!)

We descended into LAX for an early arrival and by 3:04pm we were down on the ground, arriving at the gate a few minutes later.

Since I was in 3E, I was the first off the plane. I told the FA that 3E needed some maintenance since the seat wouldn’t stay upright, and out the door I went.

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March 4, 2010
AA136: LAX– LHR
Scheduled Departure: 5:30pm
Scheduled Arrival: 11:50pm
Seat: 11D
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200

Upon my arrival in Los Angeles, I promptly made my way to the AAdmirals Club, checked in, got my free drink coupon and then made my way to check on a seat change. I had 11D in my hands, and in the business class on the 777-200, the configuration is 2-3-2. Though I had an aisle, I wanted an Aisle with nobody in the middle seat, and currently 11E is occupied. The lady told me that 12D was currently open with nobody in 12E, and not only could I have 12D but she would block 12E. She anticipated 12E staying open since other seats were open on the flight and “upgrades are unlikely”. I figure worst case is I’m not any worse off than I am now, so I took the change and I’m now in 12D. We’ll see if it holds up. (Follow up: It held up… nobody in 12E… woohoo!)

I went into the Club and made myself comfortable. They’ve changed the club a bit with fewer lounge chairs and more tables. They were having a Guinness and Harp beer tasting, and I made sure to grab a Harp while I updated this trip report and checked a few emails.

I was pleased to see that my seat in the Club was almost directly over the plane I’d be flying. I snapped a quick photo. This 777-200 had the AA logo on the tail, but “member of one world” in large blue letters on a silver body.

Boarding started at 4:50pm, and we pulled back from the gate at 5:34pm. We were airborne 11 minutes later.

Standard service on this flight. There were about 3 FA’s serving the business class crowd tonight. In all, there were 3 open seats throughout business class, including one next to me. A drink and warm nuts followed by a hot towel, the Bose headphones (I didn’t take since I have my own) and then the meal service started. (Before I describe the meal service, I thought it was interesting that the male flight attendant would not bend down to serve your drink or to pickup your towel or anything. He would hold out his tray and allow you to take it off the tray, or to put the empty glass or warm towel onto the tray. Later in the flight, I brought a glass to him and instead of taking it, he instructed me to go around the corner and put it on the counter, since he was doing a crossword puzzle. Not a huge deal, but less-than-stellar customer service, in my opinion.)

The man next to me noted to the FA that the dinner menu had a color photo on the front, instead of the usual black and white. Not a big deal to me. The menu was:

Champagne
• Pommery Brut Champagne

White Wines
• Willm Pinot Blanc Reserve
• Seven Sisters “Vivian” Sauvignon Blanc

Red Wines
• Fabre Montmayou Malbec Reserva
• Cyan Prestigio

Sherry
• Emilio Lustau Sherry

Dessert Wine
• Graham’s Vintage Port

Dinner Service

To Start:
• Warm mixed nuts

Appetizer:
• Mojito shrimp served with pineapple and spiced coconut

Salad:
• Fresh seasonal greens and an assortment of fresh vegetables offered with classic Caesar dressing or Sapori d’Arte olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Bread Basket: Assorted gourmet breads
Main Course:
• Option 1: Boursin Crusted Beef Fillet - Grilled tenderloin of beef with a Boursin crust presented with wilted spinach, balsamic grilled tomatoes and whipped potatoes
• Option 2: Lamb Medallions with Ale Tomato Sauce – Lamb medallions enhanced by an ale tomato sauce, offered with cilantro mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus tips and roasted cherry tomatoes
• Option 3: Red Thai Curry Chicken – Breast of chicken simmered in a creamy red Thai curry and coconut milk broth, accompanied by jasmine rice
• Option 4: Cheese Tortellini with Romano Sauce – Homemade tortellini stuffed with three cheeses, topped with tomato, mushroom and mozzarella sauce, Parmesan cheese and parsley

Dessert:
• Ben and Jerry’s Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch with cocoa dusted almonds
• Caciotta and cheddar cheese accompanied by seasonal grapes and dried apricots
I chose the Malbec wine to drink, hoping a little wine would make me sleepy as it usually does. I wanted the lamb, but they were out and I didn’t trust the chicken. So I took the filet. Fairly standard for airplane food, but nothing special at all. Was fairly bland, even with the Boursin on top. Spinach was good. Potatoes were bland as well. Overall, I ate about ¾ of the meal and skipped the rest. For dessert I had the ice cream. Ben and Jerry never fail to please. J

I finished watching the one movie on the IFE, and then turned off the TV to try and get some sleep. I feel like I had maybe an hour of light sleep, but nothing close to what I was hoping for. I did some work on my laptop and then played Monopoly on my iPhone. An addicting game!

Scheduled arrival into London was 11:50am, and about 10:30 the breakfast service started. Choices were a three-cheese omelette or cereal with yogurt. I chose the cereal and yogurt, which was accompanied by fruit, orange juice, coffee and a croissant. I wasn’t tremendously hungry, but felt the fruit and coffee would do me good in my battle to stay awake.

The pilot came on at 10:40 and announced that due to a favorable wind, we were going to be landing in London at 11:20am – just 40 minutes from that time – and that he encouraged people and flight attendants to start preparing the cabin. FA’s quickly cleaned up the breakfast trays and we started in to LHR.

At about 11:10, as we’re only 10 minutes and less than 10,000 feet from landing, the pilot came back on and announced severe congestion at LHR, and therefore we had been given instruction to circle, which would start in 4 minutes and would be at least two circles. Therefore landing was scheduled for 11:41 – still 9 minutes early and we’d be to the gate 3 minutes later.

After circling, we made our final approach and landed. I noticed that after breaking we went right by the terminal where all the other AA jets were parked. Eventually we made a left turn off the taxiway and stopped. The captain came on and announced there was a plane still parked in our gate and it would be 3 or 4 minutes before they backed out. Three minutes went by, and so did 4. Then 10 and then 15! Eventually the pilot came on and said the plane was still there and it would be some time more, and they didn’t know what was going on. He announced that he had requested another gate, but was told to sit tight. Several folks had gotten up to use the rest room at this point and the FA’s announced that everyone needed to stay seated, and if given the go-ahead to pull to the gate they couldn’t move since people were out of their seats.

This brings me to a quick interlude of this trip report. The whole scene that played out did more than frustrate me, it quite candidly pissed me off. I’m not sure how much the pilot knew, or when they knew it, but it’s annoying that he set expectations wrong on several occasions. First, he announced we’d be a half hour early, and then that we’d be at the gate 3 minutes after landing. Then he indicated 3-4 minutes of waiting instead of 20. This pissed me off for two reasons: (1) First, I had a flight to catch and FlyerTalk members are well-documented that it takes approximately 120 minutes to from T-3 to T-5 at LHR, and I wasn’t really in the mood to miss my flight due to BS reasons, and (2) by this point, all the coffee and water and OJ had caught up to me and I really had to relieve myself. I was close to getting up when I felt the plane’s engines come on and the captain said the plane was moving and we were heading to the gate.

Finally, at about 12:15pm, we parked at the gate. It took the ground crew another 5 minutes to move the jetway over to the plane and then first class was released before anybody else. By the time I made it off the plane, it was 12:27pm. My next flight was leaving in 73 minutes. Could I make it to T-5?

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AA6398: LHR– AMS
Scheduled Departure: 1:40pm
Scheduled Arrival: 3:55pm
Seat: 3A
Aircraft: Airbus A-319

I first made a stop at the men’s room, and then quickly made my way to the T-5 terminal. A shuttle was just leaving as I arrived at the window and I missed it, so had to wait about 10 minutes to get the next one.

The shuttle was packed going to T-5, which is about a 10-minute bus ride from T-3. The shuttle stopped and I was the 3rd person off. I think I actually cutoff some elderly people getting off the plane. There’s a time to be nice, and there’s a time to catch the flight. Even though I wasn’t “rude”, in just about all other cases, I would have yielded to the elderly ladies. But this time was different and I couldn’t sacrifice getting caught behind slow-walking women who may stand on the moving sidewalk, or stand on the escalator. I needed to go quickly!

I made my way to security, which was another good-sized walk. There were many lanes open, all with about the same number of people in them. I choose Lane 10,which had about 15 people in front of me, and I patiently waited for security to move. As (bad) luck would have it, the lady two people in front of me had some sort of liquid medicine that needed to stay cold, and she didn’t want it opened. Instead of putting her off to the side and moving the line along, they dealt with her right there, holding up the rest of the traffic behind her. I muttered a few four-lettered words under my breath and instantly decided the security folks were inept. I also didn’t like many of the folks in front of me, who took off their shoes, belt and took their computer out of the case like it was a lazy Sunday morning. These folks defined the word “slow”. It was almost like they were afraid to put their shoes into the bin for fear they would injure them!

Eventually I made my way up to the security line, and quickly put my stuff into 3 bins, moved them into the x-ray machine and quickly passed through the metal detector. The woman with the liquids was being body-searched at this point, while other security folks were examining the medicine bottle.

I grabbed my shoes, belt, money clip, laptop and carry-on bag and quickly made my way to determine which gate I was going to. I found it with help from a nice airport assistant, and I was off to A-19 to catch my next flight.

I arrived with just a few minutes to spare before boarding started. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to explore Terminal 5 or see the lounge, but at this stage of travel, I was happy to make my flight. I just wanted to reach the hotel so I could relax for a little bit.

Boarding started 1:10pm and considering I had just walked up to the gate area, I was the first person to make my way down the jet way to the plane. The jet way was very long – one of the longest I’ve ever seen. It stretched well out into the runway and seemed to be a long way from the actual lounge. I boarded the plane, showed my boarding pass to the FA and took my seat: 3A. I was instantly disappointed with the Club level seats on this plane. Despite the 3-3 configuration, with the middle seats blocked out, the A-C side of the plane had a very tiny B seat. Nobody would ever be able to fit there anyway. A few guys joked about those seats as they were boarding and that was the definition of super-economy.

The seats were an old leather, and were simply coach seats with the middle seat blocked out. Nobody sat in 3A so I had the row to myself. Considering I was first on-board, I made myself comfortable and since I hadn’t slept well on the flight from LAX to LHR, I decided to sit back and try and doze. Mission accomplished. I guess when you’re tired anywhere will do. I woke up from a light sleep about 5 minutes after taking off. I say a light sleep because I could consciously hear the plane revving up the engines for takeoff, but I didn’t bother to wake up.

I felt a bit refreshed after a 20-minute nap, and almost as soon as we were airborne and at 11,000 feet or so, in-flight service started. Even on this 55-minute flight, the FA’s offered a full meal to those in Club level. I took a diet coke to drink and passed on the meal, which was a chicken Caesar salad. As far as I could tell, only one person took the meal.

The flight was short and even though BA builds in ground time in Holland, we didn’t need it all. We landed in a light rain and taxied for about 10 minutes to the gate. I made my way to immigration – no paperwork necessary… just show your passport – and after collecting my baggage (first one off the plane, marked as American Airlines Premium) I quickly cleared customs with nothing to declare.

All in all, a short and uneventful flight that got me in a bit early to Holland. Now, it was on to my hotel.

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Amsterdam, Holland (The Netherlands)
Hotel Vondel
http://www.hotelvondel.nl

I hailed a cab to the hotel, and 45 Euros later, I arrived at Hotel Vonde. Thisl is a quaint little boutique hotel located just outside the main shopping district near “downtown” or whatever the areas is called. My room had two single beds smashed together to form a queen-sized bed. A small TV, telephone, a few chairs for lounging and a small bathroom rounded out the room. No big deal since I’m only here for three nights before heading to Brussels. Breakfast wasn’t included in my room fee.

I found my room (312) to be very nice, quiet and clean. Some of my co-workers found their room on the first floor to be very, very noisy. So they asked for a change of room to something different. At first the hotel staff said they didn’t have a room to change them to. But after one of my co-workers quickly indicated it was either change the room or they’d change hotels, a new room was found.

Two of my co-workers (a married couple) were placed into room 321, which was a giant apartment of sorts. Another co-worker was placed in the room next to mine.

Overall I enjoyed this hotel. My room was fairly quiet and the price of 129 Euros per night was a good price for the location and amenities. The shower was also nice and hot, though it took a few minutes in the morning to get hot. I would stay here again, if I could get the same room (I heard from others that the hotel was uncomfortable and very noisy).

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Thalys Train 9346: AMS – BRU:
Scheduled Departure: 3:31pm from Schiphol (Airport) station
Scheduled Arrival: 5:10pm at Brussels – Midi Station
Seat: 57, Car 16

We moved our party from Amsterdam to Brussels via train instead of airline. We didn’t want the hassle of dealing with Airport Security and the somewhat “romantic” thought of taking the train sounded good to many of us. We don’t get to take many high-speed trains in the US and why pass up the opportunity?

We made our way to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and found our train was running on-time from Platform 6. We were about 30 minutes early, so being the Americans we are, we went to Starbucks for a coffee.

About 10 minutes before departure, we made our way downstairs to the train platform and waited near the correct entry area. Just before arriving, the train moved to Platform 5, but that was only about 20 feet away. No big deal. The train arrived, we found storage for our baggage and we quickly found our seats. My seat, 57, was facing backwards and had a table. 3 of my co-workers sat on the other side of the aisle, and 4 other co-workers sat in Car 17.

I started to do some work on my laptop, but quickly decided I would just listen to music and enjoy the sights. The announcer came on and introduced himself, indicated the train would make three stops en-route to Paris: Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels. He also announced the train would hit speeds of 300km / hr. Wow! Not sure exactly how fast that is, but my guess is a little over 200 MPH. No matter what the translation is, we found the speed to be fast, yet the train was very steady and comfortable.

We pulled into the Brussels station exactly on-time and exited the train. It took a moment for the doors to open in my car, and after we all piled out, we waited for our co-workers. Their door was stuck shut for a few minutes, but eventually it opened and they exited the train too. We quickly found our way to the waiting car service with 2 cars and we made our way to the Conrad Hotel.

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Brussels, Belgium
The Conrad Hotel

My boss, my peers and I all decided to stay at The Conrad Hotel. My boss actually chose this hotel because (a) his boss, the CEO of the company, stays there and (2) it’s nicer than the other approved hotel, the Hilton. I stayed at the Hilton last time and it was quite the dump.

The Conrad is a member of the Hilton family and they had my preferred room and HHonors number at check in. They assigned me to Room 450, which was a well-appointed room overlooking the internal court yard. This hotel reminds me of a regal hotel from the 1800’s. It has that old Victorian-style feel. The feel is also kind of snotty-rich, which I’m far from.

I entered my room to find the bathroom on the left. The desk was on the right side of the room and the king-size bed was to the left. The room had a sofa and sitting chair, and an armoir with TV. The large window, which overlooked the internal court yard. The size of the room was impressive – it was quite large. And due to the way it was dressed, it actually felt kind of empty.

Without going into tremendous detail, here are the plusses and minuses of the room and hotel:

Plusses
• 199 Euros per night. Seems to be a fairly decent rate for a hotel of this caliber.
• Clean. The staff did an excellent job keeping the room clean.
• Free bottle of water each night – A free litre of Vittel quenched my thirst each night and morning.
• Location. This hotel is very near an abundance of shopping and restaurant options.
• Mint Mouthwash – Not sure why I’m listing this as a plus, but it was great mouthwash. Wish I had more to take home!

Minuses
• 25 Euros for the gym. Outrageous!
• 25 Euros for 24-hours of Internet. Crazy!
• Pricey room service menu. The food prices were really high. I didn’t eat in the hotel as a result.
• Hit and miss hot water in the shower. At times it was nice and hot, but then would go cool for 30 seconds or so. Not good when you have shampoo in your hair.
• Bar service – there is a nice bar in this hotel, but in typical European fashion, the service isn’t great. I can’t ding them too much as American expectations are different, but I will.\
• Shower drain – the drain didn’t work well and the shower quickly filled up with water – almost overflowing at one point. I don’t take long showers, but still…the lip to keep it from overflowing wasn’t big. The drain needs to be fixed.

In closing, we will not stay at this location on our next trip in a few months. We can do better for lesser price and more convenience.

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More to come soon!

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March 12, 2010
AA155: BRU-LHR
Scheduled Departure: 1:15pm
Scheduled Arrival: 1:30pm
Seat: 2A
Aircraft: Boeing 767-300

When I woke up the morning of my flight, I went onto AA.com to find the flight. For some odd reason Flight 155 wasn’t found. I searched BRU-LHR and couldn’t find any flights that serviced this airport. I double and triple-checked the details on AA.com and saw that not only was my flight still there, but I was the only person in business class. That got me wondering if something was really odd.

I checked with the Brussels Airport website and indeed found the flight. I couldn’t figure out why the flight wouldn’t show up on AA.com. Then it hit me… must be a layover to another destination. I checked common destinations and found the flight has a stopover at LHR before heading to BOS. Relieved, I headed to the airport.

The check-in was in the B aisle, and the Security computer had me going to Chicago, NOT London. I assured the woman there that I was going to London and showed her my printed Itinerary. She went and checked the AA computer and sure enough I was right. This is the second time I’ve flown from Brussels and the second time the Security computer has been wrong. She marked my passport with a sticker and asked me a variety of questions around security. It seemed like she was trying to stump me. Questions like, “Who packed your bag?” “Did anybody give you any books?” and “Did you buy anything in Brussels that is now in the bag?” Regardless, I quickly was passed on to the desk agent and she checked my bag through to LHR. Of course the premium tag was applied! J

Immigration was a breeze with only 2 people in front of me, and then on to Security, where the FastPass access allowed me to move past about 75 people standing in line. I cleared security without removing my shoes (ahh… people who get it!) and I made my way down to the Starbucks that was calling my name. I had the opportunity to visit the BA lounge, but I did that last time and wasn’t too impressed. Starbucks with a table, a plug and very near my gate was just perfect.

Boarding started around 12:40 and there were only 3 people in the business class section and about 20 people in coach for this short flight to London. On paper it looks like 15 minutes, however it’s 1:15 due to a timezone change.

I was assigned 2A, but took 2B. Two other people took 3D and 2G. The rest of Business Class was empty. Kind of an odd feeling with so many empty seats. The FA assured me every seat would be filled from LHR to BOS, but I told her I was getting off in LHR and good luck with the service!

We shut the door at 1:04 and backed away from the gate about 9 minutes later. After a short taxi, we got in line and then lifted off to London at 1:21 from runway 25R.

Drinks were served along with a “cheesey mini snax biscuits” package. They were OK, though bordered on stale. And the package only contained 5 crackers. Count’em: 5 very small crackers! I was determined to get something more concrete in the LHR airport upon arrival.

The captain announced that we started our descent into LHR at 12:55pm and were on the ground at 1:10pm. We were penalty-boxed for about 10 minutes while a plane unoccupied our gate. We still pulled in early around 1:25pm. I was first off the plane and then I started the LONG walk to immigration. When I arrived – and boy is that a long walk! – I handed my pink Fast Pass card to the waiting agent, and she let me through. There was nobody waiting at Fast Pass so I walked right up, answered a few brief questions and took my passport through to get my baggage. Bags were arriving quickly – I’m guessing as probably only a few people got off in London while most others went on to BOS – and with nothing to declare I was on my way to the Heathrow Express.

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Heathrow Express / London Tube
LHR – Paddington Station in 15 minutes
Paddington to Piccadilly Circus via Bakerloo line – 15 minutes

Getting to the train was easy. Signs were clear and buying a ticket was a snap. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have taken the elevator down instead of the escalators. If I had taken the elevator, I would have gotten the train. Instead I missed it by about 10 seconds and had to wait another 15 minutes. I really wasn’t in a rush, but being that close to the train was frustrating!

Once the train came, I found the “coach class” terminal and made my way onto the train. Boarding was easy, storing my bag was simple and I even used the free wireless to sync my work email on my computer. It was far easier than taking a taxi, and my understanding is it was far less expensive. I look forward to using it again on Monday morning when I return to the US. It deposited me at Paddington as promised in 15 minutes. Then I was on my way to the Bakerloo line to get close to my hotel. I got off at Piccadilly Circus, which was less than a block from my hotel: Le Meridien. My first Underground experience was a good one. Easy signage and fast-running trains.

mjcewl1284

Looking forward to more of your TR, thanks for sharing!

Markieg

8km = 5miles so 300km/h = 187mph or flippin fast ....

camsean

Great report. Thanks for posting.

sobore

Lots of good stuff here. Thanks!

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March 15, 2010
AA137: LHR– LAX
Scheduled Departure: 11:10am (Actual: 12:01)
Scheduled Arrival: 3:35pm (Actual 3:38pm)
Seat: 12B (Swapped to 9B)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200

As much as I like traveling, I always like going home too. There’s nothing quite like crawling into your own bed, your own sheets and getting a really good night of sleep. Not that I didn’t have a good night of sleep Sunday night. In fact, I was in a deep sleep when my iPhone’s Old Car Horn alarm went off at 7:00am. My plan was set the night before to wake up at 7:00, be out of the hotel by 7:30, be at Paddington by 8:00 and to catch the 8:05am train to LHR. And my plan was a good one. Everything went like clockwork.

I arrived at LHR around 8:30am and found that I needed to go to Aisle B to check in. I stopped at a business class desk and asked if that was the right gate for AA137. They told me no, I had to go around the corner. As I left, they asked, “are you business class?” I answered yes with a likely dumbfounded look on my face ,and they told me, “oh, well you can check in here.” That was 30 seconds of my life I’ll never get back!

They checked my passport and issued both my boarding pass for the LHR-LAX flight, and for AA1798 from LAX – SFO. My original plan was to try and get on the 4:40pm SFO flight, but as we’ll later find out, that wasn’t happening.

I made my way to the Fast Pass security lane and found there were only about 15 people in line. I showed my ticket and passed my things through security. I like the fact I didn’t have to take off my belt, and I didn’t have to take off my shoes. Taking off our shoes in the US issues a false sense of security that extra scrutiny is taking place , and I don’t buy it.

I collected my things and made my way to the AAdmirals Club lounge. I didn’t take time to explore the lounge for two basic reasons (1) there was an absolutely beautiful woman about my age sitting alone, and (2) I found a place to plug in my laptop right away (or straight away as they say over in jolly old England). I observed the woman for a few minutes and decided I didn’t have a chance, so I’d just hope that she was on my flight and somehow sitting next to me. Instead, I grabbed some coffee and did a little work using the free wi-fi.

The gate opened at 9:50, but the AAdmirals Club agent told me it was pointless to leave the club until 10:40 for the 11:10am flight. I took her advice and even making it down to Gate 28 quickly, I still had to wait around a few minutes. The flight coming in was late and everything was still catching up. So we were about 20 minutes late in boarding.

Eventually I found my way to 12B, started to unload my stuff and of course, 12A comes to me and says, “my friend is sitting in 9B, would you mind switching?” Two thoughts went through my mind: (1) 12A is pretty cute… why can’t I sit next to you and chat you up a bit? (2) 9B looks even cuter! Why can’t I talk with her too? (3) Seat 9B is a bulkhead… do I really want to do that? My thinking didn’t last long, so I made the switch and told 9B that she now owes me a favor, and I would be back to cash in a bit later. My light flirting got me a smile and that’s about it.

I moved my way to 9B, found some overhead space and sat down next to some dude. The typical pre-flight routine of champagne, mimosa’s, OJ or water were offered. Menus were handed out and drink orders were taken. Eventually we backed away and rolled out to the runway. The IFE was on and most windows were already closed, so I began my trip with the Michael Jackson movie “This Is It”. Once that was done, I followed it up with another movie, which as I type this I have no idea what it was. Both were good though.

Lunch was offered midway through the Michael Jackson movie. I won’t transcribe the menu, as I left it on the plane, but options were steak, chicken, fish or pasta. I had the pasta, which was OK at best. The foccacia bread was very good though, and the tomato salad appetizer was very flavorful! I passed on dessert.

After some work on the laptop, I played some games on my iPhone and before I knew it, 9 hours had passed and it was light snack time. I chose the roast beef sandwich over the pizza. Again, it was OK.

After passing over Las Vegas, we started our descent and arrived just a few minutes behind our original schedule. We taxied over to Gate 41 at LAX and the captain turned off the engines to be towed in. We had to sit an extra few minutes as the tow crew wasn’t ready for us.

I was quickly off the plane and on my way to Immigration, which was nice and dead. Nobody there and no wait at all. After being admitted back into the USA, I waited for my bag and then cleared customs, where I promptly rechecked my bag for the final flight to SFO. I made my way upstairs to security and after a short wait at the metal detector, it was off to the AAdmirals Club. I was admitted quickly and the lady handed me a stack of chits for drinks. I counted them a few minutes later and there were 7! I like to have a cocktail now and again, but 7 free drink passes? Ridiculous! But thanks!

I sat down to do some work and quickly the jetlag was creeping up on me. I could feel it setting in, so I closed things up and decided to stroll around Terminal 4 for a while until boarding for my final filght.

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AA1798: LAX-SFO
Scheduled Departure: 6:25pm (Actual: 6:59pm)
Scheduled Arrival: 7:45pm (Actual 7:44pm)
Seat: 3E
Aircraft: MD80

My final flight of this trip was a short one, but after an 11-hour flight, the last thing I wanted to do was board another plane. I was tired and just ready for a nap.

When boarding started, I was the first on the plane. I greeted the cute FA with a smile and when she asked how I was, I responded, “tired… I just got off the Heathrow flight and I’m ready to get home.” She tried to calm me by telling me I could have 40 minutes of sleep time on this flight. I took my seat, 3E, and waited for the person to arrive in 3F. Nobody ever came and it was open for the flight.

When the door was closed, I put my head back and began to doze off. I can remember taking off and reclining my seat. I slept the entire way until the captain came on to say we were starting to land. Before long we were on the ground. No drink service or anything else to report.

We landed right on time and pulled into the gate. Again, I was first one off the plane and I headed for baggage claim. The signs indicated the bags would come on one carousel, but in fact they ended up coming on another carousel. I saw my bag quickly, grabbed it and headed for the taxi stand for the 20-minute ride home. My trip was over.

In closing, the trip was a ton of fun and I learned a lot about my business co-workers and our products, so it was worth the time away. My next trip is scheduled for just 12 days later, on the 27th, when I go even further to the Middle East and a visit to Istanbul, Turkey!

The End!