An English Breakfast
Jan 31, 2003, 5:47 pm
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Bellevue, WA-AAEXP3mm
Posts: 2,962
An English Breakfast
Just can’t stay away from the commercial airline industry in their time of need…thus, it’s off to jolly old LHR for a few hours of r & r. Besides, what better way to study for an upcoming LSAT test than to be trapped on an airplane for four to eight hours at a stretch?
Check in at the SEA counter is uneventful, but I get a laugh from the agent there who notes my rather quick turnaround in London. He laments the use of MD-80’s from SEA and comments that he would like to see more 767’s on the midcons and transcons….”you guys that fly a lot should be getting better perks and more comfort…I hate to see you crammed in those MD-80’s for a four hour flight”. I assume he’s never been on an AS flight in first class; their seat pitch up front makes AA’s seem palatial by contrast.
I tell him that the only real complaint I have lately about AA is the discontinuation of the SOS program, and have written to Don Carty about it. This comment attracts a few other agents at the front counter (a low demand check in time at SEA, I guess) and results in a brief discussion about our hopes for AA in the future. It seems that the employees and I have a common interest in them keeping their jobs as well as the stock price doing well for all of us AMR investors. Besides, nobody associated in any way with the commercial airlines wants unhappy employees; it makes all of our lives a little more miserable. My boarding passes are placed in a heavy card stock “Business Class” ticket jacket (OK, let’s save the $2 million it costs to print these fancy things and keep the SOS program, eh?) and am offered an Admirals’ Club pass; I pull out my AC membership card and decline with thanks.
I am happy that my first use of a VIPOW has cleared as of three days ago for the ORD-LHR leg; the return upgrade has not yet materialized although I note that there are still 3 J inventory seats available as of this morning. Hopefully (ain’t it awful to wish this?) AA won’t sell these seats before tomorrow’s return. Even though it’s a 777, I don’t relish the thought of a transatlantic back in Y. With a few grins at my lunacy for wanting to sit on a few of their aircraft for the better part of the weekend, the counter staff wishes safe travels and it’s off to the AC for a quick e-mail check before getting out of dodge.
SEA-ORD, AA 2020, MD-80, 12:03 P.M. Sat., 1/25/03, Seat 4B
This weekend’s flying odyssey begins ten minutes late from C18 at SEA; seems the inbound was delayed due to de-icing at ORD. En route to the gate from the AC, a quick chat with the captain that just flew our bird in reveals that this will be a great flight to sleep and study on. He says to expect to see virtually nothing due to extensive cloud cover en route, and that there will be intermittent light to moderate chop along the entire route. He’s not kidding; we’ll make more than a few attempts at finding a smooth altitude before this portion of the trip is over. Twice the flight attendants are forced to sit, suspending cabin service mid stride.
IFE: Whatever you can come up with…it’s a MD-80!
This flight’s cabin service:
Pre-departure drink in F
Post departure drink (AS, are you reading this?)
Hot towel service (bummer, no lemony scent)
Assorted warmed mixed nuts
Green salad with choice of Caesar or Vinaigrette Dressing
Choice of:
Salmon sandwich on pumpernickel bread
Chicken & artichokes in a pastry shell
Vegetable Soup
Desert: Cheese & crackers with grapes
Vanilla Ice Cream sundaes with choice of toppings
The salmon (third time I’ve had this in the last month) is pretty good. It’s a fairly empty flight; now that AA has cut back the SEA-ORD departures to 3 a day (down from the 6 they had operating just a year ago), most everyone that’s going to go to ORD this weekend has already left, taking the 8:14 or 10:17 morning flights. FC has 9 takers out of 14 seats; coach looks to be about half full.
As we start our descent into Chicago, I notice a haze above the cloud layer that appears to be dusted with ice crystals; it’s supposed to be about nineteen degrees F when we land, but it sure looks colder than that. Glad I won’t be here long…the weather forecasted for London tomorrow is to be a balmy 52 degrees…and raining, just like Seattle. Aggressive tail winds en route on this segment will keep our flying time to 3 hours and 20 minutes; then it’s off to the Flagship Lounge at ORD for a first (and probably last, considering it’s closing February1) visit.
ORD-LHR, AA 46, 777, 8:30 P.M. Sat, 1/25/03 Seat 12J
Seems like the cold here at ORD is affecting all of the equipment. The earlier LHR departure, AA 86, originally scheduled for 5:00pm CST, is now leaving at 7:45. Ours still shows as being on time, but, seeing as how both flights leave from K12, it looks as if I’ll have a little extra time to kill.
The FL here (for what’s left of its’ life) is way out at the end of the K concourse in T3. It’s pretty nice; they don’t seem to care that I’m travelling as a premium class passenger internationally as much as they insist I have to be an EXP to stop in here. OK, whatever, I have it covered. There’s a decent selection of scooby snacks; pineapple marinated chicken skewers, chicken taquitos, sausage slices and stuffed mushrooms. To boot, there’s a wide selection of cocktails available from a self-service bar for free…but, alas, no Crown Royal. A Guinness will do the trick to wash down the snackage, and it’s off to find a seat. They do announce international departures from this lounge, so that’s a comfort. I try to use the computers to log on and check e-mail, but, since the system is set up to not accept cookies, I can’t log into Hotmail. I shrug it off and decide to live without e-mail for the weekend; roughing it can be good for the soul.
We get our 777 at the gate about 8:30, so it’s obvious an on time departure is not in the cards. Not only does she have to be loaded with freight pallets, our silver, red and blue lady of the skies has to be catered and deiced to remove a light coating of snow after her tow over from T5. Boarding is at about 9:15, but something happens to a panel during deicing, so it’s 10:00 local before we push back. It’s my first time aboard a 777, and I’m really impressed with the smooth power and comfort engineered into this aircraft. We’re totally full in J, as is F; steerage appears to be about ¾ full. Water, orange juice and champagne are offered before pushback, and printed menus are passed out indicating that this will be a “flagship service” flight.
Tonight’s meal service:
Wines: Pommery Vintage Champagne
Laroche Chablis Premier Cru “Vaillons” Vieilles Vignes
Silverado Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Chateau Duhart Milon Rothschild Grand Cru (1998 vintage, I chose this)
Baileyana Winery Edna Valley Pinot Noir
Aperitif & Dessert Wines:
Osborne Amountillado Sherry
Graham’s Vintage Port
Royal Tokaji Red Label Tokaji Aszu
Warmer Roasted Nuts to accompany your favorite beverage
Smoked Salmon with Red Onion Compote garnished with Cream Cheese Mousse and a Caperberry
Fresh Seasonal Greens offered with Creamy Basil Dressing or Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar
Assorted Warm Breads
Entrees:
Lemon Marinated Lamb Medallions with a light red Oregano red wine jus, presented with oven roasted carrot slices and lemon mashed potatoes.
Seared Chicken Breast enhanced by a leek and watercress sauce, served with a medley of carrots, parsnips and haricots verts and a cambozola cheese potato souffle.
Spinach and Cheese filled Cannelloni, accompanied by a light tomato sauce and a light cream sauce
Filet Mignon complemented by a roasted red pepper and basil sauce offered with a manchego cheese and tomato potato torta and vericots verts (kinda reminds me of “varicose veins”….).
Vegetable Plate: Seasonal selection including wilted spinach, balsamic grilled tomatoes and whipped potatoes
The dessert cart:
Saga Blue and Jarlsberg cheese accompanied by seasonal grapes, walnuts and selected crackers.
Vanilla Ice Cream topped with Almond Walnut Brittle
Godiva chocolates
Me, I’m feeling like cow tonight, so it’s the filet. At the bottom of the menu, it states that American Airlines uses Brazilian beef; lacking a tremendous amount of experience with South American cows (or any other cows, for that matter), I’m not sure if this is a prestigious thing or not. I select the red Bordeaux, as I know this fourth growth grand cru from the Rothschild stable of vineyards….I have the 1996 and 1997 vintages in my cellar. The ’98 is not bad…it’s the first time I’ve had red wine on an airline in some time. Call me a snob, but most of them are not palatable by my standards. I opt for the ice cream for dessert and am not disappointed.
About three and a half hours of sleep comes courtesy of a ½ tablet of Ambien; I’m going to try to fool my body into thinking it’s on Seattle time for the duration. I have earplugs but opt to use the Bose noise canceling headsets that are passed out in the cabin; they work pretty well. After waking up, I decide to try out the personal video units; there is a choice of 10 different videos to watch including four movies (the rest is TV stuff, CBS junk, Animal Planet, National Geographic, Discovery, etc….what, no ESPN?). I pick what appears to be a “surfer flick”, Blue Wave or something. The nice thing about the videos on international flights is that some of them have not been “edited for television”, that is, they leave the naughty bits and language in for us big people. The surfing scenes are really good, but the rest of the flick is pretty weak.
I must say, this is a great way to travel. OK, it’s not a sleeper seat in F, but I just got my VIPOW’s (and EXP status) a month ago, so the widebody J seat is a real treat. All of the accoutrements on my seat work as advertised; the footrest unfolds and extends perfectly. I am comfy and discard my shoes for good measure. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for my seatmate in 12J; after attempting to destroy his malfunctioning seat for about 15 minutes, he summons a flight attendant and simply says, “I may not be able to get my seat back upright for landing”. He again demonstrates a physical ability to contort the seat in positions other than those for which it is intended; the FA merely watches him for a few moments, wondering if he is going to try and also remove the seat from its’ track in the process. While unsuccessful at trashing the seat, he has now managed to attract the attention of any remaining passengers that are awake in the cabin. A few more moments pass (with some peppery language tossed in for good measure) before 12J resumes his book reading. I decide that neither the movie nor this guy are worth watching any further, and go back to sleep.
It’s about 1:40 A.M. Seattle time (9:40A.M. GMT) when I awaken again; according to the big monitor on the front wall of the cabin (which has been intermittently displaying our GPS position throughout the flight), we’re about 475 miles from LHR. The outside temp is a balmy –81 Fahrenheit; no wonder they say it’s instant death should something happen at this altitude…you’d probably just shatter. Doggone, I slept through flying over the southern tip of Greenland; last time I saw that, I was sitting in the aft refueling station of a KC-135 coming back from RAF Mildenhall, watching the boom operator refuel F-15’s over the Atlantic in 1980.
A light breakfast snack service has started, consisting of:
Fresh seasonal fruit
Yogurt
Cereal
Assorted breakfast breads
I’m going to pass on the breakfast, I think I ate too much for dinner. The captain comes on and says that, barring any sequencing problems into LHR, we should be on the ground about 11:00 AM local; only about 45 minutes late, not bad at all considering that we left over 1:30 late from ORD. Our approach includes a few “circles in the sky” before our final into Heathrow; it’s just like the weather in Seattle, except the ceilings here are down around 600 feet. I’m wondering if we’re going to bust minimums when finally we break through the scud and land smoothly. The really cool thing I notice right away is all of the airlines you never see while in Seattle. OK, I know Aeroflot has a flight from SEA, but I never see it there; also represented are LOT, SAS, Iberia, lots of UAL 767’s and 747’s, BA, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Air France and more. There are also airlines and tail designs I’ve never seen before; why does it seem that U.S. Airlines are so boring in their paint schemes when compared to foreign counterparts? Ahh, for the good old Braniff days…I’m stuck in the 70’s again, I guess, we really move our tail for you and all that.
There is no jetbridge for us today, so we’ll be deplaning directly via staircase onto the tarmac and into awaiting busses bound for customs. I find this a bit odd at a huge gateway airport like this, but what the heck, it’s kind of quaint. Though LHR seems disorganized in layout, our trip through passport control is rapid and uneventful. The agent reviewing my passport looks at me oddly as I try to explain my failure to enter an address in the UK on my arrival form; you see, sir, I’m just on a mileage run. “Why the big rush to leave, don’t you like the UK?” “ I like it fine, sir” I respond, “I’m just collecting miles this trip. I’ll be back in a few months to spend a few pounds here shag…, er, shopping”. “It’s not the destination then, today, but the journey, perhaps?” Aye, that it is. I walk outside baggage claim to departures entry door “B” for American just so I can gather a few breaths of jolly old British air. I am suddenly saddened at the fact that I will not be able to stay here for at least a few days; a few seconds worth of fantasizing about ditching the return flight is rapidly snuffed at the panic and economic horror of pondering a walkup one way fare back to SEA. The crown jewels will have to live without me for another few months.
Though I’m about an hour late, Dogstar and his friend Bill are waiting outside the AC in terminal 3; these lucky guys are over halfway through the ultimate FT “el cheapo” trip…they’ve just come in from a one day stayover in FCO on a $20 BA ticket. I’m jealous, they even got a slew of HP miles for the trip. I try to get us into the FL, but the staff is insistent that no more than one guest per member is allowed; bummer, I guess we’ll be slumming it at the AC. After about an hour comparing trip notes, the YVR based boys are off to BA T4 for their return, as I am away to shower off the remnants of flight 46. The shower facilities are nice and very clean but a tad small; I tip the attendant a fiver for keeping the place up so well. This is my first time meeting other FT’ers also engaged in the art of running, and I feel consolation and self assurance that there are indeed a group of others on this planet that are as whacked as I am when it comes to travel.
LHR-ORD, AA 47, 777, 2:15 P.M. Sun, 1/26/03, Seat 21B…nope, it looks like 9G now…
No such luck getting my VIPOW to clear pre-flight (despite an attempt at charming the adorable GA at gate 53, who is wise to this display of temporary affection by a passenger) so I resign myself to the Y cabin. J is oversold by two seats, but I am told I’m first on the list, whatever that means. While stowing my carry-on bags, a couple of middle eastern origin settles into seats 20 A & B. Not only is their lap infant starting to fuss loudly (at which point I am digging into my laptop bag for earplugs), the smell of an unwashed, overly ripe human wafts back to tantalize my nostrils. Despite MRTC and the extra inch of width in the 777 coach seat, I am instantly mortified at the thought of having to breathe this funk for the next nine hours. Hey, I’m all for embracing individual preferences, but gimme a break, deodorant should be a universal thing. Where’s the air vent…oh, God, please let it be working on the ground. Yes!
I’m just starting to think that this leg may work out all right as a late-twenties–something woman indicates that her seat is next to mine; my savior, however, appears in the form of the same GA that I flirted with about 20 minutes ago. “Mr. Martens?” Is that my name she’s using? Is she addressing moi? Yes, and it seems my VIPOW has suddenly and magically cleared. Goodbye, my lovely in 20A, alas, it was not to be (…and I see that she is truly saddened by my departure…). Please accept the now empty aisle seat next to you courtesy of AA and the wonderful VIPOW program for EXP’s; it’s off to 9G for this lad. Preflight drinks are offered in J, but I’m too busy scrambling to find a spot in the overheads for both my laptop and gym bags; one of the minor drawbacks of bulkhead, I guess.
Menus are once again handed out after departure; I note that we’ll be fed well on this flight. Once again, prepared with details a la ad nauseum for your reading pleasure, the menu is as such:
The wines are the same as flight 46. Please scroll up if you’re really interested in reading this again.
Warmed roasted nuts to accompany your favorite cocktail or beverage
Puff pastry tart filled with fresh tomato slices, kalamata olives, caramelized onions and fresh basil.
Fresh seasonal salad greens offered with creamy Caesar dressing or olive oil with balsamic vinegar.
Assorted warm breads
Tenderloin of beef complemented by sun dried tomatoes and a caramelized onion demi-glace, offered with a parmesan potato diamond and haricots verts amandine (their spelling).
Horseradish crusted salmon in a breadcrumb and ginger crust, enhanced by a soy glaze and served with sauteed chive potatoes and mixed vegetables
Farfalle pasta tossed with oven roasted rosemary tomatoes and a light porcini mushroom cream sauce
Key West chicken; mango marinated grilled breast of chicken topped with a pineapple mango relish, served on a bed of cumin scented rice, accompanied by spinach with a zesty orange butter
Seasonal vegetable plate that includes a wild rice medley, braised leeks with Chervil and roasted carrots with sage butter.
The dessert cart:
Fresh fruit and cheese with selected crackers
A scoop of Ben & Jerry’s vanilla caramel fudge ice cream
Chocolates
My fingers sure get tired typing all these pretentious descriptions of food…wish they’d just call it what it is and forget all of the muckity-muck. It’s sorta like Italian places that use the term “ristorante” or conjure up really ridiculous ethnic names for their establishments, such as Le Grande Pommes de Terre et Fils (which I believe is French for “man are we gonna rip yo a$$ off”). I really am somewhat turned off by the trendiness of it all at times. Hey, it’s a restaurant, call it a restaurant. And I was just in Key West a few weeks ago, I don’t remember a heluva lotta chickens running around. Sorry, a momentary lapse of sense there, I digress. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Trying to stay true to the Pacific Northwest, I’m going to have the saImon...again. It’s very good. I also feel as if I must celebrate my luck at getting into J at the last second and do so by ordering some Crown with my meal. OK, I’ll also have another glass of that Bordeaux; hold the dessert, please. Movie choices, according to the westbound entertainment guide, include “Bloodwork” with Clint Eastwood. At the appropriate time, I switch to channel 3, but it’s (horrors) “Goldmember”. Rats. The two flight attendants that are working this side of the J cabin are pretty friendly; one insists that since I’m not having dessert, I have to have another cocktail. OK, then, so be it. We talk briefly about what it’s like to fly internationally vice domestic; they say that getting used to all the time changes is the hardest thing when you start out. The best part is getting to visit all of these really interesting destinations (c’mon, it’s the passengers you really love, right?). After our brief chat, I opt for a study period, but ninety minutes of analytical logic game puzzles prove too much for me at 35,000 feet and sleep comes calling for most of the remainder of the flight to ORD.
We’re actually about 20 minutes early getting into T5 at ORD; the walk to customs seems to take forever. Whoever put the customs facility here must have wanted to make sure people were really awake by the time they got to an agent; it had to have been about a half mile from the gate to the check in stations. The process of getting back into my own country takes a little extra time courtesy of the computer network virus that was running around last weekend; the Novell based computers that U.S. Customs runs on were really slow. After a few Windows jokes and snickers, I’m on my way to the train and T3; the Super Bowl is about to start. I get to watch the first quarter before heading off to K12 and my flight home.
ORD – SEA, AA 1961, MD-80 6:35P.M. Sunday, 1/26/2003, Seat 5E
We’re actually a little late getting out of ORD again due to a late inbound from BUF. My seat mate is a deadheading AA First Officer going back home to SEA; he is Australian and has a terrific accent. Ever the Paul Hogan fan, I’m almost tempted to make him talk so I can listen to that Aussie sound, but he seems really tired, so I bug off and let him sleep.
There is no pre departure beverage service, so I decide I’m going to punish AA for this transgression (really more of an egregious error on their part) and empty the Crown Royal supply on the way home. Tonight’s meal service:
Hot towel service (yup, no lemony scent again and WOW that sucker’s hot)
Assorted warmed mixed nuts
Green salad with choice of Caesar or Vinaigrette Dressing
Assorted warm rolls with butter
Choice of Polynesian Chicken
Filet of Beef
Cheese & Mushroom Tortellini
Dessert:
Fruit and Cheese plate or
Ice cream Sundaes.
(Sorry the menu descriptions are so brief here, but I’m working from memory, actually finishing the last leg of the trip report while on AS 517 from SAN-SEA on Wednesday the 29th…) The food’s decent on this domestic leg, but nowhere near the quality that it was on the transatlantic flight. I’m actually very impressed at the meals and service I received on the overseas legs. I’m also extremely impressed with the 777.
The captain comes on about every 15 minutes or so to update the Super Bowl score; I am ecstatic at Tampa Bay putting it to the Raiders and silently cheer every time their lead increases. After dinner, I get out the laptop and decide that tonight’s the night I’m going to watch “A Brilliant Mind”. Yeah, I know, I’m way behind on films, just haven’t seen it yet. I’m really only interested in Jennifer Connelly, anyway…. The movie’s good, but the Crown Royal makes it even better. I’m pretty liquid by the time I get to SEA, and am thankful that a lady friend is picking me up. It’s raining pretty good here; we spend a little time flying sequencing vectors in and land on 16L at about 9:35 PM PST. Pretty amazing, to London and back in just over 39 hours; I’ll have to try the Concorde someday.
Probably the worst thing about a trip like this is knowing that you’re going to this fantastic destination, but, due to time constraints, you won’t be able to spend any time there. I’m wistfully looking towards the day when work won’t be so demanding, life won’t be so hectic and the mileage runs that I now take will someday include real stopovers. For now, it will have to be about the journey rather than the destination.
Check in at the SEA counter is uneventful, but I get a laugh from the agent there who notes my rather quick turnaround in London. He laments the use of MD-80’s from SEA and comments that he would like to see more 767’s on the midcons and transcons….”you guys that fly a lot should be getting better perks and more comfort…I hate to see you crammed in those MD-80’s for a four hour flight”. I assume he’s never been on an AS flight in first class; their seat pitch up front makes AA’s seem palatial by contrast.
I tell him that the only real complaint I have lately about AA is the discontinuation of the SOS program, and have written to Don Carty about it. This comment attracts a few other agents at the front counter (a low demand check in time at SEA, I guess) and results in a brief discussion about our hopes for AA in the future. It seems that the employees and I have a common interest in them keeping their jobs as well as the stock price doing well for all of us AMR investors. Besides, nobody associated in any way with the commercial airlines wants unhappy employees; it makes all of our lives a little more miserable. My boarding passes are placed in a heavy card stock “Business Class” ticket jacket (OK, let’s save the $2 million it costs to print these fancy things and keep the SOS program, eh?) and am offered an Admirals’ Club pass; I pull out my AC membership card and decline with thanks.
I am happy that my first use of a VIPOW has cleared as of three days ago for the ORD-LHR leg; the return upgrade has not yet materialized although I note that there are still 3 J inventory seats available as of this morning. Hopefully (ain’t it awful to wish this?) AA won’t sell these seats before tomorrow’s return. Even though it’s a 777, I don’t relish the thought of a transatlantic back in Y. With a few grins at my lunacy for wanting to sit on a few of their aircraft for the better part of the weekend, the counter staff wishes safe travels and it’s off to the AC for a quick e-mail check before getting out of dodge.
SEA-ORD, AA 2020, MD-80, 12:03 P.M. Sat., 1/25/03, Seat 4B
This weekend’s flying odyssey begins ten minutes late from C18 at SEA; seems the inbound was delayed due to de-icing at ORD. En route to the gate from the AC, a quick chat with the captain that just flew our bird in reveals that this will be a great flight to sleep and study on. He says to expect to see virtually nothing due to extensive cloud cover en route, and that there will be intermittent light to moderate chop along the entire route. He’s not kidding; we’ll make more than a few attempts at finding a smooth altitude before this portion of the trip is over. Twice the flight attendants are forced to sit, suspending cabin service mid stride.
IFE: Whatever you can come up with…it’s a MD-80!
This flight’s cabin service:
Pre-departure drink in F
Post departure drink (AS, are you reading this?)
Hot towel service (bummer, no lemony scent)
Assorted warmed mixed nuts
Green salad with choice of Caesar or Vinaigrette Dressing
Choice of:
Salmon sandwich on pumpernickel bread
Chicken & artichokes in a pastry shell
Vegetable Soup
Desert: Cheese & crackers with grapes
Vanilla Ice Cream sundaes with choice of toppings
The salmon (third time I’ve had this in the last month) is pretty good. It’s a fairly empty flight; now that AA has cut back the SEA-ORD departures to 3 a day (down from the 6 they had operating just a year ago), most everyone that’s going to go to ORD this weekend has already left, taking the 8:14 or 10:17 morning flights. FC has 9 takers out of 14 seats; coach looks to be about half full.
As we start our descent into Chicago, I notice a haze above the cloud layer that appears to be dusted with ice crystals; it’s supposed to be about nineteen degrees F when we land, but it sure looks colder than that. Glad I won’t be here long…the weather forecasted for London tomorrow is to be a balmy 52 degrees…and raining, just like Seattle. Aggressive tail winds en route on this segment will keep our flying time to 3 hours and 20 minutes; then it’s off to the Flagship Lounge at ORD for a first (and probably last, considering it’s closing February1) visit.
ORD-LHR, AA 46, 777, 8:30 P.M. Sat, 1/25/03 Seat 12J
Seems like the cold here at ORD is affecting all of the equipment. The earlier LHR departure, AA 86, originally scheduled for 5:00pm CST, is now leaving at 7:45. Ours still shows as being on time, but, seeing as how both flights leave from K12, it looks as if I’ll have a little extra time to kill.
The FL here (for what’s left of its’ life) is way out at the end of the K concourse in T3. It’s pretty nice; they don’t seem to care that I’m travelling as a premium class passenger internationally as much as they insist I have to be an EXP to stop in here. OK, whatever, I have it covered. There’s a decent selection of scooby snacks; pineapple marinated chicken skewers, chicken taquitos, sausage slices and stuffed mushrooms. To boot, there’s a wide selection of cocktails available from a self-service bar for free…but, alas, no Crown Royal. A Guinness will do the trick to wash down the snackage, and it’s off to find a seat. They do announce international departures from this lounge, so that’s a comfort. I try to use the computers to log on and check e-mail, but, since the system is set up to not accept cookies, I can’t log into Hotmail. I shrug it off and decide to live without e-mail for the weekend; roughing it can be good for the soul.
We get our 777 at the gate about 8:30, so it’s obvious an on time departure is not in the cards. Not only does she have to be loaded with freight pallets, our silver, red and blue lady of the skies has to be catered and deiced to remove a light coating of snow after her tow over from T5. Boarding is at about 9:15, but something happens to a panel during deicing, so it’s 10:00 local before we push back. It’s my first time aboard a 777, and I’m really impressed with the smooth power and comfort engineered into this aircraft. We’re totally full in J, as is F; steerage appears to be about ¾ full. Water, orange juice and champagne are offered before pushback, and printed menus are passed out indicating that this will be a “flagship service” flight.
Tonight’s meal service:
Wines: Pommery Vintage Champagne
Laroche Chablis Premier Cru “Vaillons” Vieilles Vignes
Silverado Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Chateau Duhart Milon Rothschild Grand Cru (1998 vintage, I chose this)
Baileyana Winery Edna Valley Pinot Noir
Aperitif & Dessert Wines:
Osborne Amountillado Sherry
Graham’s Vintage Port
Royal Tokaji Red Label Tokaji Aszu
Warmer Roasted Nuts to accompany your favorite beverage
Smoked Salmon with Red Onion Compote garnished with Cream Cheese Mousse and a Caperberry
Fresh Seasonal Greens offered with Creamy Basil Dressing or Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar
Assorted Warm Breads
Entrees:
Lemon Marinated Lamb Medallions with a light red Oregano red wine jus, presented with oven roasted carrot slices and lemon mashed potatoes.
Seared Chicken Breast enhanced by a leek and watercress sauce, served with a medley of carrots, parsnips and haricots verts and a cambozola cheese potato souffle.
Spinach and Cheese filled Cannelloni, accompanied by a light tomato sauce and a light cream sauce
Filet Mignon complemented by a roasted red pepper and basil sauce offered with a manchego cheese and tomato potato torta and vericots verts (kinda reminds me of “varicose veins”….).
Vegetable Plate: Seasonal selection including wilted spinach, balsamic grilled tomatoes and whipped potatoes
The dessert cart:
Saga Blue and Jarlsberg cheese accompanied by seasonal grapes, walnuts and selected crackers.
Vanilla Ice Cream topped with Almond Walnut Brittle
Godiva chocolates
Me, I’m feeling like cow tonight, so it’s the filet. At the bottom of the menu, it states that American Airlines uses Brazilian beef; lacking a tremendous amount of experience with South American cows (or any other cows, for that matter), I’m not sure if this is a prestigious thing or not. I select the red Bordeaux, as I know this fourth growth grand cru from the Rothschild stable of vineyards….I have the 1996 and 1997 vintages in my cellar. The ’98 is not bad…it’s the first time I’ve had red wine on an airline in some time. Call me a snob, but most of them are not palatable by my standards. I opt for the ice cream for dessert and am not disappointed.
About three and a half hours of sleep comes courtesy of a ½ tablet of Ambien; I’m going to try to fool my body into thinking it’s on Seattle time for the duration. I have earplugs but opt to use the Bose noise canceling headsets that are passed out in the cabin; they work pretty well. After waking up, I decide to try out the personal video units; there is a choice of 10 different videos to watch including four movies (the rest is TV stuff, CBS junk, Animal Planet, National Geographic, Discovery, etc….what, no ESPN?). I pick what appears to be a “surfer flick”, Blue Wave or something. The nice thing about the videos on international flights is that some of them have not been “edited for television”, that is, they leave the naughty bits and language in for us big people. The surfing scenes are really good, but the rest of the flick is pretty weak.
I must say, this is a great way to travel. OK, it’s not a sleeper seat in F, but I just got my VIPOW’s (and EXP status) a month ago, so the widebody J seat is a real treat. All of the accoutrements on my seat work as advertised; the footrest unfolds and extends perfectly. I am comfy and discard my shoes for good measure. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for my seatmate in 12J; after attempting to destroy his malfunctioning seat for about 15 minutes, he summons a flight attendant and simply says, “I may not be able to get my seat back upright for landing”. He again demonstrates a physical ability to contort the seat in positions other than those for which it is intended; the FA merely watches him for a few moments, wondering if he is going to try and also remove the seat from its’ track in the process. While unsuccessful at trashing the seat, he has now managed to attract the attention of any remaining passengers that are awake in the cabin. A few more moments pass (with some peppery language tossed in for good measure) before 12J resumes his book reading. I decide that neither the movie nor this guy are worth watching any further, and go back to sleep.
It’s about 1:40 A.M. Seattle time (9:40A.M. GMT) when I awaken again; according to the big monitor on the front wall of the cabin (which has been intermittently displaying our GPS position throughout the flight), we’re about 475 miles from LHR. The outside temp is a balmy –81 Fahrenheit; no wonder they say it’s instant death should something happen at this altitude…you’d probably just shatter. Doggone, I slept through flying over the southern tip of Greenland; last time I saw that, I was sitting in the aft refueling station of a KC-135 coming back from RAF Mildenhall, watching the boom operator refuel F-15’s over the Atlantic in 1980.
A light breakfast snack service has started, consisting of:
Fresh seasonal fruit
Yogurt
Cereal
Assorted breakfast breads
I’m going to pass on the breakfast, I think I ate too much for dinner. The captain comes on and says that, barring any sequencing problems into LHR, we should be on the ground about 11:00 AM local; only about 45 minutes late, not bad at all considering that we left over 1:30 late from ORD. Our approach includes a few “circles in the sky” before our final into Heathrow; it’s just like the weather in Seattle, except the ceilings here are down around 600 feet. I’m wondering if we’re going to bust minimums when finally we break through the scud and land smoothly. The really cool thing I notice right away is all of the airlines you never see while in Seattle. OK, I know Aeroflot has a flight from SEA, but I never see it there; also represented are LOT, SAS, Iberia, lots of UAL 767’s and 747’s, BA, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Air France and more. There are also airlines and tail designs I’ve never seen before; why does it seem that U.S. Airlines are so boring in their paint schemes when compared to foreign counterparts? Ahh, for the good old Braniff days…I’m stuck in the 70’s again, I guess, we really move our tail for you and all that.
There is no jetbridge for us today, so we’ll be deplaning directly via staircase onto the tarmac and into awaiting busses bound for customs. I find this a bit odd at a huge gateway airport like this, but what the heck, it’s kind of quaint. Though LHR seems disorganized in layout, our trip through passport control is rapid and uneventful. The agent reviewing my passport looks at me oddly as I try to explain my failure to enter an address in the UK on my arrival form; you see, sir, I’m just on a mileage run. “Why the big rush to leave, don’t you like the UK?” “ I like it fine, sir” I respond, “I’m just collecting miles this trip. I’ll be back in a few months to spend a few pounds here shag…, er, shopping”. “It’s not the destination then, today, but the journey, perhaps?” Aye, that it is. I walk outside baggage claim to departures entry door “B” for American just so I can gather a few breaths of jolly old British air. I am suddenly saddened at the fact that I will not be able to stay here for at least a few days; a few seconds worth of fantasizing about ditching the return flight is rapidly snuffed at the panic and economic horror of pondering a walkup one way fare back to SEA. The crown jewels will have to live without me for another few months.
Though I’m about an hour late, Dogstar and his friend Bill are waiting outside the AC in terminal 3; these lucky guys are over halfway through the ultimate FT “el cheapo” trip…they’ve just come in from a one day stayover in FCO on a $20 BA ticket. I’m jealous, they even got a slew of HP miles for the trip. I try to get us into the FL, but the staff is insistent that no more than one guest per member is allowed; bummer, I guess we’ll be slumming it at the AC. After about an hour comparing trip notes, the YVR based boys are off to BA T4 for their return, as I am away to shower off the remnants of flight 46. The shower facilities are nice and very clean but a tad small; I tip the attendant a fiver for keeping the place up so well. This is my first time meeting other FT’ers also engaged in the art of running, and I feel consolation and self assurance that there are indeed a group of others on this planet that are as whacked as I am when it comes to travel.
LHR-ORD, AA 47, 777, 2:15 P.M. Sun, 1/26/03, Seat 21B…nope, it looks like 9G now…
No such luck getting my VIPOW to clear pre-flight (despite an attempt at charming the adorable GA at gate 53, who is wise to this display of temporary affection by a passenger) so I resign myself to the Y cabin. J is oversold by two seats, but I am told I’m first on the list, whatever that means. While stowing my carry-on bags, a couple of middle eastern origin settles into seats 20 A & B. Not only is their lap infant starting to fuss loudly (at which point I am digging into my laptop bag for earplugs), the smell of an unwashed, overly ripe human wafts back to tantalize my nostrils. Despite MRTC and the extra inch of width in the 777 coach seat, I am instantly mortified at the thought of having to breathe this funk for the next nine hours. Hey, I’m all for embracing individual preferences, but gimme a break, deodorant should be a universal thing. Where’s the air vent…oh, God, please let it be working on the ground. Yes!
I’m just starting to think that this leg may work out all right as a late-twenties–something woman indicates that her seat is next to mine; my savior, however, appears in the form of the same GA that I flirted with about 20 minutes ago. “Mr. Martens?” Is that my name she’s using? Is she addressing moi? Yes, and it seems my VIPOW has suddenly and magically cleared. Goodbye, my lovely in 20A, alas, it was not to be (…and I see that she is truly saddened by my departure…). Please accept the now empty aisle seat next to you courtesy of AA and the wonderful VIPOW program for EXP’s; it’s off to 9G for this lad. Preflight drinks are offered in J, but I’m too busy scrambling to find a spot in the overheads for both my laptop and gym bags; one of the minor drawbacks of bulkhead, I guess.
Menus are once again handed out after departure; I note that we’ll be fed well on this flight. Once again, prepared with details a la ad nauseum for your reading pleasure, the menu is as such:
The wines are the same as flight 46. Please scroll up if you’re really interested in reading this again.
Warmed roasted nuts to accompany your favorite cocktail or beverage
Puff pastry tart filled with fresh tomato slices, kalamata olives, caramelized onions and fresh basil.
Fresh seasonal salad greens offered with creamy Caesar dressing or olive oil with balsamic vinegar.
Assorted warm breads
Tenderloin of beef complemented by sun dried tomatoes and a caramelized onion demi-glace, offered with a parmesan potato diamond and haricots verts amandine (their spelling).
Horseradish crusted salmon in a breadcrumb and ginger crust, enhanced by a soy glaze and served with sauteed chive potatoes and mixed vegetables
Farfalle pasta tossed with oven roasted rosemary tomatoes and a light porcini mushroom cream sauce
Key West chicken; mango marinated grilled breast of chicken topped with a pineapple mango relish, served on a bed of cumin scented rice, accompanied by spinach with a zesty orange butter
Seasonal vegetable plate that includes a wild rice medley, braised leeks with Chervil and roasted carrots with sage butter.
The dessert cart:
Fresh fruit and cheese with selected crackers
A scoop of Ben & Jerry’s vanilla caramel fudge ice cream
Chocolates
My fingers sure get tired typing all these pretentious descriptions of food…wish they’d just call it what it is and forget all of the muckity-muck. It’s sorta like Italian places that use the term “ristorante” or conjure up really ridiculous ethnic names for their establishments, such as Le Grande Pommes de Terre et Fils (which I believe is French for “man are we gonna rip yo a$$ off”). I really am somewhat turned off by the trendiness of it all at times. Hey, it’s a restaurant, call it a restaurant. And I was just in Key West a few weeks ago, I don’t remember a heluva lotta chickens running around. Sorry, a momentary lapse of sense there, I digress. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Trying to stay true to the Pacific Northwest, I’m going to have the saImon...again. It’s very good. I also feel as if I must celebrate my luck at getting into J at the last second and do so by ordering some Crown with my meal. OK, I’ll also have another glass of that Bordeaux; hold the dessert, please. Movie choices, according to the westbound entertainment guide, include “Bloodwork” with Clint Eastwood. At the appropriate time, I switch to channel 3, but it’s (horrors) “Goldmember”. Rats. The two flight attendants that are working this side of the J cabin are pretty friendly; one insists that since I’m not having dessert, I have to have another cocktail. OK, then, so be it. We talk briefly about what it’s like to fly internationally vice domestic; they say that getting used to all the time changes is the hardest thing when you start out. The best part is getting to visit all of these really interesting destinations (c’mon, it’s the passengers you really love, right?). After our brief chat, I opt for a study period, but ninety minutes of analytical logic game puzzles prove too much for me at 35,000 feet and sleep comes calling for most of the remainder of the flight to ORD.
We’re actually about 20 minutes early getting into T5 at ORD; the walk to customs seems to take forever. Whoever put the customs facility here must have wanted to make sure people were really awake by the time they got to an agent; it had to have been about a half mile from the gate to the check in stations. The process of getting back into my own country takes a little extra time courtesy of the computer network virus that was running around last weekend; the Novell based computers that U.S. Customs runs on were really slow. After a few Windows jokes and snickers, I’m on my way to the train and T3; the Super Bowl is about to start. I get to watch the first quarter before heading off to K12 and my flight home.
ORD – SEA, AA 1961, MD-80 6:35P.M. Sunday, 1/26/2003, Seat 5E
We’re actually a little late getting out of ORD again due to a late inbound from BUF. My seat mate is a deadheading AA First Officer going back home to SEA; he is Australian and has a terrific accent. Ever the Paul Hogan fan, I’m almost tempted to make him talk so I can listen to that Aussie sound, but he seems really tired, so I bug off and let him sleep.
There is no pre departure beverage service, so I decide I’m going to punish AA for this transgression (really more of an egregious error on their part) and empty the Crown Royal supply on the way home. Tonight’s meal service:
Hot towel service (yup, no lemony scent again and WOW that sucker’s hot)
Assorted warmed mixed nuts
Green salad with choice of Caesar or Vinaigrette Dressing
Assorted warm rolls with butter
Choice of Polynesian Chicken
Filet of Beef
Cheese & Mushroom Tortellini
Dessert:
Fruit and Cheese plate or
Ice cream Sundaes.
(Sorry the menu descriptions are so brief here, but I’m working from memory, actually finishing the last leg of the trip report while on AS 517 from SAN-SEA on Wednesday the 29th…) The food’s decent on this domestic leg, but nowhere near the quality that it was on the transatlantic flight. I’m actually very impressed at the meals and service I received on the overseas legs. I’m also extremely impressed with the 777.
The captain comes on about every 15 minutes or so to update the Super Bowl score; I am ecstatic at Tampa Bay putting it to the Raiders and silently cheer every time their lead increases. After dinner, I get out the laptop and decide that tonight’s the night I’m going to watch “A Brilliant Mind”. Yeah, I know, I’m way behind on films, just haven’t seen it yet. I’m really only interested in Jennifer Connelly, anyway…. The movie’s good, but the Crown Royal makes it even better. I’m pretty liquid by the time I get to SEA, and am thankful that a lady friend is picking me up. It’s raining pretty good here; we spend a little time flying sequencing vectors in and land on 16L at about 9:35 PM PST. Pretty amazing, to London and back in just over 39 hours; I’ll have to try the Concorde someday.
Probably the worst thing about a trip like this is knowing that you’re going to this fantastic destination, but, due to time constraints, you won’t be able to spend any time there. I’m wistfully looking towards the day when work won’t be so demanding, life won’t be so hectic and the mileage runs that I now take will someday include real stopovers. For now, it will have to be about the journey rather than the destination.
Jan 31, 2003, 11:30 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,222
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fredmartens:
then it’s off to the Flagship Lounge at ORD for a first (and probably last, considering it’s closing February1) visit.</font>
then it’s off to the Flagship Lounge at ORD for a first (and probably last, considering it’s closing February1) visit.</font>
Feb 1, 2003, 2:46 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Seattle
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 1,570
Mr. fredmartens - that was an uplifting & fun trip report - Thanks...
Isn't the 777 a wonderful bit of machinery? One of my favorite planes to fly...
Have a great rest of the weekend. ;-)
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Patrick A. Inouye, CMT
volunteer trip reports moderator
Isn't the 777 a wonderful bit of machinery? One of my favorite planes to fly...
Have a great rest of the weekend. ;-)
------------------
Patrick A. Inouye, CMT
volunteer trip reports moderator
Feb 1, 2003, 3:19 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Glad to see you're doing your part in keeping our struggling US carriers afloat, Fred. Thanks also for a great trip report!