Spring Break on AA, Jetblue, and CO
Mar 31, 2003, 9:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,347
Spring Break on AA, Jetblue, and CO
March 22, 2003
AA 241 JFK-LGB Lv1610 Arr1925
Boeing 757-200 N648AA (5BU)
Check-in line was quick and I did not even use the self-check-in machines, especially the empty premium lines. Our flight was not full at all and there were about 9 in first class and 82 in economy class. I am very concerned about AA adding another daily flight, and then two daily flights out from JFK to Orange County. (But on my return flights, Jetblue is almost 100% full). Gate was a close 42 and the security line was not painfully slow. It was pretty normal. Boarding began at 3:42pm, and a pre-takeoff beverage of orange juice and water was served, followed by headsets and printed menus. Door was closed at 4:05pm, and then we pushed back a minute later and headed to R/W31L. Plane spotting includes:
At Terminal seven, there were two BA’s 744 (include G-BNLP) with union flag livery, and the Manchester Boeing 767 (G-BNWS).
At terminal one, it was a busy day.
SQ 744 9V-SMS VS 744 G-VHOT “Tubular Belle”
AF SSC F-BVFC VS 340 2 AF’s B777
LH 332 AZ M11 THY Turkish Airlines’ A340
OS 332 OE-LAN
T-4 has Malev’s Boeing 767, Varig’s MD-11, Pakistan’s Boeing 747-300, Air India’s Boeing 747-400, AR’s A340, 2 Swissair’s A330-200s, 2 KLM’s Boeing 747s, and NW’s B747-400
After a Delta’s Boeing 767-300ER with the Spirit livery landed, our aircraft began our takeoff run at 4:23pm. Seat belt sign went off at 4:50pm, and then beverage service began with the warmed nuts. Then dinner followed. It was identical to the dinner on my report last December for a flight from JFK to Seattle. Well, the transcript again…
Dinner
To Start
Warm Mixed Nuts to accompany your preferred Cocktail or Beverage
Appetizer
Chilled Shrimp with a zesty cocktail sauce
There was still a plate of five shrimps.
The Salad Cart
Fresh Spinach tossed with Bacon, Walnut and Croutons with a choice of fresh Herb Vinaigrette or light Peppercorn Ranch dressing
Instead of a cart, the salad was pre-plated in the galley. The ranch dressing was nice.
Entrées
Filet Mignon
Filet of Beef with a Shallot and Caper Demi-Glace, sautéed Yellow Squash and Red Onions and Goat Cheese caramelized Onion mashed potatoes
Or
Wild Mushroom Fettuccine
Pasta tossed with a creamy Wild Mushroom sauce and topped with sun-dried tomatoes
Roasted Chicken can be added to this Entrée upon request
Or
Seafood Risotto
Creamy rice flavored by a Seafood Medley
Two grilled shrimps and two scallops with a nice bowl of rice.
The Cheese and Dessert Cart
A sampler of fine cheese complemented by fresh fruit and crackers
Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with a choice of Toppings
A nice sundae with butterscotch, whipped cream, and chopped nuts!
Or
Fresh seasonal fruit
The dinner was similar and I just discovered that real mugs (glass) were used on this transcon flights, but on other mid-con flights, only the grey plastic mugs were used. After dinner, the movie, Antwone Fisher, was shown, followed by an episode of CBS Eyes on American, including an episode of “The King of Queens.” Throughout the flight, our flight attendant, James, served us beverage. It was a nice night at Long Beach, CA, and we landed on R/W30 at 6:48pm (three hours behind from JFK). Flying time was five hours and twenty-five minutes, and we were cruising at 39,000ft. After four minutes, we were parked at gate 22. Long Beach airport was pretty quiet. Then I proceeded to the Jetblue’s gates for my flight to Oakland, CA.
B6 256 LGB-OAK Lv2035 Arr2150
Airbus A320-200 N558JB “Sing Sung Blue”
The check-in line had no one and I was immediately helped. I requested a window seat and she found one for me and let me choose between Row 3, 11, or 20+. I had 3A. She was not rude, but a bit indifferent. It was different from the cheerful gate agents and agent checking ID towards the secured area. LGB was quiet and there were a number of planes parking overnight – an AA’s MD-80 from DFW, my JFK AA Boeing 757 (no redeye on Saturdays), an America West’s Boeing 737-300 (N324AW), and a number of Jetblue’s A320s, including one standby Jetblue’s A320.
The flight was surprisingly full, especially Saturday night. Fortunately, the middle class was left empty on my flights. Boarding began at 7:54pm, since the aircraft arrived early from JFK. There was a dual boarding system at Long Beach. Similar to East Coast Shuttles, both front and rear doors are used. Row 1 to 14 used the front door, and Row 15-27 used the back door. Boarding began from the middle cabin towards the front and back. This system only applies at LGB, where stairs are used. The agents were cheerful and proudly announced the name of the aircraft and this plane was only 14 days old. I did not mind boarding through stairs, especially it was a nice California evening with fresh air. The seats were the grey ones, but there were many crumbs left on the tables and both safety cards were missing from 3A and 3B. But I can smell the new leather seats. The F/As were friendly and mingling with passengers. The Direct TV was not turned off until after the safety demo, which was a good idea. We pushed back three minutes later, and headed towards R/W30 for takeoff. We lifted off from a clear LA evening at 8:48pm. Flying time was an hour exactly and we climbed to 31,000ft.
Express beverage service with a choice of coke, diet coke, sprites, and bottled water was first served. Whole cans were passed out, following by a cup of ice. Then a basket of snacks with the signature blue chips, cheddar whales, bagel snacks, cookies, and pretzels was passed out next. The TV was nice and the flight went by quickly. Soon we began our descent at 9:17pm. We landed on Runway 29 at 9:48pm, and headed towards gate 15. It was a busy night at Oakland with all gates filled. I saw Aloha’s Boeing 737-700 N740AL. In two months, I will be flying one of these planes to Hawaii.
March 24, 2003
B6 249 OAK-LGB Lv1320 Arr1435
Airbus A320-200 N528JB “Mi Corazon Azul” My blue heart
After a relaxing weekend with my best friend from high school and his partner, it was time to head back to New York. I was dropped off at the relatively busy Jetblue’s counters. I used the self-check in machines, which were nice, but I found them a bit more difficult to use than other major US airlines, especially with a connecting flight. Both my flights were full, but I was able to find a window on my short flight to LGB, and retained my aisle seats on the longer leg to JFK. Oakland airport was very busy, and it seemed to be a more popular airport to use these days. Our aircraft arrived a bit late from JFK, and I was disappointed that there was a lack of announcements. Boarding began at our departure time at 1:14pm, with pre-boarding and then from the back to the front. One word – the agents were strict about boarding the correct row numbers. Twenty minutes later, boarding was completed and door was closed. Another group of energetic group was serving us this afternoon. We pushed back at 1:37pm and headed back to the familiar runway, R/W29. After a Southwest’s Boeing 737 landed, we took off at 1:46pm. Flying time was fifty-nine minutes from a cruising attitude of 29,000ft. The flight path was a bit different from the typical OAK/SFO-LAX, as we traveled along the coastal line throughout the flight and began our descent around the Catalina Islands. The flight featured the same express beverage service with a basket of snacks. It was more than sufficient for a short hour flight, and it was nice to have a full can of soda on such short flights, especially full cans were being served less at the major airlines. From this perspective, I don’t see how the US major airlines can save much by not serving full cans. If Jetblue can afford to serve full cans, why can’t AA or CO or DL do the same? Anyway, we began our descent at 2:20pm and touched down at Runway 30 at 2:45pm, and parked at gate 2A shortly after. As we parked into gate 2A, an AA’s MD-80 landed on Runway 30 from DFW. The apron was quiet with that AA’s MD-80, and three Jetblue’s A320. My aircraft was heading back to Oakland, and there was a standby plane, and then my flight to JFK. I took multiple pictures, which hopefully would come out nicely.
B6 210 LGB-JFK Lv1535 Arr2340
Airbus A320-200 N510JB “Out of the Blue”
After deplaning from my OAK flight, I headed towards the takeout counters for a sandwich, which was packed with some Dorito chips and two chocolate bars. As I was waiting at Gate 3, I was surprised to see my “crush” sitting at the gate. I was a bit unsure but was sweating and pacing nervously. Finally when boarding was announced, I headed towards the gate, and unfortunately, I passed by him and confirmed my suspicions. My heart was beating ten times quicker (and hopefully, I was not flushing!) and after a few friendly exchanges, I told him that I would go ahead to board and chat with him lately. “Gosh, I need to catch some fresh air!” Anyway, since I was at row 19, I headed towards the end of the bus. It was quite exciting to board from the back of the plane, but honestly, I did not remember much, but thinking what a coincident! Well, this flight was near 100% full, and it was not that comfortable to be honest, but I admit that the friendly crews and the TV took away attentions from the lack of comfort. Door was closed at 3:33pm, and we pushed back on time. A familiar heading towards R/W30… We took off at 3:43pm and flying time was a long four hours and forty-seven minutes, with an initial cruising attitude of 33,000ft, and then further up to 37,000ft.
The service was a bit more extensive. First, there were four flight attendants on board, instead of three F/As on the shorter flights. There were two full beverage and snack services throughout the flight. At each occasion, the four flight attendants first took beverage orders and then served us with a full can. I ordered cranberry juice and got two cans, since it was a small size. Then the snack baskets were passed out during the first service, with chocolate biscotti, animal crackers, bagel mix, blue chips, and cookies. You can have as many snacks as you want. Despite my sandwich lunch, I tried both the chips and biscotti. It was nice. Throughout the flight, you can request beverage from the galley. Then about an hour and half prior to arrival, the F/As took beverage orders again, and then instead of snack basket, a snack pack was served. Jetblue snack packs consist of Le Petit Fromage – Pasteurized spreadable cheese, breadsticks, Lorna Donne Shortbread cookies, and Lifesaver’s Strawberries and Cream “Crème Saver.” I was in the restroom when the beverage order was first taken. Then I headed back to the galley to get my drink and got an extra snack pack. It was nice. Unfortunately, I could not keep it because it was food. But I will keep the wrapping.
After the initial beverage and snack services were completed, a P/A announcement was made and the crew was looking for a medical doctor. I was a bit nervous, but then nothing much seemed to happen. It was towards the front of the cabin. Then thirty minutes later, I saw the F/As were clearing people from the aft cabin. An off duty crew sitting at 20B left his seat and there was some shuffling at the end of the plane. The last row of the seat, 27DEF, were vacant and then a lady appeared intoxicated reached that seat. I later found out from my crush and listened to various conversations around us, this lady was intoxicated and the F/A refused to serve her more drinks. Then she began to complain about medical pains, and the doctor discovered that the alcohols did not mix well with the medications she was taking. Then the F/As immediately reseated her towards the back of the cabin, and then two male F/As (including the off duty member) were watching over her. Then the F/As began to shift passengers out from the back (mainly family and children and women) and moved these men to the back, as the woman began screaming and talking loudly. The children were frightened. After an hour, she appeared calm down, and the rest of the flight went on peacefully, but the F/As remained in the back, and the pilots came out from the cockpit and discussed the situations with the F/As. Nevertheless, the F/As handled the situation well, and a bunch of comment cards were sent out to the passengers.
Descent began at 8:05pm. We landed on Runway 13L at 11:30pm (LGB was three hours behind), and parked at gate 7. It took us more time than normal in getting into our gate. As we finally turned towards our gate, the pilot asked us to stay seated after we stopped, as a few personnel would board the planes. After the door was opened ten minutes later, five police officers made their ways toward the back, and then we were allowed to leave the plane. Quite an exciting day of flying… of course, the arrival scene was crowded and the cab line was long. However, I then decided to walk towards the nearby terminal seven, as the UA midnight flights had not arrived yet. No line and I hopped on a cab towards home. What a day!
In conclusion, Jetblue is a pleasurable airline to fly and the fare was pretty good for a last minute trip. I booked the flight four days in advance, and I was able to fly all these sectors around $500, which were good. However, Y in Jetblue was pretty tight, and I think AA and its upgrades will make me to use AA in the future. However, I would not mind flying Jetblue once a while and for short to medium haul flights, it was fine. The whole operation was efficient and the service was friendly. No wonder it was expanding quickly and won the hearts of many passengers.
I also took a roundtrip on CO from LGA to LAX via IAH. Nothing much to report, so I am not going to write a report, but since I took an unusual redeye on the return, I would give you a quick transcript.
March 31, 2003
CO 170 LAX-IAH Lv0130 Arr0631
Boeing 757-200 (752) N17128
Check in was the mandatory e-machine style, but an agent escorted me all the way. The check in area was busy with COPA Panama flights, which were overbooked and the agent was rebooking some passengers and arranging hotels. Then my redeye flight was 100% full. I went through the security checkpoint quickly and found that my aircraft was there. I was glad to find out that the PC was opened till 1am. So I went in. It was very quiet and I got a window seat. A few transpac takeoff – BR, CI, and QF, and then I saw a DL 763 pulled into gate 63 – possibly the late flight from JFK. The flight was pretty empty, as I saw only two cargo containers coming from the belly. Anyway, boarding began early at 12:43am, since it was full.
I was surprised to see the Boeing 757 with the BusinessFirst seats. Nice for redeye! Pre-takeoff beverage was offered and it was interesting that some passengers decided to recline their seats immediately and went to sleep during boarding. However, it would be more painful when the F/As had to ask you to return your seats upright before takeoff. Also, since takeoff was a pretty crucial stage of a flight, it would always good to remain vigilant during that stage. Anyway, the door was closed at 1:26am and we pushed back on time. Following an AA’s MD-80, we took off at 1:40am from R/W25R. A DL’s Boeing 737-800 heading to DFW followed us on the line. Pretty much all the commercial flights from LAX during these ungodly hours! Tom Bradley was virtually empty!
No announcement at all with the late flight! Y had a beverage service, and F had a snack service. Hot towels were offered first, followed by beverage and a cold plate containing four slices of grilled chicken breast, a single slice of peppered salmon, potato salad, 2 cucumber slices, and a container of Berry Jam. A white roll (warmed) and a pecan delight accompanied the snack. I guess 5 passengers took the meal. I had to finish some reading, so I had some cranberry juice and ate the roll and the chicken… nothing special. Then the F/A came by with a basket of cashew nuts. The F/A kept my glass filled while I was reading. Then I slept for an hour, before we began our descent. After the pilot signaled for arrival, the F/A quickly passed out a tray of orange juice and water, which was a nice gesture. We landed on R/W26 at 6:25am and parked at Gate C14.
CO 332 IAH-LGA Lv0755 Arr1209
Boeing 737-800 N54241
I went to the President’s Club for the transit. Muffins, donuts, bagels, apples, and bananas were available with assorted juices and coffee. I had a banana and a cranberry juice and struggled to read an article for my class this afternoon. I went to find out how my upgrade is coming. It was not happening. Since the flight came in from Austin, most passengers got upgraded on the first leg. I was second on the list, but F was checked in 13 out of 14 when I boarded. Nevertheless I got all three seats on Row 10. When I boarded, I discovered the same crew operated on my outbound LGA-IAH was on this flight too, but they did not remember me. Anyway, it was too early! Door was closed at 7:53am. It was half filled in Y. We took off from Runway 15L at 8:06am. Flying time was two hours and forty-three minutes with a cruising attitude of 37,000ft.
Breakfast snack in Y was a joke. It contained a single banana, cereal – Special K and a container of milk. Muffin was featured a year ago but became history. Beverage service was limited to one single glass of beverage. The F/A did a second beverage service after snack, but there was no beverage service prior to arrival. Movie, “Barber Shop” was shown. The flight went by fine, and we landed on Runway 31 at 11:51am New York time. It was cold. The bags came off within fifteen minutes… not bad and the priority tag made a difference.
Anyway, that’s it! My next report is on Northwest!
Carfield
[This message has been edited by Carfield (edited 04-06-2003).]
AA 241 JFK-LGB Lv1610 Arr1925
Boeing 757-200 N648AA (5BU)
Check-in line was quick and I did not even use the self-check-in machines, especially the empty premium lines. Our flight was not full at all and there were about 9 in first class and 82 in economy class. I am very concerned about AA adding another daily flight, and then two daily flights out from JFK to Orange County. (But on my return flights, Jetblue is almost 100% full). Gate was a close 42 and the security line was not painfully slow. It was pretty normal. Boarding began at 3:42pm, and a pre-takeoff beverage of orange juice and water was served, followed by headsets and printed menus. Door was closed at 4:05pm, and then we pushed back a minute later and headed to R/W31L. Plane spotting includes:
At Terminal seven, there were two BA’s 744 (include G-BNLP) with union flag livery, and the Manchester Boeing 767 (G-BNWS).
At terminal one, it was a busy day.
SQ 744 9V-SMS VS 744 G-VHOT “Tubular Belle”
AF SSC F-BVFC VS 340 2 AF’s B777
LH 332 AZ M11 THY Turkish Airlines’ A340
OS 332 OE-LAN
T-4 has Malev’s Boeing 767, Varig’s MD-11, Pakistan’s Boeing 747-300, Air India’s Boeing 747-400, AR’s A340, 2 Swissair’s A330-200s, 2 KLM’s Boeing 747s, and NW’s B747-400
After a Delta’s Boeing 767-300ER with the Spirit livery landed, our aircraft began our takeoff run at 4:23pm. Seat belt sign went off at 4:50pm, and then beverage service began with the warmed nuts. Then dinner followed. It was identical to the dinner on my report last December for a flight from JFK to Seattle. Well, the transcript again…
Dinner
To Start
Warm Mixed Nuts to accompany your preferred Cocktail or Beverage
Appetizer
Chilled Shrimp with a zesty cocktail sauce
There was still a plate of five shrimps.
The Salad Cart
Fresh Spinach tossed with Bacon, Walnut and Croutons with a choice of fresh Herb Vinaigrette or light Peppercorn Ranch dressing
Instead of a cart, the salad was pre-plated in the galley. The ranch dressing was nice.
Entrées
Filet Mignon
Filet of Beef with a Shallot and Caper Demi-Glace, sautéed Yellow Squash and Red Onions and Goat Cheese caramelized Onion mashed potatoes
Or
Wild Mushroom Fettuccine
Pasta tossed with a creamy Wild Mushroom sauce and topped with sun-dried tomatoes
Roasted Chicken can be added to this Entrée upon request
Or
Seafood Risotto
Creamy rice flavored by a Seafood Medley
Two grilled shrimps and two scallops with a nice bowl of rice.
The Cheese and Dessert Cart
A sampler of fine cheese complemented by fresh fruit and crackers
Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with a choice of Toppings
A nice sundae with butterscotch, whipped cream, and chopped nuts!
Or
Fresh seasonal fruit
The dinner was similar and I just discovered that real mugs (glass) were used on this transcon flights, but on other mid-con flights, only the grey plastic mugs were used. After dinner, the movie, Antwone Fisher, was shown, followed by an episode of CBS Eyes on American, including an episode of “The King of Queens.” Throughout the flight, our flight attendant, James, served us beverage. It was a nice night at Long Beach, CA, and we landed on R/W30 at 6:48pm (three hours behind from JFK). Flying time was five hours and twenty-five minutes, and we were cruising at 39,000ft. After four minutes, we were parked at gate 22. Long Beach airport was pretty quiet. Then I proceeded to the Jetblue’s gates for my flight to Oakland, CA.
B6 256 LGB-OAK Lv2035 Arr2150
Airbus A320-200 N558JB “Sing Sung Blue”
The check-in line had no one and I was immediately helped. I requested a window seat and she found one for me and let me choose between Row 3, 11, or 20+. I had 3A. She was not rude, but a bit indifferent. It was different from the cheerful gate agents and agent checking ID towards the secured area. LGB was quiet and there were a number of planes parking overnight – an AA’s MD-80 from DFW, my JFK AA Boeing 757 (no redeye on Saturdays), an America West’s Boeing 737-300 (N324AW), and a number of Jetblue’s A320s, including one standby Jetblue’s A320.
The flight was surprisingly full, especially Saturday night. Fortunately, the middle class was left empty on my flights. Boarding began at 7:54pm, since the aircraft arrived early from JFK. There was a dual boarding system at Long Beach. Similar to East Coast Shuttles, both front and rear doors are used. Row 1 to 14 used the front door, and Row 15-27 used the back door. Boarding began from the middle cabin towards the front and back. This system only applies at LGB, where stairs are used. The agents were cheerful and proudly announced the name of the aircraft and this plane was only 14 days old. I did not mind boarding through stairs, especially it was a nice California evening with fresh air. The seats were the grey ones, but there were many crumbs left on the tables and both safety cards were missing from 3A and 3B. But I can smell the new leather seats. The F/As were friendly and mingling with passengers. The Direct TV was not turned off until after the safety demo, which was a good idea. We pushed back three minutes later, and headed towards R/W30 for takeoff. We lifted off from a clear LA evening at 8:48pm. Flying time was an hour exactly and we climbed to 31,000ft.
Express beverage service with a choice of coke, diet coke, sprites, and bottled water was first served. Whole cans were passed out, following by a cup of ice. Then a basket of snacks with the signature blue chips, cheddar whales, bagel snacks, cookies, and pretzels was passed out next. The TV was nice and the flight went by quickly. Soon we began our descent at 9:17pm. We landed on Runway 29 at 9:48pm, and headed towards gate 15. It was a busy night at Oakland with all gates filled. I saw Aloha’s Boeing 737-700 N740AL. In two months, I will be flying one of these planes to Hawaii.
March 24, 2003
B6 249 OAK-LGB Lv1320 Arr1435
Airbus A320-200 N528JB “Mi Corazon Azul” My blue heart
After a relaxing weekend with my best friend from high school and his partner, it was time to head back to New York. I was dropped off at the relatively busy Jetblue’s counters. I used the self-check in machines, which were nice, but I found them a bit more difficult to use than other major US airlines, especially with a connecting flight. Both my flights were full, but I was able to find a window on my short flight to LGB, and retained my aisle seats on the longer leg to JFK. Oakland airport was very busy, and it seemed to be a more popular airport to use these days. Our aircraft arrived a bit late from JFK, and I was disappointed that there was a lack of announcements. Boarding began at our departure time at 1:14pm, with pre-boarding and then from the back to the front. One word – the agents were strict about boarding the correct row numbers. Twenty minutes later, boarding was completed and door was closed. Another group of energetic group was serving us this afternoon. We pushed back at 1:37pm and headed back to the familiar runway, R/W29. After a Southwest’s Boeing 737 landed, we took off at 1:46pm. Flying time was fifty-nine minutes from a cruising attitude of 29,000ft. The flight path was a bit different from the typical OAK/SFO-LAX, as we traveled along the coastal line throughout the flight and began our descent around the Catalina Islands. The flight featured the same express beverage service with a basket of snacks. It was more than sufficient for a short hour flight, and it was nice to have a full can of soda on such short flights, especially full cans were being served less at the major airlines. From this perspective, I don’t see how the US major airlines can save much by not serving full cans. If Jetblue can afford to serve full cans, why can’t AA or CO or DL do the same? Anyway, we began our descent at 2:20pm and touched down at Runway 30 at 2:45pm, and parked at gate 2A shortly after. As we parked into gate 2A, an AA’s MD-80 landed on Runway 30 from DFW. The apron was quiet with that AA’s MD-80, and three Jetblue’s A320. My aircraft was heading back to Oakland, and there was a standby plane, and then my flight to JFK. I took multiple pictures, which hopefully would come out nicely.
B6 210 LGB-JFK Lv1535 Arr2340
Airbus A320-200 N510JB “Out of the Blue”
After deplaning from my OAK flight, I headed towards the takeout counters for a sandwich, which was packed with some Dorito chips and two chocolate bars. As I was waiting at Gate 3, I was surprised to see my “crush” sitting at the gate. I was a bit unsure but was sweating and pacing nervously. Finally when boarding was announced, I headed towards the gate, and unfortunately, I passed by him and confirmed my suspicions. My heart was beating ten times quicker (and hopefully, I was not flushing!) and after a few friendly exchanges, I told him that I would go ahead to board and chat with him lately. “Gosh, I need to catch some fresh air!” Anyway, since I was at row 19, I headed towards the end of the bus. It was quite exciting to board from the back of the plane, but honestly, I did not remember much, but thinking what a coincident! Well, this flight was near 100% full, and it was not that comfortable to be honest, but I admit that the friendly crews and the TV took away attentions from the lack of comfort. Door was closed at 3:33pm, and we pushed back on time. A familiar heading towards R/W30… We took off at 3:43pm and flying time was a long four hours and forty-seven minutes, with an initial cruising attitude of 33,000ft, and then further up to 37,000ft.
The service was a bit more extensive. First, there were four flight attendants on board, instead of three F/As on the shorter flights. There were two full beverage and snack services throughout the flight. At each occasion, the four flight attendants first took beverage orders and then served us with a full can. I ordered cranberry juice and got two cans, since it was a small size. Then the snack baskets were passed out during the first service, with chocolate biscotti, animal crackers, bagel mix, blue chips, and cookies. You can have as many snacks as you want. Despite my sandwich lunch, I tried both the chips and biscotti. It was nice. Throughout the flight, you can request beverage from the galley. Then about an hour and half prior to arrival, the F/As took beverage orders again, and then instead of snack basket, a snack pack was served. Jetblue snack packs consist of Le Petit Fromage – Pasteurized spreadable cheese, breadsticks, Lorna Donne Shortbread cookies, and Lifesaver’s Strawberries and Cream “Crème Saver.” I was in the restroom when the beverage order was first taken. Then I headed back to the galley to get my drink and got an extra snack pack. It was nice. Unfortunately, I could not keep it because it was food. But I will keep the wrapping.
After the initial beverage and snack services were completed, a P/A announcement was made and the crew was looking for a medical doctor. I was a bit nervous, but then nothing much seemed to happen. It was towards the front of the cabin. Then thirty minutes later, I saw the F/As were clearing people from the aft cabin. An off duty crew sitting at 20B left his seat and there was some shuffling at the end of the plane. The last row of the seat, 27DEF, were vacant and then a lady appeared intoxicated reached that seat. I later found out from my crush and listened to various conversations around us, this lady was intoxicated and the F/A refused to serve her more drinks. Then she began to complain about medical pains, and the doctor discovered that the alcohols did not mix well with the medications she was taking. Then the F/As immediately reseated her towards the back of the cabin, and then two male F/As (including the off duty member) were watching over her. Then the F/As began to shift passengers out from the back (mainly family and children and women) and moved these men to the back, as the woman began screaming and talking loudly. The children were frightened. After an hour, she appeared calm down, and the rest of the flight went on peacefully, but the F/As remained in the back, and the pilots came out from the cockpit and discussed the situations with the F/As. Nevertheless, the F/As handled the situation well, and a bunch of comment cards were sent out to the passengers.
Descent began at 8:05pm. We landed on Runway 13L at 11:30pm (LGB was three hours behind), and parked at gate 7. It took us more time than normal in getting into our gate. As we finally turned towards our gate, the pilot asked us to stay seated after we stopped, as a few personnel would board the planes. After the door was opened ten minutes later, five police officers made their ways toward the back, and then we were allowed to leave the plane. Quite an exciting day of flying… of course, the arrival scene was crowded and the cab line was long. However, I then decided to walk towards the nearby terminal seven, as the UA midnight flights had not arrived yet. No line and I hopped on a cab towards home. What a day!
In conclusion, Jetblue is a pleasurable airline to fly and the fare was pretty good for a last minute trip. I booked the flight four days in advance, and I was able to fly all these sectors around $500, which were good. However, Y in Jetblue was pretty tight, and I think AA and its upgrades will make me to use AA in the future. However, I would not mind flying Jetblue once a while and for short to medium haul flights, it was fine. The whole operation was efficient and the service was friendly. No wonder it was expanding quickly and won the hearts of many passengers.
I also took a roundtrip on CO from LGA to LAX via IAH. Nothing much to report, so I am not going to write a report, but since I took an unusual redeye on the return, I would give you a quick transcript.
March 31, 2003
CO 170 LAX-IAH Lv0130 Arr0631
Boeing 757-200 (752) N17128
Check in was the mandatory e-machine style, but an agent escorted me all the way. The check in area was busy with COPA Panama flights, which were overbooked and the agent was rebooking some passengers and arranging hotels. Then my redeye flight was 100% full. I went through the security checkpoint quickly and found that my aircraft was there. I was glad to find out that the PC was opened till 1am. So I went in. It was very quiet and I got a window seat. A few transpac takeoff – BR, CI, and QF, and then I saw a DL 763 pulled into gate 63 – possibly the late flight from JFK. The flight was pretty empty, as I saw only two cargo containers coming from the belly. Anyway, boarding began early at 12:43am, since it was full.
I was surprised to see the Boeing 757 with the BusinessFirst seats. Nice for redeye! Pre-takeoff beverage was offered and it was interesting that some passengers decided to recline their seats immediately and went to sleep during boarding. However, it would be more painful when the F/As had to ask you to return your seats upright before takeoff. Also, since takeoff was a pretty crucial stage of a flight, it would always good to remain vigilant during that stage. Anyway, the door was closed at 1:26am and we pushed back on time. Following an AA’s MD-80, we took off at 1:40am from R/W25R. A DL’s Boeing 737-800 heading to DFW followed us on the line. Pretty much all the commercial flights from LAX during these ungodly hours! Tom Bradley was virtually empty!
No announcement at all with the late flight! Y had a beverage service, and F had a snack service. Hot towels were offered first, followed by beverage and a cold plate containing four slices of grilled chicken breast, a single slice of peppered salmon, potato salad, 2 cucumber slices, and a container of Berry Jam. A white roll (warmed) and a pecan delight accompanied the snack. I guess 5 passengers took the meal. I had to finish some reading, so I had some cranberry juice and ate the roll and the chicken… nothing special. Then the F/A came by with a basket of cashew nuts. The F/A kept my glass filled while I was reading. Then I slept for an hour, before we began our descent. After the pilot signaled for arrival, the F/A quickly passed out a tray of orange juice and water, which was a nice gesture. We landed on R/W26 at 6:25am and parked at Gate C14.
CO 332 IAH-LGA Lv0755 Arr1209
Boeing 737-800 N54241
I went to the President’s Club for the transit. Muffins, donuts, bagels, apples, and bananas were available with assorted juices and coffee. I had a banana and a cranberry juice and struggled to read an article for my class this afternoon. I went to find out how my upgrade is coming. It was not happening. Since the flight came in from Austin, most passengers got upgraded on the first leg. I was second on the list, but F was checked in 13 out of 14 when I boarded. Nevertheless I got all three seats on Row 10. When I boarded, I discovered the same crew operated on my outbound LGA-IAH was on this flight too, but they did not remember me. Anyway, it was too early! Door was closed at 7:53am. It was half filled in Y. We took off from Runway 15L at 8:06am. Flying time was two hours and forty-three minutes with a cruising attitude of 37,000ft.
Breakfast snack in Y was a joke. It contained a single banana, cereal – Special K and a container of milk. Muffin was featured a year ago but became history. Beverage service was limited to one single glass of beverage. The F/A did a second beverage service after snack, but there was no beverage service prior to arrival. Movie, “Barber Shop” was shown. The flight went by fine, and we landed on Runway 31 at 11:51am New York time. It was cold. The bags came off within fifteen minutes… not bad and the priority tag made a difference.
Anyway, that’s it! My next report is on Northwest!
Carfield
[This message has been edited by Carfield (edited 04-06-2003).]
Mar 31, 2003, 10:01 pm
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Los Angeles, CA - Nearly 4 Million Actual Miles Flown
Posts: 5,522
Carfield, I think AA can support the flight JFK-LGB. Every single flight (7 in the last five months) has been full. As A Platinum on AA, I have been able to upgrade only 1 of those flights. That's the flight I usually take. I think you must have been on a "off date", especially with the start of the war.
Apr 1, 2003, 10:58 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Programs: AA PLT, SPG GLD, PC PLT SPIRE
Posts: 4,531
I did the LGB-JFK-LGB r/t a couple of weeks ago. My LBG-JFK morning flight was only 1/3 full, but my return flight was packed to the gills. On both legs I was able to upgrade to F. Except for the fact the I hate the brown leather seats on the 757s, a very nice usage of 10 stickers.
Apr 1, 2003, 11:33 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA 1K, AA Gold
Posts: 3,640
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Carfield:
The service was a bit more extensive. First, there were four flight attendants on board, instead of three F/As on the shorter flights. </font>
The service was a bit more extensive. First, there were four flight attendants on board, instead of three F/As on the shorter flights. </font>
Interesting that CO serves a meal in F on the LAX-IAH redeye, AA just offers pretzels (and screw top coach wine) in F on the SEA-DFW redeye.
As far as full cans, seems to be inconsistent. UA usually offers them, except on some ex-shuttle flights it depends on the F/As. With AA it seems to be hit or miss. I think they should at least offer the can.