aw

Hi everyone,

Last weekend I decided to make a quick trip to FRA on US just to take advantage of the new partnership w/LH in which Dividend members get 2X miles for every flight on US to Germany OR LH systemwide. Even though FRA is not the most "popular" city in Germany, I decided to give it a try and get a personal perspective for myself. From what I have read the concentration of museums and shopping is one of the best in the country and with that in mind I was eagerly anticipating my trip.


US 740 SFO-PIT
Nov 14 - Seat 21D
A321

Today's flight is scheduled to depart at 0700. I detest morning flights since I am not a morning person but as a lowly Silver trying to use his complimentary upgrades this flight connecting through PIT gave me the best chance of scoring a J seat. The ticket cost was $492.50 including all taxes booked in Q.

I arrived at the airport by 0530 and there was already a huge line for regular check-in. From the looks of it this is going to be a full flight. Luckily I was seated at an EMERG EXIT on the second partition of Y and this is in my opinion the best row if one must seat in the back. It offers ample room but beware of window seats in this row since there is no window. Flight started to board at about 40 minutes before departure and cabin crew was cheerful and engaging. In particular, one of the FA's serving in the back possessed the most professional and cooperative attitude which is very refreshing to see these days. There were a lot of German passengers connecting to the FRA flight (no surprise). I think FRA is the only internation flight that PIT has in addition to a seasonal LGW service.

The whole flight was uneventful with 2 beverage cart services and the infamous "Ïn-flight Cafe" meals for sale. The selections were a Chocolate Croissant with fruits OR Ham Sanwich with egg slices? with a third choice consisting of a small box of Turkey sandwich w/chips and a cookie I think (this snack box was only $5.00). I declined and instead decided to try to catch some sleep.

US 782 PIT-FRA
Nov 14 - Seat 2G
A330 "Murphy's Law flight"

I was looking forward to enjoying this flight in Envoy since today is my birthday and I was curious to find out how much J class has changed. I was cleared at the gate, assigned 2G and the agent wrote "Happy B-day" on the boarding pass which I find is a nice touch. The flight was scheduled to depart at 1720 and at around 1630 they announced a delay of about 3 hours. No clear explanation was given and I decided to hide in the Club until that time. About 2 hours later I decided to head to the gate and we learned that there was going to be a further delay and due to the brake system being examined. The explanation was that the aircraft encountered "unusual heavy turbulence" and that all flights that were arriving from FRA including FRA-CLT and FRA-PHL were going through the same inspection. At this point I collected a meal voucher from the Club and decided to check out the Food Court.

PIT had a decent selection of places to eat, including Au Bon Pain, McDonalds, Ben & Jerry's, Seattle's Best, a Chinese stand, Italian pizza and some healthy food establishments. By the time I finished walking around the court, it was time to go back to the gate and wait for our fate...It's creepy when a delay keeps being extended. Then it is not only the mechanical delay but we have to worry about the legality of the crew and that adds an extra dimension to the problem. Finally at the gate they announced the good news that the brake system has been replaced and that we will be boarding the aircraft. This was a full flight and the Envoy cabin was pretty much occupied entirely in the front except for 1-2 empty seats. I had a most agreeable German neighbor who turned out to be an engineer working on a project. We had a good conversation and exchanged some insightful notes on American culture. Flight attendants started with the drink service and rolled out the carts with menus, basket of amenities and magazines. My German neighbor inquired about the magazine selections and what some of the titles were and I could see the FA in front of the cart roll her eyes. Now, somehow I can't help to think that if I was flying on an Asian or European carrier the service would have been more professional. I miss the amenity kits and find the offering of items from a basket somehow cheap. It's similar to flying AC J from Europe.

It's been about 1 hour since we have been seated and no updates have been made. Finally it was announced that the mechanics were fine-tuning the new brake system and that we soon would be ready to go....at this point I was beginning to listen to my skeptic side and prepared for the worst. Not very soon after I heard "Bad news, this flight has cancelled". We all disembarked in a hurry and proceeded to make the loooong line for accommodation. The FA at the door apologized for the situation which is a nice touch, even though is not her fault. By now it was about past midnight and babies started to cry. A total of 6 hours have passed since our scheduled dpt. This is indeed an unforgettable B-day!

Once at the counter, I was provided with a sheet of paper for the Embassy Suites and a "special rebooking number" which was the regular intl res number. The note said that the hotel does not pck-up pasgr after midnight but the agent told me that once I call the hotel they will send someone. I proceeded with my new acquaintance to the Baggage area and we said good-bye since he was staying at the Hyatt at the airport. I called Embassy Suites and was told that they DO NOT PCK UP after midnight. Yeah, this is going to be a memorable night. I immediately went to US Baggage Service, showed them my boarding pass and asked them to solve this RIGHT NOW! in the most gentle way I could. (By now it's been a long day for me and I was starting to see double. I did not get any sleep the night before and flew the whole day). They went ahead and gave me a voucher for the Hyatt right away. I then proceeded to the hotel and at the reception there was a huge line with Y passengers waiting to be checked in. It took another 30 minutes for me to get my room key and to top it all there was a group of German passengers who were drunk and shouting in the lobby.

Once at the room, I called the Silver line and was advised that there were several choices for me. I could either be rebooked on LH thru ORD, be confirmed in J with US through MAN via PHL and then LH to FRA (3 legs) or take UA through IAD. I decided to go through MAN and get a confirmed J seat. I took a long hot shower and crashed...


US 516 PIT-PHL
Nov 15 - Seat 1C
737-400

I woke up at around 0700 and decided to stby to PHL and get an early start. I was originally confirmed on US 506 at 1530 but decided to try for US516 leaving at 1145A. I was confirmed in seat 1C at the gate and the flight was wide open. The seat next to me was empty which is always a welcoming surprise. Maybe it was because I was flying on a Sat but there seems to be a lot of non-revenue psgs on this leg. For such a short flight, the purser did a good job of taking drink orders and passing by with the Snack basket which consisted of fruit bars, Milano cookies, Potatoe chips (50% less fat) and cashews. Pretty soon I was in PHL and ready for the ENVOY lounge.

Now, I have not been to the new incarnation of the ENVOY Lounge and the last time I was in the old one about 1.5 - 2 years ago it was a craustrophobic and crowded place. The new side of Terminal A is very spacious and modern looking. There is a very steep escalator to the US Lounge but once there it was HEAVEN! The club is among one of the best I have been to. I am not an expert in clubs and can only offer UA, LX, LY, AA and SN as points of comparison. Anyways, it is spacious, well lit and the selection of food and beverages are excellent. Food and beverages layout are of the help yourself type. On the bar, juices and liquorswere available along with a refrigerator with chilled beer. For food, there were cold cuts and vegetable plates along with a variety of breads. There was also a cheese plate with about 3-4 selections with fruits and a tray of cookies. In addition, there was a bowl of dry mix, cashews, candy and mints. I personally love the Flavia espresso/tea machine. The lounge opens at 1430 and it gets very busy by 1600-1800. It is a great place to spend time relaxing with good views of Terminal A. Life is full of coincidences and I happened to encounter my German acquaintance from the night before. We sat together and chatted some more. He was told that when he rebooked the agt confirmed him on LH F and that upon check-in at PIT, the agt advised him and they could not do that and placed him on US J from PHL-FRA. Personally I think US should have honored the ticket since he was flying in a confirmed J seat. As for me, I was told that I had seat 11F on LH and upon calling LH they could not confirm my seat. So much for smooth transaction. Appearantly, there are still some glitches that need to be fixed.

US 196 PHL-MAN
Nov 15 - Seat 1G
A330

Finally, I was able to get a taste of US F seats by scoring 1G. The front row was completely occupied as expected and the seats were superb. The lie completely flat and with a couple of pillows are pretty comfortable. No padding necessary, unlike LX seats. The seat pitch must have been about 80-90" and when the person next to you is in full flat position you can still get to the aisle. There is a little compartment in front for personal items and noise-cancelling headphones were at the seats.

Upon boarding, FA's distributed the amenities (they were all placed inside the socks pouch), menus were already at the seats (kind of lazy not doing the cart service). Pre-take off drinks were offered and soon we were ready for take-off.

Menus selection were as follow:

For Starters
SAINT ANDRE TART
Flaky pastry shell filled with the Chef's recipe of oven roasted tomatoes and Saint Andre cheese, accented with fresh Arugula and a caper vinaigrette.

Entree

FRESH CRAB CAKES
Flavorful lump crabmeat cakes, subtly seasoned, served with three mustard creme fraiche, sugar snap peas, tangy corn and pickled okra succotash.

PEPPERCORN FILET MIGNON
Cracked black peppercorn crusted beef filet, served with midly spiced green peppercorn and wine sauce, sauteed mushroom caps, creamy potatoe gratin and creamed spinach hinted with nutmeg.

ROASTED DUCK CASSOULET
Traditional slow roasted duck served on top of delicately seasoned stewed white beans, sauteed spinach, roasted baby carrots and grilled garlic duck sausage.

EXPRESS MEAL

GRILLED CHICKEN ARTICHOKE SALAD
Sliced grilled chicken breast served on top of Romaine lettuce and spinach, garnished with grilled artichoke heart, goat cheese crostini, grilled marinated tomato half, caramelized onions, with an olive oil balsamic dressing.


IN CLOSING

A selection of cheeses, a little fresh fruit, and something sweet. (3 chunks of cheese, gouda, swiss and perhaps cheddar, a bunch of grapes and an apple tart).

LIGHT BREAKFAST

3-4 slices of orange with grapes and a warm bagel w/cream cheese.

All the items were served in plastic cutlery but there were glasswares. Food was by Robert Kinkead from Kinkead's Restaurants.

Service was unimpressive, although FA's were friendly. My water glass was never refilled once, though she gave me a bottle of water when taking the drink order. Hot towels were passed before the meal and after arrival.

The Snack station was supplied with water, juices, cookies, cashews, fruit bars, XOXO chocolate bars and potatoe chips.

There are no longer fruits or chocolates, unfortunately.

More to come....






[This message has been edited by aw (edited Nov 20, 2003).]

pallensf

very nice...

------------------
Patrick A. Inouye, LMT
volunteer trip reports moderator

Seat 2A

This report was almost painful to read until you reached the new Envoy Club. Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience, especially on your birthday.

From what I've read in Trip Reports, the only US carriers offering a more consistently good Business Class product are CO and AA. I hope your return was alot nicer.

aw

cont...

For dinner I was torn between the Crab Cakes or the Duck Cassoulet. Both of these entrees are seldom featured inflight and finally I opted for the Fresh Crab Cakes, which is a specialty developed by Kinkead's. According to the menu description of the Signature Chef, Kinkead's in Washington DC "specializes in creating seafood dishes with an American flair".

Linen was set up and soon a tray was brought w/plastic cutlery, a wine glass, appetizer, butter and a package of salt/pepper (s/p shakers are no longer provided). The FA served warm bread from a basket with about 3 choices. The Saint Andre Tart was cold and I found it to be a bit cloying. The arugula with the caper dressing was not bad and the dressing was actually tasty with a not too acidic sharpness. The crab cakes followed which were 2 small rounds covered with the mustard creme fraiche sauce. The cakes were a bit salty and the sauce tasted like a cross between sour cream and grain mustard. It was not bad but I thought that it lacked the intensity required for a mustard based sauce.
The sugar snap pea was a bit burned on top and it was a bit greasy. The corn and pickled succotash was good and provided a right balance to the cakes. In the meantime, the FA did not come around to check on refills and I had to pour water from my own bottle. The dessert followed and this is a bit disappointing as some other fellow flyertalkers have warned me. Gone is the dessert cart with the cake and cheese/fruit service. Instead, one is given a small plate containing about 3 pieces of assorted cheeses, 2 water crackers, a small bunch of grapes and a small round tart (today's flight was sort of like an apple crunch). According to the menu, cappucinos and espressos were offered but I did not order those since I am not a coffee drinker.

I then decided to try to get some sleep but to no avail, since I have difficulty sleeping on outbound flights. The flat bed is really comfortable and spacious. A word of advice, if you are ever in Envoy, try to avoid row 2. They truly lack the legroom of the other seats. Somewhere I have read that it is about 8"-10" less than the regular 60" pitch, which I find to be true.

Pretty soon we were approaching MAN and the "light breakfast" service was about to begin. This dish has not changed since the last time I have flown about 2 years ago. It is still a fruit plate with orange slices, melon and grapes accompanied by a warm bagel and cream cheese. At least they bothered to warm the bagel this time. Arrival into MAN was painless and quick. On the way to immigration I noticed a big line of South East Asian passengers coming off from a Pakistan flight and standing on the other side of Immigration. I guess there is a different procedure in place for those flights. I found the people that I dealt with in MAN to be friendlier than the ones in London. I guess LHR is the big city and people tend to be more aloof if I want to generalize. The Immigration officer offered me a choice to either stay inside the terminal or go out. I opted to go out and check into the SAS Radisson to take a shower there. The hotel is nice and rooms are functional, although I would have preferred to visit an airline lounge like the CX one in FRA.


For my connecting flight on LH MAN-FRA, pls see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/004156.html

I arrived into FRA on 11/16 at around 1500. This is perhaps the shortest international trip I have taken in my life since I was scheduled to return on 11/17 at 1155. I decided to make the most out of the short layover I had and headed to the Hauptbhanhof (sorry for the mispelling) to my hotel. As luck would have it, it was raining that afternoon and at that point I just decided to do some shopping, grab something to eat at the train station and get some sleep at the hotel.

The following morning I woke up at 0500 and decided to head towards the Rom and Hauptwache. Of course, nothing is open at that ungodly hour in the morning but at least I have made the attempt so that I can say I've been there. Call me crazy but I find that one of the most enjoyable ways to experience a new place and absorb its essence is to take a walk in the early morning and see how the people go about setting up for the day. For example, the aroma of fresh bread and bakeries displaying their enticing selections through the windows, the butcher roasting meats and patiently arranging his goods make for some memories that are more intense than pictures. I always enjoy doing this in a city like Paris because it provides all the avenues for engaging in the pleasure of all the senses.

All things must come to an end and my short weekend getaway is approaching its final hours. Time to go back to the airport and get back to reality.

I arrived at the airport about 3 hours before departure and decided to do some last minute duty free shopping. FRA is an amazing place, it is a huge airport and provides every type of creature comfort. There is even a popular discotheque on the premises. The check-in counter for US is in Terminal 1C. There was a long line at the Envoy counter so I decided to use the regular PIT line since it was speedier. The usual round of non-sense security questions followed and soon I was with an agent who processed my upgrade and gave me seat 7G. I inquired about the lounges I could use and she advised that only the UA Red Carpet Club was available for US Envoy psgrs. Somewhere on previous posts I have read that one can also use LH Business Lounge. I decided to check out LH's one because I had plenty of time. Big mistake. LH is located at the end of the other terminal and one has to pass through an internal check-point security in order to re-enter into the gate. At LH, I was advised that there is no access for US Envoy psgrs and that perhaps in the future there will be. AHHHHHRG!!!! It must have took me about 15-20 minutes to walk from LH Business Lounge to UA Carpet Club. The Red Carpet Club is small and very crowded and I did not stay long in there. Selection of munchies were not that great, only pretzel sticks, some butter cookies and I think some peanuts. Not very impressive.

US 781 FRA-PIT
Nov 17 - Seat 1A
A330

At the gate, I decided to ask if row 1 was available and to my surprise the agent gave me a choice of either window or aisle. I chose 1A and was a happy camper already. Boarding was orderly and when I settled into my seat, a FA came by and advised me that the entertainment system is INOP. However, she said that I could be moved after the flight if needed. To my surprise, I was the only passenger in row 1. I felt so privilege when a FA was assigned to just do the demo for row 1 during take off. About 20 minutes into the air the service commenced. There were pre-take off drinks offered but no hot towels for the entire flight. Following is the menu for the flight:

For Starters
Marinated prawns accompanied by grilled tri-colored peppers, asparagus spears, baby plum tomatoes, Lollo Biondi and radicchio, accented by zesty cilantro salsa.

Entrees

Beef Tenderloin
Seared prim filet of beef topped with a mozzarella and smoked bacon crust and served with a rich balsamic vinegar sauce, accompanied by sauteed spinach and tagliatelle pasta.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Marinated sliced breast of chicken with traditional Indian spices in a masala curry sauce, served with spiced paneer cheese and coriander infused basmati rice.

Pan-seared Pike Perch
Pan-seared prime white fish presented on a bed of fresh baby spinach and basil, accompanied by beetroot pasta, fresh asparagus and roasted cherry tomatoes.

Express Meal
Cold Express Plate
A selection of thinly sliced Serrano ham, fresh mozzarella cheese and plum tomatoes with grilled marinated artichoke hearts and sliced zucchini.

In Closing
A selection of cheeses, a little fresh fruit, and something sweet.

Snacking Station
At the conclusion of the meal service, an assortment of snacks will be available in the service center.

Our Afternoon Refreshment Service will be served prior to arrival. Please ask your FA for today's selection.


The meal service started with the drink order and the placement of linen on your table. My Cranberry juice arrived with 2 packages of Cashews. After that, the tray with appetizer, a pad of butter (no ramekin piped butter), salt/pepper packs and silverware w/plastic knife was set. FA's also came around in a cart with glasses and water along with a basket of warm breads (again, about 3 choices). This time my glass was refilled constantly and the FA was very attentive. The appetizer of prawn was great. Shrimp was done just right and the cilantro salsa provided the perfect touch in balacing the overall taste of the dish. Asparagus and peppers were crispy and the greens were fresh and not wilted. I order the fish for entree and it too was a good choice. The meat was a bit done yet firm. The basil underneath constrasted well with the fish, the beetroot pasta provided the right sweetness to pair with the crisp asparagus and cherry tomatoes.

I decided to ask for a second entree just to try it and informed that FA that I would love to sample the Chicken Tikka Masala. She took my order but about 20 minutes after my first meal she never came back. Finally about 30 min after she said that they were still serving the back of Envoy and that she has not forgotten about my request. By now the dessert was being served and I took the small dish of cheeses, cracker, grape and a sweet and small fruit tart. Coffe and liquor were offered from a cart which is nice. I had the Port and it was given to me in a miniature bottle that could not be opened up, so the FA had to get a couple more from the galley cart. Afterwards, I had my table cleared and went to sleep. When I saw the FA serving me there were no words as to the second entree and I left it at that. After a restful sleep, we were approaching PIT and the snack service has started. This time, it was very good and consisted of a ham sandwich with what seemed oatmeal roll, grapes and a small pear pastry with marzipan. Excellent! This is a drastic change and better improvement from the Pasta/cheese dish and chocolate chip cookie I had flying from CDG-PHL before.

At this point, the FA who took my second ordcer came and offered me a bottle of wine as an apology for not bringing the second meal. I declined but let her know that I appreciated the gesture and that probably there were just enough meals loaded for everyone. Perhaps US is trying to save money and just board enough dishes for all J customers, although that is a bit hard to believe as there are always a couple of additional entrees boarded in case of contingency. Anyways, not a big deal although a prompt response along the line of "Sorry, b ut we don't have enough additional meals" at the beginning would have been better.


US 741 PIT-SFO
Nov 17 - Seat 9C
A320

This flight is booked in F and the chance of an upgrade was very remote. Since I had 9C EMER EXIT I was happy and decided to just board when the plane was ready.

Service was just what one would expect in Y from transcon. There were 2 beverage cart services and the Inflight Cafe meals for sale. The choices were Monte Carlo Sandwich, BBQ Chicken Salad for $10.00 and small pack of Turkey sandwich w/chips for $5.00

I bought the BBQ Chicken which is good but as usual overpriced. It only contained romaine lettuce, a bag of almonds, cucumber dressing and 1 walnut cookie along with a small bottle of water. Hopefully US will come with more affordable entrees in the future because at these prices I don't think too many people are buying these entrees.

JohnG

Great report AW!

I do find your request for a second entree a little odd, but still a highly detailed and entertaining report !

Carfield

Belated Happy Birthday!

Sorry to hear about your ordeal with US! It is sorry to hear how this airline's service is deteriorated. Row 1 sounds nice.

Wow, there is only one appetizer service now... I am a bit shocked... not even a separate salad.

Thanks for the detailed report!

Carfield

CLTFlyer

aw -

Great report! Nice to hear what I have to expect on my CLT-LGW flights next week. Sorry to hear about the ordeal in PIT - but glad to hear they took good care of you - even if it did shorten your trip.

CLTFlyer

aw

Thank you all for the positive feedback.

CLTFlyer, it's great to hear from you. Have a good flight to LGW. The menu should be the same as the one I described since the menus from PIT-FRA and PHL-MAN are the same.

CLTFlyer

Thanks aw - hope all is well with you! My upgrade on the outbound just cleared - so I'm looking forward to the trip. No seats were available in Row 1 - so I'll just have to tough it out in the normal Envoy seats.

rbAA

Excellent report. At least they didn't cancel your B-day due to a mechanical. I agree that the PHL club is one of the nicest I have seen in the states. I had the pleasure of using it on a recent trip to FPO.