AUS-DFW-LGA/JFK-SCL-LAX-JFK-SYD-CNS-SYD-HBA-MEL-HNL-OGG-DFW-AUS in F/J/Y
Jan 13, 2004, 12:08 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
AUS-DFW-LGA/JFK-SCL-LAX-JFK-SYD-CNS-SYD-HBA-MEL-HNL-OGG-DFW-AUS in F/J/Y
My wife and I booked AONE5 RTW tickets ex-CAI last year and had planned on spending a few weeks in Australia over the holidays. We were then planning return to the US on a separate ticket. We unfortunately ran out of time to use all our North America segments and so I decided to upgrade to an AONE6 to sample both Lan Chile's First service and Qantas domestic service as part of a mini mileage run: JFK-SCL-LAX-JFK-SYD. My wife was much more sensible and was meeting me in LAX for the flight to Sydney. I used an AAward to fly AUS-DFW-LGA.
Unfortunately, this was to have been a much more detailed report with menus and pictures, until I left my brand new PDA on the CNS-SYD flight
(someone had a merry Xmas) so excuse me if I've forgotten some of the meal choices!
12/19 AUS 13:45 DFW 14:45 AA 470 - Seat 4A (MD80)
Arrived at Austin airport Friday afternoon around 12:30. I had already checked in via the Web but needed to finalize the rerouting of my RTW tickets, which had taken two agents 9 hours over the previous two days to complete!
We pushed back a few minutes early for the quick flight to Dallas. Arrived at DFW 15 minutes early to find a plane was still at our gate.. seemingly a very common problem at DFW lately as 3/4 of my last flights have experienced gate delays on arrival. So we sit for 30 minutes on the tarmac before they reroute us to a new gate. No problems, I have over an hour before my next flight to LGA.
12/19 DFW 16:10 LGA 20:27 AA 750 - Seat 4A (757)
Delays seem to be the word of the day at DFW as my next flight to LGA is also delayed because of a late arrival. Finally we do board 20 minutes late but I'm becoming a little worried when we're still sitting at the gate 30 minutes after expected departure.. I had timed my connection LGA-JFK a little too tight after all, I had only scheduled a little over 2 hrs and had made the mistake of checking my bag in Austin. The movie showing was Pirates of the Caribbean. Dinner was chicken. We approach New York... a gorgeous view of Manhattan out the left side.. past LaGuardia and keep going. I think we are over Boston before we turn around and head back.. finally we land and the clock is ticking as I disembark at 8:55 PM, my flight leaves JFK at 10:35 and I still have to wait for my bags... which still haven't appeared by 9:15.
-cont'd-
[This message has been edited by hauteboy (edited Jan 13, 2004).]
Unfortunately, this was to have been a much more detailed report with menus and pictures, until I left my brand new PDA on the CNS-SYD flight
(someone had a merry Xmas) so excuse me if I've forgotten some of the meal choices!12/19 AUS 13:45 DFW 14:45 AA 470 - Seat 4A (MD80)
Arrived at Austin airport Friday afternoon around 12:30. I had already checked in via the Web but needed to finalize the rerouting of my RTW tickets, which had taken two agents 9 hours over the previous two days to complete!
We pushed back a few minutes early for the quick flight to Dallas. Arrived at DFW 15 minutes early to find a plane was still at our gate.. seemingly a very common problem at DFW lately as 3/4 of my last flights have experienced gate delays on arrival. So we sit for 30 minutes on the tarmac before they reroute us to a new gate. No problems, I have over an hour before my next flight to LGA.
12/19 DFW 16:10 LGA 20:27 AA 750 - Seat 4A (757)
Delays seem to be the word of the day at DFW as my next flight to LGA is also delayed because of a late arrival. Finally we do board 20 minutes late but I'm becoming a little worried when we're still sitting at the gate 30 minutes after expected departure.. I had timed my connection LGA-JFK a little too tight after all, I had only scheduled a little over 2 hrs and had made the mistake of checking my bag in Austin. The movie showing was Pirates of the Caribbean. Dinner was chicken. We approach New York... a gorgeous view of Manhattan out the left side.. past LaGuardia and keep going. I think we are over Boston before we turn around and head back.. finally we land and the clock is ticking as I disembark at 8:55 PM, my flight leaves JFK at 10:35 and I still have to wait for my bags... which still haven't appeared by 9:15.
-cont'd-
[This message has been edited by hauteboy (edited Jan 13, 2004).]
Jan 13, 2004, 12:22 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
My bags appear off the belt at 9:17 and I dash out the door to the taxi stand.. where there is a line of people each with a ton of luggage. By this point I feel like a two year old that has to pee, I'm fidgeting like there's no tomorrow. 
Into the cab at 9:22 and told him JFK, quick! Another minute goes by as my cab is blocked in by the others, then we zoom off. We are making good time until we hit the Van Wyck.. which even at 9:30 PM is still backed up, but luckily the congestion clears and we arrive at JFK at 9:41 PM.. whew. I give a Very generous tip to the Senegalese driver and wish him a Merry Xmas before dashing into Terminal 4 and wandering in a daze for a few minutes before locating the Lan Chile checkin counter. Only one person in front of me in the First class checkin and finally ay 9:55PM I present my novella of tickets (ever seen a 20-segment handwritten RTW ticket with the tax calc stapled to the back of each segment? it's not a pretty sight). I receive my boarding pass and a lounge invitation and have just dropped my bags with the TSA when one of the LanChile reps approaches me and another couple who were late checking in and state that they need our tickets.. I say no way as my connecting flight was late and I already have my boarding pass in hand. I then hotfoot it down to the gate as they have already started boarding.
12/19 JFK 22:35 LIM 06:30+1 LA 531 - Seat 1D (767)
12/20 LIM 07:20 SCL 12:40 LA 531 - Seat 1D (767)
The LanChile flight to Santiago was completely full. First Class is only a single row on the 767 in a 2-1-2 configuration with a partition behind to provide privacy. The seats are very similar to AA's business class except that they lie flat. I'm a fairly large guy with broad shoulders and so I was uncomfortable as the area between the armrests was pretty narrow when the seat was fully reclined. However leaving the seat slightly at an angle was quite fine spacewise. Their amenity kit was very nice, it included a small mirror, razor and hairbrush among the usual creams and toothbrush.
The LanChile first class wine list can be found at:
http://www13.lanchile.com/english/un...os_primera.htm
Their appetizer cart had all sorts of goodies:
Ossetra Malossol Caviar served with toast points, blinis and sour cream
Foie gras
Eggplant parmesan(?)
Dinner was fish
The flight stopped in Lima for an hour to refuel and board passengers. I stepped outside the plane for a few minutes to stretch but didn't go through the transit lounge. We were quickly on our way to Santiago.
The reciprocity fee for Americans in Chile is now $100, luckily you only have to pay this once and it is good for the life of the passport. I had visited Chile before when the fee was only $20.. so luckily didn't have to pay. You pay this fee before going through immigration. I then took the Centropuerto bus into town and spent a few hours wandering about town and eating ice cream. Santiago is a wonderful city except for the smog which can be pretty bad this time of year. I also bought some lapis earrings and a necklace as a surprise Xmas gift for my wife. Shh!
-cont-
[This message has been edited by hauteboy (edited Jan 13, 2004).]
Into the cab at 9:22 and told him JFK, quick! Another minute goes by as my cab is blocked in by the others, then we zoom off. We are making good time until we hit the Van Wyck.. which even at 9:30 PM is still backed up, but luckily the congestion clears and we arrive at JFK at 9:41 PM.. whew. I give a Very generous tip to the Senegalese driver and wish him a Merry Xmas before dashing into Terminal 4 and wandering in a daze for a few minutes before locating the Lan Chile checkin counter. Only one person in front of me in the First class checkin and finally ay 9:55PM I present my novella of tickets (ever seen a 20-segment handwritten RTW ticket with the tax calc stapled to the back of each segment? it's not a pretty sight). I receive my boarding pass and a lounge invitation and have just dropped my bags with the TSA when one of the LanChile reps approaches me and another couple who were late checking in and state that they need our tickets.. I say no way as my connecting flight was late and I already have my boarding pass in hand. I then hotfoot it down to the gate as they have already started boarding.12/19 JFK 22:35 LIM 06:30+1 LA 531 - Seat 1D (767)
12/20 LIM 07:20 SCL 12:40 LA 531 - Seat 1D (767)
The LanChile flight to Santiago was completely full. First Class is only a single row on the 767 in a 2-1-2 configuration with a partition behind to provide privacy. The seats are very similar to AA's business class except that they lie flat. I'm a fairly large guy with broad shoulders and so I was uncomfortable as the area between the armrests was pretty narrow when the seat was fully reclined. However leaving the seat slightly at an angle was quite fine spacewise. Their amenity kit was very nice, it included a small mirror, razor and hairbrush among the usual creams and toothbrush.
The LanChile first class wine list can be found at:
http://www13.lanchile.com/english/un...os_primera.htm
Their appetizer cart had all sorts of goodies:
Ossetra Malossol Caviar served with toast points, blinis and sour cream
Foie gras
Eggplant parmesan(?)
Dinner was fish
The flight stopped in Lima for an hour to refuel and board passengers. I stepped outside the plane for a few minutes to stretch but didn't go through the transit lounge. We were quickly on our way to Santiago.
The reciprocity fee for Americans in Chile is now $100, luckily you only have to pay this once and it is good for the life of the passport. I had visited Chile before when the fee was only $20.. so luckily didn't have to pay. You pay this fee before going through immigration. I then took the Centropuerto bus into town and spent a few hours wandering about town and eating ice cream. Santiago is a wonderful city except for the smog which can be pretty bad this time of year. I also bought some lapis earrings and a necklace as a surprise Xmas gift for my wife. Shh!
-cont-
[This message has been edited by hauteboy (edited Jan 13, 2004).]
Jan 13, 2004, 12:58 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
I returned to the airport via the Centropuerto bus around 7 PM. Checkin was a bit chaotic.. my bags had actually been checked through JFK-SCL-LAX and I only had my carryon with me. The agents were pulling people out of line to search their checkin bags. I was at the beginning of the line with a few other pax without checked bags but had to wait nearly 25 minutes as people who had been in line way behind me were able to checkin merely because they had bags.. it took some of the bagless pax complaining before the agents finally let us checkin as well. I headed off to the LanChile lounge to wait out the few hours before the flight.
12/20 SCL 22:40 LIM 00:20+1 LA 600 - Seat 1A (Airbus 340)
12/21 LIM 01:30 LAX 07:10 LA 600 - Seat 1A (Airbus 340)
The Airbus 340 was a much newer plane than the 767, which seemed rather worn. Service also seemed much more attentive, though that may be because there were only two pax in First Class for this flight. The 340 is also configured in a 2-1-2 FC configuration, single row.
Appetizer cart:
Ossetra Malossol Caviar, from the Caspian Sea, served with toast points, blinis and sour cream
Foie gras served atop sweet potato slices
Mini eggplant cannelloni filled with tuna
Fresh Magellan King Crab served with mayonnaise sauce
Champagne Tattinger, Comtes de Champagne
Our Salad cart
Mix your own salad from our selection of seasonal vegetables
Choose your favorite toppings to go with it
A La Carte Service
Comforting Soup
Simply Delicious
Creamy Artichoke Soup
Warm Dishes
Grilled Filet of Beef
Grilled Filet of beef medallion served with creamy Maquechoux and onion confit.
Our Master Sommelier suggests Sena 1999
Sauteed Chilean Sea Bass
Sauteed Chilean sea bass, herb crusted, served with spinach, mushrooms and chestnuts
Our Master Sommelier suggests Max Reserva Syrah 2000 Vina Errazuriz
Pappardelle
Papardelle served with seafood sauce
Our Master Sommelier suggests Single Vineyard Chardonnay 1999 Vina Mont Gras
From the Bakery
Bread Basket - choose your own selection from our variety of warm breads and crackers
Cheese and Fruit
The Cheeses - A selection of cheese served with grapes or dried fruit, Pumpernickel bread and crackers
Fresh Fruit - Assortment of fresh seasonal fruit
Our Dessert
Rustic Prune Tart - Rustic prune tart topped with vanilla ice cream
Something Refreshing - Lemon Sorbet
I had the sea bass, which was delicious as ever, and tried it with the Syrah which I found quite tasty, surprising as I'm not too keen on red wines. The flight also stopped in Lima on the way to Los Angeles, though by then I was fast asleep.
Breakfast
To Start
Juices and Fruit - Fresh orange juice and a selection of fresh seasonal fruit
Coffee and Tea - Choose from our variety of coffee, decaffeinated coffee and tea
Warm Entrees
Egg Dish - Ham omelette served with grilled mushrooms and sauteed asparagus
Sweet Choice - Banana pudding served with 'dulce de leche' sauce
Breakfast Sandwich - Create your own sandwich choosing from the following ingredients:
Bread rolls: Country - whole weat and white bread roll - Crouissant
Delicious Fillings: English ham - grilled chicken breast - gruyere cheese - fresh cheese
From the Bakery
our bread basket - choose from our variety of cookies, breads and toast, served with butter and preserves
I had the omelette and one of the tastiest scones I have had in awhile.. perfectly sweet and soft without being too crumbly. We arrived on time at TBIT LAX amazingly made it through immigration in a quick 30 minutes, even with waiting for my bags. Headed over to T4 to check out the new Flagship Lounge and catch the LAX-JFK flight on Qantas.
[This message has been edited by hauteboy (edited Jan 13, 2004).]
12/20 SCL 22:40 LIM 00:20+1 LA 600 - Seat 1A (Airbus 340)
12/21 LIM 01:30 LAX 07:10 LA 600 - Seat 1A (Airbus 340)
The Airbus 340 was a much newer plane than the 767, which seemed rather worn. Service also seemed much more attentive, though that may be because there were only two pax in First Class for this flight. The 340 is also configured in a 2-1-2 FC configuration, single row.
Appetizer cart:
Ossetra Malossol Caviar, from the Caspian Sea, served with toast points, blinis and sour cream
Foie gras served atop sweet potato slices
Mini eggplant cannelloni filled with tuna
Fresh Magellan King Crab served with mayonnaise sauce
Champagne Tattinger, Comtes de Champagne
Our Salad cart
Mix your own salad from our selection of seasonal vegetables
Choose your favorite toppings to go with it
A La Carte Service
Comforting Soup
Simply Delicious
Creamy Artichoke Soup
Warm Dishes
Grilled Filet of Beef
Grilled Filet of beef medallion served with creamy Maquechoux and onion confit.
Our Master Sommelier suggests Sena 1999
Sauteed Chilean Sea Bass
Sauteed Chilean sea bass, herb crusted, served with spinach, mushrooms and chestnuts
Our Master Sommelier suggests Max Reserva Syrah 2000 Vina Errazuriz
Pappardelle
Papardelle served with seafood sauce
Our Master Sommelier suggests Single Vineyard Chardonnay 1999 Vina Mont Gras
From the Bakery
Bread Basket - choose your own selection from our variety of warm breads and crackers
Cheese and Fruit
The Cheeses - A selection of cheese served with grapes or dried fruit, Pumpernickel bread and crackers
Fresh Fruit - Assortment of fresh seasonal fruit
Our Dessert
Rustic Prune Tart - Rustic prune tart topped with vanilla ice cream
Something Refreshing - Lemon Sorbet
I had the sea bass, which was delicious as ever, and tried it with the Syrah which I found quite tasty, surprising as I'm not too keen on red wines. The flight also stopped in Lima on the way to Los Angeles, though by then I was fast asleep.
Breakfast
To Start
Juices and Fruit - Fresh orange juice and a selection of fresh seasonal fruit
Coffee and Tea - Choose from our variety of coffee, decaffeinated coffee and tea
Warm Entrees
Egg Dish - Ham omelette served with grilled mushrooms and sauteed asparagus
Sweet Choice - Banana pudding served with 'dulce de leche' sauce
Breakfast Sandwich - Create your own sandwich choosing from the following ingredients:
Bread rolls: Country - whole weat and white bread roll - Crouissant
Delicious Fillings: English ham - grilled chicken breast - gruyere cheese - fresh cheese
From the Bakery
our bread basket - choose from our variety of cookies, breads and toast, served with butter and preserves
I had the omelette and one of the tastiest scones I have had in awhile.. perfectly sweet and soft without being too crumbly. We arrived on time at TBIT LAX amazingly made it through immigration in a quick 30 minutes, even with waiting for my bags. Headed over to T4 to check out the new Flagship Lounge and catch the LAX-JFK flight on Qantas.
[This message has been edited by hauteboy (edited Jan 13, 2004).]
Jan 13, 2004, 1:20 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
The new FL lounge at T4 is quite nice.. much larger than the old Admirals club. I grabbed a quick shower though they aren't quite as nice as the ones at DFW Terminal A.
12/21 LAX 08:50 JFK 16:50 QF 107 - Seat 2A (747 - Wunala Dreaming)
The Qantas plane had a very similar layout to British Airways first class, though the seats do not have quite as much privacy. Seats recline fully into the bed. The new Skybeds were not installed on this aircraft.
Slept most of this flight.. arrived at JFK and hesitated about going outside security to get my return boarding pass. I braved the crowds and the cold in the end. The regular QF checkin was miles long and the FC checkin took awhile to find as it is around the corner where the Concorde checkin used to be. I was worried about the status of my JFK-SYD segment. Originally I had a confirmed seat on QF 108, but during the reissue somehow I had lost my seat and was only confirmed into biz and as the flight was full I was afraid I'd lost my FC seat...
12/21 LAX 08:50 JFK 16:50 QF 107 - Seat 2A (747 - Wunala Dreaming)
The Qantas plane had a very similar layout to British Airways first class, though the seats do not have quite as much privacy. Seats recline fully into the bed. The new Skybeds were not installed on this aircraft.
Slept most of this flight.. arrived at JFK and hesitated about going outside security to get my return boarding pass. I braved the crowds and the cold in the end. The regular QF checkin was miles long and the FC checkin took awhile to find as it is around the corner where the Concorde checkin used to be. I was worried about the status of my JFK-SYD segment. Originally I had a confirmed seat on QF 108, but during the reissue somehow I had lost my seat and was only confirmed into biz and as the flight was full I was afraid I'd lost my FC seat...