aw

After a restful and much deserved mini-vacation in GVA, I was ready to come back home and face reality once again. For those who have never been to GVA, I highly recommend this city. The physical setting bordered by the lake and the mountains is breathtakingly spectacular. Although this city is particularly known to cater to expensive accounts, I found great bargains for all budget types. The old town is considered one of the best kept secrets in Europe and it was charmingly dotted with interesting architecture, inviting restaurants and eccentric shops. The food is superb and I would put it in the league of Paris and Brussels. All good things come to an end soon and before I knew it, it was time to bid GVA good bye.


LH 5367 GVA-FRA
Jul 7 - Seat 5C
Dept 1105A - EQP 737

I woke up early by 6A and the skies were dark and cloudy. I headed to the train station for the 7 min ride to the airport. Once there, check-in was smooth and efficient. However, there was no invitation to the Business lounge and I had to inquire about it. The agent advised me to go to the SWISS
lounge. I've found the airport to be small and basically simple for such a worldly city. After passport control, I proceeded to the Business lounge which was operated by SWISSPORT. It also served other carriers besides LH. Now, there is a true LH Senator lounge further down but it is reserved for F and Senator members only. The SWISS lounge was very comfortable and featured a separate lounge for smokers. There were 2 terminals with internet access, an open bar with spirits, juices and soft drinks. Food wise, they provided a basket of croissants, some individually wrapped hazelnut cookies, flat breads, spice cakes and bread sticks. Not too bad, overall. Personally I like this type of lounge better than the LH Business one in FRA or MUC. The long way to the gate involved me going through a maze of corridors that seemed like an endless walk. At the gate, I waited for about 10 minutes before boarding was announced. As always, there was no announcements for Business Class psgrs so everybody zoomed to the gate at the same time. I decided to wait until the last minute instead of fighting with the crowd.

Once onboard, the male purser seemed a bit aloof and not very enthusiastic about greeting people. I proceeded to take my seat in row 5 and to my surprise there were no windows in that row. I then moved down to row 7 with only 2 seats. Once we reached cruising altitude, the snack service began. It consisted of an entree with 2 slices of cold roast beef atop lettuce leaves, a toast with some mayo and shrimps, 2 cubes of cheese with a cherry tomato in the middle, a berry yogurt and a small box of chocolate with 2 pralines. The male purser came with the drink cart afterwards and I was addressed by name!!! A refreshing surprise and extra bonus points for LH. Suddenly, the purser did not seemed so pathetic after all. One thing I have noticed about the selection of juices is that LH has somehow limited it. I don't know if this is because of the short route I was flying but about a couple of months ago I recall being offered pineapple juice onboard and not this time. My flight only had apple, OJ or tomatoe juices along with soft drinks and other spirits.

We finally arrived at FRA and it was a nice, somewhat cloudy day. I was relieved that it wasn't rainy but my joy was short lived. After I settled at the Excelsior hotel near the train station, I decided to revisit the ROM and take a stroll through the Zeil and Hauptwache. Right when I stepped off the tram, it started drizzling. So much for sunny weather, according to the Weather Channel website. Ok, plan B, I decided to do some indoor activities and went inside the DOM and afterwards, spent time at the Galeria Kauhoff, where I took advantage of some last minute shopping for loved ones and lost myself in the deli section buying different samples of marinated seafood and terrines for my dinner tonight. I then played around with buying a roasted pork knuckle but the size was too much for myself. I'll have to sample it on my next trip.


LH 462 FRA-MIA
Jul 8 - Seat 10J
Dept 0950A - EQP 747-400


It was raining heavily this morning so I decided to get an early start and head to the airport at around 0700A. The train ride from the station to the airport was about 12-15 min. There were quite a few commuters given the time of the day. I walked to the Business counter to check in and the agt was efficient but not overly friendly. She put those "Priority" inserts inside the luggage tag which I detest. Why doesn't *A have proper luggage tags instead of these inserts? With so much time in my hands I decided to browse through the terminal and I was surprised to find a sex/porno shop about two stores down from a kid's store. This is the first time I have come across this type of store in a major intl airport. Yes, FRA is a world unto itself.

If you are going to the US out of FRA, be prepared to go through several security checks as I have found later. Good thing I had plenty of time. I then killed some time at the Business lounge and to my surprise the one I have entered in terminal B, I believe, had some plastic flowers on top of the tables. Colorful but a bit tasteless, IMHO. The usual assortment of sweet cookies were available which I did not bother to partake in indulging. At the gate, I inquire if the J is full and wanted to see if I could be an empty seat next to me. The gate agent was most accommodating and she promised to block my neighbor seat without hesitation. My perception about LH kept getting better by the minute. ^ There was about a 15 minutes delay due to weather and once boarding commenced, everybody rushed to the gate. Again, no special announcements for F or J passengers, although there was a separate jetway for it. Still, everybody had to pass through the same entrance using the same agent that collected the boarding pass. To the agent's credit, they did go around and advised families traveling with children to board first b4 the general boarding annoucement.

The crew on today's flight proved to be a joy. FA's were standing at the gate greeting people and assisting with seating assignment. There were about 4 FA's in the front cabin of J. They were also serving pre-departure drinks consisting of water or OJ. My neighbor seat was vacant as promised, but there were several kids surrounding me and since this cabin was not full, I inquired the purser if I could move back to seat 15A, away from the noise. She said that I was welcomed to take the seat but if there is someone assigned to it, I had to move. I decided to stand nearby and wait. At the last minute, a couple came onboard and asked if they could upgrade because they are using UA's tkts/upgrades and they said that the originating station could not process them. The purser asked them to wait while she confirms something and then sent one of the FA's to accompany the couple to the gate to get this resolved. As expected, the gate agts did not upgrade them and they had to take their seats in Y. Then the purser came to me and said that the seat was all mine and I could move if I wished. The video demo was on and we started to get in line for take off. Once we reached cruising altitude, the FA's were busy serving cocktails and beverages along with a bag of LH's smoked almonds. The purser then came by distributing the menus and asked each psg what language he/she speaks. She would then open the menu to the page corresponding to the language ( German, English or Spanish). The cover is in a brownish red with a fan depicting the Oriental BKK. Menu is by Chef Norbert A. Kostner, Executive Chef from the Oriental BKK. Here's the t ranscipt:


Hors dóeuvre

Smoked Salmon with Sour Cream and Chives

Rabbit Roulade served with Pesto Potato Salad and Pumpkin Compote


Salad

Frisée, Radicchio, Lollo Rosso and Hearts of Palm with Sun-dried Tomato Dressing


Entrees

Pan-seared Breast of Duck, Thai Curry Sauce, Asian Longan Fruit and Jasmine Rice

Grilled Medallion of Cod with Tamarind Jus and New Potatoes

Poppy Seed Ravioli with Ricotta Filling, accompanied by Shiitake Mushrooms, Carrots, Zucchini and a savory Tomato Salsa


Cheese and Dessert

Blue Cheese, Gouda and Cherry Pepper filled with Cream Cheese and Olive

Dark Chocolate Truffle with Vanilla Sabayon

Fresh Fruit


Snack

Entrees

Cold Gourmet Plate
Sliced Veal Roast, marinated Jumbo Shrimps, Chili and Pomelo Salad, Green Asparagus and Créme Fraiche

or

Hot Specialty
Crepes filled with Leaf Spinach and Tofu served on spicy Tomato Puree

From the Bread Basket
a selection of Rolls and Bread with Butter

Dessert

Creme Brulée with Tapioca and Ginger




WINE MENU

Champagne

Jacquart Brut Mosaique, Champagne, Frankreich


White Wine

2003 Estate Silvaner Dry, Hans Wirsching, Iphofen, Franken, Deustchland

2002 Central Valley Chardonnay, Santa Helena, Chile


Red Wine

2000 Chateau Reysson, Cru Bourgeois, Frankreich

2001 Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, Italien


FA's passed hot towels and then the meal procession started. I chose the Rabbit appetizer which was good. The delicate roulade was perfectly balanced with the spiciness of the Pumpkin compote and the slightly pungent potato-pesto salad. The salad was adequate but I would have preferred a choice of dressings. I had the Duck for entree and although the overall quality of the dish was not too bad, it had room for improvement. It consisted of 3 slices of duck breast that we a bit dry and overcooked. The side vegetable looked like chopped bok choy that was a bit wilted and it was accompanied by cherry tomatoes. The sauce was spicy but not hot, which was perfect for me. The rice was good and fluffy. Serving a whole breast would have been nicer instead of cutting it into pieces. It could have prevented some of the dryness since cut pieces cook faster. I would not have used tomatoes to accompany the vegetable. The acidity does not go too well with Asian vegetables, IMHO.
I find it noteworthy that every time the FA came to the last row, there was still a choice available of either appetizers or entrees. The cheese service is pre-plated and it was fine, although I prefer to have FA's cut the cheese from a board instead. All this was accompanied by a choice of about 4-5 different rolls and breads, which was outstanding. A second pass with the cart followed offering the dessert, which was exquisite. The vanilla sabayon provided a good contrast to the intense chocolate truffle.... However, I wish that there would be a choice of at least 2 desserts, besides the fruit. After the meal, lights were turned off and shades lowered. The cabin was pitch black. During this time, I decided to do some walking and set if there is a snack cart. Alas, all I found were drinks. Specifically, there was a bottle of water and OJ glasses set at the little table in the front cabin by row 5. In the galley, all I saw were more trays with glasses of water and juice. No chocolates, nuts, or other snacks.

The second meal was very basic. I opted for the hot meal, which was 2 rolled crepes with spinach and tofu. The salsa was the redeeming factor that provided some flavor to this rather bland meal. The créme brulee was nice and creamy and lacked the intensity that I was expecting from the ginger.

My seats were the old Business Class ones. I found the recline to be fine but if the person in front of you reclines and you are at the window, you must disturb your neighbor in order to get out. I did not bother with the movies since I seldom watch anything onboard and prefer to read instead.

Service was wonderful and FA's were always smiling and willing to please. The attitude was outstanding. There was even some cruising at the galley. When I walked behind the curtains on my way to the WC, there was this male FA sitting down who upon seeing me proceeded to check me from head to toe. I know he was from another cabin because I never saw him with the initial crew who served J class. He then made some walking through the J cabin when everybody was sleeping.

The amenity kits were the flimsy gray bags with the yellow Lufthansa letters. It contained the usual socks, mask, toothbrush, headphones with cushions and a sample of a cream. Not the best kit in the industry, for sure. Even LOT was more generous than LH in that area.

Pretty soon we landed into hot and humid MIA. Upon disembarking, the purser would stop the Y psg from exiting to allow the J pax to go through. Outstanding! I would not hesitate to fly LH J again.

more to come with UA........

24.05.2004

Looking forward to reading about your experiences with MIA. As a (now) frequent Latin America traveller (almost exclusively on AA), it is always interesting to hear how the *A folks get treated.

Thanks for taking the time to post your report.

sftrvlr

Good so far ... looking forward to the rest. I've never really heard a good trip report on the FRA-MIA service. Waiting to see how UA stacks up!

aw

UA 907 MIA-DEN
Jul 10 Seat 2B F/C
Dep 1410 EQP: A319

I was looking forward to get back after a lethargic stay in MIA. The heat was unbearable and there was a huge fire in the Everglades. The smoke clouds could be seen from miles. I arrived at MIA 2 hrs before departure. The counter was nearly empty and I had 2 carry-ons and 1 book bag. The agt at the F/C counter was pleasant and made some light conversation. He then issued me my boarding passes and I was ready to go. Upon entering through security, I was stopped by the agent and was told that a maximum of 2 carry-ons was allowed. I explained that I was flying F and that the book bag can be carried as an additional item. She said that even F/C was subject to this restriction and that I must check one of the bags. I was not in the mood to argue so I went back to the counter and just checked one of the bags. This has never happened to me on previous occasions until now. I wonder if this is a new procedure in place. After I tagged my bag, I was asked to carry it to one of the security agents for hand inspection. After my tagged bag was dropped on the conveyor, I then returned to security where I was asked to go through a special line for F/C psgrs. Once inside, I paid a visit to the Red Carpet Club. The room was divided into different sections and was decorated in warm tones. There was an open bar with refreshements, fruits, cheese cubes, crackers and biscuits.

At around 30 minutes before departure, I made my way to the gate. There were quite a few people roaming there so I decided to be one of the last ones to board to avoid the congestion. F/C was full today and the FA offered pre-take off drinks. Soon we were taxiing and our way to DEN. After reaching cruising altitude, the purser distributed hot towels and offered HOT nuts in a ramekin along with your drink order. She then set the linens on the tray tables and took the orders. Cutlery was metal except for the plastic knife which was the same design of the fork and spoon. the Lunch today consisted of a Cobb salad or Deli plate. I chose the salad and it was a large bowl with mixed greens, some cherry tomatoes, turkey, ham, cheese (cheddar and maybe provolone), olives and hard boiled eggs along with 2 small containers of Honey Mustard Dill dressing. Warm breads from passed from a basket with about 3 choices. For dessert, we had chocolate baked cookies and I had this with a glass of milk. The seats were adequate but the pitch on the A319 is horrendous and it felt very cramped at the second row. The service was friendly and quick, although this particular purser was a bit noisy since she kept slamming the galley compartments and overhead bins whenever she was closing them. A bit unrefined and lacking in finesse, even though she was nice and very accommodating. One would hardly encounter this kind of "slamming" behavior from an Asian or European crew. I do not mean this in a derogatory way, just as an honest obervation. I think that American crew can be some of the best in the world, as I have witnessed on many occasions, but the lack of refinement and consistency among some members are what bring them down. It seems that there are more "rotten" apples working at American carriers than at foreign ones. I did not used to be this way, just look at Pan Am at its height, its FA's were the symbol of sophistication, worldliness and panache at one point.

Soon seatbelt signs were on in anticipation of our descent into DEN. The FA's did they require walk through the cabin and we arrived into a sunny and warm day at DEN.



UA 1065 DEN-SFO
Jul 10 Seat 9B J/C
Dept 1740 EQP: 777


Judging by the amount of people waiting at the boarding area, this is going to be a full flight. There were 2 jetbridges available for boarding, one for F/J, the other for Y. My seat was located in the first section of J, which gave a somewhat "private" feeling since there are only 2 rows in the forward section. FA's offered pre-take off drinks and once the door was shut, we were on our way to SFO. FA's rolled out the beverage carts and took drink orders. Beverages were served with a COLD ramekin of nuts. This was followed by a round of hot towels that FA's distributed efficiently.

Afterwards, a male FA went around the cabin taking orders for Dinner. Today's selection were Salmon Caesar salad OR Chicken sandwich? from what I heard. I got up to use the rest room and by the time I came back, the FA has already finished taking the orders in my section. I settled in my seat and after about 10 minutes, the entrees were being served. Then the FA came to me and asked: Mr XXXX, would you care to join us for dinner tonight? I say yes and then he told me that the only choice was Salmon Salad and if that is OK. This incident reminds me of a trip that I took long time ago flying from NRT-OSA on JL. Mind you, this was in Y. I got up to use the rest room and when I returned, the FA realized that she skipped me and in less than 1 minute after I sat, she asked me for my choice of entree. Now, that is service! The entree was good for a flight of this length. The salmon portion was generous and sat on top of a bed of greens surrounded by cherry tomatoes. Again, there were 2 containers of Honey Mustard Dill dressing.
Dessert was on the tray which was a slice of Chocolate swirled Eli's cheesecake. After the trays were cleared, FA's made a round with coffee or tea. Most of the crew were average except for a female one who served on my side who was great. She was cheerful and always had a smile. Great attitude.

Seats were very comfortable since this is an international version of the 777. There were blankets on each seat, although some were in plastic bags and others were just folded with threads of hair from previous users.

I then took a quick nap since my body was still recuperating from the jet lag. Upon waking up we were about 150 miles from SFO so FA's were getting ready for landing. The touch down was smooth and we arrived at the gate quickly. My bag was tagged with the Priority insert so I was hoping that it would be one of the first ones to come out of the carrousel. My bag took about 10 minutes to come out after a batch of regular ones came out first, so much for Priority.

Overall, my flights were fine and most importantly, timely. Even though LH does not provide a leading J service as VS, BD or OS, I would still fly with them again. I was impressed by the consistency and great service offered by its crew. In my book, a great airline is made up of great people and the service they provide, and not so much by technological innovations. UA could be a great airline if not for its inconsistencies. The Red Carpet lounges are very good (better than US, CO or DL). On some trips, I have encountered people with an indifferent attitude while on others, I was served by crews that were a joy to be with and I admire them for keeping an upbeat face despite the current crisis that their company is going through. UA is fortunate to have these people representing them and I wish them the best of luck.